Strings: Determining Tension (Part 3)

Hybrid strings are another very common aspect of tennis rackets. With hybrids, strings of different material, stiffness and gauge are mixed together to provide a better balance.

The questions I asked were why hybrid. Then what hybrid? Then where to put which string and finally what tension.

So far, everyone seems to take a guess and try approach. Or borrow their friends' rackets to try. I find this approach very slow and expensive.

To hybrid strings with totally different characteristics together successfully, the gauge and tension plays a very important role. Tension a stiff mains string too high and it will usually play harsh no matter how soft the hybrid cross string is. Even if you use natural gut in the cross.

Conversely, if the tension of the softer cross string (eg synthetic gut) is pulled too tight, the overall stringbed stiffness would increase and hurt our wrists, elbows or shoulders. The racket will also feel incredibly low powered.

An appropriately selected tension would display the best of both strings. Such as the spin potential of a stiff poly and the powerful rebound of a soft synthetic gut. That's the main reason why we hybrid them in the first play isn't it?

There are actually quite a few variants of mathematical formulas used to derive recommended tensions for mains and crosses. It's probably easier for you to google them than for me to list them here. 

Generally, stiffer strings should be strung at lower tensions than softer strings. Thinner strings should also be strung lower than thicker strings. Inelastic strings should be strung lower than stretchy strings.

Even the most experienced stringer or player would need a few re-strings to fine-tune tensions of the hybrid chosen. Experienced stringers can only recommend something close to what the player likes. The rest depends entirely up to the player's sweetspot hit ratio, his racket choice, type of balls, courts, opponents' style of play and weather.

Patience is often the missing element in the pursuit of a new and better strings setup. Those who exercise patience are often well rewarded.