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TENNIS, BADMINTON
SQUASH, RACQUETBALL
STRINGING
"WHILE U WAIT"




Everything you've always wanted to know about Tennis String
 (*but were afraid to ask)!
 "A not so short story", by Dr. David Reubens Howard Matthews, the Racquet M.D.
Copyright 2016. (Not to be re-printed without express permission).




PREFACE
Please note, this page, actually my book, is a work in progress, which evolves continuously. It's not that any of the facts contradicting many of the manufacturers claims are changing, it's just that I am continuously adding more and more information herein, as I realize I have not covered it previously.


INTRODUCTION
We in the tennis industry are constantly asked, "What is the best string for me?" There is unfortunately no definitive correct answer to such a question. One's specific requirement for Playability, Comfort, Durability, Longevity & Spin Generation vary from player to player. What is good for another, isn't neccessarily good for you. Up front, it is apparent that we should define all the terms, having to do with tennis strings & stringing, so first, let's discuss the string material and some of the fallacies that run rampant about them.


1. STRING MATERIALS
"There is no such thing as Synthetic Gut". There are strings made from the Intestines of a cow or a Sheep, which are known as Natural Gut. Everthing else (with one exception) is called "SYNTHETIC" since it is a man made product, but the word "GUT" doesn't figure into the equation. These strings are made of Nylon, Polyester, or some other type of PLASTIC. They are in no way "GUT", so the term is completely misleading. The term Synthetic Gut is a made up name, that string makers thought up for Nylon, 40 years ago. It sure sounds much better than just the term NYLON!, doesn't it? Realize we are not saying that all synthetic strings are bad, just that they should be called what they are "SYNTHETICS".

Actually there are quite a few Synthetic Strings that come quite close to the performance level of Natural Gut. It's all a matter of the strings elasticity, resistance to tension loss and it's rate of rebound that makes a Synthetic a viable alternative to "Natural Gut Strings. For a list of such soft strings, in order of their elasticity, see our String Elasticity Chart.

SO WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH NATURAL GUT? There is nothing very mysterious about Gut. The real problem is that there are not many stringers experienced enough to safely install it in a racquet without damaging it during the installation. I would estimate that approx. 95% of stringers have never strung with this type of string & for good reason, they are scared of it. Their fear is not unfounded. Gut is manufactured in a completely different way than other types of string. It is made of flat ribbons of organic material (intestinal muscle tissue) & it does not behave like any other string while in the process of being installed into a racquet. It requires special care and patience to avoid severly damaging it while it is being installed. Contrary to popular belief, probably created by misinformed stringers and players who've had trouble with Natural Gut, it doesn't always wear out faster in fact, properly installed, it lasts considerably longer than many plastic based products, even when subjected to Topspin play. True! it will not last as long as Kevlar or Polyester strings, but the unique "performance", at least as far as Power Transfer and comfort afforded to the player eclipses any other string available.

So, other than Natural Gut, what choices do I have? The following is a list with definitions, of all available types of Synthetic Tennis Strings, with a short synopsis of their attributes. They are rated according to their similarity to Natural Gut, with a (1) being the most similar.

1-2) Zyex (PEEK) (Poly-ether-ether-ketone) is a Synthetic String that has excellent qualities in almost all areas, but is not often found at that many dealers. It first became popular back in the late 80's, but it's use has waned over the years. It is mMost commonly a Multifilament in construction, but recently there have been a number of monofilament designs.

1-3) Polyolefin / Polypropylene / Polyethylene are Synthetics that behave similarly to Natural Gut. They are relatively Soft with good Elasticity & have decent Durability Characteristics, & they hold tension fairly well. They are most often Multifilament Strings, usually made in a similar fashion to Natural Gut, by combining many "Flat Ribbons" of material. These strings can also benefit from the use of our String Juice product. I have listed these with a ORANGE "P-TEX" designation.

Tennis Menace is marketing our own strings which are a blend of PEEK & Polyolefin. Called Solar (17L) Eclipse & Lunar (16L) Eclipse, our proprietary string, is in my humble opinion, the NEW GOLD STANDARD in Tennis String. Here are strings that can do almost everything extremely well, no small accomplishment. They have all the advantages of Polyster Monofilaments and of Natural Gut, with none of the disadvanteges of either. To begin, they're Extremely Elastic, which translates to their being Easy on the Arm and exhibiting a Great Deal of Power, quite close to the ultimate elasticity of Natural Gut. Next they are extremely Durable, like Polyester Monofilaments. Additionally, they're capable of generating vast amounts of Spin, just like Polyester Monofilament Strings. Lastly, they are also moderately priced. Avoided are the disadvantages of poor durability & not being waterproof, exhibited by Gut, & the disadvantages of poor tension maintainence & comfort exibited by Polyesters. This new string does have one downside however, although it's not much of an issue. More care than normal needs to be taken while stringing it, to assure that the stringing takes place without a hitch. We also have developed a special method for how it is strung, further enhancing is performance. Thus, our speaking with your stringer is definately to your advantage. Look for Tennis Menace's "Solar Eclipse" & "Lunar Eclipse". #132 & #134 on the list below. We suggest you have your stringer speak to us prior to stringing, so we can provide insight on how to avoid problems during stringing. Using our other proprietary product "String Juice" Lubricant along with Eclipse Strings, is like the title of the movie, "As Good as it Gets". The use of these 2 products together further enhances the Spin & Durability you will achieve to unbelievable levels.

1-5) Multifilament String though not a material per se', but a designation, is listed here to differentiate it from more common Solid Core with Wraps type, as well as Monofilamemt Strings. Multifilaments can be made from any number of raw materials including; Polyolefin, Polypropylene, Polyethylene, Nylon, Polyester, Zyex, Vectran, Kevlar, & (in the past, Stainless Steel). Multifilaments can be quite similar, to Natural Gut, or completely disimilar, which is totally dependent upon what material they are made from. Kevlar & Vectran Strings, which are the Most Durable Strings available, are also the least like Natural Gut in their Playing Characteristics or Comfort, but alas they are Multifilaments, & for some players they're the only strings that can be expected to stay in one piece for any decent period of time, due to their use of heavy TopSpin. Zyex, Nylon & Polyester Multifilament Strings attempt to mimic Natural Gut, and many do a very good job of it. Look for the term "Multi" in the string chart.

2-3) Nylon Solid Core Strings utilize a Main Structural Element called a "Core", normaly surrounded by 1 or more layers of thinner Nylon strands, used to protect the core from Normal Wear & Tear, tennis strings are continuously subjected to. Composed of Nylon, although commonly called Synthetic Gut, Solid Core Strings were the most common type of string sold for years, until recently, when the Polyester Phenomenon caught on. They can be the Least Expensive, and are Fairly Durable at the same time. Look for the GREEN "Nylon" designation, but also pay attention as to whether or not the term "Multi" is included, which means they have no CORE.

OK! So I break my strings way too fast & I am going broke constantly restringing. What can I do to make my strings stay in one piece significantly longer? Other than Tennis Menace's Eclipse Strings discussed above, other ways to increase string life are discussed below.

3-4) Polyester Monofilament Strings aka Polymono's are currently "All the Rage". Contrary to popular belief, they are not Something New!, as they have been on the market since 1981, when all that Material previously destined for Leisure Suits found a use, as Tennis String. "Just Kidding". I would venture a wild guess that currently 7 out of every 10 racquet stringings done today, is either with full Polymono, or with a Hybrid of Polymono with some other type of string. Why the sudden popularity, after all these years of Polymono existing in obscurity? Simple, it became popular with professional players for quite a few reasons and like magic, it became the new standard for a large percentage of the rest of the playing public. Should it be? In my opinion NO, but that will be discussed later. For now let's accept that it is popular due to an enhanced ability to create Spin, as well as it's Durability, which tends to be more of a problem for players who use significant amounts of spin in their games. It also usually much less powerful than most other strings, due to its reduced Elasticity, so it known for enhancing "Control", not that the same can't be obtained by simply stringing other types of strings tighter.

Polyester Monofilament Strings come in three basic types Smooth/Round, Textured/Round, and Shaped. The Round Polymono's are Hard & either Smooth like Glass, or a Textured Surface similar to an Orange Peel. When the Textured varieties hit the market, it was claimed they would generate MORE SPIN, than the Smooth types, however for a variety of reasons, this has proved to be untrue. One of the reasons Polyester strings create increased spin, is due to their low friction, which allows the Main strings to quite freely move across those Interwoven Crosses, as the main strings are displaced during oblique brushed contact with the ball, they rapidly snap back to their original position, & this Rapid Return, imparts Significant Rotation on the still in contact Ball Surface.

Textured Polymono Strings have a surface similar to an Orange Peel. The flawed idea behind doing that this was to increase the friction against the surface of the ball. Unfortunately the surface irregularities that most Textured Polymono strings exhibit are so slight as to be innefective at increasing spin, & because the texture, friction between the interwoven textured strings actually increases, which reduces the speed & force of the "snap back" which is what we want in the first place.

The next big rage in Polymono's has been Shaped Strings. Triangular, Square, Pentagonal, 6, 7, or even 8 sided, not to mention some shaped like a Gear, all have become popular. The jury is still out as to whether or not these irregular shapes do not significantly reduce the Snap Back, due to increased friction caused by their shape, however Shaped Strings should increase spin as they have in most cases significantly smaller contact with the ball, which results in increased pressure along the points of contact. It should be noted, however that although these irregular shaped strings can have SHARP DELINEATED EDGES which should greatly increase Spin, often these Edges are somewhat "Rounded" as is the case with Babolat RPM Blast, so it is very important "How Defined those Edges actually are". It should also be noted that there is absolutely no reason Shaped strings should be used in the Crosses, as only the Main Strings contribute to spin in any way. If fact, in many ways, the uses of shaped strings in the crosses can be detrimental to the generation of spin, as well as increasing wear. The last so called improvement has been to TWIST these SHAPED strings. I recommend staying away. Never under any circumstances use these in the crosses. Use only Smooth Round Strings in the Crosses!

The major problem with Monofilament Polyester, which is discussed at greater length in the Spin Section, is their tendency to go through what I have affectionately coined a new term for "Tenopause" or "The Change". They all lose significantly large amounts of tension, as compared to "ALL" other types of strings, very rapidly & with very little usage. As they rapidly lose tension, they also lose Elasticity, getting Stiffer, so the tension loss isn't always apparent to the player. This is why the Pro's only use a specific racquet for a very short period of time during their matches, & why they carry so many racquets with them in those large bags. For this reason, one must realize that the Elasticity Rating shown on the chart further down this page, for any given type of Polymono is misleading at best, as it's only going to change for the worse, the stiffness rating increasing substancially as the string ages. Most of the manufacturers recommend their Polymono Strings be strung 10% lower than normal to begin with, due to the STIFFNESS.

There are however, a few exceptions, Polymono Strings that do not lose quite as much tension as most of the others are prone to. One must also be aware that since Polymono Strings are usually but not always stiffer than many of the others types, and that siffness INCREASES, they may be more prone to causing TENNIS ELBOW. Polymono strings are indicated by the "Black" Polyester/Mono designation. Remember that Multifilament string can also be made of Polyester, & for the most part, they do not suffer from the same problems that Monofilament Poly's do.

4-5) The Kevlar (aka Technora) & Vectran Strings are the strongest and most durable. Due to their higher melting points, they are able to resist the notching that occurs with Heavy Topspin, even better than the more popular Polyesters Monofilaments. While this may seem to be an improvement to the durability of Poly's, it does come at a price, additional String Stiffness, which for some can very often lead to a nasty case of Tennis Elbow. These types of strings come with suggestions that they be strung up to 15% lower than normal & that is a very good idea to follow. If your strings don't remain intact for very long, even when you use Polyester, these strings may be your only choice. These have a GOLD "KEVLAR" designation.

If extreme durability is neccessary, but you want to reduce the possibility of arm issues, consider Tennis Menace's revival of an old favorite "Gamma EDGE". Now called "Total Eclipse", this Hybrid is comprised of Stainless Steel Main Strings with Synthetic Gut Cross Strings. Stainless Steel is considerably more elastic than Kevlar, while still being incredibly durable. With it's 17L main strings it generates significant Spin as well. While we actively market it with two different possible Cross Strings, feel free to experiment with others. Next are products that make any stinging last longer.

2. STRING ENHANCMENT
1) "STRING SAVERS" are a product designed to increase string durability, installed into the string bed after your racquet has been strung. They are tiny (smaller than a rice grain) clips that are inserted into the string junctions, to reduce the speed the strings wear out. The idea is to prevent the Notching taking place where strings cross over & under each other. They do work, increasing string durability up to fivefold, however be aware that with increased durability, you'll put more hours of play on your strings, so LONGEVITY becomes more of an issue as your strings have more time to loose tension & playability. There are basically three types we can recommend; 1) Babolat Elasto Cross. These have long been considered the Gold Standard in String Savers, as they are easy to apply, but there is quite a bit of waste, as the last few "Savers" on each strip can't be installed. The same holds true for; 2) Gamma Deluxe String Savers & the less expensive Unique Tourna Cross, which are the same product. Unique sells an economical refill for their Tourna Cross product, which can be used to refill the Gamma type one as well. 3) Shine String Eyes. These string savers are totally different from the Babolat/Gamma/Unique type savers, with a completely unique design. They are less restricting & allow the strings to move more freely and there is absolutely NO WASTE with this product, as each & every one is usable. If String Eyes are used in combination with our String Juice product (see below), the durability is enhanced so much, that many of you may be able to go back to using inexpensive Synthetic Gut strings and really reduce the bottom line.

2) Ultra Slippery Strings, designed in some cases to be used only in the Cross Strings, allow the Main Strings to move across them more easily, with significantly less friction generated. This not only increases the ability of the strings to snap back into place, increasing the generation of spin, but reduces the NOTCHING which is a common cause of Main String Wear. Gamma Glide (used in the crosses only) is the only currently marketed string of this type, but there was another string of this type marketed by Prince a few years back called Recoil. Designation P.T.F.E. "Teflon". Gamma calls the abilty of Glide to allow the mains to move so freely "Lubricity".

3) "Tennis Menace's String Juice", not to be confused with another product with the same name, is a product unique to Tennis Menace, as I personally developed it. It's a string lubricant & Plastic Softener, that is designed to allow certain types of strings to slide & snap back even more than they do naturally. Not an oil, lotion, or grease, which would make a mess of racquets, hands & clothes, String Juice is a Proprietary Lubricating Film, accomplishing two things; 1) Maintains the level of Plasticizers in strings, which prevents them from drying out & becoming stiff & brittle, which would make them more prone to breakage & with less elasticity & 2) Deposits a film of Lubricating SOLIDS, "Nanoscopic Ball Bearings" if you will, that reduce the surface friction between the interwoven Main & Cross Strings. This results in a significant extension of a strings Durability, Longevity, Spin Generation & Payability! For even greater durability use "String Juice" along with "String Eyes".



3. THOSE PROMISED DEFINITIONS
PLAYABILITY & COMFORT are directly related. Generally, the greater a strings elasticity, the more power, comfort & feel it will exhibit. Natural Gut strings are the clear winner here. If Natural Gut is too rich for your tastes, see below. Our Chart of String Spec's. If you need help deciding, just ask. We're eager to assist you. Considering a Law of Physics, that states "The Elasticity of any given material, is Inversely Proportional to it's cross section", one would assume (although they would be incorrect) that in every case, a thinner string, one with a higher gauge #, would always be softer than the same string in a thicker version, with a lower gauge #. The reason this is not Always true, is due to these factors; the Materials used and the design employed may not be exactly the same, between two different gauges of the same string, and one of the two may have been pre-stretched during it's manufacture. For these reasons, take nothing in this regard for granted & check the CHART. The greater a string's elasticity, the lower the number to it's immediate left.

DURABILITY is defined as the ability of a string to resist breaking. Regardless of what type of string one considers, remember that a thicker, (Lower Gauge #) of any string, should in theory last longer than the same string in a thinner (Higher Gauge #), however, in almost all cases, a thicker version of the same string, will be stiffer, with less elasticity. Next realize that the closer together strings are in a racquet, or the denser it's string pattern, the less movement the strings can go through, The less movement, the less POWER & SPIN, but the longer they will last before breaking, & the more CONTROL they will exhibit. As far as string material, Kevlar/Vectran strings are the most durable. However these strings are the worst as far as playability & comfort goes. Watch out, as this type of string is notoriously known as the string to avoid if you are already in pain or prone to suffering at all from Tennis Elbow. The stiffest Kevlar String, used in the mains of a Hybrid, "Prince Pro Blend, is about 11 times as stiff as the most elastic of the Natural Gut's. ELEVEN TIMES!

The next category on the durability scale would be the Monofilament (SOLID) Polyesters. These are less durable than Kevlar strings, but their playabilty and comfort are not quite as bad. Taking into account, durability & tension maintenance, only a few Monofilament Polyester strings makes economic sense, the ones that lose less than 20 lbs of tension. The reason?, as explained previously, most Monofilament Polyesters lose tension too quickly, to be at all economically feasible for normal extended use by traditional recreational tennis players. "But many of the Pro's use Polyester." you again say! That is true!, but they string their racquets daily, due to the tension loss & sacrifice some playability for the added control & spin these stiff strings provide, along with the additional security of not having to worry about string breakage during the match, which can cost them $! Can you afford to string your racquet every time you play with it? Probably not! For this reason we suggest you keep to the Monofilament Polyesters that have a rating of less than 20 lbs of tension loss. At the same time also consider picking the softer ones for comfort. There is a second category of Polyester strings, the Multifilaments. These are quite different than the Monofilaments discussed above. While these strings are made with Polyester, often combined with Nylon and possibly other materials, they have more in common with Nylon Multifilaments than Monofilament Polyesters, although being somewhat more durable than the Multfilament Nylons. There are new racquets on the market, from both Prince & Wilson, which are designed with fewer Cross Strings, in an attempt at generating more spin. These types of racquets are usually strung either all Poly, or with Poly Hybrids, in a futile attempt at softening the string bed somewhat. The Cross Strings in these Hybrid set ups tend to wear very quickly & thus there are special strings that can be used in the Crosses, that will provide added durability, while still be quite soft and playable. See the top section of the listings on our String page. It's a highly contested issue as to whether Natural Gut or Synthetic Strings are next on the durability scale, it all depends on the player however they certainly are not as durable as the Poly's or Kevlar types.

LONGEVITY, the ability of a string to maintain it's strung tension is a mixed bag. Natural Gut, once again is the clear winner as a group. The 2nd place spot is not held by any one group. Once again, Polyesters tend to be pretty bad in this regard, except the ones rated @ less than 20 lbs. loss. Many Monofilament Polyesters lose three or times the tension of the best of the Nylons or Guts. The Kevlar/Vectran string category is a mixed bag. Some hold tension quite well, while others "not so well". There are a number of Synthetic's rivaling the Natural Guts, check out those numbers. Normally, considering the laws of Physics, we would imagine that the same string, in a thinner gauge, would not only be more elastic, than one in a thicker gauge, but also more plastic, which would men that it would lose more tension in a given amount of time. It's not always the case, for a number of factors; (1) The like branded strings may not have the exact same construction & (2) During manufacturing, one but not the other may have been subjected to pre-stretching. Again, for these reasons, take nothing in this regard for granted & check the CHART. The number in parenthesis to t ehright each string is it's tension loss in pounds after just a short period of use.

SPIN GENERATION is a determined by Gauge, Shape, Surface Friction, Stringbed Density and Stiffness. Everything else being equal (meaning tension) in the same racquet; the thinner a string, the more spin it generates, simply due to it's smaller ball contact area. The shape of a string will also influence it's contact area with the ball, since less of the irregular shaped surface comes into direct contact with the ball surface. Next, The less friction any string has with strings it is interwoven with, the faster the rebound (or Snap Back) rate, when it is displaced horizontaly, This increases the amount of spin. Since gauge is cut and dry, "The thinner the Better" we will pass over that and discuss the other two factors.

The roughest strings are those with a STAR or GEAR shape. Due to this shape, an extremely limited amount of the string's surface comes in contact with the ball, which results in incredible friction at the point of contact. Other texturized string types may be Triangular, Square, Hexagonal, Heptagonal, Septagonal, & Octagonal. although one would imagine that the "GEOMETRIC" string with the least amount of sides would have the roughest surface, that is not necessarily true. The actual "Definition" or Sharpness of the corners can be more influential than just the Angle of each corner. One string in particular, that is quite heavely advertised as being shaped, so as to provide tremendous amounts of spin, is 8 sided Babolat RPM Blast. One look under a loupe is all one needs to realize that it falls short, and should be considered a FALSE ROUGH STRING) due to a non-defined (rounded) edge. There are Kevlar, Polyester & Nylon strings with this shape. The last type of "Shaped" string available would be the ones with exposed filaments spiraling on the outer surface. The most notable, Gamma Ruff & TNT Ruff.

Now we come to Surface Friction. The quicker & more effortlessly main strings return to their static position, after being displaced horizontally during impact with a ball being brushed in an attempt at creating rotation, the greater the amount of spin created. The faster rebounding Main String actually creates it's own rotation on the ball, in addition to the spin the brushing alone would have created. If less friction is present between main & cross strings, the speed of rebound can increase dramatically. This can be influenced by the strings surface design, such as the extremely smooth surfaced NON-Texturized Polymono's, as well as with our own Tennis Menace Eclipse Strings, or it can be due to lubricants present inside surface of strings, such as PTFE, aka TEFLON. Be aware, that the Polymono's still suffer from high tension losses compared to all other string ty[es. If you noticed, I stated that shaped strings can increase spin, one paragraph up, but in this paragraph I state that a Shaped string may increase the friction between the interwoven strings, so in effect you gain as well as possibly lose, a "CATCH 22" of sorts. My suggestion is to never use a shaped string in the CROSSES, only in the mains. I will also state that there is no advantage whatsoever to a Twisted Shaped String. It provided no advantage and probably does not produce as much spin as the non twisted version of the same string.

Lastly, Effective Stringbed Stiffness also effects the amount of spin any given stringing can provide. Stiffer strings, such as Polymono's & Kevlar's thus can generate more spin (everything else being equal) as they do not give as much as other strings, so the ball's surface squeezes into the gaps between the strings, but both have inherent flaws, leading to their being very poor choices in the long run. The same effect can be duplicated by simply stringing any non Polymono/Kevlar at a higher tension. The problem with almost all Polymono's with only few exceptions is that they lose tremendous amounts of tension shortly after being strung. Those losses can be 3 or more times greater than the losses other types of strings go through. At the same time that the tension goes down, most Polymono strings also tend to stiffen up, losing what limited elasticity they had when first strung. They thus are also losing their playability, although the player is not able to feel the losses. This is why Pro players who use Polymono Strings only use them for a short time before switching racquets. Those racquets then need to get restrung for their next use.

Heavy Spin wears strings very quickly, which is why Polyesters & Kevlars are attractive, the Catch-22 are their Negative Attributes. So how does one get enough spin, while preventing injury & also deal with the durability issues? The best answer is, if you are worried about Tennis Elbow, don't use most Polyesters or Kevlars. Use High Performance, thin gauge strings, along with either "String Juice" or String Savers. The use of these products together, will give you everything mentioned above, with no down side! String Savers increase string life significantly, but they have a downside, they can't be re-used. "String Juice" on the other hand is much more economical. This undetectable player applied Stringbed Lubricant, reduces friction between Main & Crosses, on racquets strung with any type synthetic string, increasing both their Durability & Spin Generation. Contrary to popular belief, Synthetic Strings are not totally waterproof, thus many products that one might feel suitable for this purpose can be absorbed by the plastic strings, causing changes to the strings that can be detrimental to their performance & to their long term integrity. STRING JUICE has been designed, to not be absorbed, thus causing no problems.


4. GOING HYBRID? (NO BATTERIES REQUIRED)
HYBRID STRINGING is the stringing of a racquet with 2 different strings, one type of string for the mains strings, "Vertical" & another type in the crosses "Horizontal". The most popular Hybrid Strings & the first to be sold, were Kevlar Blends, designed for players who broke string very often. Heavy Topspin causes strings to notch & break very quickly. These first Hybrid strings used Kevlar, the chief component in Bullet Proof Vests, to prevent the strings from breaking so quickly. They did just that, but played very stiff, with very little power & tended to contribute to Tennis Elbow injuries. If you require extremely durable strings, the softest Kevlar type string is Ashaway "Composite", actualy made of a material similar to Kevlar called Vectran. It is less than 1/2 as stiff as the Kevlar main string component of the first Hybrid String, Prince Pro Blend, which is the stiffest & most popular Kevlar Hybrid. The Kevlar component of a Hybrid set, can be anywhere from 15L (the thickest), to 19ga (the thinnest). The thicker strings tend to be more durable, while the thinner strings sacrifice some of their durability so that they can play somewhat better, as well as generate even more spin.

The next type of Hybrid Stringing done was using Natural Gut with other strings. This in an an effort at saving money. The idea, to get some of the superior playibility of Natural Gut, without paying the high price, by only using 1/2 a set of the Gut. This was somewhat successful, but only if the non Gut string is somewhat close to the elasticity of the Gut. If not, the advantage of the Gut is lost to a great extent. Usually Gut tended to be used in the cross strings, since Gut was not felt to be as durable as other strings. That that may not actually be true, & there are some distinct advantages to be had from putting the Gut in the Mains & some other string in the crosses.

In the past Andre Agassi was known to mix gut with Kevlar. While who am I to argue with a tennis great such as Agassi, as an Engineer, I fail to see the logic in mixing the best playing string with the worst. The newest type of Hybrid Strings are those that combine Polyester Monofilaments with other types of strings. Again I do not see the logic. the reason is as follows; When two dissimilar strings are mixed in a strung racquet, the stiffer of the two strings WINS. In other words, regardless of how soft one of the strings may be, since it is interwoven with another stiffer string, and since the stringbed has to MOVE AS ONE, there is little to be gained by way of the mixture. While Polyester is certainly more durable that many strings, with the exception of the Kevlars, it is still a very stiff string compared to Gut & almost all of the other Synthetic Strings. There are however a few exceptions. See the Chart below.

We've designed a number of Custom Hybrid String combinations, based upon our experiences with the vast selection of strings that we carry. Some of these Hybrids are designed to simply safe you money due to their reduced cost, while some others are designed to enhance specific characteristics of string performance. Contact us by phone to discuss these possible Hybrid String combinations that may work for your specific situation.

A string from Gamma, that's no longer in production, recently came to our attention. It flew under our radar while it was in production, but it's rather unique. Gamma Live Wire ESP features a what's called a Visco-Elastic Polymer. These materials have the ability to be flexible as well as stiff, depending upon the speed of the hit. This would provide Added Power, when hitting Hard & Fast, as well as added Control, when hitting more Softly. It's quite SOFT either way, great for Tennis Elbow relief, "Just even Softer" on Slow Hits. Available in 16 & 17ga


5. CHOOSING A DOCTOR STRINGER
Who should string my racquets? The answer to this question is in may ways the Holy Grail of Tennis. There are many people available to string your tennis racquets. The problem becomes one of knowing if they are experienced enough to do the job correctly as well as determining if they actually care about YOU!, as a customer? Anyone with access to a stringing machine can claim to be capable of stringing your racquets. Truth be known, many are quite inept, with little training or experience. Big Box Stores, which for these purposes shall go un-named, have employee turnover rates that would make you cringe. Their stringers, more often than not, are quite inexperienced, with limited training & by WHO? Caring little about how well your racquet gets strung, they are in it for the pay check. If your racquet is not strung to your expectations & you complain, it's not their problem, so the quality of their work is not really an issue. All they do is string as fast as possible so they can make more money, since in most cases they are paid by the racquet. Even stringers in pro shops are usually paid the same way, which is 100% to your detriment. Only an individual with a vested interest in the reputation of the business, as well as having a direct financial stake in the success of such a business can be expected to really care about you as a customer, making sure your racquet is strung to the highest standards, that will produce the best playing racquet. That would normally describe the owner of a business, but how often do you find them out front stringing the racquets? Rarely! Tennis Menace is different. There are no stringers. We don't string 100's of racquets each day. No assembly line here, such as can be found at the other Internet dealers. The owner, Howard Matthews strings every racquet. A "U.S.R.S.A." Master Racquet Tech, for many years, with over 49 years stringing experience, Howard treats every racquet as though it was his own. No shortcuts are taken. In fact, the racquets are purposely strung slowly, to allow each tensioned string time to stretch. This extra effort, called increased dwell time, results in racquets that hold their tensions better, resulting in much more consistantency in playability over a longer period of time. The second benefit of slow stringing is less damage to the strings occurs when they are strung slowly. Rapid stringing is a major cause of string notching, directly contributing to premature string breakage. It is your money, & our business model isn't just more customers, but satisfied repeat customers! We maintain a list of what we consider to be competent stringers all over the country, so if you are not in our area & don't see the benefit of sending your racquet to us for stringing, at least we can attempt to point you in the right direction.


6. TOOLS OF THE TRADE
And now some discussion would seem to be in order in regards to stringing machines. First consider this. A stringing machine is simply a tool, used by someone who hopefully knows how to correctly use it. No matter how good that tool, in the long run, it comes down to the competancy of the individual who is using it as to how well it will work.

There are two basic types of stringing machine. Regardless of how much they cost, all machines fall into one of the following two categories. They are either Continuous Pull, or Lockout. Continuous Pull machines do just that, Continue to pull on the string until the string being pulled is released. They can be either Electronic machines or what are called Drop Weight.

Continuous Pull Drop Weight Machines make use of a Calibrated scale on a bar, having a weight positioned at those Calibrated points, which if everything is accurate, results in a given amount of pull on the string. The issue is that little word "IF". For one thing, these types of machines require that that the aforementioned Calibrated Bar, ALWAYS ends up being exactly 90 degrees to the horizon, if not the pull will not be correct. Next, how accurately those Calibration Marks on the Bar correspond to what amount of pull the Machine is actually imparting on the string must come into question, however, if everything is indeed Kosher, they have the ability to be quite accurate in their pulling force.

What happens next can also be the downfall of a Drop Weight Machine. After a string has been tensioned, it requires being clamped, & held at that tension, while the next string is also being tensioned. This is where many of those inexpensive & sadly even some of the expensive Drop Weight type Machines fail. They have inferior clamps that are not able to adequately hold the tension that the string has been tensioned to. In other words they allow the string to slip to a lower tension after it has been pulled and clamped. You can't expect the Inexpensive Clamps included with most dropweight stringing machines, to hold string as well as clamps that may alone cost more than the entire machine. The Best Stringing Clamps are meticulously designed highly sophisticated pieces of equipment, some of which can cost hundreds of dollars alone.

Another problem with many of inexpensive Drop Weight Machines, is that they often do not have a contruction robust enough, so as to maintain a racquet's head shape during the stringing process, where thousands of pounds of pressure are brought to bear on a racquet. Drop Weight Machines are not always neccessarily inferior, nor do they always have to result in a less than perfect string job, the odds are simply much greater for that to be the case.

Continuous Pull Electronic Machines in theory should be the best type of stringing machine, capable of resulting in a more accurately strung racquet as well as reducing the tension loss that occurs with the use of (the next to be discussed) Lockout Stringing Machines. Just as a Drop weight Machine keeps pulling making use of Gravity, an Electronic Machine keeps pulling until you tell it to stop. The first advantage is that the strings have the ability to Stretch, more so the longer the stringer allows the machine to pull before clamping the string & releasing the pull. The second is that most Electronic Machines have a second characteristic that makes them far superior to Drop Weight Machines, which I have termed "Jogging". When most Electronic Machines reach their preset tension, they stop for a monment and then they Jog, defined as "Momentarily pulling slightly higher a tension and then going back to the preset tension". Let's say the machine is set to pull at 60 lbs. It reaches the 60, pauses, waiting for the string to stretch, which all strings do naturally & then it takes up the slack, continuously maintaining that preset tension of 60lbs. This is the machine's attempt at Stretching the string, during the stringing process, rather than allowing such Stretch to take place afterwards, which would result in more overall tension loss. Since ALL Tennis Strings have a given amount of inherent Stretch, the more that occurs during the stringing process, the less that is able to occur afterwards. The amount of time the stringer allows the machine to Jog, which I refer to as Dwell Time, has a direct influence on the amount of Stretch that can be expected after the stringing. For that reason alone, the faster a racquet is strung, on an Electronic or on a Drop Weight Machine, the lower stability string job that results. So much for the belief that the fastest stringer is the best! Now I must point out that as with any Stringing Machine, an Electronic must be accurately calibrated, or who knows what tension they will pull at.

A Lockout Stringing Machine normally known as a Crank Machine is the most prevalent type in use today. The user sets the desired tension, and via a series of levers and springs, it locks when it reaches the desired tension setting. Due to the fact that it does not automatically continue pulling, or Jog as explained in the Electronic Machine description, nor is gravity continuously pulling on the string, none of the inherent Stretch that Tennis Strings all suffer from, is eliminated during the stringing process, unless additional steps are taken to do so. If your stringer uses this kind of machine, ask them how if or how they deal with string stretch. 9.9 times out of 10 they will look at you with a vacant stare on their face. This is your cue to run away!, as these are not the people you should want stringing your racquet. There is nothing inferior in stringing with a Lockout Machine, in fact of the three machines I own, two of them are Lockout. One simply has to know how to make a Lockout Machine take out that Stretch, like an Electronic Machine does.

Regardless of what type of machine being used, if it is used properly, by a competant experienced stringer, you should be able to expect a well strung racquet, except for the following issues: (1) Is the machine properly calibrated? Does it actually pull at the tension it is set at? I have personally witnessed brand new stringing machines that were not calibrated from the factory, one as far off as to be pulling at 90LBS when set for 58LBS. The purchaser of that machine broke 4 racquets before they finally asked me to check into why he was having the problem. Not only can machines came "out of calibration" from the factory, but they can lose the accuracy of their calibration over time. This is why any competant professional stringer would be sure to check the calibration of his machine at the beginning of each work day. (2) Is the machine regularly cleaned and lubricated? Many of the moving surfaces of a Stringing Machine are made of Steel. Steel has a high Carbon Content, and that Carbon shows up on the surfaces of all those moving parts. If you recall, what is normally used to lubricate Lock Cylinders?, it is Graphite, which is simply finely powdered Carbon. If this Carbon is not regularly cleaned from the moving surfaces of a Stringing Machine, it acts as a lubricant and allows these surfaces to slip. Definitely not what is desired on surfaces that are supposed to be clamping tightly on each other. Next there are parts of Stringing Machines that require Lubrication to function properly without binding. First any old dirty lubrication needs to be cleaned off with Isopropyl Alcohol, then a new application of the proper lubricant needs to be applied. This should be done fairly often, so the machine operates properly. Care to guess how often it actually gets done to many machines?


7. "I'M UNDER SO MUCH PRESSURE TENSION"
What "Tension" should my racquet be strung at? Players tend to allow their stringers to make these decisions for them. Most modern racquets have their "Recommended" Tension Ranges printed right there on the racquet. It is usually a range, such as 50-60 lbs or 55+-5 lbs. The highest tension indicated has been considered the maximum safe tension for stringing the racquet, but this is untrue. These recommended tension ranges are only a guide as to where the manufacturer thinks the racquet will play best. The highest tensions isn't a structural limit at all. These recommndations don't take any other issue, such as string type, stringer technique, the temperature when playing, into account. Take these recommendations with "A Grain of Salt" as that is about all they're in reality worth.

What are the effects of differing string tensions? Contrary to what many people have been told over the years, higher tensions do NOT provide extra power. It's exactly the opposite. Higher tensions provide increased control (or should I say Accuracy), along with increased spin and string durability. Lower tensions, exactly the opposite.

What are the effects of different String Patterns? It's actually not how many MAIN or CROSS strings that matters, although there is a connection. It's really The DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM that makes the difference. Example, a racquet can have it's strings extremely close together at the center, but have larger gaps towards the edges. While that would effectively mean less strings, than if the gaps remained close throughout, the aformentioned scenario, is not the same, as if a racquet had larger spaces between the strings THROUGHOUT, resulting in less strings. Larger spaces between the strings WHERE the ball will actually COME IN CONTACT with them, is what will make the difference, if everything else remains the same, such larger spaces will result in Increased Spin Generation and Power, along with Less String Durability. Of course "all things" NEVER remain the same.

Here's a little tidbit of information I have never heard discussed in all my 49+ years of Racquet Stringing: When the "Main Strings" (those are the up & down strings, are installed in a racquet at a given tension, and then the "Cross Strings" are added, the act of putting tension on those Cross Strings increases the tension on those previously installed Main Strings. I have calculated the increase to be "Upwards" of 5 lbs. This is in most cases a good thing, as Tennis Racquet's string beds tend to be somewhat longer than they are wide, so the longer Main Strings would tend to, in my opinion, benefit from this disparity. This does however become an issue when stringing a racquet "HYBRID" with two different strings, where the tensions are often supposed to be different, based upon the type of string materials used. This is an issue we can discuss if you care to contact me for more information.


8. "I'M SO CONFUSED"
What String should I use? Even after all the reasons we have given for not using most Polyester Monofilament Strings, or any of the Kevlars, some of you may have no other choice. It all depends upon how quickly you break strings, and/or how often you're willing to get your racquets restrung. If you are a chronic string breaker talk to me as I will have some useful suggestions, rather than just telling you that you have no choice other than Polymono or Kevlar. It will be easier to discuss the topic over the phone so I suggest calling rather than e-mailing. For those of you who do not have issues with Premature String Breakage, the next section is a MUST READ!

Natural Gut is at the top of the heap in regards to elasticity. It is also the best playing string as far as performance goes. Not all gut strings are created equal however. Differences in gauge, twist rate and the raw material, the cow or sheep intestines, cause gut strings to have minor variances between brands as well as models. We suggest you resist the urge to try Natural Gut from Pakistan or India. Yes it will be cheep, but your stringing experience will not end well.

The following spec's are the facts, as per an independent lab, of the strings that offer the most elbow protection, as well as having the best playability & the ability to generate the most power at any given tension. Preceeded by their elasticity rating. The lower the #, the more elasticity a particular string has. The range of string elasticities is #75 (The softest string tested) to #981 (the stiffest string made). The softest strings are the Natural Guts, while #981 is the Kevlar Main String component of Prince Pro Blend 16ga, a Kevlar/Nylon Hybrid. Natural Gut sets will vary, so small differences shown in these results are not writen in stone.

Realize that the best string for you may not be the most elastic, if ability to maintain tension & resistance to wear are considered part of the equation. Unfortunately there is no way to quantitatively rate resistance to wear, so it's not indicated on the chart. Players using heavy topspin can often wear out a set of strings in just a matter of minutes, or hours. While thinner gauge's of most strings play better, they normally break faster than thicker gauge's. The thinner or more textured a string, the more spin it is capable of, but usually also the faster it will break. Higher gauge #'s mean thinner string. If in doubt, just ask us. We can't rate durability due to player differences. We do list each of the strings tension loss in pounds, to the right, in brackets. This is not a % loss, but the # of LBS, after just 1/2 an hour of play. Realize that the rate of this tension loss does slows down after these initial losses. Obviously, the lower that #, the better the strings ability to play consistantly over a period of time. Tension losses can be reduced during the stringing process, by varying the techniques used during stringing. For a detailed, personal recommendation on what sting may be best for you, & what can be done to fix the issues that all strings exhibit, contact us by phone or e-mail. The chart below only indicates elasticity and tension loss. Return to STRING PAGE for pricing info.

075) Pacific Bull Gut 16L (8.44)
082) Pacific Bull Gut 16ga (9.24)
083) Pacific Tough Gut 16L (7.52)
088) Pacific Tough Gut 16ga (6.75)
090) Pacific Prime Gut 16L (8.62)
090) Babolat VS Team 17ga [BT7] (7.74)
092) Pacific Classic Gut 16L (6.39)
092) Pacific Prime Gut 16L (6.86)
094) Pacific Tough Gut 17L (9.29)
094) Babolat VS Tonic+ Ball Feel 16ga [BT7] (8.80)
094) Babolat VS Tonic Ball Feel (8.80)
097) Pacific Prime Gut 16ga (5.75)
097) Pacific Tough Gut 17ga (9.22)
099) Head Natural Gut 16ga [Pacific] (8.73)
100) Pacific Classic Gut 17ga (7.78)
102) Wilson Natural Gut 16ga (8.43)
103) Pacific Prime Gut 16ga (8.05)
103) Wilson Natural Gut 17ga (8.13)
105) Pacific Prime Gut 17ga 8.45)
108) Babolat Tonic+ Longevity (10.29)
110) Babolat VS Touch Gut 16ga [BT7] (8.42)
THE STRINGS ABOVE ARE ALL NATURAL GUTS

THE STRINGS BELOW ARE ALL SYNTHETICS
Most are Nylon. The Other types are marked.
129) Prince Premier Touch 17ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (16.65)
131) Head Reflex MLT 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (15.73)
132) Tennis Menace's Solar Eclipse 17ga P-TEX[PEEK] (15.9)
134) Tennis Menace's Lunar Eclipse 16ga P-TEX[PEEK] (17.8)
135) Tennis Menace Exclusive "Vollmer Boris Becker Super" 16g [NYLON/MULTI] (9.9)
136) Head Rip Feel 17ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (15.14)
137) Tecnifibre XR3 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.2)
137) Gamma Solace 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (14.84)
137) Head Velocity MLT 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (15.50)
138) Gamma Ocho XP 16ga [PEEK/NYLON/MULTI (15.55)
138) Iso-Speed Platinum 16L Cross [P-TEX/MULTI] (16.62)
139) Gamma Solace 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (14.97)
140) Head Rip Comfort 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (15.77)
141) Ashaway Dynamite Soft 18ga [ZYEX/MULTI] (13.36)
142) Tecnifibre HDX Tour 17ga [NYLON/POLY/MULTI] (11.73)
142) Head Reflex MLT 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (16.27)
143) Head Rip Feel 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (14.77)
144) Gamma Live Wire Professional 18ga [NYLON/MULTI] (15.15)
145) Gamma Zyex II 16ga [ZYEX/MULTI] (12.9)
145) Ashaway Dynamite Soft 17ga [ZYEX/MULTI] (13.17)
145) Prince Premier Touch 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (17.57)
146) Alpha Gut 2000 18ga [NYLON/MULTI] (14.67)
146) Gamma Glide 16ga [PTFE aka TEFLON] (16.18)
146) Prince Premier 16ga [ZYEX/MULTI] (13.25)
146) Bow Brand Zyex Super Pro 16ga [ZYEX/MULTI] (13.50)
147) Ashaway Dynamite 17ga [ZYEX/MULTI] (13.72)
148) Tecnifibre HDX Tour 16ga [NYLON/POLY/MULTI] (10.56)
149) Tecnifibre HDX Tour 15L [NYLONPOLY/MULTI] (13.05)
150) Gamma Asterisk 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (13.98)
151) Iso-Speed Professional II 17ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (15.35)
152) Tecnifibre XR3 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.09
152) Yonex Tour Super Solid 17ga [POLY/MONO] (18.75)
152) Iso-Speed Professional Classic 17ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (15.06)
152) Prince Premier Touch 15L [P-TEX/MULTI] (16.80)
153) Dunlop Pearl 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (13.83)
153) Head Velocity MLT 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (14.89)
154) Iso-Speed Control Classic 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (15.43)
154) Wilson Spin Effect CROSSES 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (17.55)
156) Iso-Speed V-18 [POLY/MONO] (21.54)
157) Babolat M7 17ga (15.01)
157) Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 18ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.47)
157) Volkl Classic Syn. Gut 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (16.21)
158) Gosen TecFlex 17ga (9.95)
158) Iso-Speed Control II 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (15.61)
158) Prince Premier Power 18ga NYLON/MULTI] (15.17)
159) Prince Premier Control 15L [NYLON/MULTI] (16.40)
159) Wilson Syn Gut Duramax 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.03)
161) Wilson Optimus 16ga (15.13)
162) Gosen TecFlex 16ga (13.45)
162) Prince Premier Power 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (13.21)
163) Dunlop Pearl 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (13.61)
163) Gamma Live Wire XP 18ga [ZYEX/NYLON/MULTI] (17.13)
163) Head Rip Protect 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (11.57)
163) Unique Tourna Quasi Gut Armor 17ga [NYLON/POLY/MULTI] (11.38)
163) Wilson K-Gut Pro 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (15.21)
163) Yonex Tour Super Solid 16a [POLY/MONO] (16.28)
164) Babolat M7 16ga (14.71)
164) Babolat Xcel Power 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.76)
164) Boris Becker Pulse 17ga (12.61)
164) Prince Premier Power 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (13.27)
165) Asics Challenger 17ga [NYLON/POLY/SOLID CORE] (12.61)
165) Ashaway Dynamite WB 16ga [ZYEX//MULTI] (13.21)
165) Gosen TecGut Remplir 17ga (16.96)
165) Head FXP Tour 16ga [NYLON/POLY]]/MULTI] (14.93)
165) Iso-Speed Platinum 16ga Main [P-TEX/MULTI] (12.46)
165) Prince Premier Control 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (12.70)
165) Prince Premier Control 15L [NYLON/MULTI] (14.51)
166) Unique Tourna Quasi Gut Armor 16ga [NYLON/POLY/MULTI] (12.37)
168) Ashaway Dynamite Tough 16ga [ZYEX/MULTI] (13.51)
168) Asics Resolution 17ga (9.59)
168) Dunlop Silk 17L [NYLON/MULTI] (15.11)
168) Gamma Live Wire Professional 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (12.37)
168) Prince Premier Control 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (14.00)
168) Volkl Classic Syn Gut 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (14.95)
169) Iso-Speed Hybrid Speed 1.2 (15.65)
169) Tecnifibre TGV 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (14.69)
170) Asics Challenger 16ga [NYLON/POLY/SOLID CORE] (13.56)
170) Babolat SG Spiraltek 17ga (14.29)
170) Babolat SG Spiraltek 16ga (13.07)
170) Dunlop Silk 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (16.12)
170) Head ETS 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (14.00)
171) Gamma TNT2 Touch 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (16.63)
172) Gamma Asterisk Spin 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (12.73)
172) Gamma iO Soft 17ga POLY/MONO (23.10)
173) Unique Tourna Big Hitter Silver 17ga [POLY/MONO] (23.74)
173) Wilson Syn Gut Duramax 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.73)
174) Gamma Live Wire Professional 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (13.28)
174) Prince Premier LT 18ga [NYLON/MULTI] (17.37)
174) Wilson Revolve 17ga [POLY/MONO] (19.16)
174) Gamma Moto Soft 17ga [POLY/MONO] (21.52)
175) Tecnifibre TGV 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (14.60)
175) Tecnifibre XR1 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.60)
175) Gamma Prodigy 17ga /COAXIAL CORE] (11.16)
175) Gamma Ocho TNT 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (15.92)
175) Prince DNA Helix Soft Pro 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.90)
175) Prince Premier w/ Softlex 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.97)
175) Wilson Reaction 17ga (12.00)
175) Iso-Speed Energetic 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (18.76)
176) Head Syngut PPS 18ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.93)
176) Prince Premier w/ Softlex 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.97)
177) Head Rip Tour 17ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (10.87)
177) Tecnifibre XR3 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.60)
177) Gamma Moto Soft 17ga [POLY/MONO] (24.23)
178) Head Rip Control 17ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (10.25)
178) Head Rip Power 16L [P-TEX/MULTI] (10.91)
178) Gamma Live Wire Professional Spin 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.47)
178) Gamma Asterisk Tour 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (19.95)
178) Prince Syngut Multifilament 17ga [NYLON/MULTI]
179) Gamma Asterisk 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (12.15)
179) Unique Tourna Syn. Gut Armor 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (13.63)
179) Unique Tourna Big Hitter Black 17ga [P-TEX/MONO] (21.79)
179) Wilson Revolve 16ga (19.18)
180) Gamma Asterisk Tour 17ga (12.53)
180) Gamma FTX 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.85)
180) Head Perfect Power 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (11.84)
180) Head FiberGel Power 17ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (12.28)
180) Iso-Speed Energetic+ 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (10.41)
180) Wilson Shock Shield 16ga (13.34)
180) Wilson Hollow Core Pro 17ga (16.95)
180) Prince Recoil 16ga [PTFE aka TEFLON] (16.25)
180) Prince Premier LT 17ga NYLON/MULTI] (16.96)
180) Volkl V-Star 17ga [POLY/MONO] (22.47)
181) Head Rip Tour 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (11.51)
181) Gamma Prodigy 16ga (11.67)
181) Head FXP Power 17ga (13.37)
181) Tecnifiber NRG2 18ga [NYLON/MULTI] (9.86)
181) Wilson Reaction 16ga (11.00)
181) Yonex Poly Tour Pro 18ga [POLY/MONO] (21.08)
182) Head ETS 16 [NYLON/MULTI] (13.16)
182) Head Gravity 18ga [Cross] (17.99)
182) Babolat Xcel Premium 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.01)
182) Wilson K-Gut Pro 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.62)
182) Gamma Live Wire ESP 17ga [ZYEX/MULTI] with VISCO-ELASTIC POLYMER (12.68)
182) Tecnifibre 515 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (7.05)
182) Gamma iO Soft 16ga [POLY/MONO] (23.09)
183) Tecnifibre XR3 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (9.92)
183) Babolat Xcel Power 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (9.64)
183) Wilson K-Gut 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.59)
183) Alpha Gut 2000 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.46)
183) Velociti Syn. Gut 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (13.21)
184) Head Rip Control 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (11.02)
184) Head Lynx 18ga [POLY/MONO] (20.93)
184) Unique Tourna Syn. Gut Armor 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.44)
185) Luxilon Alu Power Soft 125 16L [POLY/MONO] (18.79)
185) Tecnifibre XR1 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (12.09)
185) Head Perfect Control 16ga (10.7)
186) Babolat Attraction Power 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (9.84)
186) Babolat Syntronic Brio 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.41)
186) GammaLive Wire ESP 16ga [ZYEX/MULTI] with VISCO-ELASTIC POLYMER (12.64)
186) Gamma Revelation 17ga (13.08)
186) Volkl Power Fiber II 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (12.20)
186) Volkl Cyclone Tour 18ga [POLY/MONO] (22.18)
186) Wilson Syn. Gut Power 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (13.03)
187) Alpha Gut 2000 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.23)
187) Babolat Pro Hurricane 18ga [POLY/MULTI] (22.29)
187) Babolat Xcel Premium 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.12)
187) Gamma Gut II 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.0)
187) Iso-Speed Energetic 17ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (14.64)
187) Prince Premier LT 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (16.72)
188) Babolat Origin 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (14.00)
188) Yonex Tour Super 880 Ti Soft 16L [NYLON/MULTI] (9.77)
188) Prince Lightning Power w/Powerfoil 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] 10.96)
188) Gamma Live Wire 17ga [NYLON/MULTI (13.74)
188) Volkl V-Star 16ga [POLY/MONO] (21.36)
189) Babolat Attraction 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.03)
189) Head FibreGel Power 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (11.62)
189) Prince Tour XT 18ga [POLY/MONO] (21.39)
189) Tecnifibre Multifeel 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (9.81)
189) Volkl Power Fiber II 18ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.39)
189) Wilson Hollow Core Pro 16ga (15.63)
189) Dunlop Black Widow 18ga [POLY/MONO] (22.77)
189) Head Hawk Touch 17ga [POLY/MONO] (15.59)
190) Ashaway Syngut 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (14.93)
190) Babolat Addiction 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (12.06)
190) Dunlop Black Widow 17ga [POLY/MONO] (25.25)
190) Gamma Live Wire XP 16ga [ZYEX/NYLON/MULTI] (12.04)
190) Gamma Live Wire 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (12.87)
190) Gamma TNT2 Touch 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (14.86)
190) Head Syngut PPS 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE (11.38)
190) Kirschbaum Touch Multifibre 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.20)
190) Tecnifiber NRG2 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (9.55)
190) Yonex Tour Super 850 16ga (Gosen) /MULTI] (10.89)
190) Unique Tournafiber Irradiated 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.62)
191) Gamma TNT2 RX 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.96)
191) Gamma Live Wire XP 17ga ZYEX/NYLON/MULTI (12.35)
191) Gamma TNT Fat Core 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (13.96)
191) Gamma FTX 16ga NYLON/SOLID CORE (10.30)
191) Head Fibergel Spin 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (12.08)
191) Wilson K-Gut 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.98)
191) Head Lynx 17ga [POLY/MONO] (20.68)
192) Alpha Ultra Spin 15L [NYLON/MULTI] (16.69)
192) Dunlop Black Widow 16ga [POLY/MONO] (25.03)
192) Gamma TNT2 Pro+ 17L[NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.74)
192) Kirschbaum Touch Multifibre 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (14.07)
192) Prince Lightning Power w/ Powerfoil 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.94)
192) Tecnifiber X-One Biphase 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.12)
192) Tecnifiber X-One Biphase 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.08)
192) Wilson Revolve 15L (20.97)
193) Head Gravity 17ga [Mains] (15.31)
193) Tecnifibre Multifeel 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE (9.92)
193) Technifibre TRC 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.2)
193) Volkl Cyclone Tour 17ga [POLY/MONO) (22.83)
193) Wilson NXT 17ga [NYLON/MULTI (12.99)
193) Wilson Reflection 16ga (12.70)
194) Ashaway Liberty 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE (12.90)
194) Babolat FiberTour 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.45)
194) Forten Sweet 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.62)
194) Gamma TNT Fat Core 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.77)
194) Head FXP 17ga (10.59)
194) Prince Lightning XX w/ Powerfoil 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE](11.40)
194) Prince Lightning XX w/Powerfoil 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.76)
194) Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (13.96)
194) Tecnifibre Black Code 4S 18ga [POLY/MONO] (15.86)
194) Volkl Power Fiber 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.20)
194) Wilson Superspin 16ga (14.20)
194) Luxilon Element 17ga [POLY/MULTI] (19.74)
195) Alpha Gut 2000 15L [NYLON/MULTI] (11.11)
196) Yonex Tour Super 850 Pro 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.13)
196) Gamma TNT2 Pro+ 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.16)
196) Head Syngut PPS 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.69)
196) Prince Perfection 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (12.42)
196) Prince Premier Attack 17ga (13.89)
196) Prince Syn. Gut Multifilament 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (13.98)
196) Volkl V Torque 18ga [POLY/MONO] (16.03)
197) Babolat Syntronic Brio 16ga [NYLON/MONO] (10.52)
197) Forten Spin Gear 17L/15L (Variable Gauge) [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.22)
197) Gamma Revelation 16ga (11.88)
197) Kirschbaum Touch Multifibre 15L [NYLON/MULTI] (13.87)
197) Tecnifibre NRG2 16ga [NYLON/SUPER] (8.05)
197) Tecnifibre Black Code 15L [POLY/MONO] (17.57)
197) Volkl V Torque 17ga [POLY/MONO] (23.46)
197) Wilson Sensation 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.91)
197) Wilson Sensation Control 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (12.77)
198) Ashaway Synthetic Gut 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.12)
198) Babolat Addiction 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.79)
198) Blue Star Original 15L [for Reference Only] (13.92)
198) Gamma TNT2 Tour 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (15.81)
198) Head FibreGel 16ga [P-TEX/MULTI] (11.97)
198) Prince Tour XP 15L [POLY/MONO] (18.46)
198) Velocity Syn Gut 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.88)
198) Wilson NXT 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (10.69)
198) Head Lynx 16ga [POLY/MONO] (21.06)
199) Dunlop Max Comfort 17ga (11.78)
199) Gosen OG Sheep Micro 17ga (12.35)
199) Tecnifibre Black Code 4S [POLY/MONO] (16.69)
199) Wilson Spin Effect MAINS 17ga [POLY/MONO] (19.94)
199) Head Sonic Pro 17ga [POLY/MONO] (23.09)
199) Wilson NXT OS 16L [NYLON/MULTI] (10.43)
200) Dunlop Max Comfort 16ga (11.07)
200) Gosen AK Power 16ga (11.29)
200) Prince Tour XS 17ga [POLY/MONO] (18.90)
200) Volkl Cyclone Tour 16ga [POLY/MONO] (23.26)
200) Gamma iO Soft 15L [POLY/MONO] (23.28)
201) Head FXP Power 16ga (14.27)
201) Luxilon Element 16ga [POLY/MULTI] (17.09)
202) RAB/Alpha - Sensor Fibre 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.02)
202) Gamma Gut III 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.09)
202) Tecnifibre DuraMix HD 17ga [NYLON/POLY]/MULTI] (15.37)
202) Unique Tourna Big Hitter Black Zone 17ga [P-TEX/MONO] (16.50)
202) Wilson Syn. Gut Power 15L [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (14.51)
203) Alpha Syn. Gut MXT 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (17.05)
203) Dunlop Syn. Gut 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (16.17)
203) Gamma TNT2 Rx 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (9.81)
203) Gamma Syn. Gut WG 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (9.15)
203) Gamma Syn. Gut WG 18ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (9.68)
203) Gosen OG Sheep Micro 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.96)
203) Prince Syn. Gut DF 18ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.51)
203) TOA Leoina 66 15L [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (14.18)
203) Wilson NXT Tour/Power 17ga [NYLON/MULTI] (12.46)
204) Forten Sweet 15L [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.55)
204) Gamma RZR Rx 17ga [NYLON/THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMER] (17.11)
204) Gamma Syn. Gut w/ Wearguard 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.03)
204) Unique Tournafiber Irradiated 16ga[NYLON/MULTI] (11.44)
204) Volkl V Torque 17ga [POLY/MONO] (22.03)
205) Head Sonic Pro Edge 16ga [POLY/MONO] (19.53)
205) Prince Premier Attack 16ga (14.26)
205) Tecnifibre DuraMix HD 16ga [NYLON/POLY]]/MULTI] (14.99)
205) Wilson Extreme Syn Gut [Control] 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.30)
206) Alpha Viper MXT 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.97)
206) Babolat Origin 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.57)
206) Head Sonic Pro Edge 16ga [POLY/MONO] (19.53)
206) Wilson NXT Control 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (15.81)
207) Prince Tour XS 15L [POLY/MONO] (18.81)
207) Prince Lighting XX 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (9.68)
208) Volkl Cyclone 18ga [POLY/MONO] (15.94)
208) Wilson NXT Max 15L [NYLON/MULTI] (9.88)
209) Wilson NXT Tour/Power 18ga [NYLON/MULTI] (9.53)
209) Gamma TNT2 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (9.85)
209) Gamma TNT2 Tour 16ga (14.49)
209) Gamma Syn Gut 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.51)
209) Gamma Poly-Z 17ga [POLY/MONO] (22.91)
209) Gosen AK Pro 17ga (11.97)
209) Head FXP 16ga (10.83)
209) Luxilon Alu Power Feel 18ga [POLY/MONO] (18.35)
209) Prince Topspin+ 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.06)
209) Prince Topspin DF 15L [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.92)
209) Wilson Sensation 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (11.55)
210) Gamma TNT2 16ga NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.34)
210) Gamma IO 18ga [POLY/MONO] (16.78)
210) Prince Tour XP 17ga [POLY/MONO] (19.25)
210) Wilson Extreme Syn Gut [Control] 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.39)
211) Wilson NXT Dura/Max 16ga NYLON/MULTI] (9.71)
211) Gamma Marathon DPC 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.51)
212) Alpha Viper MXT 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.35)
212) Forten Sweet 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.78)
212) Gosen AK Pro 16ga (11.64)
212) Prince Syn Gut DF 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.69)
213) Prince Syn Gut DF 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.04)
214) Gamma TNT2 18ga[NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.05)
214) Head Sonic Pro 16ga [POLY/MONO] (22.18)
214) Luxilon 4G Soft 125 [POLY/MULTI] (13.85)
214) Prince Syn Gut Original 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.59)
215) Gamma Ruff 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.33)
215) Unique Tourna Big Hitter Black Zone 16ga [P-TEX/MONO] (16.92)
216) Prince Tour XP 16ga [POLY/MONO] (16.21)
217) Gamma Dura Spin w/ Wearguard 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (8.95)
217) Head Hawk 17ga [POLY/MONO] (17.61)
217) Prince Synthetic Gut Original 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.67)
217) Toa Silencer 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (13.96)
217) Tecnifibre X-Code 17ga [POLY/MULTI] (17.66)
218) Gamma Synthetic Gut 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (9.86)
218) Gamma TNT2 15L [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.69)
218) Kirschbaum SuperSmash 1.23 [POLY/MONO] (16.76)
219) Babolat RPM Blast 15L [POLY/MONO] (19.19)
219) Dunlop Synthetic Gut 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.04)
219) Gamma XL 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.4)
219) Gamma Marathon DPC 15L [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.80)
219) Iso-Speed Pyramid 16ga [TRIANGULAR POLY/MONO] (24.19)
219) Tecnifibre Black Code 4S 16ga [POLU/MONO] (17.37)
219) Wilson NXT Tour/Power 16ga [NYLON/MULTI] (8.98)
220) Dunlop Ice 17ga [POLY/MONO] (18.28)
220) Dunlop Ice 16ga [POLY/MONO] (22.44)
220) Gamma RZR Rx 16ga [NYLON/THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMER] (15.92)
220) Head Hawk 18ga [POLY/MONO] (16.78)
220) Tecnifibre Black Code 18ga [POLY/MONO] (18.88)
221) Gamma Synthetic Gut 18ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (10.14)
222) Kirschbaum Black Shark 1.25 [POLY/MONO] (19.49)
222) Tecnifibre Red Code 18ga [POLY/MONO] (18.89)
222) Toa Gold 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (12.92)
222) Toa Silencer 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (14.04)
223) Gamma Dura Spin 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (8.93)
224) Babolat Synthetic Gut 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (13.32)
224) Babolat RPM Team 17ga [POLY/MONO] (16.54)
224) Gamma Synthetic Gut 15L [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (11.42)
224) Gamma Poly-Z 16ga [POLY/MONO] (23.54)
224) Head Hawk 16ga [POLY/MONO] (18.46)
225) Kirschbaum Pro Line 1.25 [POLY/MONO] (15.61)
225) Tecnifibre Black Code 17ga [POLY/MONO] (18.03)
226) Babolat Pro Hurricane 17ga [POLY/MONO] (16.83)
226) Luxilon Alu Power Fluoro 1.23 [POLY/MONO] (17.64)
226) Prince Tour XC 15L [POLY/MONO] (22.36)
227) Luxilon 4G Rough 1.25 [POLY/MONO] (17.57)
227) Toa Gold 16ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (13.16)
228) Gamma Marathon DPC 17ga [NYLON/SOLID CORE] (9.42)
228) Gamma iO 17ga [POLY/MONO] (15.41)
228) Tecnifibre X-Code 16ga [POLYESTER/MULTI] (18.85)
230) Wilson Ripspin 17ga [POLY/MONO] (18.39)
231) Gamma Moto 17ga [POLY/MONO] (15.35)
232) Luxilon Ace 1.12 [POLY/MONO] (17.05)
232) Prince Tour XC 17L [POLY/MONO] (18.85)
232) Wilson Shock Shield Mono 17ga [POLY/MONO] (20.66)
232) Wilson Ripspin 15L [POLY/MONO] (21.69)
233) Kirschbaum Black Shark 1.30 [POLY/MONO] (20.22)
235) Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.20 [POLY/MONO] (19.98)
235) Luxilon Alu Power Spin 1.27 [POLY/MONO] (19.25)
235) Tecnifibre Red Code 17ga [POLY/MONO] (16.27)
235) Wilson Ripspin 16ga [POLY/MONO] (20.18)
235) Yonex Poly Tour HS 16ga [POLY/MONO] (17.2)
236) Gamma Ocho 16ga [POLY/MONO] (11.53)
236) Kirschbaum Pro Line 16ga [POLY/MONO] (16.92)
236) Prince Tournament Poly 16ga [POLY/MONO] (24.17)
236) Yonex Poly Tour Spin 16L (15.79)
237) Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.28 [POLY/MONO] (17.86)
238) Prince Tour XC 16L [POLY/MONO] (19.09)
239) Tecnifibre ATP Razor Code 18ga [POLY/MONO] (16.14)
239) Wilson Enduro Pro 17ga [POLY/MONO] (15.57)
240) Gamma Moto 16ga [POLY/MONO] (13.83)
240) Luxilon Alu Power Rough 1.25 [POLY/MONO] (18.98)
240) Luxilon M2 Pro 1.25 [POLYESTER/MULTI] (21.7)
241) Babolat Pro Hurricane 16ga [POLY/MONO] (13.61)
241) Luxilon Timo 1.10 [POLY/MONO] (16.91)
241) Prince Tournament Poly 17ga [POLY/MONO] (24.23)
242) Gamma iO 16ga [POLY/MONO] (15.51)
242) Gamma Zo Dart 16ga [POLY/MONO] (15.10)
242) Luxilon Alu Power 1.25 [POLY/MONO] (17.13)
242) Tecnifibre Black Code 16ga [POLY/MONO] (18.08)
243) Tecnifibre Poly Code 17ga [POLY/MONO] (16.03)
243) Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.225 [POLY/MONO] (19.74)
245) Babolat RPM Dual 17ga [POLY/MONO] (14.37)
245) Babolat RPM Dual 16ga [POLY/MONO] (16.03)
247) Luxilon Alu Power 1.38 [POLY/MONO] (19.94)
247) Tecnifibre Poly Code 16ga [POLY/MONO] (19.38)
249) Luxilon 4G 125 [POLY/MONO] (13.30)
249) Luxilon Big Banger 1.30 [POLY/MONO] (17.11)
249) Prince Tour 17ga [POLY/MONO] (21.37)
250) Gamma Zo Dart 17ga [POLY/MONO] (15.06)
252) Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.325 [POLY/MONO] (20.75)
252) Tecnifibre ATP Razor Code 17ga [POLY/MONO] (16.43)
253) Prince Poly Spin 3D 16ga [POLY/MONO] (23.39)
254) Luxilon Adrenaline Rough 1.25 [POLY/MONO] (19.83)
255) Head UltraTour 17ga [POLY/MONO] (19.29)
256) Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 17ga [POLY/MONO] (17.58)
256) Gamma Zo Verve 16ga [POLY/MONO] (14.53)
256) Kirschbaum SuperSmash Spiky 1.20 [POLY/MONO] (19.97)
256) Luxilon M2 Plus 1.30 [POLYESTER/MULTI] (19.93)
256) Prince Tour 16ga [POLY/MONO] (21.57)
256) Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky 1.25 [POLY/MONO] (22.02)
257) Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky 1.225 [POLY/MONO] (14.58)
257) Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.275 [POLY/MONO] (19.53)
257) Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.25 [POLY/MONO] (19.53)
258) Tecnifibre Red Code 16ga [POLY/MONO] (14.90)
258) Tecnifibre Ruff Code 17ga [POLY/MONO] (18.21)
258) Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky 1.275 [POLY/MONO] (20.84)
260) Wilson Enduro Pro 16ga [POLY/MONO] (14.33)
260) Babolat Hurricane Feel 17ga [POLY/MONO] (16.40)
261) Luxilon Timo 1.17 [POLY/MONO] (16.29)
261) Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky 1.30 [POLY/MONO] (18.17)
261) Luxilon Adrenaline 1.25 [POLY/MONO] (19.40)
263) Head UltraTour 16L [POLY/MONO] (17.97)
263) Tecnifibre Ruff Code 16ga [POLY/MONO] (18.26)
263) Babolat RPM Blast 18ga [POLY/MONO] (18.31)
263) Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.35 [POLY/MONO] (19.36)
266) Luxilon Big Banger Rough 1.30 [POLY/MONO] (19.21)
266) Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.30 [POLY/MONO] (19.58)
267) Wilson Syn. Gut Duramax 16L [POLY/MONO] (19.16)
267) Wilson Spin Cycle 16L [POLY/MONO] (19.16)
269) Luxilon 4G 130 [POLY/MONO] (13.74)
270) Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 16ga [POLY/MONO] (16.61)
270) Prince Poly EXP 17ga [POLYESTER/MULTI] (21.66)
271) Babolat Hurricane Feel 16ga [POLY/MONO] (14.62)
272) Luxilon Adrenaline 1.30 [POLY/MONO] (19.34)
273) Babolat RPM Blast 17ga [POLY/MONO] (17.13)
277) Prince Poly EXP 16ga [POLYESTER/MULTI] (21.48)
278) Tecnifibre ATP Razor Code 16ga [POLY/MONO] (18.59)
280) Babolat RPM Blast 16ga[POLY/MONO] (17.37)
282) Babolat RPM Team 16ga [POLY/MONO] (15.75)
287) Luxilon 4G "S" 141 [POLY/MONO] (15.65)
290) Luxilon Big Banger 5 Star 1.38 [POLY/MONO] (17.94)
298) Prince Twisted 16L [POLY/MONO] (18.91)
470) Ashaway Composite XT Pro 16ga [VECTRAN] (14.34)
562) Wilson HyperLast Spin (Main 1.09mm)[KEVLAR] (13.72)
574) Head FXP Blend or Rip Blend (Main 17ga) [KEVLAR] (15.73)
627) FORTEN KEVLAR GEAR (Main 15L) [KEVLAR] (11.84)
632) Forten Sweet Kevlar (Main 16L) [KEVLAR] (11.6)
634) Alpha Tourna Blend (Main 18ga) [KEVLAR](21.03)
640) Gamma TNT2 Fusion (Main 19ga) [KEVLAR/SPECTRA/ZYEX] (17.33)
641) Gamma Infinity (Main 18ga) [KEVLAR / SPECTRA] (17.0)
641) Gamma Infinity (Main 17ga) [KEVLAR / SPECTRA](20.57)
671) Ashaway Crossfire 18 (Main 1.08mm) [KEVLAR](27.21)
697) Gosen Arammix Pro 18 (1.09mm) [KEVLAR] (17.03)
709) Wilson HyperLast (Main 1.41) [KEVLAR] 13.15)
720) Prince ProBlend Spin (Main 17ga) [KEVLAR] (16.39)
736) Gamma Infinity (Main 16ga) [KEVLAR / SPECTRA] (17.9)
757) Ashaway Crossfire 17 (Main 1.22mm) [KEVLAR] (28.37)
761) Forten Sweet Kevlar (Main 15L) [KEVLAR] 13.01)
764) Ashway Crossfire II (Main 16ga) [KEVLAR] (26.68)
981) Prince ProBlend (Main 16ga) [KEVLAR] (15.88)




9. "NOW I'M REALLY CONFUSED"
The worst strings for your elbow, are the KEVLAR's, (a Dupont Brand Name) including any strings which may be marked with the Generic term ARAMID, or the brand name TECHNORA. The stiffest & thus the worst of these would be the name branded PRINCE PRO BLEND 16ga @ (981). That # means that Prince Pro Blend 16ga is 11 times stiffer than the most elastic Natural Guts at 90+. There is a Vectran string that is considerably easier on arms, with a rating of (444), although still quite stiff.

The 2nd worse type of strings are the POLY MONOFILAMENTS. Even the worst Polyesters are far better for your elbow than the best KEVLARS. That's not saying much! So we still suggest staying away if possible! There are some very lucky people who have elbows made of STEEL) that can play with any string.

There is an overlap, between the stiffer NYLON strings & the most elastic of the Polyester Strings. If you must use a Monofilament Polyester, stick to those with elasticities the upper 100's - low 200's. No matter what's printed on the package, there are few really Soft Polyesters, and without exception, the ones that are the softest suffer from the same high tension loss, so they have a limited useful lifespans. Yes! many Professional players do use Monofilament Polyester's, to avoid breakage during their matches, but they restring their racquets each and every day!!!, after having played with each one, for 15 oor 20 minutes at most. We doubt you can afford to do that! Do not be fooled by the claims made on string packages, as to their providing Tennis Elbow Relief. They say whatever they want, whether it's true or not. So beware of all the Hype. There is no Gov. agency (like the FDA) that protects you from such false claims,so beware!

Multifilament, aka coreless strings, tend to be softer than strings with larger structural cores, However the material the strings are made of have just as much of an influence on their stiffness. There are also strings that are mixtures of Polyester & Nylon & they tend to be soft & durable. Examples: Head's FXP Tour, (Tecnifibre's X-Code, Duramix & Tour Blend), Wilson's NXT Control. My suggestion is to give me a call, when you have the time, so we can discuss what would be the best solution for YOU!


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