The Best Tennis Strings for 2017

We hope you love this post on the best tennis strings for 2017! Just so you know, TennisCompanion may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page to help keep this site running.

If you’re in the market for a new set of tennis strings, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a complete list of the best tennis strings for 2017 and organized them in a convenient format so you can find the exact set that fits your needs.

To keep things simple, we’ve categorized our picks based on the different types of strings as well as specific goals you may be looking to achieve with your purchase of a new set for yourself or as the perfect tennis gift.

For your convenience, here’s a table of our top 10 picks.

To learn more about each string we selected and why we think it’s the best in its category keep reading or click any of the following links to jump to that section.

• Natural gut
• Multifilament
• Polyester
• Synthetic gut
• Hybrid
• Topspin
• Power
• Control
• Durability
• Comfort

Natural Gut – Babolat VS Touch

As far as tennis strings go, natural gut is some of the best (and priciest) tennis string on the market

To the surprise of some players, manufacturers create natural gut tennis strings by weaving together multiple strands of cow intestine. The elasticity of the material is exceptional, it’s fantastic at holding tension, and it’s easy on the arm.

For 2017, we’ve awarded Babolat VS Touch as the best natural gut tennis strings.

Back in 1875, Pierre Babolat developed the first tennis string made of sheep gut, and Babolat natural gut has remained the gold standard for natural gut tennis strings ever since.

Players will find Babolat VS Touch delivers on power, comfort, and feel. The string has also received slight upgrades over the years to increase its durability and resistance to moisture – historically two pitfalls of many natural gut tennis strings.

Multifilament – Wilson NXT

If you’re not familiar, multifilament tennis strings are composed of thousands of tiny microfibers that are woven together to form a single tennis string with many similar qualities to natural gut.

In particular, multifilament tennis strings offer great playability and exceptional comfort. If you’re a player that suffers from tennis elbow or any other arm injury, then you’ll likely appreciate the added comfort they offer.

Today, there are a wide variety of multifilament tennis strings on the market and more than a handful of terrific options. However, Wilson NXT earns the label of the best multifilament for 2017.

While Wilson NXT scores well all around but here are the few top reasons we love this string:

Power

One of Wilson NXT’s standout features is its power, which it delivers through the combined effort of 1,600 individual microfibers. However, arguably the best part of its power is that it’s not overbearing. As a result, most players will find the extra power a welcome feature that they can easily put to use without having to worry too much about overhitting.

Comfort

Perhaps what Wilson NXT is best known for is its comfort which is the feature that Wilson highlights as the string’s strongest asset. True to their claim, NXT is a delightfully rich string that is easy on the arm without sacrificing the response and playability that players demand.

Balance

All-in-all, Wilson NXT is a fantastic multifilament tennis string which wins the day because it delivers solid all-around playability that suits a broad range of player styles and skill levels.

The main thing you give up with Wilson NXT is durability, which is easily the biggest complaint about the string. To compensate, we recommend you go with the 16 gauge to help extend its life.

Polyester (Poly) – Luxilon ALU Power

Within the past 10-15 years, polyester tennis strings have become hugely popular allowing players like Rafael Nadal to take massive cuts at the ball and redefine our expectations and what’s possible with topspin.

Unlike multifilament tennis strings that are composed of thousands of microfibers, polyester strings are typically monofilament, i.e. a single solid filament.

Many players seek out polyester strings for their control, spin, and durability. However, this tends to come with a drawback that the strings aren’t as forgiving and can be harsh on your arm.

Our pick for the best polyester tennis string for 2017 is Luxilon ALU Power, which has developed a cult-life following and is widely popular on the ATP and WTA tour.

Let’s take a look at some of the features that make Luxilon ALU Power so popular, especially among intermediate to advanced tennis players.

Control

Without a doubt, Luxilon ALU Power delivers fantastic control without sacrificing great touch and feel, which can often be a drawback of other polyester tennis strings.

In particular, intermediate to advanced players will love the fact that you can take huge cuts at the ball without sacrificing control – you’ll know exactly where the ball is going.

However, Luxilon ALU Power still retains a liveliness to the extent that the string doesn’t feel underpowered or dull.

Spin

Luxilon ALU Power also delivers excellent access to spin.

True to most polyester strings, the lower power allows players to accelerate their racquet head faster to generate added spin without being afraid of sending the ball long.

Durability

Luxilon ALU Power does not disappoint when it comes to durability, one of polyester strings trademark features.

In fact, Luxilon ALU Power stands out from the crowd because it’s hard to break but it also does an excellent job maintaining tension which helps extend the overall life of the strings.

Synthetic Gut – Prince Synthetic Gut

On the lower end of the spectrum, synthetic gut tennis strings provide players with access to a quality product without the higher price tag associated with natural gut, multifilament, and polyester strings.

The result tends to be an economical string that performs fairly well all around without the enhanced features associated with other types, i.e. the extra comfort available through many multifilaments.

If anything, synthetic gut strings will tend to air on the side of durability which is a great feature for players looking for an affordable option because they’ll also last, which adds to their value.

This year, we’re awarding the best synthetic gut tennis strings to Prince Synthetic Gut, a classic string that offers durability and comfort at a wallet-friendly price.

Value

When it comes to the synthetic gut family of tennis strings, it’s all about value and Price Synthetic Gut delivers with a price point under $5 per set.

While you won’t get access to some of the higher end features available with natural gut, multifilament, or polyester strings you should find that these strings are all around great performers for the price.

Hybrid – Wilson’s Champions Choice Hybrid

One of the challenges that players have faced over the years is that different strings come with distinct pros and cons. For example, many players will find multifilaments to be too powerful and lack in the spin department, while polyesters are found to be harsh on the arm.

To make up for the pros and cons associated with different string types, players began to combine multiple strings (one set for the mains and another for the crosses) to get the best of both worlds, and it’s become a highly popularized approach to stringing.

While any two strings can be combined to form a hybrid we found Wilson Champions Choice to be the best pre-packaged hybrid.

With it, you’ll get Wilson’s Natural Gut coupled with Luxilon ALU Power Rough polyester to strike a delightful balance between comfort, power, spin, control, and feel.

Topspin – Babolat RPM Blast

With players like Rafel Nadal on tour, one of most sought-after attributes for tennis players is the ability to generate massive topspin.

If you’re looking to follow suit, then there’s no doubt that polyester tennis strings are a fantastic choice. Their slick surface and ability to snap back into place are a dynamic combination to help you generate maximum spin.

However, with more than a handful of polyester strings on the market one string stands out from the crowd as the best tennis string for topspin and that’s Babolat RPM Blast.

Babolat RPM Blast’s unique octagonal shape helps grab the ball for maximum spin in addition to the already slick polyester surface that helps generate spin as the strings snap back into place.

Perhaps, the most remarkable attribute about Babolat RPM Blast is that compared to other polyester tennis strings it’s surprisingly comfortable to play with, which makes it a terrific string for anyone to take their topspin to the next level.

Control – Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour

As the game of tennis has evolved with stronger players and more aggressive styles of play, the ability to control the ball has become increasingly important.

Whether you’re looking to tone down the power of a stiffer frame or you’re simply looking to avoid overhitting to keep the ball in play, a control oriented string might be a great option.

The low power associated with polyester tennis strings make them a great fit for control. However, not all polyester is created equal. In this case, we’re naming Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour as the best tennis string for control.

What sets Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour apart from the rest is that its ultra firm and low powered, which allows you to take huge cuts at the ball to generate topspin and feel confident with your placement.

The strings also snap back into the exact place they started giving you a consistent hitting surface time after time.

Power – Tecnifibre X-One Biphase

Unfortunately, all of us aren’t built with the strength to turn up the heat when we’d like. Perhaps you’re looking to hit a bigger serve, groundstrokes, or maybe you’d like to add a little pop to a more flexible control oriented tennis racquet.

If so, a string that naturally brings more power to your shots can be a great option, and Tecnifibre X-One Biphase delivers exactly that as the best tennis string for power.

As a multifilament tennis string, Tecnifibre X-One Biphase is a technological powerhouse with features like PU 400 and Elastyl that help deliver more power with ease.

It’s also an incredibly comfortable string to play with, which makes it an excellent choice for players with tennis elbow as well as a great option for use as part of a hybrid string setup along with a more control oriented, spin friendly polyester.

Durability – Luxilon Big Banger Ace

If you’re a big hitter that frequently breaks strings or you’re looking to extend the life of each re-string, then you’re going to want a durable string that lasts. After all, restringing too often can become an expensive habit.

Once again, polyester strings enter as the leader in durability due to their solid monofilament construction and slick surface that wards off notching.

While you’ll find most polyester tennis strings are considerably more durable than natural gut, multifilament, or synthetic gut tennis strings, the best durable string for 2017 goes to Luxilon Big Banger Ace.

Along with durability, you’ll get fantastic spin and control and perhaps most impressive is the durability of Luxilon Big Banger Ace with its thin 18 gauge thickness.

Comfort – Prince Premier Touch

One of the most common injuries in our sport is tennis elbow. If you’ve ever experienced it yourself, you’ll know how painful it can be and how it can sideline a player from playing the game they love.

Luckily for us, string manufacturers have continued to develop products that aim to ward off the harsh vibrations that can result from playing tennis.

In this category, we’ve selected the multifilament Prince Premier Touch as the best comfort oriented tennis string. This ultra soft string has a construction that aims to closely mimic the makeup of natural gut tennis strings and delivers with maximum comfort.

Along with comfort, you’ll get some extra power that’s familiar with many multifilament tennis strings.

All in all, if comfort is your top priority, then you can’t go wrong with Prince Premier Touch.

Conclusion

There you have it, our top 10 picks of the best tennis strings in 2017. What many players will find is that “best” is relative and subject to personal preference. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed our list or at the very least it helped point you in the right direction.

What are your picks for the top tennis strings? We’d love for you to share in the comments below.

1. Tennis ›
2. Gear ›
3. Strings ›
4. The Best Tennis Strings for 2017