Hello everyone, Today, I did my first solo string job on an Apacs Nano 900 White using Gosen Pro 70 at 29x31.5lbs. I used this machine: Other tools used: Yonex flying clamp Obviously, it is not the ideal stringing machine, but it is all I have to work with. I prestrung everything, then began tightening the main string from left to right. I was just reading through the forum and everyone says it is best to alternate starting from the middle, which I do not think is possible since I only have one flying clamp. After doing the mains, I tightened the cross from bottom to top. My reason for doing bottom to top is because I can only wrap my string around the crank clamp if I leave the top three crosses undone (giving me more string to work with). This racket had single-pass grommets for the cross at the top, so it was easier for me to not string the top three crosses initially, rather than leave the bottom three crosses unstrung and having issues later on with the shared grommets. Here is a picture of the finished job: Comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Also, I played with this racket immediately afterwards and noticed something very strange. Everytime I hit a clear or smash, it sounded dead and dull, like hitting an overly beaten feather shuttle or like hitting with broken strings (though it did not feel like it was going to break at all). I have another identical racket, strung at 28x30lbs with the same string (Gosen Pro 70), and it makes a nice, loud, crisp sound when I perform the same strokes. Is it possible that the string is just not "broken-in" yet? Or, did the extra tension mess up the vibration frequency of the string?
I am using the same machine. It is not ideal but still workable. You are lucky you did not break you racket by tension it for side to side at that tension. You should have two tennis clamps came with the machine , adjust them tighter. You could use them to do the badminton main. On cross their teeth is too wide. But you have a badminton clamp. On that machine , it is difficult to clamp the first cross on the top, the hold down plate is too big. Only way is to do a Yonex main finish, after you done with third cross , string the first cross then second cross. Tension first and second cross together( add 2 lb), clamp second and third, then do a tied off. It leaves little more string outside the frame, but the tension is good.
Overall, I think the string job is fine, only minor stuff such as 1 extra cross at the bottom and the knotting locations. Regarding the feeling, I think you need to make sure whether the tension is set correctly. You can easily test the tension setting using a fish scale, etc. Regarding the different feeling, again, the tension difference might be the trick. If the other racket was strung by others with a different machine, the difference of tension in btw might be more significant than you expected. Does the other racket feel lot of looser?
Sounds like something didnt go well, if it feels numb, maybe tension is too high? Remember tension on a drop weight will usually feel higher than on a crank that most retail places stores and pro shops will use. ie 25lbs crank < 25lbs drop weight. Refer to the yonex website http://www.yonex.com/badminton/stringing_instructions/index.html (I hope that link works) There is also an image floating around here at bc of the stringing patters. Overall it the same as a more traditional 22x22 iso shaped racket w/shared grommets, however the difference I see is the starting knot now skips 2 holes vs 1. that and there are fewer shared grommets of course.
I agree. I remember Kwun used to do a comparison, and the difference can be significant like 10% or more.
Thanks for the information guys. I played again with the racket a day later, and it played well. I wonder if it had anything to do with the string needing to "break-in"? This is only the second time I've used Gosen Pro 70 (the first time was on my other Apacs Nano 900 White racket, at 28x30lbs). The sound is no longer dead/dull/muffled, but crisp like my other racket. Does it make a difference whether I put that last cross on the bottom or not? I can see that the grommet choice dictates there should be a final cross on the bottom, but I figured it would be meaningless to do since I will never hit the shuttlecock that far down on the racket. If anything, it makes more sense to me to string an additional cross at the top of the racket. Also, I sort of made up the knotting locations on my own, just wondering if it really matters?
knot location doesn't really matter too too much, but the closer you put the knot to the grommet it exited, the less tension you lose. I've just been following the yonex patterns
I just noticed your tension and machine - 31.5 is VERY high for a first try (and all the tighter because of the CP nature of drop weights). If I may ask, how long have you been playing, and why did you choose that particular tension? 31.5 CP will be VERY difficult to bend if you're a beginnner or intermediate... My compliments on the job itself, by the way - apart from the extra bottom cross and bottom knot location it looks perfectly fine; the fact that it survived your very first attempt at 31.5 on a 2-pt support machine suggests you already have good stringing practice.
For most strings, I dont think there is really a "break-in" period. What I think is happening is the string bed is settling/stretching from when you initially string it. That is the difference I notice happen. About crosses: As I said earlier its probably best to refer to your racket string pattern to know how to string your racket. Most rackets are usually 22 mains x 22 crosses, some yonex with their new grommet system are 22 mains and 21 crosses. Overall if you skip one or two crosses you will likely have the same relative performance as if you didnt. Sometimes ill miss the top 1 and it doesnt really seem to make a difference. Other stringers skip or delete the 2nd string from the bottom leaving a gap, and those rackets are certainly playable too. If you start skipping more than 2 crosses I think it will start to affect your overall string job. Tie off location does and doesnt matter. Again there are brand recommended patterns you should follow. If you decided to venture out and do your own thing thats you but here's my reason why I stick to a standard yonex pattern: The tie offs on a typical 22x22 yonex pattern only skip 1 hole to get to the tie off location. Skipping more than 1 hole leads to a longer un-tensioned length of string along the outside of a racket in which you will loose tension on your last cross after you tie it off. Although this is relatively nothing, there is no point sacrificing even 1%, when you have given a 99% quality string job at that point. Overall, any string job that doesnt break, distort or damage your racket is fine. The determining factors are: is it playable? does it perform how it should? and does it damage, warp, or jeopardize the racket durability. If you find your string job holds to these standards keep doing what you are doing. Ive seen and played with all sorts of different patterns and in this case Id say the ends justify the means. If your job is different or off spec, however it gets the job done with out sacrificing durability or performance then play on my friend. ps: I just remembered, a string job shouldnt damage/sacrifice string durability either.
Thanks for the comments everyone. I completely forgot to look at the Yonex stringing pattern chart available online, although in the end I guess my string job is playable and seems to be lasting as long as it should. I think it will be okay if I lose a bit of tension, since I can always string it a bit tighter than I need it at first and take into account the tension I will lose in various places (rough estimate at least). If I had a 6-support stringing machine, would I be less likely to have a "deformed" frame? Rackets strung with my machine seem to be slightly rounder than if it were strung at the same tension by a professional stringer.
