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Releasing the side mounts during stringing

Q: I finished installing the mains in a racquet, had tensioned the second cross (working from the head down) and was trying to insert the string into the grommet hole for the third cross, but the side support at 10 o’clock was blocking the way.

A friend of mine who was watching me struggle told me to pull back the 10 o’clock side support in order to gain access to the hole. I told him that I didn’t think you should ever release a side support while the racquet is being strung, but he assured me there is no problem at all doing this. What is the correct procedure in these cases?

A: With all the mains installed, the racquet is at its maximum deformation, which is to say that it is in a condition where it most needs the full support of the mounting system. Releasing the 10 o’clock supports at this juncture would put extraordinary stress on the hoop, possibly leading to damage.

Even though the side supports do restrict access to the hoop at the contact points, you should still be able to get the string through fairly easily on all but the most difficult racquets. One approach, if the grommet hole seems blocked from one side of the support, is to feed the string through the relief in the side support, and approach the grommet hole from the other side. In any case, you should not need to release the side supports to gain access to the grommet holes.

From the September 2007 issue
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