The winner of Sportsmart and Wilson’s tennis sponsorship program, Scott Lyons, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – tennis …

The strings that are on your racquet are vital to any player’s performance. After all, you hit the ball with your strings, not the frame of your actual racquet! Yet how do we know which strings to choose, and what tension to string them?

Tennis strings can be in the form of natural gut or synthetic, with each having pros and cons. Natural gut is said to have a “lively” feel and keep its tension for long periods of time. However, they are also expensive and not too durable. On the other hand, synthetic strings provide a cheaper alternative, are more durable, and come in different forms and designs, including pentagonal shaped strings, etc.

Now there is the case of what tension to string your racquet. In simple terms, a loosely strung racquet offers more power but less control, while a tightly strung racquet will provide less power but more control and spin, and is therefore suited to a stronger player who can generate their own pace.

A “thinner” string is also preferable to a thicker string in almost all areas other than durability. While a thinner string is more likely to break early, it offers increased spin, comfort and feel.

While some players break strings regularly and therefore restring their racquet every time they break a string, other players can be “flat” hitters and will therefore very rarely break a string. For these players it is important to still restring your racquet at least a couple of times a year. The reason is because the string will have worn down a fair amount and may be less responsive to new strings. On top of this, the tension on the strings would have loosened a fair margin since your last restringing.

Luckily, if this makes absolutely no sense to you at all the tennis staff at Sportsmart know everything about strings, and will be more than happy to offer you expertise and advice! Sportsmart offers a great restringing service, with a great variety of strings to choose from and racquets restrung within 48 hours. Come down to our stores and have a look for yourself.