String Breaking Question

[RERobbins]

I hit with the current rendition of the Yonex Ezone 98 and a hybrid setup with Luxilon Gut and Luxilon ALU Power Rough. The mains are at 56 and the crosses 54. I have two of these frames.

Roughly three months ago I hit for about an hour with a freshly strung racquet and when I pulled it from my bag a few days later I noticed that the gut had broken near a grommet on the top of the frame. It was the top cross strand. I had the racquet restrung and we assumed it was a bad batch of string.

I just had my racquets restrung and today, I pulled a frame from my bag that I hit with for the first time a week ago. I noticed that the strand of gut was broken. In this case, I had the gut on the mains and not the crosses. This time the string was broken in two places -- and both near the frame.

I don't even know for sure if it's the same frame since I have a pair. But to not have had problems like this at all and suddenly to have it crop up twice in the last few months is odd as hell.

The grommets look good.

The stringer has been stringing my racquets for a while and we've not had these problems -- and we don't with another older pair of Ezone DR 98s that I use with the same set up either.

Can there be some sort of frame defect other than a grommet issue?

I realize my mechanics could be a contributing factor and while I don't hit on center as much as I'd like, I don't tend to frame the ball either.

Color me confused.

 

[esgee48]

Could be strings, stringer or grommets. Have the stringer lube the grommet holes before he strings the NG. If the stringer is leaving marks/ghosts all over the NG, his clamps are too tight. He needs to clean them. If the strings are improperly stored, they could be too dry. Do you notice whether the stringer uses a starting knot or starting clamp? You can put unneccsary stress on NG if you do not do it right.

 

[RERobbins]

NG? I don't see marks/ghosts anywhere on the frame. The issue has been on one but not both frames, so I doubt there is an issue with the strings as the string sets were split, with half going to one frame and half to the other. I don't know about the use of a starting knot or clamp. I took the frame that had the problem earlier today to another stringer I respect and will see what happens when he sets things up to the same spec.

 

[RERobbins]

Oh wait, I see, NG as in natural gut. Got it.

 

[RERobbins]

And no marks or ghosting on the strings.

 

[jim e]

What can happen with ng is if you got a mishit , string may not snap when you have that shanked shot, but string is weakened, later you take racquet out of bag, and forgot that you shanked a shot on previous outing, and find a broken ng string near a grommet. It is easy to forget about a shanked serve that happened a few days back, as you were still hitting with that racquet, but string was stressed near grommet

To help avoid this issue, I place a very very small amount of a lubricant I use tri flow, on a small microfiber round brush and lube the grommet openings. This is extra work, but you will not find that surprise snap of ng when you go to take racquet out of bag. It does help, only downside to using this, is you will need to clean machine clamps real well when done, but it is worth it.
This use to happen to me a few years back , and some of my ng players I string for, as I string a decent amount of ng. Once I used the lube, I have never had that issue, and never had that issue come back to me from the others I string ng for.

I still tell all my ng hitters that string can snap in bag later but that would be from a player not cleanly hitting all the time, and mis hits can cause this.I really have not had that happen now in a long time.

 

[RERobbins]

That's fascinating. Is this something I can do on my own or does the stringer need to do that for me? When it comes time to restring, can I cut the strings out of my racquet and lube the grommet openings before the stringer does the work or should I just go over this with the stringer?

 

[RERobbins]

And do you think it's just a coincidence that this happened after the first time hitting following a restringing but not at other times?

 

[jim e]

That's fascinating. Is this something I can do on my own or does the stringer need to do that for me? When it comes time to restring, can I cut the strings out of my racquet and lube the grommet openings before the stringer does the work or should I just go over this with the stringer?

You can do it if you cut out the strings.
Or, you can ask the stringer to do it, but if you do it you will know it was done.
Just try it once and you will see.

 

[jim e]

And do you think it's just a coincidence that this happened after the first time hitting following a restringing but not at other times?

A mis hit can occur 1st time out, or at any time . Not all mis hits will cause a broken string, but it does happen and gut more sensitive to this.

 

[g4driver]

When I string NG mains & poly crosses, I tie the poly crosses off on poly crosses, not on the gut mains. Starting clamp and tie the top cross on the second, third, or fourth poly cross. The bottom cross is tied to another cross. Wilson set the standard in many of their frames, with tie-offs on a lot of frames at 11/12/13B. Shanked overheads and serves that hit a poly cross knot on a gut main will often snap the gut main prematurely. Been there done that.

Someone on here posted a picture of SW's stringing instructions at the US Open last year in a thread with some comments like "Use designated tie-offs" and "Don't enlarge my holes". That thread discusses the reasons many stringers use the method I use for tieing poly to poly. SW didn't want that done on her frames. But for a rec player, there is a reason it is done, and it's to try to prevent a shank on a poly knot from snapping an NG anchor string.

My premature NG snaps dropped noticeably when I stopped tieing poly crosses on NG mains.

 

[RERobbins]

A mis hit can occur 1st time out, or at any time . Not all mis hits will cause a broken string, but it does happen and gut more sensitive to this.

So you think this is just my poor luck? I’m really thrilled with how my racquets are set up and have been hitting with them this way for the bulk of the last year. I haven’t had any problems other than the two instances when NG snapped following an initial hour session after restringing. I assume 1.3 mm NG would be sturdier than 1.25.

 

[RERobbins]

When I string NG mains & poly crosses, I tie the poly crosses off on poly crosses, not on the gut mains. Starting clamp and tie the top cross on the second, third, or fourth poly cross. The bottom cross is tied to another cross. Wilson set the standard in many of their frames, with tie-offs on a lot of frames at 11/12/13B. Shanked overheads and serves that hit a poly cross knot on a gut main will often snap the gut main prematurely. Been there done that.
. . .
My premature NG snaps dropped noticeably when I stopped tieing poly crosses on NG mains.

I will look at this too. Is your approach similar if stringing poly mains and NG crosses?

 

[PKorda]

So you think this is just my poor luck? I’m really thrilled with how my racquets are set up and have been hitting with them this way for the bulk of the last year. I haven’t had any problems other than the two instances when NG snapped following an initial hour session after restringing. I assume 1.3 mm NG would be sturdier than 1.25.

Doubtful. I’ve played 30 years and don’t think I’ve ever broken a string from a mis-hit. I mean it’s possible it happened and I didn’t realize it but this seems uncommon. And granted use poly and not gut and maybe this does happen with gut I just don’t know. But for that to happen twice in a row seems highly improbable

 

[jim e]

Not doubtful at all.

It can happen with Nat. Gut.

We discussed this same topic at the IART, ( formerly gss ) , as stringers there had same issue with gut.
Gut stringers knows this.
Every gut player I string for knows this as well, as I informed them.

 

[g4driver]

I will look at this too. Is your approach similar if stringing poly mains and NG crosses?

I don't have any clients using poly mains/ NG crosses. None.

NG crosses for a rec player is a waste of NG and the same result can be achieved with a string like HDX Tour, HDMX for less money. Rec players who try to mimic pro players' strings and frames are reaching.

The only player I have who uses gut crosses doesn't hit hard enough to use poly. No joke. He uses HDX TOUR mains and Gut crosses.
One 4.5 player and neighbor of his asked me " why would you ever need to restring his frames as he lobs 90% of every shot excluding his serve.?" I told him, I just string when you guys ask me.

 

[g4driver]

Doubtful. I’ve played 30 years and don’t think I’ve ever broken a string from a mis-hit. I mean it’s possible it happened and I didn’t realize it but this seems uncommon. And granted use poly and not gut and maybe this does happen with gut I just don’t know. But for that to happen twice in a row seems highly improbable

Go get two frames with poly mains and gut crosses. Tie the poly to gut and shank some serves and overheads. That gut is going to snap. It just what gut does when you tie poly to it and shank balls on the knot.

 

[n8dawg6]

"Don't enlarge my holes".

i bet yall are expecting me to say something, arent you?? not happening. im taking the high road

 

[g4driver]

i bet yall are expecting me to say something, arent you?? not happening. im taking the high road

i was expecting you to write something come on don't disappointment

 

[RERobbins]

I don't have any client using poly mains/ NG crosses. None.

NG crosses for a rec player is a waste of NG and the same result can be achieved with a string like HDX Tour, HDMX for less money. Rec players who try to mimic a pro players strings and frames are reaching.

Thanks for that feedback. I was curious as I've been playing around with different string setups and was wondering how things would feel if I put NG on the crosses instead of the mains. I didn't realize that that kind of setup can be achieved with a full bed of the strings you reference. I'm certainly not trying to mimic pro players strings etc. When I hit like them I will do that. And that ain't gonna happen! Again, thank you very much.

 

[Shroud]

i bet yall are expecting me to say something, arent you?? not happening. im taking the high road

I find that its the plural part that gets people in trouble. One is OK but I hear any more than one is extra...

 

[1HBHfanatic]

I don't have any clients using poly mains/ NG crosses. None.
NG crosses for a rec player is a waste of NG and the same result can be achieved with a string like HDX Tour, HDMX for less money. Rec players who try to mimic pro players' strings and frames are reaching.
....

-agree ^
-i have first hand experience mentioned ( shop-female client with poly/gut combo)
-first time i strung 2x rakets of hers ,(years ago now) both rackets came back to me with snapped strings (at the knots);
-ever since then i string mains/mains, crosses/crosses, when dealing with nat-gut and poly combos
-as you know, "natural gut string" is a delicate string that needs/requires a bit more attention