Choosing the Right Tennis String

Your choice of string can greatly impact your performance on the tennis court. This is why it's important to know what options are available. There are strings that cater to the needs of all types of tennis players. It's only a matter of testing out what works best for you.

To begin there are four main string types. These are synthetic gut, multifilament, polyester and natural gut.

Synthetic

Synthetic gut strings are the most basic string on the market. They are low cost and will be the most common string when purchasing pre-strung racquets. Synthetics are considered an all-around type of string. They offer a solid hold of tension, crisp feel and a decent amount of spin. This is achieved with a solid core that is surrounded by smaller synthetic filaments. I would recommend these strings as the go to string for beginner through intermediate player. They aren't the greatest in terms of durability, tension holding, spin and feel, but they give a decent performance in all areas.

Multifilament

Multifilament strings are as the name states. Many single filaments are taken and intertwined to form the multifilament string. These are also nylon-based, but offer improved comfort and can add power to the racquet. Multifilaments are great for players who suffer from tennis elbow or who wish to have a similar feel to natural gut without the high cost. Some things to look out for though are that these strings lose tension rather quickly and tend to break much faster than synthetic guts. A good indicator of when the string is close to breaking is when you see the strings begin to fray from hitting.

Multifilament fraying

Polyester

Polyester strings are monofilaments, that is they are a string composed of one solid core. Typical monofilament strings are made with polyester, but less popular strings are also made of kevlar. Polyester strings offer greater durability than the previous strings, but lack power and can be uncomfortable. These strings are geared more toward players who can generate their own power and utilize the spin potential of polyester. Many pros on tour utilize a full or hybrid set-up of strings using polyester.

Natural Gut

Natural gut strings are made of single strands of cow intestine, hence the name "natural". These strings are the most expensive you can buy and for a good reason. They offer the greatest feel in strings and give a very lively hitting experience. Natural gut is also known for holding tension quite well. Be weary though, these strings aren't the most durable strings out there. Pros can afford to break them on a daily basis, you may not be able to. I certainly couldn't.

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There are numerous tennis brands that sell their own strings, so test out different strings and see what works best for you. Check out Tennis Warehouse or Tennis Express for a selection of hundreds of different strings. I personally use Technifibre NRG2 multifilament strings.