Three frames for three kinds of swing.
Stringline C98, A100 and P102 share a length and a handle. They differ in head size, weight, balance and string pattern.
Heads of 98, 100 and 102 square inches. 685 mm long. Grip sizes 2 to 4.
Three frames, drawn to one scale
Same length, same handle mould, three heads. Four square inches separate the smallest head from the largest; across the string bed that comes to about five millimetres of width and six of length.
| Model | C98control | A100all-round | P102power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head size | 98 sq in 632 cm² | 100 sq in 645 cm² | 102 sq in 658 cm² |
| String bed | 320 × 252 mm | 323 × 254 mm | 326 × 257 mm |
| Length | 685 mm | 685 mm | 685 mm |
| Weight | 305 g | 300 g | 285 g |
| Balance | 318 mm | 325 mm | 335 mm |
| Beam | 21 mm | 23–26 mm | 25–27 mm |
| String pattern | 18 × 20 | 16 × 19 | 16 × 19 |
| Tension range | 21–25 kg | 22–26 kg | 22–26 kg |
| Grip sizes | 2 to 4 | 2 to 4 | 2 to 4 |
| Frame colour | Deep green | Net grey | Optic yellow |
Two string patterns
A pattern is counted as mains, the strings running along the frame, by crosses. Both heads are drawn to the same scale.
16 × 19
A100 and P102
Sixteen mains and nineteen crosses leave wider gaps. The strings slide further on contact and snap back, so the same swing gives the ball more spin and more height over the net.
- Spacing
- about 15 × 16 mm, centre to centre
- Strings
- 35 lengths through the head
18 × 20
C98
Two more mains and one more cross close the gaps. The bed moves less, the ball leaves lower and flatter, and the strings notch more slowly because they rub less against each other.
- Spacing
- about 13 × 15 mm, centre to centre
- Strings
- 38 lengths through the head
Details
What is shared across the line, and what changes on purpose from one frame to the next.
In the head
Beam width follows head size: a flat 21 mm section on the C98, 23 to 26 mm on the A100 and 25 to 27 mm on the P102.
Balance moves toward the tip as the head grows, from 318 mm to 325 mm to 335 mm from the butt, measured unstrung.
The bumper and the top grommets are one strip, so a worn bumper can be replaced at the next restring without touching the rest of the frame.
In the hand
All three are 685 mm long and share one handle mould, so changing models changes the head and not the grip.
The handle is eight-sided, in sizes 2 to 4, and leaves the factory with a thin white overgrip over a synthetic base grip.
The stringing chart is printed inside the throat: which holes the mains use, where the crosses start and where to tie off.
Choose by the ball you want to hit.
Low and flat over the net, with time to take a full swing: the C98.
A bit of everything, from the baseline and at the net: the A100.
Deep with a shorter swing, or when you are often late on the ball: the P102.