Should I ask them to restring it?

[Breakaz54z]

So along with my new stringer I mentioned in the other thread, I got a string meter too. I had my PS Tour 95 restrung on Monday cause I felt there was too much string movement. When I checked the tension tonight, it ranged from 25 to 30 lbs! I requested 56. The thing is, I was sitting outside in the cold of about 20 degrees F for a good 15 minutes or so waiting for the bus with my racket bare naked in the cold. Would that have ruined the tension? Should I ask the stringer to restring them since they're so off? I could just restring it myself but I did pay for him to do it.

I find it strange because I've walked in the cold for a little while before with my other rackets in my bag along with the Tour 95 and they have relatively little tension loss. My bag isn't thermal insulated or anything either. What do you think?

 

[racquet_jedi]

So along with my new stringer I mentioned in the other thread, I got a string meter too. I had my PS Tour 95 restrung on Monday cause I felt there was too much string movement. When I checked the tension tonight, it ranged from 25 to 30 lbs! I requested 56. The thing is, I was sitting outside in the cold of about 20 degrees F for a good 15 minutes or so waiting for the bus with my racket bare naked in the cold. Would that have ruined the tension? Should I ask the stringer to restring them since they're so off? I could just restring it myself but I did pay for him to do it.

I find it strange because I've walked in the cold for a little while before with my other rackets in my bag along with the Tour 95 and they have relatively little tension loss. My bag isn't thermal insulated or anything either. What do you think?

If it really was at 25-30 lbs, I would probably ask why it was so loose...

 

[Breakaz54z]

Yeah it really is the weirdest thing. Some parts of the racket near the edge hit 40 or 50 lbs. It's mostly at the sweet spot that is in the 20-30s. I just checked now. I get consistent readings all over on my other racket that was strung at home back in December.

 

[YULitle]

Yeah it really is the weirdest thing. Some parts of the racket near the edge hit 40 or 50 lbs. It's mostly at the sweet spot that is in the 20-30s. I just checked now. I get consistent readings all over on my other racket that was strung at home back in December.

Oh k. Let's start here. String meters do not give you tension. They are only close to reading reference tension immediately after the racquet is strung. ALSO, the readings will ALWAYS be higher on the edges of the face near the frame than they are near the sweet spot.

Now, if you always check with this meter and only now has it been different, then you have an issue worth complaining to them about. And I would. But I doubt very highly that your limited time in the weather did this.

 

[jazar]

whoever strung it could have had loose clamps and therefore some string slippage

 

[Stan]

Hard telling. It sounds like you are a youthful person with a primitive tension meter and no real idea how to use it or interpret the readings. If the stringer is good he will be able to provide measurements and maybe educate you on how to use the tool you have acquired. It is also possible the stringer stinks. Not enough data here.

 

[Breakaz54z]

Oh k. Let's start here. String meters do not give you tension. They are only close to reading reference tension immediately after the racquet is strung. ALSO, the readings will ALWAYS be higher on the edges of the face near the frame than they are near the sweet spot.

Now, if you always check with this meter and only now has it been different, then you have an issue worth complaining to them about. And I would. But I doubt very highly that your limited time in the weather did this.

Thank you for clearing that up. That does make a lot of sense that the tensions would be higher at the edge of the frame.. less movement therefore more stiffness. I just got this meter yesterday evening so I have no previous reference. My other two rackets that were strung at the beginning of the year or earlier all gave a reading of around 50 lbs. Those two were strung at difference stringers.

Hard telling. It sounds like you are a youthful person with a primitive tension meter and no real idea how to use it or interpret the readings. If the stringer is good he will be able to provide measurements and maybe educate you on how to use the tool you have acquired. It is also possible the stringer stinks. Not enough data here.

Depends on your definition of youthful but yes I'm still fairly young. My experience in stringing is literally hours old I finished my first string job last night if that gives you any indication on my stringing experience.

Two of my rackets were strung two months or longer ago. The one in question is the one that was strung Monday. I measured all of them at the center which gave consistent readings of around 50 lbs, except the newly strung one. That one measures at around 30 lbs.

Also, the stringer is at the indoor tennis center on campus. I just looked him up now and he, or whoever does the most stringing, isn't certified nor a MRT. I guess there's my answer!

 

[YULitle]

I just looked him up now and he, or whoever does the most stringing, isn't certified nor a MRT. I guess there's my answer!

Not necessarily, but it doesn't help.

 

[Breakaz54z]

Not necessarily, but it doesn't help.

You mean it does help? True again.. I just woke up. I could've strung my racket last night and gotten it close to the tension that I wanted. Obviously I'm not certified.

 

[jonolau]

Bear in mind that all strings will lose tension within an hour of post-stringing. Polys can lose anywhere between 17-24 lbs of tension. Nylon anywhere between 15-26lbs (this includes monofilaments, synthetic guts, PSGD types etc). Kevlar 7-14lbs.

To put it very simply, when any material is tensioned and stretched, they will elongate and this will alter it's tensile strength and elasticity.

I wouldn't bother too much about measurement with a tension tester. As a stringer, I only use it IMMEDIATELY after stringing as a point of reference and not the absolute tension reading.

The most important tension measurement is to ensure that the stringing machine is calibrated.

 

[iplaybetter]

So along with my new stringer I mentioned in the other thread, I got a string meter too. I had my PS Tour 95 restrung on Monday cause I felt there was too much string movement. When I checked the tension tonight, it ranged from 25 to 30 lbs! I requested 56. The thing is, I was sitting outside in the cold of about 20 degrees F for a good 15 minutes or so waiting for the bus with my racket bare naked in the cold. Would that have ruined the tension? Should I ask the stringer to restring them since they're so off? I could just restring it myself but I did pay for him to do it.

I find it strange because I've walked in the cold for a little while before with my other rackets in my bag along with the Tour 95 and they have relatively little tension loss. My bag isn't thermal insulated or anything either. What do you think?

if anything the cold should have made it tighter

 

[Steve Huff]

You are forgetting the objective here--how does it play?

 

[Ljubicic for number1]

You are forgetting the objective here--how does it play?

It is going to play crap regardless now because its in his head that the string job is no good.

If its thats far off the desired tension it will be plain to see and feel by hand, no tension meter device would be needed. I am thinking the tension tester/testing technique is the problem here.

 

[vince916]

My stringer uses this thing where it has this "circular foot" that presses down on the sweet spot of the racquet to measure string tension. Depending on those lbs is when I decide to restring.

Does anyone know what im talking about?

 

[YULitle]

My stringer uses this thing where it has this "circular foot" that presses down on the sweet spot of the racquet to measure string bed stiffness. Depending on those lbs is when I decide to restring.

Does anyone know what im talking about?

I fixed it for you.

 

[Valjean]

So along with my new stringer I mentioned in the other thread, I got a string meter too. I had my PS Tour 95 restrung on Monday cause I felt there was too much string movement. When I checked the tension tonight, it ranged from 25 to 30 lbs! I requested 56..... Should I ask the stringer to restring them since they're so off? I could just restring it myself but I did pay for him to do it.?

You should ask the stringer about the tension first, saying, as you have, that your other racquets reflect higher values using the device. Stringmeters don't get a lot of love on this board, yet it's seldom said the string values they get are at least no more arbitrary than their more expensive counterparts. Because you now have other racquet measurements to hand, you have the comparison(s) you need to buttress your case, and open the discussion with that stringer. A few small points, too: there will always be a distinction between pulled, or reference, tension and the tension in a strung racquet--called actual tension--even if just off a machine; your Stringmeter instructions and Stringmeter's web site can elucidate it. Also, as jonolau said, don't expect different strings to behave the same, on the racquet and off it, when stringing! Finally--since you string yourself you have a right to know--your outer strings don't *have* to be tighter than the more central ones; it's a matter of technique, and so, choice, how you pull tension, and a technique called proportional stringing grants you a reprieve that way. Good luck!