Newbie stringing nightmare

I've only been stringing for 2 months.

I'm on my 10th frame.

Strung my mates Wilson Blade 98 18x20 today.

With 1.25 Pros Pro Cyber power at 57lbs.

It was an absolute nightmare.

Don't know how he's going to play with it - bed felt like concrete.

Do all stringers find 18x20 full poly jobs a bit harder or is it just beginners?

Cheers, Paul

Its stiffer than a 16 main racket. What string and tension did you use?

Irvin said:

Its stiffer than a 16 main racket. What string and tension did you use?

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Hi Irvin.

1.25 Pros Pro Cyber Power at 57lbs

A 98 inch racquet head with 18*20 pattern, strung with poly, will usually get a tension between 18-22 kilos from me, whatever the customer prefers.

Polotechnics said:

I've only been stringing for 2 months.

I'm on my 10th frame.

Strung my mates Wilson Blade 98 18x20 today.

With 1.25 Pros Pro Cyber power at 57lbs.

It was an absolute nightmare.

Don't know how he's going to play with it - bed felt like concrete.

Do all stringers find 18x20 full poly jobs a bit harder or is it just beginners?

Cheers, Paul

Click to expand...

57 on a 18x20/98 is pretty stiff.. and tough to string, but, be thank full your not swinging it.

Polotechnics said:

Do all stringers find 18x20 full poly jobs a bit harder or is it just beginners?

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Yes, anytime you have a more closed pattern it is harder than an open pattern, and anytime you have full poly it is harder than not using full poly. As you get more experienced, it won't make as much of a difference to you and it will really just become a slight nuisance instead of a complete pain in the butt, but they will always be more difficult.

Your client does not know his game very well. Asking for 57# in a 98 18x20 is not going to be comfortable at all. Maybe it will loosen up, but it will take several hours. Normal full poly tension used by my clients is 44-50#.

As for 18x20, you learn to weave the 1st 9 mains going down towards the throat and come back up when doing the last 9 mains. This allows you to push/pull weave without too much difficulty. Make sure you have enough slack in the string to do this. I typically use 2-3", then pull more slack as I run out.

My advice if stringing for friends, avoid making recommendations. Sometimes they go well, but not very often. Make the people you string for tell you what they want and invest in label printer so that you can add a stringing label to each racquet you string to track and communicate the details.

esgee48 said:

Your client does not know his game very well. Asking for 57# in a 98 18x20 is not going to be comfortable at all. Maybe it will loosen up, but it will take several hours. Normal full poly tension used by my clients is 44-50#.

As for 18x20, you learn to weave the 1st 9 mains going down towards the throat and come back up when doing the last 9 mains. This allows you to push/pull weave without too much difficulty. Make sure you have enough slack in the string to do this. I typically use 2-3", then pull more slack as I run out.

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Lol, before I knew better I was using Luxilon Savage at 60 pounds, yet somehow I didn't have arm problems. None of my coaches new any better either apparently. I definitely won't be doing anything like that ever again, as lately I'm using a softer stick down at 48 pounds. But if you don't know any better, extreme string setups will work, as that's what I was using when I made my college team.

Polotechnics said:

Hi Irvin.

1.25 Pros Pro Cyber Power at 57lbs

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That would make for a stiff stringbed because you are using poly and the 18x20 pattern. Not way out of line for some players. If though you are accustomed to a 98 si frame with a 16x19 pattern using soft strings at 58 lbs it will be a big jump.

marsh said:

My advice if stringing for friends, avoid making recommendations. Sometimes they go well, but not very often. Make the people you string for tell you what they want and invest in label printer so that you can add a stringing label to each racquet you string to track and communicate the details.

Click to expand...

Agree here,,
after several years, and countless disputes like these, im getting to that point where I rather have them buy the string; less headaches that way..

1HBHfanatic said:

Agree here,,
after several years, and countless disputes like these, im getting to that point where I rather have them buy the string; less headaches that way..

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Great idea. Let's say someone brings you a set of VS Natural Gut and you mess up stringing it and have to restring the racket. Do you buy another set of gut for them?

1HBHfanatic said:

Agree here,,
after several years, and countless disputes like these, im getting to that point where I rather have them buy the string; less headaches that way..

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I rather players do not supply the string, as I have no idea how well it was stored. I had one player open his car trunk, had a bag in there with old string where the packaging was cracking, strings were all brittle. I strung up a couple racquets with that for him, and explained to him no guarantees as strings brittle, he understood, and shortly later complained one racquet string broke early. Then came back and wanted me to string more with that bag of junk old strings. I told him to find another stringer, as he did not want any other option.
If I supply string, I know how it was kept, as I do not want to waste my time with problem strings.
If anyone does supply me strings, they get my policy on no guarantees, as stringers should have a policy as such.

Also like Irvin comment above. I had a player supply me a set of VS gut to stringand fortunately I check gut out before I even use it and found a defect in the string about 3-4 feet from an end. I returned the string with his unstrung racquet, and told him to deal with it returning it to where he bought it as was not my responsibility. Nerdless to say he was pissed, but such is life.
With gut strings I clamp one end on machine clamp and walk back the string with fingers checking to see if string okay. Glad I do that as that was only time I spotted a defect on a set of VS, and was glad I noticed that before I started.

Irvin said:

Great idea. Let's say someone brings you a set of VS Natural Gut and you mess up stringing it and have to restring the racket. Do you buy another set of gut for them?

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I can't tell if you're being scarcastic , but In the end, whether it's your strings or their strings, I don't think it really matters, Your going to have to bite the bullit on it. Of course, you can always explain to your customer, that you have no obligation if your customer supplies the string... I tend to charge more for people who supply their own string.. just for that type of insurance.. luckily, I have never had to purchase a 2nd set from screwing up.

Irvin said:

Great idea. Let's say someone brings you a set of VS Natural Gut and you mess up stringing it and have to restring the racket. Do you buy another set of gut for them?

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Guees every situation would be different, but that is something I would be careful with,, you know, check the package out, make sure its not old gut their giving me
but yes, if "I", carelessly break the string, ill eat the cost..

@Irvin, @jim e
Both make good points, but the issue I had is ppl looking at me funny after they hit a bad shot with the strings I suggested and strung their rakets with,,

I play with the same strings, and I always suggest strings from personal experience
but ppl being ppl always wanna blame someone else for their bad shots,,
But when I string their rakets with their string,, it changes things,,

@jim e
yeah, know what you mean,, string long enough and youll see all kinds of string storage "nightmares",,
but as you mentioned, have a policy in place before you take on the work
Experience has thought me to check raket and strings throughly before starting

I returned a raket unstrung, because I broke 3 sets of strings from a reel (string was dry and brittle, would break on mains after a few pulls); I got a sense from the client that he could not string himself because of the same issue, he didnt say it, but I sense he knew what I was referring to,,