black knot racquet stringing
Reliable racquet stringing with an optional fast turnaround in and around the Newbury area
Pre-stringing Racquet Checks
Before stringing a racquet I will consider the following 3 areas - you may want to inspect these yourself:The state of repair of the racquet frameWhat caused the strings to break Any requirement for replacement of the bumper strip or the grommets.
State of the racquet frame
The stresses imposed on a racquet frame during the stringing process are considered on the next page in detail. Suffice to say here they are considerable and a frame with damage of any significance may not withstand the process. For this reason I will inspect the frame of any racquet before I will consider stringing it. I will only consider stringing a significantly damaged frame if you are prepared to accept the risk it may collapse - in which case I'll negotiate this with you before I start.
Cause of string breakage
Assuming the racquet has broken strings I will consider what caused the strings to break, with a view to trying to avoid this in future where appropriate. String breakage ususally occurs for one of two reasons or a combination of the two:
String on string wear. Generally this is the least concerning reason. It may be possible to reduce this slightly by using a higher tension or a thicker gauge of string but each of these have impact on the playing characteristics of the strings so may not be diresireable.
Over-stretch: which can be for one of three reasons:
Breakage mid string bed: Fairly common once the strings have already started to show some string on string wear and agiain not of much concern. Less common and of more concern in "unworn" strings: Likely causes of this are either that the strings are too tightly strung or that they were damaged and then snapped at a resulting weak point. If you repeatedly suffer a snap mid string bed with unworn strings then I'll be advising we either reduce tension or switch to a different string or a thicker gauge.
Breakage across a grommet: The point at which the string bends around the grommet (the plastic tubes protecting the string from the sharp edge of the frame) can be a weakness that causes breakage if the either the grommet has worn and has a sharp point or the string is over-stretched. Unless the grommets are being replaced I'll take the precaution of inserting extra protective tubing at any "suspect " grommet like this. If I believe the string is also over tight I'll discuss this with you.
Breakage at a knot: Occaisonally strings break due to a combination of the over-stretch and the stress of the knot. For this reason I try and avoid placing knots on strings running down the middle of the racquet but sometimes this is dictated by the racquet manufacturer.
Damaged bumper or grommets
If your racquet has a damaged bumper or grommet strips I can replace these before re-stringing it and will offer to do so. This comes at extra cost (usually around £6-£8 depending on racquet type) and ususally with a day's delay while I order the parts in. if this is necessary you'll be consulted for approval before I take action.
For some older racquets bumper/grommet sets can no longer be obtained so I won't remove the bumper until I'm confident I have a replacement.
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