HELP! Keep snapping string at the same spot

**CovinaStringer** · 02-07-2011, 10:14 AM

Usually breaks like that are a result of a miss-hit. But in the same exact place is quite unusual. I could see if it happened on both sides like at RH2/3 and LH2/3.

What if he was able to add an extra cross to the top row?

Wise 2086 Pro gripper heads have been known to damage string. Does this one have a diablo (nose cone)?

**PopsiclePete** · 02-07-2011, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by CovinaStringer

Usually breaks like that are a result of a miss-hit. But in the same exact place is quite unusual. I could see if it happened on both sides like at RH2/3 and LH2/3.

What if he was able to add an extra cross to the top row?

Wise 2086 Pro gripper heads have been known to damage string. Does this one have a diablo (nose cone)?

Indeed it does good sir and I take full advantage of it.

Taneepak, thanks for the tip, I'm still working on my game, but the cause for concern is when my friends get it strung at a different stringer they have no issues and the strings lasts months, a strung a racquet for a friend the other day and it snapped after two days of playing. This can no longer be attributed to a few mishits...

thanks for the all help gents

**CovinaStringer** · 02-07-2011, 05:39 PM

Everything seems to point to pre-stretch. Try turning that off and see how long it lasts.

**PopsiclePete** · 02-07-2011, 05:46 PM

will be testing tonight, pray for me

**CovinaStringer** · 02-07-2011, 05:58 PM

You may also try a little more durable string. Good Luck!

**johnlowe88** · 02-07-2011, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by PopsiclePete

I usually use a fixed clamp to lock down one side while I string a1 through a3 on the other, then switch sides and continue the pattern.

Hi, do you always lock down the same side when you start stringing? Is this the side that is locked down first that is breaking? Or it might be the other side.

You can try doing this, but after tensioning one string, then switch sides and tension two strings, then swap again - this is the way I do this, to avoid excessive one-sided stress on the frame. I.e You are tensioning three strings on the other side, but the clamped side has no tensioned strings. I would tension one string, then switch back, so that we only have one extra tensioned string at any one time. I do know that others do it differently so this is still your choice, but trying a change may help your situation until you know how the frames respond.

**taneepak** · 02-07-2011, 09:20 PM

Well, here is one test to find out if it is miss hit that breaks your string prematurely. Try to string two rackets, your current 2--cross string racket and another with the standard 22-cross string pattern, with identical string and tension.
I am quite certain that it is miss hit that is the problem, not grommets, pre-stretch, or stringing technique.

**PopsiclePete** · 02-10-2011, 12:50 PM

I've strung two racquets today and I noticed something interesting, as I string the mains and continue outward from the centre, the first two mains from the centre tend to lose tension, ie they are easier to push down, further, "picking" the strings, I notice a higher pitch to the end and a lower pitch to the middle.

I'm guessing the difference in tension between strings, along with what taneepak is saying with mishits is contributing to this.

**Andy05** · 02-10-2011, 01:05 PM

The mains are longer, so the pitch of the string will be lower. the closer to the side you get the higher the pitch should be. Only if all the strings sound the same do you have a problem.
I don't think it's mishits either, and it doesn't look like you have the room for an extra cross at the top.
Are all the breaks on the same side that you tie your knots? You may be accidentally catching the string on a watch of something as you tie off. (It's a long shot I know, but maybe?)

I hope you find the cause, it's soo annoying to string a racquet and have it last only one session

**PopsiclePete** · 02-10-2011, 01:22 PM

Thanks Andy for that piece of knowledge...it seems to be continuously the same position for the snap. I don't think it's getting caught on anything as my work area is neat and tidy and I don't wear watches (worth a shot hahaha

)

*sigh* I'll just slooooooooooooooow down, I've gotten to 45 min a racquet and then this started happening, like you said, so annoying

**PopsiclePete** · 02-14-2011, 05:38 PM

Alright, so here's a video of a racquet I just did the mains for, you'll notice that the middle strings are quite loose. I strung the mains at 30lbs, and I know from reading posts essentially I have the opposite of progressive stringing, the ends are tight, the middle is loose.

I understand that as lengths get longer there is more "give," but does this look right to you?

**johnlowe88** · 02-14-2011, 07:28 PM

Hi, the center mains will usually have a little more give than the others, because it is longer. I see that your supports are too close to the center - I usually set my supports to be around the 12th grommet, i.e. A12 and B12 or near abouts. I wonder if this is allowing the racquet to flex too much causing the tension in those strings to be much higher than usual after stringing the crosses. To do this I would move the towers apart, but allow the top and bottom support to wind out a lot further. Alternatively your supports can go into the closer positions. Maybe someone who uses the 6 point supports a lot more can give further advice, as I have only started using a 6-point machine.

-John

**Sentinel604** · 02-14-2011, 07:59 PM

I have a 6 point machine and I place the supports closest to the 12th grommet

I try to have equal spacing between each support

I don't know if I'm doing it right so please inform me if I'm wrong

**Alexccs** · 02-14-2011, 10:47 PM

I am agree with taneepak, it is simple case of miss hit.
first, your string is Bg85,
second, you strung at 26/28,
third, now still winter time,
forth, the player him self sure know where he hit it, don't tell me you hit at center of the sweet point and got it snap on the top,
fifth, yonex AT series and Z slash series does has big cap on the top, so player should take care not hit on it.
sixth, when a new string snap at the court, the first thing should ask is where did I hit it and not what the stringer did to it.

Originally Posted by taneepak

The cause for the string breakage is simply one of miss hit. The racket you have has the non-standard 21 cross string pattern, which is one less than the standard. This results in an area at the top of the frame that has a larger area that is not 'protected' by the crosses, hence it is more vulnerable to breakage from miss hits. Any large portion of the string bed that has no crosses at the top is vulnerable.
I suggest you develop a more focussed hitting style, one that relaxes at the back swing and then snaps at the forward swing. This will give your shot more precision and also more focus.

**johnlowe88** · 02-15-2011, 03:37 AM

There is not enough evidence to conclude that it is due to mishit. For example, it is not just Pete that is breaking the strings at the same point, but also someone else that he strung a racquet for. If Pete is mis-hitting, he would surely know, but then he did not have this problem when he was getting his racquets strung by someone else. Hence, something has changed - maybe the tension, if Pete has increased the tension accidentally or the machine calibration is out - either is unlikely as he would feel the difference in tension, and the machine is not likely to be out.

Could it be the 6-point supports? The video shows that both supports are too close to the 9 and 3 o'clock positions - maybe the main strings are getting increased tension when the crosses are strung - such that it gets close to the breaking limit of the string when playing a firm stroke?

**johnlowe88** · 02-15-2011, 03:47 AM

Pete,

I checked my current machine setup - I have my top supports at about the 12th grommet, or the grommet which has the 2nd outermost main string. At the bottom, I have my supports just about the grommet where the outermost main string goes through. You may also read what taneepak says in this link...

http://www.badmintoncentral.com/foru...tringing/page2

**PopsiclePete** · 02-15-2011, 10:14 AM

Hey John,
Thanks for that suggestion, I will rotate the supports to align better with the position you suggested. Further, I fully agree that it cannot be the mishits as I am not the only person experiencing the snapping of the strings at the same spot. With the frame being pulled in all directions, it could be likely that once I release the clamps there is a bit of extra tension loss that can create the slack and thus the snapping. We'll see soon enough!

Pete