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Flexibility, that great unknown
Flexibility in the racket. That great unknown
When it comes to stiffness in a racquet, few people know what it means. You can feel privileged if you know what it means. It is a term that is rarely used in racquets and only the most specialised in the subject understand this term accurately. It is not simple but it becomes more important than it may seem at first glance. With every match that is played, the factor of racquet flexibility is always there. When it comes to changing racquets, it is often not given as much importance as it should be. Today we want to dispel any doubts you may have about it.
What is rigidity?
First of all: What is the stiffness of a racket? The most important point is located between the handle and the racket head where the racket flexes. When you hit, you exert a force with the handle and the ball exerts an opposing force on you. This is why the racket flexes when hitting. Depending on the degree of stiffness of the racket, we will obtain different results. The stiffer the racket, the more power and directional control we get, but we lose control of placement.
How does stiffness affect my racket?
With a stiff racket we gain in power when hitting a dry hit. The ball comes off with a lot of force, it also transmits more vibrations to the player's arm which can end up being harmful for the player's arm. On the other hand, if we have a racquet with a high flexibility, the ball stays longer in contact with the racquet and gives us the opposite. Less power and more control but much less vibrations for the player's arm.
How can we differentiate the stiffness of the racket?
The way to tell the difference is to look at the profile and the shape. On the one hand, with a low profile we get more flexibility in the racket. It is less difficult for the racket to flex as it is thinner. Of course, it also depends a lot on the materials the racket is made of. The racket is subjected to high speeds and forces and it is normal that, although at first glance they seem very hard, they deform very slightly when hitting. It also depends on the shape of this area between the head and the handle. The more angle we have, the more difficult it is to bend and consequently, the more ball output. This means that with a rounder shape, we obtain a greater stiffness.
If in doubt, you can always consult our specialists about which type of racquet is best suited to your style of play. We have been in the world of racket sports for almost forty years and have been the official stringer at Roland Garros for more than seven years. The experience we have behind us is enough to be able to always offer the best service. And if you want, we'll string your racquet for you! We have a racquet stringing service and we have a wide range of strings available. We encourage you to visit our online shop M1Tennis.com.