Tennis Racket Restringing

---

Give yourself every advantage possible when on court. The feeling you get from contacting the ball should inspire confidence.  If not, it may be time to restring.  Even if you do not break your strings, you should still have them replaced from time to time.  DTC pro and master racket technician, Cory Smith has an easy to remember rule of thumb for how often to restring. 

The number of times you play per week is the number of times per year you should have your racket restrung:

If you play tennis: 

1x per week – Restring every 12 months

2x per week- Restring every 6 months

3x per week- Restring every 4 months

4x per week- Restring every 3 months

5x or more per week- Restring every 2 months or more often based on feel.

There are several factors to consider when selecting a string material including: comfort, durability and price. While traditionally strings were made with natural gut, several man-made options have been developed over the years. 

An overview of string material options and their pros and cons is below.

Natural Gut (Animal Intestine)

• For players of all levels. 
• Softest: Offers supreme feel and cushioning
• Maintains tensioin well
• Low durability (frays over time)
• Highest cost

Ex: Babalot vs Gut, Wilson Natural Gut

Nylon (man-made)

• Offers good playability for all levels and is ideal for beginners.
• Soft feel
• Durable
• More Affordable

Ex: Wilson NXT, Gamma TNT, Babalot XCEL, Wilson Synthetic Gut, Yonex Rexis

Polyester (man-made)

• Best for intermediate to advanced players with faster swing strokes. control and spin.
• Most durable
• Stiff (harsh or firm feeling)
• Spin producing
• Worst at maintaining tension

Ex: Luxilon ALU, Power BB, Bablot  RPM Blast, Wilson Revolve, Yonex Polytour

Hybrid

This is the mixing of two different types of string in the same racket and has become popular due to the rise of polyester-based strings. Players mix stiff, polyester-based strings with synthetic or natural gut strings to make for a more playable and comfortable string bed, while retaining much of the poly's spin and durability characteristics. Hybrid stringing allows players to extend the life of a softer string, and make a firmer, more durable string more comfortable. 

Need some help selecting the right string for you? Stop by our pro shop today and ask for some guidance on strings!