Starting mains for symmetrical string bed tension.

[malagabee]

@malagabee
EDIT: In the video you posted in post #6 I would consider the drawback (and tension loss) to be excessive and I would be trying to find out how to resolve it.

Wes has sent me a video of 3 ways to start the mains and I’m able to follow and got matching tension left to right on the 1st 3 mains. So I’m happy to see all these different methods and go for ones that I feel will get me the best result so thank you for all your YouTube videos u r doing God’s work.

 

[malagabee]

@Rabbit In your opinion how far do you think the clamps are drawing back? Watch at about 2 minutes. It looks like the clamp draws back the width of the 1st tooth.

EDIT: On my Babolat (and your’s) that’s about 7 mm Or a little over 1/4”. He may as well be using flying clamps.

I just rewatched at 2 minute mark and did see the base lifting off the rails. I’d recommend he look into adjusting his base so it won’t lift during drawback. May not be possible but worth looking into. Sorry if I’m overthinking too much. I’m just a home stringer and I’m in no hurry.

 

[Irvin]

Any drawback i saw was eliminated on the next pull.

Not sure where this random number of 10 pounds comes from.

Oh, wait. Yes, actually i do.

Question for you. Is it important to keep your crosses straight while stringing? If you don’t how much tension do you think can be lost?

 

[Rabbit]

@Rabbit In your opinion how far do you think the clamps are drawing back? Watch at about 2 minutes. It looks like the clamp draws back the width of the 1st tooth.

EDIT: On my Babolat (and your’s) that’s about 7 mm Or a little over 1/4”. He may as well be using flying clamps.

Sorry, but I don't see anything out of the norm with those clamps, certainly nothing to suggest they are the equivalent of flying clamps. @malagabee , I don't see the base lifting off the rails excessively. And like @struggle what I see in lost tension is reclaimed on the next pull just like when I string on the Mighty Sensor.

 

[Rabbit]

@Irvin - just an FYI, keeping crosses straight is the #1 detail @Richard Parnell stresses when teaching stringing. In his own words, the outside mains require attention, but the crosses should be as straight as possible and require no adjustment. Now the affect can be debated, but when @Richard Parnell says it, I'll listen and follow.

 

[Irvin]

Any drawback i saw was eliminated on the next pull.

Watch the video at about 2:35. Do you think all 7 mm drawback was removed?

 

[Irvin]

Sorry, but I don't see anything unnormal with those clamps, certainly nothing to suggest they are the equivalent of flying clamps.

My composite clamps on my X-STRINGER will not twist back 7 mm. Less with my Claws.

 

[struggle]

Question for you. Is it important to keep your crosses straight while stringing? If you don’t how much tension do you think can be lost?

Unsure, but since i try to keep them straight i eliminate as much loss as possible as any decent stringer would.

If i said "10 pounds" it would purely be a guess.

The idea is to minimize.

 

[Rabbit]

@Irvin - I think this is much ado about nothing. The Babolat Racquet Station is one of the best machines in the world. From a technical standpoint, it's probably better than the Star series or the Sensor when taken in total. First, I don't know how you came up with 7mm or 10 pounds and really don't care. Overall, the machine -- with all its perceived faults -- will produce a world class string job given an operator with adequate experience. I'm simply not going to get into a hypothetical which then turns ad hominem.

As a former user of Babolat clamps, can you really even pretend to believe that any flying clamp is their equal? I certainly wouldn't pretend to. And, yes, I've used flying clamps.

 

[Irvin]

I think this is much ado about nothing. The Babolat Racquet Station is one of the best machines in the world.

I never said it wasn’t. I’m suggesting the drawback is excessive. Even the best of machine requires maintenance.

First, I don't know how you came up with 7mm or 10 pounds and really don't care.

I came up with 7 mm because that is the wide of the outer teeth on my Star 5. I believe those clamps are the same clamps as the ones on your Sensor. Measure them.

it has been said on this forum that not straightening you crosses can cause up to a 6 or 7 pound tension difference. I don believe that but it doesn’t matter. Most rackets cross are greater than 24 cm wide which means the cross the the center out is 12 cm long. Using basic trig that means the Angle of deflection would be less than 5 degrees so when I straighten the string with no deflection the string would be less than 0.5/ mm shorter. If 0.5 mm equates to 6-7 lbs how much do you believe 7 mm would be?

As a former user of Babolat clamps, can you really even pretend to believe that any flying clamp is their equal?

I believe my Claws can hold a string as good as any fixed clamp. But there is more to a Babolat clamp than just the clamp. That clamps fits into a base that hold the bottom of the clamp into position. Take you clamps out of the base and see how well it holds.

 

[Rabbit]

@Irvin

 

[Rabbit]

@Irvin @struggle @Dags check out the video in post 12, about 1:54 in. If that isn't a 10 - 11 mm move, I don't know what is!

 

[malagabee]

Poor smitti at Mains and Xs not here to explain himself. Maybe just have to take more time and be more precise with the base position before locking the base and clamp. If the clamp post isn’t exactly 90 degrees vs the strings before locking the base, more twist and drawback will happen imho. And it happens on my cheap machine for sure. Other than that instance of the base lifting slightly in that video I don’t see other instances. So it maybe more to do with the user than the machine in that video.

 

[Irvin]

@Irvin @struggle @Dags check out the video in post 12, about 1:54 in. If that isn't a 10 - 11 mm move, I don't know what is!

That was less than the width of the first tooth so it must be less than 7 mm. I'll make you a video so you my new normal.

 

[Rabbit]

That was less than the width of the first tooth so it must be less than 7 mm. I'll make you a video so you my new normal.

@Irvin what I saw there was more than that and more than anything on the Racquet Station, but have it as you will. (And no video, please.)

 

[Dags]

@Irvin @struggle @Dags check out the video in post 12, about 1:54 in. If that isn't a 10 - 11 mm move, I don't know what is!

Is that the part where the stringer in the video releases the clamp before the base? Must be practicing for when he gets some gravity release clamps.

Have you tried those on your new machine, @Irvin ? I know you don't like the idea, but wondered if your opinion would remain once you'd given them a whirl. Those Xpider clamps and bases do look nice.

 

[Irvin]

My new normal for drawback on the second amd ninth mains. I did lubricate the string that goes through the grommet and knot so it would cinch up better.

Prestige 18x20 at 54 lbs Lux 4G 125 with 10% knot

 

[Irvin]

Here is another racket with HDX Tour at 54#

 

[Folsom_Stringer_Musa]

Here is another racket with HDX Tour at 54#

The drawbacks in your Tourna is way less than your old Star 5.

 

[Folsom_Stringer_Musa]

@ivin what I saw there was more than that and more than anything on the Racquet Station, but have it as you will. (And no video, please.)

@Irvin got new toy. New toy means new videos!

 

[Irvin]

The drawbacks in your Tourna is way less than your old Star 5.

The drawback on the Tourna is way less than any machine I ever strung on.

 

[struggle]

What we all need to get past is the fact that if *%#£€ says it’s true, then in his mind it is the word of the lord, so to speak. Now, having said that, the word will change next week just as it did last week. Reminds me of the practices of the primary religious cult in the western world.

 

[tennisbike]

• Trust a device to measure or correlate the properties from one string to another. Data/evidences are always more trustworthy than opinions or theories.
• (thus by pinging/measuring the tone or measuring strings) one can still "walk" or "tune" the tension from one to another by pressing down on the individual strings. This works better on say Kev. than syn. gut, because Kev can slip easier through the grommets. (observed by SM and pitch) I observed that Parnell does that on video clips (during stringing not after completing all the whole main strings.)

 

[fapostolis]

Does any one check the string frequency by pulling them with your fingers after stringing the 1st few mains to make sure they match in sound frequency left vs right? I've been trying different starting methods to try and get the sound frequency to match especially the 1st 2 mains at least. For example I've seen people pulling the 1st right main with the clamp on 1st left main against the frame on opposite end vs. some people who clamps the 1st left main say 5 inches below the frame before pulling tension on 1st right main. Then once he's done clamping off the 1st right main, he doesn't pull tension on the 1st left main and instead thread the string through the 2nd left grommet holes and pulls tension on the 2nd left string. I can't help to think that this double pulling or 1 and a half pulling is an issue with matching up the tension left to right. I understand why people may want to stagger the initial position of the clamps so they don't jam into each other. Just wonder what stringers think of this?

Then how about the Run Yu method? Is it a good way to create the best matching (symmetrical) tension bed?

One point for Ron Yu starting mains. I found this method works best for me.

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

 

[malagabee]

One point for Ron Yu starting mains. I found this method works best for me.

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

Cant follow it the video is too blurry

 

[Wes]

One point for Ron Yu starting mains. I found this method works best for me.

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

There is nothing wrong with the method used, in this particular video, for starting the mains.
However, I would not recommend tensioning 4 mains on one side, then all 8 mains on the opposite side, etc. etc.

 

[fapostolis]

There is nothing wrong with the method used, in this particular video, for starting the mains.
However, I would not recommend tensioning 4 mains on one side, then all 8 mains on the opposite side, etc. etc.

the first string pulled is on the right side.
Then 4 one the left side and finally 7 on the right side.This is how Ron does Federer’s mains . And it’s only used when I string 16 mains.

 

[Irvin]

the first string pulled is on the right side.
Then 4 one the left side and finally 7 on the right side.

He does pull 7 on the right but he gets 4 mains ahead on that right side. I doubt that is how Ron Yu strings Roger Federer’s rackets.

 

[fapostolis]

He does pull 7 on the right but he gets 4 mains ahead on that right side. I doubt that is how Ron Yu strings Roger Federer’s rackets.

Well this is exactly how it does the mains. Check the video At 12’45” puts a new frame on. It’s a wonderfull video.

 

[Irvin]

@fapostolis thanks for the link

 

[jim e]

Well this is exactly how it does the mains. Check the video At 12’45” puts a new frame on. It’s a wonderfull video.

@fapostolis thanks for the link

I noticed that he mounted the head of racquet where the throat end on machine is marked. On both the 1st racquet and the second one as well.
I guess I never gave it much thought as if racquet can be mounted backwards or not, so from this video, I guess it doesn't make much difference, but why then do manufacturer of machines label a head end and throat end??

 

[fapostolis]

I noticed that he mounted the head of racquet where the throat end on machine is marked. On both the 1st racquet and the second one as well.
I guess I never gave it much thought as if racquet can be mounted backwards or not, so from this video, I guess it doesn't make much difference, but why then do manufacturer of machines label a head end and throat end??

He mentioned in the past that the base of the machine was damaged from a transportation.Anyway doesn’t make any difference. I have the same machine and it’s equal on both sides.

 

[jim e]

My machine is equal on both ends as well, but curious as to why machine manufacturer actually labels head end and throat end to mount racquet since equal distance on both ends.

 

[LOBALOT]

The Alpha Ghost 2 also has it labeled for which end is the head vs. the throat. I have also wondered why as it appears to be symmetrical (returning to the theme!!!!).

 

[Stefanm]

The Alpha Ghost 2 also has it labeled for which end is the head vs. the throat. I have also wondered why as it appears to be symmetrical (returning to the theme!!!!).

The rubber bumpers on my ghost with the orientations have fallen off so many times, I‘m not sure what the original orientation was supposed to be.

 

[LOBALOT]

The rubber bumpers on my ghost with the orientations have fallen off so many times, I‘m not sure what the original orientation was supposed to be.

I stopped putting them back and tossed them in a drawer. They have fixed this with the latest version as I saw on a previous post by someone who purchased one recently.

 

[fapostolis]

Well I think that on some Babolat machines may have a sense. On models like 3001 and upwards if I’m not wrong the Diablo goes up to be in perfect line with the racquet. But when you turn the base and the throat is from the side of the Diablo it doesn’t go up because it will hit the handle of the racquet.

 

[Ryebread]

Guys. What is the verdict? I’ve gone back and forth with this. And there seems to be many acceptable options.
What is the best one?

 

[Irvin]

Guys. What is the verdict? I’ve gone back and forth with this. And there seems to be many acceptable options.
What is the best one?

The one that’s easy for you that you can live with. There is no best method.