Federico Staksrud’s JOOLA Kosmos Pro V Weighted Tape Setup Explained

Federico Staksrud’s weighted-tape configuration is a strong example of how a professional player can improve paddle stability without deliberately creating a head-heavy feel.

Rather than concentrating weight near the top of his JOOLA Kosmos Pro V 16 mm, Staksrud runs longer strips along the lower sides of the paddle. This keeps the additional mass closer to his hand while still moving it far enough toward the edges to help the paddle resist twisting.

The result is a setup designed to feel more stable and consistent while preserving the quick, responsive handling Staksrud prefers.

Federico Staksrud’s Weighted Tape Configuration

Staksrud’s setup uses:

• 5¾ inches of 1 g-per-inch weighted tape on each side
• Each strip begins approximately 1¼ inches above the handle
• The tape follows the lower side of the paddle
• The two strips add approximately 11.5 g of weighted tape in total
• An overgrip completes the primary setup

Because 1 g-per-inch tape is used, the calculation is straightforward:

5.75 inches × 1 g/in × 2 sides = 11.5 g total

Staksrud demonstrates and discusses the setup in his own video. Pickleball Effect also provides a documented recreation of the configuration.

Staksrud's Kosmos Pro V Weighted Tape Setup

Where Does Staksrud Put the Weighted Tape?

The tape starts low on each side of the paddle—approximately 1¼ inches above the handle—and extends upward for 5¾ inches.

This is best described as a lower-side weighting configuration.

It is different from placing tape at:

• 12 o’clock, which emphasizes power and produces the greatest increase in how heavy the paddle feels during a swing
• 10 and 2 o’clock, which combines increased power with added stability
• 3 and 9 o’clock, which strongly emphasizes resistance to twisting
• The handle or butt cap, which primarily changes balance and perceived head-heaviness

Staksrud’s longer lower-side strips distribute weight across a substantial portion of the lower perimeter. This adds mass away from the paddle’s centerline, improving stability, while keeping much of that mass closer to the hand than an upper-paddle configuration would.

Why Does Staksrud Keep the Weight Low?

Staksrud has explained that he prefers weight closer to his hand rather than a head-heavy balance. He wants to feel that his hand is controlling the paddle.

That preference explains why his tape does not extend around the top of the paddle.

Moving weight higher would generally create more momentum and power, but it would also make the paddle feel heavier during the swing. That can reduce acceleration, hand speed and the ability to reposition the paddle quickly during fast exchanges.

Lower-side placement offers a different trade-off:

• More resistance to twisting
• Greater stability on off-center contact
• A more consistent response across the paddle face
• More overall hitting mass
• Less loss of hand speed than the same mass placed near the top
• Less tendency to make the paddle feel excessively head-heavy

This is particularly relevant for counters and rapid exchanges at the kitchen, where the ability to move the paddle quickly can be just as important as power.

What Does the Setup Do to the Paddle?

Weighted tape changes more than the paddle’s total weight. Its location changes how that added mass affects the paddle during play.

It increases overall weight

The two strips add approximately 11.5 g before accounting for the overgrip or any optional handle weight.

That additional mass can make the paddle feel more substantial and solid through contact.

It improves stability

Because the tape sits along both sides of the paddle, the added mass increases resistance to twisting when the ball strikes away from the centerline.

In practical terms, the paddle should move less in the hand on an off-center hit. That can produce a more predictable ball response and make the effective sweet spot feel more forgiving.

It moderately increases how heavy the paddle feels when swung

The tape is positioned above the hand, so it still increases swing weight. However, keeping the strips relatively low reduces that effect compared with putting the same 11.5 g near the upper corners or tip.

This is the central idea behind Staksrud’s setup: gain stability without sacrificing more hand speed than necessary.

It helps maintain a lower balance point

Keeping the weight low limits how far the paddle’s balance shifts toward the head. The overgrip—and any optional butt-cap counterweight—can move the finished balance still closer to the hand.

A lower balance point does not remove the added mass, but it can make the paddle feel more maneuverable.

How Straksruds Setup Changes Important Specifications

Pickleball Effect recreated Staksrud’s configuration using weighted tape and an overgrip and reported the following measurements:

Measurement	Stock paddle	Recreated setup	Change
Overall weight	8.00 oz	8.56 oz	+0.56 oz
Swing weight	114.00	117.62	+3.62
Twist weight	6.68	7.69	+1.01
Balance point	24.2 cm	23.7 cm	−0.5 cm

These measurements illustrate the purpose of the configuration.

The approximately 15% increase in twist weight is much larger proportionally than the approximately 3% increase in swing weight. At the same time, the measured balance point moved 0.5 cm closer to the hand.

In real-world terms, the recreated paddle became substantially more resistant to twisting without becoming proportionally as difficult to swing.

Staksrud’s Optional Butt-Cap Counterweight

If the completed setup still feels too head-heavy, Staksrud suggests adding two small strips of weighted tape to the butt cap in a plus-sign pattern.

This acts as a counterweight.

Adding weight at the bottom of the handle can move the paddle’s balance point closer to the hand, making the head feel lighter and easier to reposition. It also increases the paddle’s total weight, so counterbalancing should not be confused with removing the rotational effect of the tape already installed on the head.

The upper tape still contributes to swing weight. The butt-cap weight changes the balance and the way that mass is perceived in the hand.

Players should therefore test the main lower-side setup first and only add a counterweight if the finished paddle feels more head-heavy than they prefer.

Should You Copy Federico Staksrud’s Setup?

Staksrud’s setup is a useful real-world example, but it is not a universal prescription.

Professional players tune their equipment around:

• A specific paddle
• Their preferred finished weight
• Their grip and overgrip
• Their hand speed
• Their stroke mechanics
• The balance between singles and doubles performance
• Their tolerance for additional mass

Adding 11.5 g of tape is a substantial customization. A player using a heavier paddle, a more head-heavy paddle or a paddle with a higher starting swing weight may find the same configuration too demanding.

A better approach is to use Staksrud’s placement as a principle rather than copying the full amount immediately:

If you want greater stability but dislike a head-heavy paddle, begin by testing weight along the lower sides.

Start with a smaller amount, play with the paddle, and then add more only if the result remains comfortable.

For example, you could begin with:

• 1 g on each lower side for 2 g total
• 3 g on each lower side for 6 g total
• A longer configuration only after confirming that the paddle still feels quick and comfortable

Change one variable at a time so you can identify what actually improved—or harmed—the paddle’s performance.

How to Recreate the Setup

To reproduce Staksrud’s documented tape configuration:

1. Measure approximately 1¼ inches above the handle on each side of the paddle.
2. Cut two pieces of 1 g-per-inch weighted tape, each measuring 5¾ inches.
3. Apply one strip to each side, beginning at the same height.
4. Follow the paddle’s edge carefully and keep the two sides symmetrical.
5. Press the tape down securely.
6. Install the overgrip.
7. Test the paddle before adding any handle counterweight.
8. If it still feels too head-heavy, experiment cautiously with two small strips on the butt cap in a plus-sign pattern.

Check the tape regularly and stop using any setup that becomes loose, uncomfortable or causes pain.

Which Racket Pro Tape Works for This Setup?

The Racket Pro’s 1.0 g-per-inch Tungsten Weighted Tape is the direct match for the density specified in Staksrud’s configuration.

At that density:

• One 5¾-inch strip weighs approximately 5.75 g
• Two matching strips weigh approximately 11.5 g

Players who want to test the placement more gradually can instead use 0.5 g-per-inch Tuning Tape or begin with smaller pre-measured strips before committing to the full professional configuration.

The important variables are the total mass, tape density and placement—not simply the length of the strip.

Want to understand the principles behind this setup? Explore our Pickleball Paddle Customization Guide to learn how weight placement, swingweight, twistweight and balance can change paddle performance.

Find the Right Setup for Your Paddle

Staksrud’s configuration demonstrates an important paddle-tuning principle: weight along the lower sides can improve stability while preserving more hand speed than placing the same mass near the top.

But the appropriate amount depends on the paddle you already own.

Use The Racket Pro Paddle Optimizer to choose your paddle, identify what you want to improve and find an appropriate starting configuration.

For a broader comparison of 12 o’clock, 10 and 2, 3 and 9, lower-side, throat and handle weighting, read our Pickleball Weighted Tape Guide & Paddle Weighting Optimizer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much weighted tape does Federico Staksrud use?

His documented configuration uses 5¾ inches of 1 g-per-inch tape on each side of the paddle. That equals approximately 11.5 g of weighted tape in total, excluding the overgrip and any optional butt-cap weight.

Where does Staksrud put the tape?

The tape begins approximately 1¼ inches above the handle and runs upward along each lower side of his JOOLA Kosmos Pro V 16 mm.

Why doesn’t he put the tape at the top?

Staksrud prefers weight closer to his hand rather than a head-heavy balance. Keeping the tape lower can improve stability while preserving more paddle speed and maneuverability than placing the same mass near the tip.

What does the lower-side placement improve?

It can improve resistance to twisting, stability on off-center hits, consistency and forgiveness while producing less of a swing-weight increase than higher placement.

Does Staksrud add weight to the butt cap?

He suggests two small strips in a plus-sign pattern on the butt cap as an optional counterweight if the completed paddle still feels too head-heavy.

Do I need to use the full 11.5 g?

No. That is a substantial professional-level customization. Most players should begin with a smaller amount, test the result and increase it gradually.