When choosing your tennis racquet of choice, much of it boils down to personal preference and feel.

One area where that’s certainly the case is string tension, as there are so many permutations for both the type of tennis string you are using and the tension you string it at.

The pro tour further reinforces this as if you’ve ever seen behind the scenes in the stringing room at a major tournament; you’ll see string tension requests from players are wide-ranging.

Some ATP players string in the 30-lbs range, while others are as high as 70 lbs. The others find themselves somewhere in the middle.

But how do you go about finding the right tension? What impact does string tension have on the racquet and your game? Let’s take a look.

Whenever a tennis racquet is strung, be it at the factory to be sold as a pre-strung frame or by your local stringer, a specific tension is applied to both the cross and main strings.

This tension measures weight being applied to the string as it’s pulled through the racket by the stringing machine and expressed in either kilograms or pounds.

Before stringing commences, a racquet technician will set the stringing machine at the required tension. Usually specific to what the player has requested or in the middle of the range recommended for the racquet if unsure.

Then as the stringer begins pulling strings through the frame, the machine will pull every string to the appropriate tension.

While I won’t go into detail about the different types of stringing machine and their efficacy, it’s worth noting that although a calibrated machine will pull a string to the pre-determined tension, the real tension of the finished racquet will typically be slightly lower due to slight tension loss in the installation process.

Tension loss can occur through friction when pulling cross strings, slippage in the clamps and when tying off the knots when the job is complete.

All tennis racquets come with a recommended tension range from the manufacturer. This is both for optimal performance and to ensure you don’t string at too high a tension, which will severely deform the frame or even crack it.

You can see the tension ranges for five racquets that feature in my best tennis racquets guide, and they all fall in a very similar ballpark:

From a physics perspective, string tension impacts two variables:

Dwell time is the length of time the ball stays on the strings. The coefficient of restitution measures the elasticity of the collision between the ball and the racquet (a higher COR means more elasticity (liveliness).

In turn, these affect the feelings a player has in terms of power, control and stress on the body. But this is where there is no real exact science of what is best as it boils down to personal preference.

For one, the relationship between string tension and coefficient of restitution is not linear, especially on differing head sizes of racquets which is why you see some string players string at 70lbs and others at 40lbs.

The lower the string tension, the longer the dwell time. This results in an increase in power due to the so-called trampoline effect and more energy being returned to the ball. While negligible in raw miles per hour terms, it will result in the ball landing deeper in the court compared to an identical shot played with a higher tension.

It will also increase comfort due to a reduction in stringbed stiffness, which affects the torque and vibrations felt by the wrist, elbow, and shoulder.

But on the flip side:

While the general principle that low tension gives more power is quite easy to prove, the claim that higher string tensions give more control is harder to explain. Is it because higher strings make spin easier? Or simply the fact players must swing harder (in turn producing more spin) to hit with sufficient depth when their racquets are strung tighter? 

As is always the case, there is certainly plenty of anecdotal evidence that players feel more control when using a high string tension, and there’s likely enough of it to say, yes, higher string tensions do produce more control. 

This study from Dr Simon Goodwill has some interesting takeaways, but from the other bits we can piece together, the ball is flattened more with a tight racquet, so topspin is easier to produce.

This is particularly true on smaller head sizes because an off-centre hit will deform the string bed less than it would a larger head size racquet. Pete Sampras is a good exponent of this; he could generate amazing topspin on his second serve using his heavy, 85 square inch racquet, tightly strung (75 lbs 😲) racquet.

Ultimately, spin gives greater control, and greater spin is possible with tight strings.

But on the flip side:

Side note: Polyester strings like Babolat RPM Blast strung at lower tensions produce a snapback that also impacts topspin.

Another area where string tension and its relationship to the racquet isn’t clear cut is how it impacts durability. Does high tension increase durability? Or does low tension prevent the string from being stretched beyond its limits and therefore last longer?

The general line of thinking is that lower tensions allow the strings to move more freely and notch each other faster. This is true for certain strings, but from my experience, it’s not a golden rule.

Much of it depends on the type of the string and whether it’s in a hybrid setup. Polyester strings, for example, tend to last far longer at lower tensions.

From my own experience, strings at higher tensions still move freely, which, combined with the increased friction, can lead to earlier breakage than lower tensions.

My advice is not to let durability play much of a role in the string tension you choose. If durability is a concern, think more about the type of string you use rather than focusing on tension.

Before deciding on string tension, ideally, you want to know what you are looking for in your game and how you want your racket to perform accordingly. 

For example, if you’re physically strong and wielding a sledgehammer type racquet like Stan Wawrinka, then you’d most likely choose to string at a high-ish tension rather than a low tension. Chances are you don’t need an additional boost in power by lowering the tension only to see the trampoline effect send the ball into the fence.

On the other hand, a player who isn’t as powerful or an older player that would like some free power from the racquet might benefit enormously from a power orientated string at a low string tension.

The best way is to experiment and a good starting point in the middle of the recommended range from the manufacturer.

So if you have a Pure Strike that recommends between 52 and 62 lbs, string it at 57 lbs. However, there a couple of further recommendations below depending on what type of string you are using, 

Once you have a baseline, you can experiment more if you feel that something wasn’t quite right.

Try not to make drastic changes, such as stringing at the loosest tension possible or going super high if the middle of the range didn’t feel right.

Subtle tweaks are more likely to help you find the right tension, whereas drastic changes can often leave you feeling even more confused about what works and what doesn’t. 

If you have two matching racquets, you could even experiment from the word go with slightly differing tensions. But do make sure you have the same string in both racquets, and you strung them at the same time.

As mentioned above, lowering the string tension means a racquet will be more comfortable to play with due to reduced stringbed stiffness.

So if you are suffering from wrist, elbow or shoulder problems, dropping the tension can be a quick fix to help preserve your arm.

If you have just developed a twinge in the arm, tweaking the tension would be my recommended first port of call.

Over the years, I’ve heard of players seeing instant results without needing to make wholesale changes to their equipment. All from a slight drop in tension and re-stringing more frequently as strings lose their properties over time.

If your problems persist, then the type of string and the racquet itself (stiffness, balance, weight and grip size can all be factors) play a part in comfort, so you may need to make more significant changes.

Some strings well suited to arm friendliness are natural gut, like Babolat VS Touch and some soft multifilaments that offer comparable comfort, like Tecnifibre X-One Biphase.

Suppose you’re a player who is playing in league tennis or competitively. Chances are you are taking multiple racquets to court. Many players carry at least two, but it’s not uncommon to see four, five or six racquets in someone’s bag.

The main reason for this is that a player breaks a string; it’s not just game over. However, many players choose to string some of their racquets a few kilograms or pounds tighter for added control or lower if they feel like they need more power. 

This can be due to the opponent, how they are feeling on the day, or the conditions.

The video below from Tennis Spin is a good explanation of why a player might carry four racquets with differing tensions:

Outdoor or indoor, arid or humid climate all impact how the ball reacts through the air and off the string. Depending on the climate, this can either slow down or accelerate the ball, so it can be worth tinkering with your tension to match the conditions.

For most players, this will be when they head indoors for winter tennis, where the elements are not at play, and you generally get a faster-paced game. Many players choose to string a few lbs higher indoors to establish more control.

Also, remember that the types of string you use can react differently to changes in weather and temperature. Natural Gut, for example, suffers from moisture in the air and the weather, as does multifilament.

Polyesters suffer more from colder temperatures. A rigid string plus cold ball makes it difficult to accelerate the ball. If you have ever played outside on a winters day, you’ll notice the balls feel completely lifeless.

The court surface you play on should also play a part in the tension you choose. For example, on the pro tour, the change to the clay season sees most professional players mostly adjust the tension of their string by decreasing it by 2 to 4 lbs.

On clay, the ball will absorb the dust and is heavier, while on indoor hard court, for example, the felt wears quickly, and the ball becomes smoother over time and is lighter and faster.

In general, on the slower surfaces, it is advisable to reduce the tension by a couple of pounds to compensate for the heaviness of the ball, the slowdown of the game and the fact it takes more effort to hit winners. During the transition to a faster surface or indoors, you should re-add the pounds you removed on clay to regain control.

As soon as a racquet is strung, it will lose tension before it goes anywhere near a tennis ball. It’s said that strings can lose up to 10% within 24 hours.

So if you string at 55 lbs but don’t plan to use your racquet for a week, then it will have lost quite a bit of tension by the time you finally play.

If you were to play amazingly, you might think that 55lbs is the sweet spot. So you restring again at 55lbs, only this time play the same day, but you feel underpowered as the tension loss is not as significant.

This is why some players ask their racquet stringers to string their racquets at set times before matches on the pro tour. For example, Ron Yu of Priority 1 will try to keep the timing consistent throughout the tournament.

So if Federer played the night session starting at 8 pm, Yu might string 5 hours before play. If he wins and the next day Federer had a 12 pm start, Yu would be up at 5 am stringing to keep that consistency.

One other way to avoid some tension loss is to pre-stretch strings before stringing. Federer has his string pre-stretched, and this is done by looping the string around something like a door handle and then pulling it tight with your body weight.

Finally, each type of string loses tension at different rates, with some like natural gut and multifilament strings tending to do a better job at maintaining their tension. In contrast, polyester strings typically don’t perform as well with tension maintenance.

Personally, if I know I’m not going to use the racquet for a couple of days and don’t really feel like re-stringing it again for a couple of weeks, I push the tension up a few kilos so that by the time I hit with it, it’s not dropped way below the tensions I like.

Interested in what tensions some of the pros string at? I’ve compiled a selection below to show how some of them differ.

I’ve also covered Roger Federer’s string tension in-depth for those interested in some of his other stringing quirks.

Please note: I’ve used the racquet names the players endorse, not the moulds they use. Djokovic is not using a 100 sq” frame when he plays; his tension would not be the number I have provided if he were.

For checking the tension of your racquet, there are a couple of tools on the market that can help you. The first is a tool used before you actually string and relies on you having a stringing machine.

This calibration tool fits onto your stringing machine and uses a spring to check you are pulling the tension you’ve set the machine to.

This is usually less of a concern on a constant pull electric machine, but it can be worth checking on crank machines as the springs weaken over time.

The second tool is a tension testing tool; these help technicians and players measure string tension after a racquet is restrung.

You can get analogue type devices, electric ones and even apps that work via acoustics. Some tools to check out include:

Changing the string tension in your racquet can be a powerful tool for your game when done correctly, and that little bit of fine-tuning can help you find a winner just when you need it or that bit more control to stay in a rally.

Just remember changing tension is no magic bullet and won’t clear up deficiencies in technique, fitness or poor equipment choice in general.

Finally, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to what tension you should use. I wouldn’t recommend blindly copying the professional players unless you have flawless stroke mechanics and have matched all their specs based on the pro stock frame.

I’d suggest starting in the low to mid-50s and seeing how that feels for the average club player. Just remember that the tension loss will occur pretty quickly and that 55lbs will soon turn in 50lbs, so your preferred tension will depend on how often you are prepared to restring your racket.

Have questions about string tension or feel like there’s something I’ve missed or got wrong? Let me know in the comments below.

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Nice. For me it’s 25 kg for nylon, 23 kg for polyester and that’s it. One day I’ll try going up with the former and lower with the latter. Does Novak use such high tensions? And on a 98 sqin 18×20? Damn, the guy likes to play with a plank.

Djoker uses an 18 X 19 string pattern now, switched in 2018. I think it was Roman Prokes who made some changes for him. Still the same mould based on the Radical from 20 years ago. But less dense.

I got the tension off a stringing instruction sheet from a tournament last year. So he was using those tensions then. I dunno how much he plays around with it though. He was stringing lower on the 18 x 20.

Yeah, it was Roman Prokes. Some news place (maybe CBS?) did a story on it. Some rather interesting things in there IMO

Hello Perfect Tennis, This is a lot of useful information about Stringing, but maybe I can add some. The difficulty for a stringer is: What tension do I string the mains and the crosses of a certain racquet for a certain type of player?

For that purpose many stringers use our online Tension Advisor: In the first 2 pages the advice is created based on the questions to the player and on page 3 the racquet can be entered and the tensions can be calculated.

This is the link: https://www.stringwaynederland.nl/SW-TA-online/SwingCalc/tad-en.php

We have developed the basic system for Dutch String supplier in 1988 so it is used for a long time and it solves a big problem for stringers.

The system also has a Swing weigth advisor / calculator that you can open in the menu on the left.

Ah cool, looks interesting, playing around with it now. Thanks for sharing.

It’s a great article that finally has answered a lot of my questions! Thanks a lot to the author for the well-prepared info!

My tennis classes are scheduled to restart next 18th May. Hurrah.

I have golfers elbow. Is lower tension strings likely to help my pain while I am rehabbing.

Potentially, what string are you using?

I have a hybrid setup (technifiber Black Code as mains / technifiber multifeel as crosses). Strung at 24,5/ 24,5 kg on Babolat pure strike 16×19. The crosses move a lot. I was reading on one other page that in case of hybrid stringing (poly/synth) you should string the synthetic strings up to 4 pounds tighter (even when as crosses). I was thinking to try 24,5/26kg with same strings. In your article mains are strung tighter in every example. Any suggestions or comments?

Normally, when you have a softer string like a natural gut or a multi in a hybrid setup with a stiffer string, the softer string needs to be strung at a higher tension. This is to create a similar or equivalent stiffness level compared to the less elastic poly string. This creates a more consistent feel across the string bed.

In your case, the Black Code is the stiffer string, so you should string the crosses higher as you suggest to get a more uniform feel.

I string on a gamma x-2 and can never seem to get a stringbed tension on raquettune better than 45 when i am stringing poly mains at 52 and crosses (syn gut) at 56/57.

Can’t figure out where I am losing tension while stringing.

Tension loss is quite normal on a drop weight, that double pull on the first two mains, and the floating clamps will always see a drop-off. You could try upping the tension by 10% on the final string before tie off to see if that makes a difference. You could also get a tension calibrator.

Also, the racquettune app is usually close but not 100% accurate as it’s relative tension. I use the Android equivalent to measure tension loss rather than what it’s meant to be strung at. As long as it’s within a few lbs of what I set the tension to, then I’m not worried about it.

HALLO. IS THERE ANY KIND OF ABSORBER THAT WE CAN USE UNDER THE POINTS THAT STRINGS ARE CURVET (TURNING POINTS) IDONT KNOW THE TERM FOR THAT…BUT I THINK THAT I WAS CLEAR AND I DONT MEAN THE SMALL PIECES OF LEATHER THAT FEDER USES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE MAINS BUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT … COULD BE AN ABSORBER FACTOR -ARM FRIENDLY … THANK YOU

I don’t believe so. I haven’t seen anything like that. I’m not sure it would really do anything other than altering the sound of the strings though either? Maybe some dampening of vibrations but I think the bulk of it will go down into the handle of the racquet.

Yes, I use them when stringing. They are called “power pads”. Fancy name for light weight dampners.

They aren’t designed as lightweight dampeners, they were originally used to stop natural gut breaking on wooden rackets: https://www.perfect-tennis.com/power-pads-for-tennis/

The OP was asking for something different, however, something that goes under strings around the entire frame and curves with the shape. Almost like a secondary grommet.

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