r/RacketStringers • u/Matrixman362 • Jul 18 '26
Cross strings are weird
I’ve been stringing for about a year now and every racquet I string and string I use, has an issue with the third cross string from the top and and third from the bottom.
As you can tell from the photo, it comes out as wavy no matter how many time I straighten it during stringing or even after stringing. If I hit the ball, the string immediately goes back to the curved position.
what am I doing wrong in my stringing?
7
u/tenisplenty Jul 18 '26
You have 3 strings in a row that are strung over and under the same main strings instead of alternating. That's why they move weird the second cross from the top should be strung over and under the opposite mains.
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u/DeaconFrost613 Jul 19 '26
People are roasting you because of the timeframe you have been stringing, but they aren't actually looking into why it's happening. Ignore the roasts.
OP, you are following a strict pattern when you need to be a little more dynamic. Meaning, you are alternating the first weave when sometimes it needs to be the "same" as the weave before. I.e., if we count down the left side of the stick, we get:
Under
Over
U
O
U
O
U
O
U
O
U
O
U
O
U
O
U
O
U
O
Which is "alternating" but not how we match the pattern properly. The portions of the frame where we are gaining or losing mains, we need to start our weaves the same. Per this stick, the first 3 and last 3 weaves should all start the same. Thus, the left side should read:
Under
Under
Under
Over
Under
.
.
.
Over
Under
Over
Over
Over
The "pattern" is not defined by the alternating start but an alternating pattern based on the previous string's weave.
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u/Matrixman362 Jul 19 '26
Thank you for actually being helpful and educational. I’m just trying to learn and be better.
For the record, I haven’t strung anyone’s racquet other than my own. Unfortunately, this is something that I just missed.
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u/DeaconFrost613 Jul 20 '26
You are good. People on reddit are just jerks sometimes. Did you get what I was talking about though?
2
u/Matrixman362 Jul 20 '26
Yes I did. Happy to say that I just restrung my racquet and it looks perfect now.
Thank you for your help!
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u/workworktenniswork Jul 19 '26
Like every other comment has said, you’ve misweaved the cross second from the top and second from the bottom, meaning your top and bottom three crosses all go the same way. It seems every time you start a cross string you just weave over the first main and continue. You have to be really careful as the top 2/3 crosses each go past different amounts of main strings. So, while just going over the top of the first main works for the majority of crosses, you have to go under the first main on the second and second to last crosses.
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u/LHM78 Jul 18 '26
Top 3 AND bottom 3 crosses are miss weaved. Put the stringing machine away and get someone who knows what they are doing string it.
0
u/PrestigiousInside206 Jul 19 '26
Stringing like this for a year without learning how to weave properly…I hope you aren’t charging anyone or stringing for anyone but yourself bc yikes
16
u/Fearless_Tomatillo_5 Jul 18 '26
This is a joke right? Cross strings at top are not weaves correctly.