Strings Set up for Juniors 12-14 years old

tacoben · Nov 17, 2011

I am going to have my daughter's racquets restrung and am seeking advice on string set up for 12-14 year old girls. Previously, she tried a full bed of luxilons but it gave her elbow problems. Recently, we tried a hybrid of RPM blast with Prince Synthetic gut at 58 lbs. She was happy with this setup and got good results, however, the PSG was prone to breakage. She practices about 4-5 times a week and plays at least one tournaments per month. I am looking at a full bed of RPM blast but lowered to 54 lbs, on the recommendation of another parent. Any thoughts on this set up? Parents and junior players, please chime in with your set up, for comparison purposes. Thanks!

BMC9670 · Nov 17, 2011

Have a look at Head RIP Control. It's a rather soft multi that plays more like a poly than a synth gut - lower powered, good access to spin, and I find it more durable than synth guts. Also holds tension well and it's cheap if she breaks strings a lot.

My son is a big 9 year old and does group clinics with older kids of 12-14. Some of them used RPM when it became popular and some developed elbow issues, although could be technique related. My son wanted "those cool black strings", so I strung him up some black RIP control at 50lbs and he likes it.

BigT · Nov 17, 2011

I would avoid poly unless you restring at least every 2 weeks.

klu375 · Nov 17, 2011

tacoben said:
I am going to have my daughter's racquets restrung and am seeking advice on string set up for 12-14 year old girls. Previously, she tried a full bed of luxilons but it gave her elbow problems. Recently, we tried a hybrid of RPM blast with Prince Synthetic gut at 58 lbs. She was happy with this setup and got good results, however, the PSG was prone to breakage. She practices about 4-5 times a week and plays at least one tournaments per month. I am looking at a full bed of RPM blast but lowered to 54 lbs, on the recommendation of another parent. Any thoughts on this set up? Parents and junior players, please chime in with your set up, for comparison purposes. Thanks!

When my daughter was 12 she used multi. When she was 14 she used MSV Focus Hex 1.23/Forten Sweet 16 gut at 51/53 on 95" racket. Cost < $5 per stringing. After 15 - full co-poly. Advice (I am cheap):
1. Buy a stringer and string yourself
2. Use cheapest hybrid
3. Use a tool to measure tension loss.
4. Find tension threshold when strings become unplayable. Find out how many hours racket is still playable.
5. Restring when strings break or threshold reached
6. Want brand-name strings - get sponsored.

Actually I saw what **** installed for a 12 yo. girl on a 95" racket. RPM17/Excel 17 at 52/54lb. Do not want to mention price but this is a cash cow setup.

katematt · Nov 18, 2011

multi

Daughter is now 15 and plays a ton.

I string with MSV hex and prince SG. Also use HEad sonic pro when out of MSV. She can't tell the difference. She's got a big swing and has gone through a full bed of SG in about 4 hours.

MSV mains at 56 and the SG crosses at 59. She loves it and I usually cut it out after about 15 hours.

I too have heard the full bed of RPM blast at 54 but haven't tried it yet.

flat · Nov 18, 2011

I asked the same questions a year ago and got this from PT_360. My son has been using this setup ever since. He liked it a lot more than the full RPM setup.

One issue my son had with the RPM...it is brittle. It actually snaps at the grommet, in cold weather, if you take a big swing and have a mishit. We had at least 3 (fairly new RPM strings) breakages that way. Kind of expensive at $16 a pop.

==Original post from PT_360 ===========
as klu said try hybrid, it is cheaper and softer, maybe not 18g mains which might snap as well if you are snapping 17g poly mains in a week
I would recommend solinco mains Rev 17g at 52 with gosen 17g cross 54lbs, that will be $7.50 per set up

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Sol...ww.tennis-warehouse.com/Gose...SEN-OGS17.html

Originally Posted by BSPE84
I have basically the same set up but with Solinco Tour Bite and Gosen 53/55. Do you know how Rev and TB compare? Thanks.

Rev is crisper than TB, from what I experienced, TB is softer, i thought Rev had more bit than TB for some strange reason , and I liked it better, both had Gosen cross ,

MattPrevidi · Nov 19, 2011

You can use fully poly with your daughter, however people need to understand the top 3 components of a junior stringjob - Type of string, gauge, and tension.

Your daughter SHOULD be using full poly as no other string will allow her to produce as much spin. This is paramount.

Many people do not understand the proper way to make adjustments when stringing poly for juniors. The next most important detail is the gauge (thickness). Unless your daughter breaks strings every day and hits as hard as a college player, she should stick to 17 or 18g poly (the thinner the better as thinner produces more spin). This means the string is inherently less stiff, allowing her arm to receive less shock upon striking the ball.

The third detail us tension, which often gets overlooked. Poly is a naturally stiff substance, so make sure to string significantly looser. Ideally we're looking for something in the 40's. This will mean your daughters strokes fly farther, which means she has to (gets to) put more spin on the ball, all while saving her arm.

If you have any more questions, feel free to email me at mprevidi @ gmail.com . I am the head stringer for the Solinco stringing team and string numerous national tournaments for juniors every year. It's time to start dispelling the myths that poly is bad......it's all in how you string it!!

tennis5 · Nov 19, 2011

My son used full poly.

Problem is the strings die fast. Really fast.

Then, he is playing with what he calls dead string and his arm hurts.

Switch to a hybrid, but there is an adjustment period to get use to it.

He switched and then played a tournament immediately after, well, I wouldn't recommend that to anyone.

Let them have over a week to adjust to the hybrid.

seminoleG · Nov 27, 2011

MattPrevidi said:
You can use fully poly with your daughter, however people need to understand the top 3 components of a junior stringjob - Type of string, gauge, and tension.

Your daughter SHOULD be using full poly as no other string will allow her to produce as much spin. This is paramount.

Many people do not understand the proper way to make adjustments when stringing poly for juniors. The next most important detail is the gauge (thickness). Unless your daughter breaks strings every day and hits as hard as a college player, she should stick to 17 or 18g poly (the thinner the better as thinner produces more spin). This means the string is inherently less stiff, allowing her arm to receive less shock upon striking the ball.

The third detail us tension, which often gets overlooked. Poly is a naturally stiff substance, so make sure to string significantly looser. Ideally we're looking for something in the 40's. This will mean your daughters strokes fly farther, which means she has to (gets to) put more spin on the ball, all while saving her arm.

If you have any more questions, feel free to email me at mprevidi @ gmail.com . I am the head stringer for the Solinco stringing team and string numerous national tournaments for juniors every year. It's time to start dispelling the myths that poly is bad......it's all in how you string it!!

Right on point. My daughter's been playing 2 years and I took it upon myself to talk to lots of professional stringers and Top junior parents here in Florida.

We use Kirschbaum Pro line II 1.15 18 gauge @ 50#s of tension. She plays for ~month so tension gets close to 48 before we restring.

Good on her arm, she can generate spin and she says it feels better. We tried various setups including one @ 60#s her friend plays with. These 55# plus strings for juniors young juniors is a bit extreme IMHO.

Litespeeds · Nov 28, 2011

My son has been playing since 9 years old and I have been using MSV Focus Hex 1.18 in a full poly string job. He has been fine all the way until I changed over to Kirchbaum Pro Line 2 with 1.25 guage at 56 lbs. Then again, I also switch him over to a different racquet at the same time.

The racquet that he was using and is currently using is the Babolat Pure Control Team. I bought him the Babolat Pure Storm Team GT to try out and that is when he felt pain in his shoulder and arm. I switched him back to the Pure Control Team and now he is using the MSV Focus Hex 1.18 in the mains at 50 lbs and the MSV Co-Focus 1.18 in the cross at 48 lbs.

He is a good player and is currently around the top 20 in Boy's 14 in NorCal and is ranked around 290 in the Nation.

katematt · Dec 6, 2011

Full poly experiment

I wanted to follow my other post. Tried a full bed of poly for her racquest the other day. Figured I would start lower but not low enough unfortunately.

Did a full Head Sonic Pro @55 and within 30 minutes her shoulder hurt. Oops. Went back to a stick with the hybrid and everything was fine.

Lesson learned. After speaking with GutsNGlory, very helpful I may add, he said you should start with full poly at 49 and work your way up.

I am staying with the hybrid for now, MSZ 56 and Prince Syn 17 at 59.

Cheers.

slice bh compliment · Dec 6, 2011

Why don't you guys ask an MRT or an actual teaching pro who has experience with this stuff?

Polys are bad after the first few days. Then they don't break. They stay in there. Kids swing hard, get control, but also develop some pain.

Gut is a good option. It stays fresh for a long time. Holds tension well, too. It is good until the day it breaks. You can combine it with poly if you want (mains or crosses). You can combine it with a cheap synthetic, too, to save some money.

The poly craze is crazy for young kids. I'd much rather a kid develop with the 'disadvantage' of a multi or a natural gut stringbed until he or she can safely use poly in the teen years.

drakulie · Dec 6, 2011

Parents who have kids playing tennis competitively need to make a decision as to whether or not they really want their child to play, and if so, understand that strings are going to break. Period. There is no way around it. Poly loses tension incredibly fast and dies even faster, even though it is more durable than a multi. Tension is not going to change any of the aforementioned.

You have 4 choices:
Poly (hard but durable)
Multi (comfortable but breaks quick)
Buy a stringing machine to save some money, or
Quit tennis.

drakulie · Dec 6, 2011

seminoleG said:
We use Kirschbaum Pro line II 1.15 18 gauge @ 50#s of tension. She plays for ~month so tension gets close to 48 before we restring.

Hate to break this to you, but this string loses tension incredibly fast. After 24 hours it is most likely approx 40 lbs, and after a few days in the 30s and totally dead, which is why it feels so "soft" for a poly.

anhuynh16 · Dec 6, 2011

Look at my sig for my set up. I'm 12 and I break strings every week (3 days on summer) I agree with drak, your strings are going to have to break

gplracer · Dec 6, 2011

I have an old Prince hydraulic stringer that is still going strong after 20+ years. My son was using lux and wilson nxt. The problem is that he was going through the nxt incredibly fast. We found that natural gut (Babolat Tonic) and lux was a better combination. The string last much longer. I think our actual stringing costs with this combination to be less than with the nxt and lux.

tennis5 · Dec 6, 2011

slice bh compliment said:
Why don't you guys ask an MRT or an actual teaching pro who has experience with this stuff?

Polys are bad after the first few days. Then they don't break. They stay in there. Kids swing hard, get control, but also develop some pain.

Gut is a good option. It stays fresh for a long time. Holds tension well, too. It is good until the day it breaks. You can combine it with poly if you want (mains or crosses). You can combine it with a cheap synthetic, too, to save some money.

The poly craze is crazy for young kids. I'd much rather a kid develop with the 'disadvantage' of a multi or a natural gut stringbed until he or she can safely use poly in the teen years.

That is the problem in a nutshell. The strings might not break, but you end up with dead strings, and pain in your arm.

Thanks for putting it so clearly.

Pro_Tour_630 · Dec 6, 2011

drakulie said:
Parents who have kids playing tennis competitively need to make a decision as to whether or not they really want their child to play, and if so, understand that strings are going to break. Period. There is no way around it. Poly loses tension incredibly fast and dies even faster, even though it is more durable than a multi. Tension is not going to change any of the aforementioned.

You have 4 choices:
Poly (hard but durable)
Multi (comfortable but breaks quick)
Buy a stringing machine to save some money, or
Quit tennis.

or hiring a grand slam stringer like you

drakulie · Dec 6, 2011

Pro_Tour_630 said:
or hiring a grand slam stringer like you

nothing will stop the inevitable. strings break,,,,,, and much faster when playing/training 4-5 times a week. What is worse is the fact that the better this girl begins to play, older she gets, and as a result, harder she begins to hit, the strings will break even faster.

tacoben · Dec 9, 2011

Thanks again to everyone who replied to my question. As for stringing the rackets myself....I am considering that, and I am looking into a entry level stringing machines, like a drop weight for novices like me.

slice bh compliment · Dec 9, 2011

Hahha, drop weights are best for advanced stringers who need something that'll fit in luggage on in the trunk of a small car.

You've got to be good to do consistent stringjobs on a cheap dropweight. That said, it's constant-pull, it's cheap, and as long as the mounting system, the tension head and the clamps are good, you're fine. It's the little cheap ones that are limiting.

tacoben · Dec 9, 2011

slice bh compliment said:
Hahha, drop weights are best for advanced stringers who need something that'll fit in luggage on in the trunk of a small car.

You've got to be good to do consistent stringjobs on a cheap dropweight. That said, it's constant-pull, it's cheap, and as long as the mounting system, the tension head and the clamps are good, you're fine. It's the little cheap ones that are limiting.

I gotta do some homework first on the various setups/models before I dive into this new endeavor...totally new to this stuff...but I do like working with my hands like fly tying. I just don't want to get something and realize later that one model has a few more bells and whistles than another, with a just a difference of $50-100 bucks. I suppose I should start another thread...but what is a good entry level machine with long term use in mind...say for $250 to $300...with the basic tools to get me going...something that isn't too bulky as well?

slice bh compliment · Dec 9, 2011

Too many options to mention, really.
I think the best way to go is to check other threads and other sites.
The used market is really good. You can pick up a gently used $600 machine for under $400.

Again, look for good clamps, a solid tension head (I like the kind with bearings), and a mounting system that'll hold the racquet well. THe rest of the stuff is secondary.

Erman · Dec 11, 2011

gplracer said:
I have an old Prince hydraulic stringer that is still going strong after 20+ years. My son was using lux and wilson nxt. The problem is that he was going through the nxt incredibly fast. We found that natural gut (Babolat Tonic) and lux was a better combination. The string last much longer. I think our actual stringing costs with this combination to be less than with the nxt and lux.

My son was using luxilon rough with gut but broke strings in less than an our or so. Went to big banger original and string it between 48-54 depending on the temperature and how he's feeling. Loves the spin and power. I wanted to get some gut and hybrid it for better touch but he's fighting me on it. Have you had any experience with solinco strings. The big banger original is great but is dead within 2-3 hours and I hear the solinco holds out much longer.

Erman · Dec 11, 2011

Machine advice.

tacoben said:
I gotta do some homework first on the various setups/models before I dive into this new endeavor...totally new to this stuff...but I do like working with my hands like fly tying. I just don't want to get something and realize later that one model has a few more bells and whistles than another, with a just a difference of $50-100 bucks. I suppose I should start another thread...but what is a good entry level machine with long term use in mind...say for $250 to $300...with the basic tools to get me going...something that isn't too bulky as well?

My son plays national tournaments and I bought an electronic Prince machine. He plays/practices 3 1/2 hours a day 5-6 days per week and plays two tournaments a month. He was going through at least 6-8 string jobs per month and sometimes as much as 10. Well a $3000 investment paid for itself within 1 1/2 years. EASILY. doesn't include stringing for others which will make the payout quicker. There are great resource at the usrsa including instructional DVDs as well as online videos. The first 100 racquets are painful and poly strings are a pain as well but I can bust out a racquet in about 25-30 minutes now. I actually throw the top of the stringer (pretty heavy) into the back of my suburban and can use a cigarette lighter dc inverter to string out of the back of the suburban at tournaments. Don't go cheap but go for quality. The constant pull electronic seem to give me the most easily reproducible tensions. But that's just me and your mileage may vary. It's also kinda fun to feel involved in the technical aspect of your kid's game.

tacoben · Mar 9, 2012

Hey Guys,

Just bumping this thread again to update you. Recently, I bought a Klippemate stringer and am happy to say that I am satisfied with my purchase after taking all things into consideration. I have strung 3 racquets already, first one took 4 hours, second took 2 hours, and the third about 1 hr 45 minutes. It is the clamping (floating clamps) sequence that I am still figuring out.

Anyway, back to the topic on strings. My daughter likes the RPM blast 17 g, at 44-46 lbs. Klippermate has there own house brand of the RPM blast called the Spin Max 17. Any critiques/experience/feedback on the Spin Max you can share?

Thanks!

Erman · Mar 23, 2012

gplracer said:
I have an old Prince hydraulic stringer that is still going strong after 20+ years. My son was using lux and wilson nxt. The problem is that he was going through the nxt incredibly fast. We found that natural gut (Babolat Tonic) and lux was a better combination. The string last much longer. I think our actual stringing costs with this combination to be less than with the nxt and lux.

What tension were you using in the lux main and gut crosses

tennisdad65 · Mar 30, 2012

Correct technique is 1000x more important than string setup. Poly strings are an overkill for most juniors.

1) Use full gut (cheap variety -- global etc.. work just fine).
2) String low ~ 45 lbs.
3) Use string savers liberally.

This lasts for months, is arm friendly, gives nice spin & control, and you never have to worry if the string is dead etc..

Korso · Apr 9, 2012

I string all 3 of my kids racquets. My oldest 14 really likes the copolys in the mid 40s. It is important to stay on top of stringing reguarly with these strings. They will go dead and create arm problems. I restring every 2 weeks. The other 2 are not picky yet

so I just put some cheap multis in the low 50s for them and usually get a month or so out of them before they break or just become rocket launchers.
Strings do break and go dead so I recomend becoming a stringer to save on money if your child is serious about playing.

Stardust · Apr 12, 2012

If you don't mind guys, I'll ask some questions here:
I bought a new Wilson BLX Bold for my 11 y. o. daughter and I was very surprised when I saw the stick is factory strung with Sensation 16. I intended to string it with RIP Control 17 by Head. At first glance both are classified as soft and arm friendly multifilaments what I wanted for my girl but the reviews and comments for these two strings are totally different. About the RIP Control all opinions are great in contrast with Sensation – to put it mildly, they are at least contradictory.
I also intended to ask the stringer to apply tension of about 48 lb. but now I’m not sure how much is the tension of this Sensation – I suppose It’s 55-57 lb.
My questions are:
- what will you guys suggest to do – to remove the brand new original string and to restring with RIP Control or to leave the kid to play couple of weeks and then to migrate to the new multi? Or to wait till the string snaps?
My daughter has been playing for 5 days and she looks happy with the new stick – says that feels less vibrations, better control and depth, no arm pain and fatigue. It's easy understandable however - she's been playing thus far with Wilson Hope - titanium alloy racquet strung with nobody knows what...

Thanks!

ga tennis · Apr 13, 2012

My ten tear old daughter uses Blackcode 17 g in the mains and Prince Synthetic in the crosses.She plays with a Babolat strung at 54lbs.

gameboy · Apr 13, 2012

Personally, I string my 10 year old girl with natural gut only. She is not a string breaker yet and gut is great because they hold tension and do not lose elasticity. If your child is not a string breaker, gut should be mandatory.

Once she starts breaking strings, I plan to go on gut mains with poly crosses. They last quite long and still provide good comfort.

I would stay away from full poly for children as unless you are willing to replace the string every 6 to 8 hours. Polys lose their elsticity quickly and once they lose it, it can be very bad for your arm.

Synthetics are fine, but I find that gut hybrids last longer and they provide much better comfort. The little price difference between gut and synthetics are more than made up by comfort and increased durability.

tacoben · Apr 20, 2012

Thanks again guys/gals for your responses. I realize now how important a fresh bed of new strings can help a young player. It wasn't so much that my daughter broke strings (except of course when using synthetic gut) it was how the strings would go dead. At her age, having been playing tournaments for 3 years, she notices the most subtle things with her strings. When their dead, she says that the balls are flying and doesn't have much control. Went out the other day with a new string job and she was hitting so much better and her serves were crisp and 90 % in. Will restring her racquets more frequently now as a result.

Soianka · Apr 20, 2012

gameboy said:
Personally, I string my 10 year old girl with natural gut only. She is not a string breaker yet and gut is great because they hold tension and do not lose elasticity. If your child is not a string breaker, gut should be mandatory.

Once she starts breaking strings, I plan to go on gut mains with poly crosses. They last quite long and still provide good comfort.

I would stay away from full poly for children as unless you are willing to replace the string every 6 to 8 hours. Polys lose their elsticity quickly and once they lose it, it can be very bad for your arm.

Synthetics are fine, but I find that gut hybrids last longer and they provide much better comfort. The little price difference between gut and synthetics are more than made up by comfort and increased durability.

what brand of gut do you use?

frunk · Apr 20, 2012

I'm 16, and but when I was 13 I played with a kBlade Tour with Wilson K-Gut (Multifilament) at 70+ lbs. I am older and slightly wiser, and I skill play with a kBlade Tour with Big Hitter Blue Rough 17 x Forten Sweet 16, because I ran into issues with my arms...k-gut lasted around two weeks if I remember, and BHBRxForten gets me about the same, if not a little more. I play over 15 hours a week.

gameboy · Apr 21, 2012

I have used pretty much every brand of gut out there, from Global Gut to Babolat VS.

I really notice very little difference among gut strings. Once they break in, they have very very similar playing characteristics. So save money and go with the cheapest you can find (within reason, some REALLY cheap guts break during stringing).

When I got the first "real" racquet for my daughter (26" Prestige), I cut out the synthetic it came with and strung it with Global Gut. That job lasted 2 years (we only play indoors, which certainly helps). She now has a 27" Pure Drive Lite now and I have that strung with Tonic and it really feels sweet. I am seriously thinking about switching myself to Pure Drive, just because of how it feels.

All of my racquets are hybrids with Klip natural mains with RPM blast and Luxilon crosses. They last pretty long time, much longer than a full gut job for me.

Klip Legend goes for $26 for a full pack and RPM and Luxilons are around $17. And I do all of my stringing with a Gamma dropweight, so it costs about $22/string job. But with this set up, I can go till it breaks and it will still provide comfort while holding overall tension okay. It lasts at least 50% longer than a hybrid with synthetics and the better feel really makes up for the price difference.

Only thing I implore with juniors is - it is fine to use a full bed of poly, but for your child's sakes cut it out after 6 to 8 hours. Otherwise you are just asking for arm problems. I just shudder at all these kids at the club with full poly string jobs with stiff Babolats, because I know most of them will go till they break.

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