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"Champions aren't made in the gym."

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  • "Champions aren't made in the gym."

    " Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a Desire, a Dream, a Vision." Ali said that. If you want to play the best, the desire to have the best equipment, tuned to your game, has to be strong as well as your technique, strategy, mind, and strokes. How many of you can say, "This is the best string job I've ever had. This is the best frame I've ever hit with."

    You can go out online, order the frame, and the string job, right now, if you want to. Most of us don't know how to customize and string for the best feel and power/control combination to suit our own games.

    I've tried lots of hybrids. I've used small pieces of zip cord/insulated wire, drinking straws, aluminum, thin fishing wire under the crosses. I've varied tensions, hard and soft hybrids, changed crosses from the top down, skipped mains, etc. I've tried 51-70 Ra frames. I first strung in 1981, but only recently have learned how to string for max. control. I've tried all sorts of gut, syn gut, poly and co poly, ribbons, kevlar, lux, etc. I've won an open tourny at 32lbs in a broken and warped match mate titanium frame. The desire to experiment has always been there, but has been haphazard, and unscientific.

    Do you want to play the best? You have to string and frame to suit your style.

    Lessons are also very important. As you improve, the equipment has to improve as well. The better you get, the more important each becomes, to get the next level. Video is essential, as is: best string/ best frame/lessons.
    Last edited by GeoffWilliams; 05-07-2011, 06:27 PM.

  • #2
    But you can't buy excellence either... If it were only that easy....

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    • #3
      Simple too...

      It used to be so simple...

      "I'll take a Wilson Pro Staff with a 4 5/8" grip, strung with VS in the middle of the range, to go...please. Oh yeah...and a can of balls, too."

      "OK..that will be 42 dollars. Thank you."

      Man...you would go home, take that new racquet in your hands, take a couple of swings in the mirror, smell the "gut life" that the stringer sprayed on the strings, open up those new balls and take a big whiff. New balls...smells like...victory.

      These days I've got this Technifibre T-Flash 315 model strung with Technifibre Black Code string (voted string of the year) strung middle of the range and the strings are probably six months old. I am comfortable with this combo and it gives me feathery touch and blazing speed when I need it. If I could only run like I used to.

      Funny thing is...99% of all tennis players would profit more if they spent their money on lessons from a good tennis teacher. Not to say, though, that a good tweaking from the friendly neighborhood equipment guy wouldn't hurt either.
      Last edited by don_budge; 05-03-2011, 11:09 PM.
      don_budge
      Performance Analysthttps://www.tennisplayer.net/bulleti...ilies/cool.png

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      • #4
        By the way, Geoff, ever play with the spaghetti strings? I did for a couple of months before they were banned...

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        • #5
          I'll wager Nadal has spent and continues to spend plenty of time in the gym

          I'm not into strings in a big way. I believe players can get too finicky about strings. I've always taught my son to believe he should be able to pick up and play with any racket, within reason, equally well - and he can. You see half this game is psychological and the other half is in your mind

          That spagetti strung racket was something else, though. No wonder they banned it.
          Stotty

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          • #6
            Originally posted by licensedcoach View Post
            I'll wager Nadal has spent and continues to spend plenty of time in the gym

            I'm not into strings in a big way. I believe players can get too finicky about strings. I've always taught my son to believe he should be able to pick up and play with any racket, within reason, equally well - and he can. You see half this game is psychological and the other half is in your mind

            That spagetti strung racket was something else, though. No wonder they banned it.
            They banned it after Nastase beat Vilas with it, breaking a long series of victories. Vilas said, "It was bad enough playing against spaghetti strings, but Nastase as well, that is too much...".

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            • #7
              Yes, I have. The most spin I got was with the drinking straws, cut in small pieces, placed under the crosses. So much spin that the regular hitters could not handle it.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by gzhpcu View Post
                They banned it after Nastase beat Vilas with it, breaking a long series of victories. Vilas said, "It was bad enough playing against spaghetti strings, but Nastase as well, that is too much...".
                Yes, I remember. Nastase was a spent force when he started using that racket, using it reignited his career for a short while.
                Stotty

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                • #9
                  Ahah...

                  Originally posted by geoffwilliams View Post
                  " Lessons are also very important. As you improve, the equipment has to improve as well.
                  Now you have it in the proper perspective...I think
                  don_budge
                  Performance Analysthttps://www.tennisplayer.net/bulleti...ilies/cool.png

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                  • #10
                    The better you get, the more important equipment is. The tolerances should improve, control/power, with that equipment, as you are able to hit stronger shots.

                    For those who don't believe it, look at the pros and how picky they are. If you have the dream the desire the vision, you will do what it takes to improve your frame/string combo.

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                    • #11
                      Question is, how much of a factor does it play for us mortals?

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                      • #12
                        That's a damn good question, G. It's not just personal preference, it's skill level above I'd say 3.5ntrp, where the frame/string combo begin to mean something real. Esp. since so many play down to win!

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                        • #13
                          Playing down?

                          Playing down to win? In the days of "Gladiator tennis"? That's not cool.

                          Don't play down to win...that's no victory, it's cheating, it's sandbagging. It's golfer behavior. Fudging handicaps! Play up for the challenge! Be a man about it.

                          Phil...the factor is negligible, for mere mortals. As long as you are comfortable. Try the Black Code Tecnifibre string. Excellent playability and it lasts forever. Voted string of the year a couple of years ago.
                          Last edited by don_budge; 05-03-2011, 09:45 PM. Reason: for clarity's sake
                          don_budge
                          Performance Analysthttps://www.tennisplayer.net/bulleti...ilies/cool.png

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                          • #14
                            It's not neglible at all. Bc is good as a cross with vs team, but too plasticky otherwise. Tens. main. is ok, spin is ok, control is medium. Much better control with vs team/nrg2 than vs/bc. Could you win a tournament strung at 32lbs? With a T2000?

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                            • #15
                              ???

                              Originally posted by geoffwilliams View Post
                              Could you win a tournament strung at 32lbs? With a T2000?
                              I'm sorry, I don't understand...Is this a legitimate question or are you illustrating a point? Hypothetically speaking? Are you referring to a 4.5 tournament or Men's Singles?
                              Last edited by don_budge; 05-04-2011, 01:59 AM.
                              don_budge
                              Performance Analysthttps://www.tennisplayer.net/bulleti...ilies/cool.png

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