Tennis Racquet String Tension

Now that we have this tennis string gauge thing down, let’s go over racquet string tension. This is a concept that is also often misunderstood. I will start off with saying that if you are a beginner tennis player, the tennis string tension is not going to be something that you should worry about right now. Every tennis racket comes with a recommended stringing tension and you should pick either the middle tension level or even 1 or 2 pounds lower. As a beginner, the off center hits will probably be high and you will need that forgiveness that lower racquet string tension offers. The recommended racket string tension is usually listed on the throat of most tennis rackets.

Now, for the intermediate and advanced players, the rule of thumb is the higher or tighter your tennis racquet string tension, the more control you will have. A lower string tension provides more power but reduces control. I will try to explain the reasoning behind it. The tighter the string, the more the string acts like a board or brick wall. The tennis ball hits the string and because the string is tight and not forgiving, the tennis ball flattens out and more of the surface area is in contact with the string. This allows the string to bite the ball better, giving you more control. If your racquet string tension is lower, it is more forgiving and now acts more like a trampoline. When the ball hits your racket, the string forms a small pocket around the ball and then, with your swing, shoots the ball out of the pocket, giving you more power. Of course, this is just a metaphor to explain the mechanics of it and is near impossible to see with the naked eye because everything happens so fast.

It is also important to keep in mind that every racket comes with its own recommended stringing tension. Because some tennis rackets are flexible, some are stiff, and some are in between…string tension is going to feel different in every racket even if they both have the same recommended tension. It really becomes a matter of personal preference and trial and error. Many players want more control, but they don’t like the board like feel that tight strings have. When in doubt use the middle of the recommended tennis racquet string tension and then adjust based on playability and your liking.