Briffidi SW1 Swingweight Gadget Evaluation

Probably the most vital specs of any tennis racket is its swingweight.

Swingweight is how heavy the racket feels while you swing it, or extra technically, it is the size of a racket’s resistance to being circled about an axis going thru your hand.

The additional the mass is positioned from the hand, the upper the swing weight (assume like an awl or sledgehammer), and the nearer it’s, the decrease the swing weight.

The overall rule is right here that upper swing weights = extra balance. By contrast, decrease swing weights = extra manoeuvrability.

Whilst swing weight isn’t one thing gamers on the leisure stage take into consideration or are excited by measuring, this is a quantity you want to understand in case you are reviewing tennis rackets, customising rackets, or taking part in at the next stage.

So how do you pass about measuring it? Let’s have a look.

Introducing the Briffidi SW1

Traditionally, the 2 not unusual techniques of measuring a racket’s swing weight had been the use of a devoted racket swing weight gadget just like the Head 3 in 1 gadget or Dunlop (Accuswing) Swingweight Gadget.

Or, to hold the tennis racket on its best string from some hooks, swing it round 10 levels and picture it to your smartphone digital camera.

Then you definitely took the precise time for 20 swings, the use of device to seize it body through body to get to the closest millisecond, after which labored out the swing weight with a components that considers the racket’s period from the place it hangs and its steadiness.

That every one modified when the Briffidi SW1 got here alongside. The SW1 is a slightly new invention that permits you to briefly and correctly seize your racket’s swing weight the use of the gyroscope sensor of your smartphone.

You’ll be able to see it in motion under:

Why I Purchased the Briffidi SW1

I playtest a number of tennis rackets once a year, and to gauge them correctly, I want to know the strung swing weight specifications. This is helping me pass judgement on high quality keep an eye on, how a racket performs and who it could go well with.

Up to now I have depended on the use of a 3-in-1 gadget that I do not personal or the DIY means, which, whilst moderately a laugh to do for the primary time, finally ends up being onerous and has inaccuracies if you do not have in mind frames in line with 2nd of video or omit a body.

I stumbled at the Briffidi SW1 by means of the Tennis Warehouse boards and was once instantly . I really like cutting edge merchandise corresponding to this, and the one explanation why I did not pull the cause in the beginning was once that it wishes an iPhone, which I do not need.

On the other hand, after seeing Tennis Spin check it out in his video, I picked up a refurbed iPhone SE 2020 from eBay and ordered the SW1.

Briffidi SW1 Racket Swingweight Gadget Evaluation

Supply

My Briffidi SW1 was once delivered by means of UPS and was once neatly packaged. It comes with the principle unit, a calibration rod made from PVC pipe, a weight to hitch at the finish of the rod, and a snappy get started information telling you what’s within the field and the place to search out additional setup directions.

Supply took round one week after ordering, however relying at the backlog and placement, it will fluctuate for you. I paid $74.89 for supply on best of the $249.99 unit value.

Setup

Along the iPhone 7 or later and the SW1 app, you additionally want to weigh the gadget down; that is absolute best carried out with 4,000 4.5 mm (.177 cal) metal BBs which I picked up for £15.

I’m really not a three-D printing professional to know the way high quality differs, however as soon as the BBs are inside of, the unit feels rock cast, and the plastic has a pleasant really feel.

Disassembling the unit to pour within the ball bearings was once easy; from there, the duty was once to stage and calibrate the tool the use of the calibration rod.

Once more this was once easy as there’s a follow-along information:

All in setup took me about quarter-hour, and I used to be quickly measuring the swing weight of a number of rackets and evaluating them to my 3-in-1 readings. Easy.

Utilization

The usage of the Briffidi SW1 is tremendous simple, and also you briefly get a really feel for the optimal manner of liberating the racket to measure correctly.

Becoming the racket into the velcro strap and tightening it’s easy, and the app is really easy to make use of when taking a size.

Upon getting levelled and calibrated, it’s set and put out of your mind (assuming you do not transfer it), so there isn’t a lot more to it.

On the other hand, you may need to calibrate it periodically or take a look at it in opposition to a recognized racket earlier than measuring a brand new one. Additionally, including or taking away a case in your iPhone will have an effect on the measurements, so it calls for recalibration.

My different guidelines could be to put in it on a cast stage floor, and when measuring, do not hang the racket at the spring too tight; hang it frivolously, hit measure, after which unlock. Additionally, make sure that the racket is fastened stage and take a look at to be in step with the discharge means.

Pricing

At $250, the SW1 is available in at a fragment of the price of the bigger swing weight machines produced through Head, Dunlop and Prince, which opt for between $1800 and $2000.

Regardless of the upper value, they do not have any benefits. Sure, they appear rather extra skilled from a customer-facing point of view should you personal a tennis store, however they are not extra correct, which is all that issues.

If you happen to mix the SW1 with a steadiness board and a few correct weighing scales, you have got a close to equivalent setup that will get you each unmarried size for a racket you can ever want.

How Correct is the Briffidi SW1?

When folks listen the phrases three-D published, iPhone gyroscope and BBs, the idea appears to be that the costlier machines must be extra correct. As a result of why else are they 4 instances the associated fee?

On the other hand, they are now not. They are most effective equivalent, at absolute best. Test the app screenshots above; it presentations each and every workforce’s imply over X quantity of measurements and the usual deviation.

I’ve calibrated my gadget thrice now, and the SW1 reads the values of the calibration rod and weight inside of 0.05 kgcm^2 each time. 

The landlord has additionally carried out a 1g accuracy take a look at which you’ll watch under.

While you do away with as many exterior components as imaginable corresponding to air currents, volatile surfaces, temperature consistency and consistency of racket unlock, I don’t consider there’s a extra correct manner of measuring racket swing weight in the marketplace.

Plus, there is not any want for upper accuracy; no participant can inform the variation between swing weights while you get started entering decimal issues.

What are the Advantages of the Briffidi SW1?

GET THE BRIFFIDI SW1

Excluding the pricing, essentially the most important receive advantages is that the SW1 is extra compact and transportable than any related tool. 

I’ve it sat on a table, and it takes up little or no room in comparison to a 3-in-1 gadget which is greater than two times the dimensions and weight.

It is usually sufficiently small to go back and forth with, which is any other plus. You’ll be able to lock the swing arm in position with the cradle prevent and reinforce it to assist offer protection to it.

The tool additionally allows you to measure the twistweight of a racket through mounting it horizontally and subtracting it from the swing weight size. 

Twistweight is a precious quantity to understand for customising and evaluating a racket’s balance from one to the opposite.

Whilst it isn’t a super size, as this technique is impacted through the squareness of the buttcap, it’s shut sufficient to provide a significant quantity.

Any negatives? In the case of utilization and accuracy, there are none to this point. The one deal breaker for some will likely be no Android app, however that is recently within the works and must be to be had quickly.

I have additionally noticed some feedback within the boards alongside the strains of “what if the inventor stops supporting the product?” however I feel that is asinine.

The product prices $250 and does not have a ton of shifting portions, issues that may pass mistaken or require a lot ongoing reinforce. So the danger is minimum. 

In the case of what may just pass mistaken, I see the next:

Downside: Long run iOS updates prevent the app from running

Answer: Purchase a used iPhone and stay it on an older iOS model purely for the SW1

Downside: A part of the plastic breaks (clip and many others.)

Answer: The inventor says he’s going to submit the designs and supply code if he abandons the product. In finding any person to print a brand new section.

In fact, it is a ways tougher to get issues mounted on a $2000 gadget this is ‘absolutely supported’ through an international conglomerate, so I might fear about that greater than whether or not the man with the three-D printer retires and prevents generating one thing that value not up to a tennis racket.

Ultimate Ideas

The Briffidi SW1 is a recreation changer for measuring the swingweight of a tennis racket. It does precisely what it advertises and feels neatly made. 

I applaud the product inventor for arising with the speculation, bringing it to lifestyles with a three-D printer after which getting all of it running flawlessly with the smartphone’s gyroscope. 

Will have to you get one? If you happen to customize rackets and are recently the use of the DIY means the use of a timer for 20 swings or the SwingTool app, then completely. It’s way more easy, much less tedious and extra correct.

All Briffidi want to do now could be get a hold of a tool to measure racket stiffness that mirrors RA, produce a fab steadiness board and logo up some correct weighing scales, and they have got the racket diagnostic marketplace nailed down!

Execs

Cons

What do you bring to mind the Briffid SW1? Any questions concerning the tool? Let me know within the feedback.