My strings just won't break!

[Maroon_Tenniskid]

I know this is a silly thing, but I found it interesting how some people break their strings so darn fast. I play High School varsity tennis, and I thought that I hit with a decent amount of spin and I know for sure that I swing hard enough most of the times, but I've never legitimately broken a string in less than a month of hitting about 6 hours a week at least. I normally restring before they break, and I'm not complaining about not breaking strings, but I just think it's funny how I don't break strings that much. Do any of you guys have a similar "problem"?

 

[TNIipc2731500]

I'm in the same situation. I only broke my strings about 4 times last year,3 was in December b/c of the cold weather. As of this year, none so far. I am a aggressive 4.5 player but I hit in the sweet spot about 9/10 times and I use full poly strings. So I don't see a problem in it, it just means you are hitting in the sweet spot a lot and saving a lot of money.

 

[Ronaldo]

Guys that use Wilson and Prince 03 racquets seem to break strings faster than any other brand, like within 2-3 weeks. But I play on clay and these guys try to peel the covers off the ball.

 

[Larrysümmers]

now if this was a condom, would you be complaining?

 

[Ronaldo]

now if this was a condom, would you be complaining?

Especially when you use it daily

 

[Larrysümmers]

Especially when you use it daily

lol. i believe on the package it says only use once.

anywho. i play with my string until it doesnt snap back into place like i like it to do.

 

[Ronaldo]

lol. i believe on the package it says only use once.

anywho. i play with my string until it doesnt snap back into place like i like it to do.

After 50 nothing snaps back like I like it to do.

 

[Larrysümmers]

After 50 nothing snaps back like I like it to do.

exactly

ten char

 

[Hominator]

I know this is a silly thing, but I found it interesting how some people break their strings so darn fast. I play High School varsity tennis, and I thought that I hit with a decent amount of spin and I know for sure that I swing hard enough most of the times, but I've never legitimately broken a string in less than a month of hitting about 6 hours a week at least. I normally restring before they break, and I'm not complaining about not breaking strings, but I just think it's funny how I don't break strings that much. Do any of you guys have a similar "problem"?

Me, too. Maybe you don't mishit very much. I loaned my racuet to my friend and he snapped a string in 5 minutes. Not because he hits hard, but because he mishit a shot near the grommet. He snapped the fourth or fifth main from center.

 

[origmarm]

What type of string do you use and what pattern does your racquet have? What surface do you play on? I rarely break string when I play with poly, I typically cut it out after 15hrs but still. When I play syn gut I tend to get 10-20hrs depending on surface etc...but it can be as much as 30hrs. This on hardcourt.

I play an 18*20 Prestige and I rarely mishit (which unfortunately does not mean I'm that accurate ). As a result my strings last a while. When I played a PSC6.1 (16*18 ) I was lucky to get 8hrs out of syn gut. When I played on clay in the summer I was breaking the poly at 10-12hrs which is unheard of for me.

Just a lot of variables.

Overall not breaking string is a good thing!

 

[Blade0324]

Not a string breaker here either. Syn. gut or Multi's would last me about 25-30 hours in many cases before breaking. I now use full poly but cut it out after about 8 hours of hitting time as it is just not as good when it starts to go dead. Since I started with full poly I have not broken a single string.

 

[JRstriker12]

Start shanking the ball and hit the string near a grommet. Problem solved

 

[mikeler]

Start shanking the ball and hit the string near a grommet. Problem solved

Works for me.

 

[Ronaldo]

String breakage is like a pair of shoes. You wish they would last longer or cannot wait for them to wear out.

 

[li0scc0]

Breakage has little to do with ability, that is for sure. A local 5.0 can use synthetic gut for a year without it breaking (on an Oversize Radical MP). Even as a 3.0 I broke strings every couple of weeks on an 18x20 98 square inch Volkl. Like others have said, has to do with playing style (flat vs spin) and mis-hits.

 

[pvaudio]

A kid I string for is MAYBE a 3.0 at best. He broke his sheep micro in 3 outings. My girlfriend was a top 5 state junior back in HS and now coaches. I string up Maxim Touch 17 for her and in 3 racquets over the past few months, she's broken exactly ZERO stringbeds. It's about how you hit, and more importantly, if you are making contact properly.

Another example: I hit with Scorpion 1.22 / PerforMAXX 1.20 natty gut. I can get about 8 hours out of the gut before I shred it to nothing. Key word is shred. Now, I gave a kid who's been playing for 9 months the EXACT same setup, and he broke the POLY in 2 hitting sessions. The poly was so notched, it defied belief. I later hit with him, and it was more exciting to see if he made clean contact than to actually rally.

 

[Ronaldo]

Curious, with so many players dropping their tensions, are strings lasting longer? Guys I know who string at 60# and above get maybe 20 hrs from their strings MAX.

 

[kiteboard]

Cut them out anyway, don't be such a pusss.

 

[Devilito]

in the 90s, syn gut strung at 62-64 lbs i'd pop a string every 2-4 hours of hard play time. Now with full Poly strung at 40lbs there is no force on earth that could get me to break this stuff. I could hit rocks with it all day and it wouldn't break. It’s a lot cheaper that’s for sure

 

[GPB]

I have this same "problem" and enjoy hitting with natural gut. Win-win!

 

[kiteboard]

Curious, with so many players dropping their tensions, are strings lasting longer? Guys I know who string at 60# and above get maybe 20 hrs from their strings MAX.

Low tens., 18 x 20 frames, powerless hitters, tougher strings, etc., all contribute to no string breaks.

 

[JRstriker12]

A kid I string for is MAYBE a 3.0 at best. He broke his sheep micro in 3 outings. My girlfriend was a top 5 state junior back in HS and now coaches. I string up Maxim Touch 17 for her and in 3 racquets over the past few months, she's broken exactly ZERO stringbeds. It's about how you hit, and more importantly, if you are making contact properly.

Another example: I hit with Scorpion 1.22 / PerforMAXX 1.20 natty gut. I can get about 8 hours out of the gut before I shred it to nothing. Key word is shred. Now, I gave a kid who's been playing for 9 months the EXACT same setup, and he broke the POLY in 2 hitting sessions. The poly was so notched, it defied belief. I later hit with him, and it was more exciting to see if he made clean contact than to actually rally.

Wow! Maxim Touch 17 only lasts about 15 hours max for me, plus it goes trampoline at about 7 hours - strung at arounf 55#.

Then again, I have a gut/multi (Isospeed) hybrid with about 3-4 weeks of play on it and it's not even close to breaking. The strings aren't even notched. Go figure

 

[Tmano]

I know this is a silly thing, but I found it interesting how some people break their strings so darn fast. I play High School varsity tennis, and I thought that I hit with a decent amount of spin and I know for sure that I swing hard enough most of the times, but I've never legitimately broken a string in less than a month of hitting about 6 hours a week at least. I normally restring before they break, and I'm not complaining about not breaking strings, but I just think it's funny how I don't break strings that much. Do any of you guys have a similar "problem"?

Same thing for me.....I'm a 4.0-4.5 agreesive baseline player and I rarely break my string too. I play with a poly full bed 17g. at 56lbs....I started wondering if I were a wierdo because of it.....now at least I know that I'm not alone

 

[origmarm]

Curious, with so many players dropping their tensions, are strings lasting longer? Guys I know who string at 60# and above get maybe 20 hrs from their strings MAX.

When I strung syn at 64 in the PSC I was lucky to get 8hrs. When I string the poly at 50 in the Prestige it's unbreakable. I would say the poly a low tensions is a big factor, that and it's just more durable than string back when people strung higher.

 

[ReopeningWed]

A kid I string for is MAYBE a 3.0 at best. He broke his sheep micro in 3 outings. My girlfriend was a top 5 state junior back in HS and now coaches. I string up Maxim Touch 17 for her and in 3 racquets over the past few months, she's broken exactly ZERO stringbeds. It's about how you hit, and more importantly, if you are making contact properly.

Maybe she found another stringer to service her rackets

I kid, I kid.

 

[SirGounder]

Maybe she found another stringer to service her rackets

I kid, I kid.

Lol that is hilarious.

I don't break strings either, even with Alphagut 18g. The string pattern can also help or hurt durability. Open string patterns are more prone to breaking.

 

[Ronaldo]

Lol that is hilarious.

I don't break strings either, even with Alphagut 18g. The string pattern can also help or hurt durability. Open string patterns are more prone to breaking.

Saw a guy break Alpha Gut 2000 in a warm-up after stringing the racquet the night before playing. 15 minutes in a Profile.

 

[tennisnoob3]

poly really doesnt count, because if it breaks, you've played with it waaaay too long

 

[pvaudio]

Maybe she found another stringer to service her rackets

I kid, I kid.

:lol:

She doesn't hit with much spin at all, but never, and I mean NEVER mishits. During our first outing (incidentally the afternoon before our first date), I figured I'd impress her with my 100mph serves and 1HBH, and pretty much any other over the top male mindset you can think of. I ate two bagels that afternoon

 

[pvaudio]

poly really doesnt count, because if it breaks, you've played with it waaaay too long

I'm telling you, this kid notched all the way through Scorpion in a matter of a few hours. It looked like something was eating the string. Poly HATES flat mishits, and that's all that he knows how to do.

 

[Maroon_Tenniskid]

I always use open string pattern rackets, I used the PDGT, and now the IG Speed 16x19, and I used a hybrid of Black Code 18/Prince Premier softflex 16 for about 2 months of a lot of playing and the Prince cross broke at the very end of the season. lasted soooo long. I also used RPM mains/tonic Gut Hybrid and the gut barely started fraying about 2 months in, until I had to cut it out because the RPM was dead.

 

[pvaudio]

Who was the guy who used to post in here all the time about breaking strings? I remember one thread where he claimed he broke kevlar in 2 hours. Anyone know the poster?

 

[robJAR]

Who was the guy who used to post in here all the time about breaking strings? I remember one thread where he claimed he broke kevlar in 2 hours. Anyone know the poster?

Are you talking about jolly? Or i'm probably mixing it up..

-robJAR

 

[pvaudio]

Are you talking about jolly? Or i'm probably mixing it up..

-robJAR

YES, jollyroger. That's the guy. Some of the crap he posted was simply ridiculous. Getting 2 hours out of 16g poly strings and what not.

 

[muddlehead]

deviliti, what strings are you using? i use forten 16g poly at 37lbs. my stringer says they are the longest lasting on planet. they sure don't last forever.

 

[J_aces]

I bought a stringer partially because I was breaking strings often and since buying it (3 months ago) I havent broken a string. Though I have restrung when they feel bad. one setup was fraying a lot and I expected it to break but it never did. Eventually just restrung it

 

[DownTheLine]

Curious, with so many players dropping their tensions, are strings lasting longer? Guys I know who string at 60# and above get maybe 20 hrs from their strings MAX.

I string at 65 and get about 8-10 hours

 

[pyrokid]

Curious, with so many players dropping their tensions, are strings lasting longer? Guys I know who string at 60# and above get maybe 20 hrs from their strings MAX.

I string at 35/40 and ever since I dropped off from 60 I have broken one string. I generally restring after I put about 20-25 hours in the stringbed, but still. I used to consistently break at least once a week, and twice when I used 17ga. The switch to kevlar ramped up string life a bit too.

I love it, personally. Breaking was fun at first, but ehh....

 

[tennisnoob3]

I'm telling you, this kid notched all the way through Scorpion in a matter of a few hours. It looked like something was eating the string. Poly HATES flat mishits, and that's all that he knows how to do.

:shock:

i meant if you dont break it. wow thats insane

 

[Ronaldo]

I string at 65 and get about 8-10 hours

Sounds about normal. Back in the day I broke a set weekly. Reason to start stringing. And get a chance to try every string ever made. In the same summer. Sweet

 

[athiker]

I broke my first set of strings! Granted they broke while in my bag but still...I got them close by playing. Quite exciting for us non-string breakers (I've always cut out before breaking.). This is the cheap nat gut off the bay...16g...so probably not the hardest task to break them. I put them in my C10 Pro back on Oct. 29th at 60 lbs so 5 months ago. I've probably played with this racquet the most but have played with 4 racquets over that time...this one, another C10 with multi and 2 Fischer Mag Tours w/ hybrids. I have no idea how many hours on this one but quite a few...both doubles and singles.

I felt I was getting close recently but I didn't get the satisfaction of breaking the string during play. I went to take it out of my bag at the court yesterday and it was snapped. I would have liked to have the court props of breaking one in action though (tongue firmly in cheek)! I hadn't played with it recently b/c I lost my last singles matchin a 3rd set tiebreaker playing it and blamed it on it getting a little "loose" or rocket launchy. The Fischers with the hybrids still look practically brand new but the strings haven't been in that long in those.

Anyway, I identified w/ the OP and just wanted it documented for posterity that I broke my strings at least once. Can anything be gleaned about my playing from where these strings wore and broke? Is this area typical? I'm close on some X1 BiPhase in my Ki5 so this could become a trend, but I rarely play with that racquet anymore. Wear area on those strings is lower...closer to the center of the string bed.

 

[pvaudio]

Which cheap natural gut? The one in the silver packets with the white label crossed out? In other words, the one that he sells in packs of like 2, 4 and 8?

 

[pvaudio]

^^^ If anyone does know what I'm talking about, just know that that product is simply old as dirt Global Gut that some idiot bought in truckloads, crossed out the label and is now reselling which has effectively put Global out of business on the bay.

 

[athiker]

Yes, silver packages. I've read two different accounts on this board one claiming it is old Unifibre and the others saying like you that it is old Global. The common thread being "old"! I'm not sure how its put Global out of business if its Global gut...who sold it to him if not Global themselves? If they didn't want to be undercut by their own old product they should've burned it I guess.

Some package labels have portions marked out w/ black marker and others not. The labels read: Natural Gut, Length-6.5 mtr.X 2 Pcs., Gauge-16, COLOUR-NATURAL I've bought 5 packages total. The one 17g package the 16g is marked out and "17" is marked in red marker!...not confidence building as the package is sealed! I can post up a pic of the packaging if anyone cares.

The first package strung up just fine at 60 lbs so I bought some more. I gotta say I gave it a bit of a rough time when stringing too as it was my first natural gut job. It did snap in my bag but only after quite a bit of play and me thinking it was going to snap at any moment the last time I played with it.

This is my first time ever (well maybe I did as a kid IDK) playing w/ all natural gut so I wanted to get an idea of string tension before paying up for "quality" gut. I liked the feel so much that I bought some more, but I guess I don't really know what I'm missing w/ "quality" gut since I've never used it...don't know what I don't know sort of thing. The comfort of this is truly amazing compared to even a nat gut hybrid or full multi which I have played. The spin is nice but not comparable to poly IMHO. Swinging full out on tough shots can launch a ball vs a poly where you feel like you have a decent chance of spinning it in.

 

[pvaudio]

100% positive that it's old Global. I own the real versions of both, and Unifibre is completely uniform in shape and color. Global looks really cheap and twiney like that does. This is what Unifibre really looks like:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showpost.php?p=5519788&postcount=592

The real stuff is much darker than what you have there, while Global is light like your stuff.

 

[pvaudio]

Yes, silver packages. I've read two different accounts on this board one claiming it is old Unifibre and the others saying like you that it is old Global. The common thread being "old"! I'm not sure how its put Global out of business if its Global gut...who sold it to him if not Global themselves? If they didn't want to be undercut by their own old product they should've burned it I guess.

Some package labels have portions marked out w/ black marker and others not. The labels read: Natural Gut, Length-6.5 mtr.X 2 Pcs., Gauge-16, COLOUR-NATURAL I've bought 5 packages total. The one 17g package the 16g is marked out and "17" is marked in red marker!...not confidence building as the package is sealed! I can post up a pic of the packaging if anyone cares.

I said effectively. When Global first came on the market, they were selling string for what was almost cents on the dollar (literally about a third of their current price). This guy on the bay bought truckloads at that time and is now reselling it in huge volumes for much less than Global themselves are charging. It would be like someone buying truckloads of VS gut back when it it was in the 30 dollar range and then selling it for less than Babolat is selling it today. It's still the same product, so why would you buy the current priced stuff?

 

[athiker]

100% positive that it's old Global. I own the real versions of both, and Unifibre is completely uniform in shape and color. Global looks really cheap and twiney like that does. This is what Unifibre really looks like:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showpost.php?p=5519788&postcount=592

The real stuff is much darker than what you have there, while Global is light like your stuff.

Yep the stuff I have definitely looks "twiney"...that was actually my first thought when I saw it. I have 3 more sets ...will see how they work out (traded one to someone who wanted to try it...they knew exactly what they were getting ). Going to put one in my Fischer next. At my breakage rate I should be good for the rest of the year!