Strings may be the most important part of the racquet, but very often players don’t devote enough time and research to choose the best type of string for their game, age and overall comfort. Fortunately, string technology has improved dramatically over the past twenty years and offers a vast selection of products to help players maximize their level of play yet avoid many of the elbow, wrist and shoulder ailments so common in the past. Here is some very helpful information to make your string and tension selection easier.
Generally speaking, a playable string is one that is gut like in its feel and resilience. Natural gut is the oldest string and remains the benchmark for playability but unfortunately, It is also the most expensive string on the market. The good news is we have many synthetic products that come very close to exhibiting the same playing characteristics as natural gut. Strings like Tecnifibre NRG2, Solinco Vanquish and Tecnifibre X-1 Biphase are great and less expensive options that have exceptional playability.
There are many durable strings available on the market these days. Unfortunately, increased durability in tennis strings is usually at the expense of playability. Thicker gauges and abrasion resistant materials will be more durable, but they are less elastic and resilient than their thinner counterparts. Sometimes more durability could mean using a thicker version of string you already use or adding polyester mains combined with what you currently use. If string life is an issue we will definitely help you find something that lasts longer but plays great as well.
The tension you choose for your racquet is very important and will profoundly influence the way your racquet performs. Let’s start with the basics – lower tensions provide more power , tighter tensions provide more control. Although, a beginning player may need more control but will benefit more from a softer, forgiving string bed that lower tensions provide due to the frequency of off center hits.
Advanced players who swing fast and hit hard usually need more control and will benefit from tighter tensions. There are always exceptions but these recommendations apply to the majority of players.
Each racquet has a recommended tension range. This range has been determined by the manufacturer as a result of extensive play testing. If a player doesn’t have a specific need (more power, arm problems, etc), he should start at mid-range and make any adjustments from there.
If a player is seeking more power from his racquet, he should try dropping the tension a few pounds. The string bed will deflect more , returning greater energy to the ball. There is a point of diminishing returns where the string bed turns into a fishing net , but it’s well below any racquet’s recommended tension range.
A tighter string bed deflects less and changes the shape of the ball more, providing less energy than looser strings. The velocity of the ball off the racquet will be diminished. Beginning players who are hitting the ball all over the court won’t gain any advantage by increasing tension, but intermediate and advanced players who are hitting a lot of balls long will be able to reduce the depth of their shots without changing their swing. It is worth noting that spin potential is enhanced with higher tensions, which provides even more control for topspin and slice players.
Lower tensions result in a softer string bed and a larger sweet spot , reducing the amount of shock and vibration transmitted to the hand, elbow and shoulder.
Whether changing head sizes or brands, a player will most likely need to make a corresponding tension change. If 60 pounds was the mid-range on the old racquet and the new racquet’s tension range is 50-60 pounds he should start at 55 pounds with the new racquet.
If a player changes from a soft string ( syn gut, multi, Nat gut) to a poly based string , we suggest tension 5-10% (sometimes more) to compensate for the higher stiffness. This might require a bit of trial and error to get the feel exactly right.
For the most part, thinner strings enhance playability while thicker strings offer improved durability. Tennis string gauges range from 15 (thickest) to 20 (thinnest), with half gauges identified with an L (15L, 16L, etc ) which is short for “light”. A 15L string is thinner than a 15g but thicker than a 16g string. Thinner strings also provide more spin potential by allowing the strings to bite into the ball more.
String Gauges and Diameters in millimeters
15 = 1.41 -1.49 mm
15L = 1.34-1.40 mm
16 = 1.26 -1.33 mm
16L = 1.26-1.33 mm
17 = 1.20-1.24 mm
17L = 1.16-1.20 mm
18 = 1.10 – 1.16 mm
19 = 1.00-1.10 mm
20 =. 1.05
Synthetic gut and Nylon – Truth is, most synthetic guts are made with nylon. There are different grades of nylon, with different levels of feel, so don’t hesitate to try different synthetic guts until you find the right fit. Synthetic gut delivers a good combination of playability and durability at a reasonable price. Nylon multifilaments offer truly impressive comfort and power. Unlike the more basic synthetic guts (which have a single solid core), multifiliments are comprised of hundreds of ultra pliable, arm friendly fibers, and bundled together with flexible resins like polyurethane.
Natural Gut– considered the best in playability, feel and tension maintenance. Sometimes overlooked due to its cost, natural gut is the best choice for players with arm problems or those who desire it’s comfortable crisp feel. A popular choice for professional players but know used more commonly in hybrid combination with a polyester string. Natural gut offers maximum feel and control due to its low stiffness which provides exceptional ball “pocketing”.
Polyester– this category of string tends to be very durable and provides a high level of control with long fast strokes. Polyester is the number one choice on the pro tour because it allows advanced players to maintain surgical control on their fastest, most aggressive strokes. Polyester greatly enhances the level of spin available to the player and adds the ability to harness the immense power that came with the graphite era of racquets. While polyester used to be considered too stiff and dead for the recreational player, a growing number of manufacturers have devoted much resources to creating softer , more elastic polys so that more players can enjoy it’s benefits. Another way to get the benefits of polyester is through a hybrid, also very popular on the tour. This is done by combining polyester with a multifilament or natural gut usually placed in the cross strings. This combination provides the durability, spin and control of the poly with the comfort, power and touch of a softer string. Polyester is not recommended for beginners or players with arm injuries.