My first big Opps!

[Maui19]

I guess it was bound to happen. I'm a relatively new stringer (about a year, I guess) and thus far have avoided any big mistakes. In fact, I haven't even had a misweave yet. The worst that has happened was getting a slightly softer SBS than desired due to not checking my flying clamps enough during stringing.

Well that has all changed. One morning a couple weeks ago I got up, put on some coffee and went about stringing one of my frames. I was finishing up my mains, and noticed there was something funny about the tie-off holes. I checked my other racquet and it was somehow different but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. The tie-off hole wasn't where it was supposed to be. Did I string too many mains? Nope. Then I noticed I had mounted the racquet wrong--the top was one set of grommets off center. D'oh! Of course, I was stringing gut. Double d'oh!! Well at least I hadn't tied off the second main.

So I undid the whole thing and strung 'er up again, knowing I was abusing the gut pretty good by stringing it twice.

That was 3 weeks ago, and the job turned out just fine--in fact it lasted longer than usual!

Two lessons to be learned: always pay attention to every detail, and never string first thing in the morning (especially saturday morning!).

[coachrick]

Ah, yes; we live and learn . Glad the string job worked out for you. That late-night or early morning stringing does require a bit more attention to detail for most of us.

After seriously 'pre-stretching' your mains, many of us would have taken a shot at using a lower tension on those strings that had been previously installed. I doubt we could come up with an accurate number; but some lessening of the tension would be indicated with a string that had been stretched that much.

IMO, mistakes that are caught and corrected before the string job is finished warrant fewer 'lashes' as punishment . It's a bit like double-faulting once or twice in a game but still holding serve.

[bcart1991]

That's nothing. I've strung frames where the Little Red Dot was actually painted in the wrong place, and lining it up according to the dot put me off-center. Took stringing the mains twice before I figured out what was wrong.

[dancraig]

Originally Posted by bcart1991

That's nothing. I've strung frames where the Little Red Dot was actually painted in the wrong place, and lining it up according to the dot put me off-center. Took stringing the mains twice before I figured out what was wrong.

I saw a video of racquets being made in the factory. There was a man painting each little center dot with a tiny brush.

Making the mistake of starting off center is easy to do when there is no dot.

[jjs891]

Originally Posted by bcart1991

That's nothing. I've strung frames where the Little Red Dot was actually painted in the wrong place, and lining it up according to the dot put me off-center. Took stringing the mains twice before I figured out what was wrong.

I wonder if it was a factory error or someone else put it there by mistake??

That would take me a long time to figure out what went wrong.

[Maui19]

Originally Posted by dancraig

I saw a video of racquets being made in the factory. There was a man painting each little center dot with a tiny brush.

Making the mistake of starting off center is easy to do when there is no dot.

I would love to tell you there was no dot, or that the dot was in the wrong place, but...



(oh crap I even spelled oops wrong!)

[Steve Huff]

When you do something wrong to your own racket, it's not a mistake. It's an experiment. It's only a mistake if it's someone else's racket.

[Irvin]

Originally Posted by dancraig

I saw a video of racquets being made in the factory. There was a man painting each little center dot with a tiny brush.

Making the mistake of starting off center is easy to do when there is no dot.

I never look for the dot. I center the 6 o'clock support on the racket and turn in the two bottom outside supports. The 12 o'clock support is then centered on the racket.

[GlenK]

I've done the exact same thing with gut.. The good news is that's a mistake you only make once!!!!

[Irvin]

Originally Posted by GlenK

I've done the exact same thing with gut.. The good news is that's a mistake you only make once!!!!

I sure you mean, "The good news is that's a mistake you only want to make once!!!! "