Djokovics equipment.

[GeoffWilliams]

.......................

[don_budge]

Geoff...

What was the area of a standard sized wood frame...Dunlop Maxply for example? I am guessing 70 sq. in.

[GeoffWilliams]

Mac used to use those I believe. I'm not sure about sq in. or specs.

This is the one he currently uses:

Head Size:98 sq. in. / 632 sq. cm.
Length: 27 inches / 69 cm
Construction:21 mm Straight Beam
Composition: Hot Melt Graphite
Strung Weight:11.3 ounces / 320 grams
Power Level: Low-Medium
Babolat Racquet Diagnostic Center (RDC) Data:
Stiffness: 68 (0-100)
Inertia: 327 (200-400)
Stroke Style: Full
Swing Speed: Moderate-Fast
Balance: 3pts Head Light
Racquet Color: N/A
Grip Type: Leather
String Tension:
55-65 pounds
String Pattern:
16 Mains / 19 Crosses
Mains skip: 8T,8H
One Piece
No shared holes

[tennis_chiro]

Geoff: a stringing question for you

Geoff,
I have a junior who plays with a Babolot Pure Storm racquet (he says it is the light version). He is stringing it with Pro Hurricane Tour at 56 mains/ 54 crosses. I expect he should be using some kind of a hybrid string job.

This kid is playing 18's (he will be 17 in July) and has been working with me on and off for about 18 months. In the last few months his groundstrokes have gotten solid and I think he will start to break through pretty soon, but he is still learning to use his weapons and be a little steadier and find opportunities to flatten out.

He hits with quite a bit of spin on the forehand with a fairly strong semi-Western grip. Originally, he didn't get through the ball enough, but now I really like the way he is hitting it.

Two-handed backhand with a little topspin when he needs it.

He is probably close to 120 with his first serve, but he is only about 5' 8" and his 1st serve percentage is a little too low. He needs to hit a lot more spin on his first serve generally. He has a very good second serve that I'm guessing is in the high 80's and maybe even into the low 90's on occasion with a pretty good kick. (I've gotten pretty fed up with the readings on the retail radar devices. Way too inconsistent. These speeds are just me eyeballing.)

So he is hitting the ball well enough that the equipment and string choice have a significant impact on his play. What do you think he should be doing with his strings for that racket?

thanks,
don

[sfrazeur]

Geoff,
I have a junior who plays with a Babolot Pure Storm racquet (he says it is the light version). He is stringing it with Pro Hurricane Tour at 56 mains/ 54 crosses. I expect he should be using some kind of a hybrid string job.

[. . .]

thanks,
don

What brings you to this conclusion?

-Shaun

[GeoffWilliams]

Pht is a stiff string, esp. in a full job. Juniors who grow up with it love it. Roddick uses it in a hybrid cross with vs team gut. Tell him that Roddick uses this hybrid, for a reason. I'd try that, with gut in the mains first. I would not let the crosses go dead, but, lock down the frame before they break, and restring them. Vs team is about the only string you can do this with, due to its very good tens. maintenance. Then I'd try it the other way around (way more expensive, and the pht will go dead and trampoline way faster than the gut will. Can't restring the mains, only the crosses. So if you use the gut as cross, the tens. will go bad too fast vs the other way around! I'd string the gut at 60, with pht crosses at: first three down from top of hoop at: 55, next 14 down at:60, and last three at: 65lbs. This will give tens. main./power and also give him the feel he's used to, but with way more feel and serve power, and keep the sweet spot high in the bed. So, if he's hitting hard, I'd restring the crosses four times, cutting them out every other day or so. Or a little lower, depending on how fast he gets used to the higher trajectory angle of the ball off the bed. You have to warn him, that the angle will be higher than full pht, and to aim lower over the net than he's used to doing. His increased power will soon become addictive. With kids, it's better to teach them the big fh, run around bh, and make tactics simple, so they only have to do one thing.

Midplus Specs
Head Size:
98 sq. in. / 632 sq. cm.
Length: 27 inches / 68.6 cm
Strung Weight: 11oz / 312g
Balance: 1 pt Head Light
Swingweight: 327
Stiffness: 63
Beam Width: 21mm
Composition: Graphite Tungsten
Power Level: Low
Swing Speed: Fast
Grip Type: Skin Feel
String Pattern:
16 Mains / 20 Crosses
Mains skip: 8T,8H
One Piece
No Shared Holes

[tennis_chiro]

Hybrid

What brings you to this conclusion?

-Shaun

Honestly, I am not that good on all the different strings today. I'm trying to get past tight for control and loose for speed. I loved playing with gut, but I really couldn't afford it. I learned to love my nylon! I keep hearing that most of the players are using a combination of two different kinds of strings for mains and crosses. I don't get that involved in actual stringing, but I see a lot of my elite juniors doing this kind of thing as well. I don't compete at all anymore, but I was pretty stuck at "string it a little tighter than the middle of the range", although at the end a couple of years ago, I learned you had to string Luxilon below midrange or you destroy its' benefits.

When you can consistently hit groundies above 60 or 70 miles an hour and serves in the teens to 120's, I think the advantages of the right equipment, string job and tension are probably very significant.

This kid is one of the hardest working players I've ever had on the court. But he didn't start playing until about 4 years ago and his resources are limited. Just trying to help him get the most out of his opportunities.

don

[GeoffWilliams]

Then talk to babolat, for their $25/set price on vs team, for top juniors. And have him restring the crosses as listed. Just try it once, and come back and list the results.

[tennis_chiro]

Too expensive

Then talk to babolat, for their $25/set price on vs team, for top juniors. And have him restring the crosses as listed. Just try it once, and come back and list the results.

Even at $25/set, how many hours can you play with a set? And I thought you would only use the VS for the crosses, or is it mains, I get confused. But even then, it seems like the gut won't last more than a few hours (forget about changing every 9 games like the pros when the balls change). All of a sudden you are talking $100/week for gut (at a deep discount which I doubt he can get with his ranking). Come on, Geoff. You remember what it was like not to have any money. There has to be a more reasonable alternative using some combination of the synthetics. It may not be as responsive and sensitive as real gut; but I thought it might be a lot better than just playing with Hurricane Tour for mains and crosses. That stuff is not that cheap either.

I used to have a lot of elite players. Many of them seemed to break a string every time I saw them, and I saw some of them two or three times a week. I know rackets generate a lot more spin and string wear than in my day, but we used to get at least a couple of weeks out of a string job (let's say 15 to 20 hours of play). What is considered normal duration for a string job for a good player (4.5 to 5.5) who plays 10 to 15 hours a week.

I always get a kick out of how my students hit when they break their last string job and have to finish their lesson with one of my sticks (now Head Fire's about 4 or 5 years old, strung a few months ago, with one or two Shockbuster II's in them). The ball goes a little slower, but lo and behold, they can feel the ball. And the feedback immediately affects their stroke, ... positively. I always tell them their task is to get that feel out of their rackets by holding the ball a little more. Occasionally, they hear me, but not very well.

Anyone else out there have a different suggestion?

don

[GeoffWilliams]

I would place it in the mains, but many use it in the crosses, and there is a diff. there as well, vs. cheaper alt. Gut is far more durable than given credit for. Cheaper alt: X1 biphase, or nrg2 as mains with pht. Cheaper still: og sheep micro, supex spiral syn gut, orig. prince syn gut. Normal for a very hard hitter is between 5-15 hrs. 18 x 20 patterns help, as does lower tens., and stringing the crosses higher also helps. (Less snap back sawing motions.)

I would disagree on the basis that your average player can get quite a lot more life out of gut than they would out of pht since they will likely not break the string as fast if this method is used. Tension maintenance and elasticity will last significantly longer. Comfort, safety from injury and playability can last a very long time.

Unfortunately most average players don't realize the benefits of paying more up front for gut.

[sfrazeur]

I would avoid gut. Depending on the age and strokes of any 4.5-5.5, gut in the crosses may last an hour or so or less. His mileage will vary of course.

I've strung for and worked national 12s, 14s and 18s events. Only a handful used gut and that was in the crosses. Oddly enough those who did were not the better players. The better players in his age range used either full poly; Luxilon, Babolat, Tecnifibre or hybrid the crosses with multifiliment or synthgut; Sensation, Prince Synth Gut w/Dura flex, etc. I recall more using full poly. Pro Hurricane/Tour, ALU Power and Big Banger Original being the most popular ones.

Have him try out a hybrid or two with a mid range multifiliment (+/-$10)and see if he prefers it.

-Shaun

[GeoffWilliams]

That's why you don't put it in the crosses, and use the technique I mentioned, to extend its life span! Many of the top pros use vs team hybrids: joker, murray, roddick, federer, and lots of others. Why is that? Better control/power than any other string that's why, but you have to know what you are doing. the other most common string is alu power: Delpo, berdych, soderling, etc.

[sfrazeur]

It will break faster in the mains. The mains move back and snap back. More movement, more sawing.

-Shaun

[tennis_chiro]

Thanks

Shaun and Geoff,
Thanks for the help. I'll let you know how it works out.
don

[GeoffWilliams]

Not as fast if you restring the crosses often. They don't have time to notch and saw as much. $25/set, hybrid, is only $12.50 for the gut, and if he uses a syn gut as cross, it's way cheaper than nrg2, but the control doesn't last as long. It's the game that counts, not the money for the string.