When does Racquet Tune DT indicate a poly string is kaput?

[graycrait]

Geezer experimenting with poly not only for my benefit but for some local guys who string poly and leave it in for months. I figured 18g poly would be safer for me and might show "dying" results quicker, while experiencing more "spin" although I am not quite Sock-like.

I have 5 rackets strung in the last 10 days, all with different 18g poly. Off the LO NEOS 1000 they DT'd in lbs approx. anywhere from 55-57.5 3 Prince Warrior 100s 16x18 , 1 Blade 98 18x20 and one POG OS 107 16x19. One strung with Hyper G main, Black Magic cross is hanging in there at 50.5 while the others have dropped to 47.5 to 49.

What will be a tell tale sign that the poly is dead? My arm falling off, shots spraying, DT dropping dramatically, etc? I guess I will eventually find out but if anyone can predict what I will see from experience I would like to know.

Also, is there an upper tension that these 18g polys should not be pulled to on a lockout?

P.S. in my heretofore hated 2013 18x20 Blade 98 I am really liking 18g Tour Bite mains x 18g Black Magic Crosses.

 

[Ft.S]

This cannot be considered as a definitive answer, but in my experience I feel that the poly can be considered 'dead' when RT tension readout shows a sine wave with low amplitude. Regardless of actual tension, when you the strings are fairly new or lively, that amplitude is quite prominent, but as my strings get used more and more, the amplitude reading is correspondingly lower as well, even though frequency of the wave may not have changed.

 

[Irvin]

I would depend more on how the racket plays. Once you get to the point where you feel it needs to be restrung measure it with RT to get the point where you're no longer happy with it.

 

[Red001]

I string and measure DT for several years.
My observation is - poly strings start moving at DT/tension drop ~ 15%, at 20% it is very visible and playing characteristics of string-bed are changed significantly.
Unfortunately most of my clients do not feel or care about it much, - they continue playing until string breaks or it looks like a rope ...
However I have clients who bring racquets for restring when tension drop is ~ 16-18% and they do not use any devises.
My guess at tension drop close to 20% poly string plays significantly different and some players can feel it very accurately.
I do not believe there is a certain characteristic you can measure and definitively say it is a 'dead' poly string.
You just need to find what is your preferable DT range - e.g. I use ERT 300 and my preference is 29 - 33.
For my racquet and poly strings I use, - DT=32-33 translates in stringing at tension 49-52 lbs.

 

[Shroud]

I string and measure DT for several years.
My observation is - poly strings start moving at DT/tension drop ~ 15%, at 20% it is very visible and playing characteristics of string-bed are changed significantly.
Unfortunately most of my clients do not feel or care about it much, - they continue playing until string breaks or it looks like a rope ...
However I have clients who bring racquets for restring when tension drop is ~ 16-18% and they do not use any devises.
My guess at tension drop close to 20% poly string plays significantly different and some players can feel it very accurately.
I do not believe there is a certain characteristic you can measure and definitively say it is a 'dead' poly string.
You just need to find what is your preferable DT range - e.g. I use ERT 300 and my preference is 29 - 33.
For my racquet and poly strings I use, - DT=32-33 translates in stringing at tension 49-52 lbs.

Yeah ERT is a good tool to figure that stuff out. I cant play full poly because its not stiff enough but my DT range is 53-56. Once it goes below 53 its time to restring.

Valuable to take those measurements to remove guesswork!

 

[esgee48]

Shoud's ref tensions are Heculean or Kryptonian, which is why RT does not work on his frames. Besides measuring tension when you have lost control of your shots, you can also decide to restring whenever tension loss is 40% [you pick a number] of your original ref tension.

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Shoud's ref tensions are Heculean or Kryptonian, which is why RT does not work on his frames. Besides measuring tension when you have lost control of your shots, you can also decide to restring whenever tension loss is 40% [you pick a number] of your original ref tension.

I have found that the 10% suggestion on the ERT is right on. This is with the baseline established after the first hit. Reference tension be damned!

 

[Shroud]

Shoud's ref tensions are Heculean or Kryptonian, which is why RT does not work on his frames. Besides measuring tension when you have lost control of your shots, you can also decide to restring whenever tension loss is 40% [you pick a number] of your original ref tension.

Racquet tune never worked for me that well. I think back then i was doing crazy stuff in terms of reducing vibration- plastidip, sorbothane grips. Anyhow Ert works and fwiw i was able to get it to give a 71 reading! But its not exactly true. 56 is the max i have gotten even stringing at 86 lbs.

Yeah meauring really helps to avoid that outing where the racquet sucks

 

[scf]

Every time I read about this zillion kg tension it makes me wonder *shudders*

 

[graycrait]

56 is the max i have gotten even stringing at 86 lbs.

That is an interesting comment. Even though I have strung much higher than 56.7, that is the highest DT using RT that I have pinged using my Android.

 

[Karma Tennis]

I've been using both the Android and IOS versions of RT for a couple of years know.

Based on my personal experience and that of a couple of other players I string for ...

It's time to restring when the SBS (DT!) reading has dropped b/w 15% to 20% from a baseline reading taken 24 hours after the racquet has been strung and before the first hit.

(Regardless of this, I ALWAYS restring full bed POLY after a max of 6 hours of playing time, even if the DT has dropped less than 15%.)

 

[Shroud]

That is an interesting comment. Even though I have strung much higher than 56.7, that is the highest DT using RT that I have pinged using my Android.

Not sure there is a correlation between Ert and Rt. With Ert there is a chart and 56 equates to 80+ lbs depending on the size of the racquet

Believe Rt is giving tension numbers and somehow that is different than ERTs dt number. But i gave up and RT long ago

 

[struggle]

Poly doesn't go dead. Ask around

 

[Karma Tennis]

Poly doesn't go dead. Ask around

Poly strings takes years to go dead ....

As long as it stays on the Reel or in the Packet

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Not sure there is a correlation between Ert and Rt. With Ert there is a chart and 56 equates to 80+ lbs depending on the size of the racquet

Believe Rt is giving tension numbers and somehow that is different than ERTs dt number. But i gave up and RT long ago

Both are measuring string bed stiffness. How much kg force needed to push the center in 1cm.

RT tops out in the high 50s as well.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

 

[Shroud]

Both are measuring string bed stiffness. How much kg force needed to push the center in 1cm.

RT tops out in the high 50s as well.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

Hmmm. I thought RT was just measuring tension. How do you get a force from frequency? Probably some easy physics i cut

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Hmmm. I thought RT was just measuring tension. How do you get a force from frequency? Probably some easy physics i cut

U might be right

Edit: there is a DT setting on the app N/mm

Re-edit: My understanding is that ERT is using the same approach (frequency) as RT but just with a more precise measurement.

 

[Irvin]

Hmmm. I thought RT was just measuring tension. How do you get a force from frequency? Probably some easy physics i cut

RT measures frequency. From that frequency, pattern, string density (string factor,) and head size DT and Tension can be calculated. How accurate that calculation is the big debate.

 

[CosmosMpower]

So after about 5-6 hours 16 gauge revolution stopped losing tension, went from 57.3 lbs down to 49.6 but plays like it's dead after 6-7 hours even though it registers the same tension at 49.6. Maybe all the texture is gone from the shaped profile. I don't think you can go just by tension loss numbers to determine when to cut it out.

 

[esgee48]

Revolution is a 6 sided string. Its corners do wear due to ball and string movement. There is nothing wrong with deciding to restring when the ball does not do what you expected compared with a newer string job. For round smooth ploys, with continued snapback, it may be harder to tell when you have to restring. For you, it sounds like 6 hours and ~49#.

 

[CosmosMpower]

Revolution is a 6 sided string. Its corners do wear due to ball and string movement. There is nothing wrong with deciding to restring when the ball does not do what you expected compared with a newer string job. For round smooth ploys, with continued snapback, it may be harder to tell when you have to restring. For you, it sounds like 6 hours and ~49#.

Yeah the texture of Revolution is not as obvious as some others like Black Code 4S which is literally a square. Here's how my tension played out on my TC95 18x20.

Freshly strung on Neos 1000 at 57 one piece - RT read out 57.3 lbs
2 hours of match play later- 51.7
3 hours of match play after that- 50.4 (5 total hours)
2 hours of match play after that 49.6 (7 total hours) - I noticed the ball started to fly long on shots that would stay in during this session.
Cut out and restrung at 57 two piece - RT read out 57.3 again

 

[esgee48]

Having your own machine and knowing when to re-string is nice. You just do it. Players who are not as attuned just keep going and wonder why none of their shots seem to work. Rather than cutting out, you could use the frame only for practice until the strings break.

I am an SG user and mine break before 16 hours. Or if I see notching in the mains that are 1/3 thru the string.