Cover_Jan 05 (Page 2) - The Parklander Magazine

No Need To Get
All Strung Out
By Dan Smithyman
With all the attention we pay to
which frame we use on our racquets,
isn’t it ironic that we hope the frame
never touches the ball
The ball, or course, is only
supposed to touch the strings.
Sadly, many players pay about as
much attention to their strings as to
their tennis shoes. A kind of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”
attitude prevails.
Experienced players know better.
It’s a fact — the strings in your racquet will lose tension
every day — even if you don’t hit a ball! Since the strings are
under constant tension they will stretch until they reach
some kind of equilibrium. Then they’ll have little resiliency
left.
Resiliency — how strings can stretch and quickly return
to their original length — is also the property that gives you
feel, power and control.
One good rule of thumb is that players should have their
racquet restrung as many times a year as they play per week.
But restringing twice a year should be the absolute
minimum.
Many players go too long between string jobs.
Statements like “I want to get my racquet strung but I have
to play tennis so I can’t” are somewhat comical. Experienced
players string up a fresh racquet or two before a big match!
All strings are not created equal. Some strings are far
more resilient than others. For the most part there is a direct
relationship between playability (resiliency) and how long a
string lasts (durability). When I use the most playable string
I can find, I can’t get even one set in before it breaks! Hardly
practical for most folks. Many Tour players, however, do
exactly that. They are playing for their careers and often
have someone giving them the string for free, anyway. Oh,
that’s the other irony. The string that is the most resilient,
and therefore the least durable, is usually the most
expensive!
Obviously a compromise is in order. There are several
things to consider when deciding which string is best for you.
How often do you play
Do you break strings regularly or never
What kind of player are you — power hitter, touch
player, etc.
Do you have any arm problems (a softer string is easier
on your arm)
What is your budget for restringing
How many racquets do you need for each match The
compromise in stringing a tennis racquet is usually
playability vs. durability.
A thinner gauge string will be more resilient than a thicker
string but generally won’t last as long. A multi-filament string
will be more playable than a cheaper mono-filament string. A
softer string will give you more feel and less shock, but at a
cost of reduced durability.
Continued on page 69
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