How to Restring A Tennis Racket 101

Do you have a question in mind that "how to resting a tennis racket?" Continue reading this guide to find out more.

The world of tennis pretty much came to a halt during the pandemic and apart from many of our skills turning stale over the past year, our tennis rackets may have also acquired dust, grime, and a few loose strings along the way. While they may look fine despite being inside your storage boxes for a time, this doesn’t mean that strings don’t need to be replaced.

The common multifilament tennis strings are usually made out of various filaments of nylon with polyurethane materials that offer better elasticity but are not meant to last long, especially if you play frequently. However, even if your tennis rackets are left untouched for a long time, your strings (whether synthetic-single gut or multifilament) can eventually lose their tension.

As summer approaches and more tennis courts are opening up, restringing your rackets is a good idea before you go and play. Here are some useful tips before giving your tennis rackets a fresh set of strings:

Look for stiffness, dirt, or grime

Depending on how often you play, your tennis racket strings should regularly be replaced to keep them soft with optimum tension for better performance. The moment you notice some discoloration, the sooner you should restring your tennis rackets as this is a sure sign that they have become brittle and may break when you take them back to the court.

Other signs you should be on the lookout for are how your strings dig deeper into their notches and just how much dirt and grime they have acquired. Polyester strings are prone to growing stiff over time and even if you haven’t used them over the year, don’t be deceived by how they might look pristine when you bring them out. Check for stiffness and tension because oftentimes, polyester strings break easily due to their poor tension holding capability. Restring them for better topspin and control, with lower friction between the strings.

Restring tennis racket instead of buying a new racket

Have you ever noticed how the colder seasons tend to punish your tennis strings? This is because cooler temperatures tend to make your strings stiffer than usual which could affect your performance as they make your strings more brittle. To remedy this, players usually go for the natural gut or multifilament type with softer materials instead of buying a new tennis racket altogether.

While those who have the money for it opt to buy new ones for a new season, restringing a tennis racket is always the better option since it will cost less and you won’t have to make many adjustments on grip, angle, and weight if you buy a new one. Going for natural gut or multifilament strings makes your old racket feel brand new and increases your control on the ball for as low as $20.

Measure your string tension properly

As a rule of thumb, avid tennis players restring their rackets as frequently as the number of times they play in a week. For example, if you play five times a week, you should restring a tennis racket five times a week. Don’t think this is too much of a chore; professional players restring daily!

The moment you bring out your old racket from your storage box, quickly check for tension. If they seem a bit loose and bouncy, then it’s time to do some restringing. Tennis rackets usually lose 30% of string tension over a span of three months. For better accuracy, get a Tourna String Meter to measure your string tension.

Restring tennis racket according to how you play

If you are just starting out as a recreational tennis player, you’ll have to take note that a tennis racket strung at 60 pounds may lose 10 pounds overnight, reducing tension which can drastically affect your performance on the court. Be mindful of your strings’ wear and tear, as well as tension, because these are the most important factors as to why players restring.

As your strings’ tension decreases, stretching occurs with every impact and results in a decrease in your squashing effect, making the ball at play flatten and lose force. This means that the ball spends a few milliseconds more on your racket, which is enough to affect your performance. Remember that the lower your squashing effect, the more rebound energy you give your returning strokes, so accurately measuring your stroke power also has to do with your strings’ performance.

One tip while playing on the court is to control your power by grooving your strokes according to how much tension your strings have. To perform this, you should learn when to adjust your strokes if your strings lose a couple of pounds of tension during play.

Always go for a new set of strings before a new season

Once you have properly given your racket a fresh set of strings, you’ll notice a satisfying crisp feel when you bounce them off your palms. This spring is the most important factor when restringing as it dictates how the ball will bounce under your control and power.

Fresh strings can give you better ball management and increased spins for those forehands and backhands. The lack of tension and spring on your strings will make it hard for you to perform and won’t make the game as exciting as it should be for both you and your opponent.

When restringing your racket, do it in the standard criss-cross horizontal-vertical pattern or via the double-strung racquet technique which can give you increased spins. Recommended tensions range between 50 to 70 pounds, with lower spring allowing your tennis racket to have certain spots that can hit balls farther out inconsistently.

Tighter woven strings, on the other hand, can give you more control and finesse with every stroke but a lesser feel on the ball. Don’t restring too tightly as this can give you tennis elbow if you frequently make hard swings.

If you are a beginner, start at 60 pounds and gradually adjust your string tension according to your power, control, and feel. Check for proper tension indicators printed on your tennis racket, just to be sure.

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