Strings for grasscourt play
Originally published on 11/07/17 00:00
What will the pros be doing with their string types and tensions to play on the grass, should I do the same?
"Many players at Wimbledon will arrive from the clay courts of Roland Garros. The clay chews up soft strings such as natural gut and nylon within a few games and that’s not good for players having to change rackets too often in a match'" explains Liam Nolan, Technical Director and Founder of the UK Racket Stringers Association.
"Over time they will eventually settle on a string and tension that suits their game across all court surfaces. _I recall Rafael Nadal playing with a very durable 1.35mm Polyester Babolat RPM Blast on the French clay, then heading into Wimbledon for the first time. People asked me why he chose to use the same string and the same tension on grass as it did not make scientific sense, but for him it was more important to him have the racket feeling the same on ball contact and he certainly had the talent to deal with the changes."
Mere mortals are advised to choose a soft string and avoid high tensions as that will reduce shock and vibration. For maximum power and playability I would recommend a good nylon multifilament. There are plenty to choose from but the front runner right now is the new Prince Premier Touch 15L which is very near to the ultimate properties of natural gut”
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