Tips on weaving

[Gupvis]

Hi guys,

I bought a second hand dropweight machine some months ago and did 10 rackets so far. Speed went up from 2h+ to 1h-1h15. Most progress was made using the soft weaving instead of the hard weaving and of course knowing the next step instead of checking the videos again.
But still having some troubles with the weaving, it goes quite smooth until 2/3th of the length for each pull, then it slips from my fingers due to friction of the string or it just slips. Often I have to pull some string through and can finish in a second go.

Therefore I was interested in how you do the details, watched a lot of youtube but didnt find a detailed instruction only people who where really fast
-how to hold your hands? Parallel/perpendicular/something different?
-which fingers to use (both indexfingers or do you do something else?)
-how to hold the piece of string between the fingers (and how much string)?
-which movement do your fingers / hands make?
-how much string should be pulled through the grommet before weaving?

Regards!

 

[endFX]

It's natural that the friction gets higher with every string you cross.
It's ok to do 2/3rd then pull through some string and finish the last 1/3rd.

Tips to do it in one go:
#1 Hold the string tighter. (Obviously)
#2 Pull enough slack string through the frame before weaving, especially on shared holes.
#3 don't hold the string to close or to far from the end. Try experimenting what is comfortable
#4 maybe try weaving diagonally instead of straight, it works for some.

 

[thyrif]

It's normal to take some time to get to a routine that works well for you. Keep being inquisitive, and have fun doing it. You're already doing well!

The tips above by @endFX are great!

I also sometimes need a quick pull for more slack on a cross, especially on stickier strings or high tensions. Nothing to worry about.

Other things that take time when you start out: shared grommets and knots (see Kakinamis videos), and perhaps working the dropweight efficiently (see my video below).

Here's a video of me on a dropweight, maybe you can spot some things that may help you:
https://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/index.php?threads/stringing-video-ax77-with-ab.189306/

Keep at it, good luck! You can also post a video if you would like more feedback from the forum members

 

[ah_lim]

It's natural that the friction gets higher with every string you cross.
It's ok to do 2/3rd then pull through some string and finish the last 1/3rd.

Tips to do it in one go:
#1 Hold the string tighter. (Obviously)
#2 Pull enough slack string through the frame before weaving, especially on shared holes.
#3 don't hold the string to close or to far from the end. Try experimenting what is comfortable
#4 maybe try weaving diagonally instead of straight, it works for some.

Great tips @endFX, thanks. I am a beginner stringer too. 1.5 hours to do a yonex 4 knots.

A quick question on #2. Would you recommend pulling all the string through starting grommet first before start weaving (leaving no slack before starting grommet) OR just pulling enough slack to get to opposite end grommet (leaving some slacks before starting grommet)? I am inclined on former for neatness reason although it does feel slower.

 

[thyrif]

Great tips @endFX, thanks. I am a beginner stringer too. 1.5 hours to do a yonex 4 knots.

A quick question on #2. Would you recommend pulling all the string through starting grommet first before start weaving (leaving no slack before starting grommet) OR just pulling enough slack to get to opposite end grommet (leaving some slacks before starting grommet)? I am inclined on former for neatness reason although it does feel slower.

I grab 'enough'. Except for some really tricky strings that are twisting a lot, like Aerobite Boost, then I'll grab most of it. (But soft weave, so need to keep enough to reach the dropeight)

 

[Gupvis]

Thanks guys!

@endFX
Regarding your #3, any advice on how much this is for you? More like 0.5cm or should you go above 1 cm or so?
#4, you mean weaving towards the top of you racket and then back? I tried that but the moment I want to go down back to the grommet it slips, any advice on this or is this normal?

@thyrif
Nice movie! I have a machine with only flying clamps, which will definitely not as fast as you with your fixed clamps. Still messing around with the starting of the mains a bit, I used the way it was done at the stringway website but also found a movie of Kwun at youtube, did the one of Kwun only once yet.
Why do you pre-weave the main strings? Is this faster, does this hold tension better?
Also nice to see how you use the dropweight, you move the string holder while holding the weight, I am moving the weight up while holding the stringholder and down while releasing the stringholder. It looks like your technique is faster.
You arent starting at the first cross but at the third, is there a specific reason for this? Besides the less pulling through you mention in the thread of the movie? Also you go with the know of the crosses downwards instead of to the top of the racket, is this for having more space to make the knot? Or is there another reason?
I see you have during the weaving the hand which is at the side of the shaft of the racket on top, so you switch every cross string. I think I am not doing this but can speed up doing this, because sometimes it feels unnatural what I am doing, probably it is this (however not sure, never realised/focussed on).

Also jealous on how fast you guys do the knots, but this is of course just practice. Currently I use the one of this movie:
But it is interesting to see that another one is used in the movie of the German open 2022, while both being Yonex stringing team members.
Is there a better/worse one or is one easier to perform?

 

[endFX]

I grab 'enough'. Except for some really tricky strings that are twisting a lot, like Aerobite Boost, then I'll grab most of it. (But soft weave, so need to keep enough to reach the dropeight)

I agree. No need to pull all the string unless it's twisting like crazy.

Regarding your #3, any advice on how much this is for you? More like 0.5cm or should you go above 1 cm or so?
#4, you mean weaving towards the top of you racket and then back? I tried that but the moment I want to go down back to the grommet it slips, any advice on this or is this normal?

About 0,5 cm seems right.
Try different length and see what feels comfortable.

Yes the turning point is the tricky part.
You can also try to start the weave as high as possible and then only go down.

In the end it all boils down to doing it over and over again until you get the hang of it.

If you're machine is a bit greasy/oiled you may need to wipe it off or clean your fingers in between pulling and weaving.

 

[thyrif]

Nice movie! I have a machine with only flying clamps, which will definitely not as fast as you with your fixed clamps. Still messing around with the starting of the mains a bit, I used the way it was done at the stringway website but also found a movie of Kwun at youtube, did the one of Kwun only once yet.

Yeah, it' s harder to start with flying clamps, but the principle remains the same: pull both strings and clamp them near the top of the frame, then continue as normal. I'm guessing the flying clamp version also needs a pull with both strings to be able to place a clamp at the bottom of those two strings again? Otherwise, it shouldn't be much slower.

Why do you pre-weave the main strings? Is this faster, does this hold tension better?

I don't like having loose strings hanging all around, I think it saves a tiny amount of time not fishing for the end, but that's not the main goal.

Also nice to see how you use the dropweight, you move the string holder while holding the weight, I am moving the weight up while holding the stringholder and down while releasing the stringholder. It looks like your technique is faster.

Yeah, I like doing it this way, it's a lot faster! But it's just as easy to 'overshoot' it as it is with putting the weight up and letting that drop. After a while you get pretty precise and it's just better all around. Be careful, start slow, don't over do it and use the senses in your hand.

You arent starting at the first cross but at the third, is there a specific reason for this? Besides the less pulling through you mention in the thread of the movie? Also you go with the know of the crosses downwards instead of to the top of the racket, is this for having more space to make the knot? Or is there another reason?

Yeah, this is just an easier way to skip pulling through too much in the trickier grommets. Also, I know to start over or under because I always start just below the lowest share grommet (either 3rd or 4th cross), and know how I will end up for the middle section. I like to do the middle section starting under and ending up over on every cross. It's just an overall process improvement with little things, you'll find more of these as you learn.

I see you have during the weaving the hand which is at the side of the shaft of the racket on top, so you switch every cross string. I think I am not doing this but can speed up doing this, because sometimes it feels unnatural what I am doing, probably it is this (however not sure, never realised/focussed on).

Yeah, I switch every cross, otherwise the clamps are in the way of one hand. Perhaps it's the other way around with flying clamps?

Also jealous on how fast you guys do the knots, but this is of course just practice. Currently I use the one of this movie:
But it is interesting to see that another one is used in the movie of the German open 2022, while both being Yonex stringing team members.
Is there a better/worse one or is one easier to perform?

Again, practice! I do a Parnell, but would like to try the Gudgeon (?) knot that Kakinami promotes. I find it hard to learn those from video's, much rather have some schematics

Good luck!

 

[Gupvis]

Yeah, I like doing it this way, it's a lot faster! But it's just as easy to 'overshoot' it as it is with putting the weight up and letting that drop. After a while you get pretty precise and it's just better all around. Be careful, start slow, don't over do it and use the senses in your hand

Nice, I will definitely do this next racket!

Again, practice! I do a Parnell, but would like to try the Gudgeon (?) knot that Kakinami promotes. I find it hard to learn those from video's, much rather have some schematics

So many different knots. I saw full threads on knots, interesting.

 

[Gupvis]

Yeah, I like doing it this way, it's a lot faster! But it's just as easy to 'overshoot' it as it is with putting the weight up and letting that drop. After a while you get pretty precise and it's just better all around. Be careful, start slow, don't over do it and use the senses in your hand.

Tried this last week on 2 rackets, I think it saved me like 10 minutes
Hoping to go under an hour before the end of the year.

Regarding the weaving, all strings are different, but is there a tendency like for example thinner strings are easier to weave?

 

[thyrif]

Tried this last week on 2 rackets, I think it saved me like 10 minutes
Hoping to go under an hour before the end of the year.

Regarding the weaving, all strings are different, but is there a tendency like for example thinner strings are easier to weave?

You'll probably get to around an hour within 10 jobs or so. Then the progress is slower. Remember: slow is smooth, smooth is fast!

In my opinion all strings are different. I did a bg65 at 9kg in 21 minutes, but bg80 is fastest at 11kg. Of course, shared grommets get trickier from 12kg up, that can slow you down.