FAQ'S How often should you restring your racquet? Why does string break?

Material
Today there are over 500 different strings on the market making selecting string a confusing issue. Material used in tennis racquet string is either synthetic or natural gut.

Natural gut is beef intestines cleaned and stretched. Professional players agree that natural gut string sets the standard for optimum playability, yet for the everyday player natural gut is expensive and short lived.

String can be classified as soft feel, crisp feel, textured or durable.

Softer string, or strings with softer coating, tend to vibrate less and feel "soft". Softer playing string is usually multifilament or multicore synthetic string. Soft string works well with wide-body power racquets by compensating for some of the stiff attributes of these racquets. Examples of soft playing string are: Wilson NXT, Babolat Excel Premium
and Gamma Live Wire Pro.

Crisp playing string is usually solid core string with a single wrap outer coating. This string plays with a crisp solid feel and works well in player's racquets. Examples of crisp playing strings are: Wilson Sensation and Gamma TNT.

Solid core strings with multifilament wrapped outer coating give a blend of crisp and soft feeling string. Examples include: Gamma TNT RX and Babolat VS Fiberfeel.

Strings that will be durable are either polyester (monofilament) string or Aramid Fiber Hybrids. Monofilament string will resist abrasion but is very stiff. Gamma Dura Blast is an example of monofilament string. Hybrid string is usually a Kevlar string used for strength on the main strings with much softer nylon used for cross strings. Prince ProBlend and Wilson Hammerlast are examples of Hybrid string.

Textured string has a rough surface which can "bite" into the ball and generate more spin. Prince Topspin Plus and Wilson eXtreme Spin are examples of textured string.

How often should you restring your racquet?
One of the worst experiences you can encounter in tennis is breaking your string in the middle of a match. This experience can be avoided, to some extent, by taking some precautions. As a general rule you should restring your racquet per year about as many times as you play in one week; therefore, if you play three times a week you would want to restring your racquet three times a year.

There are other factors to consider. If you play on clay, your strings will pick up grit potentially causing more abrasions on the string reducing the time between restringing. Hard hitters will put more stress on strings and will probably restring more often then the general rule requires. Do not store your racquet in a hot environment such as the trunk of your car. Heat can wear out strings much quicker then hitting hard or playing on clay. It is a good rule to inspect your racquet and strings on a regular basis. Look for abrasions on the string and inspect the grommets for wear. If the grommets are torn and string comes in contact with the racquet frame, you are almost assured of a broken string.

Why does string break?
Rarely will you get string that is from a "bad batch" but it can happen. String is now made so that a reasonable shelf life can be expected. Even natural gut can last in excess of a year as long as the storage is kept at a reasonable temperature. Normally, use is the major reason that strings break. Keep your strings clean. It is a good idea to wipe your strings off after you use your racquet. Check the grommets and frame periodically and restring when you begin to see excessive wear.

Electronic Stringing
Electronic stringing holds tension much easier then with manual stringing machines. Electronic machines are easy to calibrate, offer wider ranges of tension and can give consistent tension on the mains and crosses. Having consistent stringing each time you restring allows a player to play with a racquet that will play and feel the same for extended periods of time.