String tension?

Question

I was recently playing with my friends racket which felt a LOT looser (in terms of tension). I was wondering what are the advantages of having high or low tension, and which tension # is best for hard courts.

Answer 1

High tension give you more control and less power and low tension gives you more power but less control.  Personally I like it just in the middle.

Answer 2

(According to my Year 11 Physics =/)Lower Tension increases the time of acceleration imparted onto the ball by the string bed. Thus impulse. Therefore...

I = FT or Impulse = Force X Time

Lets say that you hit a ball with a force of 500N

EXAMPLE:

  I = 500N X 0.25s = 125

Greater Tension decreases the time of acceleration applied to the ball from the string bed

EXAMPLE

I = 500 X  0.10 = 50

CONCLUSION: Decreased tension of string bed results in a greater acceleration period, increasing the impulse and therefore increasing the force applied to the ball. Increased tension of string bed results in a decreased acceleration period, increasing the impulse and therefore decreasing force applied to the ball.

Changing racquet tension does not affect spin, but it does affect string movement, dwell time, and ball contact distance. These latter parameters all can affect the ball trajectory as well as the player's feel of the impact.

The main advice is that high string tensions make your shot more consistent and make it easier to hit topspin shots. If you do not like the "boardy" feel of high tension strings, then use a lower tension but remember to restring regularly to minimize the affects of undesirable string motion.

Your best going with a high string tension around 60 if you are to play on hard court. This is because hard court is a baseline topspin game. However if your an inexperienced player you should probably opt for the 45-55 LBS

Hope this helps!

Coach NINJA!

Check out my site at http://www.ninjaunion.com/ It has many step by step lessons such as mastering the perfect lob to basics such as an effective flat serve.

Answer 3

First, nobody can tell what tension is right for a given individual. Generally speaking, use the "middle" or average tension listed in the range of tensions given on the racquet, itself, usually on the inside of the throat (the area between the strings and grip).  For example, a racquet that gives the manufacturer's recommended tension of "60-70" would have an average tension of 65 (n.b., prestrung racquets are always set to the average tension). The tension range may be shown as "65 +/- 5", which is the same as saying 60-70. Over time, you will be able to figure out what works best for you, but, in general, power hitters probably need more control, while control hitters probably need more power, but stringing isn't always a matter of "balancing" the strings to the player; the racquet is also a factor (e.g., racquets with larger head sizes have more power), but the tension for one person's racquet, such as your friend's, may not be "right" for you and your racquet, assuming yours is a completely different size, weight, etc. If a given player constantly overpowers the ball, it does not, necessarily, mean that he/she needs to adjust the tension for more control; most of the time, it means that the player needs to control him/her swing!

Second, there is no such thing as a best tension for a particular type of court, just as no racquet is perfect for every player.

Third, higher tensions will give you more control,

while looser tensions will give you more power.

However, beginners typically have trouble deciding

which is best for them, and, at $20+ a pop for stringing,

it isn't always easy to decide.

Fourth, the "gauge" (thickness) of a string is also a factor. Generally speaking, for amateurs, thicker is better (n.b., the higher the gauge number, the thinner the string; for example, 15 gauge string is thicker than 17 gauge string;

most amateurs should use 15 or 15L (15-and-a-half), which gives more durability, while higher/thinner gauges give more spin and control, but less durability.

Fifth, generally speaking, you should take your racquet to a professional stringer (usually someone at a tennis club, shop, or sporting goods store), who will ask you a series of questions, and, hopefully, know what tension might be best for you and your racquet (again, per the above, even someone's best guess may not work out for you). BTW, don't let the stringer talk you into buying expensive strings, as the vast majority of amateurs, especially beginners, wouldn't know the difference, no matter what kind of string was put into their racquet!

In conclusion, beginners generally should use 15 or 15L gauge string, set at the middle or average of whatever the racquet's tension range is printed on the throat. Any adjustments are strictly up to the individual's capabilities and style of play.

P.S.  FYI: The abbreviation is "NTRP" (National Tennis Rating Program). Also, I find it hard to believe that someone with a 4.5 NTRP level doesn't already know this information, so, assuming you were referring to yourself, then, respectfully, you either don't understand the NTRP, or you are deluding yourself (i.e., not being honest to yourself about your capabilities). Check out the link, below, to find your "real" NTRP level, which, BTW, is best determined by a tennis pro, but you'd have to pay $20+ for the privilege, while my "test" is free!

Answer 4

High tension= more control, less power

                        also smaller sweet spot, more shock to arm,

                        shorter string life

Low tension= more power, less control

                        also larger sweet spot, and longer string life

Answer 5

Low tension on strings create a more trampoline effect once the ball hits the string bed. This generates more power. A loosely strung racquet may feel like it has a larger sweet spot, but when the player swing hard enough, it'll cause your shots to fly farther, but unpredictably.Llight shots, enables you to hit soft shots with some more control.

High tension lowers the power of your racquet. This is good if you have a high swing speed. You can make contact with the ball at a higher velocity and when you brush up, you will impart more topspin to keep the ball in the court (magnus effect, spinning ball, differential in air pressure, ball goes down).

You don't want to string too high or too low. Too low and your shots are bound to be flying long, too high and you generate enough pace or you'll tire out fast, having to swing 110% to get a good shot. A general rule of thumb for MOST people is to go with the recommended tension which should be on the throat of your racquet. Midplus' are usually 58+-5 lbs, oversizes' 60+-5 lbs. They vary though, my apd is 58+-5, but my pure drive is 53+-5 and both are midpluses. Typically you want to string as high of a tension as you can tolerate, but a good base point would be just to go for the middle.

If you feel your current set up is too low power, go up about 2 lbs in tension. I (NTRP 4.5) currently use a babolat APD (mid tension is 58) and I string it at 61 with a poly strings in the mains/and synth in the crosses.

Its also important to note that if you use poly strings (pro hurricanes, cyberflash, etc...) you should string about 5-10% less tension that you normally would.

I normally use the same tension regardless of what surface I'm playing on (mostly hardcourt, with an occassional forray into clay). I'd suspect that with hardcourts, the pace of the ball is generally retained after the bounce, I'd stick with a higher tension to control such pace.

Best option for you is to just tyr it out and see what you like. If you have more than 1 main racquet (I have 4), I usually string 2 identical (in case one breaks during play and I alternate between matches to reduce the wear and increase life) and one with higher tension (if I'm hitting too long) and one with lower tension (if I'm not getting enough pace).