Tennis racquet strings come in a variety of types depending on the string material and. Properly tensioned Strings are crucial for hitting the ball with accuracy and are a vital part of the tennis game strategy.
Strings need to be changed periodically after every three months, because even if the strings do not break, they may lose their strength and tension, which may result in bad performance by the player.
So, what is the average price of stringing a tennis racquet? The average price of stringing a tennis racquet is $35 while ranging from $20 to $50. This depends on the string material chosen and whether it will be done by the player or is strung by a specialist or in a shop.
To Sum up, we tabulated the expected cost for stringing your tennis racquet:
| Tennis strings material | Cost ranges ($) | Average labor cost ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gut | $ 50-200 | 20 |
| Synthetic gut | $ 4-20 | 10 |
| Multifilament | $ 9-20 | 10 |
| Polyester and Kevlar | $ 50-150 | 20 |
| Vectran | $ 10-50 (least common) | 30 |
| Zyex | $ 10-20 | 10 |
| Polyolefin | $ 5-20 | 10 |
| Metal wire | $ 5-20 | 10 |
| Titanium | $ 5-10 | 10 |
| Total Average cost | 17 | 15 |
For other information on tennis racquet costs and how to play on a budget, you might be interested in What is the Best Tennis Racquet for Clay Courts? How to Choose and Buy one On a Budget? and How much does a tennis racquet cost ? How to pick one a budget !
For more on stringing a tennis racket by yourself without a machine, please check Should I string my own tennis racket without a machine? Your full guide
Types of string material
Tennis strings are delicate and should be carefully selected. For the players who want to buy the tennis strings, they need to observe two factors; power and control.
Today, the tennis strings are said to be divided into 5 basic categories that with their pros and cons are described below:
Synthetic gut
Basically designed for beginners and is the cheapest among all the strings. The synthetic gut is made up of a synthetic polymer named Nylon that gives it good elasticity and playability.
For new tennis players that are still developing their skills and don’t have enough knowledge about tennis strings, then starting with synthetic gut would be a wise and suitable option.
Pros
- It is economical, almost in every players’ budget.
- Best for beginners and value hunters.
- Provides good all-around playability.
Cons
- Not effective for the tournaments.
- Not made for the string breakers and professional players.
- Does not own any extraordinary feature.
Natural gut
Being the best quality string and quite expensive, natural gut is widely used by professional tennis players due to its reliability and strength. It is highly organic as it is made out of the serous membrane of cows’ intestines.
Natural gut is considered as an iconic string is justified enough by the qualities it possesses.
The natural gut string provides support to the weak joints and sensitive elbow joint of the player. It helps in increasing the performance quality in the match and has a considerably longer life span. The elasticity of the strings and the tension in them are retained for quite a long period.
Pros
- First tennis string with more pros than cons.
- High playability.
- Provides good arm support and helps in reducing the pain in the sensitive joints.
- Maintains the tension in the strings very efficiently.
- Best fit for professional tennis players.
Cons
- Highly expensive.
Multifilament
Multifilament is a string type that provides good playability and enhances the performance of the player, giving powerful shots on the ball.
Multifilament exists in various price ranges and is somehow affordable by the players, that is, it lies in the category of neither too cheap nor too expensive.
Pros
- Racket-friendly and softer for the arm.
- Maintains tension in a perfect way.
- Similar to the above-mentioned widely used best string; natural gut.
Cons
- Very sensitive string type and not for string breakers.
- Control orientation is less.
- Not very durable and suitable for professionals.
Polyester and Kevlar
Polyester and Kevlar are very good types of strings, which are used mostly by experienced players. They own great strength and durability that give a splendid performance in the match.
They are used for aggressive shots and hence can harm the human arm due to their stiffness, which is due to their hard monofilament composition. Polyester and Kevlar are considered highly firm and underpowered, especially for beginner tennis players.
Polyesters are not to be confused with co-polyesters as the latter ones combine many additives in them to make the string more playable, flexible, and elastic, whereas the simple polyester string is a monofilament, made up of a single polymer called polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Pros
- High strength and durability.
- Gives powerful spins.
- Control is a dominant trait here.
Cons
- Low powered string.
- Can cause arm muscle and joint aches.
- Tension is not retained for a longer time.
Softer and Multifilament polyester
Newly invented, softer polyester is considered an all-around string and gives good playability and reliability. It is popularly used by the players and mostly used by those experienced players that like to deliver powerful shots and put their full strength in the racket while hitting the ball. Thus it can be harsher on the arm for some players.
Pros
- Good all-round string and durable
- Good for the experienced players.
- More control-oriented
Cons
- Causes pain in the joints due to its firmness.
- Little expensive.
The table is given below shows a summary of the types of strings, as:
| String Material | Control | Comfort | Power | Durability | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Gut | High | High | Medium | Low | High |
| Synthetic Gut | Medium | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
| Multifilament | High | High | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Polyester | Medium | Low | High | High | Medium |
| Kevlar | Medium | Low | High | High | High |
Hybrid tennis setup
The hybrid string is a combination of two different strings in the mains and cross strings of a tennis racket. Considering the example of hybrid string made up of Natural gut and Polyester, which decreases the harshness and increases the durability of the string.
Tennis strings weight
As there is a huge variety in the strings, likewise the weight of each string is different and so it gives a different sensation to the players that use these strings in their rackets. Heavier strings might cause pain in the muscles and the joints of some players, while lightweight strings are highly preferable among professional players, as the lighter ones offer more convenience.
So, what is the average weight of tennis racquet strings? The average weight of a tennis racquet string is 17g while ranging from 15g to 20g. Depending on the weight and thickness of the material chosen, the player has to adjust the tension accordingly.
Gauge
The thickness of various strings is termed as gauges. If the string is thicker, it will have more durability and more control, whereas the thinner string will have more power and more comfort.
A detail about tennis string gauges is illustrated through this picture below:
Effect of string on playability and durability
Playability and durability are to be kept in mind while buying a tennis string as they are key components for the performance of the player in a tennis match.
- Durability in the string is often more admired as the string becomes more reliable and assures the player that he can deliver a powerful shot without any hesitance. But it may cause injury to the arm due to its very hard texture. Polyester and Kevlar offer very high durability factors.
- Strings that possess playability factors are most likely used by casual tennis players and are safer to use too because they are comfortable with the arm and are not firm or heavy. Natural gut and Multifilament offer great playability factors.
If you are using a stiff material (like kevlar) you may reduce the overall stiffness by decreasing the string tension.
Tennis racquet string tension
Tension plays a key role in selecting a tennis string because the player is obviously capable of feeling the sensation he gets in his arm while hitting the ball. Tension if increased, might cause discomfort to many players, and if decreased that might affect control and spin.
Tension ranges for some of the strings are as follows:
- For nylon/gut: 50-60lbs
- For hybrid: 46-56lbs
- For polyester: 44-54lbs
Polyester has the lowest tension retention amongst all string types and should be replaced more frequently (Estimated average replacement time is 15 hours play).
String tension guidelines
- Mid tension is the optimum range of tension and it ought to be used if the player is not well familiar with the tension ranges.
- If polyester is used in mains and crosses both, then the tension should be lowered 10% to prevent arm issues.
- Higher tension results in more control and less power, whilst, lower tension results in less spin/control and more power.
- Larger rackets shall be stringed at higher tension to produce the same string stiffness.
For further information on how to set perfect tension for your racket strings, see this link
Unless you are playing tennis professionally, we recommend stringing in a professional shop rather than doing it yourself and buying a stringing machine.
Conclusion
The average price for having your racquet strung is $35 while ranging from $20 to $50. This depends on the chosen string material and whether you will do it yourself or have it strung by a specialist.
Once you are aware of your preferred material, you may opt for buying it in bulk amount, sufficient for 1-2 years worth of use, from Alibaba or Amazon. This will save you money and provide some peace of mind. For more on Tennis budgeting: Wanna play tennis on a budget? We Got you!
Doing it yourself is obviously cheaper, but it is riskier and you may end up with inconsistent tension in the strings. Tension is important for your racquet control and shot power and should not be compromised in any way.