question about nat gut vs syn gut..tension

markwillplay · 11-23-2009, 02:34 PM

I have a dro weight stringer that I am using now to string my own sticks. Love it. I rally appreciate the folks here helping me out so I have another issue that I need help with.

I was dropping the weight and just letting it free fall. I was told here that I should let the arm down more easily so I did that.

when I strung my sticks (becker mids)with micro sheep 16 at 54, they were really nice and soft but still very, very playable. I had another strung with full nat gut at 60 (by someone else) and I thought it was a little tight for my liking....so, I strung one of mine with the nat gut (vS 16) at 57 and did it the way I was told to do it here wheich was letting the weight down easy so as not to snap the string or pull it too fast...anyway, I noticed that the frame I strung with the gut at 57 was really slack.....I would have thought 57 would have been perfect but man it seemed lower than the syn gut frames I strung at 54 and even 52.

My question, should I just let the weight free fall like I was doing before so it pulls the string harder and faster, or, is the micro sheep syn gut just stretching more as I am stringing it so that it is a little tighter when I am through.

By the way, I really like the stick I have with micro in the crosses at like 54 and gut in the mains at like 57...but I strung that one just letting the weight fall like crazy.

I would love to hear insights on this. At this rate, if I strung full gut again, I would string it the same way at at least 60 if not more.

Standupnfall · 11-23-2009, 02:55 PM

Try a very gentle prestretch and make sure to pull each string for 20-30 seconds.
Also the tension will drop a bit right after stringing. Are you sure the string isn't slipping in your clamps? And are you taking the slack out of the end of the last mains properly when tying the knots?
57 isn't very slack but its softer than I would use myself for VS16, try 60 next time and make sure it isn't slipping and that you are letting the weight pull the string but do just not drop it.
Dropping it fast is not the answer, in fact its kind of ridiculous.

xFullCourtTenniSx · 11-23-2009, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Standupnfall

Dropping it fast is not the answer, in fact its kind of ridiculous.

When stringing VS natural gut, it's DEFINITELY NOT THE RIGHT ANSWER! When I saw that, I was praying for his sake that he didn't snap away $40.

markwillplay · 11-23-2009, 04:34 PM

gotcha..that will help. I will let it settle a little bit more and make sure that my last main is snug. That may make the difference. Good to know that I should be gentle though for sure so I don't go snapping string.

Standupnfall · 11-23-2009, 05:41 PM

Watch this to learn how to snug up tour knots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWx3iVPZl_c

Watch a bunch of his videos and you will learn quite a bit like I am

markwillplay · 11-23-2009, 07:34 PM

thanks...I do know that the micro sheep sure did stretch a lot more when I strung it. I really like that string at a low tension of like 52-54...feels soft but good control. I think if my gut felt that soft at that tension that the ball would fly like crazy.

Let me ask this too...the last two stringings I did, I did string one ahead in the crosses to save time and did not pull each one...could that make a big difference. I definately like stringing one ahead and then pulling tension on the same side and I read here that it would not make a difference. On my others, I pulled tension one at a time on the crosses just like the mains.

slow_duster · 11-23-2009, 07:36 PM

Pre-stretch is key. I always let my weight set for 5 seconds or so before I clamp it off just to make sure tension is right.

markwillplay · 11-23-2009, 07:54 PM

OK, so when you say pre-stretch, you mean to let it hang at paralell for a while before you clamp. I understand that for sure. Sometimes when it sits there a second or two, it may drop a bit (I guess that is pre-stretching). When I was really letting the weight go, I ended up with some 55 lb string jobs that felt more like 60..I think I was stretching the poop out of that gosen syngut.

Hey, thanks, I think this has answered my questions.

slow_duster · 11-23-2009, 08:05 PM

Pre stretch is before you start to string you racquet. I loop aound a leg on my machine ( or table leg,something heavy) then I unwind the string. Once its all unwound (with no kinks or loops I hold the end of the string and lean back (you will feel the string give alittle) I then release to see how much coil memory is left, if there is alot I stretch some more. I dont think you can stretch it to many times, but if you REALLY pull I guess you could break the string.

Standupnfall · 11-24-2009, 05:39 AM

Tension each string not every other one

markwillplay · 11-24-2009, 07:29 AM

gotcha.....

charliefedererer · 11-24-2009, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markwillplay

I had another strung with full nat gut at 60 (by someone else) and I thought it was a little tight for my liking....so, I strung one of mine with the nat gut (vS 16) at 57 and did it the way I was told to do it here wheich was letting the weight down easy so as not to snap the string or pull it too fast...anyway, I noticed that the frame I strung with the gut at 57 was really slack.....I would have thought 57 would have been perfect but man it seemed lower than the syn gut frames I strung at 54 and even 52.

I would love to hear insights on this. At this rate, if I strung full gut again, I would string it the same way at at least 60 if not more.

I thought I should just mention that different machines with different clamping mechanisms (the strings give more on flying versus fixed clamps) and tensioners (drop weight versus electronic pull or crank) often yield different results. So the fact that you had the frame strung at 60 by someone else and now it feels too loose for you at 57 on your machine should not be surprising. Sounds like you are going to string at 60 next time anyway.
And from now on, with your own stringer, you really can control if you want to go up or down a pound or two.

One of the most remarkable aspects of natural gut is despite all the research, it still is the most resilient material for a string. That is, it returns to its initial length after being stretched out with each hit. Therefore it is also the string that would be least affected by prestretching. So while you may want to prestretch to help get rid of some of the coiling tendency to taking the gut out the pack, I think you could get the same effect by just stringing at maybe one extra pound and not worry too much about prestretching gut.

And I would also pull every string.

11-23-2009, 02:34 PM	#1
markwillplay Professional Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,029	question about nat gut vs syn gut..tension I have a dro weight stringer that I am using now to string my own sticks. Love it. I rally appreciate the folks here helping me out so I have another issue that I need help with. I was dropping the weight and just letting it free fall. I was told here that I should let the arm down more easily so I did that. when I strung my sticks (becker mids)with micro sheep 16 at 54, they were really nice and soft but still very, very playable. I had another strung with full nat gut at 60 (by someone else) and I thought it was a little tight for my liking....so, I strung one of mine with the nat gut (vS 16) at 57 and did it the way I was told to do it here wheich was letting the weight down easy so as not to snap the string or pull it too fast...anyway, I noticed that the frame I strung with the gut at 57 was really slack.....I would have thought 57 would have been perfect but man it seemed lower than the syn gut frames I strung at 54 and even 52. My question, should I just let the weight free fall like I was doing before so it pulls the string harder and faster, or, is the micro sheep syn gut just stretching more as I am stringing it so that it is a little tighter when I am through. By the way, I really like the stick I have with micro in the crosses at like 54 and gut in the mains at like 57...but I strung that one just letting the weight fall like crazy. I would love to hear insights on this. At this rate, if I strung full gut again, I would string it the same way at at least 60 if not more.

11-23-2009, 07:36 PM	#7
slow_duster New User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 59	Pre-stretch is key. I always let my weight set for 5 seconds or so before I clamp it off just to make sure tension is right. __________________ (2x) Head Extreme Pro, Natural Gut 56lbs

11-23-2009, 08:05 PM	#9
slow_duster New User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 59	Pre stretch is before you start to string you racquet. I loop aound a leg on my machine ( or table leg,something heavy) then I unwind the string. Once its all unwound (with no kinks or loops I hold the end of the string and lean back (you will feel the string give alittle) I then release to see how much coil memory is left, if there is alot I stretch some more. I dont think you can stretch it to many times, but if you REALLY pull I guess you could break the string. __________________ (2x) Head Extreme Pro, Natural Gut 56lbs

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