Should you string your own racquets?

Now this is something I've been pondering for a while now. As I began to m\play tennis more often i found myself breaking more strings than I care to admit. Some from natural use, others from a tad bit of rage, but nonetheless stringing can get costly.

I prefer to buy multifilament strings for the feel, but they aren't the most durable string. A set of multis can be anywhere from $15-$30. That coupled with the cost of labor for stringing begins to be a bit much for someone who owns 3 racquets.

So I asked myself, "How hard would it be to string my own racquets?" The thought really hadn't crossed my mind until recently, but I scoured the internet for stringing machines at an affordable price range. Man are the expensive! Alas, I found some entry level stringing machines around my price range. Check them out below:

• Klippermate Stringing Machine ($159.00, Shipping not included)

• Gamma X-2 ($180.99)

• Gamma Progression 200 ($194.00)

After searching, reading reviews and watching many demonstrations I ended up purchasing the Klippermate stringing machine. Now the candidates are nearly identical, so I've heard, but this machine came with free strings and that's what drew me in. These machines are all drop weight stringing machines, meaning you pull the lever to tension the strings. This is standard for cheaper machines.

If you play tennis occasionally, then it is most likely perfectly alright to skip buying a stringer and just have someone else do it. For the rest of you who play frequently and break strings like me, this may be a wise investment that will pay for itself quickly. 

Now I've never actually strung my own racquet, so this should be an interesting experience to say the least. Reading stories from first time stringers, it could take me anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 1/2 hours to string my first racquet. We'll see how it goes. My stringer should arrive in the next week, so I'll be updating you with my experience in the near future.  

Choosing the Right Tennis String

Your choice of string can greatly impact your performance on the tennis court. This is why it's important to know what options are available. There are strings that cater to the needs of all types of tennis players. It's only a matter of testing out what works best for you.

To begin there are four main string types. These are synthetic gut, multifilament, polyester and natural gut.

Synthetic

Synthetic gut strings are the most basic string on the market. They are low cost and will be the most common string when purchasing pre-strung racquets. Synthetics are considered an all-around type of string. They offer a solid hold of tension, crisp feel and a decent amount of spin. This is achieved with a solid core that is surrounded by smaller synthetic filaments. I would recommend these strings as the go to string for beginner through intermediate player. They aren't the greatest in terms of durability, tension holding, spin and feel, but they give a decent performance in all areas.

Multifilament

Multifilament strings are as the name states. Many single filaments are taken and intertwined to form the multifilament string. These are also nylon-based, but offer improved comfort and can add power to the racquet. Multifilaments are great for players who suffer from tennis elbow or who wish to have a similar feel to natural gut without the high cost. Some things to look out for though are that these strings lose tension rather quickly and tend to break much faster than synthetic guts. A good indicator of when the string is close to breaking is when you see the strings begin to fray from hitting.

Multifilament fraying

Polyester

Polyester strings are monofilaments, that is they are a string composed of one solid core. Typical monofilament strings are made with polyester, but less popular strings are also made of kevlar. Polyester strings offer greater durability than the previous strings, but lack power and can be uncomfortable. These strings are geared more toward players who can generate their own power and utilize the spin potential of polyester. Many pros on tour utilize a full or hybrid set-up of strings using polyester.

Natural Gut

Natural gut strings are made of single strands of cow intestine, hence the name "natural". These strings are the most expensive you can buy and for a good reason. They offer the greatest feel in strings and give a very lively hitting experience. Natural gut is also known for holding tension quite well. Be weary though, these strings aren't the most durable strings out there. Pros can afford to break them on a daily basis, you may not be able to. I certainly couldn't.

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There are numerous tennis brands that sell their own strings, so test out different strings and see what works best for you. Check out Tennis Warehouse or Tennis Express for a selection of hundreds of different strings. I personally use Technifibre NRG2 multifilament strings.

Vamas Rafa, Can he win again?

When considering some of the greatest players of the open era, one would be foolish not to consider Rafael Nadal somewhere on their list. Winner of 14 grand slams and numerous titles beyond that, he has made his mark on modern tennis. At only 29 years old, some say that he has been experiencing a premature exit from tennis stardom. Early exits from Wimbledon and the US Open, second and third rounds respectively, seem to be the focal points of his struggles this 2015 season.

With the conclusion of the US Open, it marked the first time in 10 years that he hasn't won a grand slam. Now this may be alarming to some, but 10 years of consistent winning will most definitely take its toll on a player. Now that doesn't mean he hasn't had some success this season. He has 3 titles between Argentina and Germany. Granted these titles were 250 and 500 level tournaments, they still show a potential that Nadal can live up to coming into the ATP World Tour Finals. We'll have to wait and see.

Tennis Tournament Journeys: The Citi Open, Washington D.C.

This past Summer, 2015, I went with a few friends to my first professional level tennis tournament. The Citi Open in Washington D.C. was held from August 3rd - 9th. This is a 500 level tournament, meaning that the winner generates 500 ranking points going toward their world ranking.

For this tournament we decided to buy tickets for the the finals. You can purchase tickets on a day by day basis or for a week long package. Our tickets allowed access to the facility grounds and the doubles, men's and women's finals. Well worth the price, we got our fix of tennis that day. 

For the doubles final, Bob and Mike Bryan faced off against Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo. It truly is a different experience to witness the level of play from professionals in real life. A television could never compare to watching a tournament in person. I took the photo below of some match play. Notice the cameraman filming, this was being filmed live for television. 

Bob and Mike Bryan

Bob and Mike Bryan turned out to be the victors that day. It was fast-paced. I found myself looking back and forth so often that watching the match felt like a workout. It was worth the strain.

Next on the schedule was the men's singles final. I was ecstatic when my favorite player on tour, Kei Nishikori, made it through to the finals. I was also excited to see John Isner through. Being one of the tallest players on tour combined with having a godly serve, this was something I surely would be in awe of and I wasn't disappointed.  

Nishikori (left) and Isner (right)

Nishikori mid-serve

Trophy Ceremony

The match was definitely exciting. John Isner pulled the first set, but Nishikori came back to win the next two sets for the match. It was a beautiful day for tennis and I couldn't have asked for a better match-up. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay for the women's final because it was a long drive back home, but I'm planning to stay the entire day next time. In the future I will be going to more tournaments. I have my eyes set on Toronto, the Summer of 2016.

Oh look, it's me!

I recommend that anyone who is a fan of tennis make the trip out to see a tournament. The lower ranking tournaments are very affordable and if you have the extra money, a grand slam is most likely well worth it. Until next time!