Hi everyone, I heard many players that they want to string I.E 25-26lbs (25 for main, and 26 for cross) for their racquets... Why do we have to put more tension on cross? Should I do that for my racquets, because I used to string same tension on both sides. What's the purpose of doing this? Thanks OC
I'm sure there's an existing thread for this, but I don't mind answering it in my own way. When you put the mains in they are on their own and are not impeded by crosses, so they lie straight. When you tension crosses, however, the mains have to flex into the familiar zig-zag shape. The only way this can happen is if the mains stretch, and this creates extra tension above and beyond what you put in the mains when they were on their own. Note that the crosses don't acquire any extra tension since they go in zig zagging by default, so you have to put some extra tension into them yourself to end up with equal "true" tensions on mains and crosses, hence the 27x29lbs, or whatever (the exact percentage differential isn't set in stone). The main reason this is done is preserve the racket's head shape.
have any tried Eagnas Calibrate... I just buy one, and it didn't come up with the right tension. (I adjusted 36lbs on my machine, and it gave me 30lbs) I'll try the digital fishing scale from SH...
The 10% higher tension for the crosses over the mains holds true only if you mount your frame properly, without stretching. Once you over-stretched your frame at the 12 o'clock with load spreaders, the frame will end up narrower even if you add 10% higher tension on the crosses. Over-stretching is also responsible for either micro tears or high noon disease at the 12 o'clock, as well as breakage of the frame at either side of the waist towards the throat end.
Don't bother with those calibrators, had one prior to getting a digi fishing scale, it was off by about 4-5 lbs!
I use it for fishing... I don't sell them, Walmart does... You don't want to used mine, it smells fishy...
I bagged this one from eBay for £11, which was about ten trillion dollars at the time, and it's fantastic: resolves down to TWENTIENTHS of pounds, gives real-time measurement (so I can examine creep) and the top hoops fits right over the swivel clamps.
But if I prestrech my raquet first? So, mains become impeded by crosses! Should it be 10% rule to crosses or not?
I think "pre-string" is what's meant here. In that case, the mains are pulled through slack crosses, which is the same as the crosses not being there at all. The 10% "rule" still applies, then, because the crosses will still end up being pulled through tight mains.
