Regardless of your level, using the correct strings and tension on your tennis racquet is crucial to playing your best tennis and can be a helpful tool in preventing injury.
How Does String Tension Impact Play?
Tension is the measure of how tight the strings are pulled when put in the racquet, typically expressed in Kilograms (kg) or Pounds (lbs).
Low Tension (40-50lbs/18-22kg):
Lower string tension typically gives a player more power due to less stiffness in the strings. The ball spending more time on the strings creates a ‘trampoline-like’ effect and results in greater power and depth on shots. Not only does lower tension increase power, but the lesser degree of stiffness also helps reduce discomfort from shocks and vibrations to the wrist, elbow and shoulder. Lower tension also tends to improve durability of the strings.
Young players still developing their full potential may find a lower tension beneficial in giving them an extra boost of power on their shots. If you find your play-style already holds a lot of power and hard-hitting, choosing a low tension is not the best bet for you. Read on for recommendations on which tension to use for hard-hitting players.
High Tension (55-65lbs/25-30kg):
Generally, higher string tension contains all the opposite qualities to that of low tension. A racquet strung at a high tension will provide the player with more control, while reducing the power, spin, durability and comfort on the racquet. While this may sound like a long list of disadvantages, having the improved control from higher string tension can heavily benefit stronger, hard-hitting players.
How Do I Find My Ideal Tension? - Fireball Recommendation:
Our recommendation on how to find your ideal tension if you don’t already have a preference is to start out in between the two ranges at about 52lbs/24kg. This will give most players a good balance between generating power and maintaining control. After playing with this tension for a while it is up to your personal judgement as to whether you felt you lacked power or control. Based on this judgement you can then adjust and get the racquet strung at a higher or lower tension to cater to your playing style!
Finally, your coach may also be able to provide more information to help your decision, as their assessment of your consistency, control and power will allow you to make a more informed decision.
If you’d like more information on this topic or would like to have your racquet re-strung, contact the Fireball Tennis Academy Pro Shop on 0481 853 154 or by emailing proshop@fireballtennis.com.au.