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Stringing with 17-gauge string

Q: A customer left two racquets to be strung with 17-gauge synthetic gut, but I’ve never used a light-gauge string before. I am worried that the starting knot will come through the grommet as we pull tension. Should I use the deadman’s knot that is shown in the Digest?

A: That should work. Even though 17-gauge string has a smaller outside diameter than 16-gauge string, it’s still not so thin that you always have to take extraordinary measures when installing it. However, if you do run into trouble with the starting knot pulling through — with any gauge string — your best bet is to use a starting clamp instead of starting knot. Pull tension against the starting clamp to begin the crosses, and then come back later, retension that first cross (so you can remove the starting clamp), hold the string with the machine clamp, and then tie off as you normally would on any other string.

From the September 2007 issue
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