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Easy ATW stringing

Box and ATW (Around the World) stringing are techniques you can use when stringing with one piece of string and where you wish to have the crosses coming down from the head, but where the existing pattern has the main strings finishing at the throat. There are many versions of RTW patterns and most of them are unnecessarily complicated. I must have tried 15 different box and ATW patterns in my time, but I’ve had problems with most of them. I like things to be kept simple and thus easy to use when under pressure from players and coaches at tournaments. I finally found an ATW technique that fulfills all my needs. To illustrate it, imagine that you are stringing a racquet whose outside mains finish at the throat).

• Measure the string as normal but when measuring the short side, add enough extra string to cover two crosses.
• Install the mains as normal, omitting the outside mains on each side.
• Secure short side main at the head with a starting clamp. I also wrap the remainder of the short side string around this to keep it out of the way.
• Using the long side string, skip the top cross and start to install the crosses from the head.
• Continue to install the crosses from the head, until you have done an even number and your cross string leaves you in a position to install the outside main on the long side. At this point, you will be leaving one or two bottom crosses undone. Install the outside main on the long side. Continue from the long side outside main to do the top cross, and then tie off as normal.
• Re-tension the main on the short side, remove the starting clamp, and fix the machine clamp. Install the outside main on the short side, and then finish up by installing the bottom cross or crosses and tying off.

The beauty of this particular pattern is that it is simple to use and yet ensures both outer mains are the same tension, and each goes to a cross string before tying off, essential for a uniform stringbed tension. Also it does not have an extreme hard weave to contend with, so it’s more gentle on natural gut and easier with polys. I have been using this amended pattern for tournament work for the past six months. I’ve also found that complete novices manage to grasp it straight away and are using it within one hour, as a basic stringing technique.

5 sets of Prince Premier with Softflex 16 to:

Liam Nolan, MRT, Norfolk, England

Editor’s note: The two main differences between this ATW technique and the one published by USRSA in Racquet Service Techniques are that Liam’s method requires a starting clamp, while the USRSA ATW requires that you know the number of crosses. If you have a starting clamp, Liam’s technique is a bit more universal because all candidate racquets are approached the same way until you get to the last couple of crosses at the throat. We’ve found that Liam’s technique works best on racquets with two skips at head and throat, such as 16x18 or 16x19 with skips and 7 and 9, or 18x20 with skips and 8 and 10. One other benefit of this system that Liam didn’t mention is that using the normal tie-off holes is fine, as opposed to some of the advanced box patterns that are best if you make custom tie-off holes.

From the May 2007 issue
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