Starting a stringing business. Some of the better players I will be stringing for know what strings they want, other don’t. In general, at what point should I recommend a co-poly or poly string to someone instead of synthetic gut. Also, what are some synthetic gut strings you guys use and like and think are universally pretty popular. Thanks in advance.
Strings for different level players
- Thread starter mcnjr
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n8dawg6
Legend
wheres my popcorn ...
Just watched a @mainandcrosses video on Instagram and i have to agree that Solinco is pretty popular
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I'm usually reluctant to recommend a string, regardless of playing level, without having seen them play. I'm fortunately in the position where I string for some people but don't want to have more customers so I can be pretty honest with my evaluation. I've told a few people that a poly string won't help them but some lessons on technique might, and that's not a way to win over a new customer.
In your position, I wouldn't recommend a poly string to anyone who has complained of recent wrist, elbow, or shoulder issues. I'd carry some standard monofilament like PSGD, a couple of budget and a couple of higher end multifilaments trying to get one on the deader and one on the livelier side, and the same for poly strings. Using brands with name recognition helps, maybe not as much for the budget strings but definitely for the higher end strings. And then see how it goes.
Just one word of advice - always inspect the racquet for damage before cutting out existing strings or before restringing, and be sure of what you're going to do if you find any damage.
In your position, I wouldn't recommend a poly string to anyone who has complained of recent wrist, elbow, or shoulder issues. I'd carry some standard monofilament like PSGD, a couple of budget and a couple of higher end multifilaments trying to get one on the deader and one on the livelier side, and the same for poly strings. Using brands with name recognition helps, maybe not as much for the budget strings but definitely for the higher end strings. And then see how it goes.
Just one word of advice - always inspect the racquet for damage before cutting out existing strings or before restringing, and be sure of what you're going to do if you find any damage.
So basically anyone who is still learning stokes, lacks racket speed or power, should be using a synthetic gut. Thoughts on co-poly and when that becomes a good option.
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Injured Again
Hall of Fame
First, look at my reply, here:
To add on to that, yes, and I originally said to use PSGD because it is a middle-of-the-road synthetic gut that is of high quality and medium characteristics. You can find softer and firmer strings of the same type fairly easily.
Poly strings become viable when the player is:
- mid-teen or older
- routinely breaks synthetic gut or multifilament strings in eight hours or less
- has no strong history and no current injuries of the wrist, elbow, or shoulder
- has a game, racquet head speed, and technique to regularly square up the ball on the center of the strings with a fast swing
At that time, and depending on what equipment they are currently using and some things I would deduce from watching them play, I'd move them to either a poly hybrid or a full poly stringbed, most likely starting on the softer side but also possibly not.
I don’t understand. You don’t recommend string other than poly? Isn’t it really for higher level players?
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LOBALOT
Hall of Fame
Reread what I wrote.
I don't recommend string unless it is away from poly if they indicate they are having arm issues. I let them tell me what they want.
LocNetMonster
Professional
My guidelines FWIW:
1. Not until you played with the string for at least 30 days, strung it in at least two hybrid set ups and or played it in two different frames. If you don't know how a string behaves in different setups, you really can't give objective advice. If someone is wants a specific string, buy it and test it.
2. Only if they are unhappy with the performance they are currently getting from their sgut and ask for a recommendation. If they have a specific string in mind, buy it or a comparable string and test it before installing it in their stick.
3. If, as @Injured Again points out, they have no history of arm injury.
4. If, after the first three points are checked off above, the recommended string will enhance their style of play. EG: it make no sense trying to sell a defensive specialist (aka a pusher) a poly since they will never hit the ball with enough pace to utilize the increased spin potential unless you want to restring their racquet every two years.
5. If you are keeping detailed records of their tensions and stringing dates.
deaner2211
Semi-Pro
He is saying that he do not recommend strings to customers, he lets the customer tells him what they want. He NEVER recommends strings unless they are moving away from POLY. IMO poly strings are for D1 college players or Professionals. 90% or rec players don't have proper technique or enough power to play with poly strings.
SirFuzzington
New User
Kids should use syn-gut until they can break strings. When it comes to arm issues thinner gauges works for a few of the players in my neck of the woods. You just have to let them know that durability/tension maintenance will be a bit less than a thicker gauge but playability is usually improved. This has helped some of the players with arm issues (formerly solinco tour bite 16 gauge users, now solinco hyper-g 19 gauge).
I disagree with the string breaking idea. Some players just won’t break strings (like myself). Only broken 2 strings in my life, but I clearly and better suited with a poly, and it’s not even an argument. Some of my friends at a similar level break strings much more often, just depends on style of play, racket, gauge, and string.
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SirFuzzington
New User
It really does depend on the player, but mcnjr is not wrong either. Some kids just do start busting strings up to the point where syngut is unworkable for them, those kids/adults move towards poly when durability becomes an issue.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
If you are not breaking synthetic gut strings within a few short hours, you do not gave the racquet head speed and technique to take advantage of the characteristics of a poly string, and would be better off using a synthetic gut, multifilament, or real gut string for long term arm health.
And especially since you don't break strings, you will be tempted to leave poly strings in your racquet well after their expiration date, further risking long term arm health.
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
Whenever somebody asks me about trying a poly, I'm like some of our pals here in terms of being cautious about it. I've seen that string cause significant troubles for players of all levels and it seems to me that none of us can know whether or not we can handle that string until after we find out that we can't handle it.
Some folks do great with polys (that includes the co-polys in my book) and I don't think that they should be outlawed, but it's not rare to see players of the 2.5-3.0 level with very compact strokes, etc. who have full beds of poly in their frames. I think that those are cases where the less resilient poly strings are really working against a developing player.
It's tough to know exactly when is a good time for one player or another to make the switch to a poly and I string for a local circle of kids and adults. No two cases are the same among them. But I agree with our pal SirFuzzington above in terms of the upside of a lighter gauge of poly.
I keep reels of Isospeed Baseline on hand - inexpensive and comes from TW in four different gauges. I use their lightest gauge - 1.20mm (17L ga.) - about as much as the other three combined. This "skinny poly" as a main combined with a 16 ga. syn. gut cross had been trouble free for both the kids and the handful of adults who have tried it when they made the switch from softer string. At moderate tension, I find this layout to play about as firm as a snug bed of full syn. gut. Much less harsh or clunky than a heavier gauge poly in the neighborhood of 1.28-1.30mm.
Unless I come across a fantastic deal on some premium string, I don't stock it in hopes that somebody will eventually want it. Too many labels, gauges, and colors to please everybody without making a really big investment. If somebody who uses you for your services likes a certain string or combo, it can be easy to encourage them to buy their own sets or reels and just pay you for installation.
There have been a few threads like this recently where one of our pals was (is) seeking advice on what to stock for a new stringing business. You may find some helpful ideas from those if you skim through a couple pages in this section or even the Stringing Techniques/Stringing Machines section.
I'm rather a syn. gut nerd and use it in my own frames all the time. The feel of 17 ga. is rather nice, but I'll often use a 16 ga. alternative in the warmer months because it's usually better behaved - the heat can turn 17 ga. syn. gut soft in a hurry. Gosen OG Sheep Micro has been great as a cross in my poly hybrids and it's also okay in full beds, but it does play on the firmer side of the street. My favorite syn. gut is from Tecnifibre - I had to find another source after TW stopped carrying it. It's softer than the Gosen.
Prince Syn. Gut (SG) with Duraflex is popular, but it's a bit too clunky for me. Even if Prince's original SG is mildly less durable, I prefer it's middle-of-the-road stiffness compared with the Duraflex option. Forten Sweet is probably softer than anything else in the family and I find that it can also work as an affordable alternative to a more pricey multifiber. The 17 ga. version of Forten Sweet is a bit fragile - I'd only consider that string for a racquet with a more dense pattern like an 18x20.
SavvyStringer
Professional
I like your first point. My own tennis game suffers a bit because I'm constantly testing new strings so that I have a baseline from my own experience for recommendations. I don't think I've played the same string twice in the last year. I still have about 10 in the cue waiting to demo.
LocNetMonster
Professional
When it comes to strings, I pretty much try something new at least once every other week. From playing with a new strings or string combinations to playing a hybrid, with the main or cross or both, at differents tension to see if it plays better. The last month or so I have been play testing YTEK strings. At the moment I am really liking Quadro Twist and getting acquainted with their MicroFiber-X (MFX) and their Pro Tour line. Last night I cut out the Sgut crosses in a stick with Pro Tour mains and put in MFX for giggles. It was a comfortable, control-oriented string bed. MFX is super soft multifil, softer than NXT, and while a pain in the arse through blocked holes since it is about as stiff as kite string, I like it so far.
LocNetMonster
Professional
THIS ... Before I started stringing I overplayed with a thick poly - probably didn't have the stroke mechanics then and I wanted to save $$$ - and tore up my elbow. Went back to Sgut and was playing again in three weeks with no issues. Unfortunately (or fortunately), that was the gateway to buying a stringer, beaucoup in strings, and too many hours here learning the art and science of stringing.
SavvyStringer
Professional
YTEX makes a good product. My best sellers from them are Quadrotwist and SquareX. Pro tour is good but doesn't do anything any other round poly can do equally as well. I also found that for whatever reason the pro tour bothers my wrist. It plays nicely and is a very predictable point and shoot string but after about a set my wrist hurts so badly I can barely grip the racket. If you haven't tried Diadem stuff, I recommend it as well. I just got some demo stuff from them and Flash (round poly) and Solstice (shaped poly) both play really nicely. Flash plays like a shaped poly and Soltice strings really easy for a really shaped poly due to the coating they put on it. Quality strings at a very nice price point if you get whole sale with them.
LocNetMonster
Professional
Pro Tour is the lowest power poly I think I've played with since I started stringing. It works great for me since I'm swing heavy sticks. I can't think of anybody I string for or see on the courts regularly that could hit with it and not tear up a joint because they either lack the swing mechanics or racquet mass.
Great. Something else to try. You are not at all helping ...
While I'm less a poly pessimist than others here, what you recommend should really change less at a certain skill point and more around the players stroke style imo.
If you have regular customers who have more experience with different strings maybe ask them what they've tried and why they settled on the choice they did.
If you have regular customers who have more experience with different strings maybe ask them what they've tried and why they settled on the choice they did.
1HBHfanatic
Legend
multiple factors come into play, when suggesting strings;
I start with the basics:
poly/kevlar for DURABILITY
multis/nat.gut for COMFORT
syn.gut for POWER
I look at the player (age, gender, level)
I look at the racquet they play with (open/closed string pattern)
i then start to ask:
-health issues
-what they want different from their current setup
polys should come into the discussion if the player is breaking strings too quickly, and even then you can solve this issue by changing the racquet (from a 16/19 to a 18/20, etc..),,
many solutions and many strings for different people
but IMO polys/Kevlar should be suggested carefully, specially when it comes to kids and light racquets..
I start with the basics:
poly/kevlar for DURABILITY
multis/nat.gut for COMFORT
syn.gut for POWER
I look at the player (age, gender, level)
I look at the racquet they play with (open/closed string pattern)
i then start to ask:
-health issues
-what they want different from their current setup
polys should come into the discussion if the player is breaking strings too quickly, and even then you can solve this issue by changing the racquet (from a 16/19 to a 18/20, etc..),,
many solutions and many strings for different people
but IMO polys/Kevlar should be suggested carefully, specially when it comes to kids and light racquets..
