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Guide to Tennis Strings


String Type

Synthetic Gut Polyester (Monofilament) Multifilament Kevlar Natural Gut
Pros:
  • Cheap
  • Reasonable feel
  • Reasonable durability
  • ‘All-round’ option
Cons:
  • Less durable than polyester strings
Example:
Prince Synthetic Gut		 Pros:
  • Very durable (good abrasion resistance)
  • Greatest spin potential
Cons:
  • Quite stiff
  • Loses tension quickly
Example:
Babolat RPM Blast		 Pros:
  • ‘Soft’ feel
  • Great playability and comfort
Cons:
  • Quite costly
  • Less durable than other string types
Example:
Wilson NXT		 Pros:
  • Strongest, most durable string on the market
Cons:
  • Very stiff
Example:
Ashaway Kevlar

Recommended only for the very strong player who frequently breaks strings, or as a mains string in a hybrid setup.		 Pros:
  • ‘Soft’ feel
  • Great resilience
  • Good control and touch
  • Maintains tension over the life of the string
Cons:
  • Very costly
  • Less durable than other string types
  • Without protective coatings, very sensitive to moisture (sags)
Example:
Wilson Natural Gut

String stiffness

The stiffness of a string is measured in pounds per inch (lb/in). Natural gut and nylon multifilament strings typically offer the lowest stiffness, while polyester monofilament strings are generally the stiffest on the market.

Stiffness Scale

Tension

A higher tension will give you more control over the direction the ball takes off your stringbed.

A lower tension will give greater power, but with less control.

Low Tension
(40-50 Ibs)		 Low tensions are typically used with polyester/Kevlar strings, to compensate for the stiffness of the string. For polyester string, a 5-10% reduction in tension is recommended compared with the tension used for a standard natural/synthetic gut string. A 10-15% reduction is recommended for Kevlar string.
Medium Tension
(50-60 Ibs)		 When first choosing a tension, a good place to start is at around 55 lbs (for a mid plus racket with a synthetic gut string). Alternatively, select the midpoint of your racket's recommended tension range. Most rackets generally have a recommended range between 50-65 lbs. For polyester strings, it is generally recommended not to string higher than around 54 lbs.
High Tension
(60-70 Ibs)		 High tensions decrease comfort and give the impression of having to ‘force’ shots to find length. It might lead to fewer unforced errors, but also fewer winners. Extremely high tensions (70+ lbs) used by players like Andy Roddick may be difficult to master and are not generally recommended.

PictureTension should be adjusted for the particular playing conditions. On soft surfaces (such as clay), the ball moves slower as more energy is absorbed from the ball by the court. Players have more time to react and therefore more control. Clay court players may wish to drop tension by 2-5 lbs to add power and depth to their shots.

At higher altitudes, balls move faster because there is less friction in thinner air. High temperatures also cause balls to move faster as the heat-softened rubber ball becomes more pliable and easier to propel. In these conditions, consider raising the tension 2-5 lbs. The opposite is true in colder, damper weather.

Type of play can dictate tension preference as well. Many baseliners will want a lower tension to give them additional power to hit deeper shots. Serve and volley players may want higher tensions for control and accuracy in their net game.

String Gauge (Thickness)

PictureTennis strings are available in a variety of gauges, or thicknesses.

Thick strings are more durable, hold tension longer, offer greater control but are stiffer.

Thin strings tend to be less durable, but are bouncier and stretch back further on impact with the ball. This ball pocketing generates more power, but also offers more feedback, feel and comfort.

The majority of players use either 16, 16L or 17-gauge string.

Hybrid Stringing

PictureHybrid stringing combines the stiffness and durability of polyesters with a softer string for playability. Hybrid setups usually consist of a poly string in the mains and a synthetic string or natural gut string in the crosses. When choosing a hybrid, note that the main string will dominate the overall feel and playability of the two strings.

To further customise your hybrid selection, you can vary the tension between strings. As a general rule, main strings should be strung tighter than cross strings. This is a popular set-up with professional players and is a good way of increasing the size of the sweetspot. A tension variance of 2-3 lbs (maximum 5 lbs) on hybrid stringing is recommended.

Ball Spin

PictureContrary to popular belief, the spin on the ball is not dependent on string tension, string type or pattern. The player has by far the larger role in generating spin. Racket head speed, angle of racket and angle of swing are more important.

Shaped strings with square, pentagonal or hexagonal cross-sections, such as Völkl V-Square, claim to produce additional ball spin by increasing the friction and ‘bite’ on the ball.

Injury Prevention

PictureIf you have any elbow, wrist or shoulder issues you shouldn't get your racket strung too high (60 lbs at the highest), nor should you use a monofilament (polyester) string. Even the pros have their limits with polyesters – many are stringing at lower tensions or going to hybrid setups to reduce stiffness and impact shock.

See our guidance on tennis elbow for more suggestions on how to avoid elbow issues.

Young Players

Whatever the age or playing level, it is important that the racket, strings and tension are suited to the actual needs of the player.

Polyester strings, while the most popular type of string used by professional players, are stiff and can contribute to wrist, shoulder and elbow injuries. Young players lack the strength of adults and are at high risk of injury if they use a stiff string too early. We therefore strongly advise against using polyester strings while they are still developing physically, and to instead use a more forgiving and comfortable string at a low tension. The younger the player, the softer the string and lower the tension the better – this will aid power and feel without causing stress on the arm, allowing the player to grow and develop without pain and injury.

Our recommendation for any player under the age of 16 is to use a multifilament or synthetic gut string at a tension between 40-50 lbs. This setup will allow the player to hit with depth and pace even with a slower swing. As they develop stronger technique and racket head speed, they can transition to a hybrid setup and eventually soft polyester strings for more control and durability.

Frequency of Restringing

PictureIf you are using synthetic gut, natural gut or a multifilament string, the conventional rule of thumb is to restring as often per year as you play per week, but no less often than twice per year. It won't hurt your racket to restring less often, but your strings might lose their responsiveness.

If you use polyester string then as soon as the strings stop snapping back into place, and need to be straightened between points, you should restring.

String Suggestions

For beginners, improvers and social players:

For players with tennis elbow (optimum comfort):

Cost-effective ‘soft’ polys for intermediate players:

‘Stiff’ polys for advanced players (optimal control):

‘Stiff’ polys for intermediate to advanced players (optimal tension maintenance):

Polys for optimum spin potential:

What do the Professional Players Use?

Novak Djokovic Babolat VS Team Natural Gut @ 59 lbs (M)
Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power Rough @ 56 lbs (C)
Carlos Alcaraz Babolat RPM Blast (1.30 mm) @ 55 lbs (M) / 53 lbs (C)
Jannik Sinner Head Hawk Touch (1.30 mm) @ 61 lbs
Danil Medvedev Tecnifibre Razor Code Soft (1.25 mm) @50 lbs
Matteo Berrettini Signum Pro Firestorm @ 59.5 lbs
Ben Shelton Yonex Poly Tour Fire @ 52 lbs
Iga Swiatek Tecnifibre Razor Code (1.25 mm) @53 lbs
Elena Rybakina Yonex Poly Tour Fire (1.25 mm) @ 56 lbs
Coco Gauff Luxilon ALU Power (1.25 mm) @ 53 lbs
Ons Jabeur Luxilon ALU Power (1.25 mm) @53 lbs