Testing something new out, will update if it performs any better or worse. N7 II Li Ning No.1 2 piece bottom up Centre 8 mains 13kg 8 centre crosses 13kg (last cross should be last shared hole) All others: 12.5kg Was tempted to try 1kg difference, but will start at 1/2. Idea is to make a more solid sweet spot.
Can't see that progressives will retain much of a difference after the first hour or so of use - we can't pull one side of a string to a different tension than the other and expect it not to equalize over time. It's like trying to blow up part of a balloon, IMO. However, I would love to be proven wrong, so I will await your results.
*So far*, and this is without use so there's that grain of salt*, the string tension hasn't equalised much. The centre is still stiffer.
When I started stringing I got the hint of an old indonesian stringer to go proportional. He strung the mains in the middle harder and fade them outwards by 0.1kg knocking off each. Same for the cross from middle to top or bottom. I got such a job from him, it was soft like expected and is IMO just a trick to give people the impression to can play a higher tension. Fresh it was okay, but even out quickly. IMO nothing new, don't work well and playwise not better. IIRC @kwun mentioned a bunch of years ago that Luxis also do some kind of proportional stringing.
0.1kg increments on a dropweight would be hell. I actually want my sweet spot to feel more solid without it killing my racket. Pulling high tensions at the very edges is still a bit grim.
I do -1 on the top and bottom 4 crosses. I do feel that done this way the string is livelier. I also double pull the outer 2 mains. so that's a very limited version of a proportionals. it is ok, in fact, probably better for the shorter end strings to have lower tension. I don't remember if it was Luxis or Emmy who do proportional. But then they were also on crank machines. those are the old days. nowadays everyone are on electronic machines.
I also double pull the outer mains, but I clamp the furthest one and re-pull the string. Centre strings still feel the tightest as it stands.
I play N7II @13 x 13.5kg and there is nothing which did anything. Strong frame IMO. Must be the 10-12th job since I got it.
Just reporting back. It feels more solid. Feeling overall was better than a pure +2 on cross. Nothing outstandingly special though.
