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Restringing frequency

Q: What is the recommended stringing frequency for club players?

A: The USRSA supports the industry-standard recommendation of restringing as many times per year as you play in a week. However, this advice is typically given to those who don’t play much, and seem to be looking for any excuse not to restring. Club players — who are by definition more active and serious about the game than recreational players — should restring more often.

Whether in play or not, nylon strings have lost significant tension after about two months. “Poly” strings typically have lost significant tension after about one month. Natural gut loses tension, too, but seems to retain its playability until about 30 minutes before it breaks. These would be better guidelines for club players.

It’s true that it all comes down to what feels right to the player, so you could make the argument that if the player is most comfortable using two-year-old strings, then that’s what he should use.

The problem arises when those strings break. It would be next to impossible to match the tension and elasticity of two-year-old strings with new strings of the same make, model, and gauge. Even so, that’s the best case scenario, where you can actually still buy the string the player is used to using. Sometimes, those old strings may no longer be on the market, so you’d be trying to match the old dead strings with a new string that may not be comparable in every category.

By changing strings regularly, there is more consistency in the ball’s response off of the strings. This allows the player to develop a better expectation of how the racquet and strings will perform at all times, which means he will have fewer adjustments to make when going from old strings to new. This consistency can only be achieved through frequent restringing.

From the January 2008 issue
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