Tag: tennis

What You Get for Your Money

Players often ask: “Why do basement stringers charge less than store stringers?”

The simple answer is options.

Basement stringing customers save money because basement racquet stringers offer fewer options. Basement stringers can stack up a bunch of discount stringing racquets for five or six days and then bang them all out at the same time without having to stop and reset custom machine tension and custom string options like custom racquet stringers do.

Custom racquet stringers, by contrast, offer many options. They typically carry a large inventory of string and can offer many more precision tension options than basement stringers with budget machines.

Every racquet they string takes more time. It is a more careful and deliberate process. Professional racquet technicians don’t just bang out custom string jobs. They are required to stop and check the custom spec sheet before starting every racquet.

Then…

They strip the racquet of all string and head tape. They clean the frame, remove all tape residue and inspect it. They check to see if any grommets are missing and formulate a repair plan. Often, at this point, they have to stop and call the customer to consult with them about how they want their grommets repaired.

Once they have mapped out the road ahead, including repairs, they set up the string and the tension on the machine and start weaving. When they are done weaving and repairing, they have another stringer verify the weave and the repairs to ensure that everything is perfect. If any flaws are found in the weave or the repairs, they back up and correct everything before tying off.

Once the racquet is done, they enter the notes in the customer file and notify the customer by email. All of this takes time and expertise, but it guarantees that they meet customer specifications exactly.

Finally, convenience is a major factor in stringing costs. Basement stringers often have very limited hours. Customers have very narrow windows during which they can pick up or drop off their racquets while store stringers are open long hours. As a result, pick up and drop off are generally more convenient with store stringers than with basement stringers.

In short, store stringing is a professional stringing service with a premium price while basement stringing offers fewer options at a lower price. Here in Calgary, Racquet Network offers both stringing options to their customers.

Racquet Network’s Custom Stringing vs Discount Stringing Table

	CUSTOM	DISCOUNT
String options	Choose from all strings	None
Colour options	Choose from all colours	None
Tension options	Choose from full range	None
Grommet repairs	Minor repairs included free	None
Head tape removal	Included free	None
Frame cleaning	Included free	None
Service Options	online option in store option	online only racquetnetwork.com
Turnaround options	one hour one day one week	one week
Notifications	By email	None
Early pickup options	Permitted	Not permitted
Warranty options	Two weeks (labour only)	None
Sponsorship credits	Automatic with online orders	None

July 3, 2017

Why Don’t Pros Break Strings?

Here is a question we get asked all of the time: pros hit harder than I do, so why don’t I ever see them break their strings?

Actually, if you watch a lot of pro tennis, you will see professional tennis players break their strings, too. However, it doesn’t happen that often because they rarely play more than an hour before changing their strings. In an average 3 hour match, most of the top 20 professional tennis players will change their racquets five to ten times.

Recreational players tend to play a lot longer on the same set of strings than a pro ever would. Poly strings tend to go completely dead after about four hours of play. Good quality multifilaments will last about eight hours before they go dead. And natural gut, the King of Strings, will stand up to about 20 hours of play or so before losing its life. That doesn’t matter to most recreational players, though. Most, in fact, will keep right on playing until something breaks — either string or frame.

Given the price of sting and labour, this is not surprising. Professional tennis player change racquets every hour (or less) because somebody else is paying to string them. If they were paying for their own strings and labour, we would undoubtedly see more strings breaking during professional tennis matches.

So how often should recreational players be changing their strings?

The answer to this question depends on what the recreational player in question wants to get out of their strings. If their goal is maximum performance, they will change poly after four hours of play, multifilament after 8 hours and natural gut after 20 hours. If keeping costs to a minimum is their goal, then they will play as long as they can, usually until something breaks.

As racquet stringers, we chuckle when we hear players say this (which they often do): “It takes a week or two to break new strings in.” We chuckle because we understand that what they are really saying is: “I am not used to playing with good string. I’m used to playing with dead string. So when I get my racquet back with new strings in it, I don’t like. A week later, once the strings are dead, it feels normal to me. That’s when I like it.”

We also wince inwardly when players who have been practicing for a tournament for weeks with dead strings bring their racquets in to be restrung the day before the tournament. We wince because we know exactly what is going to happen. Why would you want a brand new, lively string bed for a tournament when you have been playing with a dead one for months?

So keep all of this the next time you watch a pro tennis match. When you see them unwrapping a new racquet between points, remember why they are doing it. As professionals with hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line with every ranking point won or lost, it is essential for them to have consistency in their corner. When you have big money riding on every swing of the racquet, the last thing you want is to have a string break.

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.

July 13, 2016
3 Ways to Extend String Life

Even hammers break. Strong as the they are, they will all break eventually. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that racquet strings break too.

Like hammers, they can break when they are old and worn out after lots and lots of pounding or they can break when they are new, fresh out of the package. They probably shouldn’t. But if you hit a hammer hard enough the first time you use it, a hammer might break too.

So what can you do to prolong the life of your strings and get the most out of your investment?

Step One is to learn to play rather than pound the ball. Contrary to the way some players think, hitting every shot as hard as you can is not the right way to play any racquet sport. Hard shots have their place but rarely will they make up more than 10% of your total shots in a game or match.

Even serves should not generally be pounded. In tennis, a first serve might be hit hard, but the second serve should not be. The second serve should be a spin serve which is rarely hit with 100% of your full force. Even the first serve, which is often flatter and harder than the second serve, rarely sees top players hitting the ball as hard at they can.

Step Two in preserving the life of your strings is to take care of your frame. Split or broken grommets are string eaters. When they are whole, they work to prevent the string from touching the sharp edges of the graphite. When they split or break, the graphite cuts through the string like a hot knife through butter.

Step Three in preserving the life of your strings is to string at lower tension. While it is true that constant friction at the crosses may cause the strings to saw through each other, modern materials and engineering minimize this. Strings today are designed to glide easily over each other. As a result, they are much more likely to break when exposed to extreme force under high tension.

Players today have more choices than at any point in history. They can play with natural guts, synthetic guts, polyamides, polyesters, co-polys and more. In our store alone we carry more than 150 types of string. But all of these myriad choices have one thing in common; like hammers, if you hit them hard enough, they will break.

So as carpenters take care of their tools, players must take care of their strings. No self-respecting carpenter swings as hard as he can at every nail. And no self-respecting tennis player should swing as hard as he can at every serve. The key is to apply force skillfully in order to maximize the effectiveness of the tool.

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.

May 5, 2016
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.

May 29, 2015
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.

May 28, 2015
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.

May 25, 2015
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.

May 24, 2015
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.

May 23, 2015
Best Tennis String for Calgary’s Climate

Outdoor tennis players often follow the pros with their string choices. However, this only makes sense if the pros are playing in same climate. For players in Calgary where it is often cool, it makes no sense to use the same string as a pro appearing in 40+ degree heat at the Australian Open.

As we have discussed in previous articles, polyester tennis string (use by many pros) is probably the worst possible choice for outdoor tennis players in Calgary. Given our climate, there are really only about six weeks during which it is warm enough outside for poly strings to make any sense at all. For most of the outdoor tennis season, the temperatures are too cool for polyester resulting in unacceptably — often unplayably — stiff string beds.

Natural gut, as every tennis geek knows, lies at the other end of spectrum. As an organic product, it is capable of stretching and snapping back under a wide range of conditions. Indeed, natural gut comes from the intestines of cows where it is constantly expanding and contracting in order to push food through the animal’s digestive system. So unlike plastic, which stretches and sags in a short period of time, natural gut is very good at returning to its original shape.

Downside to Natural Gut

The downsides to natural gut, of course, are price and durability. Like most good things in life, natural gut is not cheap. It costs about twice as much to string a tennis racquet with natural gut as it does with plastic. This initial expense comes as a bit of a shock to many players who don’t understand the benefits of using it. They don’t understand that it costs twice as much but it retains its elasticity for more than twice as long. They don’t understand that it performs better at low temperatures than plastics and polys. All they see is the price and that frightens them.

The knock against natural gut is its durability. In actual fact, natural gut lasts about as long as synthetic gut, but few players realize this. The perception is that it has a short life. Certainly, when it is compared with polyester strings, there is no question that racquets strung with natural gut must be strung more often. But to say it has a short life is probably unfair because for most players who play with synthetic gut, the durability will be about the same.

Moisture Issues with Natural Gut

Moisture is another issue often raised as a criticism of natural gut. Players who used it 30 years ago will remember mold and mildew forming on racquets that were strung with natural gut and put away wet. They may also remember having to apply wax to their strings in order to protect them from moisture.

Fortunately, moisture is not an issue in Calgary. Humidity levels are extremely low here for most of the outdoor season. Moreover, natural gut strings are now treated with coatings and preservatives that obviate the whole mold/mildew issue. In fact, in spite of stringing several thousand racquets over the past decade, our stringers have not seen a single case of racquet mold in Calgary.

Best Overall Tennis String for Calgary

It is for these reasons that we have concluded that natural gut is probably the best overall string for Calgary’s outdoor tennis players. While it may seem pricey, there is no question that it offers the best value for the greatest number of players. In addition, there are some well-known health benefits that we don’t have time to go into here, but that also make natural gut an excellent choice for weekend warriors and other recreational athletes.

Outdoor tennis players who choose natural gut in Calgary will enjoy better overall string performance, regardless of our rapidly changing weather. They will also enjoy a much higher level of comfort than players who choose polys and other plastic tennis strings.

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.

May 22, 2015
Stringing for Calgary’s Climate

Tennis players seldom think about this, but ambient temperature has a major impact on stringbed stiffness, performance. and durability. For indoor tennis players, this is not a major issue. It’s pretty much the same temperature indoors on the tennis courts at The Riverside Club in January as it is in July. For outdoor players, however, this is a major consideration.

In April/May, it is not unusual for outdoor tennis players to experience lows near freezing when the sun goes behind a cloud. In July, by contrast, a sunny day on an asphalt court can generate on-court temperatures near 40 degrees Celsius. Naturally, this 40 degree difference has a significant effect on string elasticity and this, in turn, affects both performance and durability.

In general, outdoor tennis players in Calgary are going to string at slightly lower tensions that outdoor tennis players in Vancouver or Toronto. Meanwhile, the same players in Calgary will string at significantly lower tensions that players in Houston or Miami. This is because average daily summer temperatures in Calgary are a bit lower than in Vancouver and significantly lower than summer temperatures in the southern USA.

Performance Issues at Cool Temps

Cold days are especially hard on polyester strings. Stiff to begin with, they get even stiffer when it is cold. In fact, a racquet strung with poly may seem just fine in July when it is 25 degrees Celsius, but will seem impossibly tight in early May when wind chill drops the temperature to below five degrees.

This fact is only one of many, many reasons why the staff at Racquet Network are trained NOT to recommend polyester strings to most of our clients who play tennis outdoors. Stiff string beds lead to tennis elbow. Stiff string beds lead to shoulder injuries. And stiff string beds contribute to the development of poor stroke habits.

Benefits of a Softer String Bed

Instead, our staff are trained to advised customers of the benefits of using flexible string beds. First among these are the health benefits, beginning with less stress on elbows and shoulder. Second is the increase in power. For players with good technique, more power equals more spin and more spin equals more balls in. And finally, lower tensions contribute to longer string life.

In Calgary, where the temperatures outdoors are rarely genuinely hot, a softer stringbed is essential. Over-stringing can lead to injuries, bad habits and broken strings. If you have recently moved here from somewhere else, this is something you may want to keep in mind. If you’ve lived here and have never really thought about this, perhaps it’s time you did.

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.

May 21, 2015