Tennis Strings Explained

Imagine if you could customize the next car you purchase by picking out the engine. You would probably not just pick any old engine to put in your dream car. You would want to do some research first and figure out which engine fits your needs the best. Not necessarily just the cheapest engine. So you would not spend hundreds on your next racket and then just pick any old string, would you? Lots of people do.

Strings are vital to how a racket plays and performs. Your racket string is the only part which makes contact with the ball. But learning about strings and picking the right tennis string for your racket can be difficult with the huge variety to choose from. Hopefully this article will provide you a clearer picture about tennis strings, "the engine" in your racket.

String gauges are essentially the thickness of a string.The higher the gauge, the thinner the string.

The problem with gauges however, is that there is not a standardized and universal chart. A 16 gauge for one company might be a 16L (L stands for 'light', which basically means it is halfway between 2 gauges, think of a 16L as a 16.5) for another.

Which is why we recommend referencing the actual millimeter sizing. In general, thinner string will provide more power and spin while thicker strings provide more control and durability.

What is a tennis string made of?

Modern tennis strings fall under 5 main categories: synthetic gut, multi-filament, natural gut, polyester and hybrid.

• Synthetic gut: This is the cheapest type of string you can buy. It is typically made of nylon and offers good playability for the price.

• Multi-filament: Offers playability most similar to natural gut string. They are made from hundreds of tiny fibers wound together. These range in price anywhere from 7€ on up to 25€.

• Natural Gut: Made from a cow's intestines, this is the string multi-filament strings try to emulate. Natural gut strings hold their tension the best, are the most comfortable on the arm (great for players with arm problems) but also the most expensive.

• Polyester: In the last 10 years or so, this string type has taken over the market and the pro tour. This is a stiffer string that offers intermediate to advanced players with faster swing strokes control and spin. We don't typically recommend these type of strings for most beginner level players.

• Hybrid Stringing: A hybrid string setup means that there are two different string materials used in the mains and the cross strings of the racket. The most popular hybrid setup is natural gut with polyester.

• Polyester
  Upsides: Durable. Lots of control. Lots of spin.
  Downsides: Low powered. Harsher on the arm. Loses tension faster.

• Multi-filament
  Upsides: Very good playability. Wide range of price points. Softer on the arm. Very good tension maintenance. Closest thing to natural gut.
  Downsides: Less control oriented. Certain multi-filaments can feel "mushy." Lacks durability for bigger hitters.

• Synthetic Gut
  Upsides: Economically priced.
  Downsides: Average overall performance and playability. Not extraordinary in any category.

• Natural Gut
  Upsides: Optimum playability. Holds tension the best. Easy on the arm. Playability even at very high tensions.
  Downsides: High priced.

• Hybrid Stringing
  Upsides: A hybrid setup can increase duralibility of the strings, while boosting the playability of the racket as well. Based on the setup of the hybrid, advantages can vary.
  Downsides: Using a hybrid string setup can be more expensive.

Tension is referring to how tight the strings are strung in the racket. Each racket will have a specific tension range recommended by the manufacturer, usually around 22.5 to 27 kg. Even though you can request your racket to be strung above the maximum tension, it could void the warranty by doing so.

In general, the higher the tension, the more control and the lower the tension, the more power. Typically, a player generating their own power will string with a higher tension and vice versa for a beginner. If you don't know what tension to string with, we recommend you to choose the the middle tension and then to make adjustments from there. Need more power? Go down 1-1.4 kg next time.

Contrary to popular belief, breaking a string isn't the only time you should re-string your racket. For the casual recreational player, a good rule of thumb to follow is to re-string as many times in a year as you play in a week. For example, if you play 5 times a week, then you should re-string your racket at least 5 times a year. But if you use a polyester string, then we would recommend you to re-string you racket more often. When a string has "bagged out", it has lost most of its tension and therefore, most of its playability; which includes power, control and feel.