I have assisted countless TENNIS ELBOW sufferers finally get relief over the past 50 years. To begin your journey towards a future without that dibilitating pain, just read this entire page. Afterwards, call me, between 8:00 AM & 11:PM (Eastern) 7 days, to discuss your specific situation, at length. (678)787-1606
Just to set the record straight, TENNIS ELBOW pain is a symptom of torn tissue that connects the muscle & bone, your tendon, in your elbow joint (Tendonitis). The tearing is not always caused by the act of playing tennis alone, or at all, but the condition can certainly be worsened by tennis play, since it involves multiple (racquet to ball impacts). The energy of these multiple impacts takes its toll on the tissue of your elbow. It can both be the cause of a Tennis Elbow Injury, or if the injury was initially caused by some other activity, it can certainly worsen the injury you already have.
The reason playing tennis is so problematic, is quite easy to understand. A tennis ball moving
through the air has both Mass & Velocity, thus it has Energy! In school, we all learned that Energy,
can neither be created or destroyed. It just changes form.
There are two types of Energy: Potential & Kinetic.
Potential Energy is Stored Energy (such as in a Battery, or a Stretched Spring).Tennis Strings as well as the Racquet both (for brief moments) act like Springs & Store Potential Energy.Kinetic Energy is the Energy or Motion or Work. A tennis ball approaching you after being struck by your opponent has significant Kinetic Energy, as does the racquet you are swinging, due to their Mass & Velocity. When the two meet, all that Kinetic Energy is combined & briefly converted to Potential Energy, as the strings pocket the ball, the racquet flexes, & the ball flattens out into varying pancake shapes.This Stored Energy, called an IMPULSE exists for just a split second & in a perfect world, we would wish that all of that Energy would end up back in the ball, in the form of Kinetic Energy, sending it back towards your opponent's side of the court. Unfortunately that's not the case.
A significant amount of the energy ends up in your arm, on it's way towards your ELBOW. Let's follow its path. Upon impact some of the enrgy is stored in the strings & the racquet, however a significant percentage of the energy moves through the strings (Propagation), as shock, until it reaches the racquet's structure, where that shock again moves through the racquet's structure towards the grip, where it again moves through the material of the grip, to your hand & then up your arm towards your "unsuspecting" Elbow.
How do we stop that from happening? The real question should be "can we stop it from happening"? Remember, I previously stated that Tennis Elbow is not always caused by playing tennis in the first place, but once you have it, regardless of how you got it, all you really care about is: "how do I make the pain go away"?
You can't stop all the energy traveling up your arm, but certainly can do much to reduce it. How? By starting at the beginning. Remember, your goal is energy reduction, so every reduction you accomplish, leaves that much less to reduce in subsequent methods utilized to reduce it along the path to your elbow.
The beginning, of the SYSTEM, is the ball. Different types of balls create different IMPULSE intensities, transfering varying amounts of energy upon impact with racquet strings. Independent laboratory tests show that Wilson U.S. Open Balls generate 7% more energy upon impact, than do Penn Marathons, so it's in your best interest to avoid Wilsons. Dunlop balls are also good. Regardless, avoid using dead balls at all costs. They're horrible for your arm.
Another often ignored issue has to do with balls used for practice. Tennis Pro's often carry large quantities of balls with them in large teaching carts. You may have a large quantity of balls kept in a ball hopper, which you use to practice serving or when hitting against a ball machine. The problem is that such balls go dead over time, & it is a fact that human nature precludes us from wanting to throw things away, that we may still be able to use. So we are faced with the issue of dead balls, which are even worse for your arm than the worst of the live balls. The same issue comes up if using so called "Pressureless Balls". Which are in some cases even worse than dead regular balls. The answer to this problem is a simple one. Use Tretorn Micro-X balls for practice, drilling & ball machines. These balls are exactly the same as the balls you normally use to play, but they never go dead. They are filled with air, or a least a gas similar to air, that is encased in small micro-spheres or balloons, rather than being loose inside the hollow ball. Due to the micro-spheres, the air can't escape so the balls never go dead. These balls are both USTA & ITF approved & you'll not be able to feel any difference. True they cost significantly more than regular balls, but in the long run they have the lowest cost of use of any pressurized ball available.
The next stop along the chain, as the damaging energy travels towards your elbow are your strings. While all the string makers claim to have the panacea for tennis elbow, many fall short in the real world. In simple terms,the more elastic a string, the more energy it can store & release back into the ball, Period! Which strings are those? I am not playing favorites here, so we will not name any one string, rather a number of strings that are all up to the task at hand. Realize, that we are not taking any other factors such as cost, durability, or longevity into account, just the ability to absorb more of the energy of the racquet / ball impact. Obviously, those other factors must be taken into account, based upon your own individual needs. Do not however, trust the claims made on string packages as to the softness of any particular string.These are just attempts by the manufactures at trying to convince you of their strings being better than others, with no data to back up the claims. The data below is from an independent lab. Don't hesitate to call, to discuss what strings are the best solution for your situation.
Natural Gut is at the top of the heap in regards to elasticity. It is also the best playing string as far as sheer performance goes. Not all guts are created equal however. Differences in gauge, twist rate & the raw material, (the intestines of cows or sheep) cause gut strings to have minor variances between brands as well as models, & even individual sets of the same string. Natural gut is not particularly great at increasing the generation of SPIN, nor is it the longest lasting before it breaks, however it is superior to almost all other strings at maintaining tension.
If I am asked, I will be happy to provide recommendations for your specific situational needs. I suggest you read our dedicated Tennis String Technology page, written by me, the resident Engineer. Here's a link: Everything you've always wanted to know about Tennis String, (*but were afraid to ask)
These are the facts, as per the independent lab, of the strings that offer the most elbow protection. Preceded by their elasticity rating. The lower the # to the strings left, the better it's ability to protect your elbow. The range of string elasticities is 75 (The softest string tested) to 981 (the stiffest string made). The softest strings are Natural Guts, while #981 is Prince Pro Blend 16ga, a Kevlar/Nylon Hybrid. Natural Gut sets will vary, so the small differences shown in these results are not set in stone.
Realize that the best string for you may not be the most elastic, if resistance to wear & or the long term stability is part of the equation. Players using heavy topspin can often wear out a set of strings in just a matter of minutes, hours or days. While thinner gauge's of most strings play better, and are usually better for your arm, they tend to break faster than thicker gauge strings of the same type. The thinner or more textured a given type of string, the more spin it is capable of. Higher gauge #'s = thinner string. Be aware that you can't jump to the conclusion that ANY thin string is better for your arm than ANY thicker one, as that ignores what the string's made of as well as how it is constructed.
What string is best for you, may also be depend upon any given strings ability to maintain consistent tension over time. We do list each strings tension loss in pounds, to it's right, in the brackets. This is not a % loss, but rather the number of LBS, after 1/2 hour play. Note the rate of tension loss does slow down quite significantly after these initial losses. Obviously, the lower that #, the better the strings ability to play consistently over a period of time. For some players the loss isn't an issue as they seem to prefer how their string play after the loss of a certain amount of tension. While we can't put numbers on durability, (how long a string lasts before it breaks), with my over 49 years experience with different string materials & constructions, I have a unique understanding of how each type differs from the others, & feel confident in my ability to advise you on durability.
While the info below is important, my ability to take all of the characteristics of all the numerous strings into careful consideration, coupled with the fact that I prefer to always discuss these issues with each customer prior to making any final recomendations, is what truly separates me from others that claim to be able to help you. It takes someone with a unique educational specialty, including Physics, Engineering & Material Science. to have a true understanding of how strings and racquets work, both along with and or against each other.
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 [NYLON
/POLY/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 (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) Gamma Live 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 (12.9)
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/THERMOPPLASTIC 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)
As can be seen above, 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 and thus the worst of these would be PRINCE PRO BLEND 16ga @ (981). That # means that Prince Pro Blend 16ga is 11 times stiffer than the most elastic Natural Guts. Note that the Gut measurements will always vary somewhat with the set that is being tested.
There is an Extrememly Durable "Vectran" string that is considerably easier on arms, with a rating of (444)although that's still quite stiff. The 2nd worse type of strings are the POLYESTERS. Even the worst Polyesters are far better for your elbow than the best KEVLARS, but that's not saying much! We suggest staying away if possible! There are some lucky people (with 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 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!!! We doubt you can adford to do that!
Do not be fooled by the claims made on string packages by manufacturers, as to their providing Tennis Elbow Relief. They can say whatever they want, true or not. So beware of all the Hype. There is no Gov. agency (like the FDA) that protects you from false claims in such situations. Multfilament, 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.
Now that we have soft & elastic string, we need racquets less efficient at transmitting shock. Often a choice must be made, to forgo using that racquet that you play so well with, simply for the sake of protecting your arm against a chronic Tennis Elbow Injury that might develop over time! What good is playing better in the short term if you may soon have to give up playing entirely?
There are many racquets, incorporating mechanical (active) systems, reducing shock & vibration. Listed in alphabetical order: Dunlop's "ISIS Grip", Head's "Suspension Grip System, & Chip System". Prince's "Cushion Grip & Air Handle Systems", Pro Kennex's "Kinetic System" Volkl's "Dual Absorber and Sensor Handle", & Wilson's innovative "Triad Technology", to name just the most popular of them.
There are also racquets made with absorbent Thermo-Plastic materials, not the Epoxy Resins usually used by racquets to hold their graphite fibers together. Thermo-Plastic Composite racquets perform similarly to traditional Composites with an Epoxy Matrix but with the advantage of being much less efficient at transmitting Shock & Vibration. This vital difference provides more comfort, along with far greater protection from Tennis Elbow Injury than any other type of Tennis Racquet available today.
These include all of the Prince Vortex's, the U.K. made Dunlop Max 200G & 300i, 400i, 500i, 800i, the Wimbledon Conqueror's, Donnay Revolutive Blue Ace, Yamaha FX TP. None are current models, we simply still have many of them. Two of the models in the Prince Vortex racquet line employ Prince's unique Cushion Grip System as well! Thus, the Prince CTS Vortex & the Prince Vortex SB or Straight Beam. are simply the best at elbow protection. Adding a Gosen Sorbothane Grip System to a Vortex or any of these others racquets, only improves the protection.
The Prince Vortex Story. In the early 90's a Rhode Island Textile firm named Concordia developed a new design for high performance carbon fibers, for use in the F-22 Raptor. This new technology was similar to what Dunlop had done when they introduced the famous Max 200G, a racquet that both John McEnroe & Steffi Graff used to dominate tennis in the 80's, however the Concordia product was significantly stronger & not prone to the warping issues that plagued Dunlop's Nylon based product. This "Comingled Composite" was the basis for what is considered the most Arm Friendly racquet ever marketed. The cost of this material was a major issue however and the Vortex debuted @ $365 a price that was way out of the norm, with most racquets at the time selling for under $200. While this was not the most expensive tennis racquet ever made, that was the 80's Prince Boron, which sold for $500, (mostly to those wanting to have a racquet with the highest price tag, as a status symbol), the Vortex for the most part sat on shelves gathering dust. Originally marketed as being a racquet that had the characteristics of both Power & Control, normally mutually exclusive spec's, I realized the possibilities this material had for reducing Tennis Elbow injuries & began my quest to aquire as many of these racquets as I could. I began buying them from every source I could find and thus became the place to find both new as well as gently used Vortex's. There are 4 versions of the Prince Vortex, & when you add the choice of Head Size, 7 distinct models. The Original & the S.B. models, available in both 100 & 107sq" versions are the best, although the Vortex Lite & Extender are still better than any other non Vortex, when it comes to reducing or eliminating Tennis Elbow Injuries. As you peruse the Prince racquets section of our Racquets Page, you'll notice that New Vortex's are very expensive, and the used ones we offer while costing less, are still also expensive. We go to the extreme of scouring the world looking ONLY for Vortex racquets that we feel are worth buying. Sure one can often find used Vortex racquets selling on ebay. The problem is being able to determine which are structurally sound, and which can't be relied on for the long term. All of our Vortex racquets, whether NEW or USED are sold as NEW with full manufacturers warranties. True Prince doesn't have any Vortex racquets to use as replacements, if there is a problem, "BUT I DO"
At the same time as Concordia had developed their ThermoPlastic Carbon Fiber, another aerospace company in Rhode Island named Quadrax developed a similar product. Rather than sell the raw material to a Tennis manufacturer, they bought the rights to the Wimbledon brand, which was a higher end line of racquets made by Pro Kennex's makers "Kunan". They made 2 Conqueror models using this fantastic material, here in the U.S while continuing to make the rest of the Wimbledon line in Taiwan, & were in the racquet business for 3 yrs but just as with the Prince Vortex's they did not at the time sell very well, due in part to their extrememly high prices & in 1998 they too ceased production.
It's sad that neither the Prince Vortex or the Wibledon Conqueror's took off at retail, as they were so far superior to anything else made at the time or even today. They were just too expensive to compete. Dunlop on the other hand, did quite well with their ThermoPlastic models. It didn't hurt that they had John Mcenroe as their spokesman, & that he was using one of these racquets. As mentioned previously, Donnay & Yamaha had also tried their hands using ThermoPlastic in one model each, again with only moderate success. The good thing, as far as you are concerned, is that TENNIS MENACE has all these racquets available. 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 ESP features a material like what's in a Vortex or Conqueror, in that the material has the ability to be flexible as well as stiff, depending upon the speed of the hit. For this reason, Gamma ESP can not be assignee a stiffness rating, which explains why it is not on the above string list. This string provides added power, when hitting Hard & Fast, as well as added Control, when hitting more Softly. It's a soft string either way, great for Tennis Elbow relief, "Just even Softer" on Slow Hits. Available in 16 & 17ga.
Lastly, we have the Internally Damped Donnay Xenecore line of racquets, which unlike all other current models of racquets, utilize multiple High Density Foam Filled Cores. The vast majority of current production frames are HOLLOW & that's a big part of the problem, as Hollow Structures have significantly higher efficiencies of shock transmission than the same structure with a foam filled interior. The problem's been the cost of properly filling a hollow racquet with a shock absorbent foam, which is why this type of contruction, while used extensively in the past, had almost completetly dissapeared from the marketplace, until Donnay re-introduced it in ALL of their models. Donnay offers an extensive line of players sticks including their Retro Allwood (not a wood racquet, just named after Bjorn Borg's old racquet of choice) in 102, their Formula (which compare with the Babolat Pure Drives), & probably the best Superlite Weight Game Improvement Racquet ever made, the Superlite 114, which is basically a Head Ti-S6 Filled with Xenecore Foam.
Gosen's BLUE "Sorbothane Grip System", which is ONLY available from Tennis Menace can be installed on any racquet. This active Shock & Vibration reducing product is quite effective on it's own, however adding it to the racquets equipped with any of the discussed technologies can provide an even greater amount of protection to your elbow. The key is to separate the technologies that truly reduce SHOCK from those that only reduce vibration (Aftershock) such as Vibration Absorbers placed in your strings.
It should also be understood, that any specific racquet, becomes a better energy absorber as it's weight is increased. This is not to say that any heavier racquet is better than any lighter racquet. You can only compare a given racquet to itself, in regards to it's weight, with any real statistical accuracy, but in general, all things being equal, which unfortunately is never so, a heavier racquet should be considered a better energy absorber, and thus better for your elbow than a lighter racquet.
Give me a call when you have enough time to discuss your own situation. I am happy to spend as much time as neccessary, to help determine a proper course of action to help you find relief. (678) 787-1606
There are a number of other racquet technologies that are SOMEWHAT more arm friendly than the norm, however none of them are as effective as what we discussed above.
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