Two rackets can weigh the same and feel nothing alike. The difference is usually balance — where along the frame that weight is concentrated. It is one of the few specifications that changes how a racket behaves in a way most players notice immediately.
The three labels
Makers describe balance in different units. Some publish a measurement in centimetres from the handle; others publish a word. This catalogue records the word, in three values.
Control. Weighted towards the handle. Less mass is carried out into the ball, so the head is easier to place and easier to stop. It asks less of the arm to swing quickly.
Balance. Weighted between head and handle — neither reading dominates.
Power. Weighted towards the head. More mass arrives at the ball, which is where pace comes from, at the cost of a head that takes longer to move and to stop.
Balance and shape are not the same thing
Shape and balance are related but separate. A round frame usually carries its weight closer to the hand and a diamond carries it highest, so the two labels often agree — but not always, and the catalogue records them independently because the maker does.
Reading them together tells you more than either alone: a diamond head with a control balance is a different proposition from a diamond head weighted for power.
What balance does not decide
Balance is not a difficulty rating. A power-balanced frame is not an advanced racket and a control-balanced one is not a beginner's. It describes where the mass sits, not who should hold it. The level a maker lists is a separate field, and where it is published this catalogue prints it too.
Adding weight
Some frames are sold with a weight and balance system that lets the owner add small amounts of mass at chosen points, which moves the balance after purchase. Where a maker states this, it appears in the product's own specification. Where nothing is stated, assume the balance is what it is.
Balance and weight together
Weight and balance describe different things and are easy to confuse. Weight is how much there is; balance is where it sits. A light frame balanced towards the head can feel heavier in the swing than a heavier one balanced towards the hand, because what the arm resists is the mass at the far end of the lever, not the number on the specification.
This is why the two fields are worth reading together. A stated range of 360-375 g tells you little on its own, and so does a balance label; together they describe how the racket will feel to move.
Feeling it without a swing
Hold a racket by the very end of the handle and let it hang, then hold it again at the throat. The difference between those two grips is the balance doing its work: a head-weighted frame drops noticeably harder from the handle and settles quickly from the throat. It is a crude test, but it is a good deal more informative than a number on a page.
What the specification cannot tell you
Balance is measured with the racket as it left the factory. A grip, an overgrip and a protector all add mass, and they add it at different ends. A protector in particular sits at the top of the head, which is exactly where added weight is most felt.