YOUR GAME STYLE

Once you have decided on a new racket, you will be asked one more question: "How would you like that strung?" It is important choose the best string and tension for your game style, so we've provided a little cheat sheet detailing the four basic categories of string as well as some key terms to remember. There is no substitute for experience, so be prepared to try a few different strings and tensions before finding the best fit.

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Control

If you’re having trouble keeping the ball inside the lines or placing your shots effectively, a control string can help. The magic ingredient of control is a high stiffness level, which is why the best control strings come from the polyester category. Firm polyester strings not only produce more manageable ball speeds and shot trajectories, they also help in the generation of spin, which enables the player to bring the ball down with a high degree of precision. Not recommended for beginners.

Spin

If you’ve ever witnessed the sharp angle of a Rafael Nadal passing shot or the way his high arching shots drop suddenly inside lines and explode past his opponents, you have witnessed the magic of spin. However, spin isn’t exclusive to the world’s top players. It is necessary for controlling shot trajectory and creating a safe margin of error when attempting to clear the net. It will also help you bring the ball down effectively when swinging for power. As with control, the best spin strings come from the polyester family.

Durability

Nothing lasts forever, including tennis strings. They will eventually break due to blunt impact force and/or the frictional wear caused by string movement. Although these problems are a much bigger concern for experienced players with long, fast strokes, no player is immune to string breakage. As with the control and spin categories, the best durability strings come from the polyester family, which has long been the most popular refuge for chronic string breakers

Power

If your shots are landing short and you're having a hard time generating the needed power for pressuring your opponent or hitting winners, a more powerful string can help. A good rule of thumb for finding a more powerful string boils down to three words: softer is better. For this reason, the most powerful strings come from the two softest string types, natural gut and multifilament.

Comfort

Although tennis is not considered a brutal sport, every hitting session is marked by the repetitive and violent collision between ball and strings, the outcome of which travels straight to your arm in the form of vibration and shock. For this reason, the need for comfort is paramount for a great many players, especially beginners with lighter racquets and unpolished technique but also any player who has experienced tennis elbow. The best comfort strings come from the natural gut and multifilament families as their pliability is essential for absorbing impact shock.

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