String Material

Nylon (Synthetic Gut)

Synthetic gut strings are made of nylon, or some slightly altered version of it. There are many different technologies that have made these strings much different from the cheap, low quality nylon strings of the past. The manufacturers use many construction styles and blend different materials, but they are all based on nylon. It is easy to get confused when looking at all the different materials and strings that are out there. About 90% off all strings on the market are some kind of synthetic gut, and thus are nylon based. There are likely several options in this category for each playing style, and there are several variations within this category. These variations include strings designed for durability, power, spin, softness, and feel. Unfortunately, no string is able to be at the top of every category.

Natural Gut

Is often considered the string that all others are measured against. The high end synthetic gut strings often compare themselves to natural gut, and advertise “gut-like feel and playability”. Natural gut is made from beef intestine through a complex manufacturing process. It is the softest feeling of all strings, and offers the most playability. Playability refers to a strings ability to bounce back to its shape, after having a ball deflect off of it. This can also be thought of as elasticity. This characteristic gives gut strings the most power of any type of string. Synthetics can lose this elasticity after a few hours of play, but gut retains this ability much longer than any synthetic string, often until it breaks. This softness and elasticity make it an excellent choice for players with arm problems such as tennis elbow. Gut also retains its tension better than any other string. Gut also offers exceptional control. The softness of gut results in extraordinary feel, and great control.

The only drawbacks to natural gut are its price and durability. Gut can be sensitive to heat, humidity, and water. A racquet strung with gut should never be left directly exposed to the sun when not in use, or stored in a car trunk. The heat can cause the gut to lose it tension dramatically. If cared for properly, gut lasts about as long as the average synthetic, nylon based string. Natural gut is also the most expensive string by far.

Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic string designed for durability. Polyester is not a particularly powerful string, although some of the strings I carry do offer good power for a polyester based string. Polyester strings do offer a good amount of control, and spin. Due to their relatively low power, players using these strings can go for their shots a little more without worrying about the ball going long. Polyesters also do not move much in the racquet and require little straightening while playing, this probably contributes to their ability to produce spin. Polyester is also a very stiff feeling string. Players with arm problems such as tennis elbow should stay away from polyester strings. The modern polyester strings have become popular among professionals usually in a hybrid setup where polyester is used in the main strings, and a softer string such as natural gut is used for the cross strings.

This setup provides the durability and control of a polyester string, but the comfort of a softer string. Polyester strings are notorious for losing tension rapidly, but I offer polyesters that do not have this problem as much as most of the others.

Kevlar

Kevlar is the most durable string available. Kevlar is very stiff and strings up very tight. Much like polyester, Kevlar should not be used by anyone with arm problems. It is used almost exclusively for the main strings in a hybrid with softer cross strings. This string is for string breakers only.

String Construction

Solid Core with One or more wraps

Single Wrap around solid Core
Multiple Wraps around solid Core

These are the most basic, and common synthetic gut strings available. The size, orientation, and composition of the wraps vary from string to string. The material used for the core also varies. These variations produce different feeling and performing strings even though the basic structure is the same.

Multifilament

Strings of this style do not have a central core, rather they are comprised of multiple synthetic fibers. The thickness and number of the fibers vary from string to string. The outerwrap that holds all the fibers together also vary from string to string. This style is similar to the way natural gut is constructed. Strings of this style are generally softer, and more elastic than strings with a solid core.

Monofilament

Monofilaments are constructed from one solid fiber with some kind of coating. This is the structure used for polyester strings. The composition of the fiber can vary, as can the coating to produce different strings.

Textured String

Textured strings can be of the same basic structure as any other construction, but they have at least one wrap around the outside that give the string a rough feeling. This rough uneven feel is designed to bite into the ball for added spin.