Can Rackets be broken by the person stringing it?

Mattyace

Mattyace

New User
I gave my Burn 100 racket to my friend who is a fairly inexperienced stringer. My racket is in fairly solid condition with the only damage being only scraped paint marks. When I received my racket I played one game and then I noticed that there was a new crack. There was no crack on my racket before this and there was no visible evidence of internal damage
Could it be because of bad stringing technique? I would like to know so I don't wrongly accuse my friend of breaking my racket.
 
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V

Voriad

Semi-Pro
I don't want to cause trouble for anyone but yes stringers can break racquets, usually if they did not clamp it correctly. I know because I've broken one while stringing. I needed to use a new stringing machine and was unfamiliar with the clamping system.
 
darklore009

darklore009

Hall of Fame
A picture would be nice, as we can identify what type of crack we're talking about. It could range from being a paint crack to literally a crack that runs through the interior of the racket. If you gave that racket to a friend, chances are he might have done something significantly wrong when handling the racket. This could be the mounting procedure as it contributes the wrapping to the frame.
 
Mattyace

Mattyace

New User
33429066_2125514167682876_4991187958607380480_n.jpg
33746626_2125514161016210_1658585776939597824_n.jpg
33073621_2125514117682881_8540578906598539264_n.jpg
33470487_2125514107682882_68484739593404416_n.jpg

These are the pictures
 
V

Voriad

Semi-Pro
I meant mounting as well, not clamping. I meant clamp as in the things that put the racquet in place. Duuude, those are straight up graphite cracks.
 
darklore009

darklore009

Hall of Fame
Either the racket had this issue and went unnoticed until one unfortunate stringier exposed it, or your friend didnt handle the racket properly. The racket is in dangerous condition to be used further than intended.
 
esgee48

esgee48

G.O.A.T.
Based on your image, it looks like a grommet hole collapsed. That could be prior damage or poor technique in mounting the frame onto the stringer. Can't really say which is it unless you are absolutely sure your did not slam the frame into a object near that spot. Was this at 3/9? Burns can take some squashing and not be damaged.
 
C

Chadillac

Guest
Mattyace said:
My racket was in solid condition only a few scraped paint marks.
Click to expand...

Thats an understatement, racket is like 3-10 condition.

You have paint wear at 3oclock, that a very common place for rackets to break from being hit on ground.

It also looks like you had a small crack there and it expanded while it was being strung, you can see the crack bubble from under the pain expanding
 
djNEiGht

djNEiGht

Legend
What kind of stringer was it being mounted to?

I've worked with 2 and 6 point stringers and am not sure if there is one that has a contact point as high as where I assume the crack is (3 o'clock)...

It could have been stressed for some time and then the last sting job was the last straw. If that was the case...the fault of the stringer would be that they did not inspect afterwards.

I had a racquet I was stringing. While mounting I noticed there was a break on the throat. Prior to that...the racquet was hit in a double match by my partner. It was ball at volley height down the middle while I was on the ad court. My partner was also at the net and swung at the ball but with my racquet in front...made solid contact with my racquet.

It appeared to be only a paint chip and was looked at by local shop and even discussed with the sales rep that worked for the same racquet company as fine and playable. This incident was about 1.5 years from racquet strike to racquet break. Racquet was used by me for a bit before I sold it. A friend who bought played with it 4 plus days a week at a 4.0 hard hitting level for about a year. Had probably 12-15 string jobs within his use.
 
kimguroo

kimguroo

Legend
Mattyace said:
My racket was in solid condition only a few scraped paint marks.
Could it be because of bad stringing technique? I would like to know so I don't wrongly accuse my friend of breaking my racket.
Click to expand...
Yes. Stringer can break rackets during stringing.
In my opinion, the racket is not solid condition and Had deep paint scratches from the pics.
I might rate 5/10 condition even less. Unless you sanded the areas because you want to see condition of the racket under the paint, looks like this racket was already damaged before the stringing.
 
G

Guy Jones

Rookie
The racquet might not of been in tip top condition, however I can't see clear evidence that the racquet had a pre existing condition or evidence to not agree that it wasn't previously in solid condition. The frame could have crumpled due to lack of good stringing practice, there may also have been a QC issue unrelated to either yourself or the stringer that finally surfaced during the stringing process. My money's on the frame not being secured properly on the stringing machine though.
 
CopolyX

CopolyX

Hall of Fame
a fairly inexperienced stringer would be bad move number 1....
but it also could other "bad moves".....
 
neverstopplaying

neverstopplaying

Professional
This is exactly how a racquet would break if it had slipped out of the mounting clamps on the stringing machine while the mains were being strung. The tension from the mains would collapse the frame vertically and cause this type of fracture. The risk increases if it happens after many mains have had been tensioned.
 
D

DE19702

Rookie
Mattyace said:
I gave my Burn 100 racket to my friend who is a fairly inexperienced stringer. My racket was in solid condition only a few scraped paint marks. When I received my racket I played a game and then I noticed that there was a new crack.
Could it be because of bad stringing technique? I would like to know so I don't wrongly accuse my friend of breaking my racket.
Click to expand...

It would be impossible for the stringer not to notice that crack. It bent the frame. The fact he gave it back without mentioning it implies a guilty conscience. However, you could have cracked it. Did you play with it before you saw the crack?
 
Zoolander

Zoolander

Hall of Fame
Mattyace said:
I gave my Burn 100 racket to my friend who is a fairly inexperienced stringer. My racket was in solid condition only a few scraped paint marks. When I received my racket I played a game and then I noticed that there was a new crack.
Could it be because of bad stringing technique? I would like to know so I don't wrongly accuse my friend of breaking my racket.
Click to expand...

The fact you played a game with it before you noticed it is telling! You should have noticed a break like that the second you got it back.

Its possible there was a frame weakness which caused a break as soon as you started hitting with it after stringing. I wouldnt wreck a friendship over it since you played with it first before and cant know for sure when it happened. I would say just dont use him again, lesson learned!
 
C

Chadillac

Guest
Guy Jones said:
The racquet might not of been in tip top condition, however I can't see clear evidence that the racquet had a pre existing condition or evidence to not agree that it wasn't previously in solid condition. The frame could have crumpled due to lack of good stringing practice, there may also have been a QC issue unrelated to either yourself or the stringer that finally surfaced during the stringing process. My money's on the frame not being secured properly on the stringing machine though.
Click to expand...

Thats the first thing i look for with other peoples rackets, im not stringing a cracked one because it could be dangerous.

People string on 2pt systems, that part of the racket doesnt get a ton of stress unless your double pulling the cross at a high tension to compensate, much pressure on that hoop.

If the frame wasnt mounted properly it should also be slighty warped, if it made enough impact to crack it, it did other damage as well
 
M

mogo

Semi-Pro
Curious, what was the tension you got it strung @? And can I see a picture of the whole racquet?
Thx
 
rooski

rooski

Professional
Chadillac said:
Thats an understatement, racket is like 3-10 condition.

You have paint wear at 3oclock, that a very common place for rackets to break from being hit on ground.

It also looks like you had a small crack there and it expanded while it was being strung, you can see the crack bubble from under the pain expanding
Click to expand...
^ This..... I thought for sure this was just a troll thread. The racket has clearly been abused.
 
S

Steve Huff

G.O.A.T.
I've seen cracks like that from stringers, but they're usually a little closer to the top. They can happen if a stringer strings the crosses from the bottom up, and the Burn's mains end at the bottom, so it could have happened. It would help if you had a picture of the entire racket head. That way, I could see which end the crosses were started. Even if it was caused by the stringer, the racket was pretty beat up. If he's a good friend, let it go, have a more experience stringer string your next rackets from now on.
 
Simplicius

Simplicius

Semi-Pro
Imho, this racquet looks to have "issues" before the stringing...
The stringer can brake a racquet, but he can't scratch it all the way long as that...
 
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G

Guy Jones

Rookie
Your racquet just had usual wear and tear, to almost call you a racquet abuser is mental. Those scratches and chips on your racquet are normal to someone that values playing tennis more than posing with a scratch free stick. Calling someone a troll is some sort of modern habit that people go to that as they either have no argument or find it hard to have reasonable debate without their mental anxieties or health issues surfacing and causing them angst.
 
S

stapletonj

Hall of Fame
Ive had a Yonex racket break while hitting before, a few weeks after the string job (from a major Ohio retailer while I was there), but I string kinda tight for a 100 (61 lbs)
There are more than a few scrape marks.... It might have been the stringer, might not.
 
C

Crozzer95

Hall of Fame
I doubt this is due to the stringer, I had a similar issue with a Tecnifibre T-Flash 300, the player brought the racket to me, and like I do with all my frames I take pictures before I string them, clean the frames, string them, and then take pictures afterwards, he then came to me the next week showing me a very similar crack and that the frame had closed in on itself, tried to blame me for it but of course, I showed him my proof of the frame and that there were no cracks visible on the pictures.
 
Simplicius

Simplicius

Semi-Pro
Guy Jones said:
Your racquet just had usual wear and tear, to almost call you a racquet abuser is mental. Those scratches and chips on your racquet are normal to someone that values playing tennis more than posing with a scratch free stick. Calling someone a troll is some sort of modern habit that people go to that as they either have no argument or find it hard to have reasonable debate without their mental anxieties or health issues surfacing and causing them angst.
Click to expand...


maxresdefault.jpg


THAT'S THE QUESTION !!!
 
rooski

rooski

Professional
Guy Jones said:
Your racquet just had usual wear and tear, to almost call you a racquet abuser is mental. Those scratches and chips on your racquet are normal to someone that values playing tennis more than posing with a scratch free stick. Calling someone a troll is some sort of modern habit that people go to that as they either have no argument or find it hard to have reasonable debate without their mental anxieties or health issues surfacing and causing them angst.
Click to expand...

LOL...I'm physically laughing at your post as I type this. If this is not a funny troll post then so be it. Clearly this is a sensitive area for you since it wasn't even your thread. Every reply has pretty much agreed that the OP's racket appears to have been beaten up prior to the collapse on the stringer. Apparently it's not "mental" to say so. Since you are taking this thread so seriously I'll at least try to humor you with a response. I've played competitive tennis for 30+ years and seen hundreds of rackets played by some of the best amateurs in the country. None of them look like this racket unless they were slammed or thrown forcefully into a fence or on the ground on a fairly regular basis. Or maybe thrown into a gravel pit. Scrapes down to bare graphite when stretching to get a shot are one thing but deep impact chips like this are another. If that's what you call normal for someone that values playing tennis...Alrighty then. Oh, and by the way...you might want to check the definition of a troll thread (which frankly maybe the OP wasn't intending but that's how it came off). As I said above, I would actually put this thread into the "funny troll" category, which can be entertaining. Here' s another one from a person that apparently values playing tennis more than looking like a poser with a damage free racket LOL...

"Damn, I'm going to write a letter to Head and demand my money back. This racket is just too fragile. I thought graphite was strong. They have to refund my money...right? I mean...I'm just a normal guy that values playing tennis..."
2h54tis.jpg
 
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Doubles

Doubles

Legend
How are you guys giving this any kind of rating out of 10 when it’s literally broken? Sorry OP, either your stringer sucks or you somehow didn’t notice you’d been cracking your racquet digging out low balls (or throwing it). Either way, time for a new stick.
 
T

TennisCJC

Legend
If you're rackets are over a year old and had significant scuffs along the outer area of the head, then it might not be the stringer. But, it could also be the stringer.

My advice is if the rackets are over a year old and you have used them a lot, just get new rackets and don't sue the stringer again. If the racket were in very good condition, then you might want to bring it up with the stringer.

I've been stringing 11 years. I had a friends racket break after I strung it. it cracked in the 1st match after stringing. but, the frame was 2 years old and had scrapes that were well into the graphite around the head. I wouldn't have accepted responsibility for the cracks and my friend didn't ask me too.
 
B

Bogdan_TT

Hall of Fame
Mattyace said:
33746626_2125514161016210_1658585776939597824_n.jpg

These are the pictures
Click to expand...

This racquet has seen repeated abuse on this side. The main crack has clear hit marks on it, but there's lots of other hit marks all over the place. The whole side is damaged.
This is not the stringer's fault. The racquet was already damaged and it is possible for a fresh string job to uncover/accentuate cracks in the racquet.
Just buy a new one and please stop bashing it on the ground/net/fence/bag/other people. Also, store it properly. The "fairly solid condition" statement made me chuckle. Looks like you want to put the blame on your stringer friend. Just don't.
Have fun!
 
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