Strings (tennis)
The material used in tennis string can significantly affect a player's performance, and even health. Several materials are used to make tennis strings. They vary in terms of elasticity, durability, rebound efficiency, tension holding capability, and manufacturing cost, among other considerations.
Strings (tennis)
Polyester is a stiff and durable string material, originally intended for use by frequent string breakers. It took the string time to become popular, primarily due to its poor tension holding capability. However, players feel they are able to apply more topspin to balls while maintaining control with polyester strings. Polyester's support for heavy topspin in particular has made it the most popular material in the pro tour. The increased topspin due to polyester strings has been verified with controlled experiments today. The exact cause for the increased spin is not known but there is strong evidence that the low friction between strings is a factor.
Kevlar is the stiffest, most durable synthetic string available, and is thus extremely hard to break. Although it is one of the best strings in terms of tension holding capability (next to natural gut), it is the most dangerous string when it comes to developing tennis elbow. Kevlar is often strung with another string, such as nylon), in order to combine both strings' qualities, as Kevlar by itself feels too stiff for many tennis players, especially when combined with a stiff racquet. Some advocate using a very thin gauge Kevlar for increasing comfort, but even in the thinnest gauge it is a stiff string. Another strategy to increase comfort and improve rebound efficiency is to string Kevlar at a low tension.