My Journey with String

[johnyandell]

Share your thoughts on Geoff's piece "My Journey with String".

[GeoffWilliams]

It's the best string piece I've ever seen, due to the global picture, the intent also to do good for the members, and the grit and resiliency it took to write it. Hard on John. He said to me, "It hurt me.", today, re; how hard it was to edit. It's a 3G article: global/good/grit piece. I would like to do a piece, if a member wants to hire me to customize their frame/string for the best result/in their game. Anybody want to do it? I'd need either to see video of your game, or ask a lot of detailed questions about your playing style. We would then write the article about the process, work together as a unit, to improve your game through the piece.

[llll]

want to give kudos to geoff
i asked him some questions which he promptly and in a very detailed way
answered them.
if not for a history of elbow and shoulder issues which havent bothered me for the last few years im reluctant to try any major change to the vs team i use now
otherwise i would jump at the chance to be the experimental student to work with geoff.
larrry

[GeoffWilliams]

Best to stay with an all gut job, then, due to its softness. The elasto bands, and the flex bar, are good for shoulder/elbow injuries. If I were you, I'd at least try the alu on cross and the vs as main. You are too low at 46lbs. Too hard to keep gut in the park at that low tension. You could do as Raonic does, string at 42/44. He increased it at altitude up to 45/47. The higher cross tension combats trampoline effect for a short while, until the tensioning crosses lose tension. It's the crosses that keep the ball in the court.

The reason that Fed and joker love that so much is the penetration and controlled pure power, the heavy ball on demand, that hybrid strikes mass into the ball.

[hmkuchta]

Geoff - after reading your article, I'm ready to start experimenting with my stringing. My son and I string our rackets, but with no real creativity I hate to admit. He's 6-3 and a big hitter; enjoys the big drive but occasionally sees the value in increasing the amount of spin. He uses a prince tour mp and strings both the main and cross at 66 lbs. I've heard him mention once in awhile that his upper arm gets a little sore. He's using babolat pro hurricane 16 and wilson sensation 16; no more than two hitting days for a string job and if not used within a 5 days it loses tension and turns into a trampoline. He often complains about a fresh 66 string job as feeling springy. I could use some advice. I may even take you up on the "experiment". Give me the details. thanks for the informative article.
Hank

[GeoffWilliams]

His arm hurts due to the pht, which can cause arm problems, and the stiffness rating of the frame at 63, the mp tour diablo?
That's a 16 x 18. The nxt sensation has a lot of tens. loss. Big hitting of any kind will cause it and arm pain, but the pht is hurting him, not the nxt. 66lbs is higher than most string, but tens. loss is a big issue with him. I would at least try: bhbr/bbo, strung at 66lbs on bhbr mains, and the bbo at the top of the hoop: 64lbs, for the first 11 crosses down from the top of the hoop, and then for the last seven crosses down, up to 75lbs. That will firm up the job more until it breaks, but some say it causes more frame stress. I've never had a problem with that technique, and it helps me with the same issue. If he's a big hitter he will love that combo, as the bhbr has way more spin pop than the pht but since it's a copoly, it feels softer than pht but pht is listed as less stiff, the stiffness ratings (188 vs 233) don't always pan out, and will cause less arm pain! Copolys feel softer than polys even if listed stiffer. One of the advancements of string technology is the softness and fewer injuries caused by copolys. The springy feeling he's complaining about is the tension and how it relates to his frame/string he's using. Try it once and see if it works for him. To be part of the article, we would need to ask or see how he plays.

[hmkuchta]

what is bhbr?

[GeoffWilliams]

big hitter blue rough made by Tourna.

[jryle1]

Geoff,

I would love to be able to implement Natural Gut into my string set-up but I'm afraid that the weather over here mightn't allow that to happen. I presume that the damp, cold, wet Irish weather will cause the Natural Gut to break quicker?

Jono.

[GeoffWilliams]

That's the truth, as the microscopic fibers absorb water (made from cow intestines, or sheep with the cheaper indian gut), but Nrg2 or x1 biphase are ok subs, both made by technifibre. I've seen gut immersed in water and become spongy and enlarge. They coat gut with a compound that delays the absorption, but it wears off as soon as you hit with it!

fed, joker, nadal frames

[hmkuchta]

His arm hurts due to the pht, which can cause arm problems, and the stiffness rating of the frame at 63, the mp tour diablo?
That's a 16 x 18. The nxt sensation has a lot of tens. loss. Big hitting of any kind will cause it and arm pain, but the pht is hurting him, not the nxt. 66lbs is higher than most string, but tens. loss is a big issue with him. I would at least try: bhbr/bbo, strung at 66lbs on bhbr mains, and the bbo at the top of the hoop: 64lbs, for the first 11 crosses down from the top of the hoop, and then for the last seven crosses down, up to 75lbs. That will firm up the job more until it breaks, but some say it causes more frame stress. I've never had a problem with that technique, and it helps me with the same issue. If he's a big hitter he will love that combo, as the bhbr has way more spin pop than the pht but since it's a copoly, it feels softer than pht but pht is listed as less stiff, the stiffness ratings (188 vs 233) don't always pan out, and will cause less arm pain! Copolys feel softer than polys even if listed stiffer. One of the advancements of string technology is the softness and fewer injuries caused by copolys. The springy feeling he's complaining about is the tension and how it relates to his frame/string he's using. Try it once and see if it works for him. To be part of the article, we would need to ask or see how he plays.

Geoff - I put the bhbr in the mains and they broke after 2 hours of hitting; if I put them in the crosses would durability increase? how about other performance factors?

[hmkuchta]

His arm hurts due to the pht, which can cause arm problems, and the stiffness rating of the frame at 63, the mp tour diablo?
That's a 16 x 18. The nxt sensation has a lot of tens. loss. Big hitting of any kind will cause it and arm pain, but the pht is hurting him, not the nxt. 66lbs is higher than most string, but tens. loss is a big issue with him. I would at least try: bhbr/bbo, strung at 66lbs on bhbr mains, and the bbo at the top of the hoop: 64lbs, for the first 11 crosses down from the top of the hoop, and then for the last seven crosses down, up to 75lbs. That will firm up the job more until it breaks, but some say it causes more frame stress. I've never had a problem with that technique, and it helps me with the same issue. If he's a big hitter he will love that combo, as the bhbr has way more spin pop than the pht but since it's a copoly, it feels softer than pht but pht is listed as less stiff, the stiffness ratings (188 vs 233) don't always pan out, and will cause less arm pain! Copolys feel softer than polys even if listed stiffer. One of the advancements of string technology is the softness and fewer injuries caused by copolys. The springy feeling he's complaining about is the tension and how it relates to his frame/string he's using. Try it once and see if it works for him. To be part of the article, we would need to ask or see how he plays.

Geoff - I put the bhbr in the mains and they broke after 2 hours of hitting; if I put the bhbr in the crosses and the bbo in the mains would durability increase? how about other performance factors?

[GeoffWilliams]

If you broke the bhbr in two hours, you will break the lux as well, as the stiffness rating is similar 233 vs 266. Thicker string will give more durability, and less spin. Performance issues: lux mains bbo will not be as soft, nor as powerful. The bbo is used by many spanish grinders and was used by Agassi with a vs team gut hybrid in his oversize 105 sq. in. frame. Lux in the mains defeats the purpose of a spin string in the mains. Sounds like you need a durable main like ashaway kevlar 16g. I would try that in a hybrid with alu power as cross, but it may hurt your elbow. What you get in durability, you pay for with pain.. Was it a grommet shear break? I find it very durable but I use it in an 18 x 20. Sounds like he is using an open pattern.

[hmkuchta]

If you broke the bhbr in two hours, you will break the lux as well, as the stiffness rating is similar 233 vs 266. Thicker string will give more durability, and less spin. Performance issues: lux mains bbo will not be as soft, nor as powerful. The bbo is used by many spanish grinders and was used by Agassi with a vs team gut hybrid in his oversize 105 sq. in. frame. Lux in the mains defeats the purpose of a spin string in the mains. Sounds like you need a durable main like ashaway kevlar 16g. I would try that in a hybrid with alu power as cross, but it may hurt your elbow. What you get in durability, you pay for with pain.. Was it a grommet shear break? I find it very durable but I use it in an 18 x 20. Sounds like he is using an open pattern.

Yes, he's using a wilson 6.1 16x18. the broken string was 4th main about 1/3 down from top of head. I'm a little confused by the new stringing dynacmics so excuse me for sounding lost, but generally speaking, do I have it right that the mains were the typical string to break in the days of non hybrid stringing and therefore the new durable (stiff) strings are put in the mains and the crosses are typically more lively lively strings with more "feel" (softer)? What string characteristic actually allows for extra spin, or is that more of a function of the racket?

[GeoffWilliams]

Yes, he's using a wilson 6.1 16x18. the broken string was 4th main about 1/3 down from top of head. I'm a little confused by the new stringing dynacmics so excuse me for sounding lost, but generally speaking, do I have it right that the mains were the typical string to break in the days of non hybrid stringing and therefore the new durable (stiff) strings are put in the mains and the crosses are typically more lively lively strings with more "feel" (softer)? What string characteristic actually allows for extra spin, or is that more of a function of the racket?

You are talking about the 4th cross down from the top of the hoop, not the main, so his cross broke first, not the main. So it was not a shear break. If you strung bhbr/bbo, and the bbo broke first in just two days, he hits like a pro. The crosses ususally saw through the mains first, and the mains are the first to break. Spin is a function of both open pattern frames, and a spin string such as spiky shark, barb wire, ashaway kevlar 16g, ace 18g lux, etc. A thin string will bite more. A textured or twisted string will bite more. A nubbed string will bite more than a plain round string. It's also a function of snap back and grab. That equation is determined by the hybrids' slipperiness, too much or too little and the ball will not be grabbed and held, for the most spin. Murray uses alu/vs team, while Fed and Djokovic use vs team/alu. Why is that? Fed has an RA of 65, Murray an Ra of 60, and Djokovic an Ra of a reported 51. Why so vast a range for top players on frames, and RA, yet, the same string hybrid combos? Because that combo provides the most power/control there is. Your son is in need of the ash/alu combo, due to his extremely hard hitting, and open pattern frame. Try the ash/alu hybrid for durability and spin. Then go back to the bhbr/nrg2 or bbo. The nrg2, due to its softer nature, will allow for more control than the bbo, if not strung to suit his frame and game. The bbo will allow for more power, and a higher tension due to its stiffer cross bbo, yet it feels paradoxically soft for such a stiff string as its made of fluorocarbon resin imbued with aluminum and teflon particles. Even if you have to restring the bhbr, who cares, as it's only $80/reel. The nrg2 is $215/reel, as is the bbo, so the crosses will cost more than the mains in either hybrid. Same with the ash/alu, as the alu costs more than the ash/per reel.

If you place the power string in the mains, and the stiff string in the crosses, unlike Murray, you will have flatter shots, more power, and less control. Vice versa, more control, higher shots, less depth, fewer shots out long. Just try the bhbr/nrg2 combo once, then the ashaway/alu combo once. The ash. will last twice as long if not more, but have less power and control, unless you string like a master.

Tecnifibre NRG2 is the next best thing to natural gut. One of the most comfortable and responsive strings available. NRG2 also offers outstanding feel, power and playability. So control will come at a price, but it is easier on the arm than the ash./alu combo, and less durable. Durability is meaningless in a match.