Once you choose a racket and strings, another important factor that will influence how your racket plays is the string tension. Some people swear by the effect that string tension has on their tennis while others don’t even notice a difference. The only way to find out is to experiment. First, lets discuss how various tensions will effect how your racket plays, and in turn, your tennis game.
Recommended Ranges
Nearly all rackets have a tension range that is recommended by the manufacturer. While your preferred tension may fall outside of this range, be cautious about this because having your racket strung tighter than what the manufacturer recommends can result in it breaking. Although it varies between different manufacturers and racket models, the typical tension range is 50 - 60 lbs.
Lower Tension
At low tensions, typically below 55 lbs, the string bed of the racket has more freedom to expand and pocket the ball at impact. As such, the strings have a bit of a trampoline effect and add power to your shot. The downside to this is that there’s less predictability in regard to the direction of this applied power and it may make it more difficult to control the placement of your shots. The increased elasticity of the racket’s string bed also tends to make impact feel a bit softer.
A player looking for additional power, spin or comfort will tend to prefer that their racket be strung at a lower tension. Players with tennis elbow tend to prefer lower tensions as well.
Higher Tension
As you would guess, stringing a racket at a higher tension, typically above 55 lbs, has the opposite effects of low string tension. The racket’s string bed is less elastic resulting in less power, but more control. Impact also feels firmer and provides more feedback.
A player looking for additional control, particularly if they’re naturally a hard hitter, will most likely prefer to have their racket strung at a higher tension. Players who like to receive more feedback and feel from contact may also prefer higher tensions.
Experimenting
The best way to find the optimal tension for your game and preferences is to experiment. Try having your racket strung at the bottom of the tension range and then again at the top of the range. See if you can recognize a difference and identify the characteristics that you do and don’t like. Be sure to have your racket strung with the same string each time to keep the number of variables to a minimum. Once you’ve identified if you prefer the characteristics of higher or lower tensions.
One of the greatest aspects of tennis is how much you can improve from experimentation. With that in mind, take your time and enjoy the process!
Tags: how to choose a tennis racket, how to choose string tension