Polyester Strings, and who should play with them?
This is the fastest growing segment in tennis strings – popular with touring pros down to juniors and recreational players. They come with a multitude of questions, that we spend countless hours discussing with customers at every level.
• Is Polyester a good choice for me?
• What tension should use?
• How often should I restring with Polyester?
Who should use a Polyester?
Polyesters are suited to skilled players that generate the necessary racquet head speed to flatten out a ball on impact. If you are not a string breaker and or a spin player, you won’t benefit. The average recreational player needs to weigh out the option – especially if prone to arm problems or has a need for more power and depth of their shots. All Polyester strings are stiffer and less elastic than any other string, so we suggest dropping tensions (as much as 10 Lbs) over a multi filament, to reduce shock and compensate for the reduced power that poly strings generate.
What are the Benefits?
It is generally understood that Polyester strings provide durability and spin. We need to point out though that the key ingredient for spin is player technique and racquet head speed. If you hit with a continental grip, and hit with flat strokes, poly strings aren’t for you.
What are the Challenges?
Poly strings lose tension extremely fast, both statically (after stringing but before playing) and dynamically (while playing). They need to be replaced frequently, or you will lose power and control. Notice how pros like Roger Federer go for a “fresh” racquet on every ball change. We suggest restring every 8 to 15 hours, depending on string pattern, type of string and gauge. Be prepared to restring before the string breaks. Strings go dead – even without use. Babolat has calculated using their Racquet Diagnostic Machine (RDC), that a polyester string will lose 50% of its power in 20 hours. The cheaper the polyester, the sooner it seems to lose power as well.
Who should be using Polyester strings?
If you are a chronic string breaker and break synthetic strings every couple of hours or every time you play, you are a candidate for a hybrid blend, or full bed of polyester. Remember that polyester will possibly double or if you are lucky, triple the hours you will get from that new string job. But polyester strings won’t last months, even if left sitting unused. Use it or lose it.
Juniors especially must weigh the risks. They don’t yet have the true racquet head speed and technique to generate spin, and their bodies might suffer the downside of poly – low power and a lack of depth on their shots.
Tecnifibre – the premier string manufacturer made a suggestion that is based on the weight of the racquet you use. They said that polyester strings are best suited to racquets weighing over 10 ounces, and assumes that the person using that weight has the strength and ability to wield it effectively. That rules out younger players and some petite women. So often we hear customers saying that they want what their teaching pro uses – don’t forget your pro has abilities that he or she doesn’t always exhibit on court.
What is interesting if you look closely at the Tecnifibre brochure, is the percentage increase using a polyester string, in stiffness and how it impacts fatigue, when compared to a synthetic or multifilament string. Also, see the calculation that polyester strings add 18% more energy at impact if the racquet weighs less than 10 ounces. That is energy the goes up your arm in the form of shock – not energy that is returned to the ball.