Gear Q&A: When it comes to tennis string, go with your gut 

Jon Levey answers your Gear Q&A. Email your question to tennis.comproshop@gmail.com.

I thought only old-timers or players with tennis elbow still played with gut strings, but I recently heard that pro players still use it in their racquets as part of a hybrid setup. Is this true? If so, what are the benefits?—Rich E.

Rich,

Natural gut still holds a place in the game. Even with all the recent advancement in string technology, the game’s oldest string still brings a unique playability and response that modern synthetic strings just can’t match. In terms of power, comfort, feel and tension maintenance, nothing can match it. It also can be strung at higher tensions for better control and still be incredibly arm-friendly. And, while not known for durability, they don’t break easily unless you hit with a lot of spin or play in highly humid conditions.

That said, a full string bed of natural gut has limitations. Spin generation is a huge component of the modern game, and there a lot of superior choices to gut in that regard. It’s also the most expensive string—by a significant amount—and can be too costly for string-breakers and those who prefer frequent restringing for the greater predictability.

That’s why players—yes, even at the pro level—try to cherry pick some its best attributes as part of a hybrid setup. This is when two different strings are blended together in the same string bed. The most common is pairing natural gut with a firmer, more spin and control-oriented string, such as a polyester. When mixing two strings in a hybrid, the mains (the strings that go up and down) are typically the alpha. It’s characteristics have the greater influence on the personality and performance of the strings.

If the natural gut is used in the mains, the string bed will be springier and provide better feel.

This was the setup Roger Federer made popular, and Novak Djokovic still employs today. It suits all-courters and players with a varied shot arsenal. It also works well with racquets that have tighter string patterns; the added flex to the string bed helps get easier depth. The polyester in the crosses ups the spin and control of the string bed without a significant comprise to feel at contact. The added toughness also improves the longevity of the strings.

(Check out Pat Cash’s suggestions for this stringing method on his Instagram post above. Much respect for sticking with his signature checkerboard headband.)

Players who employ a more control-oriented and spin-friendly game prefer to put the gut in the crosses. Players such as Tommy Paul and Alexander Zverev opt for this setup. The gut softens the string bed somewhat for better feel, comfort and power but it still maintains the firmer and more predictable response of the polyester. This method is often a better match for racquets with wider string patterns and players who want to attack with heavy ground strokes. It doesn’t have quite the same string snapback as a full bed of poly, but spin generation remains a strength.

Depending on your assets and style of play, either setup gets the job done. Given the expense of gut and the experimentation needed to find an appropriate pairing, it’s definitely a niche option. But as the pros show, it can be worth the effort.