[Monday, January 9, 2023 10:54]

The little ABC of strings: Types of strings and other important parameters for your optimal stringing

What types of strings are there? Which parameters are actually important and relevant when selecting a string? What do you need to consider when stringing your racket? Questions upon questions... and who among you knows the answer to all of them? For everyone who now has one or two question marks on their faces, we have created a small ABC of strings that will briefly and concisely give you an understanding of the basics when it comes to tennis strings and stringing. If that's not enough for you, you can send your "string question" directly to us and our string expert Sandra Kirschbaum. So that absolutely no string question remains unanswered and you can find your optimal stringing!

Types of strings

The strings available on the market can be roughly divided into four different types , although there are also many mixed forms:

NATURAL GUT STRINGS

Gentle on the arms, great playing feel, lots of touch,
short durability, expensive

NYLON STRINGS

a lot of power, cheaply
less control, strings slip

MULTIFILAMENT STRINGS

Easy on the arm, lots of power, great feel,
short durability, expensive, low spin ability, strings slip

MONOFILAMENT STRINGS

lots of control & spin potential, cheap, no string slipping,
not very arm-friendly, average power

Other important parameters

Racket : The stiffness of the racket frame should influence your choice of string.

A hard frame should be strung with a soft string, a softer, more flexible frame with a hard string. The RA value indicates the frame stiffness.
Style of play : This is where it gets exciting, because depending on whether your style of play is aggressive or defensive, with a lot of or little spin, whether you are a youthfully ambitious or a leisurely hobby player, the right choice of strings can be important.
Stringing hardness : In principle, the harder the stringing, the more control.

The softer the tension, the more power and playing feel are possible. The size of the racket head is also relevant for the correct stringing tension.
Comfort : Many of you are familiar with tennis elbow.

Incorrect clothing can also be a trigger. Therefore, one criterion of a string is how it absorbs the impact of the ball and the resulting vibrations.

Durability : How many hours can/do you want to play with one string?

The different types of strings differ enormously here. An important decision criterion for frequent players.
Spin : A string can also add spin to a ball, especially if the string itself has a profile.

There are various versions that support spin effects.
String diameter : It is crucial for determining which of the above criteria really comes into play. As a rough rule of thumb: the thinner the string, the more power and spin, but also the less durability and control.

How do you find the optimal string? Who can advise you?

Find a string expert and get comprehensive advice. Be it in a sports specialty store or from an online retailer. For example, the traditional company Kirschbaum offers free and very individual string advice.

Test a string several times and ideally under the same conditions (temperature, playing partner, etc.). If you have several identical rackets, you can also test different strings one after the other and compare them better.

If there is nothing suitable, consult the string expert and, for example, change the tension of the strings.

Do you have any questions about tennis strings & coverings?

Then take a look at our world of strings or ask your “string question” directly to our string expert Sandra Kirschbaum from Kirschbaum Strings & Grips.

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Sandra Kirschbaum