Frequently Asked Questions
Check back often for updated FAQs
How often should I restring my racquet? I've written an extensive answer to this question here. In short, for recreational players the saying "If you play twice a week restring twice per year" is generally good advice. For players who are more involved in league play, I recommend restringing your racquet at the start of each league season. Year round players who are on the court 3-5 times per week should have their racquets restrung at least four times per year or more depending on the player's type of play, model of racquet, and string in order to maintain optimal performance and manage health.
What is your typical turnaround time? I can routinely have your racquet back to you within 24-72 hours, depending on backlog and time of year.
But I need my racquet back fast! Do not hesitate to let me know if you have an urgent stringing need. With just a little coordination, I can have your racquet completed same day, overnight, or while you wait at no extra charge.
Where is your shop located? I service all racquets in my home workshop in the Gambrills/Odenton (MD) area.
What type of stringing machine do you use? I use a state of the art 2019 Alpha Ghost 2 professional stringing machine. It has a solid aluminum turntable, diamond dusted swivel clamps, and six-point mounting system to ensure your racquet maintains its shape and condition while stringing. The tension head is regularly calibrated using a digital precision calibrator. Every stringbed is tested using an ERT-300 dynamic tension meter before the racquet leaves the shop.
I found an old racquet in my garage. Is it worth restringing? In most cases, yes! I will evaluate the racquet with you to determine its fitness for restring - no charge. In most cases deteriorated grommets will be the biggest issue. These are what protect the string as it weaves in and out of the frame. If the racquet is in good shape, it can be restrung with a quality nylon string for as little as $22.
My strings are starting to fray. Should I be worried? No. It is normal for multifilament strings to fray, especially if you play with lots of topspin. Moderate fraying has minimal impact on racquet performance. Excessive fraying, especially when concentrated in the racquet’s sweet spot, should be addressed immediately.
What is a hybrid string setup? A hybrid setup uses two different types of string: one in the mains and one in the crosses. The type of string we use depends on the needs of the player. A popular hybrid setup consists of polyester strings in the mains (for spin) and multifilament, solid core, or natural gut in the crosses (for comfort). These same strings can be installed in reverse to provide the player with access to power but with a more firm stringbed. There are indeed tradeoffs associated with hybrid setups, so be sure to discuss the options with your stringer before committing.
Do you charge the same to string a hybrid setup? Yes, just divide the cost of each string you choose in half on the Pricing page. If you are providing your own string, the cost to install is still just $17.
My racquet has the original strings from when I bought it. How do I know what type of string to have you install? I will probably write a future blog post on this topic, but in short, for most recreational players I recommend starting with an affordable solid core string like Gosen OG Sheep Micro, or a multifilament like Wilson Sensation, both strung at mid-tension. For players who feel they are edging closer to intermediate level, I still recommend these two strings over polyester, but strung at higher tension. More advanced players usually purchase racquets that come unstrung.
But I want polyester string! No worries. For those making the leap from multifilament to copoly, my go to recommendations are Tecnifibre Ice Code, Volkl Cyclone Tour, or Head Lynx tensioned near the lowest recommended tension for your racquet. These are among the most elastic colpoly strings on the market today.
Do you string racquetball racquets? Absolutely! You'll notice I do charge more to restring racquetball racquets. The reason is pretty simple: racquetball racquets are notoriously time consuming to restring. The process to restring nearly all tennis racquets is the same: mains from inside out, crosses from top down. For racquetball racquets, there is a different sequence to install the string for just about every make and model. To make matters worse, while the string pattern library for tennis racquets is very robust, published string patterns for racquetball racquets is are not always correct, especially for racquets purchased at big box sporting good retailers. In these cases, it takes some trial and error, as well as a call to the racquet manufacturer, to get right. However rest assured, your racquetball racquet will be restrung at the highest, professional level of quality.
Do you string badminton racquets? Yes, and similar to racquetball racquets you will notice a slight price increase over restringing tennis racquets. This is because restringing a badminton racquet requires changing out hardware on the stringing machine, and as the spaces between strings on a badminton racquet are so small, it takes more time to weave the cross strings.