Five quick questions. One number that actually suits your game — not the one a professional uses.
There is no secret to it. A stringer at a counter reasons the same way: start from what is normal for the sport and the standard of play, then adjust for what the player actually wants from the racket.
Every sport has a range most players sit inside. Our own Power & Control recommendation — the one we fit most often — is 57 lb for tennis, 28 lb for squash and 22 lb for badminton. Your standard of play moves you within that range before anything else is considered.
Looser strings flex more, hold the ball fractionally longer and return it with more speed. Tighter strings send it away faster and flatter, so aim and landing point agree more often — at the cost of a smaller sweet spot.
Tension and string stiffness both decide how much shock reaches your elbow and shoulder. Anyone with arm trouble should be at the softer end, and the finder drops the recommendation accordingly.
Polyester is a far stiffer material than synthetic gut or multifilament, so the same number on the machine gives a noticeably tighter string bed. Moving to polyester without dropping four to six pounds is the most common reason a new restring feels like a board.
| Tension | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| 46–52 lb | Beginners, players returning from arm trouble, anyone wanting free power |
| 53–58 lb | Most club players. We string most tennis rackets at 57 lb |
| 59–62 lb | Full, fast swings that keep landing long |
| 63 lb + | Strong advanced players generating their own pace |
| Tension | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| 24–26 lb | Players wanting help getting the ball to the back |
| 27–29 lb | Most club and league players. Our usual is 28 lb |
| 30–32 lb | Hard hitters who want touch at the front |
| Tension | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| 19–21 lb | Beginners and casual players — big sweet spot, very forgiving |
| 22–24 lb | Regular club players. Our usual is 22 lb |
| 25–27 lb | Competitive players with a clean, fast swing |
| 28 lb + | Advanced only. Punishing on anything off-centre |
Higher is not better. At high tension the sweet spot shrinks sharply, and a shuttle or ball struck slightly off-centre loses more speed than the extra tension ever gave it. Most club players hit better shots at the lower end than the upper.
Whatever you land on, change it in steps of two or three pounds and give it a few sessions. Bigger jumps make it impossible to tell what actually helped. And check the range printed inside your frame’s throat — that is what the racket was designed for.
Track your racket to us and back with Evri — an estimated 1-hour delivery slot on return, 3 delivery attempts and divert options.
All postage and packaging costs included with All-Inclusive — a prepaid, letterbox-friendly mailbag posted straight to you.
Over 9,000 Evri UK parcelshops to drop your racket at — most open early until late, 7 days a week.
Add a second racket to your order and get £5 off — string the spare while you're at it.
From beginner strings to pro tour strings, strung to your exact tension by hand-finished machine stringing.
String Points on every order — each £1 earns a point, and every 100 points is £5 off your next restring.