A colleague and I are squabbling about the 50-50 method of stringing.  We would like to collect the input of the professionals on this board to either support or douse our arguments.  In a nutshell, here are the positions (in random order):

Position A.  One of us believes (when stringing with the 50/50 pattern) it is most prudent to string the crosses middle-up and complete the top half of the racquet first.  Once the top half is complete, you then pick up at mid point and string middle down to finish the job.

Postion B.  The other believes the above mentioned approach is unbalanced and has potential to damage the frame.  Therefore while it is more time consuming, it is imperative that the 50/50 approach to the crosses mirror the mains, only going two ahead and then going to the opposite side to maintain balance.

Both of us have found some support for our positions, but nothing so far has been convincing.  So...what do the members of this board think?  What is your experience?  Let the discussion commence!

Position B.  I charge extra for 50/50.

David

Thanks to all for your input so far!  Allow me to add a bit more context to the discussion.

For the past few months I have been stringing Prince O ports and Speedports using a 50/50 pattern.  Of course this is done with 2 pieces so there are no ugly long runs on the outside of the frame.  (Nor could there be with the O port design.)  The major advantage of using the 50/50 technique on these racquets is that you do not have to use any tools, nor the machine break in order to handle the crosses.  I believe it is better for the machine (not putting all that torque on the break and tension head) and I also believe there is potential for it to lead to a more consistent stringbed as it eliminates the variable of the break slipping or tool not seating properly etcetera.

The question we are now wrestling with is one of efficiency.  Is it safe for the frame to be strung from the middle to the top and then pick up and finish the crosses middle down?  It is clearly much more efficient, but does this approach put any unwanted stresses on the hoop of the frame?  

I have been experimenting on my personal 03 Red (insert evil scientist cackle here!) and have not experienced any issues thus far, even well above the manufacturers recommended tension range.  I am still fiddling with the messiness of the two piece pattern in the top of the frame, but that is another topic for another day.  

So, please share your thoughts on an acceptable approach for using the 50/50 technique on the Prince O/Speedport frames.  I will give Prince a call later in the week and see what the designated geniuses in the corporate headquarters advise.

Just happened to be reading this and even though I have never done one of these jobs, and so to speak, I am a noob at stringing (about 1 year), I wonder and I am just thinking out loud.  The reason, I believe, that you start the mains in the center, is for the even tensioning from center out on both sides, is that correct. Rather than having tension go from, say, right to left or vice versa.
   Why then would the reasoning change?  It seems the reason for the center out to both ends on the crosses is also to distribute the tension, center out.  If you do two or three per side and proceed to the edges on mains, why would you not do the same on crosses.
   ReBob has answered already and I am new, but if you would, this just seems like a classic case of do the same for both, unless I have missed the reasoning for center out.
          Thanks,...

I am gonna try ggtennis' 50-50 on my O3s today.  I am now at a Prince exclusive club and all I do are O3s. They make me want to die! Maybe stringing them 50-50 will make my life easier.  

And if anyone wants to drop off some Wilsons, it will make my day.

Lindsay wrote on May 12^th, 2008, 9:45am:



Alright, so I strung up my O3 Speedport Whites today 50-50 on the crosses, and it was great.  I didn't have my strings pulling at a weird angle, and I think I got a more even stringbed tension.  This method would also be beneficial with gut, because the gut would only go through half the frame before its tied off.  I used "Method B" because I had plenty of time and wanted to see how difficult/confusing it was to keep switching my starting clamp...not that hard.  This is my new method for stringing O3s.  Look out world.

Hi Lindsay - I occasionally use the 50/50 method if the gut is looking a bit dodgy and likely to unravel during the crosses. The 50/50 stringing makes so much sense that I wonder why I do not use it more often. I especially like that the gut in the middle of the stringbed is as fresh as possible.
One drawback of mine is the use of a starting clamp. Over the years I have found that natural gut and starting clamps are not good friends.
There is always a chance of either skinning the gut if too slack or crushing it to death if too tight. This is ok if back at my shop but out at tournaments where I meet gut more often, it is a different story.
Another concern is pulling the first centre cross. It FEELS as if it will break the frame in two! That does not happen of course, but I am toying with maybe using a kind of adjustable "bridge" that could be placed inside the hoop and resist any unwanted inward forces on the frame during tensioning.
Good post everyone, nice to see some technical thinking going on and good luck with the O3's and Speedports! I will be doing lots of them at the DFS pre-Wimbledon tournament soon, including Sharapova, Jankovic etc. Anyone travelling over to the UK can always contact me at a tournament if they want a free coffe and chat about stringing, Liam

Richard_Parnell wrote on May 19^th, 2008, 9:24am:


If the hitting area has moved north it seems to me the ATW should also be falling out of favor on the tour since it is apt to leave the crosses in the hitting area looser than say stringing bottom to top.