Pre-Stretching Tennis strings

[Matthew Lee]

Lately, I went to my local tennis shop to restring my Pure Drive with Hyper-G. No biggie. I had a friend come with me, and he was stringing with Nat Gut mains and Wilson Revolve crosses (he reads these forums but never comments), and he asked the stringer to pre-stretch the Gut.

With a thread about pre-stretching polys coming up today, I remember having asked my stringer if it was possible to pre-stretch polys.

"No, we only pre-stretch gut".

I don't remember why she said that, but why don't people pre-stretch polys? If it's going to give less tension loss, you might as well. Lower tensions to reduce stiffness, etc.

 

[Karma Tennis]

The Stringer said that they only pre-stretch gut. Based on your original question I take that to mean that it is possible to pre-stretch Poly strings but this particular Stringer only pre-stretches guit strings.

There are several schools of thought regarding the pros and cons of pre-stretching Poly string. If you read through many of the threads about the topic you will become very well informed about other people's experiences.

FWIW, I never pre-stretch Poly because I think it ruins the "freshness" of the string straight off the reel. But I re-string Poly pretty much after every 4 hours of use long before I see any significant drop in SBS. So pre-stretching Poly doesn't provide me with any benefit and would more than likely be a liability.

Others will disagree with this and they will give you their own experiential reasons why.

 

[chjtennis]

Can I ask a question please? Do stringers pre-stretch before stringing racquets for pros on tour?

 

[Karma Tennis]

Can I ask a question please? Do stringers pre-stretch before stringing racquets for pros on tour?

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/do-pros-pre-stretch-their-poly-strings.556319/

 

[chjtennis]

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/do-pros-pre-stretch-their-poly-strings.556319/

Thank you!

 

[TennisManiac]

Pre stretching poly ruins it's playing characteristics. Period.

 

[Mongolmike]

The difference in movement in a stretch between multis, gut and polys... visually it'd be hard to tell if the poly is even stretching at all... maybe 2%?

 

[CopolyX]

personal preference..
me, I don't...
some stringing machines can do a pre-s
easy to do a manual pre-s
also don't forget, some companies like Krischbuam do a pre-s
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Reviews/PLX16CO/PLX16COReview.html

your strings you call...

 

[Buford T Justice]

Pre stretching poly ruins it's playing characteristics. Period.

Ive always thought same. The string changes how it plays. Of course, "ruining" a string for one person could be improving it for another!

 

[Shroud]

There is prestretching to remove coil memory which is done on gut so its less likely to kink. The vid above shows that

Then there is prestretching to elongate the string. This does not use the around the pole method. Personally i do this on everything

Then there is the prestretch setting on the machine which is probably some where in between

Some Polys are prestretched at the factory like 4g and iirc Spikey shark.

Prestretching reduces tension loss and makes a stiffer string bed

 

[Muppet]

Strings that have a lot of elasticity and high tension loss benefit from pre-stretching. Poly has a small window of elasticity, which is one of the reasons it doesn't last very long. But pre-stretching a poly almost totally removes what little elasticity it has. Gut for example can afford to lose some elasticity to pre-stretching as it starts out plenty elastic. Pre-stretching removes elasticity from a string but also decreases tension loss. You might not like the playability you get from a poly that has had its small amount of elasticity stretched out of it.

 

[jbm]

I use a crank tensioner. Revolution 4000. Does anyone consider a double pull as a sufficient pre stretch?

 

[ricardo]

Pre stretching poly ruins it's playing characteristics. Period.

Are you speaking from personal experience?

Some manufacturers pre-stretch polys. Are they then ruining their polys?

 

[Irvin]

I don't remember why she said that, but why don't people pre-stretch polys? If it's going to give less tension loss, you might as well. Lower tensions to reduce stiffness, etc.

Gut is a very resilient string and any kinks in the string may cause early breaking. Many times gut is pre-stretched before you ever start stringing and there is also a prestretch option on some stringers. Gut should be prestretched to reduce coil memory and after stretching it snaps right back and you have almost as much residual stretch as you had before. Poly on the other hand is very resistant to change. When you prestretch it you could stretch the life out of it (machine prestretch) and when the tensioner goes back to the set tension again the poly wants to stays closer to it's stretched out state. So for poly depending on the set tension and amount of prestretch you could ruin the string before the first hit.

 

[Irvin]

I use a crank tensioner. Revolution 4000. Does anyone consider a double pull as a sufficient pre stretch?

Prestretch in is either a manual or machine operation. Manually the prestretch is much lower than a machine prestretch and the string has a long time to recover. Manual prestretch if is useful in reducing coil memory. Machine prestretch in is different where you have a set tension and a percentage of prestretch used on some machines. If a machine prestretch is set to 10% and tension at 60 lbs the machine first pulls to 66 lbs then relaxes and goes back to set tension. Difference machines are very different but that's the jest of it. Double pulling on a lockout is like neither. You just simulating a CP machine at set tension with no prestretch.

 

[zschaefer]

i use a prince neos 5000 and it can do 5% or 10% prestretch...when stringing for myself i actually prefer to prestretch poly 5% just to give it a longer consistency.... and then i prestretch mf, syngut, or gut 10%...

 

[TennisManiac]

Are you speaking from personal experience?

Some manufacturers pre-stretch polys. Are they then ruining their polys?

Yes and yes

 

[Karma Tennis]

Some manufacturers pre-stretch polys. Are they then ruining their polys?

When a manufacturer offers a pre-stretched string as a product the string is delivered pre-stretched. You are getting a product direct from the manuf. in the same way you get any other product from a manuf.

The question that has to be asked and answered is "Why does a manuf. offer a pre-stretched product in some instances and not in others?" I can think of a few obvious reasons but the first one that comes to mind involves "Marketing". There are players out there that want pre-streched strings for whatever reason. So manufs. offer a product to appeal to that area of the market.

Personally, I think "domestic" pre-stretching most, if not all, Poly strings changes their nature in a physical way away from what the manuf. intended. In my case it changes them in an undesirable way for me. Might be very different for others. Vive la difference!

 

[ricardo]

There are players out there that want pre-streched strings for whatever reason. So manufs. offer a product to appeal to that area of the market.

So why do you think some players want pre-stretched strings?

 

[TennisManiac]

So why do you think some players want pre-stretched strings?

Because they're hoping that a string that has been pre stretched will hold it's tension longer rather then losing tension too quickly. What they don't realize is that by doing this the string's characteristics will diminish quicker. You can't have both.

 

[Muppet]

My guess is that a manufacturer that pre-stretches some of its polys will start with a string that needs a pre-stretch before it will be a finished product. You can't really compare a factory pre-stretched string without pre-stretching to a string that was never pre-stretched. The yet to be pre-stretched one would be an incomplete string.

What you can do is forget about the pre-stretching, try both strings, and see which finished product you like better.

 

[Mongolmike]

You can't really compare a factory pre-stretched string without pre-stretching to a string that was never pre-stretched. The yet to be pre-stretched one would be an incomplete string.

 

[Shroud]

Prestretch in is either a manual or machine operation. Manually the prestretch is much lower than a machine prestretch and the string has a long time to recover. Manual prestretch if is useful in reducing child memory. Machine prestretch in is different where you have a set tension and a percentage of prestretch used on some machines. If a machine prestretch is set to 10% and tension at 60 lbs the machine first pulls to 66 lbs then relaxes and goes back to set tension. Difference machines are very different but that's the jest of it. Double pulling on a lockout is like neither. You just simulating a CP machine at set tension with no prestretch.

Please dont prestretch children! As you mention, it WILL reduce their memory

 

[Irvin]

Please dont prestretch children! As you mention, it WILL reduce their memory

Ok coil memory

 

[Karma Tennis]

So why do you think some players want pre-stretched strings?

It doesn't matter what I think.

What matters is what THEY think.

Of course, one could also ponder, why doesn't every string manufacturer pre-stretch every string they manufacture during the manufacturing process?

(I'm not trying to be contrite. I see no benefit in pre-stretched strings because I re-string frequently. What others think or do is their own business.)

 

[Muppet]

What that means is this:

Pre-stretching or not pre-stretching is part of the design of the string.

String 1: Pre-stretched during manufacturing. If the pre-stretch part of the process is eliminated, the string would have garbage for properties. Following the complete design of the manufacturing process makes it a string suitable for use in tennis.

String 2: This string is offered for sale without having been pre-stretched during manufacture. That's okay because that's how it was planned and designed. It's a complete product without pre-stretching.

But instead, think of a made up string called 'NXT Stretched' and regular NXT unstretched that play identical off the shelf. NXT Stretched would be garbage without the pre-stretch. The stretch part of the design and production would make it equivalent to regular NXT.

 

[Shroud]

What that means is this:

Pre-stretching or not pre-stretching is part of the design of the string.

String 1: Pre-stretched during manufacturing. If the pre-stretch part of the process is eliminated, the string would have garbage for properties. Following the complete design of the manufacturing process makes it a string suitable for use in tennis.

String 2: This string is offered for sale without having been pre-stretched during manufacture. That's okay because that's how it was planned and designed. It's a complete product without pre-stretching.

But instead, think of a made up string called 'NXT Stretched' and regular NXT unstretched that play identical off the shelf. NXT Stretched would be garbage without the pre-stretch. The stretch part of the design and production would make it equivalent to regular NXT.

Not sure that is true. Forex Julian from Ashaway posted here about prestretching zx and when asked about having it done from the factory, he said they chose not to because some liked it without and the ones who liked it prestretched could do it themselves. Never did he say because it was part of the design or that prestretching would ruin it.

Imho prestretching makes strings better

 

[Karma Tennis]

Never did he say because it was part of the design or that prestretching would ruin it.

@Shoud, I can't imagine that any manufacturer would suggest that pre-stretching a string would improve it or ruin it. It doesn't make any sense from a Marketing point of view to say such things.

The whole concept of "Pre Stretching" is a Black Art. What do you pre-stretch? How do you pre-stretch? How much do you pre-stretch? How long do you pre-stretch? There are so many variables. There is no one size fits all approach.

(This is probably the reason why some manufs. offer pre-stretched products out of the box. The customer can be assurred that they are always getting the same pre-stretched product which is consistent and predictable.)

You are saying that you believe pre-stretching strings makes them better. Well send me some of your string, I will pre-stretch it for you. I can guarantee that what you get back from me will not be better at all!

 

[ricardo]

The worse critics are those who haven't actually done what they are criticising!!

When you string, you pull tension.
When you pre-stretch, you also pull tension.
So how can you ruin any string by doing exactly the same thing, pull tension?

What you will ruin is when you use the same tension when stringing a pre-stretched string.

When you use your usual tension when stringing a pre-stretched string, of course you will get a very boardy/stiff stringbed, maybe so stiff that you want to cut it out.

When I string a pre-stretch string, I lower the reference tension by 10-15 lbs.
I get the same/better playability as a non-pre-stretch string but for a much longer duration.

It works for me.
However, it does not mean it will work for everyone.

 

[Shroud]

The worse critics are those who haven't actually done what they are criticising!!

When you string, you pull tension.
When you pre-stretch, you also pull tension.
So how can you ruin any string by doing exactly the same thing, pull tension?

What you will ruin is when you use the same tension when stringing a pre-stretched string.

When you use your usual tension when stringing a pre-stretched string, of course you will get a very boardy/stiff stringbed, maybe so stiff that you want to cut it out.

When I string a pre-stretch string, I lower the reference tension by 10-15 lbs.
I get the same/better playability as a non-pre-stretch string but for a much longer duration.

It works for me.
However, it does not mean it will work for everyone.

Stiff and boardy is what i dig!

 

[Shroud]

@Shoud, I can't imagine that any manufacturer would suggest that pre-stretching a string would improve it or ruin it. It doesn't make any sense from a Marketing point of view to say such things.

The whole concept of "Pre Stretching" is a Black Art. What do you pre-stretch? How do you pre-stretch? How much do you pre-stretch? How long do you pre-stretch? There are so many variables. There is no one size fits all approach.

(This is probably the reason why some manufs. offer pre-stretched products out of the box. The customer can be assurred that they are always getting the same pre-stretched product which is consistent and predictable.)

You are saying that you believe pre-stretching strings makes them better. Well send me some of your string, I will pre-stretch it for you. I can guarantee that what you get back from me will not be better at all!

If you want to prestretch some kevlar knock yourself out!

 

[Muppet]

Not sure that is true. Forex Julian from Ashaway posted here about prestretching zx and when asked about having it done from the factory, he said they chose not to because some liked it without and the ones who liked it prestretched could do it themselves. Never did he say because it was part of the design or that prestretching would ruin it.

Imho prestretching makes strings better

In this case, I would say that the option for the user to pre-stretch the string is part of the design. That's a pretty good design. I realize this is a departure from my initial argument though. Or maybe an extension to it.

 

[ricardo]

Stiff and boardy is what i dig!

There you go.
The more you pre-stretch, the more you will get stiff/boardy.
But some people hate stiff/boardy and claim their strings are ruined.

 

[Karma Tennis]

If you want to prestretch some kevlar knock yourself out!

As my ultra super heavy duty LO tensioner is currently being serviced let me organise hire of the Grand Canyon and a pair of 10,000kg lead weights and I will get back to you.

 

[Shroud]

As my ultra super heavy duty LO tensioner is currently being serviced let me organise hire of the Grand Canyon and a pair of 10,000kg lead weights and I will get back to you.

Bummer about the tensioner!!! Thats a great idea. It would really help to have that much weight. Going over to amazon to see if it all qualifies for free shipping..hate it when the shipping is more than the item