There is an app for your phone called "Racquet Tune". I use it to test my strings. Amazingly accurate. At least enough for us recreational players. When my strings fall below 40lbs. of tension, I cut them out and restring....Pretty helpful little app!
Just get a $40 String Meter device that physically measures the tension!J The String Meter lets you know if your racquet is strung to your desired tension and when its time to restring Easy to use, just align the pins where strings intersect, twist until the unit is in line with main, then note your reading. Great for players who want to measure the consistency of their string jobs. Great for players who want to monitor their string tension loss over time to know when to restring. Great for personal racquet stringers looking to test and validate their work.
In my experience how often players restring is determined by their level of commitment and finances. I am retired but use to string professionally for many years. Some occasional recreational players resting when strings break once or twice a year. They could not notice if their strings lost tension. Other players were playing 4-7 days a week and breaking strings every week or two. Personally I was not a string breaker but I usually restring one of my frames each week in synthetic. I would use older string job for teaching, the new strings for competition and the one week old for practice. Always restring at least two if I played a tournament.
I play professionally and my strings last 8 hrs or max 12 hrs of playing, normally breaks around 8 to 10 hours. If it get to 12 hours I preffer to cut the strings and put NEW ones. Every tournament I put NEW strings to have always a good tensión and fresh strings. I play with red code 18 gauge at 47lbs with babolat Rafa.
From a high level pro stringer. ‘’A pro player using poly strings as a full or hybrid, the poly strung at 50lbs and up will last as it was designed to perform during a solid practice session for no more that 45 minutes, maybe 2 hours if a mixed practice with volley’s and slices, and maybe 25 to 30 minutes for an all serve practice session. This is as they were designed to perform, peak performance times. They will last longer of course as in no breaking but will no longer respond as well and for poly the tail off is pretty swift, hence the pro’s changing racquets and stringing so often. An amateur who has far less power can certainly enjoy the performance for considerably longer in the higher tension ranges but would likely benefit from backing off the tension, going for a much more comfortable multi, rather than poly. Hight level multi in the solid hitting pro practice session, the 45 min for poly, will maintain tension up to four times longer but rarely last more than two hours without breaking due to notch wear and tensile deformity break points. From the mouth of doubles wizard Daniel Nestor, he used to string poly in the mid to high 50’s and partially due to the incredible cost of restringing, experimented all the way down to 20lbs and found he was able to still control the ball(doubles play) at the highest level and get 10 to 20 times the longevity and the string would maintain the same quality of play throughout it’s life. Cost went way down, power was easy and it became a dance of racquet face control. As Daniel was wrapping up career in the face of the new era of spin blasting, it is a question mark as to whether that strategy would work in the current game, he was just an absolute master at doubles. I still believe the thought of a racquet as heavy as you can comfortably handle for three long battled sets and strings as loose as you can comfortably control for the same stands the test of time. The weight helps with racquet stability, momentum and spin transfer to ball, helps prevent elbow damage and softer strings are also easier on the elbow and give easy power, as long as you can control the face angle well. Nadal goes through 150-200 frames a year and say near average four hours of practice, warmup or match four to fives days a week and changes racquets generally no more than 25 minutes or seven games. In a 4 hour match he will go through 10 racket changes. Add that all up for a year would be somewhere north of 2000-2400 string jobs a year. $100 000 in string jobs for the year. Maybe time for a tournament where they have to use a racquet till the strings break like we do and we will see how good they play then.
The counter intuitive part of dead Tennis strings is that the string bed becomes soft (low tension), but the sensation when hitting the ball is that it feels stiff and hard and that the balls leaves the racket very quickly (because even if it's a soft string bed, it's a non-flexing one). I say: When it feels like the ball spends little time with your strings, and you have no control, restring. Same hold true for power: A newly strung string bed can feel a lot softer and more powerful than a dead string bed. That's because elasticity and low tension are NOT the same thing.
Ten days ago "My No. 2 most overrated tennis product: Wilson Sensation Strings" Today "This racket was strung with Wilson Sensation 2 years ago and it still holds tension!"
Strung racquet with Tecnifibre Multifilament X1 Biphase at 55 lbs. Played 8 hours per week. After 5 months it still plays well. Not spraying long. Tension must be around 40 lbs now. This must mean I am not sensitive to tension loss and like strings loose. Strings are frayed but still like the way it plays. Will not change strings until it breaks or starts spraying long.
Young’s modulus says different materials have different elasticity. By comparing different string brands, you’re comparing apples to oranges. That’s kind of deceptive, no? Compare 2 weeks to 1 month to 3 months RPM blast. Single variable
It’s tennis string, not a laboratory. Technically he should have used the same racket, same string, same tennis balls, hooked up to a hitting machine he designed and built to hit with the same force at the same location, with lots of lasers to look scientific, with the only variable being time in the perfectly crafted machine he made. Then of course he must publish his results and have them peer reviewed. Since he didn’t, he clearly is deceiving us, it’s fake science, he voted trump, and we must give a thumbs down. Thanks for pointing this out.
it depends on how you want it. When using full poly, ideally you should change strings after 2 games or so cause it looses tension so quickly, but this would be such an expense so I reckon 10-14h of playability is good. In my case this is every month or so. If you are just playing for fun with your wife/bro and just rallies and not much competition then no need to change them so often. In that case yes...4 months or so is fine cause you wont need the best of the strings to have fun
Correct, I play tennis professionally and I change my strings every week or so, around 8 to 12 hours of play in each racket, when I play with big hitters the string break before getting to 8 hours and if I play with club players the string will last more than 12 hrs but the tension will be awful for me. I play with red code 18 gauge at 47 lbs.
"Dead" strings mean they've ended their useful life. Here's my experience with poly's 10-15 hrs. a week: 1st day: Wow, these strings are great, a little hard to control but definitely great. 1st 2 months: These strings are great, so great they're winning me games. 3rd month: What the heck, I can't control these strings like the last 2 months!
Great insight, I have only one racquet that did indeed crack in that spot you pointed out in the throat (Wilson Blade 18x20 CV) and it was probably due to tension issue strung hybrid but I string my racquets often although sometimes I experiment with pretty thin poly mains with synth crosses, I could see that some varieties of poly lost so much tension that the synth was probably holding strong with some really dead poly. Although I've had hybrid setup in all my frames for years this Blade CV is the only one that cracked (visibly, maybe others micro cracked unknown at this point), which is sad.. and truth be told I was on a cyclone 19g / 18g kick for a long time with no issues. Cyclone tour has been a different experience (at least the red 18g) seems to become unplayable quickly for me, I've tried full cyclone tour in a 18x20 strike and it's literally garbage after a few hours or a couple of sessions, unplayable in a more controllable string pattern.
nice video. in regards to how often to restring to prevent dead strings, depends on how often and how hard the players play and their feel. for me, i play 3xweek and trying to hit the ball at 80% power all the time. I notice my strings are dead after 2 weeks. so i restring both my rackets every 2 weeks at 60lbs.
Amazing presentation I am now a sub to your channel. I’ve alway suspected synthetic held tension better , every six months as a rule I have my racquets restrung. What strings do you recommend in synthetic for a seasoned veteran of the game ? K
Besides the ping becoming flatter any other way to tell if strings are dead? Sometimes I play and nothing seems right--I want to blame dead strings, but it could just be me. Any tale tale signs of how the ball performs off deadstrings?
It seems to be a range of time for all strings lasting from Freshly strung to Completely dead. Maybe we can say Completely dead string breaks when struck? From the video, it seems we are talking about more or less dead. If you know when you last strung you could determine how much Life you've lost. Synthetic Gut seems to maintain half its Life for 2+ years. Polyester, six months
This pretty much proves that you can play with synthetics until they break. That string was 2 years old and looked like it had tons of tension left on it. If I could find a synthetic I could control like poly, I would switch immediately.
I have a pair of, "Winner's Choice" racquets I bought from Walmart about 35 yrs ago, and a Donnay 860.89 SuperMid Touring racquet I bought closer to 40 yrs ago from an Oshman's. All still original off the shelf strings (no, they haven't been used all that much since back then). I'd like to compare the sound (in person) to the racquets he has there...
Could you make a video or at least mention in any of your new videos - How to guage a good stringing job? Does it make a difference on who strings your rackets? How to spot a bad tennis stringing job?
once the poly strings stop snapping back and i have to move them back into place like synthetic gut I know they're probably dead I end up going til they break anyway cause I'm stupidly frugal
That’s why I like to play with lower RA rackets with full set of poly. Only play with a stiffer racket and string setup to make sure my technique is correct. If not your body will tell you.
I can't say I've ever heard anyone recommend keeping poly in a racquet for 6 months before. Of course the people advocating changing them every 8 to 10 hours are stringing themselves, and probably getting a dealer rate on the strings. I think around 6 to 8 weeks is a reasonable compromise for most serious rec players who don't break them before then.
I play professionally and I break the strings around 8 to 12 hrs of playing, around 1 racquet per week. If I get to 12 hours with the strings I preffer to cut and re string. Offcourse I have sponsor for strings and stringer. I could say that for a regular player do not stay too much with Poly, because dead Poly can reach you really fast. I would say 1 or 2 months max for regular players and for recreational 6 months.
Now, with poly strung at low tensions, the ping ping is not such a high pitch. I still use a lot of synthetic string. And, you made a good case for it's use for many players depending on their play frequencies and play styles.
Hi! Can you make video about when to go from 26"racket to full size. How to custimaze 26" racket? They are all about to 250gr. Anytying to win to add some lead 20-30gr? Thank you.
@@cp_703 If someone is worried about how long strings hold tension it probably means they aren't breaking strings enough to be that worried about durability.
@@cp_703 I've never been much of a string breaker. Growing up it was 16 gauge synthetic gut in a 95 sq in 16x19 frame. These days I'm playing 17 gauge synthetic gut in a 95 sq in 18x20 frame and I'm a few months into my current sets of strings in my two racquets, playing 2-3 times a week. I'm thinking of buying myself a drop-weight stringer to start experimenting with polys for a bit more grip on the ball, but durability isn't going to be a big concern for me with my game and the racquets I use.
What he meant is that the more tension there is , the more the string is stretched and pulled on. So when you cut it it releases that force. Basically the higher the tension, the more it leaves a gap when you cut it
Synthetic gut is a bit cheaper but is not good if you have elbow problems. i prefer multi. The Youtex touch is good. Wilson Sesation looses tension too quickly.
They will be ok. Because, they were not put under tension or stretched the string will not be dramaticaly effected. I have used synthetic string after it sat in the package or reel for a couple years.
@@dragonite6497 Kevlar can hold tension for quite awhile as well but it's expensive now... I've got a racket that has 16 year old Kevlars on it..... shockingly still hits fairly solidly...
In the past, the min rule of thumb was to re-string in a year the no. of times you played in a week. So if you play 4 times a week you should have at least 4 string jobs a year. This was for nylon or synthetic strings. Now with poly, I suggest you double that!
You cannot just bang a racket strings and say 'Oh that ping sounds right' Tension, string type etc will ping at different musical notes. So you can not use this method alone. You should be reviewing how much the strings slide back into position for example, do your strings look all over the place between rallies. You have to use the science to know what is going on. Stick to a simple rule, if you play once a week I would suggest you replace your string every 3 - 6 months. If you play 3 times a week I would restring every 2 - 3 months. If you play regularly you will notice the difference - plus you are investing in a sport you like to play so why wouldn't spend some money on something you like. And if you don't restring - thats ok the racket will still work anyway, but you are only making the game a little harder on yourself
Can anyone tell me why fresh strung fresh off string bed alu16 and xcel 16 don’t snap at all right off string bed @ asking 60lb. Did the pro shop under tension on these? Xcel can be moved from ball hits in 10, 20 rallies.... two shop deliver same thing....
The poly loses tension much faster than the cross that is 2-4 lbs tighter. So if the poly loses 10 lbs and crosses lose 2 lbs over 1 month or so of play. The cross is now 10-12 lbs tighter and putting pressure on the frame.
Hi tennis spin, what rackets are best for one handed backhand players, from intermediate to pro, and also what grip size is best for the one handed backhand, smaller or bigger?
@@chuckfriebe843 totally correct... most guys I know that string do 25 if you just want basic strings that he provides put on.. but they'll do it for 10-15 if you provide your own string
I don't think your conclusion that synthetic holds tension better than poly is true. They just stretch more. To make your claim, you would need to measure how much the string stretched in the stringing process, then divide by the cut-snap distance. Then compare both ratios to see whether synthetic holds tension better than poly. What do you think?
My wife won't even let me change the string of my racquet, even if I bought the string already, because of the cost of restringing. She said I'll just do it next year. Lol
Then you got a problem if your wife has to “let” you do anything. This is the problem with most marriages. The wife owns the man and treats him like he’s a fucking child. You enjoy living that way? Be honest. It’s ok. I won’t tell.
Whats it mean if my poly strings start to feel "springy" after only 5-6 hours of play? Tension loss? I'm new to polys but got solinco confidential 17g hybrid with solinco vanquish and they felt amazing for a while but last night while playing I felt like they were very springy which is the best word I can think of to describe it. Like all the control was gone.
It means time to restring. By the 8-10 hour mark poly strings are done, at 15 hours they are useless. If you use poly, plan on restringing once a month. Word to the wise: any new string plays better than any old string so put your money into the labor and look for inexpensive strings in the $5-10 range. They're out there.
i love most of these videos but not this one. If you care about tension, use the RacquetTune app. It costs a few $ but you can usually specify your exact string from their database. It will allow you to tap your strings and get an approximate tension. It graphs tension over time.
No. Just get a String Meter device that physically measures the tension. That sounds far more reliable than relying on some app to measure the tapping sound. The String Meter lets you know if your racquet is strung to your desired tension and when its time to restring Easy to use, just align the pins where strings intersect, twist until the unit is in line with main, then note your reading. Great for players who want to measure the consistency of their string jobs. Great for players who want to monitor their string tension loss over time to know when to restring. Great for personal racquet stringers looking to test and validate their work.
So much misinformation...... Just because they sound different doesn't mean they're dead. You have to compare the same strings, and have them strung at the same tension. You can have a freshly strung racquet sound like his "dead" strings, if you string it loose. And squeezing the strings like that to see how easily they move doesn't mean they're loose. Smooth/slick strings will slide easily, even if tight. This guy draws too many conclusions based on his intuition.
Maybe you can answer me a question about dead strings I never quite get... this vid and others say when strings go "dead" the ball flies off farther and faster than you want and control becomes an issue. Loss of tension they say creates higher launch angles and faster ball speeds, and thast make me think the strings are too lively at the lowered tension of older strings... the opposite of dead is being lively. You described the dead strings as trampolines. That seems like a lively term. My experience is when my polys get older and I can rip some of my fastest shots ever. I can play with more power, but true to theory the control goes way down and shots fly long, especially on volleys. So why do they call them dead? Also, if strings lose their elasticity, why do they still spring back to a flat string bed after every hit when the ball stretches from flatness? When a rubber band loses it, a 2 inch round one stretched to 3 inches stays at 3 inches when released. It seems that the older ploy strings pocket the ball more as tension drops so it seems they stretch more not less before snapping back to flat every time. Their elasticity seems to go up not down like a fresh bed that pockets very little.
It's a little tricky(and I'm certainly not an expert) but you're right when your poly's get older they lose tension/more trampoline effect. thus, this will give you more power but less control. You'll love the extra power but hate the loss of control so you really gotta restring at that point(for me usually 2-3 months hitting 15 hours a week). I guess they're considered dead because their useful life has ended. Here's how poly's work for me: 1st day: Wow, these strings are great, a little hard to control but definitely great. 1st 2 months: These strings are great, so great they're winning me games. 3rd month: What the heck, I can't control these strings like the last 2 months!
Whilst it is completely true that Polys lose tension quicker than Multi/Synguts, do they become unplayable? I have an Ultra Tour with a full bed of RPM Blast that is at least a year old and whilst it may not be fresh, it still plays fine. I also have a Pro-Staff Surge 5.1, which has a full bed of 16 year-old Sensation 15L, and that also plays fine! Perhaps I'm not quite the level of player for fresh strings, I think I prefer them after a few months!
I can get a good 100 hours/2 months out of poly's. A very good racket sometimes makes up for the strings. As long as you can control the ball you are just fine. Once you lose control then you probably should restring your racket.
Glad to know the sound strings makes when theyre dead because my eyes aren't working anymore after watching this video.
Cuz of the filter?
@@armedwithbliss yeah the filter
Cuts strings "These strings aren't dead" ....... well they are now...
i typically play with my strings until they break. :D
yeh unless you're a competition player, what's the point in wasting strings!
Wait a minute... the sound depends on tension... if you string at 30 kilos for sure the pitch is higher than a fresh 20 kilos stringing ...
There is an app for your phone called "Racquet Tune". I use it to test my strings. Amazingly accurate. At least enough for us recreational players. When my strings fall below 40lbs. of tension, I cut them out and restring....Pretty helpful little app!
Just get a $40 String Meter device that physically measures the tension!J
The String Meter lets you know if your racquet is strung to your desired tension and when its time to restring
Easy to use, just align the pins where strings intersect, twist until the unit is in line with main, then note your reading.
Great for players who want to measure the consistency of their string jobs.
Great for players who want to monitor their string tension loss over time to know when to restring.
Great for personal racquet stringers looking to test and validate their work.
In my experience how often players restring is determined by their level of commitment and finances. I am retired but use to string professionally for many years. Some occasional recreational players resting when strings break once or twice a year. They could not notice if their strings lost tension. Other players were playing 4-7 days a week and breaking strings every week or two. Personally I was not a string breaker but I usually restring one of my frames each week in synthetic. I would use older string job for teaching, the new strings for competition and the one week old for practice. Always restring at least two if I played a tournament.
I play professionally and my strings last 8 hrs or max 12 hrs of playing, normally breaks around 8 to 10 hours. If it get to 12 hours I preffer to cut the strings and put NEW ones. Every tournament I put NEW strings to have always a good tensión and fresh strings. I play with red code 18 gauge at 47lbs with babolat Rafa.
From a high level pro stringer. ‘’A pro player using poly strings as a full or hybrid, the poly strung at 50lbs and up will last as it was designed to perform during a solid practice session for no more that 45 minutes, maybe 2 hours if a mixed practice with volley’s and slices, and maybe 25 to 30 minutes for an all serve practice session.
This is as they were designed to perform, peak performance times. They will last longer of course as in no breaking but will no longer respond as well and for poly the tail off is pretty swift, hence the pro’s changing racquets and stringing so often. An amateur who has far less power can certainly enjoy the performance for considerably longer in the higher tension ranges but would likely benefit from backing off the tension, going for a much more comfortable multi, rather than poly.
Hight level multi in the solid hitting pro practice session, the 45 min for poly, will maintain tension up to four times longer but rarely last more than two hours without breaking due to notch wear and tensile deformity break points.
From the mouth of doubles wizard Daniel Nestor, he used to string poly in the mid to high 50’s and partially due to the incredible cost of restringing, experimented all the way down to 20lbs and found he was able to still control the ball(doubles play) at the highest level and get 10 to 20 times the longevity and the string would maintain the same quality of play throughout it’s life. Cost went way down, power was easy and it became a dance of racquet face control. As Daniel was wrapping up career in the face of the new era of spin blasting, it is a question mark as to whether that strategy would work in the current game, he was just an absolute master at doubles.
I still believe the thought of a racquet as heavy as you can comfortably handle for three long battled sets and strings as loose as you can comfortably control for the same stands the test of time. The weight helps with racquet stability, momentum and spin transfer to ball, helps prevent elbow damage and softer strings are also easier on the elbow and give easy power, as long as you can control the face angle well.
Nadal goes through 150-200 frames a year and say near average four hours of practice, warmup or match four to fives days a week and changes racquets generally no more than 25 minutes or seven games. In a 4 hour match he will go through 10 racket changes. Add that all up for a year would be somewhere north of 2000-2400 string jobs a year. $100 000 in string jobs for the year.
Maybe time for a tournament where they have to use a racquet till the strings break like we do and we will see how good they play then.
The counter intuitive part of dead Tennis strings is that the string bed becomes soft (low tension), but the sensation when hitting the ball is that it feels stiff and hard and that the balls leaves the racket very quickly (because even if it's a soft string bed, it's a non-flexing one).
I say: When it feels like the ball spends little time with your strings, and you have no control, restring.
Same hold true for power: A newly strung string bed can feel a lot softer and more powerful than a dead string bed. That's because elasticity and low tension are NOT the same thing.
Why didn't he do a test on a multifilament string???
Ten days ago
"My No. 2 most overrated tennis product: Wilson Sensation Strings"
Today
"This racket was strung with Wilson Sensation 2 years ago and it still holds tension!"
Syngut are great if you can control them but unfortunately I can't and have to use poly.
Strung racquet with Tecnifibre Multifilament X1 Biphase at 55 lbs. Played 8 hours per week. After 5 months it still plays well. Not spraying long. Tension must be around 40 lbs now.
This must mean I am not sensitive to tension loss and like strings loose. Strings are frayed but still like the way it plays. Will not change strings until it breaks or starts spraying long.
Multifilament is nice but if your racket is 16/19 pattern just moves around too much
One thing i learned today, best way to test if the strings are dead or not yet... is to cut them and see.
Love this video. Well done. The best line... The dead phase :D
So my late Dad's Pancho Gonzales tennis racket, which has been in the garage since the 60s and never serviced, might possibly need a restringing?
3:40 HOW DOES HE KNOW
Maybe a Lucky guess 😂😂😂
cuz he is watching us watching him duhhhh
Young’s modulus says different materials have different elasticity. By comparing different string brands, you’re comparing apples to oranges. That’s kind of deceptive, no? Compare 2 weeks to 1 month to 3 months RPM blast. Single variable
It’s tennis string, not a laboratory. Technically he should have used the same racket, same string, same tennis balls, hooked up to a hitting machine he designed and built to hit with the same force at the same location, with lots of lasers to look scientific, with the only variable being time in the perfectly crafted machine he made. Then of course he must publish his results and have them peer reviewed. Since he didn’t, he clearly is deceiving us, it’s fake science, he voted trump, and we must give a thumbs down. Thanks for pointing this out.
@@jerryyoung6494 😂😅
Awesome example!
How do you know your strings are dead? Cut them! NOW they are DAF😂
Good to know I’m not really a string breaker but nice to know when it’s time to restring
it depends on how you want it. When using full poly, ideally you should change strings after 2 games or so cause it looses tension so quickly, but this would be such an expense so I reckon 10-14h of playability is good. In my case this is every month or so. If you are just playing for fun with your wife/bro and just rallies and not much competition then no need to change them so often. In that case yes...4 months or so is fine cause you wont need the best of the strings to have fun
Correct, I play tennis professionally and I change my strings every week or so, around 8 to 12 hours of play in each racket, when I play with big hitters the string break before getting to 8 hours and if I play with club players the string will last more than 12 hrs but the tension will be awful for me. I play with red code 18 gauge at 47 lbs.
I feel like for recreational players 2-4 months is pretty fair. But for people who are playing “competitive” tennis, a month at most?
"Dead" strings mean they've ended their useful life. Here's my experience with poly's 10-15 hrs. a week:
1st day: Wow, these strings are great, a little hard to control but definitely great.
1st 2 months: These strings are great, so great they're winning me games.
3rd month: What the heck, I can't control these strings like the last 2 months!
sooooo bright!!!
Harry - could you do this same video with a multifilament string (and maybe natural gut, too?) thrown in the mix?
I just got a Burn racquet because of you, the LS and I really think its the best racquet ever made !
Why didn't you do a tension loss test on a multfilament string? Where would that fall?
Great insight, I have only one racquet that did indeed crack in that spot you pointed out in the throat (Wilson Blade 18x20 CV) and it was probably due to tension issue strung hybrid but I string my racquets often although sometimes I experiment with pretty thin poly mains with synth crosses, I could see that some varieties of poly lost so much tension that the synth was probably holding strong with some really dead poly. Although I've had hybrid setup in all my frames for years this Blade CV is the only one that cracked (visibly, maybe others micro cracked unknown at this point), which is sad.. and truth be told I was on a cyclone 19g / 18g kick for a long time with no issues. Cyclone tour has been a different experience (at least the red 18g) seems to become unplayable quickly for me, I've tried full cyclone tour in a 18x20 strike and it's literally garbage after a few hours or a couple of sessions, unplayable in a more controllable string pattern.
The glare from your jacket is hurting my eyes 👀
nice video. in regards to how often to restring to prevent dead strings, depends on how often and how hard the players play and their feel. for me, i play 3xweek and trying to hit the ball at 80% power all the time. I notice my strings are dead after 2 weeks. so i restring both my rackets every 2 weeks at 60lbs.
Amazing presentation I am now a sub to your channel. I’ve alway suspected synthetic held tension better , every six months as a rule I have my racquets restrung. What strings do you recommend in synthetic for a seasoned veteran of the game ? K
Besides the ping becoming flatter any other way to tell if strings are dead? Sometimes I play and nothing seems right--I want to blame dead strings, but it could just be me. Any tale tale signs of how the ball performs off deadstrings?
When the ball flies of your racket or when your arm starts to hurt from what I heard
It seems to be a range of time for all strings lasting from Freshly strung to Completely dead. Maybe we can say Completely dead string breaks when struck?
From the video, it seems we are talking about more or less dead.
If you know when you last strung you could determine how much Life you've lost.
Synthetic Gut seems to maintain half its Life for 2+ years.
Polyester, six months
That being said, gear is minor, have fun playing :)
This pretty much proves that you can play with synthetics until they break. That string was 2 years old and looked like it had tons of tension left on it. If I could find a synthetic I could control like poly, I would switch immediately.
That's the thing, I cannot control synthetic at all, I have to use poly.
I have a pair of, "Winner's Choice" racquets I bought from Walmart about 35 yrs ago, and a Donnay 860.89 SuperMid Touring racquet I bought closer to 40 yrs ago from an Oshman's. All still original off the shelf strings (no, they haven't been used all that much since back then). I'd like to compare the sound (in person) to the racquets he has there...
Can you use a red permanent marker ?
Do lower strung racquets (i.e.....50 lbs.) automatically go dead faster because of the lower tension?
Good video, I am using synthgut now, tried dead poly once and hurts so bad.
Could you make a video or at least mention in any of your new videos - How to guage a good stringing job? Does it make a difference on who strings your rackets? How to spot a bad tennis stringing job?
Can you please make a video on the white Wilson ProStaff we see behind you ?
He almost looks like a white Pro Staff himself in this video.
Jokes aside, I think he said a while back that it is a Wilson Triad.
once the poly strings stop snapping back and i have to move them back into place like synthetic gut I know they're probably dead
I end up going til they break anyway cause I'm stupidly frugal
That’s why I like to play with lower RA rackets with full set of poly. Only play with a stiffer racket and string setup to make sure my technique is correct. If not your body will tell you.
strings are dead when the ball dosnt go where i am aiming.
I can't say I've ever heard anyone recommend keeping poly in a racquet for 6 months before. Of course the people advocating changing them every 8 to 10 hours are stringing themselves, and probably getting a dealer rate on the strings. I think around 6 to 8 weeks is a reasonable compromise for most serious rec players who don't break them before then.
I agree 100% I usually restring at 2 months/80-100 hrs.
I play professionally and I break the strings around 8 to 12 hrs of playing, around 1 racquet per week. If I get to 12 hours with the strings I preffer to cut and re string. Offcourse I have sponsor for strings and stringer. I could say that for a regular player do not stay too much with Poly, because dead Poly can reach you really fast. I would say 1 or 2 months max for regular players and for recreational 6 months.
Now, with poly strung at low tensions, the ping ping is not such a high pitch. I still use a lot of synthetic string. And, you made a good case for it's use for many players depending on their play frequencies and play styles.
what about multifilament string?
higher tension pings louder. compare same string that's been used for weeks and then same set up fresh off stringer.... that's how to compare this
Is the store affiliated with Brad Gilbert?
Hi! Can you make video about when to go from 26"racket to full size. How to custimaze 26" racket? They are all about to 250gr. Anytying to win to add some lead 20-30gr? Thank you.
As a stringer for 8 years, older ladies coming in with poly some “pro” put in their racquet and leaving it in there for 4 years drives me insane
That's why I love my synthetic gut, cheap and holds tension, tennis elbow be darned
Cheap and durability is very low , why use synthetic gut ?
@@cp_703 If someone is worried about how long strings hold tension it probably means they aren't breaking strings enough to be that worried about durability.
It breaks so easily though. I break my strings in 1-2 weeks with synthetic gut.
@@stephenw_153 what strings do you use ?
@@cp_703 I've never been much of a string breaker. Growing up it was 16 gauge synthetic gut in a 95 sq in 16x19 frame. These days I'm playing 17 gauge synthetic gut in a 95 sq in 18x20 frame and I'm a few months into my current sets of strings in my two racquets, playing 2-3 times a week. I'm thinking of buying myself a drop-weight stringer to start experimenting with polys for a bit more grip on the ball, but durability isn't going to be a big concern for me with my game and the racquets I use.
Loss of tension =/= loss of elasticity.
What he meant is that the more tension there is , the more the string is stretched and pulled on. So when you cut it it releases that force. Basically the higher the tension, the more it leaves a gap when you cut it
Yet usually for poly, they lose elasticity waaay earlier than tension
Nice little experiment. Is there a difference between multifilament and synthetic gut?
Same materials, just layered differently in construction.
Multifilament is better on the elbow.
@@haroldpramhas9807 not really. They’re the same.
Synthetic gut is a bit cheaper but is not good if you have elbow problems. i prefer multi. The Youtex touch is good. Wilson Sesation looses tension too quickly.
Hi, can I check what is the shelf life of unused reel of strings? Babolat RPM Blast in particular
They will be ok. Because, they were not put under tension or stretched the string will not be dramaticaly effected. I have used synthetic string after it sat in the package or reel for a couple years.
Mine are on life support
Buddy... does string pattern matter for the “thud” vs “ping” please?
LOL the freshly strung racket got a quarter tone lower only with your test pings )))
What’s the best string for holding tension? For those of us who like to avoid restringing fees.
@@dragonite6497 Kevlar can hold tension for quite awhile as well but it's expensive now... I've got a racket that has 16 year old Kevlars on it..... shockingly still hits fairly solidly...
Hello...I hear heat is the worst enemy for string tension and playability...is this true?...Are thermal bags really helpful?...thanks
you don't want too hot or too cold for sure.
In the past, the min rule of thumb was to re-string in a year the no. of times you played in a week. So if you play 4 times a week you should have at least 4 string jobs a year. This was for nylon or synthetic strings. Now with poly, I suggest you double that!
it's pretty close I just restring poly's every 2 months, definitely can't make 3 unless I push real hard.
Are dead tennis strings more powerful or less powerful? I keep reading conflicting information.
My experience is more powerful for sure.
dead means their useful life has ended. The strings lose tension and become like a trampoline with a lot of power but very little control = dead.
You cannot just bang a racket strings and say 'Oh that ping sounds right' Tension, string type etc will ping at different musical notes. So you can not use this method alone. You should be reviewing how much the strings slide back into position for example, do your strings look all over the place between rallies. You have to use the science to know what is going on. Stick to a simple rule, if you play once a week I would suggest you replace your string every 3 - 6 months. If you play 3 times a week I would restring every 2 - 3 months. If you play regularly you will notice the difference - plus you are investing in a sport you like to play so why wouldn't spend some money on something you like. And if you don't restring - thats ok the racket will still work anyway, but you are only making the game a little harder on yourself
Can anyone tell me why fresh strung fresh off string bed alu16 and xcel 16 don’t snap at all right off string bed @ asking 60lb. Did the pro shop under tension on these? Xcel can be moved from ball hits in 10, 20 rallies.... two shop deliver same thing....
So, are you less likely to stress the racquct frame if you go 2-4 pounds less on the cross?
I think playing time stresses the racket the most. strings don't make as much of a difference.
The poly loses tension much faster than the cross that is 2-4 lbs tighter. So if the poly loses 10 lbs and crosses lose 2 lbs over 1 month or so of play. The cross is now 10-12 lbs tighter and putting pressure on the frame.
What if you play with a polyester string but never restring until it breaks? Is that a bad thing?
probably it depends some guys are so good they can play tennis with practically a frying pan. I just restring my poly's after 2 months/100 hrs.
Brazil love you
Six months no play? Some poly only lasts two weeks and thinner gauge only good for a week, if you play two three times a week. Counting hours.
Haha, again, "Learning Something New Everyday". 💡💡💡
So I’ll now be using my guitar to check rackets
Hi tennis spin, what rackets are best for one handed backhand players, from intermediate to pro, and also what grip size is best for the one handed backhand, smaller or bigger?
If you’re good at tennis you can win with any racquet and strings old dead whatever doesn’t matter. People are dumb af
Frying pan usually works fine when playing against my wife.
How much does it cost to string?
Usually the cost of the string at retail is anywhere from $8.00 to $20. The stringer will typically charge anywhere from $10 to $20.
@@chuckfriebe843 totally correct... most guys I know that string do 25 if you just want basic strings that he provides put on.. but they'll do it for 10-15 if you provide your own string
I don't think your conclusion that synthetic holds tension better than poly is true. They just stretch more. To make your claim, you would need to measure how much the string stretched in the stringing process, then divide by the cut-snap distance. Then compare both ratios to see whether synthetic holds tension better than poly. What do you think?
My wife won't even let me change the string of my racquet, even if I bought the string already, because of the cost of restringing. She said I'll just do it next year. Lol
Then you got a problem if your wife has to “let” you do anything. This is the problem with most marriages. The wife owns the man and treats him like he’s a fucking child. You enjoy living that way? Be honest. It’s ok. I won’t tell.
if you aren't playing no biggy... but if you are............ restring your racket man...or break the strings on purpose and say it was accidental
@@Eliath1984 hah! Love it.
@@Eliath1984 I play with her once a week or once every 2 weeks. Its no biggy, just wanted to share my experience.
Whats it mean if my poly strings start to feel "springy" after only 5-6 hours of play? Tension loss? I'm new to polys but got solinco confidential 17g hybrid with solinco vanquish and they felt amazing for a while but last night while playing I felt like they were very springy which is the best word I can think of to describe it. Like all the control was gone.
It means time to restring. By the 8-10 hour mark poly strings are done, at 15 hours they are useless. If you use poly, plan on restringing once a month. Word to the wise: any new string plays better than any old string so put your money into the labor and look for inexpensive strings in the $5-10 range. They're out there.
honestly I think it might be your racket those are great strings but try Kirschbaum Max Power 17 before changing rackets.
i love most of these videos but not this one. If you care about tension, use the RacquetTune app. It costs a few $ but you can usually specify your exact string from their database. It will allow you to tap your strings and get an approximate tension. It graphs tension over time.
No. Just get a String Meter device that physically measures the tension. That sounds far more reliable than relying on some app to measure the tapping sound.
The String Meter lets you know if your racquet is strung to your desired tension and when its time to restring
Easy to use, just align the pins where strings intersect, twist until the unit is in line with main, then note your reading.
Great for players who want to measure the consistency of their string jobs.
Great for players who want to monitor their string tension loss over time to know when to restring.
Great for personal racquet stringers looking to test and validate their work.
So much misinformation...... Just because they sound different doesn't mean they're dead. You have to compare the same strings, and have them strung at the same tension. You can have a freshly strung racquet sound like his "dead" strings, if you string it loose. And squeezing the strings like that to see how easily they move doesn't mean they're loose. Smooth/slick strings will slide easily, even if tight. This guy draws too many conclusions based on his intuition.
6 months way too long imo on poly, especially if you play more than twice a week.
yes, 2-3 months max.
Eek. Need to white balance your camera.
Good to know; I thought my new iPad was faulty. 😆
I break my three rackets strings every two weeks so I think I'm ok😉😂😂
I had that same issue in Highschool... I ended up having to go to Kevlar... WAAAAY more durable
@@Eliath1984 true but so stiff.
Maybe you can answer me a question about dead strings I never quite get... this vid and others say when strings go "dead" the ball flies off farther and faster than you want and control becomes an issue. Loss of tension they say creates higher launch angles and faster ball speeds, and thast make me think the strings are too lively at the lowered tension of older strings... the opposite of dead is being lively. You described the dead strings as trampolines. That seems like a lively term. My experience is when my polys get older and I can rip some of my fastest shots ever. I can play with more power, but true to theory the control goes way down and shots fly long, especially on volleys. So why do they call them dead? Also, if strings lose their elasticity, why do they still spring back to a flat string bed after every hit when the ball stretches from flatness? When a rubber band loses it, a 2 inch round one stretched to 3 inches stays at 3 inches when released. It seems that the older ploy strings pocket the ball more as tension drops so it seems they stretch more not less before snapping back to flat every time. Their elasticity seems to go up not down like a fresh bed that pockets very little.
It's a little tricky(and I'm certainly not an expert) but you're right when your poly's get older they lose tension/more trampoline effect. thus, this will give you more power but less control. You'll love the extra power but hate the loss of control so you really gotta restring at that point(for me usually 2-3 months hitting 15 hours a week). I guess they're considered dead because their useful life has ended.
Here's how poly's work for me:
1st day: Wow, these strings are great, a little hard to control but definitely great.
1st 2 months: These strings are great, so great they're winning me games.
3rd month: What the heck, I can't control these strings like the last 2 months!
Why are you compared with synthetic gut to polyester ? Don’t make sense
Whilst it is completely true that Polys lose tension quicker than Multi/Synguts, do they become unplayable? I have an Ultra Tour with a full bed of RPM Blast that is at least a year old and whilst it may not be fresh, it still plays fine. I also have a Pro-Staff Surge 5.1, which has a full bed of 16 year-old Sensation 15L, and that also plays fine! Perhaps I'm not quite the level of player for fresh strings, I think I prefer them after a few months!
I can get a good 100 hours/2 months out of poly's. A very good racket sometimes makes up for the strings. As long as you can control the ball you are just fine. Once you lose control then you probably should restring your racket.
you can not compare poly with the syn gut!
Can you gift me 2 babolat Pure Aero 2019 rackets
I have only 1 Dunlop Aero GEL 4d
Using that racket for like 3 years
Thanks in advance Sir
Sure, take it in my garage
😂
Waaaaaay over exposed.. what the heck is your videographer thinking??
Even if he used matrix metering I think this is like 2/3 stops overexposed
@@slerk9 are they shooting on a Full Frame DSLR; cause there is some major dynamic range to play with there and can totally be fixed in post
First
You bearly beat me lol
Nobody cares
Starman you cared enough to comment
@@Brian-ly7mw i care about my non-caring, not the comment itself
@@Brian-ly7mw he’s trying to say that it’s childish to comment “first!” , which it is. Guess what. I don’t care either.