Everything you need to know about tennis strings (almost)

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro
00:34 Beginners should use
00:48 Pros use polyesters or hybrids
01:58 Polyester strings
03:12 The color of the string makes a difference
04:01 The key factors of a string
04:08 Tension
05:03 Gauges
05:34 Tension maintenance
06:27 Multifilament or poly
07:18 Colors
08:09 Sets or reels
08:19 Tennis and sustainability
08:35 String pricing
09:08 How polyester strings changed the game
10:13 A deeper look at multifilament strings
11:13 Polyester strings go dead
11:59 Hybrid setups
12:34 You can hybrid poly and poly
13:09 Checking your tension
13:40 Going from multi to poly
13:49 Softer polyester strings
14:20 Stiffer string recommendations
14:37 The string market is more confusing than ever
15:20 If you find something you like…
16:00 Some of my favorite strings

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[dominkoblazevic]

13:50 "This is Swift in a Shift, he he." Loved it.

[phivortex]

Thanks Jonas. Playing again at age 45 after a 25 year break of hard circumstances. My love for the game shines through. I have learned a lot from you. Gone for the hybrid - Mains Grapplesnake M8 @56 lb Cross Technifibre X-One Biphase @ 54lb. UK

[SMaxx-ej]

Great explanation on the difference between multi and poly strings.

[ttwarrior]

im using triax at 37 with no complaints. I play twice a week and hit slice and flat. Its helping with return of serve in doubles

[JovanniG]

Yeah, learned the hard way, I tried to save a few dollars by not restringing my rackets when they went dead, and got bad tennis elbow. But, I also got tennis elbow after experimenting with different strings to so, quite the double edge sword here!

[BurnsTennis]

The study from the 1998 US Open showed that Sampras average forehand was 1, 842 rpms. The highest spin recorded in that sequence on his forehand was 3, 409rpms. Sampras used premium gut strings with very high tension. An intersting study from that time period of the top players in 1998.

[luckcab]

Thanks Jonas! Honestly lately I've just been buying whatever is on sale and making a syngut-poly hybrid and its been totally fine haha maybe I'm just not sensitive to these things.

4:38 what a great picture of Guga Kuerten! 😂

[CH-ypby]

Nice video, currently ona string journey for my Ezone 98 2021, did Head Velocity MLT at 53 lbs on mains and Lux Element at 48 lbs on crosses for a soft setup to help recover from an arm injury was really good a few hours in and for about 10 games but once tension dropped too much it was too hard to keep the ball in so I recently tried poly pro tour tour mains at 48lbs and Bab VS gut on crosses at 52lbs which was great with power, spin and control. I will try next the VS gut on mains at 54 lbs and Lux 4g OG or rough at 48lbs on crosses next, this setup has superior tension maintenance and good control from the 4G plus 4g has a longer life for a string unlike PPT.

[DaveTrammell]

Yes, thanks Jonas. Practical as always

[EGchristian]

I personally prefer syn gut over multis. Please try syn gut in the mains and a low-friction round poly in the crosses. The playability and comfort will surprise you.

[andrewseung]

Curiosity, what strings do you recommend with the 2023 vcore 95, 98, and 100? I currently play with a pro staff hybriding x one biphase with hawk touch or polytour strike. Mostly a baseline player but like coming up to the net when given the chance. I would prefer going to a full poly or multi set up but would be ok with hybriding.

[ImagineerTim]

Solinco Tour Bite is the best string! It goes well with all Radical MP Models

[jpmeryortiz]

Jonas you are the man! Quick one for you, I switch to Yonex PTP and love it but it losses tension very fast after only 2 sessions. What would you do improve tension maintenance? Maybe string a little bit higher? Hybrid it with a stiffer/shaped poly? thank you in advance ! :)

[sebastiandomagala]

I actually got my favourite string, the Ytex Quadro Twist (black, the white one is stiffer).
With my Blade 18 20 it was the perfect string, but became unplayable after 15 to 20 hours (felt like a dead piece of plastic when the elasticity faded), but tension maintanance is top.
I changed to a more lively racquet, now it has too much power (can't swing fully anymore), but it stays playable until it snaps.
Testing strings is awful imo, too many options, much worse than testing racquets. The Quadro Twist doesn't suit me that well anymore, I have to repeat my search.

[SaqibSheikh]

I feel like my wrist can get a bit sensitive with full poly. Hybrid has been a decent set up for me

[mindango]

Female 4.0 NTRP here. I honestly can't get any depth with poly. I've tried so much and I just hate when the ball lands inside the service line and the contact feel is just so dead. Even with softer polys it feels dead. I think it's an elasticity issue not a stiffness issue. Do I just need more racquet head speed to make good use of poly? I tend to hit flat but when I do wanna add lots of topspin to get a really low ball up over the net, it's doable but not as easy as I'd want. Any recs?

[adamcravets]

I’m a 4.5 level player who hits very heavy topspin. I use the Wilson pro staff 95s with Volkl cyclone 15L gauge strings at 54 lbs. The main reason I chose them is I was told they’d last longer than most strings on the market. But I tend to break them every 3 weeks if I’m playing 2-3 times a week with 2 sessions of singles and one doubles. Is there a better topspin friendly longer lasting string or set up I should be using? It was suggested I try a different string (can’t remember the name of it) but I’m not a fan as the string is too slick and moves a lot and I feel it doesn’t grip the ball very well.

[sandelsson]

I’m a pretty big hitter and was thinking of switching to a multifilament from poly. I had Solico Confidental on my Wilson 100 v8 at 25kg and I felt like I had to swing too hard with my one handed backhand. Would Wilson sensation at 24kg do the job or should I just stick with a poly and drop the tension to 21-22kg?

[rbarreira]

For a recreational player (say 3.5 - 4.0 level) who doesn't care about high amounts of topspin and likes to hit relatively more flat, would you say there's any point to polyester strings? I've been using polyester so far, but thinking of trying multifilament at slightly higher tension in order to keep power similar to my current setup (Yonex Polytour Pro at 54 lbs).