26
Feb
Remember it is not better or worse. Spin Potential ball COF string COF.
A natural gutpoly hybrid strung at 55 pounds will play and have a drastically different string-bed reading than the same racquet strung with the poly in the mains and gut in the crosses at the same tension.
Tennis string main vs cross. This is a question that comes up pretty regularly especially since hybrid stringing has become so popular at all levels of tennis. The simple answer is yes you can absolutely string your mains and crosses at slightly different tensions though I strongly advise against using drastically different tensions. If your heart is set on experimenting with different tensions for mains and crosses.
The effects of M and C tension differences is very easy to determine yourself. Next time you restring string the crosses 2lbs lower youll feel the mains more. Go hit for 10 hours in a stress situation ie matchplay.
Then string the crosses 2lbs lower youll feel the mains less. Then have another 10 hours is a stress situation. The difference in performance and feel from the stringbed will be obvious.
The general rule here is the main strings should be strung tighter than cross strings. The theory here is the size of the sweet spot increases. I dont like the term sweet spot but its commonly used.
For tension variance aim for 2-3lbs and dont go above 5lbs. The main strings or mains are those that run vertically from the throat to the tip of the frame. The number of main strings is always listed first.
The number 18 refers to the number of cross strings. The crosses as they are often called run horizontally across the racquet. Given that the tension material and gauge of each string is the same an open pattern 14 mains and 16 crosses Cross and Lindsey explain will be less stiff than a closed pattern like 18.
About 80 percent of the players at Wimbledon had their cross strings strung 2 to 4 pounds lower than their main strings. However most American players used the same string tension for their mains and crosses. Some players requested that their racquets always be strung the morning of their match.
At my local tennis shop they string the cross string 1kg less tight than the main string because the cross strings are shorter than the main strings and therefore relatively more tight this is what they say and recommend to anyone. This seems however to conflict with your advise. Im a little confused.
Note that I use copoly strings both mc and Im most interested in the least amount of. It is pretty well documented that the main strings are the driving force on play and overall string-bed stiffness. A natural gutpoly hybrid strung at 55 pounds will play and have a drastically different string-bed reading than the same racquet strung with the poly in the mains and gut in the crosses at the same tension.
Remember it is not better or worse. It is just different. One may be the best for one.
Spin Potential ball COF string COF. Spin potential is a measure of the sideways snap-back of the main strings and the grabbiness of the strings to the ball both of which under the proper circumstances add to spin. The number reported here is the ratio of the string-to-ball grabbiness divided by the string-to-string slipperiness string-to-ball coefficient of friction divided by string.
An examination of their strings also revealed more cross strings movement than mains. Typically the crosses are pulled upwards towards 12 oclock. When I pulled the mains aside near the sweetspot most of the crosses there were already notched.
You can see it clearly in the pic below. Youll run into some difficulty removing the knots used to start and finish the cross strings though depending partly on the pattern of your racquet and the kind of starting knot your stringer likes to use. Usually the starting knot uses one of the main strings as an anchor stringwhich means the starting knot is tied around the main string.
Mains vs Crosses About 80 of the playability comes from the mains the strings that go from top to bottom and how they snap backrub against the crosses friction. If you put a polyester in the mains the polyester is doing most of the work. Aka its like youre playing more with the polyester.
Its not a 5050 balance thus why the best of both worlds descriptor isnt technically accurate. To further customize your hybrid selection you can vary the tension between strings. As a general rule main strings should be strung tighter than cross strings.
This is a popular set-up with professional players and is a good way of increasing the size of the sweetspot. Hybrid stringing is a method of using different tennis strings for the main and for the cross strings on a tennis racket. This means that strings of different thickness or different material are used.
The grandfather of the hybrid stringing method is considered to be Roger Federer who started using it a decade ago and made it popular. This monofilament polyester string is a great choice for those looking to maximize spin. With these strings you will be hitting those tennis balls from the baseline with topspin that is only possible with polyester strings.
With that in mind these are better for intermediate players than for beginners who still havent developed their style. If your overall goal is playability then the string with the most desirable playing characteristics should be chosen as the main string. For playability select a thinner gauge as the main string such as 17 or 18 gauge.
For durability select a thicker main string such 15L or 16 gauge. You can mix gauges between mains and crosses. The mains are typically the first to snap so putting a long-lasting string there will increase the longevity of the racquet plus theres still the benefit of good spin production and control.
In particular multifilament tennis strings offer excellent playability and exceptional comfort. If you suffer from tennis elbow or any other arm injury then youll likely appreciate the added comfort they offer. Today there are many multifilament tennis strings on the market and more than a handful of terrific options.
However Wilson NXT.