Broke 2 sets of strings in a week

Traffic

Hall of Fame
First of all, I am NOT a string breaker. I typically cut my strings out due to age vs because it broke.

Stick 1 had gut/poly and I broke it during warm-ups last Saturday. hit the corner of the racquet and it broke right at the main tie-off. Had about 2hrs of play on it.

Stick 2 (Velocity/Cream) broke tonight during warm-ups. Trying out my new "loose grip" FH technique and hit it on the corner again. Broke the #1 cross. Sure it was the starting tie-off string, but it broke not at the tie-off. Strings probably had about 12hrs on it.

Somehow I thought enough to pull my son's old racquet out of the closet and tossed it in my bag as an emergency backup. PS97LS strung with HyperG 18 @ 49#. Not sure how many hours of play. Probably very little. But sat around for at least 5mos. (It's 11.2 oz strung weighted vs my 11.6 oz of my V1P)

I couldn't hit a groundstroke consistently. Ugh, way different launch angle. Either it sailed long or into the net. But Kicker serves were kicking about ear high. I played horribly. But held all my service games. Worst of all, my wrist is in pain when I wash my face or squeeze a bottle. Elbow is a bit sore too. I threw my forearm brace on when I reached for the PS97LS knowing I was in for a rough night.

I don't know where I am going with this. But I can't believe my game has changed so much from a spin only groundstroke to flats and moderate paced shots that when I had to go for broke on every shot, I just couldn't do it.

I now have 2 of my racquets, 1 of sonny boy (one of his racquets has dead strings), my sister's O3 White, and now this emergency backup (going full bed Velocity) to string up in the next few days. USTA tournament coming up this weekend too. I need a practice day to get my strokes back on my V1P...

Ok, end rant...
 
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Deleted member 756272

Guest
@Traffic dang man, that happens sometimes with those way of center hits. Better get stringing! And good luck on your tourney!
 

Traffic

Hall of Fame
@Traffic dang man, that happens sometimes with those way of center hits. Better get stringing! And good luck on your tourney!
Thanks. I can now say I broke poly. ;):cool:

It was late. Not tournament. Just a match. Last one. I think we are mathematically out of the post season hunt.

Will string up V/C stick #2 first. My gut should arrive today, so I can string L/C stick #1 next to have in time for some practice tomorrow. Then string son and sister's racquets over the weekend.
 
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esgee48

G.O.A.T.
You need at least 3 or 4 frames or at least matched frames when there is a season. Try to restring at least one frame weekly. I carry 4 frames at all times when I play. 6 if needed. Most I ever broke was 2 during a match. But it could have been 3 if the match was longer. The week after, I restrung all three.
 
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Deleted member 756272

Guest
You need at least 3 or 4 frames or at least matched frames when there is a season. Try to restring at least one frame weekly. I carry 4 frames at all times when I play. 6 if needed. Most I ever broke was 2 during a match. But it could have been 3 if the match was longer. The week after, I restrung all three.
Agreed! When I was playing competitively, I had 2 n90s and a PST 90 in my bag. Out of superstition, I kept the Yonex RD-7 in my bag but never had to take it out
 
What kind of knot are you using in the first cross? I didn't know any better and used to use your normal tie-off knot on the 1st cross, and a feed would break the top corner.

Look up starting knot, it'll save you a lot of gut.
 

Traffic

Hall of Fame
What kind of knot are you using in the first cross? I didn't know any better and used to use your normal tie-off knot on the 1st cross, and a feed would break the top corner.

Look up starting knot, it'll save you a lot of gut.
I use a starting clamp. After the 3rd cross pull, I come back to the first cross and pull tension and use a tie-off knot. Then I continue on with my 4th cross.
 
I use a starting clamp. After the 3rd cross pull, I come back to the first cross and pull tension and use a tie-off knot. Then I continue on with my 4th cross.

DO NOT use a tie-off knot on your first cross. It literally pinches the underlying gut main. And we all know what happens to gut if it's kinked/pinched/bent/otherwise not straight.

Use a starting knot for the first cross. Go look up how to execute it. It's basically a double loop with minimal pinching on the main.
 

Traffic

Hall of Fame
Agreed! When I was playing competitively, I had 2 n90s and a PST 90 in my bag. Out of superstition, I kept the Yonex RD-7 in my bag but never had to take it out
I figure as a non-string breaker, 2 racquets was sufficient. And normally if I break a string on Saturday, I would have re-strung it that evening or on Sunday. But I didn't have any more gut in inventory and so had to wait for it to come in. Then I broke string on "back-up" racquet.

You need at least 3 or 4 frames or at least matched frames when there is a season. Try to restring at least one frame weekly. I carry 4 frames at all times when I play. 6 if needed. Most I ever broke was 2 during a match. But it could have been 3 if the match was longer. The week after, I restrung all three.
I'm going to have to get a couple V-sense V1Pros so I can have 4 racquets.

"Honey, yes, I need two more racquets. Look what happened when I only carried 2. Plus I need a new racquet bag since my backpack only fits 2" :D
 

Traffic

Hall of Fame
DO NOT use a tie-off knot on your first cross. It literally pinches the underlying gut main. And we all know what happens to gut if it's kinked/pinched/bent/otherwise not straight.

Use a starting knot for the first cross. Go look up how to execute it. It's basically a double loop with minimal pinching on the main.
On my racquet, I tie-off the "start" knot onto a cross. No poly on gut knot.
 
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Deleted member 756272

Guest
Honestly though, even with the starting knot, or whatever method you use, the top corners will always be prone to breakage. Because of the location and how the strings have to bend towards the corner of the frame.

I still break one in the corner once in a blue moon.
YES! TRUTH! Sometimes it just happens.

Side note - @Traffic, how do prestretch your natural gut at home?

My wallet is going to hate me, but I'm researching poly hybrids and planning to spend this year testing multi/synth gut and poly hybrids. Basically I'm trying to cram a decade of string knowledge asap b/c I haven't played in 10 years.
 

letstakeourshirtsoff

Professional
YES! TRUTH! Sometimes it just happens.

Side note - @Traffic, how do prestretch your natural gut at home?

My wallet is going to hate me, but I'm researching poly hybrids and planning to spend this year testing multi/synth gut and poly hybrids. Basically I'm trying to cram a decade of string knowledge asap b/c I haven't played in 10 years.

I recommend using slick multis for these hybrids; your wallet will not hate you as much this way.
 
YES! TRUTH! Sometimes it just happens.

Side note - @Traffic, how do prestretch your natural gut at home?

My wallet is going to hate me, but I'm researching poly hybrids and planning to spend this year testing multi/synth gut and poly hybrids. Basically I'm trying to cram a decade of string knowledge asap b/c I haven't played in 10 years.

Find the most sturdy doorknob in the house, or a pole, and pull until the coil memory is gone. Done.
 

jim e

Legend
For your nat. gut strings try and use a lubricant on the grommet holes before you string racquet. I use a lube called tri flow, along with a very small microfiber brush , as I place 1 small drop on the brush and use that to lube the grommet holes top and bottom where most prone to snapping.It doesn't take much and it does lessen the incidence of early snapping of nat, gut at the frame on mishits. Only downside is that you need to take a little time to clean all your clamps when done. I string a lot of nat. gut and I now do this on all gut string jobs for past couple years, and it does lessen greatly any early snapping of the string.

Nat. gut is more prone to snapping at a grommet when you mishit and that's the nature of the beast, and this will help.
 

Traffic

Hall of Fame
YES! TRUTH! Sometimes it just happens.

Side note - @Traffic, how do pre-stretch your natural gut at home?

My wallet is going to hate me, but I'm researching poly hybrids and planning to spend this year testing multi/synth gut and poly hybrids. Basically I'm trying to cram a decade of string knowledge asap b/c I haven't played in 10 years.
I take my half set and wrap it around the bottom staircase support (it's wooden with a natural smooth indentation. Then I hold the ends with my starting clamp and then lean back on hold for 10sec. Then I repeat. That's enough to get the coil memory out of the gut.

I would echo @letstakeourshirtsoff recommendation to try hybriding with multi first.

It took me a while to dial in what aspects of the strings I am looking for. And what I eventually ended up with is different that what I initially set out to obtain. Plus some changes of direction in the middle as my game started to improve.
 

Traffic

Hall of Fame
Ok, V1P#2 strung with V/C again. As I was finishing up, UPS delivered my gut. L/C just finished. I'm back to 2 whole racquets now.

I'm thinking I have time to let strings age in the frame for a day. No need for post stretching...
 

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
I know, not enough right....
Please note we have a lot of power failures, crapy weather this time of here in new England, so safety first...
( our club has a generator - so you know where I will be)

I would need a bag on wheels or wouldn't get past the parking lot without injury. :p
 

1HBHfanatic

Legend
@CopolyX
I know what you mean,,
sooo many strings/rakets to try,,, sooo little time to try them all :D

I remember taking 7 or 8 rakets a few times,, to try diff stuff
i dont think i finished trying them all that day,, 2hr hitting session Or so,,,
it was fun to try diff stuff,,,, but too much is sometimes too much... thats hard for me to admit..
 
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