Frame and platter flex
Two other elements that determine the performance of the tool (and consequently ours) are its overall structural flexibility and that of the plate, which in the case of tennis is a plate formed by the string grid, while in padel and pickleball it is a “fixed” plate, made of the same material as the frame, with an elastomer core (often EVA) inside.
Baiardo Tune Pro is able to detect the flexibility of the frame, expressed in RA points. A stiffer gear (60 to 80 RA) will be more powerful but less sensitive and less in control. A more flexible tool (from 60 and down to 40 RA) Will require more thrust from the player but will offer more feel and precision. Knowing this real data is important, always in the logic that rackets leave the factory with a general indication, but verification of the single specimen is essential, especially for those who want to buy a pair of identical tools.
Equally interesting is the measurement of the flex (or deflection) of the stringbed.
In the case of the tennis racket, the value is conditioned by the type of filament used and by the tension: the flexion data of the tool just strung allows us to verify its modifications in the short and medium term, if the string does not break. A drop of 20% is reason enough to proceed with the re-stringing in any case.
In the case of the padel racket, the data on the bending of the plate, detected in the centre, can have very similar purposes: a significant change over time can mean that the carbon structure and the interior in elastic material have worn out and weakened with blows. The racket will no longer offer the performance it promised when new.
