Introduction
In general, a quality tennis racquet helps the player have a better performance. Moreover, when looking for a tennis racquet, it is essential to understand all its specs. Indeed, this will give you a better idea of how the racquet will feel before you even play with it.
Specifically, the heavy racquet is the leading factor for players looking to buy a new tennis racquet. Thus, one of the most frequent questions is the difference between these tennis racquets.
This article will provide all necessary information regarding these specs.
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Overview
Swing weight
Generally, it is known as the heavy a tennis racket feels when a player swings it to hit a ball. Said another way, it refers to how difficult it is to swing a racquet.
Furthermore, it is determined by the natural distribution of heavy along the length of the racket. Let’s take a hammer as an example:
- It will feel heavier if you swing a hammer from the handle. That feeling is similar to how a racquet with a higher swing weight would feel.
- However, if you flip the hammer and swing it from the opposite end, it will feel lighter since the heavy is in your hand, giving you the same feeling like a lighter swing weight.
Static weight
Compared to the spec mentioned above, static weight is easier to explain. In detail, it refers to the heavy of a tennis racket measured by a scale, either strung or unstrung weight.
- Strung weight: as its name implies, it is the static weight of a tennis racquet calculated with tennis strings installed.
- Unstrung weight: it is a measurement of the tennis racquet heavy without installing strings.
3 Main Differences Between These Tennis Racquet
Power estimation
Honestly, the static weight doesn’t allow the player to estimate the power of the racquet correctly. Usually, a racquet with a heavy static weight will provide better power. However, many manufacturers have rebalanced that heavy to make the racquet lighter but still produce the same power.
Meanwhile, the swingweight of a tennis racquet is a correlated function of a combination of static weight and balance. Therefore, this spec plays a vital role in the power of a racquet.
In this measurement, the load distribution has a more significant influence on swingweight than another one. Thus, the trend among racquets is that the more swing weight increases, the more power racquets produce. For example, a heavy head racquet will have a higher swingweight than a light head racquet if the static weight is the same.
Heavy range
Racquet swingweights range from 280 to 420 RDC. In detail, RDC is an abbreviation for Racket Diagnostic Centre. So, when you see a racket with this spec of 330 RDC, it implies that this is the figure that the machine calculated for the swing weight of that specific racquet.
Meanwhile, people often use grams to measure the static load of a racquet. Thus, RDC isn’t to be confused with grams. In detail, this tennis racquet is typically between 226-357 grams (approximately 8-12.6 oz).
Measure method
As mentioned before, the standard unit of measurement for swingweight is RDC, while the measure for static load is in grams. Hence, the measuring method of these two specs is different.
Honestly, although players can measure swingweight themselves at home, there will be some flaws due to human error, especially if they are unfamiliar with the procedure. As a result, experts highly recommend using a Racket Diagnostic Centre (RDC) machine to calculate for their tennis racquet. Yet, this machine is pretty unusual to find at a local store. Furthermore, it is available at a pro tennis shop or a racquet customization store.
However, this spec of the racket is more straightforward to measure by placing a strung or unstrung racquet on a scale to calculate its heavy.
Which One Is More Important?
In short, both of these two specs are important in evaluating a tennis racquet. Specifically, the static load is one of the factors affecting swing weight. Therefore, players shouldn’t overlook any indicator.
Yet, it is more important to beginners. Because at this level, they are often interested in the initial feeling of holding the racquet. Additionally, it is also challenging to recognize the difference between high and low swing weight.
On the flip side, pros often rely on swingweight to directly assess power or maneuverability. Indeed, higher swingweight racquets are more suitable for players with short, compact strokes. Besides, a lighter swingweight one is better for long-stroke players. Therefore, we can implicitly understand that swingweight is a spec of more interest to advanced tennis players.
Conclusion
In short, both of these specs are significant and serve distinct purposes. Therefore, you should consider them carefully to find the tennis racquet that best suits your level and playing style.
To sum up, this article helps you to compare swing weight vs static weight tennis racquets. Hopefully, that information cleared up some of your questions about these two specs. Thus, don’t hesitate to share this knowledge with your tennis friends.
Further Reading
