Geoff williams string guide.

[GeoffWilliams]

I've been stringing since 1981. Strung thousands of jobs, with many hybrids, in many diff. stiffness, frames, tension, total mass, swing wt. diff. etc.


In my experience, the best for control oriented: I don't care what it cost:
all court players: Head light maneuverable sticks, flexy with vs team 17g/blackcode 18g 1.18mm, at your pref. tension.

Best for topspin grinder string breakers: Ashaway 16g kevlar/alu at pref. tension. See ebay for ash prices. $90/reel, alu at $265/reel.

Best for super top hitters who don't mind tens. loss or restringing: barb wire/vs team 17g. Barb wire at $165/reel vs team at $43/set.

Best spin for cheap players who don't want to spend money: msv hex/1.18mm. Hex at $79/reel.

Good combo for mid range expense: all courters: blackcode 1.18mm/sppp 17g.sppp at $98/reel, and bc at $170/reel.

[johnyandell]

That's interesting. May actually let you set up one of my frames.

[GeoffWilliams]

I've never seen you hit. I would guess, you are a control player, mostly baseline, who can come in and knock off volleys, with a versatile bh, and a stronger fh. Based on the guess, it's vs team 17g/bc 18g, at about 58/54lbs.... That would be a good youtube vid, Yandells' frame/job.
When I string, I ping out the mains, so that each side pings to the same frequency. I also raise tie off strings 5lbs to combat knot tension loss, and make sure the oblique pulls don't harm the frame... The stiff frames need power pads, and the flexy ones don't.

If your stick does not have any silicone in the handle, you should try it. 25g of soft clear is what the pros use, as it helps impact absorption, and also adds wt. to total mass. We use a digital scale to measure to the gram... To match swing wt., to other frames you have, lead needs to be added on the hoop to off set the silicone. If you are a grinder, the lead should polarize the stick, ie, at 12 oclock and at the handle. If you are an all courter, the lead should be at 3-9 oclock, (although some like it at 3-9 and at 12 as well.) Volleyers usually like light wt., head light sticks. Bashers usually like more lead on the hoop.
If you are a control oriented player, you will prefer the vs team 17g/blackcode cross, which I like to drop 4lbs on the crosses. Bc is a pentagonal string, with good tens. loss, and good spin as long as the nubs are on the string. If you are a grinder, you will prefer a super spin string such as barb wire. Ask Solinco to send you some, and let them know who you are. It will feel better with vs team as a cross, esp. if you are not a string breaker.
Jordan Prince, just took my suggestion (Aug. 2010), to use the bc/sppp, and just won an open tournament for his first win on that scale. He plays for UW I believe. He lost the first set at 2, and was down 4-1, and came back to win 11 of 12 games, by grinding, and mixing up a little sv.
Congragulations Jordan, for staying mentally tough out there, and not losing faith in your self and your new strings! Gotta love the kid for listening and for hanging tough..... Does anyone know how hard it is to win an open? Esp. with new strings you are not used to. The right strings (and string/tension+ job) will make the diff. whether you win or lose, in an even match. They will give you an edge, in helping you make the tough shots, increased accuracy, increased confidence that is so fleeting in our sport, and self belief that is so hard to come by, even after thousands of hours of brutal practices.

[GeoffWilliams]

Nice bh oh article this month, John! That's the most well filmed, instructive, back hand over head article I've ever seen. Nothing like it on the other sites, and that's what makes this site different. Thanks for letting me help out!

[GeoffWilliams]

Strung up a barb wire blackcode hybrid today. Felt great with spin/power/control, yet firm bed, not as soft as barb wire full job. 50lbs on barb wire mains, and 60obs on bc crosses.

[GeoffWilliams]

That's interesting. May actually let you set up one of my frames.

I would string up two of your frames, one for spin: barb wire mains, and blackcode crosses, and one for power/touch: vs team 17g mains/blackcode crosses. Alu mains and barb wire crosses also del. great control and spin and power.

[backhand]

Strung up a barb wire blackcode hybrid today. Felt great with spin/power/control, yet firm bed, not as soft as barb wire full job. 50lbs on barb wire mains, and 60obs on bc crosses.

haven't tried barb wire, but you think it is softer than black code? you use the 16L barb wire? given the textured technology of barb wire, i wouldn't have thought that was possible because black code is relatively soft.

[GeoffWilliams]

It hits softer than bc. Alu strung low on the mains is also very good with barb wire crosses at higher tensions.