Hi everyone, I just finished stringing a racket and as it happens sometimes, thoughts about my process go through my mind as I 'm trying to sleep during my afternoon nap. First of all, I would like to make a poll about using one or two clamps when stringing the crosses (involving fixed clamps or flying ones, the question is interesting for both). I , for about quite always since I started to string racquets, use only one clamp during the process of stringing the crosses. It seems that for me it has always been obvious that I reduce more slack using one clamp, because I can see the slight slack when removing the clamp after having set the tension with my dropweight mechanism, slack that I remove by readjusting the bar if necessary. I always thought that using a second clamp, and doing so, not removing the clamp from the last cross already tensioned, would keep the slack and reduce the tension.
if by reducing slack meaning how much the setback gets recovered, you should also realize that the setback is less for 2 clamps so it appears to have less slack. having 2 clamps for the cross is also an insurance, in case the rare occasion when the clamp disengages, there is another one holding the tension.
I'm not so sure, that's why I'm opening this thread. Perhaps with marking the string with a marker, we could see in both case where the mark will go further or not when tensioning with or without the second clamp (the first one on the other cross that is securing the tension in case of dropping accident). It is for sure a more secured way of stringing the crosses (2 clamps), but I still have this doubt about keeping more slack using 2 clamps.
Maybe I'm having a minor stroke here, but how would I be able to do the crosses with one fixed clamp only? You need two clamps to reach both halves of the racket anyways. Or do you mean to remove the first clamp before you engange the second one? And apart from that, I don't see a single reason why it should be in any way beneficial to use once clamp only compared to using two clamps. Just doesn't make any sense. At all.
Perhaps it only makes sense with the use of flying clamps. But I will try to be more specific : removing every single clamp during the crosses stringing process when tension is applied by the tensioner, will it change the tension of the previous crosses, or not ? I mean when a cross string has been tensioned and blocked by the clamp and you do the next one, if you remove this first clamp before clamping the second clamp, it's like doing a double-pull but with the previous cross that has already been tensioned at the right tension, so will this change the tension of these two crosses ? What I do with my crosses stringing process is that everytime I apply tension (constant pull) on the last cross string, I apply it to the previous cross or crosses too, by removing the clamp. So I do a double pull, then a triple pull, then a quadruple pull, etc.
You would need a lot more force to pull the previous strings due to high friction, especially on crosses. I doubt that tensioning a string would affect much further than one string back... You would have the same effect with or without second flying clamp as the clamp will straighten anyways when you apply tension. However I would argue that where it would help having two flying clamps is when you release the tensioner and the last flying clamp skews, the setback will not travel further back by the help of the second clamp. So actually you should have less tension loss with two clamps compared to one in my opinion....
That's exactly why I don't bother using two instead of one. Plus I have noticed that I remove some slight slack by doing so ...
And than you introduce much more slack when the tensioner released and the only clamp skews and go back and you don't have the second clamp to help with it any more...
By the way, loosing tension have much bigger impact as any loss travels back very easily and quickly despite the friction but adding tension can only be done if you apply the same tension or higher and in addition it have to be pulled longer time to have an effect on previous crosses...
I have got an idea how to make you happy . Perhaps you could release all the clamps when you pull the string and than add both back before you release it? That way you would get the best out of both methods? . May be not the fastest way, but don't think you would loose that much time if you do it efficiently...
My view is that it doesn't really matter, as long as you do the same thing every time. Consistency is what matters, so as long as you can string the same racket to the same tension repeatedly, you are doing it right.
It can be done, just not recommended. You can clamp the string near the centre-line of the racket each time, so you're effectively fighting the friction against the grommets - which begs the question whether you are actually getting the tension you set. Can't think of an advantage in doing so, unless you only have access to one clamp.
Fixed clamps will not reach both sides of the frame which is why 2 are used alternating left/right sides. Unless you have a rare machine. I think babolat made one with a single fixed clamp but for tennis.
Ah ok I never thought about that. I never have used fixed clamps I knew flying clamps were more user-friendly, now I know they have others advantages ...