does grommets affect the string sound , when i was still using old grommets , the string felt very dull and sounded not very nice , but i had it changed and my new string sounds very high pitch , the string bed feels like it is stretched alot too.
I'm new to stringing and would like to know this too, I have a feeling maybe the plastic grommets do matter due to temp / environmental changes throughout time?
Plastic Ages time to time. But i never heard this before. From my technical knowledge i would say yes - sound could Change. But i never recognized it. But i dont believe playability changes due to this.
I would attribute the pitch difference between the old string and the new string to the fact that the new stringjob is new and therefore a higher tension than the old stringjob that's likely lost some tension over time and due to playing with it. The main problem with grommets is that the string compresses the grommet during stringing and when you play with it. Over time, this can compress the grommet so far that it is no longer providing and cushioning between the string and the frame. When that happens, the string can press into the frame. This damage to the frame is called sunken holes, and if it gets too bad it undermines the structural integrity of the frame and lead to the frame breaking. At lower tensions, this will happen very slowly (if at all), so it's not much to worry about. But at higher tensions, it can happen after 2 stringjobs over the same grommets. When you go super high (30+lbs) it could happen even if you change grommets before every single stringjob. This is why, to protect the frame, stringers will either replace grommets, or rotate grommets inside the hole so the string has a new edge to rest on. As far as I know, old grommets don't affect playability. If you give Lin Dan 2 identical rackets, but 1 with new grommets and 1 with old grommets, he likely won't be able to tell you which is which simply by playing with them.
