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Everything Tennis

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Originally posted by: sigs3gv
What string is stronger than Babolat Ballistic Polymono 16g?
I seem to break strings every 3-5 days 🙁
Click to expand...

Well Kevlar is arguably more durable, so that would be the next step up. Keep in mind though that more durable strings aren't necessarily the best strings.

String breaking can be frustrating, however make sure that your grommets aren't worn out or need replacing. This can cause premature string breakage.

 
Originally posted by: Zim Hosein
Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Originally posted by: Zim Hosein
TripleAAA, if I had a racquet restrung about 2 years ago, and haven't used it since, will the strings break if I go play with it now?
Click to expand...

Rofl probably not 😛

Unless you smash it at somebody Zim 😉
Click to expand...

It's a serious question, I don't wanna spend ~$30.00 to restring my racquet if the strings will still be fine if the weren't used for 2 years. BTW, if they will break ASAP, can I smash it on you Ricemarine? 😛
Click to expand...

Yeh you can smash it on me 🙂... Just gimme a :beer: first. What TripleAAA is right, it'll be looser than it was before. Possibly, it might be below the recommended tension of your racket. So... as he said, if you aren't a big player of tennis, playing at least 2-4 times a week, sure you can probably not restring it. But if you are, you really should... It all depends on how much of a swing you put. If you're a string breaker, you should. If you are one of those players who plays recreationally by just hitting the ball with no spin, naw.
 
Originally posted by: sigs3gv
What string is stronger than Babolat Ballistic Polymono 16g?
I seem to break strings every 3-5 days 🙁
Click to expand...

You break those? I've got them on my Pure Drive Plus right now, and these strings take FOREVER to break, I always end up having to clip them off with scissors.

I like the Pro Hurricanes, theyre nice.
 
Originally posted by: TripleAAA
Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Yeh. I got a question for the OP 🙂...

Right now I'm wondering why a lot of players use overgrips... Is it because its more squishy?... What is the point of actually using an overgrip?...

Right now, I'm using the head hydrocontrol replacement grip, and my thumb is getting blisters again, so I need something good (unless my grip is bad...). I don't know my NTRP rating sadly... So I'm wondering if an overgrip might be worth investing in... Or probably try a different tacky grip such as the prince duratec.

Right now I'm using a Dunlop 200G Mid with 16G ashaway crossfire II's, strung 58/64.

Also... I've been experiencing tennis elbow lately... Is it possible the frame could be to blame?... Or should I try lowering my tension?...
Click to expand...

Overgrips are generally used by players who want a constant "new", "tacky", feel. Since most overgrips come in packs of 3 (or larger bulk reels), you can keep a pack in your bag and during changeovers or between matches, quickly wrap a new overgrip over your existing grip. For players whose hands get really sweaty, this tends to help quite a bit since the moisture tends to transfer to the grip over time. Some people use them merely to build up their grip to a larger size. There are tons of grips out there which means plenty of experimenting to do.

As for your 200g, what is most likely causing your problem are several things. First off, your 200g has a very dense string pattern which doesn't allow for a lot of forgiveness or "pocketing" of the ball on the string bed. This translates to more of that vibration/shock going up your arm. Combine that with the string you are using (Ashaway Crossfire II) which has kevlar in the mix, and you got a very "board-like" feel. Some people like this though and you can argue you get better control with those attributes.

One other thing I should note is your string tension. You stated 58/64 which if correct, means you are stringing your crosses at a significantly higher tension that your mains. Even though your crosses are a synthetic gut, you can potentially damage the frame with that much of a tension difference. Then again, the 200g is a pretty solid/heavy frame so it can probably withstand the pressure pretty well.

With regard to your arm problems, I would suggest trying polyester if you like stiffer feeling string. However ultimately if your arm problems persist, I'd move away from the aforementioned strings all together. Sounds like you might be a string breaker in which case, going with a thicker 15L with a softer construction might be your best bet. If you got the cash to spare, give some natural gut a try. Although I must warn you, if you try it, you might not want to ever go back to a synthetic again. 😀
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Ashaway recommended the crosses to be 5 lbs higher than the mains, so it should be fine... Btw... Is that big silicon "Dunlop" logo a shock absorber?... Otherwise, if not... Should I go invest in one to try and avoid the tennis elbow issue again?... But yeah... I can generate a lot of force being 140 lbs 🙂... The stiff hitting gives me accuracy, but not much pop, so topspins require a bit more force.
 
Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Originally posted by: Zim Hosein
Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Originally posted by: Zim Hosein
TripleAAA, if I had a racquet restrung about 2 years ago, and haven't used it since, will the strings break if I go play with it now?
Click to expand...

Rofl probably not 😛

Unless you smash it at somebody Zim 😉
Click to expand...

It's a serious question, I don't wanna spend ~$30.00 to restring my racquet if the strings will still be fine if the weren't used for 2 years. BTW, if they will break ASAP, can I smash it on you Ricemarine? 😛
Click to expand...

Yeh you can smash it on me 🙂... Just gimme a :beer: first. What TripleAAA is right, it'll be looser than it was before. Possibly, it might be below the recommended tension of your racket. So... as he said, if you aren't a big player of tennis, playing at least 2-4 times a week, sure you can probably not restring it. But if you are, you really should... It all depends on how much of a swing you put. If you're a string breaker, you should. If you are one of those players who plays recreationally by just hitting the ball with no spin, naw.
Click to expand...

Deal, cheers Ricemarine :beer:
 

[/quote]

Ashaway recommended the crosses to be 5 lbs higher than the mains, so it should be fine... Btw... Is that big silicon "Dunlop" logo a shock absorber?... Otherwise, if not... Should I go invest in one to try and avoid the tennis elbow issue again?... But yeah... I can generate a lot of force being 140 lbs 🙂... The stiff hitting gives me accuracy, but not much pop, so topspins require a bit more force.
[/quote]

Contrary to popular belief, shock/vibration dampeners don't really help your arm pains. The force that is created upon ball impact is still going to travel up your arm regardless. Some people swear that they help though, and there is quite a variety of them to choose from.

 
Originally posted by: TripleAAA
Click to expand...

Ashaway recommended the crosses to be 5 lbs higher than the mains, so it should be fine... Btw... Is that big silicon "Dunlop" logo a shock absorber?... Otherwise, if not... Should I go invest in one to try and avoid the tennis elbow issue again?... But yeah... I can generate a lot of force being 140 lbs 🙂... The stiff hitting gives me accuracy, but not much pop, so topspins require a bit more force.
[/quote]

Contrary to popular belief, shock/vibration dampeners don't really help your arm pains. The force that is created upon ball impact is still going to travel up your arm regardless. Some people swear that they help though, and there is quite a variety of them to choose from.

[/quote]

So what's the point of that silicon Dunlop thingy on my racket? 😕 Otherwise I'd might as well take it off.
 
Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Originally posted by: TripleAAA
Click to expand...

Ashaway recommended the crosses to be 5 lbs higher than the mains, so it should be fine... Btw... Is that big silicon "Dunlop" logo a shock absorber?... Otherwise, if not... Should I go invest in one to try and avoid the tennis elbow issue again?... But yeah... I can generate a lot of force being 140 lbs 🙂... The stiff hitting gives me accuracy, but not much pop, so topspins require a bit more force.
Click to expand...

Contrary to popular belief, shock/vibration dampeners don't really help your arm pains. The force that is created upon ball impact is still going to travel up your arm regardless. Some people swear that they help though, and there is quite a variety of them to choose from.

[/quote]

So what's the point of that silicon Dunlop thingy on my racket? 😕 Otherwise I'd might as well take it off.
[/quote]

Some people like the feel of it. It does help take the "ping" noise out of some frames as well. It's also just marketing. Most new racquest nowadays come with one, but you can always take them out.

 
Originally posted by: TripleAAA
Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Originally posted by: TripleAAA
Click to expand...

Ashaway recommended the crosses to be 5 lbs higher than the mains, so it should be fine... Btw... Is that big silicon "Dunlop" logo a shock absorber?... Otherwise, if not... Should I go invest in one to try and avoid the tennis elbow issue again?... But yeah... I can generate a lot of force being 140 lbs 🙂... The stiff hitting gives me accuracy, but not much pop, so topspins require a bit more force.
Click to expand...

Contrary to popular belief, shock/vibration dampeners don't really help your arm pains. The force that is created upon ball impact is still going to travel up your arm regardless. Some people swear that they help though, and there is quite a variety of them to choose from.
Click to expand...

So what's the point of that silicon Dunlop thingy on my racket? 😕 Otherwise I'd might as well take it off.
[/quote]

Some people like the feel of it. It does help take the "ping" noise out of some frames as well. It's also just marketing. Most new racquest nowadays come with one, but you can always take them out.

[/quote]

Is it really a shock absorber though? 😕
 


[/quote]

Is it really a shock absorber though? 😕
[/quote]

Shock and vibration are two different things. Shock is the force that goes into your arm while vibration is the oscillation of the string bed. Technically all of them should be called vibration dampeners...they don't eliminate or reduce shock.

 
Originally posted by: TripleAAA
Originally posted by: ndee
What rackets can you recommend for someone who plays Tennis about 1-2 a week? I started playing again, after I played some years when I was in high school(about 7 years ago). How important are the strings actually?
Click to expand...

Ndee, do you have an NTRP rating or can you estimate what level you might be at now? I'm assuming you've lost a step or two since high school? What racquet are you currently playing with, strings, and tension? What don't you like about your current setup?

Strings are very important and often overlooked when people buy new racquets. Generally, the more of a beginning player you are, the less of a factor string will be. As you become more advanced, strings can make a huge difference.

Without going into all the details before knowing your current setup of racquet/string, one important thing to note regardless is how often you get your racquet strung. Many people basically play with the string until it breaks and this can affect their overall success quite a bit. You should get your racquet restrung every few months regardless if you break the strings or not.

Give me your racquet setup and I can get more specific on racquets for ya.
Click to expand...

Alright, let me get my racquet real quick 🙂 It's a Tretorn TXT 24. Can't find a picture or more stats. I think Tretorn normally makes tennis balls... http://www.onlinesports.com/pages/I,TR-TXT24-615.html That could be the raquet.

There are some Prince strings(bought them for like $10.00, synthetic) and are strung with 30 kilos(66lbs). The last time I strung them was about 4 months ago and the time before that about 10 years hehe

I live in Switzerland so I don't think I have that NTRP Rating. We have N1-N4 and R1-R9. N1 is the best which means National, and R9 the lowest, which means Regional. I was always R9 when I played, although in practice, I could compete with the R7. It's just as soon as there is a game on, my brain makes click and I really start to suck 😉

What I noticed is, that when I changed the grip-band, that helped alot. The stability increased tremendously when I was hitting the ball. At the moment, I don't know if I am the problem but when I hit the ball, the raquet kinda "jumps" around in my hand, don't know how to describe that better 😉


I'd maybe get a new racket, so is there something that you could suggest?
 
Originally posted by: ndee
Originally posted by: TripleAAA
Originally posted by: ndee
What rackets can you recommend for someone who plays Tennis about 1-2 a week? I started playing again, after I played some years when I was in high school(about 7 years ago). How important are the strings actually?
Click to expand...

Ndee, do you have an NTRP rating or can you estimate what level you might be at now? I'm assuming you've lost a step or two since high school? What racquet are you currently playing with, strings, and tension? What don't you like about your current setup?

Strings are very important and often overlooked when people buy new racquets. Generally, the more of a beginning player you are, the less of a factor string will be. As you become more advanced, strings can make a huge difference.

Without going into all the details before knowing your current setup of racquet/string, one important thing to note regardless is how often you get your racquet strung. Many people basically play with the string until it breaks and this can affect their overall success quite a bit. You should get your racquet restrung every few months regardless if you break the strings or not.

Give me your racquet setup and I can get more specific on racquets for ya.
Click to expand...

Alright, let me get my racquet real quick 🙂 It's a Tretorn TXT 24. Can't find a picture or more stats. I think Tretorn normally makes tennis balls... http://www.onlinesports.com/pages/I,TR-TXT24-615.html That could be the raquet.

There are some Prince strings(bought them for like $10.00, synthetic) and are strung with 30 kilos(66lbs). The last time I strung them was about 4 months ago and the time before that about 10 years hehe

I live in Switzerland so I don't think I have that NTRP Rating. We have N1-N4 and R1-R9. N1 is the best which means National, and R9 the lowest, which means Regional. I was always R9 when I played, although in practice, I could compete with the R7. It's just as soon as there is a game on, my brain makes click and I really start to suck 😉

What I noticed is, that when I changed the grip-band, that helped alot. The stability increased tremendously when I was hitting the ball. At the moment, I don't know if I am the problem but when I hit the ball, the raquet kinda "jumps" around in my hand, don't know how to describe that better 😉


I'd maybe get a new racket, so is there something that you could suggest?
Click to expand...

Ah, beautiful Switzerland...been there twice. 😉

Wow, that Tretorn is a classic. A classically old piece of junk that is! You definitly will want to look elsewhere as technology and design has changed dramatically in the tennis industry.l

First off, it sounds like your grip size might be a problem with that old Tretorn. If your racquet is jumping/twisting in your hand either your grip size is too small or you need a new grip put on there. For more info on grip sizing, you can check out this link: Measuring your grip size. I helped make this article.

With regard to racquets, I'd suggest looking at a category of racquets called "Tweeners". These types of racquets offer a balance of power and control and are generally a good starting point when searching for a new stick. If you have a place locally that offers some demos, I would encourage you to take advantage of that. It's nearly impossible to just buy something outright and know you are going to like it before you use it.

Here are some Tweeners you might want to consider:

Go about halfway down the page


Good luck with your search.

 
I can't wait to get out and hit some balls... I actually bought a babolat pure drive + off a member of this forum a year ago and have yet to hit it... 🙁

TripleAAA, it sounds like there is something loose in this racket. Maybe a piece of graphite or a small pebble that is inside the frame. Do you think babolat would warantee it?
 
Originally posted by: Shaotai
I can't wait to get out and hit some balls... I actually bought a babolat pure drive + off a member of this forum a year ago and have yet to hit it... 🙁

TripleAAA, it sounds like there is something loose in this racket. Maybe a piece of graphite or a small pebble that is inside the frame. Do you think babolat would warantee it?
Click to expand...


Hey that's a good question, one of my old TT hornet racquest has the same problem, it might be cracked inside? I got a new racquest Dunlop 300G instead ... but would love to go back to my TT hornet if possible 🙂
 
I just thought I would throw this website out there for anyone who needs stringing patterns. Its a great resource for the new rackets that you are unfamiliar with. http://www.klipperusa.com/stringing/manufacturers.php


TripleAAA----When you are pulling the crosses through the frame and spreading them apart so you dont burn the string, do you use your fingers to do this or something else. After I have strung a few rackets at a time, my fingers get really raw and torn up just using the fingers to pull the cross strings out.
 
Originally posted by: dandruff
Cheapest place to buy tennisballs ... for practicing on hard court ???
Click to expand...

There honestly isn't any great place for buying tennis balls. They have a low profit margin. You can buy them in cases of 24 cans for around $60 at places like Tennis Warehouse (www.tennis-warehouse.com).

Another option is to look into "practice" balls. These are new balls, but they have imperfections in them which makes them cheaper. Not bad for...practice! Not sure where you can find them, but check TW out.
 
Originally posted by: Shaotai
I can't wait to get out and hit some balls... I actually bought a babolat pure drive + off a member of this forum a year ago and have yet to hit it... 🙁

TripleAAA, it sounds like there is something loose in this racket. Maybe a piece of graphite or a small pebble that is inside the frame. Do you think babolat would warantee it?
Click to expand...

It could be a couple things. It's most like drill flash which are small pieces of graphite that can break off inside the frame. It could also be a piece of your grommets that broke off. First check the perimeter of the frame and make sure all your grommets are in-tact.

As for drill flash, sometimes it can be removed but it depends on how big the floating piece is. As for warranties, you're probably out of luck since you bought the racquet through a third party. Most manufacturers offer a one year warranty which you would need a receipt for as well.

 
Originally posted by: LordSnailz
Originally posted by: Shaotai
I can't wait to get out and hit some balls... I actually bought a babolat pure drive + off a member of this forum a year ago and have yet to hit it... 🙁

TripleAAA, it sounds like there is something loose in this racket. Maybe a piece of graphite or a small pebble that is inside the frame. Do you think babolat would warantee it?
Click to expand...


Hey that's a good question, one of my old TT hornet racquest has the same problem, it might be cracked inside? I got a new racquest Dunlop 300G instead ... but would love to go back to my TT hornet if possible 🙂
Click to expand...

You guys can both try removing the grommet set and trying to shake the piece out through the string holes...but I gotta warn you, it's not easy. Furthermore, once you take out the grommets you will have a very hard time getting them back in. You can buy replacement grommet sets for some racquets. Those Babolats are a nightmare to replace the grommet sets on though. I remember one racquet in particular taking me about 2 hours. :roll:

 
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