Time taken to string?

[rasinton]

I know that doing a good job is more important than speed, but, I just wondered what is a reasonable time for stringing a tennis racquet.

I am now doing, roughly one a day and my initial time of around 60 mins has come down to about 40 mins.

I know that the pros can go at ridiculous rates (15-20 mins) and I'm VERY unlikely to get near that but I wonder if 30 mins is realistic.

On the same topic, I have a Stringways drop weight machine and wondered if the other types of machine (spring, electronic) are inherently quicker to use.

[gb120566]

20 minutes should be your average...helpful tips to cut down on your time...

1) keep a log of the exact amount of string needed for each racket. This not only reduces the friction on the crosses, but cuts down on your time to find the end of the string.

2) keep the end in your mouth after completing the crosses. Just be careful not to pull the wrong end (you'll chip a tooth) and NEVER do this with natural gut as the moisture will ruin the string.

3) how do you do your crosses? Loop method or quick over under with the tip. the tip method works fastest.

4) the spring machines seem to work best for fast stirng jobs.

5) keep a good point on the end of your string as this will make it easier to "find the hole"

6) make sure the first cross is an under. The reasn for this is the string has a tendancy to go under when you push it through the hole; if it already goes under on the first cross...multiply this by 16 crosses times tow sides and that eliminates 32 strings you have to go over or under.

My personal record is 7 min, 10 seconds...wilson Pro staff on an ektelon machine. Just FYI, I pick up my speed on the crosses; I use the tip method and use pressure from my finger tips for the weave. By doing this, you can go across (at an angle) almost as if you weren't weaving, and you'll already have the tip ready to go through the whole when done.

Hoipe this helps....GB

[rasinton]

GB

Thanks, that's very useful - apart from the 20 minutes, which is a bit depressing!

Anyway, I am not clear about point #3. Is there anywhere that explains these 2 methods?

Ta!

[gb120566]

They are kind of hard to explain in writing, but here's my attempt. I don't know how the kids are stringing today (I think most use the loop mehtod), but you may want to watch on oldetr stringer to see the tip method.

By the way, you should ALWAYS use the loop method for natural gut and make the loop in the same direction as the twist in the string. One crimp in the natural gut and the whole set is ruined.

The loop method is where you create a half-loop with the end of the string and pull the loop under the first cross string. You then pull the excess string over/under the mains for the crosses. when you are across, you have the end of the string in your hand and then pull the rest across the strings. Make sure you still keep the string moving up and down the racet whren you pull the excess string across in order to prevent forction burns and notching of the mains.

The tip method is where you take place one hand on top of the string bed and the other under. You then take just the tip of the stirng and weave it over and under the mains by simply using pressure from your finfure tips. Run the strings at an angle (toward the end with no crosses) as the mains will be looser at that end and will let you use less pressure to push them up and down.

[Anonymous]

:) Hi

Your comment about speed is correct--it's not the most important factor in stringing unless you're doing tournament stringing and the situation calls for it. The more your practice your speed the faster you will get. As far as the machine you're using, I personally feel that the type of machine can definitely slow you down. I string on a Babolat Star III machine and when I first bought this machine I noticed a significant difference in my speed. Hope this helps.

[Geoff]

7mins 10 secs !!! Blimey thats quick......when do you start timing from? from cutting the strings out or when its mounted in the machine?

(and what do you eat for breakfast!!)





20 minutes should be your average...helpful tips to cut down on your time...

1) keep a log of the exact amount of string needed for each racket. This not only reduces the friction on the crosses, but cuts down on your time to find the end of the string.

2) keep the end in your mouth after completing the crosses. Just be careful not to pull the wrong end (you'll chip a tooth) and NEVER do this with natural gut as the moisture will ruin the string.

3) how do you do your crosses? Loop method or quick over under with the tip. the tip method works fastest.

4) the spring machines seem to work best for fast stirng jobs.

5) keep a good point on the end of your string as this will make it easier to "find the hole"

6) make sure the first cross is an under. The reasn for this is the string has a tendancy to go under when you push it through the hole; if it already goes under on the first cross...multiply this by 16 crosses times tow sides and that eliminates 32 strings you have to go over or under.

My personal record is 7 min, 10 seconds...wilson Pro staff on an ektelon machine. Just FYI, I pick up my speed on the crosses; I use the tip method and use pressure from my finger tips for the weave. By doing this, you can go across (at an angle) almost as if you weren't weaving, and you'll already have the tip ready to go through the whole when done.

Hoipe this helps....GB

[gb120566]

the timer started with the racket on the machine and the loose strings through the first holes. It was a one in a million day...hit every hole and clamp just right and did not run into any problems like busted grommets, missed crosses, etc...but most importantly, I had EXACTLY the right amount of string and not an inch more. To me, weave speed and too much string slows you down more than anything.

At the place I strung in college we would occassionally hold contests with other stringers. But always kept in mind that a good job meant more than speed, especially since it is almost impossible to string that fast without some burning or notching of the main strings whiel ziping the crosses. Just FYI, I don;t think I ever broke 8 minutes except for that one 7:10. Everything just fell into place that day.

[eddie353]

I loved your responses about stringing gb. I have been stringing for over 30 years and string my fastest with an Ektelon stringer that is older than 30 years. I can't match your 7:10. But I have done 4 Wilson PS 6.1 in less than an hour for a guy who broke all 4 of his rackets in one match. The methods you describe are the exact same ones I have used for all these years and everything you say about speed and accuracy is right on the money. My wife and I figured I have done close to 10,000 string jobs and it's nice to know that somone else has found the same methods effective.

[GB1]

Hi.

7 min. 10 secs would have won the World Championship this year and had time to eat breakfast as well! See the USRSA site (www.racquettech.com (http://www.racquettech.com) where there is a limited free access offer at the moment) for this information and many other stringing tips.

Quite frankly, anyone stringing a raquet on any machine in 20 minutes cannot be allowing a synthetic gut string to settle down reasonably and certainly not adjust for overcoming string friction through the grommets. Keep on taking longer and string your racquets honestly! 40 minutes on a dropweight is pretty good for an accurate stringing job.

Taxes.

[johnr]

Hi,

I have the stringway ML100 and can comfortably string a frame in 35 minutes, 30 minutes if I concentrate on going fast. Not sure that the other flavours of machine - electronic or spring tensioner would be vastly quicker than the stringway drop weights since the actual tensioning process doesn't take all that long - the tensioner on the cheaper electronic machines is probably slower if you time the 'rotate to tension/rotate to release' as opposed to the lift/tension/clamp/lift motion on the stringway.

The 'speed stringing contest' videos on sptennis.com might be worth a look in terms of stringing speed and techniques. I can't see anything that seems to be shoddy or done wrong (frustratingly) - the stringing process doesn't *look* hurried but the timings are easily inside 20 minutes.

worth mentioning perhaps that the strings don't play any better following a 15 minute stringing than after a 45 minute stringing job assuming the correct tension has been applied and clamped correctly, or at least i can't remember anyone turning around after their latest restring and saying 'this is playing well now - you must have strung it really fast' :)

[gb120566]

eddy 353 - glad to hear there is someone from the old guard around besides me. I was lucky enough to be taught by a master when I was 14 years old (I'm now 37). I was playing a lot and had my old prince pro strung at 85 lbs (or whatever the machine maxed-out at). I was breaking strings about every other set and could not have afforded to pplay if not for him.

He taught me to string and let me use his machine in return for my stringing some frames for him. He taught me all of these techniques and tricks from the start so there was never any chance of learning bad habits. He believed that stringing was an art and the care of racket was of the utmost importance. I also had the incredible experience of being one of a chosen few who attended a seminar held by Warren Bosworth. I pikced up a few tips from him as well (he taught his special knot that I still use today). it holds better than any other and keeps the knot from slipping into the grommett as well.

I got really fast stringing in college. I was paid an hourly rate, plus $4 per racket so i had a lot of incentive to stirng fast. I kept logs of every racket and kept notes on every frame that I strung - player info, problem areas, etc...

quite frankly, I don;t understand why 20 minutes seems to be sucha benchmark. I don;t think it has taken me greater than 20 minutes to sting a frame in 15 years. I do know that most "kids" these days use the loop method as it is easier to teach. That method not only kills your time, but you are pulling twice as much string across the bed, thus creating twice as much friction. I know there are a few guys around who really know their stuff, but they are few and far in between. Most are just high school kids throing strings ina frame with no technique or talent.

I've been told I do my crosses especially fast even using the tip method. Maybe I will enter a competition one day; as long as I don;t have to join the USRSA to compete.

[3_days]

I honestly am not sure how long it takes me to complete my racquets ... I am usually trying to make sure the string hasn't twisted and the racquet integrity is in order. I've never used the loop method (I just wasn't taught that way). I've heard that a rubber band on the wrist can make things go faster ... also, that it is actually faster (especially with polyester) to "dry string" a couple of crosses ahead of where you're pulling tension (less friction).

The 7 min. 10 sec. benchmark wouldn't even find me finishing the mains ... :D

[eddie353]

gb....I was taught by a guy who was retiring and closing his sporting goods store. I believe he was well past the normal retirement age. We bought his old Serrano hydraulic stringer. Very heavy and not the easiest to move around. Had a foot pedal to set the tension. Of course the rackets I learned on were wooden. I still string the occasional wood racket, maybe once a year or so. He wouldn't show me how to do the T series. He said they were a pain in the neck. I learned how by getting the information from Wilson. Like you, the fingertip method is by far the fastest. I have strung at tournaments with a number of college kids and none of them can believe how fast that method is. Always go under the first string with the crosses, I always wondered if I was crazy because almost nobody ever seemed to know which way they went.. Also like you, never joined the USRSA.

3 days...I have never seen anyone put a rubber band on their wrist. I would be interested in finding out the reason behind it. Also what you call dry stringing makes the weaving of the crosses go even faster.

[3_days]

The rubber band stands in place of holding the tip of the string in your mouth, as mentioned above (I don't use one --- I fish for the tip every time) ...

[eddie353]

I should have figured....I use another hole on the racquet or under my wedding ring