Marco Bitran: Tennis String Options and Information for the Summer Heat

 
By Eric Burke

Summer is by far my favorite time of the year. But for tennis strings summer is the worst time of the year. The hotter it is the quicker strings lose tension. As your strings become looser you have less control. Eventually you feel like you're hitting with a trampoline. Many shots you believe you have hit perfectly are out. I've always raised my tension as the temperature rises. For higher level players 2-3 pounds make a noticeable difference. But like everything else, string tension is a very individual choice. You may have to experiment a little before you find what works best for you.

There are strings that hold tension better than others. Polyester strings have become very popular in the U.S.

For the most part, they are very durable, spin enhancing, and control oriented. But they are notorious for how quickly they lose tension. The stiffer playing ones can also be pretty hard on the arm. I haven't found a poly string that holds tension for what I consider a long time. Here are a few that do better than most:

Genesis Black Magic is a softer playing polyester string with nice feel and power.

Genesis Twisted Razor is a sharp, 3-sided, twisted tennis string. Great spin enhancement.

Kirschbaum Spiky Shark is an 8-sided string that has a nice combination of feel, control, and spin enhancement.

For those of us who prefer strings with more feel, power, and comfort, durability can be an issue. That is not an issue with these strings:

Ashaway Mono Gut ZX is the string I play with when I'm not using natural gut. Along with great power and feel, Mono Gut ZX is very durable. The spin enhancement is a great bonus. There is no similar string available from any tennis string company.

Ashaway Dynamite is a rough textured multifilament. Great control and spin enhancement.

Gamma Live Wire XP is what I previously used when not playing with natural gut. Yes it's lively and powerful but what makes XP great is the Zyex outer wraps. Zyex gives XP a crisper more "gut like" feel. It also adds durability and helps with tension maintenance. (P.S. Zyex is the material used in Ashaway Mono Gut ZX and Dynamite)

Pro Supex Spiral Flex is a firmer but not stiff playing, solid core synthetic string. Good control and durability. This is a very nice string at a good price.

So although you may be a string breaking beast, there are plenty of durable strings available that won't break your arm. And ironically we just happen to have many of them at your friendly Hardcore Tennis store!

Eric Burke is the owner of Hardcore Tennis in Atlanta. He is Atlanta's 'go-to' guy for string and racquet expertise. He has played since childhood, Division I collegiate and has continued to play Southern & National tournaments.

Marco Bitran: Tips in Choosing the Proper Tennis Racquet String Tension

By Arnel Y Colar

If you are a tennis player, getting the right tension is important in your performance. The tennis rackets string usually all come down to the player's preference in its tension. If you are new in selecting the tension of these rackets, here are some guide on how to do that.

There are tension ranges that are provided by the tennis racket manufacturer and to check for the tension, have a look at the throat of the tennis racket. There is a number at the bottom that describes the tension in your racket. If you are unsure on what tension you tennis rackets should have, it is always recommended choosing the average tension that rackets can provide. With that in mind, you can increase or decrease the tension until you have discovered the one that is right for you. All rackets have recommended tensions which are usually in the 50 to 60 pound range.

However, at the end of selecting a tension, it all depends on you. If you lower the tension you have an increase ball power, if you increase the tension, you will have increased control. If you are a power-type player you will definitely benefit from lower tensions, and if you prefer control over power, you will benefit from higher tension. Experienced players will definitely benefit from better control than power and if power is your choice, you can beat opponents through the speed of your ball, but you will be able to control it well.

Tennis rackets tension is important so your racket do not look as if you are hitting using a board or brick wall. This is usually experience when using a really high tension rackets because it causes the ball to flatten out thus allow the strings to bite the ball. This provides control. Players prefer tighter strings because it has adequate control but if you are a new tennis player, you will feel as if you are hitting with a board. If you have a lot of tennis rackets, you should consider having different tensions of the racket to adapt with certain conditions. Also, different rackets handle tensions differently.

So, if you have other rackets, there may be a chance that it will have a different feel even if both your rackets have equivalent tensions. Tennis rackets tension all matters with your personal preference. By trying out different tensions, you will get to know your own rackets tension. Just remember the rule of thumb when it comes to tensions. The higher the tension, the more control it has but lacks power, the lower the tension the more power it has but lacks control. These guidelines apply to most tennis players particularly if they are new in playing tennis.

However, if you are an absolute beginner, you won't like how higher tension works because it does not provide better control and a lower tension is not efficient as it may be too powerful for them to use. As a beginner, go for mid-range string tension to know the basics of tennis and find out what suits you best.

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Arnel Colar is a freelance writer that writes anything that can provide knowledge to the readers around the world. He writes articles ranging from environment preservation, social education, finance and loans, money, and anything that he can think of. With good research, convincing details, and creative insights added with passion, articles can become a masterpiece.