"BE PREPARED" {1999}

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

A GOOD MOTTO FOR TOURNAMENT PLAYERS, AS WELL AS SCOUTS

We recently returned from the Easter Bowl where we strung 621 racquets in 9 days. The pace was grueling, but what occurred to me was the fact that only a handful of the top juniors in the U.S. had taken the time to prepare their equipment for the tournament. This never fails to amaze me, because these same players travel all over the country, and some travel the world. I thought it would be helpful to anyone playing in tournaments whether in another county, or another country, to have time spent away from home less stressful.

1. Racquets -- Have enough. If you are going to participate in a tournament you will be defaulted if you break a string and don't have another racquet to play with. If you are a string breaker, you probably know how long it takes to break your strings. Do the math; make sure you have enough racquets to get through at least half of the draw. I have seen juniors go to the Easter Bowl with two racquets. That's madness. Assume you are going to win and have an appropriate number of frames to do the job.

2. Stringing -- Don't assume you can get all 6 or 8 of your frames done overnight at the tournament. You may be disappointed. The stringers may have 100 racquets backed up. Have your racquets strung the way you like ahead of time. That way, you may get to the semis or finals before needing to worry about stringing. I have observed that the players who make it past the quarters are those who came best prepared. It will also save you from worrying about whether the stringing will be to your liking.

3. String -- Make sure you have enough to get you through. Many players who break strings bring their own supply with them. That way they don't have to worry about playing with something different if their favorite is not available.

4. Stringing information -- Know what kind of equipment and technique is normally used. Our experience is that players don't know the crucial information that will assure stringing results consistent with what they are used to. Talk to the person who strings your racquets. Find out what kind of machine is used and whether they make any adjustments in tension to compensate for machine differences. Find out what type of calibrator they use (spring or digital). Do they normally pre-stretch the string? Do they use any special technique (around the world, 2-piece, etc.)? Write this all down and take it with you. Show it to the tournament stringer, so he or she can replicate what you like. Have the stringers do one frame for you early in the tournament. You can make adjustments on subsequent frames if necessary. This information may also be helpful to those moving from one geographical area to another. It will help your new stringer give you what you like the first time. Keep in mind, someone who has never strung your racquet cannot possibly know what your previous stringer did unless you tell him.

5. Accessories -- Assure your grips and over-grips will be serviceable for the entire tournament, or bring your favorites with you. The stringing concession may not have what you like. They will be happy to install your own, but expect to pay for the service. No one should be expected to work free, especially in a high volume, tournament situation. Have sufficient quantities of items like string dampers, string protectors, wristbands, socks, etc.

Make your experience hassle free; live by the Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared." It may save you "tension" headaches.

Copyright 1999 (Previously published in FLORIDA TENNIS - June 1999)
Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT
Owner, String Along With Vince