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What tension to use in your racquet
What actually changes between high and low tension, where your racquet's range is printed, and how to find your number without guessing.
Tension is the pounds of pull used to stretch each string as it goes in. It is the cheapest adjustment you have for changing how your racquet plays, and almost nobody uses it on purpose.
The range is printed on your racquet
Nearly every racquet has its recommended range written on the frame, usually inside the hoop or on the throat. It reads something like 50-60 lbs or 23-27 kg. That range is your starting point, and going far above it can damage the frame.
High or low: what changes
| High tension | Low tension | |
|---|---|---|
| Control | More | Less |
| Power | Less | More |
| Arm comfort | Less | More |
| Spin | Depends on string type | Usually grabs more |
| Durability | Less | More |
The short version: a tight string deforms little and returns little, so the ball comes off shorter and goes where you aim. A loose string stretches more, acts like a trampoline and returns more energy, but you have less say over where it lands.
The most common mistake
Plenty of players crank tension up chasing control when balls fly long. Sometimes the problem was never tension: the string was simply dead, and adding pounds only makes it harsher on the arm.
The other mistake is copying a professional's tension. They swing at speeds a club match never sees, and many use setups that would strip a normal player of all power.
How to find your number
- Start in the middle of your racquet's range. If it says 50-60, start at 55.
- Move in two-pound steps, never five. Two pounds is already noticeable.
- Change one thing at a time: tension or string type, not both.
- Give it two or three sessions before judging. The first half hour always feels odd.
- Write down what tension you are on. If you do not, in three months you will not remember.
Polyester goes lower
If you are going with polyester or co-polyester, the convention is to drop 2 to 4 pounds from what you would use with nylon or multifilament. Polyester is far stiffer on its own, and stringing it at multifilament tension leaves a brutally harsh, unforgiving racquet.
Read next: how to choose your string type and how often to restring.