String for old guy with a bad shoulder and breaks multi's

[Irvin]

If you go with tying a rubber band around the two center crosses, tying them looser will give you better dampening.

I think it is just the opposite. Looser is less dampening and one knot vs two knot is less.

 

[BlueB]

Tight band, big knot.
Go around more then 2 mains if you can.

 

[Muppet]

Anyway, my experience is that tying the rubber band very tight doesn't help compared to tying it looser. But I'll defer to Irvin's experience.

 

[JEDBERG1]

Well I did try ZX black 50# in the Crosses and my NRG 17 55# (my normal tension) in the mains. They lasted only a week (around eight hours of hitting) which was even less durable than old set up of a full bed on NRG. Now my problem is that I loved the set up. It felt arm friendly and the control was great with ease of spin. So now I am thinking that I should try a full bed of the ZX. My question now is what tension should I start with in the ZX full bed. I am thinking 50# but am a little concerned that it might be a little low. Advise please.

 

[Chadillac]

Maybe try some 16g nrg

 

[frank52]

Well I did try ZX black 50# in the Crosses and my NRG 17 55# (my normal tension) in the mains. They lasted only a week (around eight hours of hitting) which was even less durable than old set up of a full bed on NRG. Now my problem is that I loved the set up. It felt arm friendly and the control was great with ease of spin. So now I am thinking that I should try a full bed of the ZX. My question now is what tension should I start with in the ZX full bed. I am thinking 50# but am a little concerned that it might be a little low. Advise please.

50# sounds a little low for the ZX. I'd try 55#. Also, you might try NRG at 55# and the ZX cross at 55#. Maybe the crosses were just too loose and the mains wore out quickly from moving too much. I usually string Monogut ZX around 55 without pre-stretch but doing a slow pull (20 secs on dropweight machine).

 

[Doc Hollidae]

Anyway, my experience is that tying the rubber band very tight doesn't help compared to tying it looser. But I'll defer to Irvin's experience.

My experience has been the opposite. If I want more dampening I've always tied it tighter, and looser for less. Though tennis is a feel based sport, so to each their own.

 

[JEDBERG1]

Maybe try some 16g nrg

I w
I would but the ZX did something to my racket that I really liked, so I want to try a full bed of it. Just wondering what tension to start with. Since in the hybrid I strung the ZX low I maybe think that I should give that a shot. Ashway suggested to string at a lower tension, since I was stringing NRG at 55# maybe 50# would be about right for a full bed of ZX.

 

[JEDBERG1]

COF is coefficient of friction. Spin potential for a string is string to ball COF / string to string COF. Let's look at the two strings you are getting.

Using the TWU Compare String Tool I get this:

ZX is a softer string so it should be better on your shoulder. It also has a great deal of tension loss so maybe pre-stretching may be in order. The string to string COF is 43% lower indicating less friction between the mains and crosses as they slide so you should get more life. The string to ball friction COF is 22% lower so you don't get as good of a ball bite. BUT the net result of STB COF / STS COF gives you 38% better spin potential.

These figures though don't stay true when you start hybriding strings. For instance gut to gut full bed does not have a good STS COF, but gut mains and poly crosses has the best STS COF (like Federer plays.) Not saying what you want to try won't be good. You're only going to know for sure if you try it. If you try it and hate it you have two half sets to do something with and you'll already know what not to do with them.

EDIT: Looking at the COFs for the two strings though the way you suggested would be the only way to hybrid those two strings for the most spin.

Good call Irwin you really know some stuff. The set up lasted me one week and when I cut the strings out I could see how the ZX tore up the NRG. At least I found out that I like the set up and am really hoping a full bed of ZX might just be the ticket. Your thoughts please.

 

[graycrait]

If I were stringing full bed ZX, and I have, I would string it at the upper end of tension. Full bed makes an interesting sound and it can be, for me, a ball launcher.

 

[JEDBERG1]

If I were stringing full bed ZX, and I have, I would string it at the upper end of tension. Full bed makes an interesting sound and it can be, for me, a ball launcher.

Greycrait what would be considered upper tension. Ashway recommends stringing 15 to 20 percent lower than normal range, the recommended range for my racket is 50 to 60#s so my thought is 50#s would be at the upper tension. My first concern is comfort then spin, my thought if that the racket is comfortable I can try to find way to control it. But, I do not want a rocket launcher either, so I am lost on what to do.

 

[graycrait]

I know I will sound like a Kevlar idiot but if you string 16G Ashaway Kevlar at around 55lbs in the mains and string either 17 or 16G Zyex in the crosses at about 60lbs you will realize: 1) control 2) comfort 3) pocketing 4) spin. It will not be like fresh RPM Blast at 48lbs but it will be playable and durable for quite a while.

If you are using a full bed of Zyex I would string it at about 60-62lbs.