Choosing the gauge of your tennis string

The gauge of your tennis string is its diameter. It will influence several parameters of your game such as power, control, durability, comfort and spin. It is therefore important to pay close attention to it in order to make the right choice.

GAUGE SIZE

In France, the gauge size of a tennis string is expressed in millimetres (mm). It can range from 1.05mm to 1.40mm. In the United States, the gauge is expressed through these standards: 15, 15L, 16, 16L, 17, 18, 19, 20 (15 being the thickest and 20 the thinnest) which several manufacturers also use.

Here is a summary table to help you find your way around:

Diametre (mm)	1,05	1,10	1,15	1,20	1,25	1,30	1,35	1,40
US Gauge	20	19	18	17	16L	16	15L	15

THE IMPORTANCE OF GAUGE THICKNESS

THIN OR THICK GAUGE?

A tennis string gauge generally varies between 1.15mm and 1.40mm, although some references may exceed or fall below this range. A distinction is made between thin and thick gauges depending on the type of string:

For monofilament string, the intermediate gauge is 1.25mm;
For multifilament string, the intermediate gauge is 1.30mm.

For all ropes with a thickness below 1.25mm in monofilament and 1.30mm in multifilament, they are considered to have a thin gauge. For tennis strings with a thickness greater than 1.25mm in monofilament and 1.30mm in multifilament, they are considered to have a thick gauge.

OUR TENNIS STRINGS

POWER / CONTROL

The thinner the gauge, the more power it provides, as it is easier for the gauge to deform to release energy. A thicker gauge provides less ball speed and better ball control.

COMFORT / FEEL

A thin gauge gives a better feel for the ball and more feedback from the string. Touch players love it. It also allows you to force the ball forward less and therefore play more relaxed.

SPIN / DURABILITY

The thicker the gauge, the more resistant the tennis string will be to breakage. However, the thinner the gauge, the more the string will move sideways to snap back into place. This movement occurs in a few thousandths of a second (invisible to the naked eye). The faster this movement is, the more spin the string transmits to the ball.

SUMMARY TABLE

	Power	Control	Comfort	Spin	Feel	Durability
Thin gauge	+	–	+	+	+	–
Thick gauge	–	+	–	–	–	+

WHICH GAUGE SHOULD I CHOOSE FOR MY TENNIS STRING?

The gauge you choose will depend on the type of string you use, the characteristics of your tennis racket and your game. If you don’t know which gauge to choose, go for the standard ones: 1.30 for multifilament, gut, synthetic, and 1.25mm for monofilament.

GUT, MULTIFILAMENT AND SYNTHETIC

Gut, multifilament or synthetic strings are quite flexible and have a good power reserve. If your game lacks ball speed, you can find in these families of strings gauges starting at 1.18mm. For breakers, you can choose a gauge up to 1.40mm. We also recommend 1.25mm on screens of 615cm2 and smaller.

MONOFILAMENT

Monofilament stringing is stiffer and deforms less on impact than other string types. It naturally provides less power and more control. The classic gauge is therefore thinner and corresponds to 1.25mm.

THE HEADSIZE

The headsize is the strung area of your racket. The larger the strung area, the more power and forgiveness it provides. A standard headsize is 645cm2. When you have a racket with a large headsize (larger than 660cm²), you can increase the gauge by one size. Conversely, you can lower the gauge on headsize below 630cm².

THE STRINGING PLAN

There are several types of string patterns. The most common is the 16×19 (16 vertical and 19 horizontal strings) but you can also find 18×20 string patterns. The fewer strings in the string pattern, the more power and spin your string will provide as well as more chance of breakage.

If you break frequently, you can opt for 1.35 or 1.40 mm monofilaments, but remember to lower the tension in this case. There are tennis rackets with a screen size of more than 660cm² and a 16×19 string pattern. In this case, we can only advise you to increase the gauge of your tennis string.

DIFFÉRENTS CAS DE FIGURE

I’M STARTING TO PLAY TENNIS AND DON’T KNOW WHAT GAUGE TO CHOOSE ON MY TENNIS STRING

Select a standard gauge: 1.30mm for gut, synthetic or multifilament and 1.25mm for monofilament. When starting out, you will need to go through a test phase to find the right gauge and tension for your game and racket.

I BREAK MY STRING EVERY MONTH

If you break a multifilament in less than 10 hours of play, we advise you to first raise the gauge and lower the tension by one kilo (if you are used to playing with a 1.30 to 25 kilo gauge then switch to a 1.35 to 24 kilo gauge). If you are still breaking too quickly, you can use a soft monofilament like the Luxilon Element. You will triple to quadruple the durability of your string. Be careful though, because monofilament loses its tension much faster than multifilament. It is advisable to change it before 20 hours of play to preserve its initial qualities.

I FREQUENTLY BREAK MY MONOFILAMENT BUT I CANNOT PLAY IN MULTIFILAMENT BECAUSE I BREAK IT IN LESS THAN 2 HOURS

Brands have developed very comfortable soft monofilaments that offer the feeling of monofilament and the comfort of multifilament. This is the case with the Luxilon Element reference. You can also “hybridize” your monofilament with a multifilament in the cross-sections to give it more comfort.

OUR TENNIS STRINGS