11 February 2021
Sports Shop Newsletter
We hope you are all keeping safe and well. There is growing optimism that we are getting closer to a return to sport but still need to wait a little longer. We are fortunate to have some fantastic professional sport on television at the moment and I hope it is helping everyone through this lockdown.
In this newsletter:
1. Tilly’s Guide to Racket Stringing – don’t miss our restringing service and have your racket restrung ready for your return to tennis
2. Free Online Golf Lessons – send in your video and get a free video analysis
3. Golf on our YouTube Channel – learn through lockdown with our online golf lessons.
4. Online Shop – more great offers and new products added
Tilly’s Guide to Racket Stringing
How often should you restring your racket?
As a rule, and as a minimum, you should restring your racket as many times a year as you typically play a week. For example, if you play tennis two or three times a week, then you should restring your racket roughly two or three times a year. This can however vary on different factors …
Tension
The stringing tension on your racket works like a trampoline. This means the lower your racket tension, the more power you will produce however you will have less control over your racket. The higher the tension in your strings, the less power you will produce but more control you will have over your racket.
It is also important to consider the impact that tension can have on your arm. If you suffer from tennis elbow, you should opt for a lower tension. Prolonged playing with a high tension in your strings can cause more wear and tear on your arm in the long run.
Gauge
The gauge refers to the thickness of the tennis string (the higher the gauge the thinner the string). Most strings are between 15 (thickest) and 18 (thinnest). In general, thinner string will provide more power and spin and thicker strings will provide more control and durability.
Environment
Where you leave your racket can impact your strings. If you tend to keep your racket in the car (particularly during the winter months) the strings will be cold and become tight but reduce in tension, resulting in a dead sensation. Likewise, if you were to take your racket on a plane, it is advised to get your racket strung a little tighter than usual.
String Materials
Synthetic Gut and Multifilament
• Soft string
• A perfect choice of string if you suffer from tennis elbow
• A good string to use if you don’t break your strings often
• Made with multiple strands/filaments
Examples
Babolat Synthetic Gut, Wilson Sensation, Wilson NXT
Polyester
• A harder string, making it a good choice if you break your strings often
• A very popular string on the tour and for recreational players
• Can be used in a hybrid with a soft string, allowing for extra spin
• Typically feature a monofilament structure (single solid strand)
Examples
Babolat RPM Blast, Yonex Poly Tour, Luxilon Alu Power
Natural Gut
• As the name suggests, this is a natural product literally made from the gut of animals (usually a sheep or cow)
• It is the softest and incredibly comfortable to play with
• It is however the most expensive of the strings while also the least durable
Examples
Luxilon Natural Gut, Babolat Touch
Lockdown Restringing Service
Tilly is offering a racket restringing service so you can return to court when the Club reopens with a newly strung racket!
How it works:
1. Email Tilly at tilly@roehamptonclub.co.uk to discuss which string might work best for you – prices start from £25
2. Tilly will then arrange for you to drop your racket off at the Club, she shall restring it and have it ready for your return to tennis
