String Pattern Question on Rackets

[routine125]

What is the difference in playability/durability (if any) on racquets that have a 16 x 18 pattern vs. 16 x 19 pattern?

[moosryan]

16x18 will have more spin and be less durable due to the fact that its more open,

[thejackal]

True, but you break mains most of the time anyway. So basically a bit more control depending on how the crosses and organized.

[Deuce]

Patterns with less strings (i.e. 16x1 are not always more open than patterns with more strings (i.e. 18x20). There are times where the opposite can be true. Sometimes a 16x18 pattern can have its strings more concentrated in the center than some 18x20 patterns. It all depends on how and where the string holes are drilled on a particular frame.

[moosryan]

that's the problem with string patterns, sometimes an 18x20 can be really open, sometimes really dense

[jun]

I havn't really seen a racket where 18*20 has more open string pattern than say 16*19.

Some people beg to differ, but I feel that open string pattern gives you more spin than closed string pattern. It's the first thing I notice when I use more open string pattern. ( I am using 18*20 now).

The poster might be talking specifically about 16 x 18 versus 16 x 19. I've wondered about this one, too. Those two patterns seem to be used pretty interchangeably. A 16 x 18 can be found on rackets that are 85, 90, 93, 95 in², etc. I've seen a 16 x 19 on 90 and 95 in², and a lot of other rackets. Then there's 16 x 20, which tends to be on larger heads, like 100 in², or elongated headshapes like those of Stich's old Fischer rackets. So I'd guess while there's a huge playing difference between number of mains (16 versus 1, the number of crosses is usually just dependant on the headsize (generally, the bigger the head (or the larger the mains' dimensions relative to that of the crosses), the more crosses that are needed). You can have a 16 x 19 in a 90 in² that is pretty open in the center (Federer), while the same pattern can also be more dense in the center and more open as you go outward (retail nCode Tour). I'd guess Federer needs 19 crosses because since his string spacing is close to that of the 6.0 85 (16 x 1, his head is now bigger, so one more cross needs to be inserted at the bottom. Sure that's a different pattern (going by number of strings) than Fed used to, but I think the 19th cross might be needed to keep the stringbed repsonse the same around the bottom. So in the end, it's more like that of the 16 x 18 in the 6.0 85. That's my caveman's explanation anyway.