*sigh* Weird stringing job

that's quite a common thing in the uk, i'd never heard of it until i came over to this country. apparently it's a cost saving measure, if it's the first break, either on the mains or cross, they just restring those and leave the others. personally i've never liked this method, i can't imagine how the string tension could be as consistent as a full restring, and don't know if it's good for your racquet or your play. did the stringer charge you noticeably less?

 

Wait , randomlegend - wheir did you break your string?

The stringer might have just tied one more string - instead of doing the whole thing.

This happened once to my brother , the bottom cross the stringer didn't do a whole re-string just replaced the last cross , but he got it for free.

 

Hmm thats strange - I've never heard of replacing only all the cross strings?

Could you tell us wheir the 5th knot is please?

 

well, have you played with it since it was restrung?
if it plays fine for you, then i guess there's no harm, saves you a bob or two.
did he use the same type of string as the previous ones which snapped?

 

could you just post a picture plz?

 

This is a joke, well at least not a funny one. Firstly, never accept a bodge job. Secondly patch jobs for any one but outdoor recreation players will never be accurate enough. Always get your strings cut and a new set put on. That means you may have to cut them yourself which you should already be doing. Thirdly, unless your stringer tied two pieces of string together, than there cannot be 5 knots. On a tensioned racket there CANNOT be an uneven number of knots because every string will have a start, and an end.

 

Well, do a quick inspection on whether the entire crosses (22 or 23 pieces) are all brand new, or only 1 or 2 pieces are new.

However, either way I consider it's a poor practice, as the tension will be mostly un-even, whether it's between crosses, or main vs. cross, as the stringer will no way to know what's the remaining tension is, and how it's being distributed.

Also, due to wear and tear of other strings (main, or partially cross), the racket needs another re-strung faster than normal. Therefore, the so-call cost saving simply does not make too much sense either.

My suggestion is to look for a reputable stringer next time.

 

Yeah , or just ask the stringer for a whole re-string and not just a little repair.

The way he has strung your racket may cause the strings to break really quickly.

Anyway - do tell us how it goes.

 

For stringing service, try this website:

http://badstringer.co.uk/default.aspx

Not sure how he/she does the re-stringing. Phone them up and ask. They seem to be quite knowledgeable.

 

As a stringer and reading all the replies I would hazard a guess that your rackets had five crosses at the head and now has four. (Look at the top of the racket where the mains meet the crosses and see if you now have four instead of five) If you have broken the top string it is my guess that he has tensioned the fourth cross at the head and tied into the next grommet up hence your five knots. If he had strung all the crosses you would still only have four knots. It dosen't usally become a problem if retensioned on a stringing machine.

 

Alternatively, give me a try. It means sticking your racquet in the post and waiting a couple days if your not in the Merseyside region but it's worth it. http://www.racquetrestrings.com < my website