Having strung thousands of rackets for thousands of players over the years, I can tell you that the vast majority of players wait until their strings actually break to have it restrung.

Three bad things happen to strings over time:

They lose tension

They lose resiliency

They notch at the crossovers

Depending on the players and the frequency of play, these three factors may not be a big deal. However, to a touring pro with his or her ranking on the line, a new restring for each match is essential. And then there are multiple rackets to be redone.

Perhaps the best rule of thumb for restringing for average recreational players is: Restring as many times a year as the average number of times you play each week.

Resting at least once a year though.

Otherwise your trusty main racket becomes an accident waiting to happen.

And doesn’t it always seem to break at the worst time?

Gary Sherby is tennis director at Racquets and Togs Tennis Center, 115 Bradford St., just off the downtown square. His tennis tips appear Sundays.