String Information

Playability

• Generally, a playable string snaps back quickly upon ball impact.
• The material, construction, and thickness of a string will all affect the playability of a string.
• The best string at this time is still natural gut.
• This is the only string made from a natural product - beef intestines.
• It is the oldest tennis string made and remains the benchmark for playability.
• Some of the most popular playability strings include: Babolat X-Cel, Tecnifibre NRG2, Tecnifibre X-One BiPhase and Wilson K-Gut.

Durability

• 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, nylon-based counterparts.
• If a player is breaking a 16 gauge synthetic gut, we might suggest they switch to a 15 gauge version of that same string, if available, for more durability.
• If that fails the next step would be a polyester string, such as Babolat Ballistic or one of the popular Luxilon strings.
• Finally, for players who blow through all of the strings listed above, Kevlar hybrids are the final alternative.
• The best abrasion resistance of Kevlar makes it the most durable string available.

String Gauge

• Generally speaking, thinner strings offer improved playability while thicker strings offer enhanced durability.
• Tennis string gauges range from 15 (thickest) to 19 (thinnest), with half-gauges identified with an L (15L, 16L, etc), which is short for “light”.
• Thinner strings also provide more spin potential by allowing the strings to embed into the ball more.

Materials

• Synthetic gut or nylon? Truth be told, synthetic gut is nylon. In fact, most of today’s “performance synthetics” are constructed of nylon, albeit a higher grade than basic nylon string. Today’s manufacturing processes produce nylon strings (or synthetic gut, if you insist) that provide a good combination of playability and durability.
• In the old days (wood racquet era), any self-respecting player used natural gut. Nylon was so bad that only beginners used the stuff. Today, 98% of non-professional players use nylon strings. It’s that much better.

• The ultimate in playability and feel. Often overlooked due to it’s cost, natural gut is the best choice for players with arm problems or those who simply want the best.
• Formerly, the number one choice of ATP and WTA tour players. Now used more in hybrids, combining polyester mains with natural gut crosses. Natural gut gut offers maximum feel and control due to it’s low dynamic stiffness, which provides better ball “pocketing”, and a slight texture that provides more ball grab for enhanced spin.
  We would suggest that you go for a top of the line synthetic gut instead, as it plays, feel, and frays just like natural gut.
  e.g. Wilson K-Gut, X-One Biaphase,

• A very durable string designed for string breakers-not much power or feel.
• Polyester strings became very popular with ATP players, because it provides added durability, doesn't move and 'deadens' the stringbed.
• While this isn't a desireable feature for most recreational players, it is for many of todays ATP and (some) WTA players.
• They're bigger, stronger, swing faster and use more powerful rackets than players from the past. Often used in hybrids, combining polyester mains with softer synthetic or natural gut mains. This offers the durability benefits of polyester, while reducing the stiff, dead feel.
• Also easier to string than 100% polyester. Not recommended for beginning players or players with arm injuries.

• The most durable string available. Kevlar is very stiff and strings up very tight. Therefore, it is usually combined with nylon to reduce the string bed stiffness (Kevlar main strings, nylon cross strings).
• Still, Kevlar hybrids are the least powerful and least comfortable strings currently available.
• Players trying kevlar hybrids for the first time (from nylon strings) are recommended to reduce tension by 10% to compensate for the added stiffness. Not recommended for beginners or players with arm injuries.

• String tension is the final piece in the racket-string-tension triad. It’s also the least understood by most recreational players.
• Let’s start with the basics - lower tensions provide more power, tighter tensions provide more control. This is a very general rule of thumb and assumes a certain level of player ability (especially the control part).
• A beginning player may need more control but tighter string tensions aren’t the solution.
• This player needs a soft, forgiving stringbed 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, therefore, benefit from tighter tensions.
• There are, of course, always exceptions but these generalisations apply to the majority of players.
• Each racket has a recommended tension range. This range has been determined by the manufacturer as a result of extensive playtesting by real players.
• 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.

• As we stated above, if a player is seeking more power from his racket, he should try dropping tension a few pounds.
• There is a point of diminishing returns where the stringbed turns into a butterfly net, but it’s well below any racquet’s recommended tension range.

• A tighter stringbed deflects less and deforms the ball more, providing less energy than looser strings. This means the ball won’t fly as far when you hit it.
• Beginners who are shanking the ball in every direction won’t gain any advantage by increasing tension, but intermediate and advanced players who are hitting a lot of long balls will be able to reduce the depth of their shots without changing their swing.
• It is also generally accepted that spin potential is enhanced with higher tensions, which provides even more control for topspin and slice players.

• Lower tensions result in a softer stringbed and a larger sweetspot, reducing the amount of shock and vibration transmitted to the hand and elbow.
• When changing to a more durable string, (Polyester or Kevlar) we say you should reduce the tension by 5-10%. This will compensate for the added stiffness generated by the string.