The Ultimate Tennis String Guide (my string history + recommendations for the rec level)

🎾 Get 10% OFF on Kirschbaum Strings & Grips (ENTER CODE INTUITIVETENNIS AT CHECKOUT)
kirschbaumusa.com/INTUITIVETE...
In the ultimate tennis string guide, I'm showing my tennis string history and I also recommend which string you should be using at the recreational level.
0:00 My String History
3:22 String revolution
6:17 Recommendations
📺Old Racquets (Mentioned in Video): • Testing Old Tennis Rac...
📺My Racquet History: • My Tennis Racquet History
This video is not sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something, I’ll receive a small commission.
My Gear:
Racquet: amzn.to/3NbuMl6
Overgrip: amzn.to/39TYbTb
Shoes: amzn.to/3NfFQNZ
Microphone: amzn.to/3QLJwKA
Camera: amzn.to/3NfALpa
Tripod: amzn.to/3QLZZhC
Drone: amzn.to/3nal2gn
🖱 SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS
👉🏻 kzbin.info...
🤜🤛 Share this video
👉 • The Ultimate Tennis St...
🎾 Second KZbin Channel 👉 / intuitivetennis247
🎾 Premium Content 👉 www.intuitivetennis.com
🎾 Video Analysis 👉 bit.ly/2Kz8AEK
🎾 Instagram 👉 / intuitivetennis
🎾 TikTok 👉 / intuitivetennis
🎾 Twitter 👉 / intuitivetennis
🎾 Facebook 👉 / intuitivetennis
#intuitivetennis #nikolaaracic

[@IntuitiveTennis]

My Racquet History 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZyYk2d8oqt-m5I

[@tmass1]

tell us more about your experience with RPM blast. I'm using it now and liking it so far. thoughts on i?

[@krookd8891]

hey can you tell whats whats your string tension im your idol and i want to play without a dampener we have the same racket but without dampener it vibrates to much so i putted a rubber band as my dampener

[@johnnyguitar6697]

What is remarkable in this video is that the section between 10:00 and 11:00 is the exact opposite of what actually happens. Elastic strings like gut / multifilament will restitute more energy to the ball on contact (the so called trampoline effect) while stiff / inelastic strings like copoly / poly absorb the energy of the ball (and transmit it to the frame and arm). Meaning that gut / mulifilament are naturally more powerful strings, whereas copoly / poly plays with much more control.

[@watersmoke1114]

multi is a combination of trampoline effect but string is bending more, absorbing more energy of the ball and giving less back as well. If you hit a ball against a wall or a trampoline, on which one will it bounce more? Not that simple - it's a combination of factors, and the feel can be really dead on soft strings

[@Angler180DC]

May I add a little color to your comments? String breakers migrated to Kevlar then poly to avoid breaking strings every day. Poly and co-poly became popular not only for the playing benefits, but for durability. Rec players need to think about restringing before the string breaks as they will lose elasticity over time. Many rec players could play poly forever an not break the string. I'd recommend every 20 hours of hitting or 40 hours of playing to restring. One of the main benefits of co-poly is the ability to string it at lower tensions and the string will snap back into place. Many recreational players can benefit from the higher launch trajectory of this set up. You couldn't do this with synthetic gut, Multi-filament or even Kevlar because the strings would move too much and get stuck out of place. Co-poly will play fine even in the low 40 lb tension as long as the players get used to the slightly higher launch angle. Most will benefit from the lower tension and the re-string frequency would still follow the above advice.

[@Wesquire]

You have the physics backward regarding power and string stiffness. The strings flexing and rebounding adds power, this is why lower tension has more power. Stiffer frames are more powerful because the frame flexing less mean the strings flex more.

[@biglouiees]

Very insightful video!! I had to try it to believe. It's been 3 yrs since I strung my own racket and I was motivated enough to give it a shot at 11pm last night. Played today with 48lbs and I absolutely LOVED it!! Looking forward to learning more. These 12 minutes completely changed everything I thought I knew about strings. Cheers!

[@kalo8524]

Try out kevlar + zyex combinations, it will change your life. Just as much spin as polyester and it doesn't lose tension ridiculously fast.

[@peterparahuz7094]

@@kalo8524 7:00

[@chilledoutnotdead]

tks, this video and the follow up one when you speak about stringing co polyester at 40lbs was revolutionary for my tennis. tks

[@hansolsson3409]

I have the Kirschbaum Super Smash 123 orange now, and I love it. Strung at 46lb/21kg. Thank you Nick.

[@alekseytsoi242]

Nikola, i just wanted to let you know that it is amazing guys like you and tomaz(feels tennis) provide such amazing high level insight pro bono, you guys have been invaluable for me and my good friend who this past summer just got back to playing several times a week. Again, thank you for creating truly helpful content, with zero gimmicky bullshit :)

[@IntuitiveTennis]

My pleasure Aleksey thank you

[@felixfongchunlai]

Good expanation. Many RPs like me dont know the difference. And having a good and suitable one makes a big difference

[@Sweeney-Kubach]

I used to string my own racquets, I just don’t have the string pattern books anymore. I appreciate your videos and the tips you give out. Thank you Nick, I love your sectional. Great job on the video my friend.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

🙏

[@Sweeney-Kubach]

@@IntuitiveTennis my wife and I just got back from hitting, she has only been playing for 3 weeks and she is doing great, I share your videos with her and little Joshua. Joshua is 15 and he has been playing 3 days and he is loving tennis and wants to learn, I had to get on him about his ear pods, but other than that he is enjoying tennis and playing pretty good. I have to get all five of my racquets restrung as they are 30 year old strings, I usually string my racquets in the low 40s and even as low as 37 to 38. I play with the Wilson profiles med size 95, and it’s the best racquet ever, and the Pro Staff is right there with the profiles. I am going to try the Krischbaun strings and let you know what results I have with them. Good news, since I have been training using your videos, I have lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks my dude! I am 210, and I am going to shot for 175 and get my speed back, I live in Florida and it’s been so hot, I have been playing in the mornings around 8am and off the courts by 12pm. I just wanted to thank you and let you know I am ordering T-shirts from you to support your efforts. GOD willing I can meet you in person and shake your hand and try and win a game off you. Hahe okay at least a point haha. By the way I was trolling Andy Roddick about pros vs amateurs, my buddy Steve Bokk knows him and they talk once in awhile and told him to Andy I know an 87 year old lady that could win a point off him. Hahe World class trolling my dude. Hahe have a good day my friend.

[@mattiastennis]

Endlich- Das Saitevideon Dies wird eines der besten Videos für die Woche sein Danke für das Video!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Danke Matthias 🙏🙏

[@pencilcheck]

Awesome!! Thanks for the video

[@hansolsson3409]

Great video Nic! Thank you.

[@watchb4uteach]

Nick- Excellent guide to strings. I’m in my 70’s and I began tennis life with wooden racquets strung with gut. I loved the pop. I loved the sound and the feel, but the limits to wood became obvious compared to newer racquet. I think I owned just about every type of racquet you featured in “My Weird Racquet History.” I’m playing with modern racquets now of course but I was stringing too tight and, even with gut, I was not getting the power. Stringing lower helped but recently I switched to the Head Hawk monofilament at 17g that you recommended to try. I have a Wilson Blade 98 and strung at 40 lbs. What a difference! More power and still plenty of control. I am a subscriber and I watch many of your videos. Keep up the good work, I’m a fan.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

🙌🙌

[@mikebeer29]

Coach Nic, great video again. Random observation, you even use dynamic footwork while you're chilling on the couch it must be the ingrained kinetic chain muscle memory :)

[@rds4629]

always show respect to mom and dad :) BTW, for amateurs, I find there is a big difference when switching immediately between frames w/ Poly or Multi. But if I start playing w/ poly eventually my game starts to adjust to it and it's hard to see difference in power/spin after a while. Then if I start using Multi initially it's a big change, but after a while it ends up being the same. I find the same is true w/ my opponents when someone makes a gear change it's incredibly rare to see a real change in their game (as opposed to people who take lessons and work on their game :)

[@stevlehr]

Taking lessons can be beneficial. Long ago I met a player with a good athletic background. When we warmed up he hit the ball and moved so well that I thought I would lose. I didn't lose. We started playing almost weekly and I seldom lost a match. As we became friendly I tried to help him with his game. We both were about 4.0 players. I knew that he took frequent lessons, probably from every pro at a big facility. I asked him why he did that. He said, getting better. Each pro he worked with probably thought their job was to find something in a student's game that needs changing. So Mike was continually changing details of his game the years we played. I thought frequent technique changes held him back. In contrast, I paid a club pro that I practiced with to look at my serve. He had me serve some balls and said my serve motion was a little unorthodox but mechanically sound and effective. He didn't want to suggest I change anything. He then said let's use up your hour hitting ground strokes. Watch my two handed backhand and consider whether that would work for you. I was satisfied with the lesson.

[@K4R3N]

Nice walk down memory lane. Thanks for the info

[@Dom-yv4nq]

One of the best string reviews I've heard. Thank you. You made some interesting points I hope people take heed. 1. The RACQUET. Because your strings perform well for you in your racquet does not mean it will do the same for me in my different racquet. Secondly, if you are a better player than I am, chances are your perception of the strings may differ from mine. Your point of sticking with a string if it works for you is good but... I'm always on the lookout for a string that can do more for me. I'm a 5.0 player and highly competitive, however I'm almost 52 and sadly my body cannot endure what I once could, hence I need my equipment to do more work for me. Currently I'm VERY satisfied with using a little known string called Firewire from a company called Tier One. I'm short and use excessive spin to compensate for my short legs' inability to move me as I'd like. The triangle co-polyester string gives massive spin and good control. If anyone has suggestions for similar attributes from other strings I'll gladly listen. Thank you.

[@bogdan9859]

Great channel and very instructive videos! A couple of things you mentioned are not making much sense. First might be just nomenclature: polyester (1st gen monofilaments, which, are as you said, extinct) and co-polyester strings are almost all monofilaments. Second thing is about synthetics vs poly in regards to power and arm friendliness. Sythetics do absorb the impact on the ball much better, but because higher elasticity will also rebound the ball at a higher speed with less effort from the player (that's how elasticity works). Co-poly's being stiffer with lower elasticity will absorb less of the impact, but will also rebound the ball at a slower speed, thus requiring more effort from the player, not less. The advantages of poly strings vs syntetics are many, but power and comfort are not among them.

[@kevo99able]

Yes depending on the racket design and how open the string pattern is. My 2019 Pure Aero has a very open string pattern compared to my 2013 Aero Pro Drive. I have to bump up tension on the Pure Aero up to 57lbs to make it feel “similar” stringbed stiffness than the AeroPro Drive (at 52 lbs) which has a denser string pattern.

[@torrubirubi]

Great video, thanks a lot!

[@Alexander-dt2eq]

i love multifilament strings, especially on fast surfaces where spin is not so important. Gives you so much feel and just makes tennis more fun. On clay i usually play a hybrid.

[@yuant1533]

Which string do you like? Tension?

[@goggleboy2464]

@@yuant1533 Any synthetic at 48 or 50 lbs has better feel than poly

[@yuant1533]

@@goggleboy2464 so what are the pros/cons of either string type?

[@goggleboy2464]

@@yuant1533 look up tennis nerd video on string types

[@Leo-qj6rn]

It was too hard on my shoulder and arm and didn't like the response on the string. Strung at 53lbs. I am glad that Nick is getting a cut on my reel purchase.

[@gargamel3966]

Thank you. Ordered some orange strings. Going to string it low!

[@666kingdrummer]

Hey Nick, if you're interested, Tecnifibre makes a Polyester Monofilament string, called Tecnifibre Pro Red Code. It's the same string that John Isner plays with as well.

[@jimmymethot]

Hi Nick Thanks for this interesting video! I'm a stringer and I'd be interested in a video where you show us how you string your rackets. I'm pretty sure you have some very good tips to share 🙂 Thanks and keep on the good work 👍 Jim

[@mattiastennis]

What is your thoughts on the following: Solinco Hyper-G Soft? Yonex Poly-rev?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Thanks Jim, there are some master stringers on YT.

[@joakimharlin9030]

Only video of yours that I need to disagree with. It's not about easier on your arm in terms of effort needed to generate power. It is about the vibrations caused at impact that transport themselves up the arm, tendons and joints. And in that regard stiffer raquets and stiffer and tighter stings are much more harmful than their opposites for most people.

[@marcosmurakami17]

Indeed!!

[@augustopinheirinho3776]

Best tennis channel ever!!!

[@grishkazumba]

Indeed

[@opm1s6]

I used kirschbaum also before I moved to Kevlar in mains and syth gut in the crosses. These days I'm using luxilon 4G.

[@falcoren]

Hey Nick great channel your videos are really concise and easy to grasp. Would you be able to do some more mental game videos and perhaps videos about working out your opponents weakness in singles. I think these would be really valuable

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Definitely

[@nathanmiller6051]

Thank you! awesome 👍

[@sefermemisoglu3800]

Thank you for this life-changing video lecture on tennis. I was using Tecnifibre X-one on the main and ALU Power Rough on the cross (Previous Radical pro 360). Then I had a tennis elbow. My stringer told me, "your racquet is quite stiff, there is no problem with your string set up, change the racquet". I did so, I bought the current Radical pro 360+ which is suppose to be softer. Didn't solve the problem. My arm didn't become worse but, my lack of power was making the frustration of the tennis elbow even worse. After this video, you made, I went back to R-pro 360, my good old racquet, strung with Signum Pro X-treme Power (Outbreak 1,24mm), 24 kg at the main, 23 kg at the cross, full bed. That setup relieved my arm from suffering, my elbow is almost about to be normal again! So my question is that then why, almost everybody, including all that pro tennis folk as well, tells the same "myth" that soft multifilament is the best for tennis elbow?! I used one of the softest multi, T-X-one was probably the main reason to have suffered arm if, ALU didn't cooperate at the cross to make it worse. That would be my request if you could try to lift the fog on this matter a little more by providing inside sight.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I discuss strings in further detail here kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXTcf5qZfaqSq9E

[@sefermemisoglu3800]

@@IntuitiveTennis thanks!

[@ispeakasiplease]

I use Solinco Confidential 17 gauge (co poly monofilament) at 52lbs in my 2018 Pure Drive and I can confirm...I’ve never had a more comfortable setup in my 8 years of playing this game...this guy knows what works

[@hybrid11theory75]

lol, what? Confidential is one of the stiffest feeling strings on the market... can't even imagine how board-like it'll be in a pure drive, i really hope u have good fitness/strength and ur body can absorb all this without pain at some point ;)

[@ispeakasiplease]

@@hybrid11theory75 it’s all about technique. I hit the sweet spot and I don’t grip the racquet hard at all. It works. It is hard but it’s a great string to counteract some of that power of a pure drive.

[@hybrid11theory75]

@@ispeakasiplease Fair enough, but hitting the sweetspot in such a setup is still not considered as comfortable and arm friendly... but if it works for you just fine, i totally respect this ;)

[@ispeakasiplease]

@@hybrid11theory75 actually do you have any soft string suggestion? I have a friend who uses the new pure drive with hyper g and hates it. While I have your attention lol

[@hybrid11theory75]

@@ispeakasiplease Hyper G is a good string with better comfort than most, there's also a "Soft" Version that is even softer. You should ask him what he doesn't like with it. The feel, control, spin? But overall Hyper G is besides durability one of the the top tier polys... I would highly recommend Head Lynx Tour, it's similiar to RPM Blast but with more comfort and slightly better tension maintenance..

[@mattpetrillo4502]

Was hoping you would make a video on this!

[@borisgolubovic5914]

Bravo Nick,odlicna teorija sa zicama koje su manje elasticne ali su povoljnije za ljude sa problemima lakta ali sam siguran da ce biti puno komentara od ljudi koji se ne slazu sa ovim!Ipak ja govorim samo iz sopstvenog iskustva i kazem Nick great video i u pravu si 100%🙏😎Pozz iz prehladne Njemacke

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Hvala Boris 🙌🙌

[@borisgolubovic5914]

@@IntuitiveTennis Molim Nick,nastavi samo tako klipovi su ti realy cool i moze se dosta naucit!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Idemo dalje 🙏🙏

[@borisgolubovic5914]

@@IntuitiveTennis 👌👌👌😎🙏🙏

[@ssenssel]

Great stuff. I can vouch for soft racquets giving tennis elbow theory. Volkl Organix gave me so much tennis elbow I thought I'd never play tennis again. Got rid of the racquet and the pain went away. Volkl even dismissed the Organix technology from their line entirely. But the only thing missing here is mentioning my beloved country man Guga Kuerten.. he become the first player to win a grand slam tournament with polyester stings (Luxilon ALU Power) by winning RO 1997. Kuerten's polyester-strung title run in 1997 set off a trend that's become the norm.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Should have mentioned Guga. He was the first to use Luxilon 🙌🙌

[@LaBambaCL]

kuerten's incredible timing big swing fh & bh's, love them

[@bwiz6514]

Nikola, you are still my absolute favorite tennis youtuber! Even if I don't agree with your advise about stiff strings and racquets being better for the arm...

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Thank you. To be fair the stiff strings and racquets that I’m referring to and not the ones you’re thinking of.

[@bwiz6514]

@@IntuitiveTennis Well maybe. If we're talking about soft co-poly's that I recommend it would include Tour Bite Soft, Gosen Sidewinder, Cyclone Tour, Isospeed Cream, Tier One Ghost Wire. These are also great to hybrid with for people with arm issues. I still think most people would be better off with NXT, Multifeel, or another Multi though, but of course spin will be compromised. Regarding racquets, anything above say 65 RA is going to aggravate existing arm issues. I do agree that racquets like the Gravity and Clash are misleading, as they flex mostly in the bridge and still transmit significant shock. However, Prince Phantoms, most Pro Kennex's, older Volkls, and some Yonex racquets are quite arm friendly. Being a Babolat guy, you are kind of putting out their talking points of "it's all technique" or "flex causes you to overhit". But for people that already have arm problems, stiff just doesn't work well in strings or racquets while they're trying to heal tendons.

[@tajsaleem]

With all due respect to your knowledge I think you are wrong about co poly being better for your arm than multi and nylon.

[@andrewkarras1047]

I agree. You may have to work harder but the shock and vibration is not making it to your arm with soft strings and flexible racquets. That’s why stiff Babolats hurt peoples elbows. Perhaps Nick’s pain was muscular from working too hard but tendon pain will be worse with stiff racquets and strings.

[@hkim6876]

​@@maxpowers4436 I totally agree. Proper technique/exercise/re-string often and you shouldn't have any arm problems with co-poly strings. I've seen too many people hitting outside the sweetspot and muscling the ball to the other side.

[@leobrahmachari6611]

You can string poly low to be very arm friendly. I use a Pure Drive with full poly, but I string at 42 and find it really comfortable.

[@johnsmith2421]

To avoid tennis elbow you want a flexible racquet, such as a Wilson Clash, and soft multifilament strings, think Tecnifibre NRG2. Stiff racquets/strings is asking for trouble without a lot of arm conditioning.

[@stevlehr]

@@maxpowers4436 When playing a lot of tennis in my forties, I began to swing my backhand much harder. As you put it: overuse. Pretty soon, ouch. I realized that I had to take the wildness out of my backhand and concentrate more on accurately placing my backhand shots. I got rid of the pain. Even though elbow pain was gone, I eventually switched to a two handed backhand for even more elbow protection. I've played with very stiff frames and flexible frames - neither hurt my wrist, elbow or shoulder. And I'm in my 70's.

[@vanlendl1]

I played Gamma Synthetic Gut 18 in a PS 85 for about 10 years. Btw, it is not only, that strings have changed, but also balls have changed. Balls are much harder and less flexible compared to 20-30 years ago. I always liked to play with Dunlop Tournament until Dunlop mixed carbon into the rubber core. Wilson US Open plays completely different to Head No.1 or Tretorn or Dunlop Fort Tornament.

[@nicolas8074]

Can you do a video how to string your racquets? I would like to learn it, so I can do it by my self. Thanks

[@julesmartin9510]

Wow that was really interesting

[@adnkhan]

I tried looking for something with a bit more spin. Ended up with Kirschbaum Max Power Rough (Luxilon Big Banger Rough was a close second). Its a good combo of power and spin. Didnt care about Kirschbaum Spiky black shark which is all spin and almost zero power and was really difficult to hit all the way across the net. Wish you had spoken up about spin potential strings like those cut to grab the ball

[@alexdubinskiy8847]

Thank you!

[@glen871]

I'll stick to using 16 gauge Prince synthetic gut original @ 70 lbs in my POG oversize. Nothing pockets the ball like synthetic gut @ high tension.

[@4jrgolf]

'18 pure drive tour plus you got plays unbelievable with Lux 4G soft. You can kill it and it never flies on you.

[@percelababontvlogs]

Thank you coach

[@krishnar3493]

Hi Nikola, you are right about luxilon making life difficult for serve and volleyers. Sampras had a lot of trouble with Kuerten when they played in 2000 for the last time. The shots were dipping too much on him.

[@ZrohTempezz]

Great video! Was wondering if you had a recommendation that is in the middle between Luxilon 4G and Solinco Tour Bite?

[@ReidVV]

The stiffness of light, beginner racquets is to compensate for the light weight of the racquets. Otherwise a sub 10oz racquet with a low stiffness would be like hitting the tennis ball with a wet noodle. I string my own racquets and have tried many, many types of strings, many different brands, and at many different tensions. I love your teaching and love your channel, but no way are poly strings better for your arm than softer syn guts, or multis. Also, racquets with lower stiffness are also better for the arm. Softness, whether it's provided by the strings, or the racquet, or both, results in less vibration transferred to the arm and its joints and therefore less physical stress, period. Stiff racquets and strings transfer more vibrational energy to the arm and this results in more stress on the arm and all of its joints. This is physics. Now, if your example is that stiffer strings and racquets allow generating the same force on shots by using a less powerful swing and that will result in less stress on the arm, that might add up, but if swing speeds/power are equal, stiffer racquets and strings transfer more vibrational force to the arm than softer racquets and strings. Also, strings with more elasticity, whether that's provided by the softness vs stiffness of the string or by a lower tension of the stringing, delivers more launch power to the ball, not less. This can be thought of as a "trampoline effect," when racquet stiffness and swing speed/force are equal. Of course, we are not talking about wet spaghetti noodles as strings, or string tensions 10-20 pounds below a racquet's recommended tension range (because that's not a real test).Whether softer vs stiffer strings or higher vs lower string tensions are better for playing tennis (power, control, feel, durability, tension maintenance) is a whole other issue. That is where I'd like your advice on string selection and what to expect from each kind of string set up, including hybrids, and from different string tensions (which often way overlooked), especially if there is benefit from stringing the mains and crosses at different tensions and what effect (if any) this has on playability and feel.

[@stephentaylor7593]

I totally agree. After months of suffering with tennis elbow, I changed my super-stiff Babolat Aero for the most flexible racket I could find (Wilson Clash) and strung it with a multi-filament (Technifibre X-One Biphase) and now I can play again without pain!

[@romab2]

With all respect to Nick, I totally agree with James. Since I ruined my elbow playing with Wilson Hyper Hammer 2.0 115 and poly strings (years ago), I tried great many rackets and strings. IMHO the best for the arm (and power) is natural gut - also the most elastic. If money is an issue - hybrid with soft poly and Babolat string savers, made of teflon. As for the rackets - Volkl Catapult (7 or 8) and Bolt.

[@fernandoprete5310]

Great comment James. Thanks.

[@Sportrush947]

I Agree 100% with james maybe i didnt understand the video but stiffer strings are really bad for tennis Elbow or the shoulder, i would never advice anybody to use súper smash strings stiffeness Of this string is too much for almost everybody unless you play just a few hour a week. Great coach nonetheless

[@Dom-yv4nq]

@@stephentaylor7593 did you experiment with different strings and tensions with your Babolat first tho? Changing racquets is the more expensive fix.

[@vladik154]

Djokovic plays with natural gut in the mains and poly as a crosses opposite of Andy

[@Sam-bm8kd]

How should I go about finding and buying a good racket for myself?

[@tmass1]

tell us more about your experience with RPM blast. I'm using it now and liking it so far. thoughts on i?

[@giorassiccuriosity1796]

Nice crib coach Nik!

[@Abe-Lau]

Novak actually use natural gut in the mains like Roger.

[@mackapimp]

Coach, for rec players who don't hit hard enough to break the Kirschbaum Super Smash 17, how often do you recommend cutting it out and restringing? Worried about dead strings staying in racket for too long.

[@ext230]

Thank you.

[@mattiastennis]

What about Big Banger rough? And what do you or others think of the Triax revolution and experience with Solinco Hyper-G Soft?

[@crsantin]

How do you explain the Wilson Clash? It’s a very flexible frame yet it is supposed to be better for your arm and it still has lots of power.

[@MrRando]

Hey Nick! What do you think of investing in a klippermate to string my own rackets?

[@craigx9609]

great video！ Just another question what watch you wear? Lol

[@Frank020]

Co poly monofilament. Bought orange kirschbaum 45 lbs on a light racquet will try. Intermediate.

[@alexisperez3459]

Super good video. God bless you.

[@Kyxul]

I have RPM Rough coming on my new racket for more spin. Is it a good string to use?

[@Doty6String]

Ire not soft strings like a trampoline? So the ball sinks in and bounces off with a lot of power. Stiff strings are more like the ground and don’t give the ball pop off the string bed.

[@alvaroh8470]

Actually I think he is misleading. Try to use polyester at a same tension. Te stiffer the string the less power you have. Multifilament has way more power than a monofilament, I have tennis elbow and I can’t finish a long match with a mono polyester string while I don’t even feel it with a multifilament.

[@luismanuelpena1104]

@@alvaroh8470 Yes, this channel is awesome. But he's misleading in this one, stiff racquets and strings cause tennis elbow.

[@tjkim1999]

Sorta. All tennis strings are trampoline-like under enough force. However, until enough force is applied, certain types of strings will act remarkably like the ground - solid and unyielding. The stretch seen in strings and other elastic polymers are given by microscopic "slip" between crosslinked chains. Most of the bonds do not break. They just deform. Compare with the ground, which is made of a rigid structure. On a microscopic level, this can also be seen. There is no "slip" when tension is applied. The structure has strong bonds until the forces applied overcomes it, at which point, the ground breaks. The bonds are broken. The ground remains broken. It does not reform. The strings are just high tension trampolines. Different types of strings have different molecular structure, which lends to different tensile properties. The reason that pros can successfully generate power off of a full poly bed is because they generate enough speed in their swing such that the stringbed deforms and launches the ball - like a trampoline - during the duration that the ball contacts the strings. This also means that the force of the ball striking the strings does not go into the arm, but rather deforms the strings, which snap back into position, applying that force back into the tennis ball. When some rec player hits the ball, however, the low swing speed means that likely the stringbed does not deform much. Rather only the ball deforms against the strings and a lot of force goes into the player's arm. Have you seen the video of a tennis ball being dropped on top of a basketball? That's the pro. The tennis ball against the ground is us. Actually better yet, the basketball on top of the tennis ball is us. Our arm and racket is that tennis ball. It's getting absolutely rocked by the basketball.

[@blwm9206]

@Intuitive Tennis So Nik, would you suggest the luxilon element 125? This would be the kind of string an RP would use that has pains in his arm after using a harder string? I'm also switching to wilson ultra power 100, a 284 g racquet. I've been playing with wilson juice 100 304g for a month now, since getting back into tennis, and I do have pains in my arm...

[@johns6481]

I’ve been playing tennis for about 18 months. Currently a 3.5 level. I’ve tried hybrid strings by klip. Solenco hyper g, and the super smash orange. So far by trial and error, I prefer the super smash orange. The solenco hyper g started hurting my arm around 6 weeks in. The super smash orange are still pure. Might have something to do with the pre-stretch the orangies have? Either way, I had a little more power with hyper g, but less control. I prefer the control and you are not losing much power. You only lose a little bit and you also lose a little bit of bite/spin. However, I’ve won more matches and played more consistent with the super smash orange. I string at 52. I believe next time I will try 50.

[@sarzkazi]

Great video as always! Is there a way to find out the string type used on racquets that come pre-strung?

[@MrRockrobstr]

Anybody remember Blue Star string in the 80’s. It was pretty cheap and would begin to fray a little just before it broke, but felt good and was a nice combination of power and control.

[@IgasBakery]

This is one of the best tennis channels that I found! How long does it take to string one racket?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

30-40 min

[@Abe-Lau]

@@IntuitiveTennis ur fast

[@dleewk]

Great vid ! Can u compare RPM to super smash orange and why u made the switch ?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I like both KB orange a little more pop

[@Piggy123407]

I tried to use "co-polyester monofilament string" to google the string and buy it, but i am not sure about what i want to buy. Could you suggest some brand or names of string with co-polyester monofilament string? Thanks a lot

[@Amelia.013]

What gauge is advisable for the kirschbaum orange?

[@MrLastovica]

You are right, nobody believes but it’s true, I have similar problem with the gut, as soon as I start using spinfire 1,24 in Wilson Sixone pro my elbow pain is gone

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I’m not making this stuff up and speak from 30 years of experience at the rec level. To each their own

[@EdmonBegoli]

Nikola, what do you think about Blade 16x19 v7 with Head Velocity MLT as an arm friendly combination. I’ve had arm problems and just recently put Velocity in Blade is a low power but also low stiffness racquet so I am not sure if that is good for the arm. I am hoping that Velocity multi at 52 lbs should help some too.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Not familiar with those, test it and see

[@muralimanohar8273]

Can you make a video on stringing racquets ourselves?

[@LaBambaCL]

nik! what about spin?! and shaped strings eg. hexagonal, do pros use shaped strings at all? and how long do you use strings on a racquet for, recreationally? touring pros seem to restring day of the match.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

A lot of stuff there. I might make another string video and address it...

[@gerardovitaliani9318]

Thanks Nik , an other great explanation. Any relation between thickness and tension or tension is the same ?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I recommend 17 g and string below 52 for co polyester monofilament Co polymer I would recommend stringing in the 40’s

[@gerardovitaliani9318]

@@IntuitiveTennis , are my PACIFIC Poly Force co-polyester strings? I don’t read in site the composition. Thanks again

[@kimonshc_0579]

Hi me play natural gut 1.30 gauge at main at 27 kilos (with power pads)and crosses luxilon alu power rough 1.25 gauge at 24.5 kilos and I like it lot the problem is the cut very expensive and I don't know what string to put to the main

[@kimonshc_0579]

@@miguelbarahona6636 thank you so much 👍

[@jimicarmelo6877]

Hey Nick. How long does the kirschbaum super smash last in it's package if you don't use it or open the package at all (or any tennis strings in general)?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Lasts a while, years

[@stefder4852]

For the kirschbaum string: is there a huge difference between the 1,25mm and the 1,30mm? Which one do you recommend and why?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Not a huge difference 1.25 a tad more power and less durability

[@predragdosen6348]

Postovani, Prije svega cestitke na vasim dosadasnjim prilozima. Vasa prednosti je iskustvo igraca koji ocigledno ima izrazen smisao za prenijeti znanje vrlo ocigledno i razumljivo svojim igracima-studentima. Molio bih vas da mi odgovorite koje Poly Star zice ste koristili? Licno se dvoumim izmedju Poly Star Classic i Poly Star Strike. Probao sam i Energy i Turbo ali mi ne odgovaraju kao Classic i Strike. U naprijed hvala i mnogo pozdrava, Predrag Dosen

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Puno hvala Polystar classic 1.20

[@predragdosen6348]

Intuitive Tennis Hvala. Pozdravi.

[@yipai8628]

Did you try to use stainless steel string? Does use stainless steel string for tournament is illegal? Thanks,

[@Atemi1990]

Can any one help with really good for elbow Co-poly monofilament? I try to google but I'm not sure if I'm looking st the right once

[@Home-il2gv]

Intermediate and club players has to careful with string selection to avoid elbow and shoulder pains. Also it depends on how many hours per week on the court. No one solution fits all. For advanced players with fast swing, the suggestion will work the best I suppose.

[@luckyintheorder]

Thanks for your videos. Recently moved from Wilson NXT Power to Ashaway Crossfire ZX : Mains: Braided Kevlar® +Plus Crosses: MonoGut ZX Pro Natural 100% Zyex Monofilament This was the best pocketing string set up I've ever played with as a 3.5-4.0 mostly doubles player. Allowed me to fully swing out on groundstrokes and feedback from opponents around how hard and fast the balls were made the juice worth the squeeze. Not quite Agassi :-), but hit a lot harder with more balls in play for sure. Such good feel. Ultimately, because of my imperfect form, this setup DID take a toll on my arm. It did show me just how much impact a string can have on your game though as mine went through the roof. Recent change to the Technifibre Triax 16 in a full bed has helped ease the arm pain and given me a little more control than other multi's which is paying off from the baseline and because I play mostly doubles has shown good control on mid court volleys and at the net. Pretty happy with the compromise to date. Also like the Head Velocity MLT 17 in Head Gravity 360+ Pro. Play with a Vantage Bastacore 95 with super low flex RA 49 for a couple years but looking for more swingweight without adding lead. The racket search continues.

[@anshumanghoshe2828]

Sir your video is great .But personally I prefer more spin and control in my game .Which strings will you suggest me ?

[@K4R3N]

Anshu in USA the Solinco Hyper-G is very popular for spin. Check it out. Also I enjoyed Head Lynx Tour for spin and control but may be expensive in your location

[@anshumanghoshe2828]

@@K4R3N actually I am thinking to use natural gut in crosses and polyfibre in the mains. Will it be okay ?

[@K4R3N]

@@anshumanghoshe2828 yes this can be good also

[@Abe-Lau]

@@K4R3N love hyper g. great value

[@bajovujovic2004]

Awesome video. Recently I developed tennis elbow and I am not sure if is related to technique or strings. I used Head MP racquet with Babolat RPM 17 with 53 tension and everything was ok. When I switched to a Wilson blade 97 and put luxilon Big Banger 16 with 55 tension I started feeling the pain gradually. What do you think might be the issue? Thank you 🙏🏻 in advance,

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Don’t use co polymer 🙏🙏

[@bajovujovic2004]

@@IntuitiveTennis my coach suggested Tecnifibre Triax. What do you think?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Not familiar with that one, look at specs

[@MAELOB]

Lower to 48 pounds and tell us how it feels

[@Home-il2gv]

@@bajovujovic2004 Triax is a great hybrid multifilament string with spin, feel and power. Control is decent.

[@K4R3N]

Coach I kind of disagree with you about stiff strings and racquets. These do return to more energy into the ball as you explain for that same reason they do not absorb any of the shock of the impact and that shock travels into the player arm or wrist and causes discomfort or injury. Low RA (high flex) racquets such as Wilson Clash are very popular for this reason. Even Head seems to have gotten into the "more flex" idea with their 360+ tech which is now introduced to many of their racquet lines (particularly interested in the new Radical coming in January). Stiff polys like RPM Blast feel hard and board-like which bothers my arm. I then tried a nice multi like Technifibre Triax which has the classic fraying and finally snapped and it felt much more comfortable than RPM Blast. I see Solinco is a very popular choice and this company is starting to offer "soft" versions of their popular string Hyper-G. Angell racquets are worth a recommendation for their flexibility and I would recommend anyone with wrist or shoulder or elbow problems to avoid BABOLAT racquets because they are too stiff.

[@pats300zx]

So true about the Babolats. When I got back into tennis I started playing again with a PD and Hyper G. Obviously I didn’t know much about racquets and string and it destroyed my elbow. I have now switched to a Clash and multis or gut.

[@augustblood6810]

I think this depends on swing mechanics - if your technique is not spot on, then hitting hard with a stiff polyester and a stiff racket will feel jarring and transfer to your elbow.

[@mattiastennis]

@@augustblood6810 A lot of it is technique with people. You can have the best racquet and strings but have the worst technique and require surgery!

[@mattiastennis]

​Auch @Patrick McCall- I do not know what this immense 'discomfort or injury' is that people keep mentioning. I have played with a variety of strings and never over the last few years had any such problems unless I count a non-related right arm soreness. RPM Blast is a good string until it becomes like concrete but when its performing well it is great to hit with. Thiem uses it even(allegedly). Solinco make very good strings while the Triax seems like a slightly better version of my experience with Big Banger Rough. Medvedev(world champion currently) uses Triax so it can suit very unique styles of play perhaps.. But to the claim about Babolat being 'too stiff' this is completely incorrect. Wilson make just as 'too stiff' racquets

[@K4R3N]

@@augustblood6810 totally agree and most casual players (like me!) hit too much off center. I learned the lesson the hard way. Just passing some advice that helped me.

[@Doty6String]

Aside from the control poly gives you a lot more spin

[@johns6481]

How would the super smash orange perform in a hybrid setup with natural gut?

[@eggsdenny]

Also curious, seen some ppl say it could be good in the cross. Just ordered reel of Sso will try in a full bed to see if I get more control vs current isospeed baseline speed setup

[@ceejay257]

What is the best tension for babolat pure drive 110? I want control and power at the same time.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Depends on string

[@experientialtennis]

Which Polystar string is this? The Classic, the Strike or another one?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Classic

[@SRKarting]

I thought Novak uses Natty Gut in the mains and the Lux in the crosses

[@leonmaliniak]

The bottom line is that natural gut is still the best all around string for control and feel... the most important qualities and judging by Federer's play, it is also good for power

[@Tennis214]

Djokovic also uses gut in the mains not the crosses. That was an error in this video

[@pats300zx]

Thanks for putting the video together Nick. What co-poly mono would you recommend? Also what is your typical string tension on your racquets ?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I string low 40’s

[@rogertoledo478]

Great content. BTW, please where does> Co-polyester (Crosslink Ester Polymer w/low-friction UHMW material) fall under??

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Not sure

[@rogertoledo478]

@@IntuitiveTennis that’s somehow what it states about my Wilson Revolve Spin string. Hey thanks for your reply

[@enematwatson1357]

Don't be bamboozled by the marketing mumbo jumbo masquerading as high tech. It's basically just a (co-)poly string with an extra "low friction" coating like many, many others. It's not even obvious that the coating adds much of anything except high tech allure. I hear it plays well, though. 😉

[@natures_guardians]

You explained why stiff racket and stiff string make less effort, but you didn't explain why the tension should be under 52 pounds. Seems like that could use more elaboration. Thanks!

[@adrienszakolczai7288]

you should make a bag check video

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I will

[@MB-le7tw]

Is there an advantage/disadvantage to thinner or thicker gauge strings?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I’ll make a video on this but generally thinner string more power less control

[@transamination]

Can't agree about poly being easiest on the arm and providing easy power. Surely the whole reason pros get so much spin from poly is that it is quite 'stiff' and 'dead' with very little free power. So they can swing extremely fast, and that high racquet head speed produces lots of spin. The reason Agassi didn't miss a ball the whole practice was because the poly has very little trampoline effect. It offers very little power. So you can take a massive fast swing at the ball and impart more spin and less forward motion than you would with a powerful string like natural gut.

[@rsmith02]

Which poly are you talking about? Nick mentioned a few different ones with different properties.