The BEST Place For Lead Tape In 2024 | A Science Based Guide

[@luke9822]

8:32 - Best spots for normal paddles with edges: • 5" up the throat or • (2) 3-gram strips at the 8 o'clock and 12 o'clock positions, just where the flat side edge begins 12:11 his recommendation for *edgeless* paddles

[@TheOneTrueMvP]

Thanks for this. TLDW

[@LauraM-2024]

Thanks for the summary, but these clock positions are reversed depending on how we hold the paddle, right? Can you confirm if the 8 o clock position is the one that will face up (or top) when the paddle is being held on the RIGHT hand with continental grip. TIA!

[@Guy_Washburn]

The goodness just keeps on coming. Really awesome stuff! Thanks so much for continuing to dig in and clarify where there is so much confusion out there.

[@stspickleball]

You’re very welcome man. I hope the video was helpful!!!

[@edjupickleball]

This is a GREAT video! I just bought the briffidi tester and I had no idea how to use it, so this video was really helpful 😂 subbed!

[@stspickleball]

Mr. Ed himself!! Love this comment. Would really enjoy playing with you someday :) Thanks for the love! Been subbed to you for a while, really dig the content! Keep it up!

[@DogBehaviorSolutions]

You gonna be a front runner for paddle nerd awardee from B&B.

[@stspickleball]

Man I hope so 😂 that last video was quite hilarious lol

[@1GrecianUrn]

Thank you for your work, but I’d like to suggest that you lower the volume of the background music. It is very distracting.

[@stspickleball]

Yeah I have in subsequent videos sorry about that!

[@iagreewithyou112]

I don't agree actually. I didn't find it distracting.

[@stspickleball]

@@iagreewithyou112 thank you very much for the feedback!

[@Mosaic_Mind]

Agreed

[@FanDancer]

Nearly every pickle channel

[@BenjaminAndersonPickleball]

Woah, the ALW paddle setup is crazy. A twist weight of 9 is absolutely insane. Thanks for taking the time to make/update this video.

[@stspickleball]

You’re very welcome my friend and yeah her setup is really wild 😂

[@halohawkxx]

Twist Weight of 9 is solid as hell, means that thing will NEVER twist in the middle of a rally😵

[@TracyJordan2122]

⁠What was the gram per inch on the tape you added to that paddle? What was the paddle weight after? I have this paddle and am trying to figure out how I went to increase the sweet spot. It's a fun paddle!

[@imwheezing7492]

Super informative video man! Probably one of the best objective and data driven pickleball video about paddle modification. Keep up the good work brotha✊🏻💯

[@stspickleball]

Thank you very much! I hope it helps!

[@FueledByRyan0]

Solid Science! This systematic and thorough approach is greatly appreciated!! Thank you !👍🙏

[@stspickleball]

Wow thank you so much!! I really appreciate this. And you’re very welcome. If you ever have any questions please let me know! 🙏🙏

[@minipaddleabuser511]

Awesome video man watched the first one and I’m glad you remade it!

[@stspickleball]

Thank you!! Yeah I think this version is way better than my first one for sure I appreciate that.

[@kageyami11]

Okay, so I sold my PPE and had no choice but to test it out on my PCE. I put lead tape all around the paddle, tungsten tape from top of grip up the sides of the paddle and 1 gram lead at bottom of paddle towards grip. It weighed a whopping 11oz!! I played with it and I still have my control but the amount of power I have is unreal!!! Only drawback is… my forearm is so sore after about 30 minutes of play. I need more training to see if I truly like this set up! Thank you for inspiring me!

[@stspickleball]

😂😂😂 that’s hilarious. Be careful lol. It kinda works on ALW’s paddle cause the swing weight is so low to begin with but the swing weight of the PPE and PCE are high so be careful please lol.

[@fuzzb0y]

This is the best guide period, with stats to back it up. The other videos are just anecdotal opinions

[@stspickleball]

Wow thanks so much! I really appreciate that.

[@alanel6662]

I have a CRBN 3x. I put 3 strips of pre-cut lead tape (3 grams each) on both sides for a total of 6 strips, which equals 19 grams. My paddle now weighs 9.7 ounces. I don't have a problem playing with it or swinging it around. Instead, I work out by doing whole-body resistance training. I also perform pickleball movements using resistance bands. So far, I am doing really well with it.

[@stspickleball]

Dang that’s some dedication I dig it!

[@richardgee8138]

Thanks!

[@stspickleball]

Wow thank you!! That was very kind. I appreciate it, glad I could help 😊

[@tookymax]

Thanks for the good information. Now I know how to modify my paddle without buying an expensive machine.

[@stspickleball]

You bet!

[@robertl1244]

FInally, someone who explained what the numbers we want for twist weight are! BIgger is better! Thanks for the rest of the explanations too!

[@stspickleball]

Glad it was helpful!

[@parrychow708]

Best video I've seen yet on this topic. Keep up the great work!!

[@stspickleball]

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it! 😊

[@morganevanspickleball]

Well done mate, concise, informative and well delivered. Top notch video 😎

[@stspickleball]

Thank you I really appreciate this!

[@battousaii15]

Please make a cheat sheet or doc on optimal lead placements for min maxing on paddles you tried!

[@stspickleball]

I’ll have to work on this!

[@kylepickleball]

​@@stspickleballI'd donate to your channel just for the optimal min-max on the Ripple R1

[@mikeyis009]

Played 3 days on an 11six24 Monarch Control 14mm set up with 3 grams at 10 & 2 and a white medium Hesacore. The power was slightly better but the penalty in swing weight feel was just too much. Popped the weights back down to 8 & 4 and the paddle is back to the best mix of power and speed from anywhere on the court. Did I mention that the control and pop on this paddle are both amazing. Wide body for life!

[@stspickleball]

Thank you for sharing this! This is helpful for others in the comments! 😊

[@joshuapickett1234]

Six Zero is doing something similar with the perimeter weighting on their Infinity line to get the twist weight to about 6.6.-6.8 and keep the sw around 108-110. So luckily you won’t have to mess around with the tungsten tape if you get a new six zero paddle. I love that Six Zero is experimented with weight placement. No other company is doing that. There’s something so nice about getting a new paddle that you can play stock.

[@M0stlyHarmless9]

I asked them and they told me the updated infinity models won't be available for several months

[@stspickleball]

Super awesome! I did hear about this that's pretty crazy honestly.

[@zeruth467]

So glad you did Anna’s paddle, I was waiting for someone to do it and I’m BLOWN. 9?! Nine?! Please make a video with your thoughts on her exact paddle setup

[@afterthesmash]

Clearly she's trading on her elite anticipation to get the paddle into position without having to torque it quickly, and then exploiting the immense stability of her slightly slow paddle to risk making shots with extremely narrow margins of tolerance. Her slow paddle might be a bit of a liability facing the men in mixed doubles, if they were being set up to take hard, close shots. Not so easy to do. Ben and Anna don't give away a lot of loose balls. Additionally, she's good at dropping back a step when she needs to make extra time, and Ben is awfully good at cutting off any balls they try to put around her as a result of her slightly more defensive positioning. Plus she can still crush backhands from back there with her Thor-like swing weight, enough to make even the men flinch when the ball comes zinging back. If 90% of your shots went within 6 inches of where you aimed them for the whole game, you might be able to play with a 9, too. Contrary to what some people think, professional golf clubs actually have a small sweet spot, but it's very, _very_ sweet. Sometimes the pros don't use same numbers the common folk use, because they don't need to.

[@downwinder3]

except he is wrong about her setup

[@amirsafari5115]

​@@downwinder3what's her correct set up.

[@davidallott5826]

Great video. Would love to see a follow up using a few different brands of protective edge tape. I suspect these tapes are denser than most ppl would expect, and are therefore affecting twist and swing weight, especially when applied to edgeless designs.

[@stspickleball]

Fair enough!

[@gk-qf9hv]

This is THE best video on led tape 👍🏻🙏

[@stspickleball]

Wow, thanks! I really appreciate that! I put a ton of time and effort into it 😊🙏

[@gk-qf9hv]

@@stspickleball Thank you!

[@PeterLowe1]

Great video! Your approach to the topic was very thorough and fair

[@stspickleball]

Glad you liked it!

[@tmclbnk]

Looking forward for the Ruby 6.0 to get back in stock, so I try it out!

[@stspickleball]

Fair enough!! Use my code! lol 😂

[@andrewfairrow7186]

I'll sound crazy here but on my full carbon paddle, theres 3 full tungsten tape rolls around the head. Its dramatically more heavy but as someone who uses a heavy tennis racket it feels amzing

[@stspickleball]

That’s crazy!! Whatever works though I’m glad you found your setup. My favorite part of this comment is you did what works for YOU! That’s what is most important.

[@duclam4317]

This is what I need. Ty for the work

[@stspickleball]

You’re welcome!

[@brianbanks3044]

I noticed that electrical tape around the edges of my paddle could raise the weight of the paddle 2-4 tenths of an ounce on the total weight of the paddle....doesn't seem like much but everything adds up plus it helps with twist and swing weight too

[@stspickleball]

100%

[@pharm30]

Dang impressive information. Appreciate it

[@stspickleball]

Thank you!!

[@sonnynos]

I set up my alw-c 12.7m exactly like anna leigh sets her paddle. I love it!

[@stspickleball]

It’s intense 😂 you must have a strong wrist. Or maybe mine is a bit weak 😂😂

[@sonnynos]

@@stspickleball i think i need more of a control paddle though!

[@sohosterable]

I have the same paddle. What do you find the best is for putting lead tape all around?

[@briankebschull3700]

Love the video and the science-based approach. Maybe you don't want to burden your videos with too much math, but i think it's interesting to note that twist weight is simply a layman's term for what mathmaticians would refer to as "rotational moment of inertia" (RMI). Adding lead tape increases the RMI by the mass of the tape multiplied by the SQUARE of the distance from the twist axis (which is the axis going longitudinally through the handle). The squaring effect is very powerful, which is why adding only, say, 5% to the weight of the paddle can result in adding 25% to the twist weight. It's also the reason why the effect is even bigger on standard paddles than on elongated paddles, if the added weight is to the sides of the paddle. In general, I agree with your approach that for most players, you want to maximize twist weight while minimizing additional swing weight. However, one additional parameter that you sometimes ignore is simply the overall weight of the paddle. The overall weight matters when having to quickly raise and lower the paddle during hands battles. One thing I might take issue with is in the suggestion to add weight to the throat of the paddle (or to the hole in Selkirk paddles). It's unproductive weight - it doesn't strongly affect the twist weight or the swing weight, but it makes the paddle heavier, and therefore slower overall. Keep up the great work! Important stuff needed to cut through marketing hype.

[@stspickleball]

Agreed on almost all accounts! Except for some a touch more added weight might help their timing on drives and serves and help their plow through if needed. People who prioritize hand speed should prioritize lower overall weight but people in need of more wrist lag / more plow through might need a touch more added weigh which is why I provided both optimal options 😊 I love your breakdown though I think it’s super helpful!

[@JaxxCrash]

Wish you explored the weight setup of each corner being weighted. Ive been curious about how much that effects the sweet spot / swing weight / power

[@stspickleball]

Stay tuned for an updated guide!

[@carlhillier2301]

Put the weight on the handle, you'll change the balance point. You get the plow through and you don't lose maneuverability. I have my Vatic pro flash 16mm set at 9 oz with all the weight in the handle. Works great

[@stspickleball]

Very interesting.

[@MotoChili]

Great video and thx for the info. Will be trying the 3g weights at 4 and 8 on my Gearbox Control Integra. My only complaint with that paddle is the twist weight and sweet spot, so hopefully that set up will open it up a bit more.

[@stspickleball]

It will for sure!!

[@chrisbowenjr.3924]

Nice!! Thank you so much very helpful ...I just got that paddle BD Edgeless

[@stspickleball]

Very nice!

[@dpm6000]

This was one of the most helpful and informative videos I’ve seen in a long time. Thank you for doing all this work… but now I’m not really sure I want to change anything at all 😂

[@stspickleball]

Hahaha fair enough! But thank you for the feedback I appreciate it very much 😊

[@nikoelizondo9139]

Sweet Video! I appreciate your curiosity and diligence in making this. I was wondering if you’d be able to help me out with finding the optimal spot for weights on the Diadem Edge 18K standard paddle. Thank you for all you do for the pickleball community!

[@stspickleball]

It’s going to be the same as the video 😊 I appreciate your kind words very much! If you want an overall heavier and slightly more optimized setup go for 5” strips, if you prefer a slightly lighter paddle go for the pre cut strips, and if you feel like it’s fine stock then roll with that! Outside of these optimized spots it’s mainly personal preference 😊

[@tomfowlerwrites919]

Excellent info. I'm coming around on low swing weight. As a pretty big dude, I don't need the paddle to add power for me, but now that I'm officially Not As Young As I Used To Be, the hand speed at the kitchen matters. Strongly considering the Infinity Black Diamond with your tungsten setup. I'm currently using a 16mm Prism Flash. Tried the Viva Pro Gen 2, but it feels too head heavy and sluggish at the kitchen.

[@stspickleball]

That’s fair yeah hand speed is way more important for anyone under like 4.0 and somewhat under 4.5. As you get to 5.0+ you can start reading paddles and shots and anticipating. But hand speed for us is very valuable in my opinion.

[@villagevoice1]

For the edgeless paddle solution it would be great to factor in the weight of one or more edge guards that most people will want if they care about their paddles. Perhaps with the edge guard your 2-strip tungsten solution twist weight is closest with one strip plus a full or partially full edge guard?

[@stspickleball]

Great idea for a future lead tape video! I don’t think an edge guard will have enough of an effect to reduce the amount of lead used really but it will have a small effect for sure.

[@JimFe-j9f]

I have the Ruby so I found the tests interesting. However for my play I think stock is not so bad.

[@stspickleball]

Stock is not bad I agree!!

[@jasonchen2107]

Sick video man! Thank you for putting in all the time for this video LOL I can’t imagine how many hours you spent applying/removing/re-applying the weights and also making sure they’re exactly the same on both sides. So precut lead tape seems to be the winner, unless it’s an edgeless paddle. Or if you have a paddle that is extremely light and go with ALW’s setup, 9 twist weight is wild… 124 twist isn’t too bad once you get used to it. I’m curious what would happen if you did ALW on the most popular low swing weight edgeless paddles haha ie the electrum stealth series. Thank you for trying out the weight in the handle! I assumed, it wouldn’t change anything but move the balance point and maybe add more “pop”. Since force=mass x acceleratiob

[@stspickleball]

Yep you’re spot on on everything and I appreciate your appreciation of the time it took 😂 it was a ton of hours every day this last week getting all of this compiled and analyzed and the footage. I’m so glad I gave the most up to date lead tape video available. Tried to touch on literally everything I could. Thanks brotha!

[@sherylbuck7377]

Can you help me set up my new ALW-C paddle? I want more sweet spot off center shots. I love the handspeed. I don't have your tool. could you do a video with those ENHANCE tungsten pre cut tape? Thank you!!

[@stspickleball]

If you want to enhance the sweet spot a lot ultimately you’ll have to run tape up the flat side edges of the paddle to try and help with that. It will slow the paddle down a bit but it will help a ton. You can try .5g/in lead tape and run it either all the way around the paddle, or just up the flat side edges and see if that helps!

[@NickZhurav]

Great video dude! Love the in depth analysis and not taking too long to get to the point. Your music was a bit loud at the start so it was kinda hard to make out what you were saying, just a heads up!

[@stspickleball]

I did notice that I’ll make sure to turn it down a bit next time sorry about that!!

[@stspickleball]

Was it ok the rest of the video?

[@seegarsmkr]

Thanx for dropping the 411!!

[@stspickleball]

Heck yeah you’re very welcome!

[@luke9822]

It would be _SUPER_ helpful if this was in a spreadsheet and with a TL;DR summary somewhere. Also, chapters would be great.

[@stspickleball]

Fair enough :)

[@jcotner00]

Good information. BUT, I think everyone is different and should just play around with different positions and see what FEELS best. I'm new to pickleball coming from a tennis background and found I like the precut strips at the 2, 4, 8, & 10 o'clock position. I play with the B&B Loco.

[@stspickleball]

Love this yes I did say in the video that it's all subjective and that the aim for the video is fairly specific but to make sure to test and find what works for you! Thank you for the comment :)

[@Hammi69uk]

Wow, you explain stuff with real clarity. Thank you for helping us with the confusion of different implementation. What would you recommend for the Gearbox pro power elongated?

[@stspickleball]

Personally I like 5” of 1g/inch lead tape starting 1” out from the grip going up the throat into the sides of the paddle. I’d go with that or none at all. The swing weight is already quite high. Experiment with that and the 2 pre cut lead strips to see what weight works best for your wrist / elbow / game. I don’t recommend the longer strips of tungsten on the Gearbox as the swing weight is already high so the tungsten being longer and putting weight towards the head of the paddle slows it down too much.

[@stspickleball]

And than you for the compliment! Means alot to me 😊

[@86309]

I went on Amazon, bought some lead 6g per strip (the small individual pieces like the CRBN) so TWICE as heavy at the same length ! this would be nice to see if the 6g per piece at the 5/7 area would be Ideal to increase twist while not affecting the swing as much.

[@stspickleball]

Yeah it will 100% anything heavier and denser in the same area will reduce the swing weight in comparison to smaller weighting distributed longer towards the head. So it will work how you're expecting it to :)

[@titochop]

Can’t wait for you to do this on the joola gen 3 Hyperion 14mm please !

[@mawhim]

Great vid, and you put alot of effort into it, thanks, but what is swing weight and twist weight measured in?

[@stspickleball]

Honestly what it’s measured in won’t help much. That’s why I gave a range in my video so you can understand the general range I would recommend thinking about that rather than the unit of measurement 😊

[@psayer72]

I'd love to see how adding a hexacore grip changes the DBD :)

[@stspickleball]

I’m not personally a fan of hesacore grips so I would be a bad person to ask 😂 but it won’t change the twist weight or swing weight.

[@jasperfrenchie]

Thanks. I just ordered the four 8 inch tungsten strips to put on my gearbox Pro Power Integra. Hopefully it goes well. 😊

[@stspickleball]

Woot!

[@MP-tf7cc]

Good video. Is that all of the possible options to optimize a paddle?

[@stspickleball]

Pretty much!

[@kylepickleball]

Since you're talking about weighting paddles, what does adding weight to the butt cap such as a Slyce do to these metrics?

[@stspickleball]

They move the balance point lower. Effectively counter weighting the paddle. It doesn’t change the swing weight or the twist weight. But if you find a paddle feels too top heavy it will make it feel slightly less top heavy 😊

[@MrZonaman]

Great video. I actually just ordered a black diamond infinity today so this is prefect timing for this video. Does adding protective tape on the top portion of the paddle affect anything such as swing weight or twist? Thanks so much! Keep up the great work!

[@stspickleball]

Protective tape will add slightly to swing weight, twist weight, and overall weight. Not by much but it does affect it!

[@mrswitters1974]

@@stspickleball Any idea how much this affects these measurements? I weighed the Six Zero edge guard tape and it is 0.3 oz-not insignificant! I was using it on my BDi and Ruby but I think I'll remove.

[@fullracesti]

So how about when you add 3g pre cut weight strips to the curves of the paddle? Not the flat spots. Like the 8/4 and 10/2 positions

[@stspickleball]

On the bottom curves you will get much less twist weight improvement and save a little swing weight. On the top curves you will get much less twist weight improvement with more swing weight and you will get more power 😊

[@charlieytpw]

Curious about tape and the two Kevlar APE paddles. I Longacre’s and somi-hi-bred. Both competing on courts with Ruby.

[@scottmhagen]

This video is fantastic, man. Quick question. When you say “more lag on drives” can you explain what you mean? … because I *think* I know what you mean and it’s a great way to describe it.

[@stspickleball]

Wrist lag. Like if you were going to whip a rope you’d lag your wrist and then flick it. So the more weight in general and definitely the more swing weight the more your wrist will stay lagged back before whipping and following through which results in better timing and more spin 😊

[@jasphercosico]

What would you recommend for the markone? Same as the ruby 4&8 down the throat?

[@stspickleball]

Yes! I’ve also been messing around with Ben John’s new setup it’s pretty cool. He doubles ip on 5” strips starting 1.5” out from the grip. So 2 5” strips of .5g per inch lead tape and then he takes a couple inches of .5g per inch lead tape and cuts it in half and places each one in the middle of the top right and left rounded corners. I’m liking that a lot tbh.

[@alex3ff4rly]

You mentioned the Twist Weight Number for the Ruby with Strips added to the handle, but you didn't mention how it changes the Swing Weight. Can you post the number for that if available? I do find the Ruby a little head heavy, so I was curious if adding weight to the handle would help offset that feeling. I do totally concur empirically from my own experimentation that the "optimal" setup for the Ruby seems to be near the handle up into the throat a bit. I personally used Selkirk Tungsten strips and overlapped them in the middle halfway, starting near the handle. I also have a hesacore overgrip applied. Anyway I was curious if putting weight in the handle would help offset the head heaviness at all. Thanks much if you get to and reply to this comment!

[@stspickleball]

Hey! So it doesn’t change the swing weight at all. But it will move the balance point down a touch. Experiment a bit and see what works for you! If the swing weight is an issue I would recommend something like a Volair Mach 2 Forza it’s a wonderful paddle.

[@villagevoice1]

Thanks for collecting this info. I’m wondering how you determine the optimal combination of Swing Weight and Twist Weight? If you look at it as a straight mathematical ratio (SW/TW looking for the smallest ratio or TW/SW looking for the largest ratio) I get, using your numbers, the 2 x 8” tungsten strips as producing the optimal combination even for the Ruby (SW/TW = 121.29/7.68 = 15.793 = smallest ratio of the posted results).

[@stspickleball]

Well in this video it was simply about keeping SW as low as possible while getting the most TW possible. 😊

[@Cacheola]

Cool cool. I've beefed up the handle on my DBD to a proper man size and ended up with just the 3g on the bottom side, about 1/4" from the 6.0 logo is where I settled. I'm not happy about an overall weight of 8.75oz, she feels a bit chunky but plays well.

[@stspickleball]

Yeah 8.75 is high for sure. 8.3-8.4 is my sweet spot on the higher end as I just allows me to be more agile at the kitchen line. But it’s all personal preference as far as overall weight goes!

[@M0stlyHarmless9]

@@stspickleball how heavy static is your BD infinity with 2 tungsten strips on each side? mine is up to 8.6oz now with overgrip + edge tape + your tungsten setup

[@stspickleball]

Mine is the same :)

[@Cacheola]

@@stspickleball I pulled the lead weights off, paddle's new to me anyways. I'll get used to it stock first @ 8.5 oz

[@FrankRollberg]

Excellent! Thank you

[@naionesix]

I have a crbn 3x and tungsten tape (1g = 1in). What’s optimal position and length? Thanks in advance! Keep these fire videos coming bro

[@stspickleball]

Either of the two positions that I referred to in the video! Taking into account whether you want more or less overall weight being the main subjective decision for you! And thanks for the compliment man!!

[@ThiccBoi23]

Thanks!

[@stspickleball]

Dang man thank you so much that’s so awesome!!! 🙏🙏🙏

[@flexico1670]

Could we get a paddle specific setup video for DBL 6.0??

[@stspickleball]

It’s going to be all of the same metrics 😊

[@DakotaComedian]

What about for a wide body? I use a Monarch control. Same as the hybrid?

[@stspickleball]

Yeah play around and see what setup works for you! That’s part of the fun.

[@zacharydewhirst7823]

You mentioned that the benefit of higher TW when adding lead tape is larger for standard or wide body paddles vs the hybrid shape you tested but it would be interesting to see the numbers. For example, by adding 5” at the throat you added 0.6 to TW at the cost of 2.0 SW - what does that look like if done on a standard paddle?

[@stspickleball]

Great feedback thank you! I will make sure to address this in the future!

[@bbomgren]

Out of curiosity did you measure the Selkirk Luxx with the longer thin Selkirk Tungsten tape since it's an edgeless paddle?

[@stspickleball]

I did yes I’ll have to find my notes and get back to you!

[@TheWifeandWifeShow]

Maybe you could do best lead tape setup for singles players as well as on elongated paddles?

[@stspickleball]

I can definitely look into that :)

[@williambennett1212]

What about lead tape on the handle? And/or around the butt end of the handle? And/or those weighted buttons ends - Slyce.

[@stspickleball]

Handle didn’t change anything but will bring the balance point down 😊

[@nathanngo9189]

STS great video. Can you test if the placement of the lead tape affect the balance point/sweet spot of the paddle? For instance if the position of the sweet spot is low on your paddle, can you move the position of the sweet spot higher by putting lead tape at the 2/10 vs 4/8?

[@stspickleball]

You can yes that is exactly how this works. We don’t have a way to directly measure sweet spot but I can tell you 100% you will feel your sweet spot get larger and lean towards the direction of the added weight.

[@adeelqamaruddin2539]

Can you please try stick on wheel weights (used for wheel balancing)

[@kztex]

That's an amazing amount of data. Have you thought about charting your results. I see a lot of ranking of paddles and a few spreadsheets. If you really want to nerd out, how about some graph charts... in Power Point? LOL

[@stspickleball]

Hahaha eventually yes I’m trying to make time for all of it but I do want to get into some charting and some spreadsheets. I need to update my paddle database also lol

[@stevel2101]

Really nice job. Thanks!

[@stspickleball]

You’re very welcome!

[@robtemp4727]

great info on lead tape,

[@stspickleball]

Thank you very much I really appreciate this :)

[@codyganz4430]

Have you ever tested how much adding edge guard tape impacts the twist and swing weights? It’s usually around 4-5g so have been wondering what the effects are

[@stspickleball]

Yeah it’s very minor but I did do a measurement a while back!

[@86309]

Great Vid! What would you recommend for a Gearbox Pro Control Elongated, with the goal of keeping swing weight down as much as possible (its already pretty high in the stock config) and trying to increase the twist weight as much as possible? Thanks

[@stspickleball]

I’d recommend the 5” of 1g per inch starting one inch out from the grip going up the throat into the sides of the paddle. It’s too high of a swing weight to utilize tungsten in my experience.

[@owenupinhere3777]

What would you recommend for a j2k?

[@stspickleball]

Personally I like the 5" strips starting 1" out from the handle :)

[@robedwards6926]

Watched this video again because I have the Black Diamond Infinity and some tungsten tape. I wonder how much swingweight you would save, and twistweight you would lose, if you moved the double tungsten strips lower towards the handle. Did you happen to run this #?

[@stspickleball]

I didn’t because at that point you should just use lead tape! 😊

[@Rock-cz5hv]

Not many have review the proton soft surface paddles what are your évaluation of it particulurly the john Cicola paddle? Thank' s for your great work

[@stspickleball]

I am in talks with Proton and they will be sending me paddles when they get them back in stock. So look for that review coming in the future!

[@jburton1419]

Any update on best placement for Gruvn muvn 13s with tennis elbow?

[@stspickleball]

With tennis elbow overall weight and swing weight are both impactful so I would stick with 2 3g pre cut strips at the 4 and 8 o’clock positions where the flat side edge begins above the curve of the throat. Keeping the swing weight and overall weight lower and optimizing twist weight

[@jburton1419]

Tks. I'll give it a try. Going to try two 1 1/2" overlap lead strip on each side since I have lead tape already.

[@stspickleball]

Very nice that’s perfect!

[@RickLeBeau]

I was a complete novice to this topic before watching this video. I had no idea about any of these terms, products, where to place them, etc. Now I feel equipped with enough knowledge to actually buy and apply these concepts and products. Thank you! PS. do you recommend a certain brand of tape? Tungsten or lead?

[@stspickleball]

Just follow the video 😊 I am super glad to have helped!

[@RickLeBeau]

Note: I just ordered the CRBN strips, with the discount provided and free shipping. Thank you! I originally clicked on the Selkirk strips and added them to my cart, but the shipping was $12 on a $10 or $20 purchase (I was thinking I'd order two packs of them). And the code provided did not yield a discount.

[@stspickleball]

Yeah Selkirk just gives a gift card when you hit certain thresholds weird system tbh

[@RickLeBeau]

@@stspickleball Lead weight strips arrived today, just as I was about to head out to play. I applied the strips on the shoulders of one of my two Carbon Pickle paddles. The idea was to try the one with the strips, and if it was too hard to get used to, I'd switch to the normal one. Turned out that the extra weight definitely didn't bother me, and I didn't even think about going back to the regular weight paddle. I can't say for sure the weights made me or my paddle better, but I did play the best I've played so far.

[@stspickleball]

Awesome!!! Keep practicing and experiment to find what suits you best but I do love that setup 😊😊

[@Huntfishpickle]

So does adding weight to the upper half of a paddle increase or decrease wrist lag?

[@stspickleball]

Increase!

[@andyespenan5919]

Can you do the ALW paddle without doing the top portion. In other words trying to get the highest twist weight/lowest swing weight.

[@stspickleball]

That would just be the 5” of lead tape up the throat or the 3g pre cut strips at 4 and 8 o’clock 😊

[@andyespenan5919]

@stspickleball right but what would the numbers be like

[@stspickleball]

It would be a slight drop in twist weight, and a larger drop in swing weight. Much more ideal for most people I would say 😊

[@richardwong9923]

How would you tape up a Gearbox PPE (given its high swingweight to start), as that was touched on in your first video? Thanks

[@stspickleball]

5” of 1g per inch lead tape starting one inch out from the grip going up the throat into the sides of the paddle if your wrist and elbow can handle it! Using tungsten on the Gearbox is tough cause the swing weight is so high.

[@toponepercent7108]

My paddle has a stock 7.45 twistweight and 108 swingweight,

[@stspickleball]

Which paddle is it the ALW-C?

[@toponepercent7108]

@@stspickleball it’s the Spartus Apollo

[@stspickleball]

Ah yeah the Apollo has phenomenal stats

[@AusBumblebee]

What’s the stats on ALW paddle with other set ups?

[@stspickleball]

I don’t have the numbers right now but it’s all going to be a relative increase in comparison to the Ruby I did from the starting SW and TW measurements I shared in the video 😊

[@yangster5106]

Appreciate the video! Wanted to buy some Tungsten tape after your video and was wondering what discount your coupon code provided as it's showing -0.00 for me currently on Selkirk's site.

[@stspickleball]

Yeah Selkirk just provides a gift card back at certain price amounts. They have a weird system.

[@frabriziovelazquez22]

So can you clarify what the optimal tape set up would be for the Luxx reviewed. I recently got this paddle so I would be very curious. I'm also curious if adding edge guard tape and lead tape would make any impact (hoping it wouldn't)

[@stspickleball]

Personally I like 2 8” strips of Selkirk lead tape exactly how I described in this video.

[@LilNipsFatal]

For the 5 inch 1g strips, is it 2 strips per side? Or one strip per side?

[@stspickleball]

1 strip per side 😊

[@andrezinhocomenta]

What it is the best weight and location for mod Ta 15 16mm?

[@stspickleball]

I’d go 5.5” of 1g/in lead tape starting 1” out from the grip going up the sides 😊

[@andrezinhocomenta]

​@@stspickleballthank you very much!

[@patrickvlp]

You liking the BDi or the Mach 2 forza more right now?

[@stspickleball]

Mach 2 Forza all day!

[@stspickleball]

LOVE the 14mm

[@ginjaninja3627]

Grateful for this video.

[@stspickleball]

Gratitude is a wonderful feeling. Thank you for sharing that I appreciate you :)

[@plam3905]

what was the issue with the measurement device you used for the first video? Were you using the briffidi SW machine too?

[@stspickleball]

Yes but apparently their old adapter was inaccurate so the owner emailed me and let me know he released a new one that was hyper accurate and so I figured I would re do the entire video and make sure it’s super accurate and up to date.

[@briffidi]

Clarification: The prior twistweight adapter wasn’t optimized for pickleball paddles and required some care to make sure the paddle was properly supported and oriented. The new adapter makes it way easier.

[@mooremathewj]

I appreciate this excellent analysis. Would like to see a percentage change of the before and after. I think it would improve the context and add value to this specific analysis.

[@stspickleball]

I actually was thinking about this afterwards it’s a great suggestion.

[@Syndrome88]

The dBi lead setup wouldn't it be like a cheaper DB?

[@stspickleball]

Still lower swing weight by 4 points so no

[@joeech5217]

Wow this video was much needed thanks! What would you say is the optimal setup for a the 16 MM Joola Hyperion C2?

[@stspickleball]

Well that’s up to you! If you want more overall weight I’d go 5” strips if you want less overall weight I’d go 2 3g precuts 😊😊

[@joeech5217]

Thanks man!

[@JamesWilliams-dj2bp]

Some control oriented paddles are too light for me, is there a way to increase weight without compromising the control aspect too much?

[@stspickleball]

Yeah if you utilize the weighting I describe in the video it actually helps your control 😊

[@mrswitters1974]

So, with 2 strips of tungsten tape, the BDi has almost the exact twist weight of the Ruby (6.8), but a swing weight that is about 4 points lower (113 vs 117)? This compares to a twist weight of ~6.2 and swing weight of 110 with both the 3 g CRBN strips and a single strip of tungsten tape. The Ruby is my primary paddle, but I also have the BDi-which I use if I'm playing super aggressive opponents and am anticipating a lot of hands battles at the net. In my situation, I'm thinking that the single strip of tungsten or the 3 g CRBN strips might be best because that increases the twist weight and sweet spot but still results in a swing weight that is significantly less than the Ruby. When I add two strips of tungsten, the BDi ends up feeling very similar to the Ruby (wouldn't be a bad thing if I didn't already have the Ruby!). I know the swing weight is still 4 points lower, but subjectively the BDi doesn't feel quite as quick in the hands relative to the Ruby.

[@stspickleball]

I agree on all accounts! Solid break down 😊