IS THE STRINGING USED BY PROS GOOD FOR AMATEUR PLAYERS?

Choosing the right string is, for many players, a leap into the unknown. The easy solution? Choosing the string of their idol. Bad idea!

The extremely varied rope techniques and tensions used by professionals

The strings and string tensions used by professional players vary considerably. Let's start with the example of players using a T-Fight Tecnifibre racquet: Daniil Medvedev, who plays with Razor Code ATP strings, used a tension of 24kg at the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000. Tallon Griekspoor, who made a name for himself by eliminating Stanislas Wawrinka in the first round of the ABN AMRO Rotterdam in February, strung at 23kg, while Ruben Bemelmans strung at 26kg. Marius Copil used 25kg on the mains and 24kg on the crosses.

At the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, string tensions ranged from 13.5kg to 28/27kg! Stéphane Chrzanovski - Professional Stringer

And these are only minor differences. In reality, players can use very high tensions as well as very low tensions. They make their choice based on their strengths, experience, and feel.

At this tournament, string tensions ranged from 13.5kg (Mikhail Kukushkin) to 28/27kg (Simone Bolleli), with strings ranging from polyester to gut, including hybrids. Stéphane Chrzanovski - Professional stringer for Team Tecnifibre.

Thus, a rope that suits one person does not necessarily suit another.

Clay courts, being obviously slower than faster surfaces like indoor hard courts, force players to adapt and string their racquets with slightly lower tension to maximize the trampoline effect and therefore power. The sun and dry conditions also make the ball less lively, accentuating this effect. Consequently, a player doesn't string their racquet at the same tension year-round. During seasons on faster surfaces, it's not uncommon to see much higher tensions as players seek more control: our stringers often cite Dustin Brown as an example, who sometimes strings at over 35kg!

The advantages of professionals are not yours! Choose your stringing according to your playing style.

Stéphane Chrzanovski follows professional players throughout the year at various ATP tournaments. This monitoring allows him to observe changes in each player's string tension and to create a close, trusting relationship between player and stringer. He shares his expertise with us:

Stéphane, do you sometimes advise players on their choice of string and tension? Do you have any examples?

SC : Yes, it happens very often that we discuss with the player the choice of their string. Especially at the beginning of the tournament, they sometimes ask us how the machines are stringing, ask us for information about the weather, about the balls, about the atmosphere of the hall when it's indoors, or if the clay is fast or not... In Washington, for example, we had a long discussion with Édouard Roger Vasselin, who strings at 23/24kg indoors and who went up to 25.5kg on the last day because of the heat.

I also had the case with Sascha Zverev who requested adjustments to within 100g due to changing weather conditions.

What are your recommendations on the choice of string type (poly, multi, gut) and the correct tension for amateur players?

So, regarding string tension, it's important to know that there's no single right answer, and it's quite complex. Professional players typically use a tension ranging from 10kg to 38kg. The average is rather low, around 23kg for men and 26kg for women. If an amateur player is using the exact same string as their idol, I'd advise adjusting the tension according to their skill level! A player like Nishikori currently strings at 16.5kg, but that doesn't mean an amateur player needs to string so low. They can easily string at 23kg.

Conversely, with a Dustin Brown who draws at 37kg, the amateur player will have to draw much lower, otherwise he risks injuring himself.

So, in your opinion, what are the risks for an amateur player of taking inspiration from professional players to choose the tension of their racket?

For amateur players, it's often complicated because most don't really feel the difference between strings. Yet the effect they have on the body is truly different!

Unfortunately, in shops or large retailers, the main criterion is often lifespan, which is prioritized to the detriment of everything else.

Personally, I strongly recommend hybrid materials, precisely to try and use something less rigid than a full polyester construction.

For young people, multifilament is almost mandatory, as it is much less traumatic for bodies that are still developing.

For seniors, who often do not have the same durability problem, we direct them 100% towards high-end multi-purpose products, such as X-one, nrg2... or natural gut, which lasts less time but really preserves the body more.