Extending the Racket by ½ Inch

Occasionally, I come across some playing partners who use extended rackets. Some use 27¼", others 27½". The longest I saw was 28".

Under ITF rules, the maximum length allowed is 29" (link).

From my conversation with these folks, they claimed that the extra ¼" or ½" does make a significant difference. 

When I tried their rackets, it did feel longer. However, I could not play with them enough to form any conclusion.

Hence, what better way than to mod my own racket!

ProKennex uses an grip pallet system. Many tinkerers have extended their rackets just by sliding the grip pallet down by about ½". So that's what I set out to do too.

Playtest:
- The first impression was the slight increase in swingweight. It was perceptible, but not that much as to hinder the swing. Felt like an extra 5 to 8 swingweight points added.
- After getting used to it in a 20 minutes warm-up, I tried playing a few games to test how it would hold up.
- Serves were good. I could definitely reach up higher and hit the ball higher in the toss. Both my regular playing partner and myself felt that my first serve percentages were better. I hit the net tape less.
- Groundstrokes were where the extra length shined out! When pushed corner to corner, and my lazy bones could not get to the ball fast enough, I just stretched out and reached the ball on several occasions.
- When I had enough time to prepare for the shot, I felt the power level increased. A more relaxed swing was able to deliver the ball equally deep and fast compared to at 27".
- The downside of the extra length was a slower backhand. I could not get the racket back in time. Sometimes, my timing was out, so my weaker wing suffered.
- Volleys demanded a much stronger grip to stabilise the frame. There was a greater tendency to twist.
- After playing three sessions of tennis with it, I felt the pros were not significant enough. And after every session, my forearm ached badly. So I reverted it.
- On hindsight, if I could lower the swingweight slightly, perhaps by about 10 to 15 points, I think the extra ½" would be more palatable. But between extra length and faster footwork, the latter still triumphs.