Here is another excert from my blog postings on beginning racket stringing Q & A.

Q: My customer wants a more durable string, where should start figuring out the type of string to use?

A; The first thing that i like to find out is if the customer likes the type of string they have, if so than perhaps a thicker version.  Go from a 17g to a 16g.  If the customer has no preference than perhaps the next more durable string.  If they are playing with a natural gut or multifilament string than perhaps a synthetic would suffice.  If they already use a synthetic than perhaps something like Wilson Red Alert which is designed to be more durable than synthetics.  If the customer needs something even more durable than the Polyester string would be the next offering.  Polyester strings also offer degree's of durability.  I will be discussing some characterisitics of polyester strings in another post.

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I just found this interesting video on how natural gut tennis strings are made.

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This is an entry from my regular blog about racket stringing and I posted it here:  After reading this article you will have 3 winning hybrid combinations to improve your game. Some time back I published an article on eHow about understanding hybrid racket strings. In this article I spelled out some information on the theory of using hybrid stringing as a strategy for your game. In the early days of hybrid stringing only several 'packaged' hybrid strings were available one of which was Prince ProBlend. This kevlar/synthetic gut combination was designed for the hard hitting frequent string breaking player. This string became very popular and is still used today. The advantages of this string was that when the kevlar strings were installed in the main strings it provided extra durability and the player would have more hours on court before the strings broke. The downside to this string combination was the higher possiblity of arm problems due to the stiff characteristics of kevlar. The string is not forgiving, not elastic and tends to project the vibration back to the player. Polyester string started to gain popularity and many realized that it too was durable and more forgiving than kevlar. A hybrid string job does not need to include polyester but a majority will.

WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR STRINGS TO DO? There are two extreme opposite sides to finding the right string, durability or playability with a midpoint somewhere inbetween. If you tend to break strings frequently and want your strings to last longer than using a poly based string in the mains is the way to go. Combine this with a synthetic in the crosses. Other players are looking for playability so maybe a combination of natural gut and multifilament strings would give you great playabiliy and save you some money. The fun part of all this is that you can try various combinations of strings until you find just the right combination. Don't be stuck on only choosing from options that are 'pre packaged' hybrids, any two strings on the market can be transformed to create a hybrid.

TOO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM. With 100's of different strings being offered along with the different gauges, what type of combination is best? Hopefully your local racket stringer is versed on some options for you to try, or you can email me for support as well, thats what this blog is all about.

3 Winning hybrid stringing combinations.

At the beginning of this article I promised to give you 3 combinations so here they are. I am also working on an article that will go into more details and include spin, power, control issues.

1. Luxilon m2 pro 16L in the mains and Wilson NXT 17g in the crosses. This combination will provide you durability of a polyester string that is not too stiff and has soft multifilament type characteristics along with a thinner cross multifilament for playability and power.

2. Babolat RPM Blast 17g in mains / Wilson NXT 17 crosses. This combination will give you spine and playability.

To read more please follow this link to my blog at www.tennisstringing.blogspot.com

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Have you ever wondered how racquet stringers stencil your tennis racquets? Stencils are painted on designs on the strings of a tennis racquet. Most of the time these designs are the logo of the tennis racquet brand.

This video shows how simple it is to stencil your tennis racquet.

Tennis Warehouse sells stencil of the major racquet brands, but if you want something more unique, then check out Racquet Art.  Racquet art has many unique stencil, like the ones below, or you can even custom design a stencil.

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As a tennis racquet stringer, I get asked all the time what is the difference between Natural Gut tennis strings, and Synthetic Gut tennis strings.

Natural Gut strings is generally made from a cows gut in a complex process. Because of this, Natural Gut is the most expensive tennis string on the market. Natural Gut strings are popular among tennis professionals because of its superior performance. Natural Gut strings offer great elasticity, tension stability and liveliness. Because of the high price, Natural Gut may not be the best choice for recreational players. This is where Synthetic Gut strings come in.

Synthetic Gut strings come in a wide variety of materials, textures, colors etc.. Synthetic Gut strings are basically everything outside of the Natural Gut strings. Here is a breakdown of the different types of Synthetic Gut strings:

Nylon Strings

Nylon Strings are a good all-around string category. This is the basic, and most popular string choice in tennis. It also happens to be one of the cheapest. It has a crisper feel compared with Multifilaments, good, but not as gentle on the arm as Multi or Gut. It's reasonably durable and holds tension well. A good category of string when you're looking for power and control and affordability.

Examples: Gamma Synthetic Gut and Prince Tournament Nylon

Polyester & Kevlar

Polyester & Kevlar strings are known for their durability, and are a good choice for hard hitters, string breakers, and people without arm problems. Kevlar strings are extremely stiff, and are best used in a hybrid setup. Poly has much more playability, and its use is not limited to hybrid applications like Kevlar, and Poly holds tension fair. A good category of string when you're looking for maximum durability and control.

Examples: Kirchbaum Super Smashy Honey (polyester) and Ashaway Kevlar

Multifilament

Multifilament strings are the closest strings to Natural Gut, and are also the next most expensive strings. Best overall playability, and are gentle on the arm, but punishing to your opponent. Because they are made of hundreds of filaments, the fray as the wear. Holds tension fairly well. A good category of string when you're looking for a string that is arm friendly, powerful and has good control.

Examples: Wilson NXT and Babolat Fibertour

Textured Strings

These are the strings that have an added raised band to give the string tecture. The idea of the this texture, is to grab the tennis ball and create more spin. Other strings such as Gamma Gut 2, have tiny groves that give the string more texture. Examples: Gamma Ruff and Prince Topspin Plus

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