So you have purchased your new racquets and you don't know what string tension you should use on them, or simply, you've been playing for some time now with your usual racquet but you just feel that something's off when you hit the ball, your strokes are not as accurate as they used to be. There's few things that you need to take into account:
Reducing Tension:
If you feel like you need more power in your shots, then it's recommended to lower the string tension by 2 lbs so you can start noticing the difference in your strokes. You may hit more winners but at the same time your shots will be less consistent which could lead to more unforced errors so don't go below 2 lbs until you are sure that you still need more power. Some characteristics of reducing the string tension are:
- Power: less tension creates a larger trampoline effect that impulses the ball faster.
- Sensation of more comfort.
- Recommended for players with arm pain.
- More durability.
Increasing Tension:
Incrementing the tension of the strings will give you more control on your shots, you will likely hit less winners but at the same time you will get the ball "in" more, which translates into less unforced errors. You need to be aware that increasing the tension could lead to tire your arm faster. Some characteristics of Increasing string tension are:
- Control: less winners and less unforced errors.
- Sensation of less comfort.
- Less durability.
- Not recommended for players with arm pain.
Other things to consider:
There are also other things that need to be considered on what tension you should choose for your racquet, such as if you are playing indoors or outdoors, tough conditions such as humidity and wind, but in general we would recommend lowering the tension from 2 to 4 lbs when playing outdoors or on clay courts since clay makes the tennis ball heavier which would require the player to hit with more power.
You should also know that:
Strings lose tension by it self, even if you haven't yet played with them! Many Pro players from the Tour require to have their racquets strung the same day of their match so that the strings lose as less tension as possible.
The material of the string is also very important to decide the tension for your racquet. In these days we can find many types of strings, like natural gut, polyesters, aramids, nylon, multifilament, kevlar and more. Also the strings come in different shapes like octagonal, heptagonal, hexagonal, rough surface, and more!
Please feel free to ask us any questions that you may have about your striniging, so that Racquet Point's staff can help you with the best racquet stringing options for your type of game!
