I strung 1000 tennis rackets and learned this...

[@ludwigslughole9403]

Hey, welcome back!! I'm a stringer although I don't do it now other than as a club stringer where I play and for myself. I've done it for 30 years and have strung a lot of rackets. All of your tips are sound. Other things that inexperienced stringers should learn are simple ones like weave one ahead on the crosses, so the weave is easy instead of hard - but only one ahead! If you get overly excited and weave loads ahead thinking it will save you time, the strings get kinked, so you are weakening them. It also reduces friction on the string so when pulled the tension is true. Also, avoid starting knots because they put undue tension on both the knot and anchor string. Use a starting clamp and tie off the top cross as a finishing knot instead. Personally I use a Parnell knot for all tie offs. If stringing with poly, flatten the tail gently against the frame, so it's not sharp - poly when cut can easily jab the fingers! Final thing I would say, if you want to be a serious stringer and do it for the public and make money from it, get properly qualified and accredited with the USRSA in the US or UKRSA here in the UK. MRT qualification is really only needed if you have ambitions to do tournament stringing.

[@EvokeTennis]

Solid words from a veteran stringer! Stringing has an almost infinite depth - you can keep on getting more and more detailed the more experienced you get. Keep learning, keep improving. Thanks for chiming in here.

[@TheTennisDaddy]

Hi mate, any tips for losing the least amount of tension when tying off that top cross that has the starting clamp? I think I’m doing ok but I’m wondering if I’m losing much tension.

[@ludwigslughole9403]

@@TheTennisDaddy It depends what sort of machine you are using....if you are using an electronic machine, it will have a setting called pre-tension (or pre-stretch) that usually adds 10% (some machines this can be adjusted +/- 5%) tension to the final string. If you're stringing on a manual machine, just over tension the final string by a few pounds. Benefit again of using a starting clamp rather than tying a knot before starting your crosses is that you can correctly tension that string as the last step of the job before you tie it off. Adding the additional tension on the tie-off strings allows for that inevitable slippage as you release the clamps after tying off. Hope that helps!

[@TheTennisDaddy]

@@ludwigslughole9403 thanks mate, I have a crank machine so I might try adding a a couple pounds as you mentioned with the starting clamp. Last few restrings I’ve just tied a knot and pulled the first string, seems to work fine, I’m at 46lbs so it’s not pulling the knot inside the grommet or anything that looks bad. Any downsides to doing this method?

[@TheJabroniStringer]

@@TheTennisDaddy Add 10% when you retension to take off your starting clamp?

[@JACKTOTTER]

I have not strung up 1000 racquets how ever I have found that stringing my racquets with separate mains and crosses keeps the tension better and hitting feels much better.

[@a2casius]

Man !!! It's so great to see you back on the channel. Really missed your inputs :))

[@EvokeTennis]

thanks man, glad to be back!

[@hobbyfuntennis6287]

Glad to see you again. I missed you and your great content.

[@EvokeTennis]

ah thanks man, glad to be back

[@jonathanchen1026]

2:53 my tip for you here is to just push that outside string back in, and then you can just pull the string with knot out or just cut off the knot after it’s pushed out (towards inside of frame) of the grommet.

[@EvokeTennis]

sort of see what you are saying, but can you do that way with a soft multi or only with a stiff poly? Thanks for the tip

[@yutaegil4944]

Totally agree with you

[@scissorsharp9032]

Currently on about my 10th restring so very new to the game. It takes me about an hour an half atm to string, including some of the fafing around to find the middle but it’s improving rapidly. It’s actually very therapeutic I find, and that feeling after your done, it looks awesome, feels awesome but it’s terribly addictive to the point that after a shit match, you wanna cut them strings out and do it again😂 Latest string I put it was a hybrid, Rpm team (black) in the mains, head velocity mlt (yellow) 52lbs into my blade 98 ltd edition, it was just an experiment but because of the colour of the racket, the string bed looks illuminated , cool as hell, many compliments at the club 😂 but sadly it’s a little overpowered for myself, volleys and backhand feel amazing but forehands and serves just fly. Great video and Will definitely take note on your tips, happy stringing 👍

[@ACTennis]

My man, didn't realize you posted - you were a big inspiration to me making videos, hope to see more

[@EvokeTennis]

Appreciate it man, more to come! Hope all is well over there in paradise and you're healthy

[@TennCom]

He’s back!

[@Waceman]

You both have cool channels. Got room for one more! ☝️😁

[@EvokeTennis]

back from the dead!

[@dragoonjk]

Love the passion. Am a long time stringer and besides your advice on focus and attitude there is very little actionable tips here for the average stringer.

[@calumhezseltine1943]

Good to see you back!!!

[@EvokeTennis]

thanks for having me!

[@randymorehouse3756]

Thanks for the measure tip. If your room is big enough you can go around a hand rail or door handle, walk it out till the ends meet then slid back and cut the midd point. Try using toe nail cllipers to cut your strings. I like them way better.

[@nothrath]

welcome back man, so glad to see a new video!

[@sablefang4330]

Saw you play in Trash Bin’s video, and I must say, your game looks way better than a year ago. You hit very cleanly with lots of pace, especially on the serve. Nice slice backhand as always 😁. Glad to see you back.

[@EvokeTennis]

Wow thanks, I thought it was looking pretty rough but hey if you want to get the win it doesn't have to look good right!?? I do feel like I've gained a bit of overall control recently, able to go flatter when needed and brush when needed, where I used to just be all brushy top. Thanks for the tip!

[@lauraulrich2837]

Great video, super helpful, thank you heaps! Especially agree with and love the focus tip!!

[@jorgeandrescoppiano]

So good to see a new video of yours

[@EvokeTennis]

Thanks for watching!

[@gkinghsmith9352]

I really love tennis. I think part of it has to do with stringing my own racquets and doing my own customization. Just now I took a new racquet and measured the balance point with it's twin and guess what? 1/2" difference. So more mods coming to those sticks. Anyway on stringing I can't stress enough the tip about getting ready. Getting ready to make the 1st cut. Yes it has to be in the right place, but what are you going to do with the remaining? Some strings will stay coiled while others-mostly shaped and god forbid twisted strings-will unwind in an un-ruley way that you'll never get sorted. So just be prepared in all aspects. The other point I don't think you covered was Straightening the crosses. Every customer will judge a string job by how straight the crosses are, my technique is to push them all the way up prior to tensioning and then straighten after tension. This makes my job longer but I have almost 0 time afterwards trying to make it look "right".

[@davelee6002]

Woot! you're back!

[@EvokeTennis]

Thanks Dave

[@kytriesstuff]

Welcome back man!

[@EvokeTennis]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

[@allyfrondigoun7472]

Awesome, great to see videos again 👍🎾

[@EvokeTennis]

Ally, hope the stringing is going well over there

[@allyfrondigoun7472]

@@EvokeTennis thanks dude, things are ticking a long and thank you again for your help 👍👌

[@tommyshoe-star1426]

One of the key for crosses is also try to keep the ending next to you so you don´t have to search for the start/end of the string all the time, saves a lot of time

[@EvokeTennis]

Good call, always keep the end in your off hand. Thinking about doing a tips video just for the crosses an this will be in there

[@SuperTwohands]

I just finished my E-Master Stringing Certification through ERSA. I'm happy to see someone who is passionate about tennis stringing, as much as myself. Your tips are excellent. Keep up the great work!!!

[@lyndseyandandrew5771]

Really glad this exists! I just started stringing a couple months ago and am in the two hour per job camp :). Apologies if you've already addressed this, but can you recommend any good tutorials for that cross stringing technique with your fingers? I can kind of do it but struggle especially near the throat of the racket. I like the idea of moving fast but tend to lose the string. Anything you could point me to, or describe the feeling you have when weaving those crosses, would be incredibly helpful. Thank you!

[@scissorsharp9032]

I’m in the same boat as you… then bottom crosses are awkward but I find that keeping as little string as possible easier, so just enough to weave 3 or 4, pull some more through and do the rest, obviously trying to work as diagonally as possible still.(start from as close to the last string as you can to maximize the space you have) Polyesters can be a nightmare, multifilaments are 100x easier but it’s really about what you like to play.

[@lyndseyandandrew5771]

@@scissorsharp9032 thank you, that's helpful!

[@damiencoffey2391]

I would dread stringing on that old Neos machine!

[@TheCodeOfChrist]

my biggest problem is knowing how tight my clamps should be. Its a hard balance between too tight and denting the strings and too loose and having them slip through. I just bought a starting clamp which I am about to use will that be a big help?

[@milksdrawkcab]

Great video! Just started stringing recently with a drop weight. Can you do a tie-off tutorial video?

[@EvokeTennis]

glad it helped, congrats on the stringer. Well it might take me a minute to get a vid on that but watch Mark sansait tutorial he shows it pretty simple to understand. I wouldn't obsess too much over which knots because there are many, but I think the simplest starting knot is the Parnell. Just hand tighten them

[@craigleon8323]

@@EvokeTennis Nice comment. When I was beginning, I stressed too much over the last stretch pull and the knot. That was a waste of time, and led the first two times to breaking the string.

[@mitchcase895]

@@EvokeTennis great looking video. Just wanted to clarify that the Parnell knot is a finishing not, not a starting knot - it is designed to close up from the tail side of the string. Also, most pro stringers recommend using a starting clamp for crosses.

[@canadiantennispro]

i just do 20 feet on the 16x19 mains by 17 feet on the crosses , 21 feet on the 18x20's and 17.5 to 18 on the crosses ...nothing worse than when it wont reach the tension head !

[@iuliangraniceru258]

I will give you a tip. Haw we put the racket on string machine ! Have to be with the logo from the bottom in a normal way not up side dawns. Specifically on babolat rackets.

[@evanoconnor9769]

I don’t know if it’s just me but I don’t pre weave my mains I just do it one at a time switching sides once I get to a multiple of three until the tie off for most racquets its 3,6,8 tie off

[@jugheadfla]

hoping this is not a dream, and you are back for good Rob!

[@EvokeTennis]

It's good to be back, was on a social media blackout! Thanks for the welcome

[@david1528]

How many crosses do you weave before pulling tension?

[@TheJabroniStringer]

1 ahead is usually good, weaving more you will have a hard weave, more friction while weaving.

[@Desslok20]

How do you know WHERE to tie the knots?

[@christianteves809]

It’s been a year!!

[@EvokeTennis]

yeahhh sorry bout that, trying to clean up my game here!

[@HiFiMods]

What I learned from stringing my own racquets is that all strings have a different weight to them, even the guage/thickness of the same string matters. This may throw off the balance of the racquet, make it head light/heavy just from a string. When I've cut strings out, I would weight them and thus far a full be of a 98 sq in 16x19 racquet could range from 12 grams to 20 grams. Even 4 grams of a difference matters. Couldn't figure out why the Yonex strings never quite worked for me, they were on the heavier side. Sticking to Babolat... RPM Rough is my go to ;)

[@kevinle5460]

HE BACK

[@luigimahfoud6470]

Hello, thank you for the video. I currently string with a Klippermate stringing machine but I want to move to a crank machine. Which affordable one can you recommend ? Thank you :)

[@EvokeTennis]

Can't go wrong with a used Neos 1000. They are around you just have to look and be patient. Solid machine used around the world and holds value. Depends on your budget though. You can also look at a Progression with a crank head which isn't as pricey.

[@ismaro14]

you use 3,5-4 lenghts for mains or crosses?

[@dblbogy397]

Consensus is that a newly strung racket will lose 10% of its tension the night after being strung. Is this accurate?

[@Spellcheekswammablamma]

When did you change to Evoke? Not that it’s bad. I actually like it! And do you have new Shirts??

[@EvokeTennis]

Been in the making, over the past couple years we turned into a full blown stringing shop, so a refocus was in order. Of course vacation is still weaved into the story. Still a work in progress, when some new stuff comes in would love to get something out to ya!

[@bryceduncan7484]

LETS GO new vids

[@EvokeTennis]

what do you want more string reviews or mediocre highlights??

[@jugheadfla]

@@EvokeTennis all of the above

[@markbrodeur1707]

I'm a stringer that learned the craft from Warren Bosworth........."The Wizard of BOZ" back in the late 1970's. He never let us pre-weave more than one string but that was back in the natural guts days. Loved your video. I have a question for you and all of your followers. When starting the cross strings, sometimes when I use an 18 or 19-gauge string, the start knot will slowly sink inside the grommet even if I pre-tighten the knot with pliers before machine pulling the first cross string. It scares the beejeezus outta me. This is a fairly new development with more people opting for super thin polys to reduce arm issues. Thoughts?

[@EvokeTennis]

I see this too on worn out grommets, You can use a more bulky knot, or one trick is to just do a 3rd half hitch if it's sinking too far. I will have to look up BOZ, thanks for the shout!

[@erichoepfner1448]

I work at a tennis store in ATL and i had this problem with two piece racquets. My manager showed me a trick by pre weaving the first three crosses at the head of the racquet. Once you tie your knots at the head of the racquet, pull the second cross with tension which will allow the first cross to be tight as well as the knots to rest on the grommets. It doesnt cave in nor does the crosses lose tension. Hopefully this helps!

[@TheJabroniStringer]

Use a starting clamp and use a finishing knot instead of a starting knot? I think Stepanek played with Bosworth rackets, I saw him playing with them in San Jose.

[@VincentDuxD]

Tbh, it’s a meditation for me, especially the cross, also, nice to see another crank machine, I love em to death, wife and neighbors might not xD

[@EvokeTennis]

Nothing like being able to feel the pull and stretch, much more connected experience. Like a manual car vs auto

[@Waceman]

This is the one tennis channel I marked for notifications! Love the filming and setting. Nice tips. Except, no long tails. It's ugly man 🤣

[@EvokeTennis]

so many rackets coming in and tails pulled through - that's ugly! On a slick multi I leave a 16th more, but on a poly they kink down pretty good and leave them shorter

[@Jakub_G_Tennis]

@@EvokeTennis Yes agreed, and I also think it prevents gromet damage

[@david1528]

Would you consider posting a step by step "beginner" lesson?

[@edgardojr]

I don’t know what the hell I just watched. Way too many words to explain simple things.

[@roypeterka]

Why pre-weave mains? Doesn’t save time.

[@einarjuel]

Use a one-string pattern mate

[@siegfriedhirth5424]

26.000 and more visit ????????😅

[@TimTheMusicMan]

Thats the problem with tennis, there should not be an advantage, it should be equal to everyone, then the player with the imbedded talent will rise, you don't want technology to give advantages to one and not the other.

[@EvokeTennis]

Yeah but the player with imbedded talent could have a training advantage/resources over the other player? You could say that for any sport from pro marathon running to Formula 1 racing. Even a minimalist sport like pro marathon running still has shoes and gear, nutrition, training. For me strings provide more confidence in my game, but by themselves can't guarantee anything.

[@nellynelson965]

Thats not how you unravel string. Your already starting with a mess

[@Cesarini77]

Tip #1: stay away from crank machines.

[@EvokeTennis]

tip 1 your first machine must cost at least $8k

[@Cesarini77]

@@EvokeTennis Not really, bro. It can be a drop weight machine. It has a natural constant pull. 😉

[@Cesarini77]

@Alan Kakinami Exactly my point. Dropweight with fixed clamps, 6 point mount and then adapt the electric head with constant pull. Less than 1K and it works beautifully.

[@andrewchudow9418]

1000 rackets and you use a starting knot? comical....need to go to the next level

[@turnerburner]

what do you mean?

[@SS-qf2po]

The most important cross to check is the VERY FIRST ONE... if that one is perfectly weaved... ALlternating up and down... Then you're good to go on all the others... But u gotta stop and mentally/ visually check that first cross.