ATW non-poll
 

There are so many variations of ATW.
What's your preference and why?

Also, is there ever a time that you would do ATW for a Head or any other racquet that ties off at the head?
If so, how to avoid bottom up? String the 1st X with the short side?
Long ago, a client got mad at me for not doing his Head racquet with 'only two knots'.
Of course, he was also convinced that the knots would slip. :)

I would use a short side ATW because there are no hold weaves, no blocked holes, and no crosses ran at the bottom to interfere with the top down stringing.

I don't think I'm understanding your question.
If the mains tie off at the head, there is no ATW, just start the crosses top down from your long side last main and finish and tie off at the bottom.
What am I missing?

Surely the OP is talking about a racket where the mains end at the throat. But your question addresses another question the OP addresses. String the top cross with the short side?

Contrary to popular belief, Head does not care if you string their rackets one piece or two piece. I strung a Head racket where the knots in the throat had to be tied in a concave area. I called head and asked if I could string the racket ATW. They said their warranty was for manufacturer defects and workmanship. Stringing a racket with one piece of string does not void their warranty.

The reason Head wants their racket strung with two pieces of string is to avoid short sections of the frame supporting a turn. If you use the short side to string the top cross you will have a short section of frame supporting a turn. Then comes the long side, if you want to run the cross from the top down with the long side you need to start on a cross farther down the racket to prevent a short section of frame. BUT you also need to take into play what will be done with the short side. If there are two grommet holes skipped at the top I use the short side to string the bottom cross the outside main on the long side and the top cross first then the second cross.

My first question was indeed about mains ending at the throat.
The second question was about Head racquets.
I have seen frames where that short section was damaged/broken by the sharp turn of a standard 1pc.
Irvin, I'm not sure what you mean by short side ATW.
I've recently been using a variation suggested by Greg Raven which involves leaving out the last ss main,tying the ss at the head, then stringing the bottom cross and last ss main with the long side.
Of course this means counting crosses to avoid a mis weave.

This only works with an odd number of crosses, does it not? :confused:
Edit: Maybe it's actually even..

Simple when the mains are going to end at the throat I leave out the outside main on both sides. In lieu of holding the last main on the SS with a fixed clamp I use a starting clamp. Let's assume I am stringing a 16 main racket that skips 7&9 at top. Use the long side Tao string the 4th cross, then the 3rd, and finish all crosses except for the bottom cross and tie off. Ten use the SS to run the outside mains bottom cross top cross and second cross. If you pre run the SS it makes it easier and no blocked holes. Also there is never that sharp turn you spoke of. The shap turn produces a short section of frame supporting the string.

Thanks for the clarification, Irvin.
I am only concerned about the sharp turn on Head racquets.
I know drakulie recommends always using 1pc, so I was wondering about Heads.

@DD: Greg calls it a box pattern. For even#X, weave 1stX opposite bottom, for odd#X, weave 1stX the same as bottom.

It's a bit tougher because weaving one ahead doesn't help as much, but none of the outer Ms or Xs are tied off and it doesn't need a starting clamp or require weaving a main.

Ah, so you're completing the box before continuing down the frame, that makes much more sense... very standard. :)

I got this from the 2008 Racquet Service Techniques book that was published as a companion to the Stringer's Digest and includes reprints from the tips&techniques( Ask the Experts) column in RSI.
Most of it is available online now, but it's nice to have it all in one book.
I'd like to see them publish an updated version.