Topic: string for a geezer?

[67tony]

I settled on a Head Liquidmetal Radical OS and am now looking for string advice. I plan on stringing the racquet somewhat loosely, would like to impart decent spin, and am interested in durability. I do not play much competitively, but mostly help with a high school team and play pick-up matches. Any suggestions?

(Here is a quote from a recent post, summarizing my background:)
I'm as old as dirt (50) and had major shoulder re-construction (Type 4 SLAP lesion) 9 months ago. It was the result of too much coaching and playing volleyball.

It feels great now, though, and I am ready for more tennis (less volleyball!), and a new racquet. I consider myself an intermediate, all-court (more baseliner), doubles-type player.

[hummer23mm]

string it up a decent multifiliment 16 gauge at about 63 or 64 pounds.  if you want to use luxilons like agassi, i'd be careful, you dont want to mess up your elbow or shoulder, and tehy are quite stiff.  dont string it too loose, because it is very powerful, and you will launch some balls if you do.  a good multi at mid to higher tension is the ticket.

[Tennis4you]

67,

I am sure you will get plenty of opinions on this one, we all like different things.

I recently switched to the Prince 16G synthetic gut.  I think it is right down the middle in terms of durability vs touch vs spin vs power.  I really like it.  I get a good 8 hours of match play in with them and a good 5 hours of practice time with them which is great for me.  I chewed through my last strings in 2-3 hours which gets annoying.

I have also strung players racquets with the stuff and a year later it still has not broke,  so it is good stuff.  The price is good too.  My understanding is that is the most used string out there due to cost and playability vs all the other stuff to think about.  In the end it is economical and it is a good medium for most racquets.

I really like it.  But I know nothing about your racquet...  Sorry!!!

Charlie is the Tennis4you equipment expert and he answers all the equipment questions sent to Tennis4you since I only know about the stuff I like.  Feel free to send him an e-mail and ask him...  netvac@yahoo.com

[67tony]

This site is unbelievable! Six minutes after posting, at 11:30 at night, there are two great responses. Thanks...I will e-mail Charlie and am anxious to hear some more opinions.

[Tennis4you]

He is awesome, I love the guy.  He has a pro shop on my site too.  He knows his stuff.  He usually e-mails back in less than 24 hours.

And as far as the quick replies...  I had a late match and I am no where near being tired yet.    Just working on the pc, I check this board often.  Probably too often  

[hummer23mm]

i have no life.  my gf wants to dump me because i was hanging out with her and she wanted to go to the movies, but i remebred that i had a tennis match sceduled with a guy i know, so i went to play.  lol girls dont take well to that?  who would have thought .. .

[Tennis4you]

My wife is extremely understanding about my tennis, I am really lucky.  I have a lot of friends that ask me how I am allowed to play that much.  Who knows, but I feel the love!  Well, until April when we have our second kid.

Back in college I was majoring in Architecture (obviously).  It was not the hardest major, but it was probably the busiest.  My room mate pulled all nighters constantly, and not the kind with beer.  He was always up late on "No-Doze" trying to get stuff done for projects.  he actually got to be so much of a wreck de developed scars on his arms from scratching so much from the nerves.

We spent our life in the studio, non stop.  But it is where we wanted to be, it was our entire universe in there.  At 10:00 every night wifey (my gf at the time) would bring me a FULL COURSE meal and she would also do my laundry.  I was int he studio most nights until 3:30 a.m. or so, so I needed food.  And God knows I needed laundry, but who had time for those two luxuries unless they were catered to you.  I didn't let that one get away, I married her.  She is truly awesome!

So Hummer, if she doesn't do all that for you, let her go to the movies, you go play tennis.  When that changes maybe then you can bail on the tennis guy.  

Tennis players are a different breed.  There is a guy on our 4.5 league who is a teaching pro.  I would say he is 55.  He is in incredibule shape, a VERY VERY VERY tricky player, and a lefty.  The doctor told him 2 days ago no more tennis because his knee is bad off.  Well, you can only guess, being a true tennis warrior, what he said to that.  I saw him play 1 1/2 dubs matches today.  He runs 5 miles per day too, but I think he is going to scale that down a but now.   But until I am dead I will find a way to play.

Cut off my right arm, I will learn left handed.  Bad knee so bad I cannot move, I will take up wheel chair tennis.  Cut my ears off, I will compete in the deaflympics.  

[hummer23mm]

lol tahts very motivational.  yeah good job on the marraige, you got yourself a keeper.   tennis players are different from most people.  there are basketball courts and tennis courts near my house.  i ussually go teh re just to take some serves, and sometimes there is someone there, so i hit with them.  for the last month and a half, i havent seen anyone playing basketball, but tehre are still tennis players around.  maybe thats because people dont want to pay for the indoor courts so they freeze outside, but id like to think thats its because tennis players are commited and passionate of our sport.  lol makes my day when i play well.  other side of that coin, is that it wrecks my mood when i come out flat footed adn play really badly.  thats life i suppose.  as for my girl, i guess its time we talk about some things.  lol.  i even tried to teach her to play.  she doesnt really like the game, so i suppose she will just have to find a hobby while i play. lol.  it stinks, but im not giving up the game for a blonde. lol brunette, maybe.  lol jk jk.  btw scott, do you play at all with your wife?  you guys hit around at the club or is she not a player?

[hummer23mm]

omg, those last 2 lines came out a tad ambiguos i supose . . . i meant do you play tennis.  do you hit the ball around at the tennis club, or does she not play tennis.   lol sry, that serious of puns was actually unintended.

[MC ill Logic]

If you don't play that often you might want to even consider going with natural gut.  It would be more forgiving on your shoulder.  And generally speaking thicker gauges allow you to impart more spin on your shots.

[Tennis4you]

She doesn't play tennis.  Thank God.  My first serious gf (I started dating her in hs for 2 years untile I went to college) played tennis and that is how I met her.  She always got frustrated because I was better and when we went out and hit she would get sooooooooooo pissed.  I do not need that in my life again.  

[maranatha tennis]

I was going to leave this one alone but, just had to put my two cents in. Thinner gauge strings get more bite on the ball than thicker strings. gut lasts 3-4 times as long as any good syngut and way longer than multi's. But spin potential becomes limited with the lower tensions.

The good news is that gut can play better at higher tensions than syngut. And gut has this great feel of cupping the ball. The dwell time is greater therefore the control and spin is also enhanced. In short you can hit harder with gut and still keep the ball in play. And there is no substitute for the touch you get at the net with real gut.

Just me I guess. I have been playing with gut for quite awile now and will never go back. I used to think it would cost too much, but hey, when the strings last three times as long as any multi. You may pay $40-$50 having gut put in. But you are going to pay $20 three times with a multi in the same amount of playing time.

If you string, even better. then you can buy gut for as little as $15-$20 on eBay.

PS

[hummer23mm]

gut lasts 3-4 times as long as any good syngut and way longer than multi's. PS

Thats exaturating.  no way gut can last 3-4 times longer than synthetic.  yes, it is more resiliant and hold its playability longer, but that figure is over teh top.  i can play with synthetic multi filament for about 8 hours before it snaps.  ive played with gut 16 gauge and it snapped in 13 hours.  not exactly a sound investment, but it was fun using it.  if you dont ussually snap your strings adn you end up cutting them, then by all meas use gut, it iwll play better than anything else.  the lm radical is 18x19 pattern, meaning its pretty good for string life.  if you get gut, try bde ralley gut.  make sure someone who knows what they are doing strings it for you.

[MC ill Logic]

I was going to leave this one alone but, just had to put my two cents in. Thinner gauge strings get more bite on the ball than thicker strings. gut lasts 3-4 times as long as any good syngut and way longer than multi's. But spin potential becomes limited with the lower tensions. PS

I used to think the same thing (thinner gauge=more spin) but I recently saw something on the Tennis Channel that said differently (thicker gauge=more spin), and after thinking about it I'm inclined to go with the thicker string theory.

One thing for sure is that an open string pattern generates more spin.  Not that new rackets is an option.

[Tennis4you]

I love the feel of a 16 guage string, haven;t used 17 in a long time and i have not used anything string thinner than that.  I am sure I would 17 full time, but I cannot afford to string racquets that much, nor do I care to.

[thejackal]

Head Fibergel would be a good power string that's easy on the joints, look into that.

[maranatha tennis]

This info was cut and pasted from the official site for the USRSA. I can quote many other sources. Maybe you will believe them.

Some general stuff about strings

    To get the best out of your racquet you'll have to do a little more than just use the best string. The choice of the right tension is about as important as the choice of the racquet frame. As a general rule: the harder you string the less power you get and the more control you have. With lower tension you gain more power but also lose control. In any case you should try different tensions; if you play better - great, and if you don't, you can get back to the old tension the next time. To show you the effects different string tensions and diameters can have on your racquet's performance I created following tables:

String Tension   Power   Control   Durability   Feel        Comfort
softer                more       less      more        more         more
tighter                less        more     less         less            less


String Gauge   Elasticity   Durability   Spin   Feel   Comfort
thinner             more       less           more  more   more
thicker              less        more          less    less     less

    To increase the durability of your strings you should not expose your racquet to extreme heat, cold or humidity. Therefore you should always keep your racquet in its bag. To protect your racquet head you can use a head tape. This is useful if playing on clay court or if the strings are not protected enough by the racquet headguard.
    Strings lose elasticity with time, one type of string faster, another type of string slower. This has a negative effect on the playability; players with a sensitive arm will feel it soon. In general you shouldn't play a string longer than 2 to 3 months. Then it's about time to cut out the strings and restring your racquet.

Often the diameter of a string is not given in millimeters but in the old "gauge". Following table helps you convert between these two measures (without obligation):

Gauge Diameter approx.
15 1.43 mm
15L 1.38 mm
16 1.32 mm
16L 1.28 mm
17 1.25 mm
17L 1.20 mm
18 1.10 mm


And I believe there are such big differences in gut and I use Babolat. I have tried other guts who were not as good nor as durable. I have had most of my friends try it and some are convinced, some aren't. For this I blame their strokes. those who use touch and spin benefit way more than those who hit shorter more compact strokes or who use frames with more open patterns. Mine is 16x21 so fairly closed.

I just am convinced gut is 10x better than any syngut, but hey that is me. Strangely enough not all pros use gut, and most are hybrids. Poly is no good for most recreational players. No touch no feel and hard on the arm.

Have a nice day

PS

[Tennis4you]

Woudl you string gut tighter or looser than syn?  Or the same?  I should try some somtime.  I would be addicted I am sure.  I have never put it in...

[hummer23mm]

gut maintains tension fairly well if it is prestreched.  depends on the brand, some require the stringer to prestrech, electronic machines have this feature, and other otehrs dont.  in general you can string gut at the same tension as a regular synthetic.  it tends to hold tension fairly well.

[hummer23mm]

btw, if you do get hooked on 35$ a set plus stringing gut strings, make usre mrs. baker is cool with it, becasue that is going to add up fast.  

also, gut tends to be more powerful than regular synthetic or poly strings, so it isnt a bad idea to put the tension up a few pounds for a little more control.