In the old days, no self respecting tennis player would hit the courts without a set of natural gut strings – sheep intestines ruled, although cow intestine is now the king of the court. Cat fans will be relieved to know that their furry friends were never used in string production – it takes two cows to make one set of strings, so a single tournament like Wimbledon would have required the sacrifice of most of London’s cats, resulting in an explosion of the mouse population and thousands of angry feline fanciers rampaging through the streets.
Move forward a few decades, and we see a revolution in string materials, gauges, profiles and associated marketing guff. Natural gut has been largely replaced by synthetic gut… polyester and multi filament are extremely popular… and chronic string breakers have a friend in Kevlar. To add confusion to the mix, some players like to use two different strings, one for the mains, and one for the crosses. At a high level, this can fine tune the way a racquet plays…… and for the rest of us, it looks pretty cool and gives an air of sophistication.
Natural Gut
The original, and often regarded as the best, natural gut is extremely expensive, fragile, prone to moisture damage and needs to be strung very carefully to avoid kinks that can drastically shorten life expectancy. On the upside, it plays beautifully, with unrivaled feel and tension retention. The natural elasticity of the string allows the ball to pocket well, keeping contact between ball and string for a fraction longer than other string types. Before the advent of high tech alternatives, it dominated the ATP and WTA, and many players still use it, often in a hybrid setup. It certainly helps to have a string sponsor with deep pockets…..
Should you use natural gut? The honest answer is probably not: for the majority of players there are cheaper options out there which can produce a great feeling racquet, especially when you fiddle about with string gauges, tensions and hybrid setups. If you’re a chronic string breaker, keep well away, unless you’re willing to fork out significant money. Also beware if you’re a hard hitting base-liner who uses lots of spin – there are specialist strings just for you, and a full bed of gut probably won’t complement your game. On the other hand, the wonderful play-ability makes these strings the ultimate for advanced players who play a full court game, and a reasonably affordable luxury for the rest of us. The soft feel also makes them a useful antidote to tennis elbow, while at the same time generating more power than other string types. It may simply come down to how often you break strings and what racquet you use – they are generally not suitable for open string patterns, but the 18/20 crowd are ideal candidates.
A set of natural gut runs about $40 plus stringing, so it might be worth experimenting to see if the benefits are worth the extra expense for your personal game. The increase in power over other string types means that many players will increase the tension to prevent over hitting. Do beware of the fragile nature of natural gut: grommets should be in good condition and the stringer has to be very careful to avoid twisting, or even stepping on, the string. String-on-string friction can be reduced by string savers, and most modern gut strings have a protective coating to reduce the impact of moisture, but it can wear off. If you do try gut, don’t leave your racquet in a hot car as you disappear down the pub for a quick half: you’ll come back to an expensive fishing net.
Nylon / Synthetic Gut
Synthetic gut strings made their debut in the 1950s, and are usually made of nylon, with various enhancements such as textured outer wraps, chemical additives and pretty colours. More modern multi-filament strings give a much better approximation to natural gut strings, but when you see a string labelled synthetic gut, you’re almost certainly looking at a nylon monofilament. They have a reputation for being cheap and cheerful: great bang for the buck, but they don’t really do anything particularly well. Prices start at under $5 for a set, but don’t forget to factor in $20 for the stringing. Think of them as the Toyota Prius of the string world: sensible, reliable and well made, but ultimately not likely to fire up the pulse.
Power is solid, they offer mid-range comfort and are cheap enough to cut out and re-string at a different tension as you try to find your ideal setup. If you have access to a stringing machine, or a friendly stringer, you might consider buying a bunch of synthetic gut strings and experimenting with tension and gauge setups without breaking the bank. They have a reputation for sub-par durability and spin potential as well as feel, but some of the better ones are pretty decent: modern additives and manufacturing techniques have opened up a wider range of playing characteristics.
Multi-filament
Multi-filament strings offer a reasonable alternative to natural gut, although they don’t hold their tension as well, and are not quite as soft. They consist of a large number of fine strands, often nylon, wrapped or braided together and then covered in a binding agent such as polyurethane. Comfort and play-ability are very good, and they produce decent power. On the downside, they suffer from mediocre durability. If you have tennis elbow, these are worth a try. Prices start at about $15 for a set.
Monofilament / Polyester
Monofilament strings are extruded through a die, which results in greater durability and stiffness than either a synthetic gut or multi-filament made of the same material. The most common are co-polyester, and they are popular among professional players for their proven ability to enhance spin. Various tweaks in the chemical composition can give a slightly softer playing string, but be warned: all polys are stiff and therefore a risky choice for anybody with tennis elbow.
Durability is usually excellent, making them a good choice for sting breakers, heavy top-spinners and racquets with an open string pattern (racquets with an open string pattern are often aimed at enhancing spin). However, durability is offset slightly by their tendency to lose tension. This may not be an issue if you break strings quickly, but for those of us who string once or twice a season, beware! Their high level of stiffness has two effects to consider: it increases control, but also reduces power.
Should you migrate to a poly? It really depends on your racquet and style of play. Open string racquets designed for spin, such as the Babolat Aero range, are ideal candidates for a bed of poly: it will enhance spin and control, allowing you to hit hard with confidence. Players who hit hard with spin, especially from the baseline, will be able to take full advantage of poly – it really is the poster child of the new style of play. However, if you struggle to generate power, hit a flatter stroke or have tennis elbow, poly may not be for you.
Kevlar
Do you break poly strings so often that you can’t afford to play with a ball machine? Do you want to drive your stringer mad with the most infuriating string job of all time? Kevlar might be your new best friend. Relatively cheap, and offering the ultimate in durability, kevlar is the only known antidote for big-time string breakers. But be warned, its really, really stiff, so tennis elbow sufferers should avoid at all costs. It’s also very low powered, so you’ll need to be able to generate your own pace. Control is very good and the strings are quite rough, so spin potential is better than you would expect for such stiffness.
Kevlar main strings are sometimes used in hybrid setups, with a softer cross string. If you’re shifting to kevlar to take advantage of its legendary durability and tension retention, be very careful with this approach; the outer layer of kevlar strings is woven, creating a roughness that will very quickly wear through the cross strings, requiring a restring long before the kevlar strings show any signs of wear themselves. This is definitely a string to experiment with: you’ll almost certainly want to change your tension and perhaps gauge of string to get to most out of kevlar. And on a serious note, spare a thought for your stringer – this stuff is a real pain to thread through the holes, especially in heavier 16 gauge.
So what string type should you use? It all depends on the style of your game, your stroke, what racquet you use, your budget and whether you have tennis elbow. Its definitely worth a little experimentation – there’s something oddly satisfying in the knowledge that bad shots are all your fault, and nothing to do with your equipment.
Once you’ve chosen a string type, there are still choices to be made before you head off to the stringer. Get it all right, and you’ll have a set of strings that both complement your game and bring the best out of your racquet. Just remember that tennis gear is very personal… so try to resist the temptation to look up what your favorite player is using.
Other factors to consider before you head out to your stringer
- string gauge (thickness)
- string tension
- string shape / roughness
- hybrid, or single string setup