Should you restring as soon as a multifilament starts fraying?

Try these steps in order

1. On the freshly strung day, photograph the center 3×3 intersection area close up. Photograph the same area every 2–3 hours of play and include cumulative time in the file name to see whether fraying accelerates. Divide the racquet face into quarters and mark whether fraying concentrates in the center contact zone or begins beside a frame hole or knot. Do not dismiss localized frame-side damage as ordinary wear; treat it as a reason for grommet inspection.
2. Without touching or pulling the fibers, use light from the side to observe how many strands are raised and how deeply the intersections are notched. At regular intervals, hit 10 service-line balls and 20 baseline balls and record ball depth, unexpected launch, and feel on off-center contact. Separate a setup whose response stays consistent as fraying grows from one whose result becomes unstable while its appearance remains similar.
3. For ordinary practice, continue tracking photographs and response into the next session. Before an important match, however, if any two of rapid wear, multiple broken fibers, and trajectory change occur together, restring with time to spare. Check the backup racquet as well. After replacement, retain the photograph taken just before actual failure and the total satisfactory hours. For the next set, schedule before the same wear stage; if wear is too fast, compare one gauge thicker or a different construction one change at a time.