Have you experienced a situation where the ball doesn’t react as expected, and you feel a reduced control over your shots? Perhaps your strings have even broken mid-game. This could be indicative of loose and worn-out strings.
The tennis racket is the most important piece of personal equipment in tennis, so it is very important to maintain it regularly.
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- Tennis Racket Restringing
- How Should I Restring My Tennis Racket?
- Tennis String Types Explained
- Summary
- FAQ
Tennis Racket Restringing
The tennis racket restringing process starts with removing old strings. This involves cutting the strings and removing them from the racket. The racket is then placed in a stringing machine, and new strings are threaded into it. Once the new strings have been threaded into the racket, the stringing process can begin.
In the stringing process, all the vertical strings are first tensioned individually. Once all the vertical strings have been tensioned, the horizontal strings are tensioned.
It is a precise job because the person stringing the racket must alternately guide the horizontal string over and under the vertical strings. The racket is ready for play once all the strings are strung and tightened and the ends are knotted.
The whole restringing process takes 10-30min depending on the person stringing the racket.
When Should I Restring My Racket?
The general rule of tennis racket restringing is that the racket should be strung as many times a year as the number of times a player plays tennis in a week.
Below is a more detailed table of restringing frequencies.
| Playing Frequency | Beginner player | Intermediate/Advanced player |
|---|---|---|
| Once a month or less | 1 time per year | 2 times a year |
| 1-3 times a month | 2 times a year | 3 times a year |
| 1-3 times a week | 3 times a year | 4 times a year |
| 4+ times a week | 4-5 times a year | 5+ times a year |
If you are wondering why a beginner does not need to change strings as often as advanced players, it is because the more advanced players hit the ball harder. The harder a player hits the ball, the more the strings wear out.
These Signs Tell That Your Tennis Racket Should Be Restringed:
- Visible wear on the strings: strings are torn or have grooves in them
- String movement: it is normal that all of the strings do not point straight after playing tennis, but noticeable curving of the strings or a constant need to straighten them is a sign of worn-out strings
- Feeling: if you feel that the ball is deflected a lot or that it is difficult to get spin on the ball, it is a good idea to restring your racket.
It is good to keep in mind that the strings start to loosen as soon as the racket is removed from the stringing machine. The type of string and the tension in them affect the lifespan of the restringing. This will be explained later in this article.
Why Should I Restring My Racket?
Here are 5 reasons why you should restring your racket:
1. Accuracy and Control
Tight strings stretch much less at impact, giving the racket more control. Tight strings also produce less power, making the ball easier to control.
Loose strings, on the other hand, stretch a lot and produce more power, so the ball can be harder to control.
2. Breaking of the Strings
The more worn and older the strings are the more likely they are to break in the middle of a match. Breaking strings is not dangerous in itself, but if you have only one racket and your strings break you will probably have to resort to using a borrowed racket from the tennis club.
However, it is more serious if your strings break in the middle of an official match and you only have one racket. Therefore, if you only have one racket, it is always a good idea to restring it before the start of your next tournament.
Competitive players should always have at least 2 identical rackets, with the strings always restringed at the same time.
3. Hand-Friendliness
Whether you’re a tennis player or not, you’ve probably heard of tennis elbow. Tennis elbow is a stress-induced forearm extensor muscle problem that occurs in tennis players from all levels.
The tennis ball is surprisingly heavy, and a tennis player’s hand is under a lot of stress during every shot.
It is therefore recommended that you replace the strings of your tennis racket often enough, as new strings absorb the impact much more than old and worn strings.
Thanks to improved absorption, the new strings are more comfortable to play with and prevent the development of tennis elbow and its symptoms.
4. Production of Spin
In a tennis shot, the spin is created when the strings of the racket brush through the ball in a swift motion. This causes the ball to spin upwards (topspin) or downwards (backspin).
Especially when producing the topspin, it is important that the strings of the racket have enough elasticity to be able to return to their original position after the hit.
If the strings remain noticeably curved after the stroke, this means that the strings are too loose. Loose strings can no longer hold pressure against the ball and will adapt to the movement of the ball and start to curve.
Curved strings make it difficult to produce a spin, as the strings “escape” from under the ball and the contact to the ball is weak. When hitting tennis shots, it is important that the strokes obey the player and not the ball.
5. Slowing down of Progression
The final reason to restring the racket is that old and loose strings slow down your progress in tennis. Tennis is very much a sport of “feeling”, where it is important to find a good point of impact.
Every tennis racket has a “sweet spot” which is the most optimal point of impact. The sweet spot is usually right in the middle of the racket, where the string pattern is most dense. A dense string pattern provides the most solid and accurate hit.
As the strings age and become looser, the sweet spot area increases. This may sound like a good thing that the optimal point of impact increases, but it is not that simple.
A player who is particularly motivated to improve should learn to recognize the optimal point of impact of the racket to learn a good hitting technique. If the sweet spot area is too large, the racquet will not give enough feedback on whether the ball has hit the center of the racquet or not, which can lead to inconsistent shots.
It is therefore important for each player to find the right string tension level (number of kilos or pounds). It is also not a good idea to have too tight strings, because then the sweet spot becomes very small, which increases the number of errors.
Finding the correct right string tension level is a bit like pumping the tires of a bike – they should not be too soft, but not too hard either.
How Should I Restring My Tennis Racket?
The weight of the racket, the size of the head, the string pattern, and the stiffness of the racket have a big influence when it comes to finding the suitable string tension level for you.
In general, rackets with a larger head size produce more power, so you can put tighter strings that produce less power. Small-head-sized rackets, on the other hand, produce less power, so you can put looser strings and more power-producing strings on them.
Today, however, the string tension levels have started to decrease. In the past, the industry standard was to put 25kg(55 lbs) to 28kg(61 lbs) on the rackets.
In recent years, the new standard has become 20-24 kilos (44-52lbs), with the European average being 23.5 kilos (51.8 lbs). This change has been greatly influenced by the development of string and racket technology.
How Should a Beginner Restring His/Her Racket?
A beginner player should choose a lower tension of about 20-23 kilos (44-50,7lbs) and a soft string for his/her racket. Higher tensions of 24kg+ (52,9lbs+) require that the player is already able to generate power to the ball.
In high tensions, the sweet spot of the racket is also smaller and therefore the racket is not as forgiving in imperfect shots.
In the worst case, an inexperienced player’s hand can also become sore when playing at too high-tension level, so beginners should stick to lower tension levels and softer strings. However, as your skills improve, you can move up to higher tensions and more challenging strings, depending on your own preference.
How Should an Advanced Player Restring His/Her Racket?
More experienced players tend to prefer heavier tension levels 24kg+ (52,9lbs+) and harder strings, as they provide more control. For competitive players in particular, it is important that the strings retain their tension for as long as possible and this is why they prefer polyester strings, as they stretch less than, for example, multifilament strings.
Summary of Tennis Racket’s Tension Levels
For beginners, low tension levels (20-23kg/44-50,7lbs) and soft strings are recommended
More experienced players prefer higher tension levels (24kg+/52,9lbs+) and polyester strings
Tennis String Types Explained
This chapter explains the different types of strings.
Polyester Strings
Polyester strings are the most popular strings and are usually made of only one material. Polyester strings produce significantly more power and last longer than natural strings.
The gauge of polyester strings can range from 1.1 mm to 1.4 mm and there are different types for different playing styles. For example, a thinner polyester string can produce more spin, while a thicker string gives more control and durability.
Polyester strings are also available in different shapes, hardnesses, and materials. Competitive players tend to prefer harder and more rounded polyester strings (e.g. Luxilon ALU Power) as they give more control over the shot.
For beginners, angular strings (Wilson Revolve Spin) are better, as they give more spin and power to the shot.
Examples of polyester strings:
- Wilson Revolve / Wilson Revolve Spin
- Luxilon ALU Power
- Luxilon 4G Soft
- Luxilon Element
- Solinco Hyper-G
- Head Sonic Pro
- Babolat RPM Blast
- Babolat RPM Rough
Nylon/multifilament-strings
Nylon/Multifilament strings are more versatile than polyester strings. Multifilament strings usually have a single-piece core and a surrounding shell made up of thousands of thin fibers (synthetic gut).
Multifilament strings are less durable than polyester strings, but they make up for this with their softness and hand-friendliness. Their softness makes multifilament tendons particularly suitable for players with tennis elbow.
Examples of Nylon/multifilament strings:
- Tecnifibre NRG2
- Tecnifibre Multifeel
- Head Velocity
- Head Reflex
- Babolat Xcel
- Wilson NXT
- Wilson Sensation
Hybrid Stringing
Hybrid stringing means that different types of strings are placed in the vertical and horizontal strings of the racket. For example, the vertical and horizontal strings of a racket can be made of different materials and thicknesses.
Hybrid stringing, therefore, offers the possibility of creating different string combinations for different needs, such as durability, control, and power output.
For example, a player can choose a hard, durable string for the vertical direction and a soft, natural string for the horizontal direction for playability.
Example of hybrid stringing:
- Roger Federer (Champions choice → natural gut and ALU Power Rough → polyester)
Natural Gut Strings
Natural gut strings are expensive strings made from cow intestines. They are rarely used nowadays because of their inferior durability and strength compared to other modern strings such as polyester strings.
Natural gut strings are used mainly only in hybrid stringings.
Examples of natural gut strings:
- Wilson Natural Gut
- Babolat Touch
Smart Strings
Smart strings represent the most modern string technology. They consist of polyester filament tubes with a few multifilament fibers inside. The purpose of these strings is that when you hit the ball hard, the strings stay hard and produce more power.
When hitting the ball slowly, the strings yield more and the ball stays in the strings longer, providing more feel. It is worth keeping in mind that smart strings are designed for low weights (18-22kg).
Examples of smart strings:
- Luxilon LXN Smart
Chart of tension sustainability
| String type | Tension sustainability |
|---|---|
| Natural Gut | Excellent |
| Synthetic Gut (Nylon) | Good |
| Multifilament | Average-Good |
| Polyester(and smart strings) | Weak |
Weak tension sustainability means that the strings loosen faster and the racket should be restringed more often.
Where Can I Buy Tennis Strings?
You can buy strings online from stores such as:
US 🇺🇸
UK 🇬🇧
Tennis strings are sold in sets and Have you experienced a situation where the ball doesn’t react as expected, and you feel a reduced level of control over your shots?reels.
Set = about 12 meters of string, enough for one restringing
Reel = 200 meters of string, enough for about 18 restringings
Tennis strings can also be bought from tennis clubs, so if you take your racket for restringing you don’t need to have your own strings with you.
If you are an active player and have many rackets, it is advisable to buy your own string reel (200m) to save on restringing costs.
Summary
Tennis racquet tension is a complex process and finding the right tension level and type of tension for you can take time. But the most important thing is to be confident enough to try different options and if you have any questions, you should always ask your local tennis pro.
FAQ
Can I play with factory strings?
— It is not recommended to play with the factory strings, as their tension levels can be too low or too high depending on how long the racket has been sitting on the shelf.
Factory strings are also of poor quality and do not offer enough feel compared to proper strings.
Is it possible to tighten old strings without having to replace them completely?
— Unfortunately, no. You always have to replace the strings on a tennis racket when it goes to restringing.
Should I restring my racket only when my strings break?
– You should restring your racket as soon as you notice that the feel of the strings has deteriorated considerably. If you wait until your strings break, you have probably been playing with poor strings for a long time.
What should I do if my strings break frequently?
— Alternatives include lowering the tension levels or opting for a softer string. If you notice that the string always breaks near the frame of the racket, you should check the racket to make sure there are no sharp edges.
I have a spare racket so is it worth restringing it at the same time as the main racket?
– Yes, you should always restring the spare racket with the main racket.
How much string goes into one restringing?
– One tennis racket takes about 11-12 meters of string.
What is a good basic tennis string for a beginner?
– Personally, I would recommend the Wilson Revolve or Wilson Revolve Spin.
How often should I change my racket’s grip?
– As a general rule of thumb, the grip should be changed every 6-8 hours of play.