Stringing crosses looser for better pocketing and comfort

I've been experimenting with different string setups as I recently bought a stringing machine. I recently tried 3lb looser on crosses on a 2-piece setup, with full bed of the same poly string (Volkl Cyclone Black 1.25).

Contrary to most posts I've seen on TT, I didn't notice much difference in spin potential (vs. full bed of the same poly at same tension), but I did notice much better pocketing and comfort. This has turned out to be a massive unintended bonus for me, and currently my go-to setup.

I have also previously tried multis/syn guts on crosses to improve comfort but the notching and varying tension loss (poly mains lost tension much faster than multi/syn gut crosses) led to severe loss of spin and control.

Two questions:
1. Anyone here has a similar experience, stringing crosses at a lower tension for comfort/pocketing?
2. I've hesitated to go >3lb in difference, as many on TT have suggested it will cause damage to the racket frame. Anyone has experience with a larger tension difference for a full poly setup? Any bad experiences? How much more can I push it?
(I'm aware that there's a thread suggesting kevlar/zyex with a >20lb tension differential, but haven't come across full poly with such a large tension difference).
 

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
My experience mirrors yours. The difference in pocketing and control was the immediate benefit I noticed. A buddy of mine breaks Solinco Hyper G Soft 1.30 in 2 hours. The other day he went through 2 rackets and borrowed one of mine strung with my normal, synthetic gut 1.30 and Timo 1.10. It hadn't been hit with. He broke it in ten minutes. He asked me to string some for him and I installed the mains at his normal 45 pounds (on my machine) but put his crosses in at 41 pounds. He said he had way less shoulder discomfort/pain, something he'd been struggling with and......his string has been in for over 4 hours with no break. Speaking of unintended consequences..... :)
 

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
@itischanandlerbong When stringing tennis rackets some times the final length was not the same and the original length of the racket. If you don’t get the forces from the mains and crosses balanced you could easily end up with a deformed head. I started using the Stringway online tension advisor and found the majority of the time the cross tension was lower than the main tension. It’s not always the case though. I would suggest if anyone wanted a starting point for the mains / crosses tension differential the suggestions on the Stringway tool based on the DT you want, and racket head size in by height and width and area. There are also other factors used to come up with the recommendations.
 

LOBALOT

Legend
@itischanandlerbong When stringing tennis rackets some times the final length was not the same and the original length of the racket. If you don’t get the forces from the mains and crosses balanced you could easily end up with a deformed head. I started using the Stringway online tension advisor and found the majority of the time the cross tension was lower than the main tension. It’s not always the case though. I would suggest if anyone wanted a starting point for the mains / crosses tension differential the suggestions on the Stringway tool based on the DT you want, and racket head size in by height and width and area. There are also other factors used to come up with the recommendations.

Thank you Irvin for sharing this as I for one wasn't aware of they had this tool. That is very handy to know.
 

JT_2eighty

Hall of Fame
Deforming the head also depends on the stiffness of the racquet from my experience. I've done 10 pound differential, for example, with gut mains and a real stiff poly cross, and the head maybe deformed by 1-2 mm at most. Playability was great.

But usually I go 3 lbs lower on crosses and never experience issues, and agree, the feel is nice.
 

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
Deforming the head also depends on the stiffness of the racquet from my experience. I've done 10 pound differential, for example, with gut mains and a real stiff poly cross, and the head maybe deformed by 1-2 mm at most. Playability was great.

But usually I go 3 lbs lower on crosses and never experience issues, and agree, the feel is nice.
I would agree the racket stiffness has a lot to do with it. A stiff racket head won’t deform as much as a flexible head. But head size IMO has a larger influence on head deformity.
 
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Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
I would agree the racket stiffness has a lot to do with it. A stiff racket head won’t deform as much as a flexible head. But head size IMO has a karger influence on head deformity.
One can never discount the "karger" influence of head size I guess.

I have used the same relative tensions for a long time. I used a 4 pound difference when I played the C10. I don't think there's a frame around with a softer head than the C10. I never had a problem and never had any deformation.
 

mikeler

Moderator
One can never discount the "karger" influence of head size I guess.

I have used the same relative tensions for a long time. I used a 4 pound difference when I played the C10. I don't think there's a frame around with a softer head than the C10. I never had a problem and never had any deformation.

Let's cut each other some slack on the spelling. I've always enjoyed reading posts from the true GOATs of stringing. :)
 

K1Y

Professional
I find this very interesting. I tend to string mains and crosses the same because I see different theories floating around. In another thread about Ash Barty her string tension someone shared this: https://tinyurl.com/crossstring. This argues the point for stringing the crosses tighter than the mains. So if you want comfort you could also do like Barty (19kg mains/ 20 kg crosses) or Medvedev who sometimes strings 21 kg mains/ 22 kg crosses.

I strung the crosses lower a few times but I feel like I don't need it when I string around 22 or 21 kgs anyway. For max tension differential I would look at Alcaraz: 25 kg / 23 kg. So like 4 lbs. Personally I wouldn't go bigger differential than that.
 
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I find this very interesting. I tend to string mains and crosses the same because I see different theories floating around. In another thread about Ash Barty her string tension someone shared this: https://tinyurl.com/crossstring. This argues the point for stringing the crosses tighter than the mains. So if you want comfort you could also do like Barty (19kg mains/ 20 kg crosses) or Medvedev who sometimes strings 21 kg mains/ 22 kg crosses.

I strung the crosses lower a few times but I feel like I don't need it when I string around 22 or 21 kgs anyway. For max tension differential I would look at Alcaraz: 25 kg / 23 kg. So like 4 lbs. Personally I wouldn't go bigger differential than that.
That’s an interesting take! If I’m reading this link correctly, it’s suggesting that crosses strung at the same tension is 30+% looser than mains. This is opposite to the string length argument (which says crosses being shorter tends to feel like a higher tension and hence should be strung looser to match the “felt” tensions). I wonder which one is correct.

Coincidentally, I mistakenly strung crosses higher (by 3lb) when I first attempted a tension difference, so I have this experience (though not by choice). I noticed 2 things:

1. The overall stringbed felt much “boardier” and stiffer
2. I lost the “feel” of mains shifting as I hit the ball (which subconsciously i think helps me correct my stroke as the rally progresses)

Perhaps it’s a matter of play style? Alcaraz plays with much more spin and vertical stroke movement than Medvedev who hits flatter and more horizontally. That might explain their respective tension differential choices.
 

K1Y

Professional
That’s an interesting take! If I’m reading this link correctly, it’s suggesting that crosses strung at the same tension is 30+% looser than mains. This is opposite to the string length argument (which says crosses being shorter tends to feel like a higher tension and hence should be strung looser to match the “felt” tensions). I wonder which one is correct.

Coincidentally, I mistakenly strung crosses higher (by 3lb) when I first attempted a tension difference, so I have this experience (though not by choice). I noticed 2 things:

1. The overall stringbed felt much “boardier” and stiffer
2. I lost the “feel” of mains shifting as I hit the ball (which subconsciously i think helps me correct my stroke as the rally progresses)

Perhaps it’s a matter of play style? Alcaraz plays with much more spin and vertical stroke movement than Medvedev who hits flatter and more horizontally. That might explain their respective tension differential choices.
I wonder which one is correct as well, both make sense to me in a way.

Interesting to hear your experience.

I think its a matter of taste and play style as well.
 

AmericanTwist

Professional
I string mains and crosses the same, lowering tensions if I need more power and pocketing. Strings will last longer as mains typically break first. you can do this experiment as I did. Use tension on the mains as a base and string the crosses as a percentage of that tension based on longest lengths. This would be the purest way to string, but manufacturers suggest 2 lbs difference for simplicity. Stringing mains and crosses at the same tension really increases natural gut life imho when used as the main string.
 
1)Longer mains stretching more easily, and 2)higher number of cross strings, are arguments for lowering cross tension, if you want a uniform effect on the hoop.
But also 3)the longer sides of the hoop deforms/squashes more easily than the smaller radius top and bottom (the bottom also reinforced by forming a triangle with the throat of the racket). This also favours elongation of head/stretching of mains.
Then there is 4)weaving and tensioning crosses which stretches the mains and increase their tension (without elongating head).
And 5)friction of crosses against mains lowering their resulting tension.
I think 2 and 3 are the main factors which result in elongation of the head and higher resulting tension for mains.
4 increases main tension, but lowers elongation. 5 lowers cross tension and elongation.
 
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Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
Whether you string mains and crosses higher or lower depends on the string(s) you are using and the racket’s pattern. If you were going to string crosses lower would you have the same differential for a 16x20 that would would have for an 18x16? If you were stringing a hybrid of multi / poly would the differential be the same for a poly / multi hybrid string job.

If I wanted more pocketing or comfort, I would either change the string(s) and / or lower the tension in the mains and crosses.
 

K1Y

Professional
Whether you string mains and crosses higher or lower depends on the string(s) you are using and the racket’s pattern. If you were going to string crosses lower would you have the same differential for a 16x20 that would would have for an 18x16? If you were stringing a hybrid of multi / poly would the differential be the same for a poly / multi hybrid string job.

If I wanted more pocketing or comfort, I would either change the string(s) and / or lower the tension in the mains and crosses.
Do you think Alcaraz his 16x20 has something to do with him stringing crosses max. 4 lbs lower?
 

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
Do you think Alcaraz his 16x20 has something to do with him stringing crosses max. 4 lbs lower?
Not sure but that would be my guess, if he does string crosses 4# lower. I don’t believe anything I hear and only half of what I see. With RPM full bed he could have anywhere from the same tension in mains and crosses, to lower than -4# tension drop in the crosses. I’ve seen he uses 55# mains and 53# crosses, but who knows?
 
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