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  • What Can Broken Strings Teach You?

    tennis-string-shear-breakImagine a brand new tennis racquet equipped with perfectly installed and completely flawless new string. Nobody has ever used this racquet before. Now imagine a recreational tennis player (or a total pro — it doesn’t really matter which) tossing a regular ball into the air and hitting it for the very first time with this brand new racquet.

    Now imagine that the string breaks — because it CAN happen. Even under perfect conditions with a perfect racquet with perfect strings that are perfectly installed, it is entirely possible for the strings to break the very first time they ever strike a ball.

    How can this happen? Typically, it is the result of what we call a “shear break”. Shear breaks occur most often on serves or overhead smashes when a ball is hit with a high degree of force off center near the frame. It doesn’t have to be a smash or a serve though, shear breaks can happen on ground strokes, too. Anytime you hit a ball off centre out near the frame of the racquet a shear break can occur.

    When a ball is hit with the centre of the string bed, the load is shared evenly by a bunch of strings. Together they are strong. But when a ball is hit off center, the load is carried by fewer strings. And if this load it too much, one or more strings may break under the strain — even if they are new strings in a new frame installed by the world’s best stringer.

    The image top right in this article shows a typical shear break on polyester string. It has broken along the grommet line, probably as a result of an off center serve or smash. Whether the strings are new or old (used or unused) in these events actually matters very little. The break is caused by the overwhelming force of contact with the ball, a force that is too large for the material to withstand.

    So what can players do to minimize these kinds of string breaks? For many, it’s as simple as taking some lessons and learning how to serve using the center of the string bed. For others, it’s a matter of taking some pace off of their serve and learning to place it rather than pound it.

    In general, switching to a stiff polyester string just because you are consistently breaking strings on your serve is not a good idea. Doing this may result in a racquet that is durable enough to withstand your serve but too stiff for rallying or volleying. In other words, it may help you on your serve, but it may kill you on your ground strokes.

    A much better idea is to listen to what your strings are telling you. They may be saying “Ouch!”. “Too hard.” “Time for a serve lesson.” Persistent shear breaks are more often a sign of bad technique than a sign of poor quality strings. So if the strings you are breaking are good quality strings to begin with, then you may want to listen to what they have to say.

    TEST PREPARATION


    The following questions may appear on tests related to this article. Use them to test your reading comprehension and prepare for the CERTIFIED EXPERTS TEST – RACQUET SERVICE.

  • Natural Gut for Squash & Badminton

    Natural Gut Squash StringAlthough many tennis players are familiar with natural gut strings, squash and badminton players tend to know very little about them. Those who have heard about natural gut presume that it is too fragile to use for squash or badminton.

    This is not the case at all. In fact, natural gut is equally as durable as some of the best synthetic multifilaments. It also has the benefit of maintaining its elasticity and power much longer than any synthetic. And as a natural, organic, fully biodegradable product, natural gut offers environmental benefits unmatched by any artificial string.

    “I’m not a frequent string breaker in any racquet sport,” admits Brent Johner, owner and founder of Calgary-based Racquet Network, the largest racquet store in Alberta, “but I was a little leery about using natural gut for squash even though it is all I ever use for tennis.”\

    Like many people, Johner thought natural gut would break too often, especially when used for squash. He expected to be restringing every week or two.

    “This has not been the case,” he says. “Natural gut performed far beyond my expectations in squash. It took me about two hours to become accustomed to it. Once I broke it in, I fell in love with it. The power it gives me is consistent from week to week, which is good. And the touch is amazing. I feel it especially on my cross court lobs and semi-lobs. I don’t have to swing very hard at all and the ball goes exactly where I want it to go.”

    Natural gut is very stiff when it first goes into a squash frame, he explains. It takes a couple of hours for the crosses to break in. After that, the string bed softens up and the user can begin to experience the benefits. Badminton, on the other hand, requires no break-in time, says Johner. It is ready to play with immediately.

    “After my experience with natural gut in squash, I was expecting a break-in period for badminton as well,” he says, “but that was not the case at all. It was game-ready from the very first shot.”

    What surprised him most was the power offer by natural gut badminton string. “I had been using Yonex BG66 because I needed a power boost on my backhand drives. The switch to natural gut immediately jacked up the power of my backhands. I feel it has improved every shot I make. This string bed is so lively and consistent.”

    Durability has not been an issue for this frequent player either. “I’m not a frequent string breaker by any stretch of the imagination,” says Johner. “So I may not be the best person to ask about this issue. However, I can say that I play or practice squash six hours a week and play badminton two hours per week and have not had a string break in the month since I install natural gut in my squash and badminton frames.”

    Over that same period, he notes, he has also not noticed any loss of tension or decrease in power. “My kids are happier, though,” he says. “They always give me a hard time when I string my racquets and put the old nylon strings in the garbage. Now that I’m using natural gut, they can’t complain.”

    In addition to its obvious environmental advantages, natural gut also maintains tension a lot longer than synthetic strings. While player can expect to get about eight hours of play out of synthetic strings before they go dead, they will get about 20 hours of play out of natural gut.

    TEST PREPARATION

    The following questions may appear on tests related to this article. Use them to test your reading comprehension and prepare for the CERTIFIED EXPERTS TEST – RACQUET SERVICE.

  • String Durability and Serving in Squash

    Very few squash players think about this, but it’s a fact. How you serve determines, to a very large degree, how often your strings break. Even more importantly, though, how you serve affects the number of grommets you break.

    Why does this matter? Once a grommet breaks, there is nothing to protect the string from the sharp edge of the graphite. A few strokes later, the graphite will cut through the string and you will have to bring the racquet in for restringing.

    Take five minutes right now to watch the videos below. If you serve like the guy in the first video, you will win more points on the serve at the beginner and low-intermediate levels, but it will come at a cost because you will break grommets and have to restring a lot more often.

    If, however, you learn to serve like the professional squash player in the second video, you will win more at higher levels and save a ton of money on restringing costs.

    Power serving, like the guy in the top video puts incredible stresses on the racquet’s grommet system. If you are playing with a Head squash racquet, most of your grommets will be busted out in just a few dozen matches. Even a quality Tecnifibre racquet with top-of-the-line grommets, can be damaged the first time you use it if you serve like this.

    Our advice is to learn to serve like the pro in the second video. If that’s not something you are prepared to do, then suck it up, Buttercup. You will have no choice but to restring your squash racquet every few weeks — or sooner.

    The only options you have to increase string life when you serve like the guy in the top video are to A) play with thick string and B) replace broken grommets every time you restring your racquet.

    TEST PREPARATION

    The following questions may appear on tests related to this article. Use them to test your reading comprehension and prepare for the CERTIFIED EXPERTS TEST – RACQUET SERVICE.

  • How Long Should Badminton Strings Last?

    Badminton Strings Break
    Badminton Strings Break
    One of the frustrating truths about badminton string is that it breaks. Even the best string in the best racquet strung by the best stringer on the best machine in the world can break the first time you use it.

    It sucks, but it’s true. Strings are strings. They are not steel beams. They are not indestructible. Strings are made of string and strings break.

    The other unfortunate truth about string is that when it breaks customers usually want to blame somebody. If a string breaks the first time they use it, most will blame the stringer.

    It doesn’t matter that the string was installed correctly. It doesn’t matter that the stringer was not even present when the string broke, many customers will assume that the stringer must have done something wrong.

    As stringers, we can tell you that this is enormously frustrating for everyone involved.

    There are many reasons that string will break. Very few of these reasons have anything to do with the guy (or gal) who strings your racquet.

    Nicks Caused by Smashes

    With badminton string, one of the leading culprits of breakage comes from nicks caused by hitting the skirt of the shuttle on smashes. It only takes one smash to put a near fatal nick in your string. A few shots later, the nick becomes a break. As a result, the string will appear to break on a clear, a lift or even a drop shot, when in fact most of the damage was done on an earlier smash.

    Nicks During Storage

    Another common cause of string damage occurs when players store their racquets in their racquet bags. While players should keep their racquets separate from everything else in their bags, some players have bags that are too small. So their racquet strings end up being accidentally damaged by keys, phones, shoes and other items crammed into in their racquet bags.

    Choosing the Wrong String

    Another culprit often responsible for early string breakage has to do with poor consumer choices. Contrary to popular belief, not all strings are designed to work with nylon shuttles. In fact, most high end strings are too thin to use with nylon shuttles. They are designed for use with feather shuttles and customers who choose to use them with nylon shuttles do so at their own risk.

    Power vs. Durability

    Far and away the biggest cause of early badminton string breakage, however, is greed. Some players can never have enough power. They might be six feet tall and have incredibly powerful smashes, but they still want more. So while they should be choosing strings that are thick and durable enough to withstand their power, they instead opt for thinner strings that offer even more power. The result, not surprisingly, is broken string and disappointed customers.

    Stinger Errors

    Before you blame the stringer and question his/her professionalism, please consider everything we have said above. Stringers can and do make mistakes. Equipment sometimes fails. However, a well-trained stringer knows what to watch for and rarely does anything that will decrease string life. Indeed, our policy when these uncommon mistakes are made is to stop, cut the strings out and start again. We would rather do a racquet twice than risk being blamed for causing early breakage.


    TEST PREPARATION


    The following questions may appear on tests related to this article. Use them to test your reading comprehension and prepare for the CERTIFIED EXPERTS TEST – RACQUET SERVICE.

  • Badminton Racquet Tension Trade-Offs

    tensionChoosing the best string tension for your badminton frame is often a case of choosing between trade offs.

    For example, stringing at a racquet’s maximum tension will increase your ability to control the power of the string bed, but it will also decrease string life. On the other hand, stringing the same racquet at minimum recommended tension will increase its power and extend the life of the string, but it will reduce your ability to control drop shots.

    Printed somewhere on the frame of every badminton racquet is a recommended tension range. For example, a typical range for a Yonex badminton racquet is 17-24 lbs. So the lowest recommended tension on this racquet is 17 lbs while the maximum recommended range is 24 lbs. Stringing below 17 lbs will result in a string bed that is so loose that it will loose its effectiveness. Stringing above 24 lbs will put the frame under enormous pressure and may may result in frame collapse.

    Benefits and Trade-Offs of High Tension

    Here is a list of the benefits and trade offs of stinging at high tension.

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    BENEFITS TRADE OFFS
    – more control on drop shots – less power on drives
    – more control on net shots – less power on clears and smashes
    – makes a cool sound on hard contact – increased chances of frame breakage
    – strings do not move around – increased chances of string breakage

    Benefits and Trade-Offs of Low Tension

    Here is a list of the benefits and trade offs of stinging at low tension.

    BENEFITS TRADE OFFS
    – more power on drives – less control on drop shots
    – more power on clears and smashes – less control on net shots
    – decreased chances of frame breakage – does not make a cool sound on hard contact
    – decreased chances of string breakage – strings move around

    Choosing Factory Tension

    In general, staff at Racquet Network advise customers to string their racquets at factory recommended tension unless they have a good reason do otherwise. For example, a customer who is having trouble getting the shuttle to the back of the court on clears, may be advised to string at a lower tension to increase power. Meanwhile, another customer who is regularly hitting the shuttle out the back of the court on clearing attempts may be advised to decrease the power of their racquet by stringing at a higher tension.

    TEST PREPARATION


    The following questions may appear on tests related to this article. Use them to test your reading comprehension and prepare for the CERTIFIED EXPERTS TEST – RACQUET SERVICE.

  • Why is Your Choice of Strings Important?

    Legendary racquet stringer Lucien Nogues covers a range of topics in this video.

    COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR STRINGER

    Summary of his key points.

    There is no such thing as a miracle string that will give you everything you want in one string.

    It is important to communicate what you want to your stringer. Tell him/her the problem you are trying to solve.

    What do you want from your string?

    1. Power
    2. Comfort
    3. Durability
    4. Control (Playability)

    HOW RACQUETS LOSE TENSION

    There are two ways the strings lose tension.

    1. Static loss — sitting in your closet
    2. Dynamic loss — when you are using it

    Dynamic loss accelerates the process, but a string bed will eventually go completely dead even if you never use it.

    Loss of tension results in loss of control.

    TIPS FROM THE PRO TOUR

    Tip 1 – Record everything.

    Note: At Racquet Network we keep a record for our customers. So there is no need to write anything down yourself.

    Tip 2 – Change one parameter at a time.
    Note: Our stringers can help you figure out which parameter to change at each step along the way.

  • What are the Different Types of Tennis String?

    Legendary racquet stringer Lucien Nogues describes the different types of tennis racquet strings, their pros and cons and how they are made.

    The are two general string families: natural gut string and synthetic strings.

    Natural gut is an organic, biodegradable product made from cow intestines. It is a byproduct of the beef industry. (It has NEVER been made from cats.)

    Synthetic strings are inorganic and man-made. They include:

    A: Polyurethane (PU) monofilaments.

    Pros and cons of PU —

    1. PRO – Elastic (playable)
    2. PRO – Comfortable
    3. PRO – Powerful
    4. CON – Not very durable

    B: Polyamides.

    Pros and cons of polyamides —

    1. PRO – Holds tension fairly well
    2. PRO – Powerful
    3. PRO – Controllable
    4. Durability is better than PU.

    C: Polyester and Co-polyester

    Pros and cons of polyesters/co-polyesters —

    1. PRO – Durable
    2. PRO – Controllable
    3. PRO – Accentuates existing topspin
    4. CON – Not elastic (not playable or comfortable)
    5. CON – Does not hold tension

    Within these families, strings can be constructed in ways that offer specific benefits. For example, strings in all three families can be made stronger by making them thicker.

  • Benefits of Natural Gut Tennis String

    Legendary racquet stringer Lucien Nogues describes the main benefits of natural gut string.

    Benefit 1 – Elasticity. Elasticity increases power and spin.

    Benefit 2 – Comfort. Natural gut is the most comfortable string that money can buy.

    Benefit 3 – Vibration absorbing. Players with tennis elbow issues can benefit from using natural gut exclusively.

    Benefit 4 – Tension holding. Unlike plastic strings, natural gut holds its tension and releases energy efficiently without stretching.

    The only downside to natural gut is durability. However, this can be improved by using a hybrid blend of natural gut and multifilament.

  • Tennis Stringing Myths Busted

    Legendary racquet stringer Lucien Nogues busts some common myths about tennis racquets and strings.

    Myth 1 – The thickness of the frame has an impact on the ball. In fact, if the ball is hit properly, the ball never touches the frame. The only point of contact is the string bed.

    Myth 2 – More tension equals more power. In fact, more tension results in less power. If you want more power, you have to decrease the tension.

    Myth 3 – Multifilament string is not durable. In fact, it is durable. It may not be as freakishly durable as polyester string, but it is durable and — because it is elastic — it is also playable.

    Myth 4 – Monofilament (polyester) is suitable for everyone. In fact, it is made for professional tennis players with extremely high racquet head speeds. Most players do not swing hard enough to bend it. Therefore they get no benefit from polyester.

    Myth 5 – Natural gut is for old people. In fact, 40% of pros at Roland Garros used hybrids with natural gut and nearly all of them are under 30 years old.

  • When and Why You Should Change Your Tennis Strings

    Legendary racquet stringer Lucien Nogues gives his advice on when and why you should change your tennis strings.

    Option 1 – Scheduled Changes

    If you play three times a week, you may choose to schedule your string changes along the lines of three times per season. This is especially effective for players who are concerned about the cost of re-stringing.

    Option 2 – Emerging Needs

    While scheduled changes are preferred by players on a budget, better players tend to replace their strings as needed.

    Examples of emerging needs:

    1. Power/Control issues – A player may want more power or control than the current configuration of his racquet can offer. Alternatively, a player may choose to string his racquet looser for more forgiveness at the beginning of the season and tighter for more control at the end of the season.

    2. Sensation issues – A player may want softer strings in his racquet at the beginning of the season when it is cool and stiffer strings during the middle of the season when it is hot. Alternatively, a player may be going on vacation in a different climate and may want to choose a better string for that climate. Or another example, a player may develop elbow pain and may want to move to a softer configuration.

    3. String tiring – Due to static and/or dynamic tension loss, a player may notice degrading power or control as the strings in his racquets age. Alternatively, he may want fresh strings for an important tournament or match.

    Lucien’s Tips

    1. Pay attention to the sounds your strings make. When they sound dead, they are dead.

    2. Never leave synthetic string in the sun. Heat kills the tension.

    3. Never get natural gut strings wet. Humidity kills the tension.