Players will spend weeks choosing a racquet and then let a shop put whatever is on the reel into it. This is backwards. Strings have a larger effect on how a racquet feels, how much spin you generate and how your arm feels afterwards than most differences between frames.
They are also much cheaper to experiment with. Here is what actually matters.
The four string types
| Type | Feel | Spin | Durability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic gut | Soft and balanced | Moderate | Moderate | Beginners; best value |
| Multifilament | Very soft, powerful, comfortable | Moderate | Moderate | Most club players; arm comfort |
| Polyester (co-poly) | Firm, controlled, low powered | High | High, but loses tension fast | Fast full swings; frequent string breakers |
| Natural gut | Exceptional feel and tension retention | Good | Low; expensive | Players prioritising comfort and touch |
The most common mistake at club level is copying professionals into full polyester. It works for them because their swing speed is high enough to make a low-powered, stiff string come alive. At club swing speeds it mostly delivers the stiffness without the benefit, and it is hard on the elbow.
Gauge, briefly
Gauge is thickness, and the numbering is counterintuitive: lower numbers are thicker. Most club strings sit between 16 and 17.
- 15 or 15L: thickest. Very durable, least feel.
- 16: the sensible default. Good balance of durability and playability.
- 16L or 17: thinner. More spin, more comfort, breaks sooner.
- 18: very thin. Excellent feel; string breakers should avoid it.
If you break strings often, go thicker. If you never break them and want more spin and comfort, go thinner. That is genuinely the whole decision.
Tension
Every racquet has a recommended tension range printed on the frame, usually spanning about ten pounds. Where you sit within it changes the racquet more than most people expect.
| Lower tension | Higher tension | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | More | Less |
| Control | Less | More |
| Comfort | More | Less |
| Spin potential | Slightly more | Slightly less |
| Typical multifilament start | 50 to 55 lbs | |
| Typical polyester start | 45 to 52 lbs |
Two practical rules. Do not string full polyester above roughly 54 pounds, because the combined stiffness is genuinely hard on the arm. And change tension in two-pound steps, because larger jumps make it impossible to tell what actually helped.
Hybrid setups
A hybrid uses two different strings: typically polyester in the mains, running up and down, and a softer multifilament or gut in the crosses. The idea is to get polyester’s spin and control while keeping some comfort.
It is a genuinely useful compromise, particularly for players who want polyester’s control but have had arm trouble. String the polyester about two pounds lower than the softer string, since polyester plays stiffer at the same tension.
String pattern: the frame’s contribution
Strings do not act alone. The pattern moulded into the frame, usually described as 16×19 or 18×20, changes how the same string behaves.
| Pattern | Character | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 16×19 (open) | More spin, more power, strings move and break sooner | Topspin players; most modern frames |
| 18×20 (dense) | More control, flatter ball, strings last longer | Flat hitters; players wanting predictability |
An open pattern lets the main strings move and snap back, which is where much of the spin comes from, but it also chews through soft strings faster. If you have an open pattern and keep breaking multifilament, that combination is the reason rather than your technique.
When to restring
The classic rule of thumb: restring as many times per year as you play per week. Three times a week means roughly three restrings a year. It is crude but it is better than the alternative, which is waiting for a break.
- Strings move and do not snap back. The clearest sign the string has lost its texture.
- The sound changes. A crisp ping becomes a dull thud.
- You are hitting long more than usual. Lost tension means lost control.
- Notching. Visible grooves where the mains and crosses cross.
- It has been a year. Even unused, strings lose tension steadily.
That last point catches people out. A racquet that has sat in a cupboard for two years has dead strings regardless of how they look, which is worth knowing if you are coming back to tennis after a break.
How much should you spend?
String costs vary from a few pounds a set to considerably more for natural gut, and labour is usually the larger part of the bill either way. Since you are paying for the restring regardless, saving a small amount on the string itself is rarely the right economy.
- Synthetic gut is the value option and perfectly good for most club players.
- Multifilament costs more and is noticeably more comfortable.
- Polyester is mid-priced but needs replacing sooner because tension drops fast.
- Natural gut is expensive and genuinely different; a hybrid gets you part way.
The one place not to economise is frequency. Playing on dead strings to save a restring costs you control, makes you swing harder, and is a contributing factor in arm problems.
Strings and your arm
This is the part worth taking most seriously. String choice is one of the few equipment decisions that genuinely affects injury risk, because it determines how much shock travels up into the elbow and shoulder.
- If you have had tennis elbow, avoid full polyester entirely.
- Multifilament and natural gut are the most arm-friendly options.
- Lower tension reduces impact shock noticeably.
- Dead strings are harder on the arm than fresh ones, because you swing harder.
- A hybrid is a reasonable middle path if you want some polyester characteristics.
The wider picture on arm problems is in this tennis elbow prevention and recovery, and the frame side of the equation is in this guide to choosing a tennis racquet. Tennis Express has a detailed tension guide if you want to go further.
A sensible approach for most players
- Start with a multifilament at 16 gauge, mid-range tension.
- Play with it for a month before judging anything.
- If you want more control, add two pounds. If you want more power, drop two.
- If you break it within a few sessions, try a thicker gauge or a hybrid.
- Restring on the play-per-week rule rather than waiting for a break.
- Keep a note of what you used and how it felt. Memory is unreliable here.
If you restring often enough, doing the job yourself starts to make sense; the maths is in this guide to whether to string your own racquet. The note-keeping sounds fussy and it is the thing that actually gets you to a setup you like, because otherwise every restring is a fresh guess.
Frequently asked questions
What tennis string should I use?
For most club players, a multifilament or synthetic gut at a moderate tension. Polyester suits players with fast, full swings who break strings often, but it is stiff and unforgiving on the arm for everyone else.
What string tension should I use?
Around 50 to 55 pounds is a reasonable starting point for a multifilament, and roughly 45 to 52 for a polyester. Lower tension gives more power, higher tension gives more control. Adjust in two-pound steps rather than large jumps.
What does string gauge mean?
It is the thickness. Lower numbers mean thicker string. A 16 gauge is a sensible default: thicker strings last longer and offer more control, thinner ones give more power, spin and comfort but break sooner.
How often should you restring?
A common rule is to restring as many times a year as you play per week. Strings also lose tension while sitting unused, so a racquet strung two years ago is worth redoing even if nothing has broken.
Do strings matter more than the racquet?
For feel, comfort and spin, often yes. Strings are also far cheaper to change. Before replacing a frame you are unhappy with, try a different string at a different tension in the racquet you already own.
Written by Claire Carter, a former WTA Tour professional and full-time teaching pro at Bay Club Redwood Shores, where she has coached juniors and adults for more than twelve years.
Image credits: Artem Podrez (Pexels), Cristina Anne Costello (Unsplash), Firmbee.com (Unsplash), Invisible (Unsplash), Nenyasha Manzvera (Pexels), Patrick Nguyen (Unsplash), Richard REVEL (Pexels). Photographs are illustrative.