A tennis racket isn’t complete without strings. 

Strings are the only part of your racket that actually touches the ball, which makes them more important than most players realize. Type and tension both have a big impact on how your racket plays. This guide covers the four main string types, how to choose between them, and recommended tensions.

String Type	Key Benefits	Drawbacks / Notes	Recommended Player Level	Recommended Gauge	Recommended Strings
Synthetic Gut	Good tension maintenance, durable	Basic playability; not meant for high-level performance	Beginners / Casual players	1.30 mm (16 gauge)	Wilson Syn Gut Power, Head & Prince Synthetic Gut, Gosen OG Sheep
Multifilament	Softest synthetic, high power, excellent comfort	Breaks quickly; lacks heavy spin potential	Beginners / Intermediates / Touch players	1.30 mm (16 gauge)	Standard: Wilson Sensation, Head Velocity Premium: Babolat Excel, Wilson NXT, Tecnifibre NRG & X-One Biphase
Polyester	High control, massive spin potential, high durability	Stiff, low comfort, loses tension quickly	Advanced players	1.15 mm – 1.30 mm	Slick: Babolat RPM Blast Sharp: Solinco Hyper-G All-Around:Toroline Wasabi Comfort:Toroline Caviar, Yonex Poly Tour Pro
Natural Gut	Maximum power, best feel & comfort	Extremely expensive, breaks quickly	Players with severe arm injuries, or traditionalists with deep pockets	1.30 mm (16 gauge)	Babolat Touch VS
Hybrids (Poly + Multi)	Best of both worlds: control/spin + comfort/power	Poly mains quickly break multi crosses	Intermediate to Advanced	Multi gauge: 1.30 mm Poly gauge: Variable	Round poly with cheaper multi

 

Synthetic Gut

Multifilament

Multifilaments look similar to synthetic gut, but instead of a single solid core, they're made from hundreds of soft, elastic filaments woven together. That makes them softer, more powerful, and more comfortable than most strings, but also less durable.

Multis are a great choice if you need help generating power, play a touch-oriented game, or deal with elbow, shoulder, or wrist pain. They soak up impact well and are the best arm-friendly option at a reasonable price. Just note: they break faster than synthetic gut, so they're not ideal for big hitters with heavy spin. We recommend stringing between 50-55 lbs.

When it comes to tiers, pricier multis are softer and more playable but break a bit quicker. For most players, Wilson Sensation or Head Velocity will do the job. For a more premium multi, look at Babolat Xcel, Wilson NXT, or Tecnifibre NRG and X-One Biphase.

 

Polyester

Polyester strings have revolutionized the game. Made from one solid piece of stiff polyester, they allow the mains and crosses to move against each other more effectively, boosting snapback, spin, and durability. That stiffness also delivers significantly more control than syn guts or multis, making polys the go-to for advanced players who need confidence that the ball is staying in.

The tradeoff is comfort. Polys are much harsher than other string types, which is why we don't recommend them for lower-level players or anyone with a history of arm issues. Brands are working on softer options, but "comfortable poly" is still largely an oxymoron. If you need a poly but have elbow, wrist, or shoulder concerns, look at Toroline Caviar, Wasabi, or Yonex Poly Tour Pro.

Polys also allow string brands to experiment with a variety of shapes, stiffnesses and spin properties, but that’s a Pandora's box we won’t open up in this article. You can watch this video if you do want to learn more about all the various types of polys.

Otherwise, our favourite sharp poly is Solinco Hyper-G, our favourite slick poly is Babolat RPM Blast, and our favourite all-around Poly is Toroline Wasabi. Because they are so stiff, we always recommend stringing polys lower than other strings: 48 pounds is a good place to start, but you can also go much lower to increase power and snapback, with a minimal loss of control.

Natural Gut

Natural gut is the softest, most powerful, and best-feeling string on the market, but it's also the most expensive and breaks quickly. For most players, a multifilament is a better call: similar playability, much better value. We only recommend gut if your arm is too sensitive for anything else, or if you've always played with it and don't mind the cost.

Hybrids

A hybrid setup combines two string types for the best of both worlds. The most common pairing is poly mains and a multi in the crosses: the poly delivers control and spin, while the multi adds comfort and power. We recommend a cheaper multi here since the poly mains will chew through it quickly. For tension, 50 lbs on the poly mains and 52 lbs on the multi crosses is a solid starting point.

String Gauge

Gauge refers to string thickness, typically ranging from 1.25 to 1.30 mm. Thicker strings last longer but are stiffer and less spin-friendly. For syn guts and multis, we recommend 1.30 mm (16 gauge). Polys go as thin as 1.10 mm, but we suggest staying between 1.15 and 1.30 mm unless you're happy restringing frequently in exchange for more power, spin, and feel.

We’re always there to help!

Hopefully this gives you a better idea of which string you should use in your brand-new racket. If you need a little more help, don’t hesitate to reach out to our stringers in-store.