Scott Schneider

Habitat: Welcome, Scott. Let’s get right to it. What makes a guy want to be a premier stringer?

Scott: Not really sure, I was always big on the little details of stringing since I started so I just kind of fell into it.

Habitat: I understand you string for touring pros. What’s that like?

Scott: It’s definitely a grind. The day usually starts at 7am and ends when the last match is done, as long as all the racquets are finished.

Habitat: Any pressure? I imagine some pros are a little…difficult to work with.

Scott: lots of pressure, you have to be super consistent, and try and meet the sometimes impossible requests of the players.

Habitat: Give me the best and worst player to work with.

Scott: Dmitry Tursunov, Kenneth Carlson, and Robert Lindstedt are all very tough to make happy. Gustavo Kuerten was really cool.

Habitat: Any surprising facts about how pros string their rackets compared to ours?

Scott: Lots, most pros string at a lower tension than most people think, they like the racquet to be strung with certain patterns at times, and they are very specific about when they want their racquet strung. Like string at 11 if I play at 12, or string the night before.

Habitat: You have won some awards as well, right?

Scott: Yes, I won the Wilson World’s Fastest Stringing Contest, I think in 2006.

Habitat: What about string technology, what do recreational players need to know about strings today?

Scott: Since polyester strings are getting so popular I’ll talk about those. People like them because of their durability, however there is a major downside. The strings go dead long before they break. After several hours of playing the string stretches and loses tension. Now the string’s recovery rate begins to decline and you lose power and control.

Habitat: I know some touring pros hire full time stringers to tour with them. Any plans to move into that in the future?

Scott: There are two companies that supply personal stringers to the pros and I know a couple of guys from one of them. I have no plans to ever do that, it’s not as great as it sounds. You set up a stringing machine in a hotel room for a week and string for 15 hours a day, pack up and do the same thing again next week.

Habitat: Sounds glamorous (LOL).

Habitat: You are an accomplished player as well. Any plans to play competitively or coach later on?

Scott: No plans on the playing side, but I have been coaching for the last 6 years.

Habitat: When coaching, do you use your stringing knowledge to enhance a players’ game?

Scott: Of course. Being a good stringer isn’t just knowing about how to string, it’s also about knowing what kind of racquet a person should be playing with. I see so many players playing with a racquet that just isn’t right for their game, especially adults. I always make sure my players have the right racquet, strings, and tension.

Habitat: Thanks, Scott.

Comments

[Anthony Evanoff]

Very informative written interview Scott, nice job. I always appreciate our conversations about the different types of strings and racquet technology. Keep up the good work.

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