Learn all about the different attributes and ratings of racquet strings to better choose what strings are best for you.
Resiliency & Durability
Players who are primarily concerned with playability will look for a high resiliency rating whereas players looking for longer string life will choose a high durability rating.
Causes of string breakage: hard hitting, top spin, cracked grommets, cold weather and strings with a low durability rating.
Chronic and frequent string breakers can experiment with Kevlar or Zyex main strings since the main strings usually break first. Blending these durable main strings with more resilient cross strings will improve playability.
Gauge
The higher the gauge number, the thinner the string. The lower the gauge number, the thicker the string. An "L" after the gauge number means "LIGHT." This indicates a slightly thinner string than the gauge number shown.
Tension
Generally, stringing at higher tensions results in greater ball control and lower tension results in more power. You will notice that thinner strings will feel tighter than thicker strings when strung at the same tension. Loss of tension occurs more in the first few sets (about 10%) and then steadily drops an additional 5% by approximately the 12th set.