Head Graphite Pro Stringing Advice - One or Two piece - Tension - Crosses Bottom or Top Start

[Retrovet]

I'm currently getting a set of three Head Graphite Pro rackets (European - black with silver/red pinstripes, silver made in Austria label on butt cap) ready for use. I used to use these when I played tournaments back in the 80's and have fond memories of them. I've tried a few other 'classic' and modern rackets but only the Prince Graphite II 107's and the Head Graphite Pro's are to my liking, probably because I played using these for so many years in the past.

Getting to my specific question, the pattern I see online for the Head Graphite Pro (Klipper site) is for one piece stringing with crosses starting at the bottom. Now I've never been too happy about starting crosses at the bottom and, as one of the rackets arrived strung two piece, should I use a two piece approach, or one piece ATW so crosses can start at the top? I'm assuming that back in the day when these rackets were made one piece stringing was the norm, and hence for 18x20 pattern crosses started at the bottom?

The reason I ask is that I had real problems stringing a Prestige Mid Plus of the same era (Gold colour frame with gold colour made in Austia label on the butt cap) which looks to have a similar shape and grommet pattern to the Graphite Pro's. My stringing machine has a 6 point frame mount but using the one piece approach with crosses starting at the bottom resulted in that frame changing shape rather oddly. I cut the strings out and started again using two pieces, starting the crosses at the top, and the frame ended up more or less the correct shape (I only have one of these so I don't have anything to compare it with).

I really don't want to mess up the Head Graphite Pro's, so any advice, including tension would be gratefully received.

 

[PBODY99]

@Retrovet
Crosses top down put less stress on the frame, which is why many companies advise you to do this.
I strung most frames this way since the 1980's.
I you prefer one piece, find an Around the World pattern you like. There are quite a
few on You Tube. An example

 

[retrowagen]

It’s the same 18x20 pattern as the venerable Prestige Classic 600 mid, which is two piece, so run with the pattern for that and enjoy.

 

[Retrovet]

The You Tube ATW example was interesting ... though I am completely confused by the manufacturers' logic regarding patterns if it is better to start crosses at the top ... if the number of mains divided by two is an even number (e.g. 16/2=8) then the mains should start by looping between the two centre holes at the top/head of the racket ... and if the mains divided by two is an odd number (e.g. 18/2=9) then the mains should start by looping between the two centre holes at the bottom/throat of the racket. If rackets/grommet strips were designed with this in mind then the crosses would always start at the top.

Am I missing something obvious?

 

[teachingprotx]

good rule of thumb . When in doubt ALWAYS 2 piece . Start cross at top forever rule works 100% of the time barring some arbitrary one off racket .

 

[esgee48]

@Retrovet , if the number of holes in the throat is 8, the mains start at the top of the frame and the 1st pulls are down towards the handle. If there are 6 holes in the throat, the mains start at the throat and the 1st pulls are up towards the top of the hoop.

I do frames where the mains tie off at the throat ATW. Look up box pattern or Universal ATW. Both will work.

 

[Retrovet]

OK, I'm taking all this advice on board thank you and, as I mentioned in my first post, I've managed to source three rackets all from different places and at different time points. The final racket turned up today. Here is what I've noted

1. First racket was in great condition and freshly strung, two piece, poly mains with syn gut crosses. Hoop shape looks right and length is 1/8" short of 27".
2. Second racket arrived strung one piece but had clearly not been used for probably decades. Cut the strings out, gave the top of the hoop some minor filler and paint to make good and have left unstrung so far. The hoop shape is perfect and matches that of the first racket. It is very slightly longer than the first racket (fractional) but it is now unstrung, so almost exactly 27".
3. The third racket arrived strung one piece. The tension on the strings was still quite good but again looked like it hadn't been used for a while. What was noticeable about this racket was the the hoop shape looked squashed, measuring and comparing with the others confirmed this. The overall length was 1/2" short of 27" and the hoop was wider than the other two. I've cut the strings out and it immediately changed to a more correct shape and seems to be slowly recovering, but not completely there yet.

What had happened to the last racket is what I want to avoid. I've strung hundreds of rackets for family and friends over the years, and I've only ever had a similar experience with an old Head Prestige Mid Plus from the same era (1980's). It happened even with a 6 mounting point machine, and wasn't noticeable until the racket was dismounted. Perhaps the Head frames of this era are more prone to changing shape, or perhaps soften with age given they are around 40 years old now?

Whatever, I think I will string two piece as racket (1) starting the crosses at the top, is there anything to be gained in stringing the crosses a few pounds more than the mains?