Strings (tennis)

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Strings are the part of a tennis racquet which make contact with the ball. The strings form a woven network inside the hoop of the racquet frame.

Contents 1 Composition 1.1 Natural Gut 1.2 Synthetic Gut 1.3 Polyester 2 The Gauge 3 Stringing pattern 4 Stringing 4.1 Drop Weight stringers 4.2 Manual crank (lockout) stringers 4.3 Electronic Stringers 5 String Tension 6 Restringing 7 United States Racquet Stringers Association 8 References

[edit] Composition

[edit] Natural Gut

Natural gut is the most common string used by professional tennis players. The first natural gut tennis string was manufactured in 1875 by Pierre Babolat, who would launch the VS brand of gut fifty years later.

Natural gut is produced by drying fibers extracted from a part of the cow intestine called the serous membrane, or serosa, which contains collagen designed to withstand the stretching and contraction of the intestine. It is this elasticity that makes the fibers useful for tennis string. Although sheep intestines have also been used for racquet strings in the past, it is a myth that gut string was ever made from cats.^{[1] [2]}

[edit] Synthetic Gut

Synthetic gut is used by most tennis players. It is cheaper, more durable, and easier to manufacture than natural gut. Synthetic strings are made from nylon filaments, either one thick nylon strand or several (up to thousands) of smaller filaments. Wear-resistant coatings for nylon strings are common, especially with multi-filament strings, because the outside filaments tend to break as the racquet is used.^[3]

[edit] Polyester

Polyester strings are typically stiff, and were originally intended for use by frequent string breakers because of their high durability. However, due to their low power, players are able to put more spin and control on the ball with a full swing, making the string extremely popular on the pro tour.

[edit] The Gauge

The gauge is the thickness of the string. Usually, strings come in five different gauges, which is 15, 15L, 16, 16L, 17. The higher the gauge number, the thinner the string. The gauge of the string is not as important to beginner players, but as a person progresses in skill, they need to know more of which gauge they're buying. ^[4] Typically, the following rules apply to string gauge:^[5]

• The thinner the string, the better the performance. For example, the thinner 16- and 17-gauge string is more lively and elastic than the thicker 15 or 15L. Thin strings are also known for better performance in creating spin.^[4]
• The thinner the string, the faster they wear out. As simple as it is, the thinner the string, the sooner they will break, because there is less material to wear out.^[4]

[edit] Stringing pattern

Most raquets are strung in a criss-cross horizontal-vertical pattern. Various other patterns have been used in history with varying success.

Double strung tennis racquets were introduced in 1977^[6] but were later banned ^[7] because they permitted excessive spin and were too successful.^[8] A modern version of a legal double strung racquet has been introduced.^[9]

Racquets are strung with either two separate strings and four knots, often due to a hybrid of two differing string types, or with a single string with only two knots. Traditionally, a double half hitch has been used for tie-offs along with a starting knot.^[10]. Recently a new knot has been used called the Pro-knot, Richard Parnell knot or half hitch knot with a tail^[11]. This allows (with the use of a starting clamp), all knots to be of a regulation type which can improve the aesthetics of a string job.

[edit] Stringing

The process of installing strings in the racquet is called stringing, and is done with a racquet string machine. These machines vary in complexity, accuracy and price, ranging from $150 for a basic Klippermate machine to $3,000 for a Babolat Star 5 or $5,200 for the Babolat Sensor Dual. Stringing a racquet can take up to an hour for a novice, or around twenty minutes for a skilled stringer; during professional tournament a very skilled stringer may be asked to string a racquet while the player is on court. These very stressful stringjobs sometimes may not even take 10 minutes for a seasoned tournament stringer.

[edit] Drop Weight stringers

These inexpensive stringers use a weighted bar to achieve the desired string tension. They take longer than other stringers and are impractical for professionals. Despite this, they are considered by many to be among the most accurate of stringing machines.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Manual crank (lockout) stringers

These stringers use a crank to achieve the proper tension, at which point it locks into place. These stringers allow racquets to be strung quickly, but the string job will lose tension more quickly than racquets strung on dropweight or electronic stringers.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Electronic Stringers

These stringers control the tension with a computer-directed electric motor, allowing for quick work and high performance.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] String Tension

The string tension of a racquet, usually expressed in pounds, indicates the pressure under which the strings are secured to the frame. The string tension affects a racquet's playing characteristics, such as the 'feel' of the ball, control over the ball, as well as maximizing power.^[4][12]

• A loosely strung racquet may feel like it has a larger sweet spot, but when the player swing hard enough, it also causes your shots fly farther, but unpredictably. When the player strings light, it enables him to hit delicate finesse shots with more control.^[13]
• A tightly strung racquet cuts down on a tennis player's feel on the ball, but it can give the player excellent control if he swings it hard enough with a smooth stroke. Such tension may not let players handle delicate shots so easily, but it enables him to play from the baseline more constantly ^[14]
• If the player hits the balls hard consistently, a tightly strung racquet may tire your arm quickly^[15]

[edit] Restringing

Due to the tension present on the strings, they begin to lose elasticity and tension the moment you install them in a racquet. 'Dead strings', or strings which have lost their tension, cut down on the performance of a racquet. Dead strings may also hamper a tennis player's ability to generate power and pace, and may even make his arm sore.

The frequency of restringing depends on the player and the racquet, but these guidelines are somewhat known among coaches and professional player: ^{[4] [16]}

• As many times in a year as you play in a week. Eg. If you play three times per week it is suggested you restring your racquet three times per year.
• After every 40 hours of play. Eg. If you play three times per week and three hours per session it is suggested that you restring approximately every five weeks or so.
• After you lose 25% or more of stringbed stiffness You can take it to your local tennis store, and the person who strings the racquet can measure this stringbed stiffness with specialized equipment
• When your strings sound dead Tap the racquet face, and if a 'thud' sounds instead of a 'ping', it's time to restring.

[edit] United States Racquet Stringers Association

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The United States Racquet Stringers Association (USRSA) offers two levels of certification for stringers: the Certified Stringer and the Master Racquet Technician, of which around 350 exist worldwide. The Master Racquet Technician certification process includes testing of the stringer's ability to string a racquet, perform grip work, identify mistakes in an improperly strung racquet, and pass a written test that covers not only strings, but racquet technology as well.

Since 2004, the USRSA's monthly magazine RSi has named a Stringer of the Year. Past winners are:

• Randy Stephenson, Texas (2004)
• Bob Patterson, Alabama (2005)
• Grant Morgan, Tennessee (2006)
• Tim Strawn, Virginia (2007)

[edit] References