The tennis world has been living under the throes of an insidious plague since the advent of modern racquets. It is simply known by three villainous initials, DSS. It is a devilish epidemic that crosses all national, racial, political and social boundaries. Pros of all levels, college players, tournament players, juniors and even weekend warriors…we all suffer. Some suffer in silence while others feel the effects in the form of whackado shots on the tennis court. What is this plague? Who is this monster? What can be done, if anything, to save tennis players from the complete discombobulation and errant shots caused by this pestilence?
(Please click You Tube link below to activate Superman theme song. It serves as the appropriate background music to enrich your reading pleasure for the rest of this blog entry.)
Enter “The String Thing”– your complete antidote/antibody/cure for DSS – – Discombobulated String Syndrome.
Elegantly simple, yet profoundly effective, The String Thing, whisks discombobulated strings back into proper playing position faster than a Mark Philippousis serve. The virtually indestructible device easily fits into your tennis bag and with just a couple of swift strokes up and down the stringbed, your strings magically respond and align themselves into perfectly precise position…ready to spring back into action and help vanquish your foes without fear of misalignment causing an inaccurate shot.
The String Thing comes in two varieties, one for racquets with open patterns (16 main strings running vertically) and those with closed patterns (18 main strings running vertically). It is inexpensive, easy to use and is guaranteed to save wear and tear on your finger tips, (simultaneously preserving manicures), while completely eradicating Discombobulated String Syndrome from your tennis life.
“The String Thing” is not a toy. It is a serious device for serious players who understand the importance of keeping strings properly aligned for maximum performance. The rumors of it making a “bitchin’ backscratcher” off the court, may contain some elements of truth, but it is designed for much more serious and practical matters…The total obliteration of Discombobulated String Syndrome from our planet.
As a professional stringer, I find The String Thing to be completely indispensable; a vital tool of the trade. I also firmly believe that if string movement makes you nuts on the court, this tool will bring serenity and sanity to you. Simply put, it works. Every tennis player should have at least one String Thing at his or her disposal whenever they step onto a tennis court. They are made in the USA and available from the Guts and Glory online store. We hope you will get one for yourself as well as a few to give to your tennis playing friends and family. It is pure Kryptonite to DSS!  (Not to mention one bitchin’ backscratcher.)
elliot on said:
“As a professional stringer, I find The String Thing to be completely indispensable”
So is this a viable alternative to the blunt awl for the professional stringer? I’m excited if it is.
ggtennis on said:
Elliot –
I am still an old timer and extremely fanatical about creating perfect string jobs. While it is very safe to proclaim that this tool is every bit as effective as the blunt awl, there is an asterisk. It is more precise on some patterns and some string types than others, whereas the awl could care less about string patterns and string types.
The String Thing is at its best when straightening nylon and natural gut strings in a racquet with relatively uniform spaced mains. It does a decent job with poly/nylon and poly/gut hybrids but does not always handle full poly as smoothly as the other setups. Because of this and my neurosis for achieving perfection I can not in good consciousness suggest you toss away the awl. At the same time, it is a tool that I find extremely helpful in my business, but where it really excels is on the court.
Adriel Lepretre on said:
How is it used? Ive seen it on TV but is it as easy to use as it looks? Any chnace one may use the device incorrectly?
Is it used for all types of strings or mostly multis which are the strings that move more than others?
ggtennis on said:
It is extremely easy to use. Just like advertised on television and their web site. I can not think of a way to mishandle the device. I tried to abuse strings with it and it causes no damage. Absolutely none. It is supremely safe and easy to use. One clever gadget.
The String Thing is most effective if used right from the start on a fresh string job. If strings begin to notch out of alignment, the task of keeping them straight becomes a frustrating battle that can not be won for more than a couple of points. However, if strings are maintained from the get-go, the notching can be managed and manipulated to occur exactly where you want them so the strings will remain in alignment for you. Our experience is that it does work best on nylons and natural guts, which are the type of string that is most likely going to end up misaligned.
Team Coaching on said:
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