How To Choose the Right String

The problem with a lot of recreational players is that they are trying to copy top pros on the tour and buy the same strings they see pros using. Even though that those strings are extremely good they might not necessary be the right choice for non-professional player. Some of the them also try to string racket extremely tight thinking they will get more power off their rackets.

What happens is, they face wrist injuries or tennis elbows and consequently try to switch racket instead of first examining if the string might be causing the problem.

Lets talk about the type of strings that are on the market this days.There are several categories. The strings can be either Natural (Natural Gut) or Synthetic (Nylon, Polyester, Kevlar, Titanium, Multifilament, Monofilament)

NATURAL GUT

provides the best feel and touch, top of line among all strings

MULTIFILAMENT and MONOFILAMANET

made of synthetic gut material and offer fair balance of feel and durability

POLYESTER

offers great durability

For all my clients that have been dealing with arm injuries I suggest using Natural Gut, this is the string that absorbs the most vibrations and is the most user friendly. Since the string tends to be quite pricey, it might not be a the first choice for a lot of recreational players. The next best option would be multifilament, which happens to be close to natural gut in terms of performance (power, comfort, good tension hold).

Competitive young players

What about for the competitive young players, who tend to break strings a lot? I suggest they go for Monofilament, which offers great durability, control and topspin. Another option is also Polyester string, which was in fact was a top choice for me when growing up and playing tennis on the budget. It offers amazing durability and great topspin.

Thickness

Now let’s talk about the thickness of the string. The rule is quite simple, thinner string offers more power and feel. On the other side thicker string stands for increased durability.

Tension

The last and almost the most important feature is string tension. The easiest way to explain is by utilizing a table below.

Tension	Power	Control	Durability	Feel	Comfort
Softer	More	Less	More	More	More
Tighter	Less	More	Less	Less	Less

I know this article does not answer all your questions about what string you should purchase or how much you need to string your racket.

Therefore, do not hesitate to drop me a line, my email is ursa@ursulatennis.com.