Tips for Selecting a Set of Tennis Strings
To help you get the most out of this guide, we’ve also included a few tips to help you select a tennis string.
Tennis String Gauge
Once you find a set of tennis strings that you’d like to try, you may get tripped up with what gauge or thickness makes the most sense for them. There are two key factors to consider when thinking about string gauge: durability and spin potential.
Typically, the thicker a string, the more durable it is and less spin potential it has, while the thinner a string, the less durable it is and more spin potential it offers.
Strings are widely available at 17 or 16 gauge, with 17 being a thinner string and 16 thicker. In the spirit of keeping things simple, we suggest players start with one of those based on whether they’re looking for more durability or spin and then adjust from there.
If you’d like to dive deeper, check out our article on tennis string gauge.
Tennis String Tension
While string gauge is one of the last questions players have before buying a set of strings, tension is frequently the first question afterward.
Different types of strings can require slightly different considerations, but you’re typically making a tradeoff between more power with a lower tension or more control with a higher tension.
Luckily, racquet manufacturers provide players with a tension range that their racquets should be strung at, which they print on the frame. A good starting point is typically the middle point of their recommendation.
For example, if your racquet’s tension range is 50-60 pounds, then a good starting point is 55. Once you hit that tension, you’ll be able to gauge whether to increase or decrease from there.
String tension can have a substantial impact on performance, so if you’d like to dive into the details of string tension, we’d recommend you check out our article on how to enhance your game with the right tension.
Hybrid Stringing
If you’re not already familiar, hybrid stringing is where one type of string is used for the mains and a different string for the crosses.
The result is a blend of string attributes, with the string used in the mains dominating the overall feel and the crosses influencing the feel and performance of the mains. The result is even more flexibility and options when stringing.
Some string sets such as Wilson’s Champions Choice, our pick for the best prepackaged hybrid, include two different types of strings – in this case, natural gut combined with a polyester string. However, you can mix any two types of strings as a hybrid.
Regardless of whether you experiment with hybrid string setups, it’s great to be aware of the option, which has become more popular over the years.
String Replacement
As you look to buy a new set of tennis strings, it pays to have a sense of how frequently you should replace your strings. Typically, many recreational players will wait until their strings break.
While there’s nothing wrong with this approach, it’s good to recognize that the lifespan and performance of a string (referred to as playability duration in the string world) are generally far shorter than the time it takes to break a set of strings.
At the end of the day, it’s entirely a personal preference, but these factors can help you determine when you should replace your strings:
- Frequency and length of play
- Style of play
- Level of competition
- Budget
- Personal preference
To learn more, we have an article dedicated to providing more guidance on the topic of when to replace your strings.
Your Racquet
As you can imagine, every set of tennis strings performs differently strung up in a different tennis racquet. Racquets, like strings, are designed to provide players with different attributes, i.e., spin, power, control, etc.
Assuming you’re sticking to the same frame, you should expect a set of strings to deliver the attributes covered in this guide. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that your racquet combined with what makes you unique as a player will likely offer a slightly different experience than someone else using the same string in a different racquet.
While there aren’t any rules to which strings should be used for a given tennis racquet, it’s worth keeping in mind, especially if a friend who uses an entirely different racquet is recommending a specific type of string.
Your Style of Play, Preferences, and Opinion
Last but not least, one of the best tips we can offer when considering a new set of strings all comes back to you as a player.
First off, take into consideration your style of play. Are you a baseliner who hits with heavy topspin or perhaps a serve and volleyer? You’ll also want to consider your personal preferences on what you’d like to get out of a new set of strings as well as your own opinion on what you like and don’t like.
All too often, we find players swayed by what the pros are using or a teammate or friend’s advice with little or no consideration for the factors that make them unique as a player. Of course, you can learn a lot by looking for outside feedback, and we encourage you to listen to those thoughts.
However, we tend to find that players get a much better result and are happier with their string setup when they pause to consider their own needs versus what’s popular.
To that end, we can’t stress the value of experimenting to find the right set of strings. Rarely is it a one-and-done scenario to figure out what works best for a player, and while paying for restringing isn’t super cheap, we find it’s a sound investment for players who are serious about their game.
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