Some stringers deliberately messing up our Rackets...

[frictionman]

Guys i'm really troubled what my other friend told me awhile ago. It seems that some of the stringers are maliciously and deliberately messing up with our rackets. What they do is this, they string your racket to a specific tension but not UNIFORMLY. Some racket actually have 3 or more different tension in it! For example you told the stringer that you want a 22 tension on your racket, what they do is string your racket to 22lbs or + or - to 1 to 2 pounds so that it would not be too obvious, at some point while stringing they would change the tension to + or - 1 to 2 lbs, Again so that it would not be too obvious. The stringer will keep on repeating it several times while stringing.

And some stringers deliberately slice or injure the string somewhere so that the string would not last that long. kinda like setting or putting up a breaking point.

I really don't know what their intentions are but i have several ideas like...
It's for the SALES (you know big malls have big rents needs big sales or small stores needs sales)
The stringer hates your guts
Plainly he's just mischivous and hates the world
He just had a bad day.

Maybe that's why some rackets easily breaks with minor collisions, it's a possiblility.
it's also a possibility that it's a manufacturing defect from the start.

Just want to let you guys know so that you'll be more aware and careful.

[Traum]

To give them the benefit of the doubt, a perfectly plausible reason is that the stringer just isn't all that good. He's aiming for a specific tension, but b/c of his lack of skills, he can't really do the job right. I find that this is a particularly serious issue with the Big Box sports equipment retailers. Some of their staff just aren't all that good with stringing.

-Rick

[kwun]

fm,

if your friend saw the stringer messing around with the tension knob during stringing, that may not be that the stringer is "messing" with your racket. in fact, he may be trying to get a better stringing job. search the forum for a thread referencing "proportional stringing". it is a technique to vary string tension across the string bed to achieve a larger sweet spot.

this is a common stringing technique. it only shows that the stringer knows his job.

and even if he is varying the tension up and down deliberately, you will find that after a few days, the strings willl automatically slides back to a similar tension on their own. it will do little harm to your racket.

[frictionman]

Originally posted by kwun
fm,

if your friend saw the stringer messing around with the tension knob during stringing, that may not be that the stringer is "messing" with your racket. in fact, he may be trying to get a better stringing job. search the forum for a thread referencing "proportional stringing". it is a technique to vary string tension across the string bed to achieve a larger sweet spot.

this is a common stringing technique. it only shows that the stringer knows his job.

and even if he is varying the tension up and down deliberately, you will find that after a few days, the strings willl automatically slides back to a similar tension on their own. it will do little harm to your racket.

forgot to say fellas my friend has a stringer buddy who told him that from time to time he does all of these for kicks. Where do you think i got all the infoes in details?

[frictionman]

Originally posted by kwun
fm,


and even if he is varying the tension up and down deliberately, you will find that after a few days, the strings willl automatically slides back to a similar tension on their own. it will do little harm to your racket.

But i thought uneaven tension could harm your racket permanetly. Thats why we have those cutters to immediately release the tension if a string breaks.


just asking...

[LazyBuddy]

Originally posted by frictionman
But i thought uneaven tension could harm your racket permanetly. Thats why we have those cutters to immediately release the tension if a string breaks.


just asking...

If the tension is only 1 or 2 lbs, and distributed evenly, I don't think it will harm ur racket.

1 or 2 lbs compare to string breaks (uneven, 20+ lbs) are totally different stories.

[LazyBuddy]

Originally posted by kwun
fm,

if your friend saw the stringer messing around with the tension knob during stringing, that may not be that the stringer is "messing" with your racket. in fact, he may be trying to get a better stringing job. search the forum for a thread referencing "proportional stringing". it is a technique to vary string tension across the string bed to achieve a larger sweet spot.

this is a common stringing technique. it only shows that the stringer knows his job.


Agree.

Adjusting tension during string process will take up even more time for the stringer. If he really aiming for "business" conern, then, it makes no sense to waste his own time.

[Neil Nicholls]

And some stringers deliberately slice or injure the string somewhere so that the string would not last that long. kinda like setting or putting up a breaking point.

Now that's just plain criminal.

[LazyBuddy]

Originally posted by frictionman

And some stringers deliberately slice or injure the string somewhere so that the string would not last that long. kinda like setting or putting up a breaking point.



If ur friend's "stringer buddy" admit that he on purpose doing this for more profit, I have nothing to say, but feel like he's not a professional, and definitely lack of respect to his job.

However, if just particular players "think so". It could also be their own problem, such as frequent off-center hit, broken gromment, frequent slice shot, improper storage of racket (large scale in temp, humidity change, etc).

[frictionman]

Originally posted by LazyBuddy
Agree.

Adjusting tension during string process will take up even more time for the stringer. If he really aiming for "business" conern, then, it makes no sense to waste his own time.

break means hafta buy a new one means income... $$$

[Pointfore.Ca]

Well personally if a string breaks after just using the racquets 2 or 3 times, then I definitely would want to bring it back to the stringer and ask them to do it again for free. Otherwise I'd look for another stringer. Unless you've requested some ridiculous tension for the strings, they should not break so quickly unless you're a hacker like me. :)

Just a tip in general for anyone, you may want to ask the stringer if they have any kind of policy for strings that break too quickly, or racquets that break due to stringing. I've personally said for my own racquets that I string, if the strings break then I'll redo it for free and double-check the grommets as well. If the frame breaks due to stringing, then the frame will be replaced for free. I know most places will replace the frame for free if it was not properly strung.

And I have to fully agree with Traum that the large department-like sport stores don't always have skilled stringers. Some of them are just kids off the street looking for a part-time job and who don't know the difference between badminton and tennis. :D

[swijaya0101]

pointcare,

the sting breaks are not always the stringers fault. firstly you have to be sure that you hit the shuttle correctly

friction,

it could be recalibration problem. normally after 3-4 months a stringing machine is required to go for services, otherwise the tension wouldnt be accurate.

[Pointfore.Ca]

Hi swijaya0101,

I completely agree that the stringer may not be at fault, especially if the player using the racquet keeps on hacking the bird. But regardless, I know how disappointed someone can be after breaking their newly strung strings... and most of the time fingers may point to the stringer. I just personally thing some stringers should offer that kind of policy to replace the strings. Customers are supposed to be always right! :D

[Hugo]

Originally posted by Pointfore.Ca
Hi swijaya0101,

I completely agree that the stringer may not be at fault, especially if the player using the racquet keeps on hacking the bird.

Pointfore.ca,

When you say hacking the bird, do you refer to slicing and/or chopping the shuttle? That's a stroke that I use often, especially on serves and so is that type of racket movement more likely to break strings?

Still, I don't break strings often. Maybe once every half year??

[Pointfore.Ca]

Originally posted by Hugo
Pointfore.ca,

When you say hacking the bird, do you refer to slicing and/or chopping the shuttle? That's a stroke that I use often, especially on serves and so is that type of racket movement more likely to break strings?

Still, I don't break strings often. Maybe once every half year??

Sorry if I was unclear about it, but I use the term hacking like I was using a meat cleaver and just hitting and beating the bird carelessly. So mis-hits mainly that are not on the sweetspot that cause the strings to break. I'm a pro at hacking. :D

[badrad]

this is a pretty serious thread. personally if stringer can't find it in their professional conduct to do a good job without inflicting some defect that will reduce the life expectancy of a string job, they shouldn't be in the business.

If a company advises their employees to do something like this, the company should be sued or otherwsie boycotted.

if an employee does this for the fun or just because he hates the job/customer/whatever, this employee first needs to be fired, and also checked on personal issues.

if a private stringer does this just because he feels like it once in a while, this person is not someone you can even think to rely on for anything. what he does with his work reflects on what he would do to relationships and everything else.