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Why Do I Need to String a Tennis Racket?
There are a variety of reasons why you may need to string a tennis racket. However, there are two main reasons why you may need to do so. The first is that you purchase a tennis racket that is unstrung.
Generally, these rackets tend to be a bit more expensive and they are preferred by professional players. The second main reason you may find yourself stringing a tennis racket is that you broke a string on your racket.
If you do not want to deal with the hassle of stringing a tennis racket, there are some measures you can take to avoid this problem.
The first, and easiest, is to simply purchase a tennis racket that comes pre-strung. This means that when you buy the racket, the strings are already in the tennis racket head. The second option is to have your tennis racket strung by a professional instead of doing it yourself.
What Are My Options for Stringing a Tennis Racket?
If you need your tennis racket strung, there are two main options. The first is to do the stringing yourself. This requires some tools in order to complete the job. The easiest way to do it is with a stringing machine. These machines vary widely in price, but range from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.
Thus, if you will only need your racket strung once or twice the machine is likely not worth the investment for you. You will also need the following tools: mounts, clamps, and some type of tensions (i.e., manual crank, drop weight, etc.). You will also need the racket head, pliers, a yard stick, awl, and the actual tennis strings.
In the first step, you need to measure approximately 40 feet of string. Next, you need to make sure that your string is straight and that it does not have kinks. Next, you want to cut the string in half. Half of the string will be designated for the crosses while the other half will be used for the mains.
Lastly, you will want to remove old string from your racket and replace any old grommets. Finally, you will need to designate a tension rating on your machine. Generally, somewhere between 50 pounds to 60 pounds is the preferred setting.
If that sounds too complicated, you may prefer the second option, which is to pay for someone else to string your tennis racket for you. There are a variety of places that offer this service, including sports stores, gyms, health clubs, and tennis enthusiasts who have their own personal machine.
As such, you may wish to check with your local gym or wherever you play tennis. If that does not work, check out major sporting goods stores, such as Dick’s. The cost of having a racket strung for you will generally be around $20 plus the cost of the actual string (approximately $6-$10).
If you are a regular player, you will need to have your racket restrung on a regular basis. A suggested rule of thumb is that you should replace the strings on your racket as many times as you play tennis per week. Thus, if you hit the courts three times per week, you should have your racket restrung three times per year.
Depending on the amount you play, it may be worthwhile to invest in your own machine. However, recreational players may prefer to pay someone else to do it very rarely. Keep in mind that stringing your own racket will also take up some of your valuable time.
Summary
You will need to string a racket if you purchase a racket without strings and/or if you break a string on your tennis racket. Above you learned the steps to restring your own tennis racket and you also learned about places you can take your racket if you prefer to pay someone else to string your tennis racket for you.
Regular players may be able to save money on restringing costs by purchasing their own machine, but for recreational players who do not play tennis on a regular basis it may be more cost effective to pay someone else to string their racket.