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Ever-lasting stringbed tension

After years of being plagued with tension loss, I have found a method of tensioning that gives racquets months of consistent string bed stiffness. Here is how I reduce tension loss to a minimum:

a. Reduce reference tension 10 to 15 percent, or more, depending upon the string selected. Less beginning tension means less tension loss, and less stress on the string (stress is a function of the load on the string, divided by the area of the string cross-section),

b. When tensioning, a pre-stretch load is added (between 10 to 25 percent of reference tension). This makes the string a little stronger so it provides better load-holding characteristics than normal. Obviously, this is most easily done with a constant-pull electronic machine with built-in pre-stretch.

Some people claim that pre-stretching the string changes the resiliency characteristics. However, the drop in the reference tension balances the instantaneous loading during pre-stretching on nylon and Zyex strings. The resiliency change after one week is minimal on a nylon 16 gauge string pulled to 60 pounds by standard constant pull tensioning as compared to the same string pre-stretched from a 51 pounds reference tension. Customers now return for restringing when the stringbed stiffness drops by ten percent instead of the USRSA-recommended 20 percent.

5 sets of Head FiberGEL Power 16 to:

Carl Love, Albany, OR

From the February 2007 issue
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