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Kevlar tension

Q: I have heard varied opinions on the tension that should be used for Kevlar strings. One person says it should be 5 percent lower than normal, another says it should be 10 percent lower than normal, and yet another person told me not to string it above 48 pounds regardless of the player’s usual tension. Who’s right?

A: Because of the high dynamic stiffnes of Kevlar, it is typically strung 10 percent lower than you would string nylon in the same application. According to our lab tests, Kevlar is between 2 and 6 times more stiff than nylon, and between 4 and 10 times more stiff than natural gut. For more information about dynamic stiffness, see our String Selector Guide in the June 2003 issue of Racquet Tech magazine.

From the April 2004 issue
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