After listing my top ten tennis racquets right now, it felt only logical also to list my top ten tennis strings right now. It is not a definitive list, but my favorite ten strings at the moment in various categories.
If you think it is challenging to choose your tennis racquet, choosing your tennis string is not much easier. The variety of different strings, gut, poly, hybrid, multifilament, synthetic can easily be overwhelming. I hope my “Top Ten Tennis Strings Right Now” can guide you a bit on finding a setup that works for your racquet and your game.
You can read more about different types of strings here.
Comfortable strings for beginners, intermediate players and up
If you don’t have a full swing and don’t hit the ball in the center of the racquet on the majority of your shots, you might want to start looking at more comfortable and powerful strings. A lot of players use stiff strings strung at a high tension and end up hurting their elbow or wrist.
So let’s look at softer strings that are friendly to various players.
Top Ten Tennis Strings Right Now – Natural Gut
It’s been around pretty much since the dawn of tennis, and it is still used frequently today on the pro tour in hybrid setups. Natural gut is soft on the arm and holds tension exceptionally well. If you don’t play with a lot of spin on the ball, the feeling you get from playing with natural gut is second to none. There are some downsides, though. The main one is that playing with natural gut is expensive. A set is usually around 50 euro/50 USD, which is steep. But if you can afford it, it can be a great experience. Today it is mostly used as a hybrid with different poly strings. You can find natural gut from Babolat, Wilson, Luxilon, etc.
Tecnifibre X-One Biphase
A top string if you want comfort and power. The price is high, but the playability is very good. You get a gut-like response and feel (not quite, but close) in a multifilament string. Not a string for string breakers or players who crave control and spin, but for players who want a comfortable and powerful string, this one is top-notch. A good one to hybrid a poly string with if you want more spin.
Other comfortable strings to use in hybrids or play in a full bed: Prince Premier Touch
, Wilson NXT
.
Volkl Cyclone Tour
If you are looking for a bit more spin than the above options, but excellent comfort, Volkl Cyclone Tour is a great choice. A twisted string with a shape that creates buckets of spin, but also offers a lot more power and comfort than its bigger brother, Volkl Cyclone.
Solinco Tour Bite Soft
One of my favorite softer poly strings. You get the spin and bite of the iconic Tour Bite string but in a more comfortable package. Durability and control are not quite as good as Tour Bite and other control polys, but if you want comfort and spin, this is one of the best strings on the market.
Diadem Solstice Power
Young American company Diadem makes some nice strings and I also enjoy the Diadem Flash string, but the shaped Solstice Power is the one that paved the round for them. Really nice spin and comfort from this string, but as with Solinco Tour Bite Soft, the tension maintenance is not top-notch. This is simply what happens when you want to create a softer string that still offers good spin.
Babolat RPM Blast Rough
A softer and more spin-friendly version of Babolat RPM Blast
. A bit softer and with better spin, but less control and durability than Blast.
Control-oriented poly strings for advanced players
I think I could make this list Top 20 strings instead because there are a lot of good strings out there these days! But I will try to limit myself.
Luxilon Alu Power
Let’s start with the classic. Luxilon changed the tennis world when they introduced Luxilon Alu Power Big Banger about 20 years ago. Guga Kuerten was the first famous player to use it, and he did pretty well with it! Luxilon Alu Power, in its many variations, is still one of the most popular strings on the ATP tour and for a good reason. The level of control and feel that Alu Power provides is hard to beat. Not an arm-friendly string and not the harshest on the market, but if you want to soften it up, you can always string it up as a hybrid with a softer string such as natural gut.
Luxilon 4G Soft
Not as soft as the name says it is, but still softer than Luxilon 4G. A great string if you’re looking for control! Good spin potential too. I would definitely choose the Soft version over standard 4G.
Buy Luxilon 4G Soft
RS Lyon
Many string manufacturers have tried to copy the successful properties and performance of Alu Power and I think RS tennis came really close with RS Lyon. A little softer, significantly cheaper, and just a solid control string option for many players! Used to be a go-to-string for me.
MSV Focus Hex Ultra
MSV does make nice strings. They are one of the cheaper options on the market, but the playability and performance are not on a budget! I particularly enjoy their white MSV Focus Hex Ultra. A nice, crisp, spin-friendly and controlled but not harsh poly string.
Buy MSV Focus Hex Ultra
MSV Focus Hex Ultra Review
Solinco Hyper-G
If you like a spin-friendly string with good feel, Hyper-G is one of the best ones on the market. You instantly recognize the color too! The feel is crisp and controlled, and it rewards big swings. I like it in a softer racquet where I think the string helps make the racquet more balanced and less “mushy.”
HEAD Hawk Touch
I wasn’t fantastically impressed by HEAD Hawk Touch the first time I played it, but after a few sessions, I realized it is a gem of a string. Soft, yet still control-oriented and spin-friendly. I like it best in a more open string pattern such as my 100 sq inch, 16×19 Babolat Soft Drives.
Buy HEAD Hawk Touch
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Good luck on finding the right string for your racquet and keep working on your tennis game!
Tennis greetings from Tennisnerd (Jonas)
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34 comments
I am a fan of 4G soft but never tried Hyper G with my own racket. They seem to be in same category but can you compare what similar and difference between them. thanks.
They have about the same stiffness, 4G Soft plays with a little more control and Hyper-G with a bit more spin.
Try Signum Pro Yellow Jacket. I’m a fan of it
Will do!
Yep, Signum Pro strings are truly outstanding, and they also have the best tension maintenance i’ve seen. My favorite is Firestorm. Xperience is good too.
I quite like the Yonex poly tour pro as well. The other one I loved was the Hyper G but after 3 hours I felt like the great feeling was already gone
Yes, Signum Pro make some good strings!
Hi Jonas, very informative post as always.
I am using Alu Power 125 at 50 lbs at the moment, and I like it a lot. I used RPM Blast for a while, but elbow hurt a bit, and it felt too stiff and mute (and I didn’t like the Rough version); I liked Hyper G, but Alu Power feels and hits better. My trainer strongly recommends Alu Power Rough, better feeling and softer on the arm he says, have you tried it, what do you think? I am thinking about 50 or 48 lbs, I am getting old for high tensions… (41 this year).
Cheers,
laurean
Hi,
Thanks! Alu Power Rough is a nice string. I am not sure it is much softer on the arm than Alu Power – they have pretty much the exact same stiffness. If you like Alu Power I am not sure why you should change. I like both myself, I think they play quite close. A bit better control with Alu Power and a bit better spin with Alu Power Rough.
Cheers / Jonas
Hi Jonas – What string would you personally use in a Blade 98 18×20 CV (I know you hate CV, but hypothetical :))? Also, what exactly do you mean by a “soft” racquet?
Hi Andrew,
Hate is a strong word, just preferred earlier iterations of the Blade.
I like it with Luxilon 4G Soft or Alu Power at 22 kg.
I use the word “soft” when a racquet has a low stiffness rating. So “flexible” would be more correct.
Regards / Jonas
Hi Jonas,
What are your thoughts on All Power Soft?
I’m considering either this or RS Lyon for my Prince Textreme Tour 310
Regards,
Gazz
Hi Gazz,
I really like that string! But I also like Lyon. They play quite similar so either one will be a fine choice in your Textreme Tour!
Cheers / Jonas
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Hi Jonas,
Very informative as always ?
Did you find any strings especially working good for Angell racquets? In particular TC 97 and TC 100 16×19.
Thanks!
Hi Olga,
I don’t think they are very string sensitive, but I always like a softer control poly in these racquets.
Try a Solinco Tour Bite Soft or a Luxilon 4G Soft for the TC 97 (Alu Power is also good) at around 22-23 kg.
For the 100 sq inch racquets, I usually bump up the tension to 24-25 kg. HEAD Hawk Touch or Solinco Hyper-G should play nice in the TC 100.
Regards / Jonas
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Hi. What do you think about full bed of rpm team 1.25 on the pure aero 2019? I have little pain in my elbow and shoulder and wanted to try a softer string. If the pain will persist I am thinking to try a hybrid with natural gut + rpm team? You think its a good ideea?
Hi Raul,
Yes, the hybrid setup sounds like a good plan! Otherwise Solinco Tour Bite Soft is a nice, soft poly.
If you want a similar racquet that is more comfortable, the Wilson Clash is worth a shot. Really like that one.
Cheers / Jonas
Hi Jonas! I’m a big fan of RPM Blast and Tour Bite Soft. Though I’ve issues with slight tendonitis and also had a full blown wrist surgery this spring, keeping me away from tennis. Will hopefully be back on court this summer for some mild hitting. Have stringed up a racket with Xcel for this. Still, I will probably go back to poly when I can and I’m intend to hybrid either RPM or TB Soft with Xcel (will experiment with what string to put in mains and crosses). I’m not sure about tension though. Both RPM and TB Soft loose tension quite quickly a full poly bed so in my mind 1 kg less for the poly make sense. But tension might work differently in a multi hybrid? What do you think – 1 or 2 kg or something inbetween? Thanks!
Hi,
Shame to hear about your wrist issues, I suffer from similar stuff at the moment so know how much it sucks to reduce your time on court.
I think if you use a hybrid of TB Soft and a multi like Xcel you should go to at least 24/25 kg, with the higher tension for the multi. I think that combo will play nicely.
Cheers / Jonas
Thank you for your quick reply Jonas! 1 kg apart it is. I think I’ll start with 22/23 kg and work my way up. My rackets are DR98 by the way. Keep up the fantastic job with the best tennis blog around!
Best
Johan
Am enjoying the great feel, good power and spin of Technifiber Black Code 4S at the moment in several of my racquets. It’s a top choice in my book.
Hi Jonas,
I’m currently playing with a Head Graphene Touch Prestige Midplus.
I rarely break strings and like to play with a lot of top spin.
Are there any particular strings/tension you would recommend for this racket?
Thanks!
Hey Jonas, thanks so much for that in depth look at strings. I’m a 42yr old 4.0 dubs only player. Currently using a Dunlop aerogel 5 hundred w/Volkl cyclone 16 mains @41 and prince syn gut 16 @46. Looking for arm friendly hybrid combos, (currently using a 50yr old Serrano stringer, passed on to me by my dad) Also looking to upgrade to a Pure Aero. Any advice on strings, gauges and tensions would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Brad,
Appreciate the comment. 50-year-old stringer – that’s awesome!
The Pure Aero is a good update. Sounds like you have a pretty good setup going but there are a few other options.
I would use the softer string in the crosses like you already do: Wilson NXT, Babolat Origin or Prince Premier Touch at 53 lbs. Then I would go with Luxilon Alu Power, RS Lyon or HEAD Hawk Touch in the mains (1.25 gauge) at 51 lbs.
Could be an interesting combo. You could also try a full bed of Hawk Touch, I find it quite comfortable.
Regards / Jonas
I’m just getting back into the game again and so much has changed since I was stringing my own equipment!
Back then I just loved the feel of natural gut and when I found the top multi-filaments gave me 80% of the feel and playability that became my go-to (Tecnifibre at the time).
Now I realize the advantages of stiffer string beds for skilled players but I don’t have time to play enough to deal with the tension loss and short playability life span of the polys.
Based on my research so far I’m going to try a set of Ashaway Crossfire ZX which features aramid (Kevlar) in the mains, which I expect should give similar bed stiffness to the good polys but with much less tension loss, while the crosses are Zyex; a new material to me, but it seems very durable yet lively (they make violin strings out of the stuff!) so it should be a good complement to the aramid mains.
In a nutshell, I’m hopeful to get a string bed similar to a poly mains/gut crosses hybrid, but with longer string life and a better tension curve. We’ll see how it goes!
Hi,
Great review. I’ve been looking for something like this for a while.
I’ve been using the APD for quite a while now. Love the racquet, but I’ve just bought the Pro Staff 97CV, because I really loved it when I gave it a try and it felt a lot more softer or my arms.
I’ve been suffering from a soft muscle fiber injury on my shoulder, and it surely looks like its going to take a conscious effort to get it fixed. I feel good with my ground strokes, but I feel the pain when I go big on the serve or with mis-hits.
So, I’m looking for a string(full bed) that can can be soft on my arm, but can give me a good amount of power and reasonable spin. If you could suggest one or two options in this case, that’d be wonderful. Thanks a lot.
Hi Shamrith,
Thanks. I would recommend you to check out HEAD Velocity MLT – that is a nice multifilament that plays soft, powerful but still with pretty good spin.
Good luck and get well / Jonas
PS. If you feel like my advice is really useful, please consider becoming a patron for $2 at patreon.com/tennisnerd and get exclusive content every week. DS.
Hi,
Wow. I did not not even have a clue about this from my research. So thanks a lot.
I was leaning towards the technifibre x-one biphase or the Ngr2, while i was also looking at some of the wilson nxt.
Could you also tell me how you would compare the Head Velocity MLT with these?
Thank you so much.
Hi Jonas. Thanks for the great reviews! I play with a wilson pro staff 97 autograph. What poly strings would you recommend for this racquet? I’m looking to do a full bed of poly. I don’t have any arm problems. I like to play aggressive and take big cuts at the ball. I like hybrid set ups, also. Right now, I’m using rpm blast in the mains at 51 lbs, and luxilon 4 g in the crosses at 48lbs. I really like the feel and control when I use Babolat vs. Touch in the mains at 52 lbs and luxilon 4 g in the crosses at 48 lbs, but that got too expensive, constantly breaking the natural gut.
I recently got ytex quadro twist white and I think I’m going to do a full bed of that at 53lbs. Any thoughts/recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! Glenn
Hi Glenn,
Thanks! I think Ytex Quadro Twist is a pretty decent option as that is a softer poly. Other softer polys to try if that doesn’t work out:
Solinco Tour Bite Soft at 52 lbs
String Project Magic at 52 lbs
HEAD Velocity MLT at 54 lbs (not a poly but a very nice string).
Cheers / J
Hello, which string would you say has more power: volkl cyclone tour or diadem solstice power?
Thank you!
Hmm…tough one, quite similar in power level – probably Cyclone Tour.
I would say cyclone tour but by a thin margin
What string would you recommend for the wilson blade 100L v8? My 13 year old daughter loves the ALU 16L but she’s been having a lot of arm issues lately mainly in the tricep tendons at the top and bottom of her arm. We tried the confidential and hyper-g as well with the same issue. We use 45-48lbs tension right now.
Maybe she is gripping the racquet too tight? I would try Wilson NXT or Natural gut in a hybrid setup. Start by putting the softer (go 1.30) string in the mains and at 2-3 lbs higher tension than the poly (in the crosses) and see how that feels.