Gut: prestretching

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Is it normal that VS Gut Team 16
strung at 68lbs (stringer said
his old Babolat machine is monthly calibrated), shows 50-52 lbs
on Stringmeter immediately
after stringing, if NOT
prestretched? I find that
quite a huge drop.

On prestretched VS Gut 16,
there's not much drop the same day,
but something like 6-8lbs
a week later. Is this normal?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

It's still me, the original poster.
I called Babolat Canada and they
told me that prestretching of all
guts is close to mandatory, because

1- makes stringing easier
2- allows the strings to better
keep their tension
3- avoids that the strings twist

However, this is in contradiction
with that one stringer who was
the personal stringer in 1995
for Pete and Andre tells me, i.e.
that prestretching deadens the
strings and if I prestretch,
I better use synthetics, because
prestretched gut is losing
most of the advantages.

What gives?
Marius

[Anonymous]

Pre-stretching is almost done by every professional player. Pete's stringer Nate Ferguson does pre-stretch Pete's gut, as I've seen him do it in person during my stay at the Hamlet Cup stringroom.


Andre's stringer, who is not the same as Pete's, Jay Schweid of Jay's Custom Stringing may not pre-stretch his string simply because he uses it in a kevlar hybrid, whereas the gut is only used for the crosses.


Pre-stretching does not deaden the string. It stretches it, so that the string is easier to string, and will not lose it's tension as easilly. Gut maintains it's play regardless. In addition, Agassi does not even use natural gut anymore, as he's now using Luxilon polyester strings.