should I loosen the string tension some more?

[Jessica]

My k pro tour is strung with wilson stamina that was initially strung at 54 lbs, which felt more like 65 lbs. The string is much looser now though. Anyways, I plan to restring when the string breaks, by which time I should be a much better tennis player.

I kinda customized the racket by putting guard tape over half the hoop, and the swingweight is much higher than before. But still not enough heft

Seeing that many people dislike the kpt due to its instability on off center shots, would it be reasonable to set the tension to 45 lbs? It would enlarge the sweetspot, provide more stability and make strokes more effortless.

btw, I realize that my next string will be much more forgiving, but I still plan to restring it at 45-48 lbs.

The racket is bloody good imo, but its very demanding. I'm afraid to use a western grip and 1hbh on this racket, so loosening the tension will make it much easier to use. I'm just looking for people to correct me if I'm wrong about this.

 

[Cenc]

well you can string it at around 50 maybe, it will be probably much easier for you to use
but it depends what string you want to use, you dont put the same tension if you choose multifilament, gut or poly, so u need to be more specific in what kind of strings you want to use
as far as i see you are not a complete beginner so there is no point that you try changing your shots (western forehand and 1hbh)
western forehand is extremely demanding and ur movement needs to be perfect for that as well as u need to have very fast wrist so its generally pointless

 

[ronalditop]

Jessica, what is the balance of your kpro tour?

 

[Jessica]

about 9 pts hl. funny thing. Adding lead to the head didn't really change the balance.

 

[phucng_10]

about 9 pts hl. funny thing. Adding lead to the head didn't really change the balance.

Where exactly is your lead tape placed? I think to change the balance would be 3o'clock and 9o'clock... or was it 12 and 6?

 

[Jessica]

3 and 9.

about 2 in x 1/2 in strips on each side.

 

[Cenc]

3 and 9.

about 2 in x 1/2 in strips on each side.

have u tried to put it at 10 and 2? if so how did u feel playing like that?

 

[ronalditop]

Maybe youre holding the racquet too low? i used to hold the racquet very low and the racquet felt really harsh and uncomfortable. Then a friend told me that it was wrong to hold it that low, so i started gripping it higher and it makes a great difference, it feels much more comfortable.

 

[phucng_10]

In your OP, you said that you were scared that switching from full Western to 1HBH would be too slow? Hmm, I think you should try it then. Well, I don't really use a 1HBH but when I get the chance to with my friends, going from a full Western to a 1HBH took me a split second (yes I'm over-exaggerating, lol). I'm serious though, it shouldn't be that long to switch from full West to 1HBH.

That's how I hold my racquet.

 

[Cup8489]

In your OP, you said that you were scared that switching from full Western to 1HBH would be too slow? Hmm, I think you should try it then. Well, I don't really use a 1HBH but when I get the chance to with my friends, going from a full Western to a 1HBH took me a split second (yes I'm over-exaggerating, lol). I'm serious though, it shouldn't be that long to switch from full West to 1HBH.

That's how I hold my racquet.

you shouldn't have to switch at all, as full western forehand is the same as eastern 1hbh, which is the most prominent 1hbh grip...

 

[Jessica]

have u tried to put it at 10 and 2? if so how did u feel playing like that?

10 and 2 would make the swingweight higher and the racket less maneuverable, which would be unfavorable. From what I see, 3 and 9 seems the best way to improve heft and stability without sacrificing much maneuverability.

 

[fuzz nation]

Personally, certain tension in a racquet with a certain string gives me the right feel so that I can tell what's happening when I hit the ball. Loose multifiber can make the racquet feel like an uncontrollable slingshot while really tight string that's more durable (like Stamina) can make it feel like the sweetspot is no bigger than a dime. Clunk! Feel is a subjective issue, but if it's wrong for you, it can be tough to make your racquet click the way you want it to.

There's no specific setup that's right or wrong - there's simply the setup that's comfortable for you. The tricky part is finding it. If you restring with the same string, I'd say drop tension by maybe 4-6 lbs., but if you switch to softer stuff, I'd consider keeping the same tension or only going 2-3 lbs. lower. While conventional wisdom might say that lower tension will be more forgiving, you may also hate the feel if it gets too mushy.

I understand that string jobs cost money, but if you can afford to try a couple of different layouts over several weeks instead of waiting for your strings to break, you may get your racquet dialed in a lot more quickly once you try it with a couple of different setups. I'm spoiled because I string my own racquets, but a few of them were really tough to get squared away and needed a couple of attempts to get right.

 

[Jessica]

Personally, certain tension in a racquet with a certain string gives me the right feel so that I can tell what's happening when I hit the ball. Loose multifiber can make the racquet feel like an uncontrollable slingshot while really tight string that's more durable (like Stamina) can make it feel like the sweetspot is no bigger than a dime. Clunk! Feel is a subjective issue, but if it's wrong for you, it can be tough to make your racquet click the way you want it to.

There's no specific setup that's right or wrong - there's simply the setup that's comfortable for you. The tricky part is finding it. If you restring with the same string, I'd say drop tension by maybe 4-6 lbs., but if you switch to softer stuff, I'd consider keeping the same tension or only going 2-3 lbs. lower. While conventional wisdom might say that lower tension will be more forgiving, you may also hate the feel if it gets too mushy.

I understand that string jobs cost money, but if you can afford to try a couple of different layouts over several weeks instead of waiting for your strings to break, you may get your racquet dialed in a lot more quickly once you try it with a couple of different setups. I'm spoiled because I string my own racquets, but a few of them were really tough to get squared away and needed a couple of attempts to get right.

ur right. I have 3 very different rackets. When I just swing them around, I can't find any significance in terms of swingweight. But when I play with them, the string becomes the biggest factor.