TOURNAMENT TOUGH STRING OPTIONS {1999}

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

The three main concerns in selecting a string for your racquet are durability, playability and cost. Durability and playability tend to be opposites; that is, generally speaking, the more durable the string, the less playable. The stiffer the string, the longer it lasts; the more elastic, the faster it breaks. Durability tends to be the concern of those who hit with a lot of topspin; who we often call heavy hitters.
If you are in this category, several choices are available: "synthetic gut" type strings that are made thicker than the average to slow down breakage; synthetic gut strings with compound construction such as having some aramid fiber mixed in; polyester monofilament; and hybrids.

Thicker strings of traditional nylon construction are used to prolong string life, but only last about 25 to 35% longer. Additionally, because of their thickness, they somewhat reduce the amount of topspin possible because the spaces between strings become smaller. The trade-off is that more traditional strings are much less stiff than durability strings, adding more comfort, as well as more of the familiar feel. Aramid string (often called by the trade name Kevlar) lasts up to 5 times longer than regular synthetic gut of the same diameter, and holds tension better than most strings, but tends to be the stiffest. As a result, it is the hardest on your arm because of the increased shock when hitting the ball. Aramid is almost never used in both main strings and cross strings because of the extreme stiffness. Polyester is slightly more elastic, but loses initial tension quite rapidly. An increase of up to 6 pounds above your normal string tension is generally used to partially compensate for this loss. Some newer strings have good ratings for durability, but because of their specially engineered fibers they tend to be a bit costly. Many hard hitters actually like the stiff feel of these materials, and as long as you hit the ball with good form and on the sweet spot, the potential for arm problems over time are somewhat reduced.

The optimum solution for the typical hard-hitting string-breaker is to select a hybrid. Use one of the highly durable strings for the mains, and an ordinary, lower cost synthetic or nylon string for the crosses. The more elastic material used for the cross strings preserves some of the playability or "feel" given up when using the stiff but durable strings in the mains. Although many players have their racquets strung totally with polyester, a hybrid works better since the nylon cross strings do not lose tension as quickly and help retain more control. Some new strings joining the ranks of Kevlar and polyester are Vectran from Ashaway, Control Freak from Prince, and Rip Control from Head. Experiment with thinner gauge Kevlar string and some of the newer strings crossed with ordinary synthetic gut to see which hybrid works best for you in terms of string life, good feel, and cost.

Copyright 1999 (Previously published in FLORIDA TENNIS - Dec., 1999)
By Vincent A. Chiarelli, CRT, USPTR
Owner, String Along With Vince, Largo, FL