Stringing My First Racquet

I received my Klippermate tennis racquet stringer in the mail and went right to work. It came with 5 sets of string, so that was a great bonus. For my first string job I chose to use Klippermate's synthetic gut. It's easier to handle and cheaper than polyester strings. I expected a few mishaps, so the synthetic string was the perfect string to start with.

To the right you'll see all the racquets I have to string. Seeing as I never strung a racquet previously, I had my work cut out for me, but I was ready to learn.

The stringer came with a handy set of instructions for first time stringers. I didn't have to tackle this beast alone. There are a few things to look out for before stringing a racquet. Here are some things I learned:

• There are two methods (one-piece and two-piece stringing). I read that two-piece is the universal method, so I immediately chose that method
• The number of holes in the throat of the racquet determines where you insert the strings first (top or bottom)
• Be ready to spend at least an 1-2 hours stringing for the first time...

Here's how the stringer looks and the progress I made on the main strings of the racquet. This may look simple, but believe me I messed up a few times and this is the result of an hours work. It was a tad bit more difficult than I had anticipated.

The large metallic cylinder you see there is the weight you use to set the tension of your racquet. You have to clamp the string and then lower that weight so it lays horizontally. I had a few scares where I thought I dropped it too far and my racquet broke. Luckily I finished the thing in one piece.

Along the way I learned a few things to look out for while stringing the racquet. Make sure to increase the tension on the last main and cross strings. They lose tension quickly when you have to tie off the knots that keep the string on. Also, pay attention to the weaving of your cross strings. Up and over!

From afar the racquet looks like a success, but, of course being my first time, I was bound to screw up. If you take a look at the picture on the right you can see I didn't weave the cross string through all the main strings. Looking at it just annoys me. I have since played with the racquet and it seemed fine, but I won't make that same mistake.

Overall, I would say this stringer was well worth the total $200 price tag (includes shipping). I had fun stringing and didn't have to wait a week to get my racquet from someone else. Granted I am in no way good yet, I'm already onto my other racquets. I'd recommend this to anyone seeking a convenient and cost effective approach to stringing your racquets. 

Buy the Klippermate here.