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Stringing
Six signs your string is dead
How to tell your string is finished before it snaps, and why almost everyone blames their own game instead.
String gives no warning when it dies. Performance drops so gradually that your brain adjusts, and the natural conclusion is that you are playing badly.
1. Balls fly long for no reason
This is the number one sign. The string lost tension, trampolines more, and the ball leaves faster than you expect. If nothing changed in your stroke and suddenly everything sails, check the strings.
2. The sound changed
A live string cracks cleanly. A dead one thuds. It is one of the fastest ways to know, and you do not need to be an expert: you hear it.
3. Strings stop snapping back
Healthy string shifts on impact and returns on its own. If you are straightening them with your fingers every other point, that ability is gone.
4. You can see notching
Look at the center of the bed where mains cross the crosses. Visible notches mean the string has been wearing for a while.
5. More vibration
More buzz in the handle, or soreness in the elbow or forearm after playing, means the string is no longer absorbing impact.
6. Time has simply passed
Even if none of the above jumps out: if you are past due, it is dead. The rule is to restring as many times a year as you play per week, covered in how often to restring.