Methodology
Note: Before reading further, consider familiarizing yourself with my string guide here.
In the last 3 years, I’ve made an exhaustive effort to try nearly 40 strings in different configurations, but always with the same racquet and at the same tension. I rated each string out of 10 points in 5 categories:
Comfort: Does the string feel soft, springy, and powerful or hard, muted, and dead? Does the string cause pain in my wrist, elbow, or shoulder?
Spin: Can I perceive an improvement in spin from the racquet?
Control: Is the flight path of the ball more predictable compared with other strings at the same tension?
Tension/length of playability: Does this string lose tension quickly? When the tension drops, do the strings still play well?
Quality/value: As a consumer, are these strings worth the price that you pay? Do they underperform their price point or outperform their price point?
Averaging up these scores gives an overall rating, but that’s not the full picture. Prospective consumers often look past a string’s drawbacks in order to gain some outstanding benefit, so I included an adjusted score by removing the worst quality of a particular string. For example, players that purchase natural gut are probably willing to look past the cost of the string while players that purchase spin-friendly polies are probably willing to look past comfort.
Ultimately, you end up with 3 scores: an overall score that takes everything into consideration, an adjusted score that represents the string “at its best,” and a final score that illustrates how the string balances benefits to trade-offs. I use the final score to grade strings from S to F.
S is the best; strings in this category scored higher than 7.5.
A is excellent; strings in this category scored between 6.75 and 7.5.
B is more good than flawed; strings in this category scored between 6.0 and 6.75.
C is more flawed than good; strings in this category scored between 5.25 and 6.0.
D has few redeeming qualities; strings in this category scored between 4.5 and 5.25
F has no redeeming qualities; strings in this category scored less than 4.5.
Does this mean I know everything there is to know? No, that’s impossible. How you play and what racquet you use greatly influences the strings you like. Also, there are thousands of variations of strings and millions of ways to customize your strings. In the end, these ratings are here to help you compare between similar types of strings.
S-Tier
S-Tier strings offer high quality with the fewest compromises compared to other strings in their categories.
Luxilon 4G
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 3.5 Spin: 6.5 Control: 10 Tension/Length of Playability: 8 Quality/Value: 8
Overall: 7.2 Adjusted: 8.1 Final: 7.7
Review: Luxilon 4G offers outstanding tension maintenance for a poly (industry best?), control, and quality compared to the wide array of other polies on the market. If there is a problem with this string, it’s that it feels comfortable despite being highly stiff. In other words, if you’re someone that worries about wrist/elbow/shoulder pain, you probably shouldn’t consider this string. But this is great in a hybrid too, since the mains and crosses will keep tension at the same rate.
Head Velocity MLT
String Type: Multifilament
Comfort: 8 Spin: 5.5 Control: 6 Tension/Length of Playability: 8 Quality/Value: 9.5
Overall: 7.4 Adjusted: 7.8 Final: 7.6
Review: The best multifilament on the market isn’t the most expensive. I think Velocity MLT is great because it doesn’t try to be natural gut. Instead, it tries to be the best thing a multi can be: a good compromise at a great value. Spin is better than other multis and the comfort is still there even if it’s not as soft as other multis. Use in a full set or hybrid.
Wilson Natural Gut
String Type: Natural Gut
Comfort: 10 Spin: 2.5 Control: 5 Tension/Length of Playability: 9 Quality/Value: 8.5
Overall: 7.0 Adjusted: 8.1 Final: 7.6
Review: You have to pay a lot when you buy gut, so don’t want to compromise on quality. This one is exceptionally high quality - at least as good as Babolat VS - but at a 10% markdown, which boosts its value to edge out VS for the S-tier.
Wilson Champion's Choice
String Type: Natural Gut/Poly Hybrid
Comfort: 9 Spin: 7 Control: 8 Tension/Length of Playability: 7 Quality/Value: 7
Overall: 7.6 Adjusted: 7.8 Final: 7.7
Review: The strings of Roger Federer include Wilson Natural Gut and Luxilon ALU Power Rough. If you’re making your own hybrid, there are better options to try. But as a prepackaged set, this is the best hybrid you can buy. Wilson, if you’re listening, I think natural gut/4G or ALU Power would be a wise move.
A-Tier
A-tier strings are excellent in one or more categories, but often have at least one notable downside such as comfort or value.
Babolat RPM Rough
String Type: Shaped & Textured Poly
Comfort: 0.5 Spin: 10 Control: 8.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 6 Quality/Value: 7
Overall: 6.4 Adjusted: 7.9 Final: 7.0
Review: Babolat has top notch quality control and these strings are seriously spinny (probably the most spin friendly on this list). But they are also ultra stiff and uncomfortable for players that want a nice feeling string bed. As I strung these up, the thought of hitting with them made me wince with arm pain.
Babolat VS Natural Gut
String Type: Natural Gut
Comfort: 10 Spin: 2.5 Control: 5 Tension/Length of Playability: 9 Quality/Value: 7.5
Overall: 6.8 Adjusted: 7.9 Final: 7.3
Review: This string is an all-time great, but it misses out on the S-tier because of its ultra high cost. Put it this way: if Wilson gut didn’t exist, this one is first ballot S-tier.
Head Hawk Touch
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 5.5 Spin: 6.5 Control: 8.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 5 Quality/Value: 8
Overall: 6.7 Adjusted: 6.8 Final: 6.7
Review: This string does everything well that a poly is supposed to do. Is it as good as 4G? No, but it’s close and it’s tad nicer to your arms.
Iso-Speed Cream
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 7 Spin: 6 Control: 7 Tension/Length of Playability: 6 Quality/Value: 7.5
Overall: 6.7 Adjusted: 6.9 Final: 6.8
Review: This is the most comfortable poly you can buy, and it’s cheap. This string goes head to head with Yonex’s Polytour Pro but costs less than half the price. Some quality control issues prevent a monster score to put it in the S-tier.
Kirschbaum Max Power
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 3 Spin: 6 Control: 8.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 6.5 Quality/Value: 8.5
Overall: 6.6 Adjusted: 7.5 Final: 6.9
Review: This is a great imitation of 4G at an unbelievable value. Why isn’t it rated higher? All polies have chemical additives that alter the way they move on the string bed, and this one’s seem to fade fast despite great tension maintenance.
Signum Pro Poly Plasma
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 4.5 Spin: 6 Control: 8.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 6.5 Quality/Value: 9
Overall: 6.9 Adjusted: 7.5 Final: 7.2
Review: This one outperforms its' price point by a mile. It has no major drawbacks and shoots right down the middle in terms of control, spin, and comfort (for a poly). This is a perfect low maintenance string because it plays exceptionally well in a fresh set and doesn’t drop significantly in performance after losing tension. Because of the low cost and length of playability, you can play with them for a while or cut them out as needed without much thought.
Solinco Confidential
String Type: Shaped Poly
Comfort: 5.5 Spin: 8.5 Control: 6.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 6 Quality/Value: 8
Overall: 6.9 Adjusted: 7.3 Final: 7.1
Review: Solinco has a lot of popular strings, especially in SoCal. Confidential is evidently the midpoint between Solinco’s two other popular offerings: Hyper G and Tour Bite. It’s a great compromise, as you get a little more power than tour bite but a little more control than Hyper G. If there is a knock, it’s that Confidential notches up a little more than its siblings. I still think it’s Solinco’s best string.
Solinco Hyper G
String Type: Shaped Poly
Comfort: 5 Spin: 9 Control: 6 Tension/Length of Playability: 6 Quality/Value: 8
Overall: 6.8 Adjusted: 7.3 Final: 7.0
Review: Wildly popular, and for good reason. What you’ll like is the spin and the power (some people like the color). If you like a string that lifts the ball and creates a higher launch angle, than shaped strings like this will suit you. Personally, I don’t like to sacrifice that tiny bit of control, so I wouldn’t use this. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend it for a baseliner that wants that tiny bit of extra depth and spin.
Tourna Big Hitter Silver
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 5 Spin: 6 Control: 9 Tension/Length of Playability: 6.5 Quality/Value: 8
Overall: 6.9 Adjusted: 7.4 Final: 7.1
Review: As the name suggests, this is a barely veiled imitation of Luxilon ALU Power Big Banger. But here’s the thing, this one might actually be better than the Lux. Well… kind of. Quality control with Luxilon is industry best, and that’s not true with these strings. Still, the extremely low cost offsets that problem.
Yonex Poly Tour Fire
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 6 Spin: 7 Control: 9 Tension/Length of Playability: 5.5 Quality/Value: 7
Overall: 6.9 Adjusted: 7.1 Final: 7.0
Review: This is the lowest scoring A-tier string, and probably the most overlooked string on the market. In a fresh set, this has that “magical” Luxilon level of control and quality, but it lasts a little while longer. As advertised, these strings are slick and snappy, which means players can create really great spin from the snapback on fast swings. And because they’re round, you can just as easily hit flat and low with outstanding predictability. These used to cost $15 a set, and if they still did, the value score would certainly be higher than 7. Evidently, many consumers are noticed these as the price recently went up to $20 a set.
B-Tier
The B in B-tier could stand for “big names” as many strings here have professional pedigree. But pros care more about performance than comfort, and most do not think about cost, value, or tension loss. They string fresh racquets everyday with strings they get for free, and then use those racquets for a few hours before restringing again.
Babolat RPM Blast
String Type: Shaped Poly
Comfort: 3 Spin: 8.5 Control: 8.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 5 Quality/Value: 6.5
Overall: 6.3 Adjusted: 7.1 Final: 6.7
Review: This is a shoulder-busting poly for those that want a great deal of spin without a great deal of launch. Considering what other strings you can get at lower price points, this one might be hard to love for budget conscious consumers.
Luxilon ALU Power
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 5 Spin: 6.5 Control: 9.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 4 Quality/Value: 6.5
Overall Score: 6.3 Adjusted Score: 6.9 Final: 6.6
Review: This is the most popular string on the pro tour because of Luxilon’s reputation for unmatched quality control and because of it’s outstanding qualities as a fresh set. A lot of tennis players know the “magic” of fresh Luxilon, but then a lot of us also know the disappointment that comes the second time you pick up the same racquet. This string makes total sense for pros that restring their racquets fresh for every match and practice session, but for the rest of us… not so much.
Luxilon ALU Power Rough
String Type: Textured Poly
Comfort: 2.5 Spin: 9.5 Control: 9.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 3 Quality/Value: 5.5
Overall: 6.0 Adjusted: 6.9 Final: 6.4
Review: Another magical string from Luxilon that’s only good for a few hours. This one is even better in a hybrid.
Luxilon Element
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 5.5 Spin: 6 Control: 8.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 5.5 Quality/Value: 6.5
Overall Score: 6.4 Adjusted Score: 6.4 Final: 6.4
Review: Element is a comfortable, user-friendly offering that is targeted at players that want Luxilon pedigree in a livelier package. From that standpoint, mission accomplished. But that doesn’t mean it’s not mired with the same problems found in other Luxilon offerings, i.e. rapid tension loss. On a brighter note, this is one of the few strings from Luxilon that you might actually get at a markdown.
Head Lynx Tour
String Type: Shaped Poly
Comfort: 3 Spin: 7.5 Control: 7.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 5 Quality/Value: 8
Overall: 6.2 Adjusted: 7.0 Final: 6.6
Review: “Crispy” might be the best way to describe these. They’re plastic-y in a way that some might find off-putting and others might appreciate. Lynx Tour is hexagonal shaped poly with playing qualities in between shaped polies like Solinco Tour Bite and round polies like Luxilon ALU Power.
Iso-Speed Professional Classic (17 gauge) & Control Classic (16 gauge)
String Type: Multifilament
Comfort: 9 Spin: 3 Control: 3 Tension/Length of Playability: 6 Quality/Value: 9
Overall: 6.0 Adjusted: 6.8 Final: 6.4
Review: A multifilament that plays surprisingly close to natural gut at a low cost. These strings seem to be coated with a lubricant that works well when they’re fresh but fades quickly as the strings slowly become mush.
Kirschbaum Max Power Rough
String Type: Textured Poly
Comfort: 2 Spin: 8 Control: 9 Tension/Length of Playability: 5 Quality/Value: 7
Overall: 6.2 Adjusted: 7.3 Final: 6.7
Review: Compared to the standard Max Power, these deliver on the boost of spin but do not outperform the price point.
Kirschbaum Spiky Shark
String Type: Textured Poly
Comfort: 2 Spin: 8 Control: 9 Tension/Length of Playability: 4 Quality/Value: 6.5
Overall Score: 5.9 Adjusted Score: 6.9 Average: 6.4
Review: When these came out in the early 2000s, they were comparable to Luxilon ALU Power Rough at a much lower cost. But both of those strings are behind the times now considering what you get from Babolat RPM Rough and Solinco’s multiple offerings. If you like Kirschbaum and you’re choosing between this and Max Power Rough, you’re better off with the latter.
Solinco Tour Bite
String Type: Shaped Poly
Comfort: 2 Spin: 8.5 Control: 7.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 5.5 Quality/Value: 8
Overall Score: 6.3 Adjusted: 7.4 Final: 6.8
Review: Almost an A-tier string, Solinco Tour Bite is a very popular option with players that want ALU Power stiffness with a boost in spin. If that’s what you’re after, this string definitely delivers. Unfortunately, the average consumer is going to find this one really uncomfortable to play with.
Solinco Vanquish
String Type: Multifilament
Comfort: 8 Spin: 3 Control: 4.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 7 Quality/Value: 8
Overall Score: 6.2 Adjusted Score: 7.0 Average: 6.6
Review: This is a really good multi that competes with Velocity MLT in a lot of categories, but it’s a little mushier and a little more fragile. It comes at a good price point and makes an excellent hybrid.
Yonex Polytour Pro
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 6.5 Spin: 5.5 Control: 7.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 4.5 Quality/Value: 4.5
Overall Score: 5.8 Adjusted Score: 6.3 Average: 6.1
Review: Another string that’s used by the majority of Yonex players, this is one of the softest polies you can buy. It has a very unique feel at first, but, as with many soft polies, tension goes quickly. For an average consumer, this one will feel mushy after 2 or 3 sessions.
Volkl Cyclone
String Type: Shaped Poly
Comfort: 2.5 Spin: 9 Control: 8 Tension/Length of Playability: 3 Quality/Value: 9
Overall Score: 6.3 Adjusted Score: 7.3 Average: 6.8
Review: This one has a cult-like following considering its cost-spin ratio. You won’t find a string that offers more spin at this cost ($9/set, $130/reel). And because of that low cost, you can feel like a pro cutting it out and replacing it after every other practice session.
Tecnifibre Razor Code White
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 6 Spin: 6.5 Control: 8.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 6.5 Quality/Value: 6.5
Overall Score: 6.8 Adjusted Score: 6.9 Average: 6.8
Review: Yet another string in the B-tier that’s endorsed by dozens of pro players. In short, there’s nothing wrong with this string, there’s just a lot of other strings that are as good for less, and there are a lot of strings that are better (Yonex Poly Tour Fire) that cost the same amount.
C-Tier
C-Tier strings are more flawed than good. Many of these strings were once top of the line, but have since become obsolete next to modern offerings.
Luxilon Big Banger Original
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 3 Spin: 6 Control: 10 Tension/Length of Playability: 3 Quality/Value: 3
Overall Score: 5.0 Adjusted Score: 5.5 Average: 5.3
Review: Like playing with a plastic board. This was once the industry standard for poly, and there’s a generation of players that got used to the ultra-dead but ultra-predictable feeling you get with this. An average consumer that tries any other poly first, is going to find this one offensively bad in terms of feel and length of playability.
Signum Pro Firestorm
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 3 Spin: 6 Control: 10 Tension/Length of Playability: 3.5 Quality/Value: 4.5
Overall Score: 5.4 Adjusted Score: 6.0 Average: 5.7
Review: This string is literally a near-identical copy of Big Banger Original. I guess if you like Big Banger, than this one is a little better value.
Tecnifibre X-One Biphase
Comfort: 8.5 Spin: 4 Control: 4 Tension/Length of Playability: 5.5 Quality/Value: 4.5
Overall Score: 5.3 Adjusted Score: 5.6 Average: 5.5
Review: Comfortable and powerful, but also sticky and expensive. A lot of reviews say “gut-like,” but that’s total nonsense. I wish other brands would take a hint from Head’s Velocity MLT and make multis that are not trying to be gut. Multis should be inexpensive and comfortable with slightly better spin potential than synthetic gut.
Wilson NXT
String Type: Multifilament
Comfort: 8.5 Spin: 4 Control: 4 Tension/Length of Playability: 7 Quality/Value: 5
Overall Score: 5.8 Adjusted Score: 6.1 Average: 5.9
Review: For about the same price as X-One Biphase, this one is a little more up my ally. But they’re very similar in how they notch up quickly and lose all sense of spin potential in the moment they leave the stringer.
D’s & F’s
Gamma Livewire Pro
String Type: Multifilament
Comfort: 8.5 Spin: 3.5 Control: 3.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 4.5 Quality/Value: 4
Overall Score: 4.9 Adjusted Score: 5.3 Average: 4.6
Review: Do you see the pattern? I don’t like these kinds of super soft multis, but this one is particularly bad since the price is high and the tension dies in like 90 minutes.
Luxilon Big Banger Ace
String Type: Round Poly
Comfort: 3 Spin: 6.5 Control: 8 Tension/Length of Playability: 2 Quality/Value: 2
Overall Score: 4.4 Adjusted Score: 4.6 Average: 4.5
Review: Think about everything that’s bad about Big Banger Original and then make it 10% worse. To date, this is the worst poly I’ve played with. This one is an F.
Prince Synthetic Gut
String Type: Synthetic Gut
Comfort: 5.5 Spin: 4.5 Control: 4.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 5.5 Quality/Value: 5
Overall Score: 5.0 Adjusted Score: 5.1 Average: 5.1
Review: Synthetic guts are basically all the same. They try to shoot right down the middle, which makes them irredeemably lousy at everything. Not very comfortable, not very spin-friendly, not very powerful. Just cheap.
Tourna Quasi Gut
String Type: Multifilament
Comfort: 10 Spin: 1 Control: 1.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 6 Quality/Value: 4.5
Overall Score: 4.5 Adjusted Score: 5.4 Average: 4.9
Review: The softest string you can buy is a set of instant oatmeal. You can’t use it in a hybrid because it’s so soft that it basically glues the other strings in place. As a full set, it’s like playing on a pillow, and there might be some people who like that. I don’t.
Yonex Rexis
String Type: Multifilament
Comfort: 9 Spin: 2.5 Control: 2.5 Tension/Length of Playability: 4.5 Quality/Value: 3.5
Overall Score: 4.4 Adjusted Score: 4.9 Average: 4.6
Review: Another ultra soft string for an offensively high cost, this one is just too brittle and mushy. If you use it in a full set, you’re better off with Velocity MLT or Solinco Vanquish. In a hybrid, this stuff breaks faster than anything else I’ve ever played with.