A racquet should be re-strung at least twice a year, whether the string breaks or not. A general rule of thumb is; a player should restring as many times in a year as he/she plays in a week. So if you play four times a week, each racket should be strung at least four times a year. Aggressive, performance-oriented players will likely require more frequent service.
Strings don’t necessarily need to break to indicate time for restringing. Strings can go dead in a frame and remain intact for years. Some players will realize a gradual adverse effect in their game; a good indicator that their strings have “worn out”!
There are always some trade-off between playability and durability from string to string. Usually the better playing strings have shorter life spans than some thicker 15-gauge strings. Some times premature string breakage (in two or three weeks) may not be premature at all.
“Tighter for control, loose for power” guideline only applies if a player has already achieved some measure of ball control. If a player’s strokes aren’t sound and his/her technique isn’t working for him/her, nothing will give him/her ball control! For equal amounts of control & power, try stinging your frame in the middle for the first string job and adjust accordingly. For a beginner’s frame, string at the loose end of the recommended tension range for a more forgiving string face for off-center shots. Once a player is skilled enough to place his/her shots, they may want to re-string at higher tensions to enhance response and increased control.
“Ouch, I’m getting tennis elbow. What can I do?”
A player with a temporarily sore shoulder, elbow or wrist needs his racquet to absorb some of the game’s physical punishment. Your string job can add that measure of relief and hasten his/her recovery. String toward the lower end of the recommended tension range. A looser string face will absorb more of the ball’s impact. It will also add ball depth to shots without a full-powered swing. Also try adding some lead tape to increase overall mass. This added weight would help reduce the amount of shock transmitted to the arm and hand.
To answer any other questions just e-mail Larry at larrylara@juno.com
