If you're a casual tennis player, you might have spent countless hours knocking the ball back and forth at your neighborhood court without ever fussing over lead tape. But as you start to take the sport more seriously, adding lead tape to the racket head helps you increase the racket's weight and the way it performs in your hands. You can simply remove lead tape stuck in the wrong spot or off a used racket.
If you're removing old lead tape with the intent of adding your own, add one piece at a time and swing the racket to gauge whether you need to continue adding more tape and if so, where on the racket.
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the lead tape. Although Tennis.com reports that the chance of getting lead poisoning from a racket's lead tape is low, avoid putting your hands near your mouth until they're clean.
Razor blade
Rubbing alcohol
Rag
Step 1
Identify the locations of the lead tape around the racket head. If you hold the racket up and look at it as though it's the face of a clock, common spots for lead tape include at 2, 3, 6, 9, 10 and 12 o'clock.
Step 2
Push your fingernail under the corner of one of the sections of lead tape and try to pick it away from the racket. This process is simple but often effective enough to remove the lead tape. Repeat this action for each of the pieces of lead tape.
Step 3
Slide a razor blade under the corner of a piece of lead tape to lift it if your fingernails are too short to peel the tape away from the racket. Be gentle in your approach to avoid scratching the racket's frame. Once you've raised the corner of the tape, pull it off the racket.
Step 4
Dab some rubbing alcohol on a rag and rub the racket if any sticky residue from the lead tape remains.
Tips
Warnings
Things You'll Need
References
Tips
- If you're removing old lead tape with the intent of adding your own, add one piece at a time and swing the racket to gauge whether you need to continue adding more tape and if so, where on the racket.
Warnings
- Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the lead tape. Although Tennis.com reports that the chance of getting lead poisoning from a racket's lead tape is low, avoid putting your hands near your mouth until they're clean.
Writer Bio
Toronto-based journalist William McCoy has been writing since 1997, specializing in topics such as sports, nutrition and health. He serves as the Studio's sports and recreation section expert. McCoy is a journalism graduate of Ryerson University.