The Power of String - Tennis Rackets and Performance -
Buying Online
March 19th
2006
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Tennis Rackets |
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There are so many different tennis rackets to choose from these days, so
how do you know what is best for you. There are tennis rackets designed
for power and some for finesse. Each company has incorporated different
technology into their rackets, Head uses flexpoint and liquidmetal
technology in several of their rackets. Wilson uses the nCode
technology in their rackets and every other company has their own
theories of what is best in a racket.
These are all great but what about the string. String is just as
important in the performance of a racket as the racket itself. The type
and gauge of the string as well as the tension of the string will all
effect how the racket will perform. There are also different stringing
patterns which will effect how the racket reacts to the ball. You can
turn a high quality racket into a useless piece of equipment if your
string isn’t set properly for you. The perfect racket just isn’t
enough.
The options of
string are almost endless. The first and most basic choice to make
is natural gut or synthetic. Natural gut has been far superior in
quality but synthetic has drastically improved over the years. It
seems that natural gut still has a slight advantage on performance
over synthetic however it is costly and not nearly as durable.
Natural Gut seems to break down in moisture and humid conditions. Gut
string will perform optimally for longer than synthetic string, however
gut string has to be replaced more frequently than synthetic. That
being said, there are many different designs and technologies utilized
with synthetic strings. You can get the synthetic string with a solid
core, with multifilament construction or with textured surfaces.
There are also
hybrid sets like the synthetic aramid hybrid set, synthetic
polyester and polyester hybrid string sets which all have there
unique features and advantages. The key properties that you want to
look for in tennis string are power, control, vibration damping and
durability. The problem is you can’t have it all. A string has
specific qualities that when altered to enhance another property it
will lose some of it’s functionality in its other properties.
Now you’ve picked what kind of string you want, you need to decide on
the gauge. String gauge begins at 15 and goes to 19 with 15 being the
thickest and 19 being the thinnest string. With thinner string, the
string digs into the ball allowing for more spin and more control. The
thicker string is much more durable but you lose some of the other
qualities. There are also half sizes which are marked with an L for
light. For example 15L is thinner than 15 but it is thicker than 16
gauge string.
Tension of the
string is also very important to the playability of a string. If
you increase the tension of the string you will increase the control
and your spin capabilities. The tighter the string the more it will
dig into the ball giving you more accuracy. When you decrease the
tension of the string it in turn will increase your power and give
you a larger sweet spot. One other benefit of having less tension
is that it doesn’t send as much shock and vibration into your hand
and elbow which can reduce your chance of arm injury.
When choosing string you have to put all of the pieces together. If you
are buying a string that is composed of stronger more durable material
you may decide to go with a higher gauge string. Likewise, a string
that is naturally stiffer may not need as much tension to give the same
reaction. With tension you also have to consider the racket that you
are using. Each racket has a recommended tension range which varies
racket to racket. The best suggestion for adjusting your tension on a
new racket is to start in the mid range of the recommended tension and
adjust accordingly.
When you are looking to purchase a new racket, don’t spend six months
demoing rackets and then pick the first string you see. This is like
buying a high performance sports car and sticking cheap tires on it.
Just like cheap tires will decrease the potential of the car, so the
wrong string will greatly decrease the potential of the racket.
By George Hunt
George Hunt writes
for
www.my-advantage-tennis-shop.com and if you like equipment tips you
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