For many recreational tennis players, tennis strings don’t seem too important. Most players focus solely on finding the right tennis racket, which is certainly the most important thing. But professionals know that tennis strings can also have a huge impact on your game and your performance.
With this in mind, we have decided to give you a few pointers that may help you choose the right tennis strings for yourself and review some of the best tennis strings available on the market right now.
Best Tennis Strings
Wilson Champions Choice Duo Tennis String
The Best Hybrid Tennis Strings
- Hybrid of Natural Gut and Polyester
- 16 Gauge
- Great Balance of Spin and Power
- Good Choice for All Playing Styles
Perhaps the best hybrid tennis strings on the market, these strings are used by Roger Federer and they are one of the most popular choices today.
This product combines two premium strings, each with their own set of characteristics – Luxilon Alu Power 125 Rough and Wilson Natural. Wilson Natural is one of the best natural gut tennis strings, while Luxilon Alu Power is a premium polyester monofilament.
With this combination, these strings are able to provide power and topspin, as well as durability. These strings are a jack of all trades, master of none, which is fine for some players but if you want to use tennis strings to accentuate your strengths, hybrid strings may not be the best choice.
- Power
- Control
- Comfort
- Spin
- One Size and Color
- Expensive
- Doesn’t Excel In Any Area
Babolat RPM Blast Black 17g Strings
The Best Tennis Strings for Topspin
- Monofilament Polyester
- 17 Gauge
- Great for Topspin
- Good Choice for Baseline Players
- Not Suitable for Players with Elbow Problems
This monofilament polyester string is a great choice for those looking to maximize spin. With these strings, you will be hitting those tennis balls from the baseline with topspin that is only possible with polyester strings. With that in mind, these are better for intermediate players than for beginners who still haven’t developed their style.
In addition to topspin, you can also have great control over your shots, whether you want to take huge cuts or take full swings at the ball. To top it off, these strings are also very durable and you are likely to replace them yourself before they break.
The downside, like with any poly string, is comfort. While this string is a bit more comfortable than other polyester strings, it is still not a match for natural gut or multifilament strings. It also lacks in the power department, another common issue with poly strings.
- Affordable
- Topspin
- Control
- Durability
- One Size and Color
- Lack of Power
- Hard on the Arm
Solinco Hyper-G Heaven High Spin Poly String
The Best Polyester Tennis Strings
- Monofilament Polyester
- Multiple Sizes and Gauges
- Great for Topspin
- Good Choice for Baseline Players
- Not Suitable for Players with Elbow Problems
This is another polyester string that provides a lot of topspin but unlike some other strings, you can get it in different sizes and you can choose the gauge that you like. Also unlike most other strings that are black or grey, this one is bright green, which is not our cup of tea but you may like the flamboyance it brings.
Since it is a polyester string, Solinco provides a lot of topspin, in the range with the best of them. And despite not being a big brand, it also offers plenty of control for your shots. But the main attribute of this string is its shape – it is square-shaped, so it can offer a bit more power than other similar strings.
However, that level of power is still lower than what natural gut or hybrids have to offer, plus it is hard on the arm as well.
- Affordable
- Multiple Sizes
- Topspin
- Control
- Durability
- Lack of Power
- Hard on the Arm
- Bright Green Color
Head Rip Control Tennis String
The Best Tennis Strings for Control
- Multifilament Nylon
- Multiple Sizes and Colors
- Great for Control
- Good Choice for All-Round Players
- Suitable for Players with Elbow Problems
Head Rip Control is a truly unique set of strings since it is made from an army of tiny, shock-absorbing nylon filaments. This multifilament is combined with a specific polypropylene ribbons technology to make these strings one of the best tennis strings for control.
The fact that it is filled with nylon fibers makes this string quite easy on the arm, so these strings are quite comfortable and a good choice for those with elbow problems or even junior players. The feel is not crisp like with some other strings, it is actually a bit muted.
Of course, these strings don’t have as much spin potential as others but they are not bad in this area either. The bigger problem here is the lack of power, which is something we would have expected in a greater amount.
- Affordable
- Multiple Sizes and Colors
- Control
- Comfort
- Durability
- Lack of Power
- Lack of Spin
Wilson NXT String
The Best Multifilament Tennis Strings
- Proprietary Multifilament
- Multiple Sizes and Colors
- Great for Power
- Good Choice for Servers
- Suitable for Players with Elbow Problems
These strings are available in 16 and 17 gauge and you can get them in black or natural white color. It is one of the best multifilament tennis strings on the market, so it is also one of the most comfortable strings you can find.
Wilson NXT is made with around 1,600 proprietary Xycro microfibers impregnated with PU. This provides plenty of power to players while making sure that it is not overbearing, so you won’t be overhitting the ball. These truly are one of the best tennis strings for power.
Although the main advantages of these strings are power and comfort, they also offer solid control and feel as well. However, the main downside is their durability but if you go with 16 gauge you may get a longer lifespan out of them.
- Affordable
- Multiple Sizes and Colors
- Control
- Comfort
- Power
- Not Very Durable
- Lack of Topspin
Tourna Big Hitter Black7
The Best Tennis Strings for Intermediate Players
- Monofilament Polyester
- Multiple Size
- Great for Topspin
- Good Choice for Baseline Players
One of the main reasons why these strings are so popular comes from the fact that they provide advanced co-poly construction. This makes them easier on the arm than most poly strings, and allows them to provide a bit more power.
Of course, the biggest advantage of this string is still topspin and in certainly doesn’t disappoint in that area. The spin comes from the seven sharp edges but this springy response comes with a lack of control that firmer poly strings have to offer.
Despite being a firm monofilament, it has a feel of a stretchy multifilament, so it is ideal for intermediate players who are looking to move to polyester strings.
- Affordable
- Multiple Sizes
- Topspin
- Solid Power
- Comfort
- Only One Color
- Lack of Control
Luxilion ALU Power 125 Tennis Racquet String Set
Most Durable Tennis Strings
- Monofilament Polyester
- 16 Gauge
- Great for Topspin
- Good Choice for Baseline Players
- Not Suitable for Players with Elbow Problems
This is another set of polyester strings on our list but it is also one of the most recognizable strings in the tennis world since it is widely popular with professional tennis players.
It’s safe to say that they set the standard for other poly strings in those attributes that matter to pro players – spin, control and durability. These strings are made from resilient, sturdy co-polymer fluorocarbon resin fibers. They also include aluminum fibers.
In addition to being hard to break, these strings also do a fantastic job of maintaining tension, which extends the playability lifespan of these strings. On the downside, these strings lack power and can be hard on the arm.
- Affordable
- Multiple Sizes
- Topspin
- Control
- Durability
- Only One Size and Color
- Lack of Power
- Hard on the Arm
How to Choose Tennis Strings
There are multiple factors to consider when you choose tennis strings, just like you would do when you buy any other part of your equipment, like tennis shoes or tennis racket.
Types of Tennis Strings
Before we explain exactly how to choose the right tennis strings for yourself, let’s first take a closer look at the types of tennis strings you can find on the market.
Natural Gut
Natural gut strings have been around since the time of wooden rackets and they are still valued as some of the best on the market. However, they are also priced accordingly, so these are usually reserved for professionals.
This type of strings is made from cow intestines – strands of it are weaved together to provide elasticity and hold tension better. They are also lightweight and easy on the arm.
On the downside, they are not as durable as some other options and you may need to restring them more often. However, if you use string savers, you may extend their life a bit.
Multifilament
These strings are made from thousands of microfibers, woven together to form tennis strings that have many similar qualities as the natural gut strings.
They provide great playability and comfort, which makes them probably the best strings for tennis elbow or other arm injuries.
Polyester
Polyester tennis strings had a surge in popularity in the past decade, especially since they became the top choice for players who rely on topspin, like Rafael Nadal. So, it’s safe to say that they are the best tennis strings for spin.
They are also more durable than natural gut but these strings can be harsh on your arm. The main difference between polyester and multifilament strings comes from the fact that polyester strings are typically made with a single solid filament in contrast to being made of thousands of tiny fibers.
Synthetic Gut
These strings are not as great when it comes to performance as some other options but they are more affordable and often good enough for recreational players.
That means that synthetic gut strings perform relatively well in all areas, without providing any enhanced features like other string types – extra comfort that comes with multifilaments or control that comes with polyester.
Considering the price, synthetic gut strings are also pretty durable and last longer than strings made of natural gut.
Kevlar
Kevlar is one of the most recent developments in tennis string technology but it is becoming more and more popular, especially for recreational and amateur players since these strings are mostly known for their durability.
One of the main drawbacks is the fact that they are pretty hard on the arm, so they are not suitable for juniors or those susceptible to elbow injuries.
Hybrid
Since most of the materials used to make strings come with certain pros and cons, players started to combine different types of strings to make hybrid strings. This means that one type of string is used for the mains, while the other is used for the crosses.
While this can be done during the stringing process, which allows you to choose any combination that you like, there are also some manufacturers that offer prepackaged hybrid strings.
Important Features to Consider
When you shop for the best tennis racquet strings, there are a few factors you need to take into account in addition to the type of strings:
Tennis String Gauge
Tennis string gauge refers to the thickness of the tennis string and the two most important things to consider here are durability and spin potential.
Thicker strings are usually more durable but have less spin potential. Likewise, thinner strings provide more spin but they are not as durable.
The most common gauge for tennis strings is either 17 or 16, with 16 being thicker of the two but it can range from 15 to 19.
Tennis String Tension
After gauge usually comes the question of string tension. This is a bit more complicated issue since there so many different possibilities. However, the main thing to remember is that lower tension provides more power, while higher tension offers more control.
Low tension typically ranges from 40 to 50 lbs, while high string tension ranges from 55 to 65 lbs. However, the string tension you should choose also depends on the type of strings that you use but manufacturers usually provide customers with a tension range for their tennis strings and rackets.
String Replacement
Tennis strings have to be replaced occasionally and while this may not be important to you when you buy a new set of strings, it’s something to keep in mind.
Most recreational players wait for the strings to break before they replace them. This is fine but it is important to know that the performance of tennis strings and their lifespan (playability duration) are not as long as the time it takes for strings to break.
So, depending on your frequency of play, your style, budget and personal preferences, you can choose to replace strings before they ultimately break.
Your Tennis Racket and Style of Play
Tennis strings will perform differently when they are strung up in different tennis rackets. After all, rackets are designed to provide different attributes, so tennis strings should complement those attributes as well.
Additionally, your style of play will determine what you should be looking for in a set of tennis strings. For example, if you usually play from the baseline you should look for strings that provide heavy topspin. On the other hand, if you prefer to serve and volley then you should look for strings that offer more power.
Conclusion
In the end, it may take you a while to realize what strings are right for you. You may need to experiment a while and find the perfect set that suits your style of play.
We hope that our guidelines were helpful and that our choice of best tennis strings saved you some time in your search.