3 Ways to Tell if your Racket has been strung correctly

When you drop off your tennis racket to be strung, you want to make sure it has been strung at the highest quality.

A racket strung incorrectly can negatively affect one's game. 

So how do we know if a racket has been strung as requested?

I would suggest looking at 3 things when inspecting a freshly strung racket.

First, I would take a look at the tie off knots. At the highest level, the tie off knots to use would be the Parnell knot or the Wilson pro knot. These knots can be distinguished in that they are smaller and their tail should be flush against the frame. 

Bad tie off knots will be bulky, with long tails protruding towards the string bed.  This can actually be dangerous as polyester strings can be sharp and stiff. We want tie off knots that are small, with small tails that are resting on the inside of the frame.

The second thing I would look at would be whether the string bed has any scuff or burn parks. 

We want the strings to be straightened as we go along, with clamps that tightly hold the string in place without harming it. The cross strings will naturally want to bow down into a smiley face pattern.  It is up to the stringer to keep the crosses straight as they string the racket, ensuring the string is preserved throughout the stringing process. 

There should be no visible marks on the string bed at the end of the stringing process, with a few exceptions for delicate strings. 

The third thing I would verify is what tension the outside strings were pulled at. Unless you have a Dynamic Tension reader, this can be a tough way to gauge just by looking at your racket.  It may be easier to simply ask your stringer what tension they did for outside main and cross strings.  

It is best practice for most stringers to raise the tension on all outside strings 10-20% higher than the rest of the string bed.

So if someone would like their racket strung at 50lbs, a stringer who typically does outside strings 10% higher would string the two outside mains and two outside crosses at 55lbs.

The reason for this is two fold. One, outside strings have no string on one side, meaning it is very easy to shift the string in that direction. Increasing the tension helps make up for that.

The second reason is that tie off knots will always have some degree of tension loss. 

So when tying off the two main strings on each side, there will be some tension loss when that knot sets in place. 

By increasing that string tension, it will help make up for that loss. 

Knowing your racket has been strung correctly is a significant factor in ensuring your tennis game is reaching its highest potential.

These 3 factors would be things I would look for to ensure my racket has been strung correctly.