EB said...I wanted to respond to EB and thank him for the kind words-- it's good to know that I'm presenting something interesting; at least to EB.
Can we get a run down on your equipment? Stringing maching, tools, set-up, etc.? Also, maybe a run down on the type of player you are. This is a very interesting blog, glad I came across it.
As for my playing pedigree: I'm 33 years old now and rated at NTRP 4.5-- although I might be closer to 4.0 considering the number of injuries and surgeries I've had the past couple of years that have caused me to gain a lot of weight. However, I'm back in playing condition now and losing the pounds rapidly. I played junior/high school tennis in Southern Arizona. I played two years of College tennis at Western New England in Springfield, MA. I'm USPTA certified and have taught off and on at clubs and independently since I was about 20; though I haven't given formal lessons in almost four years now. I played with the original Prince Spectrum Comp 90 from high school up until about three years ago when my frames became too beat up to continue to use. As for current racquets and string: I posted about that in an earlier blog.
I first began stringing at age 13 on a cheap TR stringer. I mentioned this in a previous blog (but I couldn't remember the model). At around 15, my then high school coach in Wyoming (right before I moved to Arizona) taught me almost everything I have needed to know about stringing on his Ektelon Model H. I believe, but am not certain, that he was USRSA certified. When I moved to Arizona, I "upgraded" to an Eagnas 800. It was actually a pretty reliable machine and I must have strung at least a thousand racquets before the tension pull crapped out about 8-9 years later. I was a member of the USRSA for about five years but never got my certification.
After that, I would use a machine at whatever club I was working at; occasionally I would actually have to pay out of pocket for stringing--a horror that I hope is never again bestowed upon me. As I mentioned previously, I've had a number of injuries the past 3 years and did not get back into stringing until about six months ago. That's when I found an Eagnas Hawk 800 on e-bay on the cheap. Yes, I know it's somewhat on the low end of the totem pole, but there is something to be said about South Korean racquet-machine-ripoff-technology. Actually I'm planning on upgrading to a Gamma 5003 in the near future-- or something a bit nicer if the right used machine comes along.
In essence, I'm by no means an expert authority on all things stringing. But considering I've strung off and on for the past twenty years now and have used about every type of machine, technique and string there is; I do have some useful knowledge to share. I guess I have what you would call a "home" stringing business. It's mainly a means of providing myself and my family with a little extra cash for bills and groceries. I truly do love all things tennis and find that the current stringing industry is pretty much the same as it has been the past twenty years. Other than the very high-end $5000+ stringers, I find most current machines to be no better and perhaps even of inferior quality as they were in the past. As for strings; other than the shift toward poly and hybrids, I don't see any significant advances in actual playability. For me, nothing will ever beat real cow gut string--however, that is a luxury for me.
More than anything, I would like this blog to be a little offbeat and unique. I'm not going to bore anyone with constant technical jargon and copy-and-pasted reviews of the newest, latest-greatest machine or string. You can find excellent tech. info on strinforum.net, grand slam stringers, talk tennis and of course the USRSA site. I make a good part of my living as a freelance writer and combining my love of writing with my interest in stringing seemed like an interesting concept for me to explore. Just so everyone knows, I tend to be on the philosophical and existential side when it comes to my writing, so be prepared for some posts that will be unlike other tennis stringing blogs. I have another blog as well: http://toddcurl.blogspot.com/ Everyone here is welcome to check it out. But some of my posts are of a political nature and I'm sure there is someone that will be offended by my political views--but hey, I'm open minded and this blog is not for politics or anything other than tennis stringing and things related to stringing/tennis. Republicans, Democrats, Fascists, Communists and neo-libertarian-marxist-keynesian-mutants all love a well strung racquet.
Thanks again to everyone who has stopped by and who will stop by and make this the most kick-ass esoteric/existentialist racquet stringing blog on the internet. I also welcome anyone to ask me to post on here any articles or reviews you may have written. Also, if you want me to share a link to something interesting and relevant to this blog, that won't be a problem--just nothing that I would consider a shameless plug for a product: IE: A Prince press release about the new "Fart-reducing Vortex 2.0" --remember the Vortex? (barf)
Personal reviews of any subject-related products are fine.
----I hope that answers some of your questions EB : )
-Todd
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