Diary of a Racketaholic

[Power Player]

Stock..the TGK is just sitting there on string forum for now, but I have had some interest that was at least based in reality.

[Ross K]

Originally Posted by Power Player

Ross it is cheap, so if you hate it, no biggie.

Disclaimer, I string my own. Highly reccomend it since it saves cash and no wait on sticks. It also makes me more open minded to trying string. That being said, I did not like a lot of full poly strings in the Tfight besides Hex.

Surprisingly, hybrids felt fantastic. Synth gut crosses and poly mains.

Yeah, always curious re strings/mods/tensions re the TF. Might hunt some Hexonic down. You've also got me curious with that remark about hybrids. I hadn't previously even contemplated anything other than full polys for the TF as I imagined it was kind of made for full polys.

Can see my racketaholic/string-head ways getting even more out of hand if I strung for myself ... Q. How long does it take to be able to string for yourself competently?

R

[Power Player]

took me a while because I am very bad at :

simple concepts like tying knots

patience and not rushing

freeing up the time to do it.

Even with that against me, I still love it now. It saves me money..lots of money. Also allows me to not have to wait on a stringer. I dont have to plan out when to drop off and pick up racquets anymore. Can tinker with whatever string setups I want, and then just cut the string out if I hate it..no big deal.

If you lived near me, id sell you my dropweight for cheap so you could try it out. Use that thing for 6 months and you may get into it and upgrade a little like I did (saves time..allows me even better accuracy). Since I can't do that, Id reccomend hunting down a used klippermate and learning on that. Use one of your racquets that you dont use much and a cheap synth gut for 2-3 string jobs and you will be good to go.

[el sergento]

Originally Posted by Ross K

Yeah, always curious re strings/mods/tensions re the TF. Might hunt some Hexonic down. You've also got me curious with that remark about hybrids. I hadn't previously even contemplated anything other than full polys for the TF as I imagined it was kind of made for full polys.

Can see my racketaholic/string-head ways getting even more out of hand if I strung for myself ... Q. How long does it take to be able to string for yourself competently?

R

With the amount of info available on these forums, about 3-5 string jobs. Well worth it IMO.

Paid around $200 for a machine some 4 years ago and I can't imagine paying for stringing anymore.

[Ross K]

el and PP,

Cheers chaps, I sense I'm starting to get interested now. I was actually going to go back into collecting records (as in the vinyl) too, but maybe I should divert into stringing... ah, the joy of a fresh compulsion to obsess about!

R

[Power Player]

If you can get a stringway auto dropweight used..oh man..do it..thats what I did and I am extremely happy about that decision.

You could very well enjoy stringing your racquets..once you get good and have a decent machine, you will be done in 35 minutes. Just fire up the tube (or some vinyl) and do your thing. Actually, the vinyl while stringing idea is pretty amazing. I may have to try that myself..lol.

[el sergento]

Originally Posted by Ross K

el and PP,

Cheers chaps, I sense I'm starting to get interested now. I was actually going to go back into collecting records (as in the vinyl) too, but maybe I should divert into stringing... ah, the joy of a fresh compulsion to obsess about!

R

At the end of the day, the ball makes contact with the string, not the racquet. As much as you've obsessed over racquets, you'll soon find that stringing can be just as addictive.

There's also something really rewarding about stringing your own, you feel like you're more connected to the racquet and more in control.

Also, you can't fully know a racquet until you've explored all her nooks and crannies

[el sergento]

Originally Posted by Power Player

You could very well enjoy stringing your racquets..once you get good and have a decent machine, you will be done in 35 minutes. Just fire up the tube (or some vinyl) and do your thing. Actually, the vinyl while stringing idea is pretty amazing. I may have to try that myself..lol.

That's what I do, stringing a racquet takes about as long as an album, so it gives me time to relax and listen to some music.

Other than driving, I find it hard to find the time to listen to a record cover to cover.

[big bang]

Originally Posted by el sergento

At the end of the day, the ball makes contact with the string, not the racquet. As much as you've obsessed over racquets, you'll soon find that stringing can be just as addictive.

There's also something really rewarding about stringing your own, you feel like you're more connected to the racquet and more in control.

Also, you can't fully know a racquet until you've explored all her nooks and crannies

Yes sir!, good post.
I have strung my own frames since I was 11 and would never let anyone string for me. I know my sticks are exactly as I like when I step on court and it gives me a small boost of confidence. The day before an important match I allways string 3-4 frames and for some reason I take my time double checking everything when stringing, these days I use around 35-40 mins on a single stringjob, normally I use around 20 min if Im not in a hurry. It has become some kind of ritual for me - new strings and new tourna grip XL, then I know everything is perfect and I can go to bed knowing that Im ready for tomorrow!.
I love doing a good job and I enjoy stringing for ppl who is interested in strings and know what the like and dont like. Its great when ppl appreciate a good stringjob, but when ppl just say "just give me some kind of cheap strings" and dont even know what tension they like, then its a bit annoying at times.
But I think Ross could end up being a string addict. Today we got so many good strings to choose between, it was much easier 20 years ago.

[Fed Kennedy]

serge...what are your thoughts on blx tour 90, k90, etc...frames of this ilk...

[klementine79]

Excellent post el.... you make me want to invest in a dropweight... and probably will do so as soon as I get back to the states.

Back to multis in my prestiges... used bbace @ 40 for some time now... but now I'm enjoying the crack of multis in the upper 50's

[retlod]

Originally Posted by Power Player

Even with that against me, I still love it now. It saves me money..lots of money. Also allows me to not have to wait on a stringer. I dont have to plan out when to drop off and pick up racquets anymore. Can tinker with whatever string setups I want, and then just cut the string out if I hate it..no big deal.

Stringing myself hasn't saved me any money. In fact, it's made me spend *more* money on strings because instead of waiting for a job to break or become totally unplayable like I used to, now I restring whenever I feel like it or when I start seeing any slight drop in a stringbed's performance. On the other hand, I've tested out about four years of strings in just 12 months, so I'm a lot more familiar with what's out there. If I had done all the same experimenting at $10-15 labor per stringjob at the local shop, yeah, the machine has almost paid for itself.

I screwed up a weave on the first racquet I strung and didn't catch it. Since then, I rarely make a mistake that can't be fixed. I've watched all of YULitle's YouTube videos and they've helped me a ton. I've never needed to look up a frame's pattern and routinely use box and ATW patterns. I'm by no means an expert, but I can crank out a frame in about an hour from the time I arrive at my work station to the time I put the frame back in the bag. I don't think you'd have any trouble picking it up.

[esgee48]

TW has consolidated the various threads for starting stringer 'wannabees.' If you play a lot of tennis or tinker with equipment a lot, then a stringing machine is almost a must have, unless you have money to burn.

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=349814

[PED]

Originally Posted by Fed Kennedy

not the real match, I am going through a kung-fu training montage with the 88, I am a shadow on a bamboo screen. I have to kill bill, but I have to kill some other people first...

This is another classic

If you keep up with quotes like these, you're going to end up with a tribute thread like Joel D.

thanks for the reply on the Hyperion, I might give it a shot. I like the sound that that rubbery action.

[PED]

Originally Posted by el sergento

Well, only ever tried BB original and Rough I think. At the same tension as CF, the Lux felt boardier.

When you said lux, I automatically assumed ALU. I used to use BBO and I can def see where you're coming from....especially on the BBO rough: that stuff sucked.

[el sergento]

Originally Posted by big bang

I love doing a good job and I enjoy stringing for ppl who is interested in strings and know what the like and dont like. Its great when ppl appreciate a good stringjob, but when ppl just say "just give me some kind of cheap strings" and dont even know what tension they like, then its a bit annoying at times.

I really enjoy doing a good job also, nothing like a smooth string job where everything goes well and you're left with just the minimum amount of string necessary to reach the tension head.

Originally Posted by big bang

But I think Ross could end up being a string addict.

What give you that impression

Originally Posted by big bang

Today we got so many good strings to choose between, it was much easier 20 years ago.

Agreed, there are so many options that it's hard to just focus on the game. There's all these what if's that creep in when you're not having you best day on the court: am I using the right string, is the the best tension for me, should I hybrid, go full poly, is this poly dead etc.......

I don't break poly, so I miss the days of just snapping a string. There was no mystery or intrigue about the playability of the string, it was either good, or it was broken.

[el sergento]

Originally Posted by Fed Kennedy

serge...what are your thoughts on blx tour 90, k90, etc...frames of this ilk...

I've actually never tried any. Here's my playing history : PS 85, PS 95, nCode 6.1 95, K 6.1 95 and then I moved on to Head.

I disliked the K6.1 95's so much that I never gave the K90 a chance. I felt like the K6.1 was so much more demanding than my beloved ncodes and the feel was so different.

Today though, based on my time with the 88, I feel like I would really dig the 90's.

[el sergento]

Originally Posted by esgee48

TW has consolidated the various threads for starting stringer 'wannabees.' If you play a lot of tennis or tinker with equipment a lot, then a stringing machine is almost a must have, unless you have money to burn.

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=349814

Yesssir, that there thread is our encyclopedia............all our sacred teachings are kept there, for all of the ages.

[ryushen21]

I am weak. I have given in to temptation. I just made a trade deal for a Donnay X-black 94 and am working on another for an i.Prestige Mid. I've been lusting after both of these frames for a while and it looks like some pretty good deals are working out.

Full reviews will come as soon as I get the frames in my hands. It can be guaranteed that both will be strung with full poly around 50 lbs.

[Fed Kennedy]

Originally Posted by PED

This is another classic

If you keep up with quotes like these, you're going to end up with a tribute thread like Joel D.

thanks for the reply on the Hyperion, I might give it a shot. I like the sound that that rubbery action.

I am Stan compared to JoelrogerDali, he is Wilt Chamberlain, I am Robert Horry.