Why did you choose that string?
My goal, as should be for any self respecting stringer, is to try and help their customers choose the most suitable string. A string that will compliment and even enhance their game.
The question "Why did you choose that string?" is one I ask all my customers. I don't ask it to try and catch them out or make them feel foolish. I ask it to see if they understand what that string is going to offer their game. If it's the best string for them.
What I found at home, in Ireland, and the same here, in Qatar, is that the majority of people don't know why they are using the string they have purchased. A lot of them have had it recommended to them by a friend, someone they know "who knows loads about tennis", they have bought it online without getting any advice, their favourite pro is using it or what seems to be quiet common here, they have bought it in a shop, where there is a limited selection of strings and a sales person who can offer you little or no advice.
As I have mentioned in a previous post, Polyester is the fashionable string of the moment and none more so than here. Everyone from the national academy under 8 players right through to the Davis Cup team uses polyester and it seems as though only one string exists, not even a selection from one brand, just one string, RPM Blast.
I am really enjoying meeting new people as my customer base grows and the majority seem to be open to listening to advice. Some can answer my question and are happy with the string and their game and that is absolutely fine. I will always string how I am asked to string but it would be wrong of me not to ask the question.
I have had two young juniors change from polyester to multifilament and feedback has being positive, which is great. I have had some very good players change from full poly to a hybrid and were pleasantly surprised with the increase in power.
So I will keep doing what I love to do and offer whatever advice I can to those who want to listen, but I will always ask the question, "Why did you choose that string?".