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Choosing a tie-off hole

Q: I was stringing a racquet the other day, and just by looking at it I could tell that there were tie-off holes at 6T and 8T. I was going to tie off the mains at 6T, but the Digest indicates that they should be tied off at 8T. Why do I have to use one instead of the other? Will I void the warranty if I tie off the mains at 6T?

A: Manufacturers and the USRSA specify tie-off holes in hopes of making life easier for stringers who have trouble locating the tie-off holes themselves. In your case using 6T for the main tie-off holes shouldn’t void your warranty, but it will block the tie-off hole for the crosses at that end of the racquet. It is usually easier to get a string past a blocked hole when the blocking string is the tie-off, but why make life more difficult for yourself? Unless you have some compelling reason to swap tie-off holes like this, it’s going to be easier to use the holes as recommended. The playability of the racquet will be same, and you avoid even the potential of a warranty problem.

From the September 2007 issue
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