Cork. Major league baseball players have been using it for years to enhance their hitting performance. It is illegal in baseball, but to date, there is NOTHING in the rules and regulations of tennis to prevent it from being used. Guts and Glory Tennis has been experimenting with integrating cork into many of today’s modern frames and the results are staggering.
We began using cork obtained from the local Lowe’s department store. We integrated it into the handle looking for additional power and we were disappointed with the results, but we did not give up on the quest. The dampening we found was quite promising but we were still lacking in the power we sought. Our neighbor owns a tile and flooring installation business and also plays tennis. I told him about our efforts to cork a racquet and he introduced me to a polymer impregnated form of cork under the brand Aprilia. It is a Scandinavian product, referred to as “Loof” in the industry. This cork, when used in the handle did produce distinctly different results, and they were quite good. Unfortunately, we were still lacking the power we were seeking.
In order to remedy this we tried to determine what we could add to the racquet that would increase power. We thought way outside of the box on this one. Our solution may surprise you. Superballs! Yep, you read that correctly, superballs! We used a MAP torch to melt the superballs into a thick liquid that we could pour into the handle. Again, the first effort failed. The weight was more than we wanted and the power was completely uncontrollable. We continued experimenting and found that a little dab, approximately 1/3 of an ounce, was all the superball liquid that was needed. The results were stunning!
When the superball liquid is combined with the Loof cork, magic happens. Controlled power that increases the speed of serve for a recreational/league player at least 25 – 35 MPH, if not more. Ground strokes come flying off the racquet at speeds that most league players have never imagined and surprisingly they land in the court with great accuracy.
We have perfected the formula and are now planning to offer a service where we provide this exclusive customization to customers. If you are interested in becoming one of the first in your area to have a customized corked racquet, please let us know by leaving a comment below. We will contact you in a few days to determine how we can work with you to find the perfect blend of Loof cork and superball liquid to add massive power to your game.
Gary Rubens on said:
YES. I have several different candidate rackets I might want to try. I have two Vortex “Estreme Spin” rackets, one in a 106″ frame, another in a super-oversize 133″ frame. These rackets have very large sweet spots, are very comfortable, but not overly powerful. I also have two Wilson HyperCarbon Hammer rackets in the 116″ size. These rackets are already extremely powerful, but too stiff for comfort. I also have a Head Metallix 115″ racket strung with PowerMaxx Light Touch natty gut at 42 pounds. Very comfortable, good power, a bit too much vibration for my taste.
I am very active on a couple of tennis discussion boards, have previously contacted you about the LTec strings and JET stringing method. I love thinking outside the bos, and would greatly enjoy participating in your tests.
Boom on said:
This gave you away:Controlled power that increases the speed of serve for a recreational/league player at least 25 – 35 MPH. Happy april fool’s day 🙂
TennisGames on said:
“increases the speed of serve for a recreational/league player at least 25 – 35 MPH” … i really was taken in by this until reading the comments and realising that it was an April Fool’s prank. I guess those of us that need miracles to improve our serve will believe anything 🙂
Fred Levy on said:
Well as far as I am concerned you were right about L-Tec strings, the Jet method and the Jet method. So lets try it?
Fred
614 519 7030
Raj on said:
Hello,
I would like to know I’d you can help me out. I own a few head youtek ig extreme 2.0 midplus racquets( Richard Gasquet’s 2013 version with the clear bumper guard) and would like to add some lead tape under the bumper guard. Since the bumper guard is clear I would like to replace it with a black b umber guard so that the tape is not visible.. can you tell me if there is a bumper guard/ grommet set(perhaps from a different head racquet) that is compatible with this racquet. Thank You in advance
GGTennis on said:
Raj,
Unfortunately we do not deal with bumper guards and I am unable to answer your question. You may want to check directly with Head Penn Racquet Sports. 800-289-7366