How to Check the Tightness of a Tennis String

The tension of string in a tennis racquet has a critical influence on your play. The tighter the strings the greater the control you have, but reducing tension increases power. Tension is not the only aspect that affects your game. The gauge, or thickness of the string, as well as the material it is made of and the density of the string pattern can all be tweaked to take advantage of your strengths. Normally, string tension is determined when you restring a racquet, but several options are available to help you between restringings.

Instructions

    • 1

      Try the Gamma String Tension Tester. It is a hand-held device that works by centering a main string between two pins, then twisting it to a centered position. The centered position fouses on a gauge that will tell you the tension of that string. Gamma Sports recommends you test 10 main strings and get an average of the tension to determine whether it is time for you to restring your racquet.

    • 2

      The Stringmeter is a registered trademark of a company that specializes in just that -- a stringmeter. The device is also hand held and works in a similar manner to the Gamma String Tester. It uses two pins and a twist to measure tension on individual strings, but has a separate gauge that can be used when restringing a racquet.

    • 3

      The latest device used to test the tension of tennis strings is an iPhone application. Called the racquetTune, it is available from the iPhone App Store. It works by tapping it against the racquet several times. It uses sound to print a readout of what current racquet tension is.