First stringing experience?
- Thread starter iVillain
- Start date
dak95_00
Hall of Fame
Mine took two hours but I didn’t have many problems. I remember doing a some things I don’t do today:
1) I constantly had to look up how to tie knots.
2) I used a starting knot for the crosses.
3) I used the machine to add tension to my knots.
4) I didn’t have a starting clamp.
5) I was extra careful on my weaves and would check them each multiple times to make certain i didn’t mess up. I didn’t know that if I started going over the first main I would end going under the last main or vice versa.
My big screw ups came the first time I tried to string for others. Ugh! I’m so much better and more confident these days.
1) I constantly had to look up how to tie knots.
2) I used a starting knot for the crosses.
3) I used the machine to add tension to my knots.
4) I didn’t have a starting clamp.
5) I was extra careful on my weaves and would check them each multiple times to make certain i didn’t mess up. I didn’t know that if I started going over the first main I would end going under the last main or vice versa.
My big screw ups came the first time I tried to string for others. Ugh! I’m so much better and more confident these days.
Traffic
Hall of Fame
I think I took about 2hrs. Had to keep watching Youtube to make sure I was feeding the correct holes and figuring out starting and finishing knots. The weaving was definitely a chore. Man, I almost broke out my level to measure if the DW lever was horizontal or not. Can't turn off the engineer in me...
HunterST
Hall of Fame
Before I even started, I got my strings tangled into an ungodly mess and took a good hour trying to undo it.
I think I did alright in the actual stringing, but, like, others, it took at least 2.5 hours. There were some misweaves and a few other incidents in the next couple of string jobs.
I think I did alright in the actual stringing, but, like, others, it took at least 2.5 hours. There were some misweaves and a few other incidents in the next couple of string jobs.
esgee48
G.O.A.T.
All of the above plus strapping the frame to the turntable/side support once or three. It wasn't until I did several other crosses that I realized it had happened. Also did this once and tried to pull the finished framed off the machine and it would not release. This is truly a rite of passage. 
Smittithekitty
Banned
Drop weight
ATS Stringer 2 with the composite flying clamp... Found out how heavy the drop weight ball as it cracked my dinner table that was made of glass...
1.5 hrs later after cleaning up the mess and preparing the story to tell my mother the racquet was done probably incorrectly.
ATS Stringer 2 with the composite flying clamp... Found out how heavy the drop weight ball as it cracked my dinner table that was made of glass...
1.5 hrs later after cleaning up the mess and preparing the story to tell my mother the racquet was done probably incorrectly.
My first racquet that I strung was back in 1968, the old timer that sold me one of his machines ( a Serrano peddle automatic drop weight machine, ) he showed me to string that first racquet in his house
He told me I should string it with the string I normally hit with, which was Victor Imperial gut, on my Tad Davis racquet. I really do not remember how long it took, but when I was done he said good job, and after stringing that racquet he said I should be all set to string any racquet and string since it went well with gut. After that I was on my own, no internet , no videos to watch on stringing, no USRSA, and no nice web forum like this and I wAS on my own. Back then most racquets were wooden, with the T 2000 becoming popular, I strung a lot of racquets back then with that old beast of machine.
Memories.
He told me I should string it with the string I normally hit with, which was Victor Imperial gut, on my Tad Davis racquet. I really do not remember how long it took, but when I was done he said good job, and after stringing that racquet he said I should be all set to string any racquet and string since it went well with gut. After that I was on my own, no internet , no videos to watch on stringing, no USRSA, and no nice web forum like this and I wAS on my own. Back then most racquets were wooden, with the T 2000 becoming popular, I strung a lot of racquets back then with that old beast of machine.
Memories.
1HBHfanatic
Legend
lately ive been thinking alot about my first strung racket (back to 2007),
took me 3hrs (i had the stringing instructions next to me, read it while stringing; read some passages a couple times); had the youtube video on q ready to assist
im pretty sure i was nervous
i was pretty happy after i was done (time went unnoticed)
over the years, ive committed and learned from all the mistakes/experiences that go along with learning to string
but lately ive been timing myself 13-15min average when i hurry
one of my latest memorable timed stringing best times: 7x yonex dr 98s 1hr:39mins,, big time difference from my first raket of 3hrs!
wouldn't change it for nothing!!
took me 3hrs (i had the stringing instructions next to me, read it while stringing; read some passages a couple times); had the youtube video on q ready to assist
im pretty sure i was nervous
i was pretty happy after i was done (time went unnoticed)
over the years, ive committed and learned from all the mistakes/experiences that go along with learning to string
but lately ive been timing myself 13-15min average when i hurry
one of my latest memorable timed stringing best times: 7x yonex dr 98s 1hr:39mins,, big time difference from my first raket of 3hrs!
wouldn't change it for nothing!!
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
Of course when I got a stringer there was no forum around to learn the basics, no YouTube to watch videos, and no internet to get patterns. Of the 3+ hours it took me to string my friend’s strange racket, I first had to learn the pattern and read the instructions that came with the stringer. I remember drawing on a piece of paper 16 mains and where the crosses interested at the top and bottom. Where there were shared holes I put a small circle and where the knots were I put an X.
EDIT: I have to admit I depended more or my little cheat sheet than I did the instructions. I certainly hope it was strung right the time before I strung it. LOL
MAX PLY
Hall of Fame
I learned to string when I was 11 or 12 (circa 1972) from a local pro who ran a pro shop at our municipal courts. I learned on an earlier Ektelon machine (I would guess a C or D), stringing mostly wood (but a few metal) racquets. My first couple of string jobs were "tandem" efforts under his supervision and I would guess it probably took me 45 minutes to an hour. Shortly thereafter, I bought a TR stringer ($65 from an ad in Tennis Magazine)--I am certain that my first racquet on that machine (one of my personal JK PS frames) took me over an hour. I used that machine for a year or two and got lucky and bought a used Ektelon D from a local sporting good shop that had fallen on hard times and was going out of business.
D
Deleted member 89933
Guest
I don't recall the first racquet I strung having any problems except it taking about 90 minutes... I do however remember rounding out the head of one of my Mom's friends racquets the first time I strung on my Alpha Pioneer II dropweight! I can still see that silver Prince frame with purple strings in a perfect O...
I can still see that silver Prince frame with purple strings in a perfect O... It probably only took just a few minutes, to string the racquet that is.
MathieuR
Hall of Fame
Started stringing ~7 years ago on a XXhand Klippermate I had bought for €15. The machine was ok, the clamps were worn out.
I knew "nothing", not even where to find info. I bought the manual and some strings from Klipperusa (and a new point for the awl) and I was in business.
First frame took me 2 hrs......
I knew "nothing", not even where to find info. I bought the manual and some strings from Klipperusa (and a new point for the awl) and I was in business.
First frame took me 2 hrs......
Have only been stringing a few years, so had lots of resources to refer to. Still, I had to be so careful the first few jobs with stringing mains and weaving crosses and took over 2 hours. Had some mis-weaves, so went back and redid those crosses. Now, seems like I could do it with my eyes closed.
chrisingrassia
Professional
Pfft. What didn't go wrong.
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