Should I put the gut in the mains or the crosses?

[racketcollector]

Considering trying my 1st hybrid. I'm definitely using ALU Power 16l with VS Team Gut (1.22mm). Anyone already have an opinion how this might play in a Head Prestige frame with the gut in the mains/luxilon in the crosses versus the luxilon in the mains/VS in the crosses? I'm assuming the thin gut in the mains wont last as long, but may provide better feel. Opinions? Thanks!

 

[Gaines Hillix]

Have you ever used nat gut or ALU alone? 80% of the playing characteristics of the string job come from what is in the mains. Nat gut is much softer and more powerful than ALU. You should let your preferance for how you like the stringbed to feel be your guide. If you like a firm feeling stringbed but want to soften it up a little then go with the ALU in the mains. If you like gut, but want to firm it up a bit for better control, the use gut in the mains and ALU in the crosses.

 

[andfor]

Don't do it unless you have alot of money to waste.

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=29057

 

[fedex27]

depends

if you tend to break strings frequently then put the gut it the crosses. i play with the bb alu power in the mains and xcel premium in the cross. i believe safin recently switched to bb in mains and gut in crosses. i suggest that.

 

[TripleB]

With gut in the mains, the feel will be much softer but it will not last as long. I went with poly mains/natural gut crosses in my brand new racquets because I need the poly for durability and am trying to use the natural gut crosses to soften up the string bed. A multi or synthetic gut would probably do the job just as well in the crosses but I've always wanted to have some natural gut in my racquet. I figure this is the way I can get it to last the longest and make the price seem affordable.

TripleB

 

[SW Stringer]

How about trying gut in the mains & crosses using the "Sweet Spot Hybrid Stringing" technique. It uses a half coil of gut with ATW techniques to put the center mains and center crosses (as much of that area that a half coil can fill) and a cheap synthetic filler (again using ATW) for the rest of the unfilled mains and crosses. It can be done in two pieces. You end up with a full gut job in the spot where you're supposed to hit the ball anyway. Starting clamps and/or flying clamps make the job much easier.

 

[PrestigeClassic]

I have the same string and same racket. With a gut that sweet and hard to come by, I'd put it in the mains and make sure I really feel every sweet hit until it breaks. Otherwise, you could probably put any old Wilson or VS gut in 1.25 in the crosses and not feel a difference since most of the stringbed's feel comes from the mains. It should be said: I'm not a string-breaker in dense patterns anyway. Still, you wouldn't want it fraying and snapping prematurely in the crosses, which is what happens sometimes when you have a hard string like poly in the mains digging into a multifilament/gut cross, especially one that is so thin. But, hey, you could try it both ways since you probably have one full set, right?

 

[PrestigeClassic]

How about trying gut in the mains & crosses using the "Sweet Spot Hybrid Stringing" technique. It uses a half coil of gut with ATW techniques to put the center mains and center crosses (as much of that area that a half coil can fill) and a cheap synthetic filler (again using ATW) for the rest of the unfilled mains and crosses. It can be done in two pieces. You end up with a full gut job in the spot where you're supposed to hit the ball anyway. Starting clamps and/or flying clamps make the job much easier.

Ingenious. Have you played it? That'll teach you to hit the sweet spot!

 

[Jerry Seinfeld]

SW,

Interesting approach. Can you tell us more? What are the advantages for the hybrid discussed in this thread? Seems like a good method for driving down the cost of a string job. I would hypothesize that the string of choice would work good in the center and the outside strings would make sense as an inexpensive synthetic gut since in theory they wouldn't be used much. What hybrids have you tried? What results have you observed?

Thank you for sharing.

 

[Steve Huff]

SW Stringer's approach in theory is not bad. I've strung rackets with 2 different strings (different colors) as a teaching tool to show the hitting area to a youngster. On a practical side, you have long areas of string on the outside of the frame at virtually every corner (2,10,4,8) and at 3,9. You're leaving a lot of string area to get damaged by abrasion. Some would even argue that you'll get a slightly inconsistent response off the string (main or cross) next to one of those longer areas on the outside of the frame due to less friction at the holes (note that there's only a 90 degree turn instead of a 180, so with less friction, you get the elasticity of the long area too). But, it may be worth trying, if for no other reason than to satisfy you're curiosity. Good luck.

 

[NoBadMojo]

Racketcollector I suggest you tell us what you wish to accomplish with hybridding and what string you are using now and what you like about it and what you don't and then someone can post something most relevant to you. have a nice day.

 

[shissncg]

I have used the gut/alu power hybrid in my ncode 90s for a while now, it feels nice and has been suprisingly durable. I have used gut in the mains and the crosses and I prefer the feel of the gut in the mains. I would suggest doing one racquet each way to decide which feel you prefer.

 

[SW Stringer]

My first try at hybrid stringing was with the normal method where I put Bow Brand NG in the mains and Alpha Gut 2000 in the crosses. I was very impressed, it felt so much better than even an all Tecnifibre NRG2 17 string job - which I attribute mostly to the gut, which I had never used before. I used this combination twice. I played around with Global Gut to get an even less expensive string job - but my experience with GG wasn't a happy one - like most of the posts to this board concerning that product. My first two tries with the "Sweet Spot Hybrid Stringing" method used Babolat Tonic+ 16g in the sweet spot and Gosen OG-Sheep Micro 16/17 as the filler. My most recent SSHS uses Kirschbaum Touch Turbo in the sweet spot and Forten Comp Nylon 16 as the filler. As far as playability goes, the SSHS using Babolat was another quantum jump from the standard hybrid method, but it compares Bow Brand against Bab's NG so I have no scientific way of determining how much was due to the method versus how much was due to the different brands of gut. Intuitively though, the stringing method must be a major contributer.
To push cost down even further, my next experiments will be with 1/3 coils in the sweet spot - maybe six mains and 8 crosses - and cheap filler ( 2.5 cents per foot Forten) - this combo should provide significant feedback when you don't hit the sweetspot - an excellent training aid.
Of course the SSHS method isn't just limited to gut, one can try out virtually any "premium" string and get 90-95% of the playability benefit at a much reduced cost, even more so it you string for yourself.

 

[Gaines Hillix]

SW Stringer's approach in theory is not bad. I've strung rackets with 2 different strings (different colors) as a teaching tool to show the hitting area to a youngster. On a practical side, you have long areas of string on the outside of the frame at virtually every corner (2,10,4,8) and at 3,9. You're leaving a lot of string area to get damaged by abrasion. Some would even argue that you'll get a slightly inconsistent response off the string (main or cross) next to one of those longer areas on the outside of the frame due to less friction at the holes (note that there's only a 90 degree turn instead of a 180, so with less friction, you get the elasticity of the long area too). But, it may be worth trying, if for no other reason than to satisfy you're curiosity. Good luck.

I agree. I don't think most stringers are going to use this except out of curiosity. The reason stringers quit using the 50/50 method of stringing the crosses 1 piece was because of all of the string running around the outside of the frame.

 

[SW Stringer]

Gaines & Steve Huff say: "Originally Posted by Steve Huff
SW Stringer's approach in theory is not bad. I've strung rackets with 2 different strings (different colors) as a teaching tool to show the hitting area to a youngster. On a practical side, you have long areas of string on the outside of the frame at virtually every corner (2,10,4, and at 3,9. You're leaving a lot of string area to get damaged by abrasion. Some would even argue that you'll get a slightly inconsistent response off the string (main or cross) next to one of those longer areas on the outside of the frame due to less friction at the holes (note that there's only a 90 degree turn instead of a 180, so with less friction, you get the elasticity of the long area too). But, it may be worth trying, if for no other reason than to satisfy you're curiosity. Good luck.



I agree. I don't think most stringers are going to use this except out of curiosity. The reason stringers quit using the 50/50 method of stringing the crosses 1 piece was because of all of the string running around the outside of the frame."

What a resounding endorsement of the "SSHS" method!! But seriously, it got me brainstorming and I've come up with another whopper of an idea that will get the pooh poohers with (seemingly) an NIH attitude ( that's Not Invented Here) more to pooh pooh about.

Try this. Use that half coil of gut, hi-end multi, whatever high priced stuff you'd like to use but want to save some money on, still put it in the center mains, but slide the crosses up toward the tip of the racquet. Now the "hot stuff" is right where you need it to put some "umph" in your serves - near the tip of the racquet - plus the outside string virtually disappears at the head. And, depending on where the good stuff ends, the sweet spot contains the "dead filler" string (the location of which you can control when you string the racquet) so you can really swing out with less worry of the ball going long. Also the long runs at 4 and 8 are much less likely to scrape the court - and of course it's the cheap 3 cent per foot stuff anyway. If you're really worried put some head tape on it. Well that's it, be the first one on your block to seriously experiment - enjoy!

 

[gmlasam]

sw stringer,

would you post a pic of a racquet with your atw stringing?

 

[SW Stringer]

Pictures

Gmlasam, I'll see what I can do. - SW

 

[SW Stringer]

test of pictures

C:\My Documents\My Pictures\audacity_screenshot_zoom

 

[SW Stringer]

gmlasam, What's the trick to posting pictures? - SW

 

[gmlasam]

gmlasam, What's the trick to posting pictures? - SW

Well its usually best if you use your ISP has the place to upload your pic. Your ISP allows you to have a personal website where you can upload your pics using some kind of ftp proggy.

Geocities is pretty buggy, specially if you're using the free service. I'm guessing that is what you have?

Another way to post your pic without using your ISP is to sign up at one of those photo sharing sites like www.pbase.com

Once you upload your pic, you use the

tags.

For example:

 

[isell188]

I am trying my first hybrid in an O3 red

I had my O3 red strung today with Xcel prem 17 in the mains and VS gut in the crosses @ 62#. If anyone out there has tried the Xcel mains and VS crosses combo, please let me know!!!!!!!!!

 

[tedmeister]

I had my O3 red strung today with Xcel prem 17 in the mains and VS gut in the crosses @ 62#. If anyone out there has tried the Xcel mains and VS crosses combo, please let me know!!!!!!!!!

Strange combo you got. Should've gone straight to the VS mains as the excels aren't really more durable than natural gut. You're gonna lose a good amount of feel with your present set up. Did you have a chance to demo the O3 red with the premiere string on?

 

[isell188]

no, why is the premire string good?