String Construction*

 

Natural Gut

Despite the hundreds of synthetics on the market, most good players agree that gut still sets the standard for optimum playability. Stringing a racket with natural gut requires special care and techniques different to stringing with synthetic string. Natural gut is more expensive than synthetic string, is not suited to wet or humid conditions and requires careful handling. Modern manufacturing methods have improved gut’s strength and it can now compete with synthetic string for longevity.

Gut should be stored unopened in its original packaging, in a cool, dry place. Shelf life is about a year and extended coils are available up to 40± feet.

Uncoil gut with one hand and recoil it with the other to unwind potential kinks. White ribbons or bands within the string are normal coloration. Dark smudges may indicate dirt, although reputable manufacturers have all but eliminated this defect.  Kinks are potential week spots.

Pre-stretching gut remains controversial. Most professional tournament stringers don’t pre-stretch or work gut for the pros. Working and pre-stretching does avoid kinks and snarls (making gut easier to handle). Long term tension loss won’t be an issue whether or not the gut is pre-stretched, due to gut’s low ‘creep’ rate

 

Synthetic Strings

 
With more than 500 strings on today’s market, selecting string for your racket is more confusing than ever. The following illustrations can help categorize strings by performance characteristics. They might also provide some insight about potential newcomers to a string type. It’s a good idea to playtest new strings before switching to them and many professional stringers carry demonstration rackets or can offer personal advice on string types.
SOLID CORE/SINGLE WRAP. These popular synthetics derive durability and tension retention properties from a solid centre core. An outer wrap of smaller filaments or fibres assist in retaining tension and also protect the core from small nicks and abrasions. The number and construction of wrapped filaments, diameters and synthetic blends varies from string to string.

Examples. Alpha Viper, Babolat Fine Play, Gamma TNT, Prince Synthetic Gut Original, Wilson Synthetic Gut, TOA Silencer

SOLID CORE/MULTI-WRAP. Multi-wrapped solid core synthetics have gained popularity as “widebody-compatible” strings because these dual-wrapped strings tend to play softer. The multi-wraps usually feature a smaller core — an apparent preference in widebody playability.

Examples. (DUAL-WRAP) Babolat VS Fiberfeel , Gamma TNTRX, Leoina 66, Gosen Widebody, Velociti Plus

MULTIFILAMENT. This is a coreless string in which multiple synthetic fibres are twisted in a manner similar to that of natural gut. Fibres vary in thickness and number — from only a few to as many as a few thousand micro-fibres. The initial advantage is in playability, although the string may tend to stretch and lose tension more quickly than string with a centre core. However, this ‘soft’ string can compensate for some of the stiff attributes of widebody frames — and many players feel a coreless multifilament is excellent for widebody use. Advances in coating processing has dramatically reduced most fraying.

Examples: Tecnifibre 515, Babolat VS Fiberace, Wilson Sensation, Head Radical Pro Fibre (twisted ribbons), Winn Gutex.

MULTICORE /SINGLE WRAP. Advances in construction have made this a popular synthetic — with numerous variations available. The multifilament core offers a softer playing, more forgiving string. The outer wraps tend to reduce stretching.

Examples. Alpha Gut 2000, Forten Fiber Ace

MULTICORE/MULTIWRAP. As micro-technology improves (fibres are made smaller), adding a second wrap can enhance durability.

EXAMPLES: Ashaway Vantage Pro, Forten Fiber Flex.

COMPOSITES. Combining materials, such as nylon with Kevlar~ or nylon with Zyex can bring out the best attributes of different materials — combining longer life with softer feel, for instance.

EXAMPLES. Prince Response, Forten New Age 18, Gosen Arammix Pro

TEXTURED. All string is textured to a degree, although some marketed “textured” strings only offer rough surface texture. Intentional texture is added by extra outer wraps or by altering the diameter of individual fibres.

Examples: Babolat Super Fine Play Rough, Wilson Synthetic Gut eXtreme Spin, Prince Topspin Plus, Ashaway Spin-X, Gamma Ruff.

GEOMETRICS. Shaped strings — flat, square, elliptical, “gear” shaped — cater to spin players who like extra bite on the ball. The verdict is not conclusive on whether these strings offer all the performance benefits they claim — though many spin players claim a perceptible difference, If your clientele includes heavy spin players, you may want to try geometric synthetics.

Examples. Sut7x Power Hex, Forten Gear

ARAMID FIBRE HYBRIDS. Utilizing the strength of aramid fibres (Kevlar®, Technora®, Vectran~) for main strings and softness of nylon or natural gut for crosses provides string breakers with a durable string combination.

EXAMPLES. Alpha Tourna Blend, Ashaway Crossfirell, Gamma Infinity, Leoina Hybrid Zipang, Prince Pro Blend, Wilson HammerLast

MONOFILAMENT: Polyester string is the only monofilament racquet string being used today. Stiffer than nylon but softer than Kevlar, polyester strings resist abrasion to provide added durability.

Examples: Babolat Strongplay, Big Banger, Forten Poly Blast, Gamma Dura Blast, Gosen Polylon, Kirschbaum, Luxilon, Super Smash.

* - Much of this material is derived from original material of the United States Racquet Stringers Association

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Page updated:- 12 March, 2007