One-piece vs. two-piece?

[Tennis Is Magic]

I recently tried stringing one-piece for the first time. At first it was annoying tto measure short side string, but the second time, I found to be considerably easier. As I never play hybrids, I'm considering doing one piece exclusively to reduce how much string I use from reels (I'm using about 2 feet less than with two-piece), it saved me about 4-5 minutes off my normal time, and two fewer knots is 2 fewer possible knots that will come undone when the racquet is hit with. What is the downside to stringing one-piece, aside from wasting the whole length of string if you misweave or pull a knot too hard and break it?

 

[jim e]

I recently tried stringing one-piece for the first time. At first it was annoying tto measure short side string, but the second time, I found to be considerably easier. As I never play hybrids, I'm considering doing one piece exclusively to reduce how much string I use from reels (I'm using about 2 feet less than with two-piece), it saved me about 4-5 minutes off my normal time, and two fewer knots is 2 fewer possible knots that will come undone when the racquet is hit with. What is the downside to stringing one-piece, aside from wasting the whole length of string if you misweave or pull a knot too hard and break it?

Over all the years and racquets strung, I never had a knot come untied, so if you learn a decent knot, that is really a non issue.
Some racquets like Head preformance racquets specifically call for 2 piece stringing only. Many other racquets are to be strung with the cross strings top down, and to do that on some racquets it takes an ATW pattern to do that which is no big deal.
That said, I string most racquets as 2 piece as many string jobs are hybrids, racquets like Head recommendations, and I string a lot of nat. gut and with 2 pieces you handeling the string less with 2 piece.It also keeps things consistant as they are all done the same way.
For a good % is comes down to preference as both get the job done.Stringing from a reel, you will always have a worthless piece of string at the end anyways.

 

[Azk]

From reading the forum, I saw that one thing someone mentioned is that its easier to deal with two piece of 20ft string compared to like 10ft of string for the short side and having 30 ft of string for the rest.

My machine should be coming tomorrow (Gamma 200) and I think I will stick with the one piece method for a bit since I'll be following Klippermates site on how to string and tie off my racket.

 

[esgee48]

The Klippermate site adheres to the recommendations of the manufacturer. For example, I looked up the spec for the Pure Drive. Their instructions specify 2 piece indirectly or at least ATW since the crosses must be top down. Mains tie off at hole 6 at the throat. Start Cross at hole 8 at top. Think about the implications. It's 2 piece.

 

[4sound]

1st thing is that it depends on the racket. Head recommends 2 piece. I believe this is due to the closeness of some of the holes between main and cross. If you're doing 1 piece with this type of pattern, it puts a lot of stress at the corners of the frame.

Other than that, I think it's personal preference. One note: for almost all rackets I've done 1 piece, I've strung the crosses from the top down since it puts less stress on the frame.

 

[BigT]

Stick with 2-piece and you'lll be fine. I have never had a knot come undone.

 

[aussie]

2 piece is the only way to go. No extra long peice of string to get warapped around your feet, and apart from hybrid jobs, you can tension the mains and crosses differently (which I always do). 4 knots are no problem - I use the double half hitch (starting knot for the first cross) and have never had a knot come undone. In fact, I really can't understand why anyone would string 1 piece - it has very little going for it imho.

 

[fortun8son]

I prefer not to string one-piece if I can avoid it. I don't like that long end hanging and I don't like stringing bottom up. I'll do it on a Prince or Dunlop etc that allows top down.
Some of the older, cheaper Wilsons have blocked hole problems when done two-piece, so I'll do the 'factory standard' I don't think they were expected to be hybrids anyway.
The savings with a reel amounts to maybe one more racquet.

 

[GlenK]

I follow the mfg recommendations. If it's optional I use two piece for all the reasons noted above.

 

[Irvin]

I very much prefer to string one piece. I use the long side to run the mains on the long side before I start pulling tension on the first string and this keeps the string up off the floor. It also makes stringing the racket much faster. I will sometimes use the short side (after all but two outside mains are tensioned) to run the short side outside main, a lower odd numbered cross (this makes the top and lower cross weave the same,) the long side outside main, and the top cross. I weave the short side tail but don't pull tension until I am done with the crosses. This also makes the long side string shorter and more manageable, and all but eliminates blocked holes.

The advantages are:
1) - You always string crosses top to bottom
2) - You never tie off an outside main
3) - 2 less knots to draw back
4) - Blocked holes almost eliminated

Irvin

 

[Tennis Is Magic]

My knots are good, just sometimes I try to cut knots too short for cosmetic reasons, I'm getting out of the habit of that, leaving about a quarter inch of string.

Stringing bottom to top is stressful on the frame? Will this break it? I've only done it once on each of my racquets so I'm sure it's a non-issue.

 

[jim e]

Stringing bottom to top is stressful on the frame? Will this break it? I've only done it once on each of my racquets so I'm sure it's a non-issue.

Yes it is stressful on the frame.
Yes it can cause breakage.
A lot depends on manufacturer, as some are okay with bottom up, and others like Head, Prince and Yonex are very specific on a # of their racquets to string top down only, and Head specifies to string many of their racquets as 2 piece only and ATW patterns, or box patterns are not even recommended.
Personally if I do string as 1 piece, even on manuf. that states bottom up is okay, I will still string top down using an ATW pattern, which I believe most stringers do as well.
Many of the manuf. that say it is okay to string bottom up as a 1 piece, also states to string 2 piece top down, as it is less stress on the racquet, so I just string all as top down if 1 or 2 piece.

 

[beernutz]

I recently tried stringing one-piece for the first time. At first it was annoying tto measure short side string, but the second time, I found to be considerably easier. As I never play hybrids, I'm considering doing one piece exclusively to reduce how much string I use from reels (I'm using about 2 feet less than with two-piece), it saved me about 4-5 minutes off my normal time, and two fewer knots is 2 fewer possible knots that will come undone when the racquet is hit with. What is the downside to stringing one-piece, aside from wasting the whole length of string if you misweave or pull a knot too hard and break it?

The magic number would appear to be 38' 9.8". If you can keep your average string length used per job under that you can do 17 stringings from a reel, however, if your average goes over that you get only 16. I suppose if stringing one piece helps you to keep your average under that number it would help you ensure that you always get 17 jobs/reel. Personally I always string two piece and always have gotten 17 jobs per reel.

I am like many other responders in that I like dealing with the shorter string lengths and knots are not a problem for me so I always string two piece.

 

[Austinthecity]

I very much prefer to string one piece. I use the long side to run the mains on the long side before I start pulling tension on the first string and this keeps the string up off the floor. It also makes stringing the racket much faster. I will sometimes use the short side (after all but two outside mains are tensioned) to run the short side outside main, a lower odd numbered cross (this makes the top and lower cross weave the same,) the long side outside main, and the top cross. I weave the short side tail but don't pull tension until I am done with the crosses. This also makes the long side string shorter and more manageable, and all but eliminates blocked holes.

The advantages are:
1) - You always string crosses top to bottom
2) - You never tie off an outside main
3) - 2 less knots to draw back
4) - Blocked holes almost eliminated

Irvin

I was looking into trying to string some of my rackets 1piece. The last time I did this, I used Prince's - so obviously it was a lot easier...

I just watched your ATW video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyL_T7L_ouc and have a few questions.

First, one of your main premises on why you do this is to avoid tying off on the outside mains. I understand that tying knots results in a bit of tension loss. However, instead - you end up weaving the outside mains through the crosses. Doesn't weaving these two strings also result in tension loss? I've heard that because of weaving crosses, they can be pulled 10-20 pounds less than the mains.

Second, is this a standard ATW pattern or just one that you came up with? Now that I have a Yonex (and string Wilsons and Babs) I am interested in trying some 1piece stringing.

Lastly, is this a basic pattern that works on almost all rackets, or just Wilsons? I know that some rackets overlap their mains/crosses more (for example Bab/Yonex only overlaps 1) so would you have to change the pattern for said rackets?

Thanks in advance,
Austin

 

[Donny0627]

my main reassoning for using 2 piece is that it is just less string to deal with at a time...

 

[Irvin]

I was looking into trying to string some of my rackets 1piece. The last time I did this, I used Prince's - so obviously it was a lot easier...

If the Prince racket has O Ports on the side I always use a two piece 50/50 pattern. If your mains end at the head of the racket I string the top cross with the short side and hold it with a starting clamp and do not tie off until all the other crosses are strung. That way the string bed is stiffer and there is very very little drawback if any.

I just watched your ATW video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyL_T7L_ouc and have a few questions.

First, one of your main premises on why you do this is to avoid tying off on the outside mains. I understand that tying knots results in a bit of tension loss. However, instead - you end up weaving the outside mains through the crosses. Doesn't weaving these two strings also result in tension loss? I've heard that because of weaving crosses, they can be pulled 10-20 pounds less than the mains

I don't use that method any more. See my description in post #10 of this thread for my newer method. If you wait until the end to weave the outside mains and the second cross you have three hard weaves and I don't like that. I don't think there is any way the crosses are 10-20 lower than the mains unless you drop the tension. I am not sure what you mean by "weaving these two strings" I don't ever double pull strings.

Second, is this a standard ATW pattern or just one that you came up with? Now that I have a Yonex (and string Wilsons and Babs) I am interested in trying some 1piece stringing.

Lastly, is this a basic pattern that works on almost all rackets, or just Wilsons? I know that some rackets overlap their mains/crosses more (for example Bab/Yonex only overlaps 1) so would you have to change the pattern for said rackets?

Thanks in advance,
Austin

Both the method in the video and the one in Post #10 are ATW patterns I came up with but the one in the video is very similar to the 'diredesire' pattern although I had not seen his pattern when I started using mine.

If your mains end at the head of the racket there is never a need to use an ATW pattern (most of the time.) If your mains end at the throat of the racket you have a choice of stringing your crosses bottom to top or using an ATW pattern and stringing the crosses top to bottom if you don't use 2 piece stringing. Manufacturers often do not recommend 1 piece stringing but it is your racket. I happen to like 1 piece.

Hope that helps.

Irvin

 

[kimbahpnam]

i believe 2 piece has less tension loss.

 

[fortun8son]

Some strings also have extreme coil memory which can make one piece a nightmare unless you pre-string then pull as Irvin suggests.

 

[Steve Huff]

Why would 2 piece have LESS tension loss? Most of your tension loss is tying off the knots. With 2 piece, you have twice as many knots as a 1 piece.

I use an ATW pattern where you tie off the top and bottom crosses. But, I have hard weaves. I don't mind this, although it may slow down the weaving a bit. Just my preference.

 

[Tennis Is Magic]

Why would 2 piece have LESS tension loss? Most of your tension loss is tying off the knots. With 2 piece, you have twice as many knots as a 1 piece.

I use an ATW pattern where you tie off the top and bottom crosses. But, I have hard weaves. I don't mind this, although it may slow down the weaving a bit. Just my preference.

How do you do an ATW pattern? I've just been stringing throat-up.

 

[4sound]

There a lot of different ATW patterns. I think it depends on the frame which one works best because of where you go from main to cross.

BTW: Its typically not a good to string crosses from the bottom up because it puts more stress on the hoop.

 

[Irvin]

How do you do an ATW pattern? I've just been stringing throat-up.

Look at Post #10 and #14 of this thread

Irvin

 

[jswinf]

I very much prefer to string one piece. I use the long side to run the mains on the long side before I start pulling tension on the first string and this keeps the string up off the floor. It also makes stringing the racket much faster. I will sometimes use the short side (after all but two outside mains are tensioned) to run the short side outside main, a lower odd numbered cross (this makes the top and lower cross weave the same,) the long side outside main, and the top cross. I weave the short side tail but don't pull tension until I am done with the crosses. This also makes the long side string shorter and more manageable, and all but eliminates blocked holes.

The advantages are:
1) - You always string crosses top to bottom
2) - You never tie off an outside main
3) - 2 less knots to draw back
4) - Blocked holes almost eliminated

Irvin

I really enjoy and appreciate Irvin's posts, tips, and videos, but this is one time I'm just thinking, "that guy is so much better at stringing that me it's amazing." Like when your tennis opponent beats you with a great shot and you think "that was just too good."

I like 2-piece because I can understand it.