Tennis String Guide

What string should I get?

Many customers we have spoken to over the years have very little experience choosing string. That is why Do It Tennis has come up with some simple options. If you would like a good, basic synthetic gut string, please choose our FREE string. If you would like a better playing synthetic gut, please choose our $5 string option. If you would like a really good playing multifilament string that plays well, holds tension well and is easy on your arm, choose the $10 option. If you want an excellent multifilament that is just one notch below Natural Gut in playability, power and ease on your arm, choose the $15 option.

Different Tennis String Types

Natural Gut: The undisputed champion of tennis strings. Gives both power and feel. Good choice for injury prevention and vibration dampening. Retains performance as it wears though is vulnerable to the ill effects of moisture.
Synthetic String with Solid Core: Offers a wide range of playability, power, or control. Its low cost is an attractive feature to players who go through lots of string.
Synthetic String with Multifilament Construction: Offers the most performance for the money. Aims to replicate natural gut at a much lower cost. Natural vibration dampening is a characteristic as it minimizes arm and wrist fatigue. Use these with textured surfaces for increased spin capability.
Polyester and Polyester Hybrid String: Excellent durability and power. Can be hard on the arm, however. Frequently used as the mains in a hybrid set-up.

Tennis String for Power

The most powerful strings on the market are natural gut strings. (See: Babolat VS Gut 17g or Wilson Natural Gut 16g). However, natural gut can be very expensive. Therefore, many of the manufacturers have introduced multifilament strings. These are synthetic gut based strings but they have gut-like playability, quite a bit of power and they hold tension very well. Also, they are very easy on your arm and shoulder. The only down fall is that some of these strings do not offer much durability. Some of the more popular strings are Wilson NXT Tour 17g, Klip Excellerator 16g, and Babolat Excel Premium 17g.

Tennis String for Control and Durability

Tennis strings that offer maximum control also tend to offer maximum durability. These strings are generally polyester or Kevlar based strings that are geared toward players that play quite a bit and need a more durable, control oriented string. These strings can tend to be hard on your arm and require you to hit the ball at a high velocity in order to get to the ball in the court. Many of the top ATP players play with control oriented strings. Some of the more popular strings are Luxilon ALU Power 16Lg, Wilson Enduro Tour 16g and Prince Problend 16g.

String for Tennis Elbow

Many tennis players tend to experience tennis elbow sometime during their playing career. This is why there are strings available specifically for this problem. These strings tend to be soft and offer plenty of comfort when hitting the ball. A soft feeling string will cushion the impact of the ball by absorbing more shock and vibration. Natural gut is the best possible choice. Some synthetics work much better than others. Some of the more popular strings are Klip Legend 17g, Head Protector 16g and Tecnifibre NRG 17g.

Tennis String for Spin

Most manufacturers have specific strings available for players that like to add spin to their shots. Most of these strings have a contoured outer wrap that provides maximum grip on the ball and added spin. Some of the more popular strings are Prince Topspin Plus 16g and Wilson Stamina Spin 16g.

Good Choices for Mains & Crosses

Many players tend to put a durable string (Ex: Luxilon ALU Power) in the mains and a playable string (Ex: Wilson NXT or Babolat VS Gut) in the crosses. This allows a player great durability without giving up a lot of playability and it also helps prevent arm problems. Some of the more popular hybrid combinations are Babolat Hurricane 16g (main) / Babolat VS Gut 17g (cross), Klip Blast 16g (Polyester main / Synthetic Gut cross) and Wilson Natural Duo (Enduro Tour main / Natural Gut cross).

Tennis String Sets & Reels

A set is an individual package of string. It is generally 42 feet long and can string one complete racquet. A reel is roughly 10 - 18 sets of string in one continuous roll. It is generally 330 to 720 feet long and can string up to 22 racquets, depending on total length. Reels are great for players looking to string their own racquet(s) but don’t want to purchase individual sets. Reels are also a great value.

Tennis String Gauge

Generally, the thicker the string the more durable the string is. String gauge works this way:

Lower Gauge = Thicker String
Higher Gauge = Thinner String

That means 16g string is thicker than 17g string. Do It Tennis carries the following string gauges: 15Lg (1.35 mm), 16g (1.30 mm), 16Lg (1.27 mm), 17g (1.25 mm), 17Lg (1.23 mm) and 18g (1.20 mm). However, many strings now come in different materials, which means that some thin strings also are durable. Please check the Power and Durability ratings on each string before purchasing.

Tennis String Power Rating

Do It Tennis uses a unique rating system that helps our customers find the very best string for their game. Our power rating system works on a scale from 1 to 10. A one (1) string has no power at all. A ten (10) has maximum power.

Tennis String Durability Rating

Do It Tennis uses a unique rating system that helps our customers find the very best string for their game. Our durability rating system works on a scale from 1 to 10. A one (1) string has very little durability. A ten (10) has maximum durability.

See the Tennis Racquet Reviews page, and then browse our wide selection of Tennis racquets for more information.