How often do y'all restring?

[PKorda]

Since TE is essentially a tendinopathy that comes from repetitive strain on a non-regenerative tendon, it makes sense that frequency of play (i.e number of repetitions) and age (the major cause of loss of resiliency and regenerative capacity) would be major factors.

Technique is only important if that technique gets you hitting out front, on the sweet spot with a loose grip. Problem with technique is that there is always an opponent that can turn your technique to rubbish and have you hitting late, arming the ball and shanking. Most of us wouldn't ever get TE playing 2.5 ladies doubles.

Not saying those can’t be factors just don’t think they’re the most important ones.

 

[tlm]

Rule of thumb I was taught is to restring your racquet as often every year as you play each week. Currently I play twice a week so I restring every six months, unless I break a string.

I haven't noticed any substantial benefit from restringing more frequently. I am convinced that 90% of the recreational player's obsession with strings is psychosomatic.

Really how often have you compared new strings to old strings side by side? I know guys that only restring when they break strings also and most say they notice the new strings are a little dead compared to their old string job.

But unless you do side by side comparisons then it’s tough to tell the difference. Plus I think guys that hit flatter strokes without much brushing and topspin don’t notice that much difference. With faster topspin strokes the strings get stretched out more and lose life faster. Strings last longer if hitting through the ball more because the stress is spread out more evenly over the string bed as opposed to brushing the ball more.

 

[EasternRocks]

Every 3.5 hours on a stringjob.

 

[Cashman]

Really how often have you compared new strings to old strings side by side? I know guys that only restring when they break strings also and most say they notice the new strings are a little dead compared to their old string job.

But unless you do side by side comparisons then it’s tough to tell the difference. Plus I think guys that hit flatter strokes without much brushing and topspin don’t notice that much difference. With faster topspin strokes the strings get stretched out more and lose life faster. Strings last longer if hitting through the ball more because the stress is spread out more evenly over the string bed as opposed to brushing the ball more.

There is no point restringing more than a few times a year unless you use poly strings, which are absolute garbage for holding tension

90% of recreational players would be wasting their dime to string with poly, as they don't generate enough racquet head speed and/or clean enough contact to get an advantage out it it

 

[onehandbh]

So I am not buying this notion of rec players having to pay $$$ constantly restringing. I strung with $20 NRG over six months ago and it plays just fine. There is no problem.

What level do you play at and how often do you play tennis in a month?

I tried multifilament a couple times years ago. Stopped using it because it is not very economical and breaks way too fast. Even faster than synthetic gut for me, which is already breaks annoyingly too quickly.

 

[SinneGOAT]

I’m able to get about 15-20 hours of hyper g 17, but that last 4 hours it gets stiffer and doesn’t feel as nice as the first 10-12. I don’t break poly, even thin gauges so the tension is the factor in the durability. I would use a multifilament but they aren’t durable enough nor have enough spin/control, however when I tried multifilament then play it till it breaks.

 

[Digital Atheist]

There is no point restringing more than a few times a year unless you use poly strings, which are absolute garbage for holding tension

Agree with this, however OPer is using poly.

 

[socallefty]

I’m able to get about 15-20 hours of hyper g 17, but that last 4 hours it gets stiffer and doesn’t feel as nice as the first 10-12. I don’t break poly, even thin gauges so the tension is the factor in the durability. I would use a multifilament but they aren’t durable enough nor have enough spin/control, however when I tried multifilament then play it till it breaks.

I had the same issue with HyperG getting too stiff after about 12-15 hours - I liked it a lot otherwise. I switched to HyperG Soft which plays similar to HyperG, but is more comfortable and can last 20 hours without feeling harsh. Try it.

 

[Keendog]

I’m able to get about 15-20 hours of hyper g 17, but that last 4 hours it gets stiffer and doesn’t feel as nice as the first 10-12. I don’t break poly, even thin gauges so the tension is the factor in the durability. I would use a multifilament but they aren’t durable enough nor have enough spin/control, however when I tried multifilament then play it till it breaks.

For the life of me why would you use a string that lasts 10 hours? 1000's of them out there

 

[18x20 ftw]

Once my strings start moving on me, not snapping back, it’s time to restring. It works out to about 5-6 hits for me, about 15-18 hours. What happens a lot though is my desire for experimentation with new strings supersedes the lifespan of the string currently in the racquet. Having a stringing machine has this unique way to cause restring frequency to increase artificially.

 

[dr325i]

I hit around about 12 hrs a week this winter and have been stringing once a week.

I have been using 17g lynx tour in a vcore 97 pro 330 at 52 lbs. I hand prestrech the strings around a pole before installing them. I find that after about a week I feel that the ball starts to sail on me, although the string tension measurement tool doesn't show a substantial drop-off from the day before. It's quite possible that its all in my head, as I am still developing consistency.

Is once a week stringing seem about right? Or am I wayy overthinking this and don't need to do it as much?

Playing 12 hours per week against some hard hitters and against some consistent hitters (former College female).
Rotating 4 sticks Gut in the mains, poly in the crosses. Restring usually every 2 months (all 4 at the same time, or when the string pops)

 

[CosmosMpower]

Rule of thumb I was taught is to restring your racquet as often every year as you play each week. Currently I play twice a week so I restring every six months, unless I break a string.

I haven't noticed any substantial benefit from restringing more frequently. I am convinced that 90% of the recreational player's obsession with strings is psychosomatic.

I don’t think poly was invented when someone made up that “rule”

 

[CosmosMpower]

For the life of me why would you use a string that lasts 10 hours? 1000's of them out there

Spin and control. Look up spin potential for a multi vs. a shaped poly

 

[Arak]

I only use multis and natural gut. I use them until they break or almost. In the rare instances I string with poly in a hybrid, I use gauge 18 or thinner, and I use them until one of the strings breaks.

 

[Fintft]

I only use multis and natural gut. I use them until they break or almost. In the rare instances I string with poly in a hybrid, I use gauge 18 or thinner, and I use them until one of the strings breaks.

Same here, especially since natural gut maintains tension best. I only change it when it breaks (3-6 weeks). I also like it's poketing effect and extra power.

Poly I cut it once in a blue moon, usually after months, on my spare racquet (third or fourth).

 

[Fintft]

Once my strings start moving on me, not snapping back, it’s time to restring.

I string my crosses 2 LBs less to preven excesive movement, have you tried that?

 

[SinneGOAT]

For the life of me why would you use a string that lasts 10 hours? 1000's of them out there

I’d use a multifilament but like I said durability, spin and control are some big deal breakers when using something like NRG or just any standard multifilament.

 

[SinneGOAT]

I had the same issue with HyperG getting too stiff after about 12-15 hours - I liked it a lot otherwise. I switched to HyperG Soft which plays similar to HyperG, but is more comfortable and can last 20 hours without feeling harsh. Try it.

I’m interested, you are saying the soft version holds tension longer?

 

[silentkman]

I hit around about 12 hrs a week this winter and have been stringing once a week.

I have been using 17g lynx tour in a vcore 97 pro 330 at 52 lbs. I hand prestrech the strings around a pole before installing them. I find that after about a week I feel that the ball starts to sail on me, although the string tension measurement tool doesn't show a substantial drop-off from the day before. It's quite possible that its all in my head, as I am still developing consistency.

Is once a week stringing seem about right? Or am I wayy overthinking this and don't need to do it as much?

I think once a week seems reasonable. The tension loss in non gut strings is so great, its no wonder why the pros switch so often. my biggest regret is not learning how to string. do what feels good for you and your game.

 

[silentkman]

When I break my strings. Which is often.
I bought my last racquet with fresh strings, but the racquet was used. Just today the racquet started cracking it won't last long. So I think for the first time I'll change my racquet before my strings

The racquet started cracking?

 

[MoxMonkey]

I think once a week seems reasonable. The tension loss in non gut strings is so great, its no wonder why the pros switch so often. my biggest regret is not learning how to string. do what feels good for you and your game.

I bought a stringing machine a month or two ago.

It only took me a few attempts to figure it out. It still takes me over an hour to string a racquet, but it's worth it to me. After your fixed sunk cost, you can restring a racquet with top tier poly for around $10, or less.

 

[FloridaAG]

Full bed poly, play 4-5 times a week - not a frequent string breaker - generally restring every 4-6 weeks or when string breaks

 

[CosmosMpower]

I bought a stringing machine a month or two ago.

It only took me a few attempts to figure it out. It still takes me over an hour to string a racquet, but it's worth it to me. After your fixed sunk cost, you can restring a racquet with top tier poly for around $10, or less.

Keep practicing, you'll get faster. I think you'll be able to get down to half that easily eventually.

 

[Deleted member 771407]

The racquet started cracking?

Yep

 

[silentkman]

Yep

sheesh, that's some crazy stuff.

 

[CosmosMpower]

Full bed poly, play 4-5 times a week - not a frequent string breaker - generally restring every 4-6 weeks or when string breaks

Curious what your starting tension is. Do you know what your ending tension is when you cut it out if it didn't break? You can easily lose 10+ lbs in tension from fresh strung poly to 20 hours of play poly.

 

[Deleted member 771407]

sheesh, that's some crazy stuff.

Second time it happens to me, but my first racquet had been thrown to the ground at least once, and I guessed there were invisible micro fissures. But it broke in my hands completely mid point. For the new one there was no way of telling. Also I think I try to hit the ball too hard for my level lol.

Still changing strings is already expensive enough and now Im breakng racquets fml

 

[FloridaAG]

Curious what your starting tension is. Do you know what your ending tension is when you cut it out if it didn't break? You can easily lose 10+ lbs in tension from fresh strung poly to 20 hours of play poly.

Starting tension is 51 - I no idea where they end up

 

[bobleenov1963]

I've stringed my Yonex VCore 98 with full bed Luxilon NG 17gage. Usually last about six months before I need to restring. don't lose much on the tension department.

 

[FloridaAG]

Starting tension is 51 - I no idea where they end up

I should add that I think the Solinco Confidential keeps its playability well even after tension drop -

 

[silentkman]

Second time it happens to me, but my first racquet had been thrown to the ground at least once, and I guessed there were invisible micro fissures. But it broke in my hands completely mid point. For the new one there was no way of telling. Also I think I try to hit the ball too hard for my level lol.

Still changing strings is already expensive enough and now Im breakng racquets fml

I did have an Ashe Comp come apart while I was playing. I've always been apprehensive about buying used racquets. I've always been concerned with the number of times the racquet has been strung.

 

[Deleted member 771407]

I did have an Ashe Comp come apart while I was playing. I've always been apprehensive about buying used racquets. I've always been concerned with the umber of times the racquet has been strung.

I am too but this one was a bargain lol. Slightly more than a string job for a pure drive...

 

[silentkman]

I've stringed my Yonex VCore 98 with full bed Luxilon NG 17gage. Usually last about six months before I need to restring. don't lose much on the tension department.

even with the pricepoint, NG is the best. I'll take 6 months with it, I'm in the 3-4 month range currently. I tried that crazy blue Babolat gut. I'm currently at 59, I may try 52 next. I hate drastic change.

 

[CosmosMpower]

Starting tension is 51 - I no idea where they end up

6 months? I'd guess mid to high 30's.

 

[vandre]

Rule of thumb I was taught is to restring your racquet as often every year as you play each week. Currently I play twice a week so I restring every six months, unless I break a string.

I haven't noticed any substantial benefit from restringing more frequently. I am convinced that 90% of the recreational player's obsession with strings is psychosomatic.

i remember that rule from back in the day and it seems reasonable to me. usually i restring about 2 frames every season and alternate them. i'm just using syn gut so by the time it starts to lose enough tension for me to notice it'll be the fall. i restring my wife's racquet more often because she has arm problems.

 

[vandre]

I bought a stringing machine a month or two ago.

It only took me a few attempts to figure it out. It still takes me over an hour to string a racquet, but it's worth it to me. After your fixed sunk cost, you can restring a racquet with top tier poly for around $10, or less.

you, my friend, are about to save a ton of money if your area is like mine! the last time i had a racquet strung at our local club, it took 2 weeks and cost $26 to get the frame strung with synthetic gut. if you're using poly then your stringer will have paid for itself very soon! string in good health! have fun! hit 'em clean!

 

[FloridaAG]

6 months? I'd guess mid to high 30's.

6 weeks not 6 months

 

[ReopeningWed]

Strings break every 2 weeks fifteen hours for me, more if I'm playing with someone who hits heavy, and I'm already using full poly in an 18x20.

 

[socallefty]

I’m interested, you are saying the soft version holds tension longer?

No, I said it takes longer than HyperG before it goes dead. For me, all poly strings go dead (lose their resilience) and feel harsh well before they lose enough tension to have erratic control. So, even when I’ve played with fullbed poly, I have to cut them out and restring well before the control gets erratic because they start feeling harsh and uncomfortable earlier. With ALU Power, it happens in 7-8 hours, HyperG in 12-15 hours and HyperG Soft after 20 hours. In a gut hybrid, I break the gut within 20 hours typically and so, I have to restring because of that. So, I have no idea when the tension drop becomes a problem for any of these polys.

If you are not a string breaker and want comfort with good performance, fullbed gut at 20-25% higher tension than fullbed poly is usually the best bet as it will play good and retain tension well beyond 50 hours. Multifilaments will lose too much tension in half that time. The only problem with full bed gut compared to a gut/poly hybrid is the reduced spin which in turn leads to reduced control and lesser ability to hit sharp angles and less spin on serves. I hit with more power with gut/poly hybrids than with full bed gut (which I used for many years) because I can swing out much more freely and harder when the poly crosses are there to give more spin and control. This may not be an issue at levels below 4.5 where the swing speed is not as high and full bed gut at tensions above 57-58 lbs can still provide good enough control.

 

[CosmosMpower]

6 weeks not 6 months

Probably still the same at 6 weeks vs. 6 months. Provided you play a few times a week for 2 hours each time that's 24 hours of play, it will hit max tension loss by then.

 

[Raul_SJ]

Coach McNamee is now used to her oddities, which includes never getting her racquets restrung. According to McNamee, she goes years without breaking strings due to hitting purely in the center of her racquet.

"I mean, she hadn't broken a string for three years. You tell me a player that uses the same racquet for three years and doesn't change the racquet. Now, she has to buy racquets, which is very unusual," McNamee said.

Hsieh's coach tells all about her unique habits | Tennis.com

baseline.tennis.com

 

[Raul_SJ]

Strings break every 2 weeks for me, more if I'm playing with someone who hits heavy

Hsieh hits against pros and seldom breaks strings. Wonder why? Her coach says she hits the sweet spot every time. Maybe that is one reason?

 

[Cashman]

Spin and control. Look up spin potential for a multi vs. a shaped poly

Most rec players are wasting their dime stringing with poly, they’re not good enough to tap into the spin properties

Take some high speed video of your racquet head at contact with poly and non-poly strings

Unless you’re generating big snapback on the poly (and I can almost guarantee you’re not) then go back to stringing with something else and save yourself a fortune

 

[BenC]

I prefer hitting with unlocked string beds, regardless of string material (except Kevlar). That means either:
1) the crosses saw through the mains, and I restring (usually less than 8 hours)
2) the strings lock up and I cut them out (about the same amount of time or less)

Situation 1 is preferable to me because the strings play similarly throughout their installed lifespan. Yes, I have a stringing machine.

 

[Dartagnan64]

Not saying those can’t be factors just don’t think they’re the most important ones.

Then we will need to agree to disagree.

Unless you’re generating big snapback on the poly (and I can almost guarantee you’re not) then go back to stringing with something else and save yourself a fortune

Almost everyone I know that uses poly is doing so because it saves them a fortune. It never breaks, never moves out of place so they never need to re-string.

 

[CosmosMpower]

Most rec players are wasting their dime stringing with poly, they’re not good enough to tap into the spin properties

Take some high speed video of your racquet head at contact with poly and non-poly strings

Unless you’re generating big snapback on the poly (and I can almost guarantee you’re not) then go back to stringing with something else and save yourself a fortune

Either way I don't think 10-20 bucks a month for strings is going to amount to much of a "fortune" saved. If you think tennis is expensive try auto racing, easily 2-5K a weekend for lowest level amateur stuff on a shoe string budget up to 250K a weekend for semi-pro sports car racing.

 

[Cashman]

Either way I don't think 10-20 bucks a month for strings is going to amount to much of a "fortune" saved. If you think tennis is expensive try auto racing, easily 2-5K a weekend for lowest level amateur stuff on a shoe string budget up to 250K a weekend for semi-pro sports car racing.

Throwing money away is nothing to brag about

 

[CosmosMpower]

Throwing money away is nothing to brag about

Who said it's throwing away? Myself and people that do these hobbies get a lot of enjoyment from them, not to mention networking and business opportunities. Some hobbies have higher expenditures than others. Most people that can spend the money have the disposable income and choose to spend it that way.

By the way, your screen name definitely doesn't fit your narrative

 

[Raul_SJ]

What level do you play at and how often do you play tennis in a month?

6 hours a week. 3.5. Never break a string. Flat hitter.
Strung the NRG at 58lbs and still playing 6 months later.

According to posts here, the tension after six months must now be around 40lbs? That is still in playable range, and apparently some pros string it that low to begin with?

Price for 5: $18.00 each

With playability so close to natural gut that you'll want to check the packet for hoof prints, NRG2 is a premium quality multifilament synthetic string.

The durability benefits of the Silicon Pyrogene Lubritec additive are complemented with lasting feel and comfort providing continued performance for the discerning player. Excellent touch and feel. More playable and spin friendly than NRG2 SPL 16 but slightly less durable.

• Gauge: 17/1.24mm
• Length: 40ft/12.2m
• Composition: Multifilament (100% Elastic Fibers, SPL - Silicon Pyrogene Lubritec additive, which reduces elongation and improves durability by up to 40%)

 

[Cashman]

Who said it's throwing away?

Spending money for no benefit is wasteful