Blog Archives
The Heat is On!
Even if the heat isn’t on yet in your area it is still important to consider your racquet strings and what can happen to them in the heat.
We know that most string is “plastic” and will naturally loose tension over time, however, if we consider that “plastic” string is made up of “molecules” we can understand why high temperatures can contribute to tension loss.
As temperatures increase the molecules are able to move more freely. Think of it as one of your muscles. That muscle will stretch “easier” at higher temperatures than at “frigid” temperatures. Or at least mine do.
So, do not leave your racquet in the car for any length of time. Don’t leave your racquet laying on a table in the sun for any length of time and generally try to keep it from extreme heat. I believe a “thermal” bag can help but please handle your racquet with consideration during the “hot” season.
Arm Friendly Racquets…is it really the racquet?
A hurting arm makes it no fun to play tennis! So we need to keep your arm from hurting. Typically players associate hurting with stiff, lightweight racquets which may be true. We know that weight is your friend when it comes to comfort. I have written about this many times and most players accept the concept but simply don’t think they can play with a heavier racquet.
Well, don’t worry too much because we can make the stiff racquet feel “softer” by focusing on “effective stiffness”. Effective Stiffness is a calculated number based on the racquet stiffness, that can not be changed, and the string bed stiffness that can be changed.
That means the lower the string bed stiffness the lower the “effective stiffness” will be. By knowing the “effective stiffness” of a racquet/string combination we can customize the string bed stiffness to create almost any feel you want. Our diagnostic equipment makes it easy for us to collect “effective stiffness” number for any racquet at any time. For example if your racquet is feeling particularly good right now we can capture the current “effective stiffness” and duplicate this number the next time we string the racquet.
This is a very simplified version of what can be a complex discussion so please accept it as such.
To Stretch or not to Stretch
To stretch or not to stretch is a question some technicians have pondered. What is stretching? I am talking about stretching a set of racquet string. A set is typically 40 feet long so you need that amount of room to stretch the entire set in one straight pull. What does this mean to you the consumer? Please read on.
Pre-stretching the typical tennis string will increase the stability. That is reduce the affects of creep exhibited by nearly all tennis strings. Stretching will enhance the elongation of the string by removing many of the bonding fractures that occur when the string is tensioned by the machine or ball contact. A stretched string will maintain tension longer and will produce a slightly higher string bed stiffness.
Stretching the string by hand is the preferred method and it takes about 25-30 seconds to render a string stretched. The string should exhibit little or no “recoil” after this stretching procedure. This can make the string easier to handle for the technician.
There is no danger of damaging the string by proper stretching technique. In fact the maximum load a human stretcher can reach and hold is about 40 pounds which is well below the yield strength of the string.
So, you the consumer should request that your string be pre-stretched. And, you the technician should certainly look into the advantage of pre-stretching. Why don’t you experiment with stretching and decide for yourself?
Racquet Stiffness and You
Many racquet manufacturers include frame stiffness in their specifications that are viewed by the consumer. What exactly does that number mean to you?
Well, very simply, stiffer racquets will provide a little more power because the racquet is not loosing the bending energy, and a less stiff racquet may be a little more comfortable.
As a player there is very little you can do to decrease the stiffness other than bashing the racquet into the court then there is no issue!
However, your racquet technician can make your very own racquet feel “softer”! There is a little used characteristic called “effective stiffness” that I calculate for every racquet I do. I am not going into the formula for that stiffness here but if you go for a lower string bed stiffness it will, obviously, create a more flexible “feeling” unit.
So, if you have a racquet with a stiffness of 70 (RDC) and a string bed stiffness of 65 (RDC) you have an effective stiffness of 32.31 (which is pretty high). Now, if that is perfect for you it can be replicated from racquet to racquet. If you know the racquet stiffness you can arrive at the correct string bed stiffness to yield the desired effective stiffness.
Try it!
Racquet Quest, LLC
