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**** UPDATE ***** I got a call from Wilson Customer Service and they admitted it is a design flaw in the Blade 98 16x19. They have received many similar complaints from other customers. The combination of small grommets, open string pattern, and 52lbs tension causes the mains to "give" more than...

That's an interesting idea, Irvin. I see grommet grinder and individual grommets on sale at TW. How do I replace single grommets? Or can I just use the grinder to smooth out the inside of the existing one??

TW never strung my racquets, but ************* did once. The rest of the time a local shop did it or I did it myself. String breakage due to shearing occurs about 1/3 of the time. The rest is normal wear, so it is difficult to attribute it to a bad string job. I've been stringing my own...

Here's the email I sent to Wilson customer service. I wonder if any of you had the same experience and what your solution was. I purchased two Wilson Blade 98 16x19 tennis racquets from tennis-warehouse.com about 6 months ago. I get it professionally strung with Babolat RPM Blast 17-gauge at...

I use full bed of RPM Blast 18g strung at 51lbs. It doesn't hurt the elbow at that low tension.

Just got a new Wilson Blade 98 16x19 and strung it myself with RPM Blast 18. I have broken 3 sets of strings after playing with them for a few hours, all on a shank. The mains at the top have been sheared (snapped) on impact with the upper grommet on a mishit, I believe. Never had this...

I've tried having the cross about 3lbs looser with the theory that it allows the mains to slide better and have more spin.

likely to have no impact on playability. may be a problem if you play a tournament and the opponent raises it as a (legitimate) issue.

Last year a friend gave me a gift card from TW for Christmas. He said he bought it at a discount, but when I look on the website, there is no discount. Is this a special deal only for the holidays? Where/when can I purchase it?

I'm currently playing with Babolat AeroProTeam and am looking to upgrade because it feels too light. I string it with RPM Dual mains at 50 and Gosen cross at 47. I am absolutely overwhelmed by all the new racquet choices out there. Don't even know where to start. There's the scientific way...

3 months for 8 hrs/wk is normal. That's about what I get too, and I've tried all sorts of shoes from Nike, Babolat and Asics. When you claim the 2nd pair under warranty, it works out to about $60/pair of shoes.

If you want more spin, couple of things to try: a) change the mains to a more "spinny" poly, maybe shaped. b) lower the tension of the crosses to allow more sliding of the mains c) change the cross to a smooth poly. I've had success with MSV co-focus hex 17G and it's only $8/set.

This explains why when I did a rush job my stringbed felt stiffer than when I strung leisurely!

you still save when buying a reel b/c you use only 38ft or so (instead of 40ft) for a full-bed.

after stringing a few months, you should be able to get a "feel" for how tight your clamp needs to be. just trust your instincts.

Irvin, thanks for the video. I've been replacing bumper guards on my kids APD and the toughest part for me is pressing the grommets in - they are hard to line up, and don't want to go through all the way (and stay there!). I see using the philips screwdriver as a pry bar is ingenious! I'll have...

I have an Alpha Pioneer DC Plus and it took me about 3-5 sets of strings before I got really comfortable and quit making mistakes. Started out taking 2 hours but now down to 40mins. I even trained my 13yr old boy and now he can string his entire racquet from start to finish in 40mins...

My kids have experimented with multis, hybrids and full polys until I am almost bankrupt. So my 13yr old who is 5ft 6 and 120lbs now plays with Blast 18 mains at 50# crossed with Gosen Micro Sheep 18 at 54# and loves it. My 16yr old who is 5ft 10 and 140lbs plays with Blast 18 mains at 48#...

my fingers hurt like heck after doing one set.

I like Blast on my APD at 50lbs but it dies too quickly for me. Which Kirschbaum poly is most similar to Blast in liveliness, pocketing and spin? I don't want too stiff a poly. Durability not an issue.

even if Eagnas machines came off the same line and from the same factory, there are quality control issues. Eagnas may be very lax and just ship product with minor defects and let the customer eat it, whereas Alpha may reject it. The fact that a company stands by its product means it cannot...

You can always call Alpha and talk to the owner. I have been to the Alpha shop myself and they are first-rate customer service. The owner works in the back and is from Taiwan (or China) originally. His stringing machines are made in China but have excellent quality control and very reputable and...

My kids wear prescription glasses with "Transitions" lens coating which automatically adjusts its shade to the light intensity. So in bright sunlight it is heavily tinted like sunglasses but indoors it is completely clear. They also use an elastic band which goes over the frame legs and then...

try WeissCannon Black5Edg, it's a softer poly.

you just have to experiment until you find one you like. Some ppl say the cross only contributes 75% to the feel of the stringbed. If true, then put in a cheap syngut cross like Gosen sheep. I have found Gosen Sheep to be very durable and will outlast the multi mains.

1 or 2-piece? I would start at 38ft and see how much you have leftover. Polys don't stretch as much as multis. For example, I do 2-piece on a Babolat APD and I pull 18ft for Xcel mains, 17ft for Xcel crosses. But for stringing Blast, it's 19ft for mains and 18ft for crosses.

Actually, I have a multi/poly setup which snaps in 5 hours so I want to extend the life of the multi. I just installed some gamma string savers and it was pretty painless. Will give it a hit today and let you know how it goes. Thanks for the responses!

Couple of major flaws: 1) Did not include asians as a minority. There is definitely a very significant participation among that ethnic group. They did not count them at all! 2) Like schang said, this study only shows a LINK between better academic achievement and tennis participation. It should...

establish a good relationship with the stringer while you watch. kindness and a personal touch goes a long way. when you get to know him better, you might buy him his favorite snack/drink or whatever. if you start tipping cash, it will be expected in the future and you can never back out of it.

kids that play the best tennis under pressure are the ones that play for the love of the game. kids that play the worst tennis under pressure are the ones that play for the love of the father.