Restringing Crosses

I'm about to cut out the high tension poly crossess from a racquet, due to severe arm pain. The mains are multi, so I'll re-cross it with Gosen OG 17. My question is do I mount the frame, and then cut the crosses, or do I cut the cross, then mount the racquet? And also, any advantage of using Poly in the cross?
 

cellofaan

Semi-Pro
It's not considered good practice to restring only half the racket, but you'll probably know that already.

I'd think mounting the racket first is the safest way. Normally, you mount the racket, string the mains, and the racket will deform because of that, but as it is mounted, the deformation is kept to a minimum. The crosses then sort of even out the stresses.
When cutting the crosses, you return to the state of only having the mains strung, thus the racket will want to deform accordingly. If you mount it after cutting the crosses, you mount a deformed racket, while the purpose of mounting it is to avoid deformation in the first place.

Poliy crosses produce less friction, so the mains slide back in place easier, so less string movement. They also make the stringbed somewhat firmer compared to a full multi setup, but not as much as a poly mains multi crosses setup, since the mains are 'dominant'.
 
If you're going to restring your racquet, you've got to do the whole thing...Cutting out crosses and leaving mains is a big no no, and it's a really bad habit to get into.
 

jim e

Legend
I'm about to cut out the high tension poly crossess from a racquet, due to severe arm pain. The mains are multi, so I'll re-cross it with Gosen OG 17. My question is do I mount the frame, and then cut the crosses, or do I cut the cross, then mount the racquet? And also, any advantage of using Poly in the cross?

Absolutely cut them all out! Re string it all. Not worth the risk.
Check out this link:This horse was beatened to death many times.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=74551
 

Eiffel59

Semi-Pro
Absolutely cut them all out! Re string it all. Not worth the risk.
Check out this link:This horse was beatened to death many times.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=74551

Agreed 100%...NEVER do it, as it actually overstress the frame. And if your frame is not exactly a "fresh" one, the damage is even more severe...i've seen a "colleague" break an old Hammer 6 at PWS height doing so even if pre-emptively warned...
 
Thanks for all of your inputs. I've read throught the old posts, and decided to give it a go. It's a used racquet, and the string job has only 15 minutes hitting max on them. I want to try bc I'll be using VS gut in the mains with syn/multi crosses in the near future. IF this works, it'll be a great way to experiment gut hybrid combo. I will mount the frame first as stated above before cutting the crosses. Will report back if experiment is an epic fail.
 

jim e

Legend
Your racquet to do as you please.
Most of the comments that you would get is not to do it. I figured that was why you posted here to get the proper information. Also if you get away with it as you very well may, it still does not change the facts,it still should not be done! Same as not looking when you cross the street, you may cross without a problem, but sooner or later it will get you.
 

Bud

Bionic Poster
I'm about to cut out the high tension poly crossess from a racquet, due to severe arm pain. The mains are multi, so I'll re-cross it with Gosen OG 17. My question is do I mount the frame, and then cut the crosses, or do I cut the cross, then mount the racquet? And also, any advantage of using Poly in the cross?

Always re-mount the frame prior to cutting out and restringing the crosses.

It's not considered good practice to restring only half the racket, but you'll probably know that already.

I'd think mounting the racket first is the safest way. Normally, you mount the racket, string the mains, and the racket will deform because of that, but as it is mounted, the deformation is kept to a minimum. The crosses then sort of even out the stresses.
When cutting the crosses, you return to the state of only having the mains strung, thus the racket will want to deform accordingly. If you mount it after cutting the crosses, you mount a deformed racket, while the purpose of mounting it is to avoid deformation in the first place.

Poliy crosses produce less friction, so the mains slide back in place easier, so less string movement. They also make the stringbed somewhat firmer compared to a full multi setup, but not as much as a poly mains multi crosses setup, since the mains are 'dominant'.

Great explanation.
 

Bud

Bionic Poster
Thanks for all of your inputs. I've read throught the old posts, and decided to give it a go. It's a used racquet, and the string job has only 15 minutes hitting max on them. I want to try bc I'll be using VS gut in the mains with syn/multi crosses in the near future. IF this works, it'll be a great way to experiment gut hybrid combo. I will mount the frame first as stated above before cutting the crosses. Will report back if experiment is an epic fail.

It will be fine. I've done it many times to my personal racquets and never had an issue.

I restrung the crosses in an APD just last week. The racquet had NG mains and PLII crosses and I felt the crosses were strung too loose (40#). I replaced the crosses with Klip Armour Pro (50#) and the racquet plays much better now.
 
Just finished re-stringing the crosses. Did it as carefully as possible. Mounted the racquet back on nice and tight, cut the bottom cross first, then use the slack to relieve the tension of the second cross. Repeated it all the way to top. Then re-strung as usual. I know this is not recommended, but after weighing opinions of both pros and cons, I feel pretty comfortable doing it. So far, so good, but who knows...
 

fattsoo

Semi-Pro
Just finished re-stringing the crosses. Did it as carefully as possible. Mounted the racquet back on nice and tight, cut the bottom cross first, then use the slack to relieve the tension of the second cross. Repeated it all the way to top. Then re-strung as usual. I know this is not recommended, but after weighing opinions of both pros and cons, I feel pretty comfortable doing it. So far, so good, but who knows...

I don't know :(...seems pretty dangerous to me when u are putting so much stress on the racquet by only leaving the mains. It might do lots damage the damage
 

jim e

Legend
You know once a racquet is strung it looses tension right off the machine. Then you hit with it, even for only a few min. and with time and hitting who knows what the tension is with the mains strings that remain. Then add the extra stress, and wear on those mains by stringing another set of crosses across, along with never being able to consistantly repeat the tension of that job, as ? as to what the main strings are that much later in time, whats the point?? After all consistancy is what most stringers are after, and with this you will never get the same consistant result even if you can do it without damage, since you will never really know what the main string tension really is. It makes no sense to me, especially when you string your own, as you are getting it done for just the string price anyways, I would think that you would want a repeatable string job, done the best as you can especially for yourself. You will go out there and hit with it, groove your strokes to that set up, then later not be able to reproduce it, it just does not make sense!If you do this to your own racquets, what would you do to others?? Makes me wonder! Makes me wonder about Bud as well, if he has done that as many times as he said???
 
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Supracool94

Semi-Pro
I have replaced just the crosses in a racquet, its no big deal as long as you put the racquet in a 6 point mounting system and cut the crosses out in the correct order.
 

jim e

Legend
I have replaced just the crosses in a racquet, its no big deal as long as you put the racquet in a 6 point mounting system and cut the crosses out in the correct order.

Okay fine, but how are you going to determine what the main string tension is at this later time when you restrung the crosses? This is not an accurate consistant stringing, as I said most stringers strive for consistancy, and this is not a consistant situation, since it will never be duplicated.So it can be done, but how much is really gained, being able to groove your strokes to a racquet that you will not be able to reproduce the exact same way again?
 

Supracool94

Semi-Pro
The situation was that I had strung my racquet with VS Gut with LUX BB Rough. The next day I played with the racquet and it killed my elbow. So I replaced the just crosses with TNT 17.

I not sure how much tension the mains lost in those 48hrs, but the racquet felt great the next time I hit with it.

What was gained, was not wasting a half set of VS Gut at over $20 a 1/2 set.

By no means is it the ideal thing to do, but my point is that, it can be done safely without causing damage to the racquet.

Now if a customer asked me to do this to their racquet, I would tell them no, and to get the whole racquet restrung.
 

Bud

Bionic Poster
The situation was that I had strung my racquet with VS Gut with LUX BB Rough. The next day I played with the racquet and it killed my elbow. So I replaced the just crosses with TNT 17.

I not sure how much tension the mains lost in those 48hrs, but the racquet felt great the next time I hit with it.

What was gained, was not wasting a half set of VS Gut at over $20 a 1/2 set.

By no means is it the ideal thing to do, but my point is that, it can be done safely without causing damage to the racquet.

Now if a customer asked me to do this to their racquet, I would tell them no, and to get the whole racquet restrung.

Agreed. I've done it many times for myself and it works great. We all know there's tension loss from the previous cross tension, hitting, etc.

However, I'd do it for a paying customer if they requested it and understood the dynamics at work.
 

Bud

Bionic Poster
I have replaced just the crosses in a racquet, its no big deal as long as you put the racquet in a 6 point mounting system and cut the crosses out in the correct order.

You can do it on any stringing machine... 2 or 6 point mount.
 

Bud

Bionic Poster
Okay fine, but how are you going to determine what the main string tension is at this later time when you restrung the crosses? This is not an accurate consistant stringing, as I said most stringers strive for consistancy, and this is not a consistant situation, since it will never be duplicated.So it can be done, but how much is really gained, being able to groove your strokes to a racquet that you will not be able to reproduce the exact same way again?

The only way to really test it is to take the SBS after the first stringjob... then, before cutting the crosses out of the first stringjob... and then after the second set of crosses are installed.

All strings are different, as far as their inherent stiffness and the fact they all lose their tension at different rates. This is racquet stringing, not brain surgery.
 

jim e

Legend
The only way to really test it is to take the SBS after the first stringjob... then, before cutting the crosses out of the first stringjob... and then after the second set of crosses are installed.

All strings are different, as far as their inherent stiffness and the fact they all lose their tension at different rates. This is racquet stringing, not brain surgery.

You are correct it is not brain surgery, but why add in another variable that would be impossible to really duplicate. After all consistancy is what is strived for, and this just makes the procedure less in that dept. as there are enough variables with stringing to begin with, no reason to add more.Each has their own opinion, personally I would not do it.I am surprised that more are not jumping in here, stating the same, does not really matter as I know it is not standard protocol, and I'm sure quality oriented stringers would not follow this line of stringing.
 

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
I know you can do it on any machine, but I would think a six point would give the greatest amount of support, thus being the safest way to go!

I love my 6 point machine. I will never go back to a two point. BUT, I would really have to say I do not think it would be any safer to do this on a 6 point than a 2 point. I have owned both.

If it were up to me I would not do this on any stringer no matter how many points it had. But if the OP knows what could happen and accepts the consequences he can do whatever he wants.

This is just another polyitis story. Players hear where these new poly strings are so great and they just have to try them. If you guys really feel you have to try poly string ask a big box store to string up a demo for you with poly in it so you can see what it is like before you spend your hard earned money on an expensive hybrid. If they refuse to do it, ask yourself why you think they won't string it with poly.

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Irvin
 

Bud

Bionic Poster
It already is!
Here is the link. Its that this topic still comes up, and some stringers still seem to believe it is an accepted practice, and some just refuse to believe that it is not the standard for the stringing industry and give advise that it is okay to do this.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=74551

Most who are advocating this never stated it was "standard for the stringing industry" nor have we stated it's an "accepted practice". We're giving our opinion based on what we've done with our personal racquets. If someone wants to replace their own crosses go for it. Many of us have done it many times and continue to do so with no apparent repercussions.

Stop making a mountain out of mole hill :oops:
 
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