Critique this "fast string job".

[Deleted member 25923]

Let's see how good this guy's string job looks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANv6Cy8MO1A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UORtUszjdAI


He's obviously fast. The whole thing took like 10 minutes.


I believe it's a gamma progression ES.

 

[MTChong]

I don't know much to critique... But I've never seen crosses pulled that way. I just use a push-weave. That one seems like it can come in handy in some situations -- anyone know exactly what he's doing?

 

[NamRanger]

I don't know much to critique... But I've never seen crosses pulled that way. I just use a push-weave. That one seems like it can come in handy in some situations -- anyone know exactly what he's doing?

Didn't see anything weird about it. Could you specify what you're talking about?

 

[andtapes]

On the mains he pulls all the strings on the right side then on left side. Off course he get faster than other methods but it is a wrong way the USRSA don't accept this method of stringing, the maximum is 3 strings on each side. His weave technic is very fast ! but he has no concern on burn strings or kinking it.

 

[brownbearfalling]

Props on the weaving technique. its really fast and consistent. He was stringing with poly too. it would be even faster with syn gut.

The clamps seem old school. The tensioner is like the gamma progression but the clamps might be the older model. It might have slowed him down.

For how fast he was, it is only average. he didn't include mounting and cutting string. Yulite probably strings the fastest on these boards.

 

[diredesire]

Like BBF says, it's really not that big of a deal. The time is closer to ~14 mins compared to 10. This also doesn't include mounting and cutting/inspecting as mentioned. I think actual time would be pushing more towards 16-18 mins, which isn't a crazy fast time by any means. (Not that I advocate speed stringing unless necessary). The machine is not the ESII+, maybe the older ES machine. The screw type clamps were on older Gamma machines. He unclamps WAY too fast, the tensioner on those things is really slow (to pull to reference). I am pretty certain that the string is not completely done tensioning when he unclamps. If he's using something that pulls THAT fast, I'd be impressed

He uses a double half hitch for a starting knot, which in my book is a no no. His fanning technique is sub-par. Just because you "U" bend the string doesn't mean you're preventing burns. You actually need to MOVE the string back and forth to make any difference. (He is inconsistent about this). He could also string one ahead to reduce the wear on the strings as he weaves, but this isn't a deal killer for me. His final cross YANK was a little too harsh for me as well. As a major nitpick: when he pulls his knot, he gets a little too close to the frame on the first pull. If the string were to snap, he'd have very little string to work with (fix).

 

[brownbearfalling]

Nice critique diredesire.

Basically for all you guys who thought that guy was amazing you're missing out.

 

[TonyB]

What's that method that he's doing at the end to straighten out the crosses??

I've never seen that before.

 

[bigmatt]

I had an older Gamma machne with that clamping system once, and they were most poor at holding tension: you can see the drawback, especially when he's doing the mains.
By tensioning the center main on each side at the start, he can't clamp the second one close to the frame, and doubtless has tension loss on it.
Weaving one ahead may not be a "deal breaker", as diredesire says, but it puts more frictional stress on the next cross, which could result in lower tensions and less string life. His method of pullng crosses is also not good.
This job wasn't particularly fast -- those machines aren't "speed machines" no matter how good you are -- so I guess the moral is "don't believe everything you find on the internet".

 

[YULitle]

Like BBF says, it's really not that big of a deal. The time is closer to ~14 mins compared to 10. This also doesn't include mounting and cutting/inspecting as mentioned. I think actual time would be pushing more towards 16-18 mins, which isn't a crazy fast time by any means. (Not that I advocate speed stringing unless necessary). The machine is not the ESII+, maybe the older ES machine. The screw type clamps were on older Gamma machines. He unclamps WAY too fast, the tensioner on those things is really slow (to pull to reference). I am pretty certain that the string is not completely done tensioning when he unclamps. If he's using something that pulls THAT fast, I'd be impressed

He uses a double half hitch for a starting knot, which in my book is a no no. His fanning technique is sub-par. Just because you "U" bend the string doesn't mean you're preventing burns. You actually need to MOVE the string back and forth to make any difference. (He is inconsistent about this). He could also string one ahead to reduce the wear on the strings as he weaves, but this isn't a deal killer for me. His final cross YANK was a little too harsh for me as well. As a major nitpick: when he pulls his knot, he gets a little too close to the frame on the first pull. If the string were to snap, he'd have very little string to work with (fix).

+1

ALSO, He doesn't appear to be concerned with the way the loop enters the racquet when he weaves the next main to be tensioned.

And yes, he pulls his knots tight in the worst way. There is no arching and he pulls it over the frame.

 

[Irvin]

Looks like it took it a little over 12 minutes to string the the racket not counting the time it took to mount the racket, open and separate the main and cross strings.

Did anyone else notice how much the clamps move when tension is released? Looks like a lot to me.

Irvin

 

[Il Mostro]

I am not impressed in the least. Better to take a little longer and exercise more care. Good points on his gaffs guys.

 

[Blade0324]

I'm not too impressed by this overall either. He is faster than I and I use the same method of weaving crosses as he does but it looks to me like he is using a short screwdriver to pull the "U" as he is feeding the string through instead of his hands and to me this would put extra and unnecessary strain on the string. I am curious about the comment that Irvin made about the clamps moving after tension is released. I see it and it looks pretty normal to me. My clamps move about the same amount and I have not been able to do anything to have that not happen.

 

[alexmcnab]

what's that stabbing thing he's doing at about 7.10 second video?

 

[MTChong]

Like BBF says, it's really not that big of a deal. The time is closer to ~14 mins compared to 10. This also doesn't include mounting and cutting/inspecting as mentioned. I think actual time would be pushing more towards 16-18 mins, which isn't a crazy fast time by any means. (Not that I advocate speed stringing unless necessary). The machine is not the ESII+, maybe the older ES machine. The screw type clamps were on older Gamma machines. He unclamps WAY too fast, the tensioner on those things is really slow (to pull to reference). I am pretty certain that the string is not completely done tensioning when he unclamps. If he's using something that pulls THAT fast, I'd be impressed

He uses a double half hitch for a starting knot, which in my book is a no no. His fanning technique is sub-par. Just because you "U" bend the string doesn't mean you're preventing burns. You actually need to MOVE the string back and forth to make any difference. (He is inconsistent about this). He could also string one ahead to reduce the wear on the strings as he weaves, but this isn't a deal killer for me. His final cross YANK was a little too harsh for me as well. As a major nitpick: when he pulls his knot, he gets a little too close to the frame on the first pull. If the string were to snap, he'd have very little string to work with (fix).

Those are the biggest three things that stuck out to me. I didn't watch til the end to see what you're saying about the last pull.

 

[Irvin]

I am curious about the comment that Irvin made about the clamps moving after tension is released. I see it and it looks pretty normal to me. My clamps move about the same amount and I have not been able to do anything to have that not happen.

I am not sure what type of machine you have. I have a gamma 6004 and there are adjustments in the base of the clamp to tighten it up so there isn't too much clamp creep. Mine do move a little bit, but no where near as much as what is shown in the video. When I pull tension on the next string the movement goes back in the opposite directions so there is a net zero creep.

Irvin

 

[Irvin]

Here he is striging on a drop weight in 15 minutes. Same problems and then some.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS9tNNDnYc4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LPBPU4eIHA&feature=related

Irvin

 

[YULitle]

Here he is striging on a drop weight in 15 minutes. Same problems and then some.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS9tNNDnYc4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LPBPU4eIHA&feature=related

Irvin

The first one is the one that I thought we were talking about to start with, before I realized that it wasn't.

On this one, he "grinds my gears" from the outset. He laces the first main, then laces the second. While doing that, he is pulling the string around the corner. That's not good, especially with twisty strings. You may be able to get away with it on polys, but I wouldn't make a practice of it.

It is kinking the string along every inch of the string, basically.

 

[Irvin]

On the dropweight he can't be checking to make sure it is horizontal. Most of the time it looks like it is not. He has lots of people's rackets in the backgorup to mess up.

Irvin

 

[tennisfreak15347]

hmm, as said before, if he really is unclamping before the reference tension is pulled, the tension won't be accurate, and may even be many lbs off. one major gripe is the way he does his knots. from the looks of it, he's pulling straight down, slightly towards the frame. I did this once, and I broke the multi on the grommet i was stringing, and I had to trash the whole stringjob. He also doesn't seem to be weaving one ahead, and he's not necessarily fanning the string as he's pulling it across, it's just staying in that "U" shape, which is just as bad as pulling directly across. I'd check for friction burn if I was his customer, and poorly tightened knots. not too impressed, but he definitely has quick hands.

 

[jim e]

Quick he is, but quality is lacking, and I am glad he does not string my racquets. I am glad that I do string, as at least I know that proper procedure was followed , and job is done as precise as I can, on my racquets, and whoever else I string for.It gives me great satisfaction that the job is done right,and with a good machine.(years ago, I had a good machine for that point in time, and now, I have a great high end electronic)
A guy like this would be best in a big box store, he fits the requirements, as the customers there are not his own, and those stringers could care less of the quality, just quantity. No doubt that the strings are not tensioned all the way before the clamp is released, all to save a few minutes! Seems that not many care about doing what is a proper and quality job.It is ashame.

 

[supertrex]

sucks to be his customer.

I would love to see someone string a racquet using a Full Job of NAtural gut with 5%+- tension accuracy.

 

[tennisfreak15347]

The first one is the one that I thought we were talking about to start with, before I realized that it wasn't.

On this one, he "grinds my gears" from the outset. He laces the first main, then laces the second. While doing that, he is pulling the string around the corner. That's not good, especially with twisty strings. You may be able to get away with it on polys, but I wouldn't make a practice of it.

It is kinking the string along every inch of the string, basically.

for the dropweight, unless it's one of those dropweights that don't require an arm at a parallel position, that's pretty darn inaccurate.

 

[diredesire]

+1

ALSO, He doesn't appear to be concerned with the way the loop enters the racquet when he weaves the next main to be tensioned.

And yes, he pulls his knots tight in the worst way. There is no arching and he pulls it over the frame.

Good point YUL, this was one of the things I noticed near the end of the string job. If he were to weave this way, he'd get a TON of twisting, especially with more fragile strings (namely gut). This is no big deal on a poly, IMHO, but when you start weaving in loops you've got a big hurt coming on the expensive stuff.

 

[Radical Shot]

Also, how many mains on one side did he string before stringing the other side?

I believe that string 4 or 5 on one side puts an uneven stress across the frame.

I tend to string 2 on one side, then 2 on the other etc...

 

[Irvin]

Also, how many mains on one side did he string before stringing the other side?

I believe that string 4 or 5 on one side puts an uneven stress across the frame.

I tend to string 2 on one side, then 2 on the other etc...

I think he ran 3 or 4 mains on one side then all the mains on the opposite side in the dropweight video.

Irvin