String Tension - A chronicle of the evolution of stringing and strings.

[Roddickulous]

I have now been a bonafide string nerd since about 2010 and have strung up probably 2-3,000 racquets by now. I know I don't have the same level of experience as some people on here but I have made it my mission to try literally everything on the market that there is. For those of you out there I'm curious if you can remember your strings and tension over the years and would like your help in chronicling the seeming decline in tensions. I'll use myself as an example:

2008
Pure Drive Team Plus 2003 pj with Luxilon ALU Power 125 Ice @65#
Aero Pro Drive Plus Cortex with Luxilon ALU Power Rough 125 @63#

2009
Pure Drive Roddick+ GT with Pro Hurricane Tour 17/Xcel 17 @65/61#
Aero Pro Drive Plus Cortex with Pro Hurricane Tour 17/Xcel 17 @63/59#

2010
Pure Drive Roddick+ GT with Pro Hurricane Tour 17/Xcel 17 @61/57#
Aero Pro Drive GT with RPM Blast 16 @61/57#

2011
Aero Pro Drive GT with RPM Blast 16 @57#

2012
Aero Pro Drive GT with RPM Blast or RPM Team 16 @55#
Pure Drive Roddick + 2012 with RPM Blast 17/Xcel 17 @57/53#

2013
Pure Drive Roddick + 2012 with RPM Blast 17/Silk 17 @54/50#
Aero Pro Drive 2013 with Luxilon 4G 125 or RPM Blast 16 @47/43#
Pure Drive Team Plus Swirly with Pro Hurricane Blue 17/Silk 17 @57/53#
Steam 99s with Pro Hurricane Tour 15L @51/47# or Xcel French Open
16 & Luxilon 4G 125 @55/47.

 

[cluckcluck]

Sooooooo.....what's the question?

 

[Roddickulous]

What strings and tension have you done over the years? Have you increased or decreased or stayed the same over time?

 

[TennisCJC]

Been playing approximately 36 years. Most of that time with thin frames in the 95-100" head size range. Frame for last 2 years if volkl 10 295 customized to 12+oz, 6+HL, and SW ~333. Occassionally flirtations with 'tweeners but for a few months in last 10 years but come home to thin beam.

Up until approximately 8 years ago, I played all syn gut or multi in the 58-64# range. Tried gut a few times in same range but too expensive to use consistently.

Around 8 years ago, tried all poly setups and started around 58#. Then hybrids with poly mains 57# and multi cross 59#.

Over last 3-4 years have been going lower and lower with hybrids. Also, now use multi as mains. Current setup is NRG2 multi 17G mains at 54 lbs with Tec Ruff Code poly 17G at 50 lbs. I may go up +2# when 90 degree temperatures arrive and in winter, I go down as much as -4# in tension depending on how cold.

 

[Ducker]

If you did do 3000 string jobs. Which I doubt. That would be on average of 10,000 plus dollars a year on string along. More if your buying luxilon or 15$ plus string. Not to mention your talking about string on average 3 racquets a day...