Tennis Racquet Strings

Much like strings on a musical instrument, your tennis racquet strings can have a significant impact on your game and your style of play. While both factor into exactly which kind of strings you should buy, there's also a lot of other things to consider when restringing your racquet. Luckily these aspects are often interrelated and it's important to know which combinations are best for your game so you can maximize your fun level and keep those Rod Laver sneakers in good, well-worn shape.

Strings

Top Picks from Tennis Magazine

Natural Gut It's the softest, thus providing comfort and feel. Great for players who aren't notorious for breaking strings and those who hit with touch. The catch? It's not cheap. A good one to try: Babolat VS Touch	Polyester Super stiff and durable. Its extended life will be appreciated by those who have fast swings with heavy topsin. Try these out: Luxillon Big Banger Alu Power,  Tecnifi bre Pro Red Code	Multifilament Synthetic A broad category that spans the largest variety of players. They're more durable and more affordable than gut, but softer than polyester. Try these out: Gamma TNT Prodigy,  Head FXP Power	Hybrid Normally a mix of polyester in the mains for durability and soft synthetic or gut in the crosses for comfort. Good for those who want strings that last. Try these out:Wilson NXT Duo,  Prince Tour Blend

Thick Strings vs. Thin Strings

• Thinner strings (16-19 gauge) are widely thought to bite into the ball better and provide more spin.
• Thicker strings (15 gauge) are good for beginners and are more durable, but are less resilient.
• Strings all have a Light (L) version, which is a slightly thinner string than the normal quality string.

Tension

Generally, lower string tension will provide a little more power on your shots. Most people think this is because the ball rests a little longer on a low-tension string bed than a harder one.

• Lower-tension strings also provide more resiliency, which is related to power. The higher resiliency, the more power the strings should offer. Thinner strings and natural gut are generally more resilient.
• Some tests, however, show that by increasing your string tension by 50 percent (which is a lot), you can up your ball spin by 5 percent. This is thought to be caused by harder tension strings biting into the ball more and causing more compression on impact.
• Higher tension strings also provide more control.

String Vibration

Some racquets come with small plastic vibration dampeners, which, as the name implies, reduces the impact vibration as well as the "ping" sound. They also keep the main strings from shifting during play, which increases spin and string life.

Restringing

The general rule of thumb is to restring per year as many times as you play per week. So if you're hitting the courts four times a week, you'll want to change your strings four times a year. Restringing twice a year is about the minimum for active players, but some heavy spin hitters will definitely wear their strings out faster than flat hitters.

Additional Links

• About.com - Good, easy to understand answers frequently asked questions on stringing.
• Golfsmith.com - A more detailed explaination on strings and stringing.