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NEW RACQUET TECHNOLOGIES, THE LATEST AND THE GREATEST {2003}

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

I thought you might like to learn about the latest cutting edge improvements from some of the top racquet companies. The order in which I present these is not necessarily representative of the company's status with respect to market share. ...[continue reading]



THE LATEST AND THE GREATEST {1998}

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

I'm inundated on a daily basis with new information from manufacturers about the "latest and the greatest" in racquet technology. Ten years ago, frames were an average of about 12-12.5 ounces, which was considered very light in those days. The "latest and greatest" is now 8.5 ounces--a triumph of technology. To make a light racquet playable, most of the weight has to be at its head. This allows the racquet head to gain more speed thereby maximizing power. The combination of light weight and heavy head is a definite winner to gain power; no question about it. My question is: How much power do you actually need, and at what cost? ...[continue reading]



BACK TO THE FUTURE (THE TREND TOWARD HEAVIER FRAMES) {2005}

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

Did you ever find it odd that even though all the major racquet companies are touting their “latest technologies”, they always seem to have a few heavier and less technologically advanced frames in their line? There’s a good reason for that. In general, the more advanced a player becomes, the less he wants the bells and whistles that make racquets easier to play with. A person who hits the sweetspot 99 times out of 100 doesn’t need a frame that is especially forgiving on off-center shots or any of the other “advances” that help the novice, or lower level player get the ball over the net. He also wants a heavier racquet, so he can put some weight behind his shots. As I’ve been saying for years, a lighter racquet is not necessarily better for a number of reasons. ...[continue reading]



* HUMAN VARIABLES IN RACQUET SELECTION {2008}

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

We talk about equipment variables all the time: racquet stiffness, head size, length, beam, string thickness, composition, and on and on. What we almost never talk about are the most important variables of all, those having to do with the user. ...[continue reading]



STRINGING AT THE US OPEN {2007}

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

I reported for stringing at the 2007 US Open in mid-August. While construction and maintenance workers finished preparations for the championships, there were already at least 256 players on site preparing for and competing in the qualification rounds, affectionately known as the “qualies.” Also, some main-draw players arrived early to practice during qualies week. That translates to a busy stringing room. There is very little difference between stringing for the main draw and for the qualification rounds. All the players are professionals and require the best possible preparation of their equipment in their quest for better rankings and better paydays. ...[continue reading]



* SECRETS OF GOOD STRINGING {2007}

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

When you look at a strung racquet and all the holes are filled up, the string job must be okay…right? That’s not necessarily true. Let me share with you some obvious and some subtle signs of good stringing. Pick up a freshly strung racquet and look for these things: 1) are the strings straight? 2) are there any misweaves? 3) are there any crossovers where the strings run along the outside of the frame? 4) do the tie-off knots look secure and have short “tails” resting against the frame? The correct answers should be: yes, no, no, and yes. ...[continue reading]



* HYBRID STRINGS—A REALITY CHECK {2007}

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

We keep hearing more and more about hybrid stringing that the pro’s use, and how you should be using it. First a little background--hybrids are in no way new. “Hybrid” just means the main (vertical) strings are different material than the crosses. The first type was, as suggested by Dave Bone (USRSA director) in a recent TENNIS magazine article, stringing with natural gut mains and nylon crosses. This will approximate stringing with all natural gut at a lower cost. Going one step further, using a softer (multifilament) string in the crosses will improve the feel even further. I believe that will give most players as good a feel as all natural gut. ...[continue reading]



* DO YOU KNOW STRING? --REFRESHER QUIZ {2007}

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

When I string my demo racquets, I use what I feel is the best string for the typical player that will use the racquet. My regular customers usually buy a racquet with that same string, or something similar they may currently use. ...[continue reading]