Showing posts with label spaghetti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spaghetti. Show all posts

Tuesday, 9 September 2014

Modern "Faux" Spaghetti Pattern?

Recently, I grew tired of stringing for no particular reason. It just happened.

Could it be from doing too many conventional stringjobs lately? Stifled, suppressed and deprived of letting my creative juices flow?


So, I flipped open my infamous black book. Like one with forbidden spells, that's where my to-do list of esoteric stringing patterns were recorded.


I thought the modern "faux" spaghetti pattern (link) was due. It has been postponed long enough. Moreover, I was feeling lazy, so NO WEAVING sounded attractive!




Expecting the stringbed to play looser without weaving, I strung it up 20% tighter than normal. As usual, that meant exceeding the racket's recommended tension range.

Surprisingly, even without weaving any crosses, I only managed to shave about 5 minutes from my normal stringing time! (I wasn't speeding, neither taking my time, sort of just cruising along.)





Playtest:

- Since the strings were not inter-woven, every shot created a buzzing sound from strings vibrations.
- On both sides of the stringbed, flat shots felt exactly the same as a regularly strung racket. Despite unwoven, I was very surprised how tight it felt.
- However, any kind of shots that incorporated even the slightest sidewards swipe, whether for topspin, backspin or sidespin, played vastly different.
- On the side of the stringbed with main strings, topspin shots were impressive! However, attempts at other spins were disastrous as the ball simply skidded off or bounced at unimaginable angles.
- On the side with cross strings, topspin attempts completely failed. The ball skidded off the strings. Sidespin shots, such as inside-outs, were executed beautifully.
- Ocassionally, even when the right kind of spin was hit with the correct side of the strings, there was still an odd reaction from the stringbed. Odd in that sometimes there was massive spin, sometimes the ball dived straight into the net, and sometimes a weird high rebound. We could not pinpoint how or why it happened, neither repeat any deliberately.
- Overall, I think this has been an interesting venture although not very rewarding.
- The greatest pitfall was the unpredictability of this stringbed. Clearly, the original three-planed stringbed with mains tied together in the full spaghetti pattern was superior, better conceived and executed. 
- For now, I'll leave the other spaghetti patterns in my black book. This has been invigorating enough for me.