THE HARD FACTS ABOUT "FREE" STRINGING {1999}

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

Since this is only my third column for FLORIDA TENNIS, I thought I would keep things on a less technical theme. The physics of stringing and string will come a little later in the series.

A very elementary point that we in the business have to deal with every day is the choice of string when purchasing a racquet. Many customers will consider buying a frame costing $300 or more and then ask the retailer, "Is stringing included?"
Because of competition, "free stringing" has become common, but let's think about this in terms of the real world. There's a joke about Frick the wigit seller. Frack says to him, "How much are your wigits?" Frick says, "$3." "That's awfully cheap", says Frack. "How much do they cost you?" Frick thinks about it for a minute and says, "$5." "How can you make any money?" asks Frack. "No problem, I make it up in volume", says Frick.

The point is everyone in business has to make a profit or they won't be in business. Profit margins on tennis racquets are, on the average, quite low. When someone offers you free stringing, unless he is using a very inexpensive string and is giving his labor away, there will not be enough profit in the sale to pay for the frame and pay his fixed costs (things like rent, telephone, electricity, employee pay, insurance, taxes, licenses, etc.). The best $300 racquet can play worse than a $30 racquet if it's not strung properly. Why invest all that money in a frame, then let someone do a $2 string job? After all, you hit the ball with the STRINGS, not the frame.

The more exotic and costly racquets on the market tend to be geared toward the recreational player. That means the manufacturers are more concerned with greater power and overall maneuverability. A better quality, more comfortable string can make all the difference in your experience with that costly racquet investment. In my store, I take great pains and spare no expense to match the string with the frame for every demo I carry. I want the person who tries it to have the advantage of the qualities the frame manufacturer wants to bring out in that particular model.

Talk to your racquet technician about the best type of string for your new frame and your style of play. Another thing you should avoid is just using the same string in your new frame that you used in the old one, unless of course you are buying another one of the same model. Different racquets have different string requirements for the best play. Just like putting fuel in your new car, your old string may not be the best choice for that new racquet. If you want quality, you have to pay for it, in the stringing as well as the frame.

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