Racket Restring Near Me? The 165 New Answer

This article was co-authored by Peter Fryer. Peter Fryer is a tennis writer and coach based in Derry, Northern Ireland. He completed his professional tennis teaching qualification shortly after graduating from university and has been teaching tennis for over 13 years. Peter started the Love Tennis blog in 2010 and contributes to the BBC and national media. This article has been viewed 110,366 times.

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If your tennis racquet is old or damaged, you can re-strung it without having to buy a new racquet. If you don’t play tennis that often, it’s cheaper to pay someone to restring your racquet. However, if you play tennis several times a week, investing a few hundred dollars in a stringing machine can be worthwhile. Nylon is the cheapest and most popular string, but you can also buy polyester, kevlar, or natural gut strings for a more professional feel. After cutting off the old strings with a sharp knife, mount your racquet in the machine and thread the new strings. Start with the vertical strands, then weave the horizontal strands below and above. For more tips from our tennis co-author, including choosing your stringing pattern, read on!

From time to time you need to give your racquet a makeover. How often you ask? Well, the general rule of thumb is that you need to replace your strings as many times as you play per week. For example, if you play four times a week, you should restring the racquet at least four times a year.

With all the re-stringing, would it be better to just buy a new racquet? Let’s compare that today. Over time and with play, strings lose their elasticity, so it’s important to know if you need to replace or re-string them when they start to negatively affect your movements on the court.

restringing

As previously mentioned, the general rule of thumb for restringing a tennis racquet depends on how much you play per week. If you play 3 or 4 times a week, consider changing the strings at least 3 to 4 times a year.

New strings ensure quality performance. Since your power and control on the court is highly dependent on the tension of the strings, keeping it up to date is crucial.

Most avid players have at least two racquets in their bag – having a backup nearby is crucial. What if a string breaks? Well, that’s just one more reason to make sure your frames are re-strung with fresh strings as often as needed. And sometimes you can tell it just by looking at it. If they’re looking a little shabby, frayed or sagging, that’s a clear sign it’s time to re-string them.

Often you will even be able to feel or even hear the difference in your swing. If either one doesn’t seem right, that’s another sign it’s time to pull the strings.

Substitute

How do you know when it’s time to buy something brand new instead of investing in new strings? Well, that’s really up to the player!

Upgrading your racquet

As you move up the ranks, you may want to start buying a more advanced racquet. Many kids start out with youth racquets that are made for beginners, so it’s in their interest to get a better design to keep their game on track. And sometimes you might not just want to re-string your current racquet, you might want to buy a new one as a backup.

Extending racquet life

The life expectancy of your racquet varies. But there are a few key signs to look out for that will tell you when it’s time to start buying a new one. Sometimes re-stringing is not enough as the problems can be in the grip or in the frame itself. In fact, if you re-string your racquet and end up not feeling a difference in your swing, it’s time to go shopping.

The post-stringing also affects the frame. So the more you re-string, the heavier the toll your frame takes. But you can have the grommet strip replaced when you re-stretch, which will help extend the life of your racquet without having to buy a whole new one too soon.

My strings are fine for a few more months – I paid good money for them, they last, so what’s the problem?

The problem is that failing to change strings often enough can be detrimental to a player’s game and health. “Most people underestimate the effect a leftover string has on their game and their body,” says Dennis Fabian, Global Business Manager of HEAD’s Accessories Division.

How often should you change tennis strings?

One of the most common questions about tennis strings is how often they should be replaced. It’s a great question that many players don’t pay much attention to. The truth is, strings wear out as you play, losing their elasticity and tension. If left unchanged for too long, they can negatively affect your performance. The first question is: what level are you playing at? If you are a beginner you will tolerate a greater change in string tension than an advanced player. This is because beginners hardly notice any change in string gauge. So if you’re just starting out, a two-month extension might be the right amount of time for you. However, if you’ve been playing for a while, I advise you to change the tension when you step onto the court. Here are some of the top reasons why you should re-string your tennis racquet regularly.

loss of voltage

The first and most obvious reason to replace your tennis strings is that they lose tension over time. The longer the tension in the rocket, the less force tensioning its strings. String tension decreases fastest within the first hour after stretching, and continues to decrease without a single pull. The process speeds up significantly as you start playing the court, hitting the ball repeatedly and increasing the forces on the strings. As a result, after 2 months your strings will have probably lost half of their initial tension. If it’s a single core polyester string, it’s probably even more. The exception is natural gut, which performs best in this regard because it remains flexible and holds tension for a very long time. Before you return to the court, you should replace your strings. If you are serious about your game, re-stretch your racquet regularly every 10 to 15 hours of play when using polyester. You can add a few more hours if you use nylon or multi-fiber strings. When you consider how much money you’re willing to spend on tennis, the following rule of thumb is a safe bet: racquet strings should be changed as many times a year as you play tennis per week. Unless they break sooner.

string performance

When your strings are dead, they begin to lose the performance characteristics you might have originally bought them for.

For example, polyester strings can help a player maximize their topspin potential. However, when they lose their tension, they also lose their elasticity and impact, which is part of how they help players generate topspin. Tension is important for control and impact resistance, elasticity and resistance to tension. By reducing the pulling force, the train dampens vibrations better and becomes more flexible. A “trampoline effect” is created, which simultaneously increases power and reduces control. An increase in power causes back reactions.

When it comes to racquet stringing, most ATP players use on-site stringers provided by tournaments and charge a small fee for racquet stringing (set at a maximum of $20/€20 per racquet).

While that’s more than good enough for the vast majority of pros, there is a select group of players who leave nothing to chance and want the same racquet strings week after week.

This desire for consistency created the niche market of personal stringing, and perhaps the best known of these companies is Priority One.

The Florida based company has mentored several top players over the years including Pete Sampras, Tim Henman, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray, Milos Raonic and John Isner to name a few.

Meet Ron Yu – Federer’s personal stringer

Ron Yu has personally strung Federer’s racquet for the past 15 years. He strings nine new ones before every single match, Federer plays with a hybrid string setup made of natural gut and Luxilon Alu Power Rough. These are all done with Roger’s desired string tension and completed with a white overgrip, Wilson jig, string savers and power pads.

How much does Federer pay for racquet stringing?

I had long wondered how much Federer paid for this tailor-made service. During the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Swiss TV broadcaster SRF spoke to Priority One’s Ron Yu, who revealed that the package Federer is on costs $40,000 a year. Thanks also to Brian for tweeting about it earlier this year, otherwise I would never have seen it.

This fee covers him for all four Grand Slams, the Masters 1000 events and some of the ATP 500 events he competes in such as Dubai, Halle and Basel.

Assuming Priority One was even seventeen of the tournaments Federer played in 2019 (although I don’t think they make the Laver Cup), that makes $2350 per tournament.

Expressed as a percentage of prize money, Federer won $8,716,975 in 2019, which means he spent 0.5% of his on-court earnings on racquet stringing.

Has the consistency and quality of Priority One’s work contributed more than 0.5% to his game? You would have to believe that, and if you asked a player what percentage of importance they gave the strings, I think they would all give a much higher number. So should Nate and Ron charge more? 🙂

As a headline number it certainly sounds low, but these guys know the market inside out and it’s a difficult service to price. There’s a fine line between players using a personal stringer and simply dismissing them to use on-site stringers instead.

Also, it’s probably not a good example of using Federer as he was one of the top earners in 2019. Some of their other clients like Tsonga spent 3.7% of their prize money on stringing and Raonic spent 3.1%. They’ve both made over $1 million, which is still well above average, so that’s a bit more realistic.

We also do not know which services are outside the scope of the Gold package and are billed separately. How readily bonuses are thrown for tournament wins. Or if Federer handles their travel and accommodation in places like Halle where he is the only guy in the draw using their services which would help profitably.

Is personal stringing a business you want to get into? I would have to say no. I know from stringing my racquet that it’s a tough job, hard on the fingers and repetitive. It’s also not my preferred model since you’re trading time for money, which makes it harder to scale. The moment you ditch that stringing machine, you stop making money.

Ten players on the books would give you $400,000 a year, minus all travel expenses over the calendar year, so not bad, but combine that with the US taxing worldwide income even if you spend 200 days a year outside of the country Job that makes you filthy rich, but now and then has a few perks and you can sit in Federer’s box 🙂

Was $40,000 higher or lower than expected? Let me know in the comments.

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Most serious tennis players will switch to a new set of racquets about every year. Top pros will change their racquets more often because they don’t want to leave anything to chance. However, some club players have been using the same frames for decades, relying on the maxim “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So is there a good reason to change your clubs frequently, or do you? Club players with their trusty old Dunlops have the right idea?

For a club player, a racquet frame can last a decade or more, but in the hands of a full-time player with powerful shots, it can wear out after a few months. Some players and their stringers are much rougher on frames than others, and their racquets degrade faster. Once racquets wear out, they feel different and need to be replaced.

Storing two to four racquets should prevent crises, but once they become too cracked or scratched you’ll need to change them anyway.

How long do tennis rackets last?

Racquets are typically made of fiber and resin. Frames are stressed by the forces exerted during play, especially when physically strong players are hitting big serves or aggressive groundstrokes. Eventually the fiber and resin will begin to break down and the racquet will lose some of its stiffness. As this happens very gradually, players may not notice the change.

Nonetheless, reducing stiffness affects the power and spin that can be generated from a frame and limits control. An expensive machine known as a “Racket Diagnostic Center” (RDC) can check for deterioration by measuring frame stiffness. Without this, you’ll likely have to rely on general guidelines to determine how long your clubs will last.

For a large racquet that practices regularly and plays tournaments, racquets last about 1 year and tend to lose stiffness after that. A club player who doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard and takes care of his clubs can easily last 10 years or maybe longer.

Variables affecting racket life expectancy

The lifespan of your racquet is influenced by several factors. How often you play will clearly be one of them and how hard you hit the ball. Some others may be less obvious. Racquet frames must be stored properly: they could be damaged by excessive heat or cold.

The stringing process is also critical. The string is usually of fairly high tension and needs to be removed carefully, and the clamps that hold the racquet in place during stringing should not be too tight. If the stringer is careless or its clamps have seen better days, damage can result. Each time the racquet is re-strung there is a risk of damage, so frequent re-stringing can also shorten the life of the frame.

Of course, a racquet can also be damaged during play, whether from scratches on a hard court or intentionally hitting the ground in anger. Pros can afford to throw their racquets around, but for amateurs it can become an expensive habit: once a frame breaks, it’s useless.

How many tennis rackets should you have?

If you’re a club player, two racquets should be enough. If you break a string or even a frame, you’ll get by with a spare line in your bag. Just make sure you only use one of the racquets until its string breaks so your spare doesn’t get used. Carrying two worn-string racquets puts you at risk of breaking both during a game and running out of one.

As a tournament player you should have enough racquets to last a two week tournament trip without having to resort to a potentially expensive and iffy local stringing service, so four or five should be adequate. Full-time pros might take ten or more and re-string them in batches for each event.

Signs that it may be the right time for a new racquet

If you don’t have an RDC, you probably won’t notice the gradual degradation of your racquet frame. Still, other things may indicate that they need to be replaced. As you play hard courts, the outer portion of the frame will gradually wear out as it gets scraped across the court every time you retrieve a low ball.

This is easy to spot and if the wear is significant then it is likely that your racquet’s weight, balance and stiffness have changed and it is more likely to break. Even worse is the dreaded crack. If you discover a crack in your frame, it will no longer function as it used to and you will need to replace it immediately.

Should you switch clubs even if they’re still good?

As you are young and getting bigger and stronger you may need to switch to a heavier racquet even if the one you have is in good condition. Serious adult players need to change racquets regularly to avoid the effect of gradual loss of frame stiffness, even if the racquets still look good. For club players, your racket should last for several years: if it suits you, there is little point in going through the hassle of changing it frequently.

Final Thoughts

Take care of your racquets, find a good stringer and you’ll put them to good use. Beware of gradual deterioration, but you won’t benefit from changing your racquet just to get the latest style.

Wouldn’t it be a total disaster if, after proudly stringing your first racquet, you found that you were about to fail trying to weave and knot your final cross…which means you’re starting over have to. A complete waste of time of course! So is there a way to know how much cord you specifically need? Luckily there is (and also a rule of thumb).

You need about 12 meters of string to properly strung a tennis racquet with some slack. For a badminton racket, you actually need a little less string at around 11 meters. Last but not least, and in this case the least, for a squash racquet you need about 10 meters of string. The main reason we included some leeway in these numbers is that some stringing machines have tensioning mechanisms that require a bit more. To tie a proper tie-off knot, you should also be on the safe side of average numbers.

Of course, the numbers above are averages with some margin, and actual numbers will vary by racquet brand and racquet type. However as you become a more experienced stringer you will probably want to start reducing some of these numbers as you will find that you will find it easier to navigate different machines and thus know what to expect with each machine. In this post I am going to explain some things in more detail to help you on your way to become aware of some common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

The string length you need to string a tennis racquet

The string length you need to string a tennis racquet depends on the particular model you want to string. Of course, there are oversized racquets, or racquets with really small head sizes, like Pete Sampras’ Wilson Pro Staff 85. There are also string patterns designed for control (18×20) or for increasing your spin potential (16×19), different ones Stringing patterns (squash players call them “power fans”) or special requests from your customers such as hybrid stringing or two-piece stringing. Even your own machine may require a little more or a little less. This is usually just a matter of testing.

Luckily, there are some rules of thumb that may help a little. A tennis racquet requires approximately 40 feet of twine string or 4 knots to tie off. With a one-piece string, you can use the same thing, but you just have a little more wiggle room. Some stringing machines come with a tape measure, but most don’t. Of course, you can also add a self-adhesive tape measure to your workbench or machine so you can easily measure the string. One tape measure I really like is the Win Tape Workbench Ruler (link to check current price on Amazon) because it only measures about a meter, making it easy and accurate to measure line.

Stringers often have other tricks for doing this, such as measuring the total span of the torso and then calculating back how many spans it takes to do 40 feet.

My personal rule of thumb for tennis string measurement

I usually only consider regular clubhead sizes up to 645 square centimeters (or 100 square inches) and those larger, oversized. For regular head sizes I measure 17.5 times the length of a racquet and for oversized frames I use 18 just to give myself some wiggle room. In fact, I’ve strung thousands of racquets this way and never encountered such a problem.

Here are some popular models with recommended string lengths.

Frame length – meters SS (short side) – meters 2 pieces M X C (longitudinal x cross) blade 98 16×19 11.1 3.1 6×5.1 Pure Aero Tour 11.9 3 6.1×5.8 Pure drive 11.7 3.3 6×5.7 Head Flexpoint Radical Tour 11.7 3 6×5.1 Average 11.6 3.1 6×5.4

The length of string you need to string a badminton racquet

A string for a badminton racquet largely follows the theory mentioned above, but the string patterns vary a bit. The usual pattern is 22 verticals and 22 crosses.

Frame length – meters SS (short side) – meters 2 pieces M X C (longitudinal x cross) Yonex Voltric 3 5.1×4.8 Yonex Arc Saber 7 5.1×4.8 Prince Hornet 5.7×5.1 Wilson BLX Force 9.9 2.7 5.4×4.5 Average – – 5.3×4.8

The string length you need to string a squash racquet

Squash racquets require the shortest string length. Here are some popular models and actual recommended lengths.

Frame length – meters SS (short side) – meters 2 pieces M X C (longitudinal x transverse) Tecnifibre Carboflex Basaltex 130 9.0 2.6 4.6×3.4 Head Metallix 140 8.1 2.3 4.5×3 , 4 Dunlop Biomimetic Max 9.1 2.6 5.2×4.3 Wilson Blade BLX 10.7 2.7 5.5×5.2 Average 9.2 2.6 5×4.1

The Difference Between a “Set” and a “Reel” or “Spool”

All right, so what to do with those numbers? You may be wondering why this even raises a question as you may have bought all your strings from your local store and feel that they should probably always come with enough strings. And you may wish to do so in the future. However, did you know that you can actually save a lot of money if you’re willing to buy your strings in bulk?

In fact, strings have long been available in 12 meter “sets” or in 100 or 200 meter “rolls”. Of course, 200 yards will feel like a huge number, especially if you’re just looking to replace your current string, but buying a string might actually be an interesting option for you depending on how often you play (and how often your strings break). Personally, I was able to save a lot of money by purchasing one of my favorite strings, the Signum Pro Poly Plasma 1.28m 200m (link to check current price on Amazon) on a 200m reel.

If you divide 200 yards by 12 yards, you know you can string about 17 racquets to a reel. If you know or can estimate how often your strings break (or just want to replace them) you can tell if this is an investment for you. Let’s try an example with one of the strings I’ve sold the most in my shop: the Babolat RPM Blast 1.25 (link to check current price on Amazon). This string costs about 17.99 euros (or $17.95) a set and 101.99 (or $158) a roll (of 200 meters) – at the time of writing this post.

Let’s split that up and come up with a purchase price of 5.66 euros per racket. You save more than 12 euros with every newly strung racket! And a total saving of over 200 euros! Not bad for a quick calculation…

For whom could roles be interesting?

Well, wait a minute… please don’t rush to the store right away to get your first roll. Let’s pause for a moment and consider who might actually be interested in this. Not sure about your current setup and string choice? Then I would definitely advise you to continue buying sets during the experimentation phase. If you don’t like the next string you test, just move on to the next one. Also, you may find that when you change strings, you suddenly don’t experience as much string breakage. Finally, I know from experience that string reels can dry out over time, especially if you store the reels in a warm and sunny storage area. This can ultimately lead to premature string breakage, even during stringing. I think you should aim to use up your entire inventory within a season or two or three.

On the other hand, are you a real string breaker? A power player? A real combination of Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal? Have you tested some strings and are you satisfied with your current setup? Then it would be crazy not to buy strings off the reel! You would actually be stealing money from yourself! Well, no, but you’ll get the idea… Also, you’ll often find that you can even save a bit if you can even buy a few rolls at once. However, not every company offers these discounts and always keep the above safety precautions in mind.

Measuring means knowing for sure

Of course, we stringers make an art of tweaking with our savings, and with good reason. But you can do this. The rules of thumb are good to get you started, but you’ll find that this can depend a bit on your specific stringing technique (one-piece vs. two-piece stringing, worldwide). One tip is to take a few notes about your work as you string. I did that too when I started. You’ll probably start with just a few clubs so you can keep track. You can do this in a simple notebook, excel sheet or just write it down on some sticky labels and stick it on the racquet and also write down some additional information like string type and preferred racquet tension. I found these waterproof kitchen labels (link to check current price on Amazon) but you can easily find ones that work for you with a little searching. Of course, if you’re stringing a racquet for customers, you should check with them to see if adding a label will work for them.

As a final thought, I just want to stress that it’s not really a problem to make a few mistakes here and there. Just remember that if you string yourself and buy your strings in bulk, you’re already saving enough to cover some minor losses. Losing a bit, when stringing and in racquet sports, is simply part of life.

So what about you? Ever run out of thread in your final weave? And how do you prevent it from happening again? Please let us know by leaving a comment below and help your fellow stringers with your experience.

Badminton racquets become unusable when their strings are broken, damaged, or have no tension. A racquet can be damaged through normal wear and tear. Hand stringing a badminton racquet is safe and does not require any special machines or tools. To get a racquet ready to play again, all you need is a racquet frame, undamaged strings and patience!

Recreational badminton players can get back on the court without spending money on a new racquet or professional stringing services.

A tennis racket used by Switzerland’s Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal in the 2011 French Open final has been auctioned for a record price.

The red and white Wilson Six One Tour model fetched $55,000 (£42,000/€46,000) at Goldin Auctions’ online sale.

That’s the highest amount anyone has ever paid at auction for a racquet used by a male player.

The highest price to date was in 2007 when a collector paid $32,000 (£24,000/€27,000) for the wooden Slazenger racquet used by Britain’s Fred Perry in the 1934 Wimbledon final when he won the first of three consecutive singles titles.

The most a racquet fetched at auction was two years ago when a different Wilson model was used by American legend Billie Jean King when he was winning former world number one and ex-Wimbledon and US Open champion Bobby Riggs in an exhibition match defeated Houston in 1973, sold for $125,000 (£95,000 / €105,000)

The Donnay racquet used by Swede Björn Borg in his 1981 loss to John McEnroe at Wimbledon was sold by Christie’s in London 13 years ago for $18,500 (£14,000/€15.00).

Last December, Goldin Auctions sold Serena Williams’ broken racquet from her infamous 2018 US Open final loss to Japan’s Naomi Osaka for $20,910 (£15,900/€17,500).

The red and white Wilson Six One Tour model used by Roger Federer in his last loss to Rafael Nadal at the 2011 French Open broke the auction record for a men’s tennis racket ©Getty Images

Federer’s bat included a letter of authenticity from his agent and a Beckett authentication for the autograph.

Goldin Auctions described it as “an incredible piece of tennis history”.

At the final at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, Federer attempted to become the first male player in the Open era and only the third man overall to achieve a double-career Grand Slam.

Nadal was the defending champion and the Spaniard successfully defended his crown, defeating his long-time rival 7-5 7-6 5-7 6-1 to claim the sixth French Open title of his career.

Federer also lost to Nadal in the French Open finals in 2007 and 2008 but won the title in 2009, beating Sweden’s Robin Söderling 6-1 7-6 6-4 in the final.

In total, Federer has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles – with Nadal, the most in history for a male player.

String tension is the amount of pressure that attaches the strings to the frame of the racquet and is measured in either lbs or kg. It always pays to be clear with your stringer about your preferred unit of measure rather than just saying a number! However, most stringers will automatically assume you mean lbs. Typical tensions range from about 40 to 65 pounds, but most players’ tensions fall well within this range of extremes! In general, professional stringers advise players to string their racquets as low as possible while still maintaining control of the ball. With that in mind, let’s first take a look at low voltages.

Low String Tension Low string tension is somewhere between about 40 and 50 pounds. There are of course exceptions; some players even go under 40 pounds! That end of the spectrum is pretty much trampoline territory and we’ll get to that later! But first, let’s set out some facts. Stringing your racquet low tension will give you: MORE power MORE SPIN LESS control MORE durability MORE FEEL MORE COMFORT Before committing to string tension it is important to consider what you are looking for in your game and how you want your racquet to perform corresponding. For example, a strong, powerful player wielding a sledgehammer or a racquet would most likely choose a higher tension rather than a low tension. Why? They already have a lot of natural power of their own, so an extra boost of power by reducing the tension and thus the elastic trampoline effect of the string would likely send the ball over the back fence! In contrast, a player who isn’t as strong – let’s say your lower-level club player – could benefit tremendously from low string tension. Since her strokes are not yet fully developed enough to access true power, this choice of tension would provide a welcome boost in mph! Another factor to consider is how you want your racquet to perform in terms of feel. Players with wrist and arm injury problems should avoid high tension and instead try to string their racquets lower. This provides more comfort and also enlarges the sweet spot, which improves the feel – an added bonus! Touch-style players will love the pocketing effect of lower tension, while a powerhouse player will most likely hate it and crave control. Think McEnroe and Roddick! John cocked low and Andy cocked high! Stringing your tennis racquet with low tension will also give the ball more spin, which is great news if you love hitting a heavy ball! This happens because the ball can penetrate deep into the string bed; The increased elastic effect causes a greater snap-back effect on the stringbed, allowing the ball to bounce back at a greater RPM than higher tension.

High String Tension High string tension is between about 55 lbs and 65 lbs. Similar to what we talked about in the low voltage section, there are exceptions here too – some players opt for even higher voltages! However, unless you want an injury to come your way, we wouldn’t advise going over 60lbs. If you have to string your racquet that tightly, unless it’s natural gut, you lose a lot of the characteristics of that particular string. In that case, it would be far better to re-evaluate your choice of strings or even your racquet. Generally, between 55lbs and 60lbs would be an excellent choice for higher tension. This still gives you access to power, but also offers a lot of control. Here are some of the pros and cons of stringing your tennis racquet under high tension: LESS power LESS spin MORE control LESS durability LESS feel LESS comfort You may be looking at this list and thinking, what’s the point? You are absolutely right to think so, as there is certainly a lot of “LESS” to it! However, as we mentioned earlier, high stringing is only for one type of player. When we talk about a polyester string, that’s the really strong, probably big, powerhouse, aggressive baseline player like Del Potro who just wants ultimate control from his racquet and string. Since he can hit his forehand bigger than most people can handle, any additional power delivered by his equipment would have diminishing returns and actually cause him to lose consistency. Del Potro wants his balls to end up in court; Don’t burn a hole through the back fence without hopping! One disadvantage of stringing really high is that you will lose a lot of the string’s elasticity. At TheTennisBros.com, we believe that a tension in excess of 60 pounds on a polyester string can affect its properties and consequently affect a player’s performance. The comfort will also be pretty horrendous unless you’re used to the feeling of hitting a wooden board! Poor comfort almost always goes hand in hand with injuries. So unless you have wrists of steel and are not physically conditioned appropriately, consider carefully whether stringing high with a polyester string is the way forward for you.

Multiple Racquets When you turn on tennis on the TV, you don’t have to watch long to see a player swapping one racquet for another in his pocket. Some players do it with every rally (Federer), some less often. You might think that’s because the pros’ strings break so often, but that’s not the case. It is often due to the fact that the string tension decreases during point play. In a matchplay scenario, a ball that had previously landed 10cm before the loss of tension would suddenly no longer land 10cm outside. With the pros struggling with such fine margins in their rallies, it’s crucial to maintain perfect precision (as good as possible) throughout a game. Federer usually changes racquets so often to prevent this loss of tension. There is another reason for this. Stringing multiple racquets (8-12 for pros) at different tensions ensures you have the right setup for the conditions you’ll be facing that day. If the weather is boiling hot they would use a higher voltage. On a sunny day, the air inside the ball becomes warm and the ball’s speed is much greater than on a cooler day. On a very cold day, players will use less tension than usual to compensate for the drop in ball speed. The third reason for multiple racquets is that a player can adapt depending on how he’s hitting the ball that day without having to manipulate his technique. It’s biomechanically impossible to do exactly the same moves every day, down to the decimal point of the joint angle! You’ve probably experienced this yourself. Some days you might hit the ball very well, but for some reason the ball only goes a foot. In this situation, you could simply take another racquet out of your bag that is strung at a higher tension than the one you are using and that would solve the problem and allow the ball to dive into the court. We are aware that this would require enormous costs! Only the pros really tend to use multiple rest strings a day. However, what’s stopping you from carrying an extra racquet or two in your bag, strung higher and lower?

Finding the Right String Tension for You The right string tension for a player can vary tremendously from person to person. We wouldn’t recommend looking up what the pro players are using and copying that unless you have flawless mechanics and know, for example, the exact custom racquet specs that Nadal uses. But even then, everyone has different preferences. For the average player, we’d personally recommend starting in your low to mid 50’s and seeing how that feels. Let’s say 53 pounds for the sake of argument. Also, if you know you prefer slightly lower tension, remember that the tension loss will happen fairly quickly and 53 pounds will turn into 48 pounds before you know it! Some strings hold tension better than others, but all strings eventually lose tension. How close you get to your preferred number depends on how often you are willing to string your racquets. Some players will have a batch freshly strung every day and others every 2 months or even less frequently.

String Tension by Type There is a stark contrast between the different types of strings out there, and each needs to be strung at a different tension than the other. For example, the most popular string on and off tour today is the co-polyester string. For example Babolat RPM Blast or Luxilon Alu Power. These are stiff, low power strings designed for control so we would need to string them lower than a resilient multifilament string as they don’t have much power from the start and are extremely uncomfortable at high tensions. Anywhere in the 48-58 lbs range would be an excellent tension choice for a polyester string. On the other hand, we have natural gut strings. These are the highest performing strings in the world and can really get your shot some miles per hour. Whether you use these in a full bed or half bed of strings, you’ll need to string them higher to tame some of their extreme elasticity. A good recommended tension for a natural gut or multifilament string is between 55 and 62 lbs.

Racket String Tension This point really made me smile as I’ve done some stupid things in the past when it comes to this aspect! I remember earlier in my tennis development being obsessed with generating as much power as possible and ended up putting natural gut in a 46lb Babolat Pure Drive Tour Plus! It was a recipe for disaster. Not only was the gut string a bad choice for the racquet and my game, the racquet itself is an absolute rocket launcher. Needless to say, I decided to string the racquet differently pretty quickly! Always consider your racquet when deciding on string tension. If you have a strong racquet, string higher to dilute some of the racquet’s power and maintain control of the ball. If you have a low-impact racquet, try stringing it a little looser. If you’re in a situation where you’re using a low-powered racquet and a high-powered string, you’ll find a good middle ground.

Exceptions I thought we could end this article with some fun facts! I’ve given you some useful guidelines to follow the next time you get your racquet strung, but there are always some that don’t quite fit the bill. Pete Sampras strung his legendary black Wilson Pro Staff at a whopping 70lbs! That’s enough strain to crack the frame! No wonder he broke so many strings during games! Obviously this worked for Pete, so you would never change what he did. The other thing to consider is that polyester strings hadn’t been invented at the time, so players were trying to find other ways to tame the power of natural gut. At the other end of the spectrum is American Jack Sock. If you’ve seen this guy play before, you’ll quickly realize that he has an incredibly heavy forehand – it’s one of the strongest weapons on tour. Just as incredible, Jack strings his Babolat Pure Aero at 40lbs, sometimes going as high as 38lbs! I know if I tried this tension I’d probably hate it, but it works really well for Jack and definitely adds spin to his already heavy forehand. That low tension would never work for natural gut as the racquet would knock the ball out of the park, but Mr. Sock uses a tough polyester string – Luxilon Alu Power, which helps balance the power level. He’s also very wrist oriented, using a full western grip that lends itself to finer ball contact. Clearly he’s found a way to combine his power, spin and low tension “through the court” to tremendous effect. However, don’t attempt these at home unless you’re feeling brave!

Behind the glitz and glamor of the US Open, 16 strangers from around the world busily string racquets for the world’s best players in a packed room at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing, New York. As the “official stringer of the U.S. Open, Wilson Sporting Goods is tasked with stringing racquets for everyone from Roger Federer to Serena Williams.

“Most guys in this room are going to string 35 to 40 racquets a day,” said Todd Mobley, an Atlanta stringer who is on his 8th U.S. Open works.

Becoming a Wilson stringer at the tournament is no easy task. Stringers are selected from all over the world and even come from Japan, Australia and Argentina.

The stringing process takes approximately 15 minutes per racquet and is then stamped with the famous Wilson logo and returned to players. In a pinch, stringers say they can string a racquet in as little as 11 minutes. They expect to set a record this year and string 500 racquets in one day.

Jessica Gold | CNBC

Rule of Thumb – Well, you may have heard the rule of thumb that says you should restring your racquet as many times per year as you play per week. So if you play three times a week you should restring about three times a year. I think that’s probably a pretty good rule, and if you don’t want to think too much about re-stringing or aren’t even sure when you last re-stringed your racquet, you can follow this rule and it’s good. Instead, here are some other pointers to look for and watch out for in order to know when to restring a tennis racquet:

String Appearance – The easiest way to know when it’s time to tighten is to notice how your strings look. If your strings are fraying or looking ragged, the strings will start to loosen and you won’t get as much spin or power when you hit the ball. If your strings are looking scratchy, it’s definitely time to re-string them.

The Sound of Hitting the Ball – If you find that the sound of hitting the ball is not normal or familiar, it may be time to re-string the string. As your strings wear out, they won’t be as springy, and you may only notice this at first by a change in the tone of your hits.

The Feeling When You Hit the Ball – As your worn strings lose or have lost their elasticity, you may notice a dull or dead feeling when you hit the ball. The ball just doesn’t bounce off your racquet like you’re used to, especially on your groundstrokes. You may feel like you have to hit the ball harder just to get it to go the same distance as it used to.

Time Since Last Stringing – You may feel like you need to re-string just because it’s been so long since your racquet had new strings. This could be especially the case with a racquet you haven’t played with in a long time. And while the strings on this racquet look good, you’ll benefit so much from new bouncy strings that it might be worth the reasonable cost.

Well if you’ve decided, hey, it’s time to re-string but aren’t sure how to go about it, speak to Matt for more information

By: Tim Hahn, Owner of Aspen Hill Pro Shop

As a general rule, you should re-string as many times per year as you play per week. If you play twice a week, you should restring your racquet twice a year. All strings will gradually stretch and lose tension or go dead, even if you rarely play. When this happens, start swinging harder, gripping the racquet tighter to get the same results with the ball.

Swinging harder and gripping tighter makes control more difficult, fatigue sets in early and can even contribute to tennis elbow. fresh strings will help your racquet play the way it was intended. If you have questions about racquets or re-stringing please visit the Aspen Hill Pro Shop. Tim will be happy to help you. Tim is a member of USRSA, a Master Racket

Technicians, the Yonex National Stringing Team, and the USPTR.

One of the most common questions asked about tennis players’ equipment focuses specifically on the cost of the racquets they use. So how much do the racquets used by the sport’s top players cost? The cost depends not only on the player, but also on the characteristics of the racket.

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray use Head racquets, which cost between 250 and 280 euros or about 307 to 344 US dollars. Roger Federer’s, Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph costs about €270 or about $344. Mike and Bob Bryan use Prince clubs.

Aljaz Bedene uses Tecnifibre while Tommy Robredo uses Dunlop. David Ferrer has changed several companies in his long career. Having previously used Prince and Babolat, he now uses Wilson. ALSO READ: Rafael Nadal: ‘Let’s talk tennis, not Cristiano Ronaldo’