Strings go dead before they break. If your racquet feels flat, or your arm has started to grumble, it's probably the strings.
Four places in Christchurch will restring one for you, and three of them are at tennis clubs.
Cashmere: Meredith Brothers
The Meredith Brothers Tennis Academy runs out of Cashmere Tennis Club and publishes its prices.
- Standard, $40. Wilson or Prince synthetic gut.
- Premium, $50. Luxilon ALU Power, Luxilon ALU Rough or Babolat RPM Blast.
- Premium package, $60. A premium restring, plus a clean and polish and a new Wilson overgrip.
- Two premium restrings, $90.
- Your own string, $20. Handy if they don't stock what you like.
Bishopdale
Bishopdale Tennis Club, 35 Leacroft Street, has about 50 strings to choose from, including polyester, synthetic gut and arm-friendly ones. It's $40 to $80 depending on the string, or $30 if you bring your own. Text or call head coach Gareth Robb on 027 473 0616.
Te Kura Hagley Park
The Racquet Room is run by Hugo Strang, head coach at Te Kura Hagley Park Tennis Club, who has been stringing racquets for about two decades. Handiest if you already hit at the club. The shop sells racquets from Babolat, HEAD, Tecnifibre and Dunlop. There's no price list online, so message him on 022 646 0617 or at theracquetroomnz@gmail.com and ask what your string will cost.
Burnside: Sporting Edge
Sporting Edge, 514 Wairakei Road, restrings in store. It's a general sports shop, so you can pick up grips or shoes at the same time. No prices online either. Open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm and Sunday 10am to 2pm, closed Mondays. Phone (03) 595 2324.
Choosing
Standard synthetic gut is the cheapest option at Meredith Brothers ($40) and a fine default for most casual players. Arm-friendly strings are worth asking about if your elbow or shoulder complains after a long hit.
How often? Ask whoever strings it, since it depends on how much you play. If you hit twice a week, you'll notice the difference sooner than someone who plays once a month.
Drop it off a few days before a match, not the morning of. Turnaround isn't published for any of these four, so ask when you book.
The hard part of playing casually is finding someone at your level in Christchurch who's free when you are. That's what Hitter is for. More at hitter.nz.
