Plowthrough
Learn how racquet momentum affects ball penetration and shot depth.
Plowthrough tells you how much of your racket's swing speed is still there right after you hit the ball. If you swing at 100 and 70 is left after you make contact, the plowthrough is 70 percent. The higher that percent, the more the racket "carries" through the ball, making your shot feel deep and powerful. Rackets with weight at the top (heavy heads) usually have higher plowthrough.
Key Benefits:
- • High Plowthrough: Deep, penetrating shots with good pace
- • Medium Plowthrough: Balanced power and control
- • Low Plowthrough: More control but less depth
Plowthrough Calculation
Plowthrough = (v₂ / v₁) × 100%
where v₁ = racket speed before impact, v₂ = speed immediately after impact
In practice, a plowthrough of 60–80 percent is common for power rackets.
Weight Placement Strategies
Increase Plowthrough
- • Add weight at the hoop/tip (12 o'clock)
- • Add weight at 3 & 9 o'clock (hoop sides)
- • Increases both twist weight and recoil weight
- • Results in more stable, penetrating shots
Slight Improvement
- • Add weight under the grip
- • Slightly improves plowthrough by lowering recoil weight
- • Effect is small but noticeable
Understanding Plowthrough
Plowthrough is the percentage of racquet speed retained immediately after ball contact. Higher plowthrough means the racquet maintains more momentum through impact, resulting in deeper, more penetrating shots.
Key Factors
- • Weight distribution affects plowthrough significantly
- • Head-heavy racquets typically have higher plowthrough
- • Higher swingweight generally increases plowthrough
- • String tension and type can influence the effect