Time Saving Tips

[qcumber]

I am new to racket stringing and have only strung 10 rackets with my Gamma X-2 stringer. It takes me well over an hour from start to finish and I was hoping to get some tips from those that string more quickly. A tennis pro friend of mine says he does his in 18 minutes with his Prince stringer, which I find impossible to believe given my slow progress. I guess what slows me down the most is weaving the crosses through the mains, but there are probably other things that I'm doing that slow me down. I was thinking about pulling every other string instead of every string to help save time. Are there any other tips you might have for me? Would a more expensive machine help? Thanks for your input.

[Jens]

Hi qcumber,
it actually does take some time to do a good string job. There is absolutely no use in trying to save time by sacrificing the quality of your stringing. A more expensive machine does not give you a big advantage in speed either.
The key to faster stringing is practice. When you string a few racquets every day your movements will become smooth and you will become much faster. But without that practice, 45-60 minutes is absolutely okay for a good quality string job.

[qcumber]

I'll keep practicing! My last job was with Luxilon BB Ace and that stuff is a nightmare. Thanks...

[Tim Strawn]

qcumber

Joe is right--speed is a non issue, especially when first starting but if you want to work on it here are a few basic tips:

You'll find that the obvious place where time is lost is in weaving the crosses so focus on your technique and the more you do it the faster you'll become. Learn to weave one cross ahead to reduce friction on subsequent crosses and this will make the weaving easier and faster. I usually pre-weave all of my main strings on the short side just as a habit and many stringers pre-weave both. Watch your movements and how you position yourself when rotating the racquet. Try to cut down on your movements as much as possible and keep everything well confined. Find an easy racquet to string like any oversize frame with a 16 x 19 pattern and practice with a nice easy synthetic string, not something stiff like poly. String the same racquet over and over again and time yourself each time, trying to increase your speed. It also helps if you've been stringing for an hour or so to get your rhythm before you start timing yourself. If you want an absolute figure on your time start your timing clock after the racquet is mounted and just before you begin to install the strings (only for a consistent baseline for your measurements on time) and end your time after the last tie-off knot has been made and the strings have been straightened :)

Good luck