I wouldn't really say OCD about grips. I genuinely used to wear one out in 3 to 4 matches/sessions (about 5 to 8 hours of play). I've now turned to a towelling grip which appears to be doing the job so far (I've done about 4 hours on court and seems to be the same as when it first went on - just a little damper!).

 

Rackets wise, the most I've had at one time was 14. The new girlfriend thought that was a little excessive, so I sold 8 and broke 4, got 2 replaced and bought 3 more. Now I have 3 (Dunlop ICE Tour LB signature) and she has 4 (1 head Ti.140, two dunlop black max and 1 James Willstrop E-squash - the last 3 being my cast offs!).

 

A few of the rackets have different stringing types.......

1) We have The Head racket with Ashaway strings - nice for feel, with nice "give" for power, but don't last too long!

2) The e-squash racket has e-squash strings. I broke 3 of the rackets in a month, and the strings in 2 of them first! They are pretty average and didn't give a good touch on the ball. Gave a lot of power though!

3) Dunlop ICE Tour - Come fitted with Dunlop Dura Ace strings. These are IMHO the best strings I've ever played with. The down side is that you can't get replacements in quantity - ANYWHERE!!!!!! I found one place based in Malaysia that had 1 set left and couldn't get me any others, other than that I can't find them - If anyone can I'm interested in buying some so let me know!  Durabilty is very good for moderate power hitters, but "hackers" will go through these things like water! They rae quite brittle strings, so sliced shots are the ones that do the damage. As the strings roll over each other under pressure (hard, sliced shots), they break VERY quickly - one of my juniors broke a set in a new racket in 15 minutes when he borrowed it!

4) Dunlop black max - Fitted with the closest equivalent I could find to Dura Ace which is Head Ti Boast. Great string. Seems to last well. Best to have them strung slightly tighter than you'd normally have it (by 1 or 2lbs) and then take 1 training session to "bed-in" the strings. Once stretched slightly they have a lovely touch on the ball and give a reasonable amount of power. Durability is really good, but then I don't hit the ball very hard!

I'll try to find a string review section to add these into - and if I can't find one, I'll make one!

ADZ

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wow I thought I was the only one who rotated rackets every match...
I get called a 'racket sl**' by known associates.

I am rather glad I dont break strings every week. I practice roughly 7-8 hours a week plus 4 hours coaching a junior then perhaps 5 - 6 hours match play...

Ok I guess if i didnt have 4 identical rackets strung with various tensions I might just do a restring a week.

Ashaway strings are a bit pricier but they are first rate for feel. I loved the sheer punch the intellifibre gave me (I am not a noted power hitter shall we say) but I cannot, alas, get them where I live now. So I get Jaydee gold power now. theyre ok. Cheap too.

Anyone here OCD about grips? I had a mate who would collect up my 'old' grips about once a month n wander off chortling about 'having another 2 years worth of good grips'. I change the things as SOON as I feel the racket turn in my hand. I'm short, fat gimpy n myopic - this game is tough enough without my trusty racket conspiring agin me as well!!!

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JJSOOTY,

Don't worry, no offence taken. I use the "patronise" method ONLY on juniors whose arrogance is beginning to give them a bad name. As far as supporting someone who has the right attitude and confidence, I'm usually the first one to stand up for them and back them all the way.

When I was a junior, they used to give out prizes for best court conduct during tournament, as a way of encouraging good behaviour and the right attitude. I won loads of them, and don't like seeing any junior get above themselves with arrogance. Sometimes the only way for them to be told is to have someone they respect show them how NOT to act. It kind of brings them down to earth with a bump.

BOLGY,

A SET PER WEEK?!?!? How often are you playing? Surely that must mean around 12hours a week or maybe more? I used to break strings all the time as a junior, but now I've changed type to Dunlop Dura Ace (the ones that come with the rackets) or Head Ti Boast strings. They're both cheap enough and seem to last a heck of a long time. I guess the good sign is that all the sets of strings seem to break or need changing at the same time (as I rotate my rackets each match!).

 

Karlh

The Ashaway strings can be expensive, but it depends where you get them from and where you're living. I found that squashgear.com has some great prices on strings, but seem to be a little expensive for Technifibre. See if you can find someone who uses them before placing any bulk orders. Let us know how you get on!

ADZ

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I hit the ball with quite an open face, if I am training I can go through a set of strings a week, easily every two weeks. I've found the Ashaway Powernick (blue stuff) to be the best for me. Technifibre feels great but I break it way way to easy. The Powernick seems to fray and hold where the others just snap.

The only way around it is to either flatten off the face of the racquet as you play your shots or switch to a very heavy string.

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Thanks for the advice Pug505man and ADZ, I have heard about the Ashaway strings - are they expensive??

Karl

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There's nothing worse than a player who thinks they are the next best thing.  But then from a juniors point of view there's nothing worse then a patronising senior player taking the mick on court! (No offence intended by the way!)

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Hey straightening the strings mid point is no joke! So is sitting on the T!

We've got an up and coming junior in my club who likes to think he could beat the world, sadly his modesty is far from plentiful and he's upset a few people. I've gone on court with him a few times and put on a bit of an exhibition for the crowd......

1) Straightening strings mid-ralley

2) Sitting on the T or leaning against a wall waiting for him to return

3) Performing amature ballet when turning to hit volleys

 

Coming back to the first point, I like to have my strings arranged neatly (not quite OCD I hope!), and usually straighten any that are wildly out of place (curved instead of straight!).

 

On your point Karlh, I don't think the strings are a huge problem if they aren't effecting your shot in any way. I know of players who have to change their strings every 2 weeks due to breakage (and they keep using the same ones which obviously don't suit their style of play!), and I know of players (like myself) who hardly ever break strings at all. In fact I'm more likely to change them due to old age than breakage.

The most improtant thing is to make sure you get the right string for your game - If the current ones are bothering you, then it'll be a distraction and something to blame when you're losing. Try to read as many reviews as you can and get as many recommendations as possible before you change for the first time. Pick something that matches your needs and take advice on the best tension to have. It's kind of like fashion - each person gets swayed by the majority but generally has their own like and dislikes if they aren't too scared to experiment a little!

Good luck and happy playing!

ADZ

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gday Karlth
Welcome to the best game on earth hope youre enjoying it.
Some string movement is quite normal especially if you apply backspin. I get a lot of movement all the time as I play with backspin frequently. Don't worry about it. You MAY wear strings a touch faster - but that gives you the opportunity to experiment with Intellibre or Ashaway Powernick red. Ive used both and they are fantastic strings.
I get a bit OCD straightening my strings between games n points...mid rally (joke), but as rippa says they tend to straighten themselves out anyway.
Have fun!

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Thanks for the replies,

In answer to the question, I have not noticed much, if any,  difference in the shots because of the string movement.  But then I have only been using it for a month so I am sure time will tell.  I appreciate the advice on restringing as I was unsure on when to get it done.

Once again many thanks.

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Following the general rules for tennis racket stringing, in a year, you should restring as many times as you play in a week. So, play 3 times a week, restring every 4 months. However, use a good multifilament like tecnifibre, and you can play it till it breaks, which for me is every 6 months or so.

String movement is okay, shinier strings with a coating may slide more than softer strings. I only adjust them to relax before the next point.

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Welcome to the forum Karlh - no I don't think anything is wrong with the strings, as they are probably round and a bit shiny so with the open face racket you are imparting spin/friction on the strings when hitting the ball, so  naturally they will move around.  They can only move too much if the strings are a bit lose.
Unless you use the same side of your racket each time, surely they will straighten up themselves without the necessary adjustments.
You could try the string tensioners inserted under the strings to see if that will hold them any firmer.
Is this really making any difference to the strokes?

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