Bottom up vs middle out crosses

Discussion in 'Badminton Stringing Techniques & Tools' started by JoeCalby, Jun 24, 2012.

  1. JoeCalby

    JoeCalby Regular Member

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    Hi all,

    I'm a new member, I recently introduced myself in the introductions forum.
    I did a number of searches, but couldn't turn up any threads discussing middle-out stringing of crosses. If any exist, please enlighten me.

    I'm interested to hear some opinions on cross stringing techniques.
    I learned to string using 2 knots, not four, and choose to stand by the theoretical benefits of stringing using said method for now.

    Stringing using 2 knots, I string crosses starting at the 7th from the bottom, work up the frame tensioning the middle 6 or so, clamp outside the frame and move to the bottom, stringing down 6th-last to last. Once I've tied off, I switch back to the top and string up from where I clamped to the finish, dropping tension by 10% on the last 5 or 6 to avoid deforming the top of the frame.

    If I get a request to string using 4 knots, I string from the middle out, just as I would for the mains. Makes perfect sense to me in terms of spreading load etc.

    Most of what I have read on this forum discusses stringing from the bottom up for crosses. Theoretically, would that not deform the middle to top of the racquet? Does it spread tension better?
     
  2. JoeCalby

    JoeCalby Regular Member

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  3. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    i don't understand. if you have two loose ends on the cross string, isn't that 4 knots?

    you would've tied off the mains already. which has 2 knots. and then now you have 2 more loose ends which you need to tie off on the cross. that's another 2 knots.

    or are you using some victor / gosen pattern which has a long and short end for the mains?

    in either case, your tensioning pattern is sound and good.

    and so it the 50/50 pattern for cross.

    as for the idea of bottom up. it is also sound way to do it, as most people have 6 points support machine which prevents the racket from deforming.
     
  4. JoeCalby

    JoeCalby Regular Member

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    Thanks for the reply, yes looks to be the 50/50 or similar. Yes, for the quoted text I'm talking about starting the crosses with a long/short end, not having tied off the mains.

    I guess you're right, a 6 point machine takes care of bulging frame sides.
     
  5. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    i see. in other words, your pattern for 2 knots is very similar to the victor or gosen pattern. which are very good pattern for 2 knots single string.

    50/50 is also a good pattern.

    the idea of tension center out is a good one, like how we do mains because we want the tensioning to be symmetric.

    however, it is not as important on the crosses. afterall, the racket shape on the vertical dimension (cross) is not symmetrical, unlike on the horizontal dimension (mains). also the racket frame is thicker on the bottom than on the top, that also make it not symmetrical. so the argument for symmetrical tensioning is not as sound and strict anymore.
     
  6. _Rav_

    _Rav_ Regular Member

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    in theory crosses middle out sounds like a good idea as it means even distribution of force, but i wonder if it has a downside of putting too much stress across the frame with no inside support. when we do the mains there is support at 12 and 6, countering the direction of force, but for crosses (assuming a 6 point mount) the support is pushing inwards at 2 10 8 and 4. at least when strung bottom up the strongest part of the frame takes the initial strain. i dunno, maybe at the kind of tensions we string at it's not a problem, but food for thought, perhaps?
     
  7. JoeCalby

    JoeCalby Regular Member

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    It's all healthy food for thought, thanks for your input Rav ;)
     
  8. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    another food for thought.

    if i have a racket with just mains tensioned and tied off. and then i starts from the middle of the cross (50/50 pattern). how's the force on the racket frame near 3/9 o'clock compared to a completely strung racket?
     
  9. Mark A

    Mark A Regular Member

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    The sideways force of 22 crosses on a strung rackets will be centred (roughly) on 3/9, so starting there makes a lot of sense. To me, at least.

    You've got to start the crosses somewhere. Imagine squeezing one of those executive stress balls between your finger and thumb. Squeeze it in the middle and the top and bottom bulge; squeeze it at one end and the other end bulges. Is it better to have the stress go two ways than one? I'd say yes.
     
  10. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    there is also a mention of inside support for 3/9 oclock.

    sounds like an experiment is in order. ;)
     
  11. Fidget

    Fidget Regular Member

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    No need for inside support. The tensioned mains are the support. It's not like you are tensioning crosses against nothing.
     

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