A tennis racquet is an important piece of equipment for every tennis player; therefore, to ensure good performance, you must maintain it in perfect condition. In case your tennis racquet has broken or loose strings, you have the option of restringing it. But, is it worth it?
Restringing a tennis racquet is worth it. The average cost of restringing a tennis racquet ranges between 15-75 US dollars, which is way cheaper than buying a new one. Also, restringing helps improve your match performance and extends the tennis racquet’s life.
Strings on your tennis racquet will become loose after some time, depending on how often you play tennis. Once they are loose, the strings will no longer hold tension and this will influence your match performance. Read on to find out if it is worth it to restring a tennis racquet and how to take good care of your tennis racquet.
Is It Worth Restringing a Tennis Racquet?
Every tennis player is aware of the fact that a tennis racquet needs to be restrung over time. If your tennis racquet is no longer performing at its best, you might be wondering if it is worth it restringing it or purchase a new one.
It is worth it to restring a tennis racquet because you stand to benefit a lot from the re-stringed tennis racquet. First, you will save money because it is cheaper to restring a tennis racquet rather than buy a new one. Restringing a tennis racket also improves your game.
If you play tennis regularly, restringing ensures you extend the life of your tennis racquet. Finally, restringing the tennis racquet also helps reduce or prevent overcompensation in a tennis match. If you are not sure when to restring your tennis racquet, you should check the tension, broken strings, loss of control, and poor comfort.
Tennis racquets are sold at different prices, and your choice depends on your budget and match frequency. Professional tennis players play many matches, and they need top-quality tennis racquets that are quite expensive. If you buy an expensive tennis racquet, it will be worth restringing it every time the strings get loose. If you play tennis frequently, it will be economical to restring your tennis racquet for 20 or 30 US dollars rather than replace it with a new tennis racquet that costs 200 US dollars.
A tennis racquet usually lasts around two years of regular play before you need to replace it. However, restringing helps improve the longevity of a tennis racket. If your tennis racquet has loose or broken strings and you continue using it, you might damage the frame.
Restringing helps reduce the need to use excessive force when hitting the tennis ball. When you are playing tennis, and you feel that you need to use excessive force to generate speed on your shots, you need to restring your tennis racquet. Failure to restring can break the handle.
The string tension on your tennis racquet has a great influence on your match performance. If you play a match with a tennis racquet with loose strings, you will have problems controlling the tennis ball. The loose string will cause you to lose consistency because you are used to hitting the ball with a specific force.
Since you have to readjust the force needed to hit the tennis ball, your brain might be preoccupied with using force rather than concentrating on the game. Restringing ensures that you have consistency and maintain muscle memory, meaning that you do not have to readjust the force with which you are used to hitting the ball during the match.
One of the worst things that can happen to a tennis player is having to readjust their playing style quickly. If you enter a tennis court with a tennis racquet with loose strings, you have to overcompensate to have a chance at winning the match. Overcompensation can lead to frustrations because all the energy you use to make the tennis racquet might not work. Restringing your tennis racquet is worth it because you do not have to overcompensate.
If you are unsure as to when to restring your tennis racket, you can use visual and feel indicators to tell if your tennis racket needs a restring. The easiest method to tell if your tennis racket needs to be restrung is the appearance of the strings.
After a tennis match, you should check your tennis racquet for any broken strings. If you see one or two broken strings, it is time to restring the tennis racket. If the strings have notches or frays and look shaggy, you will have to restring the tennis racquet to get a good performance.
When you play a tennis match, you can also feel how the tennis racquet performs when you hit the ball. A tennis racquet with good string tension has excellent ball control. If you find it difficult to control the spending and direction of the tennis ball, it is time to restore your tennis racquet.
A new tennis racquet is excellent at absorbing shock; hence, you cannot feel any discomfort when hitting the ball with force. When the string starts to stretch and lose its resilience, you will start feeling uncomfortable on your wrist and hand when hitting the ball.
The general rule is that you need to restring your tennis racket according to the number of times you play per week. Therefore, if you play three times a week, you should restring your tennis racquet three times per year.
However, if you are unsure of when you last restrung your tennis racket, you can use other methods to decide if you should restring it again. You should also note that restringing puts a lot of stress on the tennis racquet’s head. You cannot restring your tennis racquet forever; therefore, after some time, you should think about getting a new tennis racquet.
How Do I Take Good Care of My Tennis Racquet?
A tennis racquet is the most important piece of equipment to a tennis player, and a good tennis player knows how important it is to take good care of their equipment. If you are interested in tennis, you need to know some of the things you need to do to make your tennis racquet last long and perform well.
Taking good care of your tennis racquet involves protecting it from excessive heat. You should also avoid exposing your tennis racquet to excessive moisture. It is also important to avoid using your tennis racquet for other activities.
When restringing your tennis racquet, you should ensure that you do not exceed the manufacturer’s specified string tension range. You should also ensure that you restring your tennis racquet regularly. Replacing the grip when needed will also increase the longevity of your tennis racquet. Finally, you should also have a backup racquet when playing a tennis match.
Most tennis racquet manufacturers usually provide racquet bags that have heat linings to protect the tennis racquet from heat damage. A slight increase in temperature can distort the string tension or even bend your tennis racquet’s head.
Therefore, you should keep your tennis racquet inside the racquet bag when you are not using it. When you’re not playing tennis, do not leave your spare tennis racquet in the car or be exposed to direct sunlight. Always keep your tennis racquet in your house at room temperature and only take it out of the bag when you want to use it.
Moisture can also damage your tennis racquet; therefore, you need to store it in a dry racquet bag. Do not keep your tennis racquet together with your sweaty clothes or drink bottles. If your tennis racquet has natural gut strings, you need to avoid playing tennis in humid or rainy conditions. To avoid getting your tennis racquet wet, you need to keep it in the racquet bag unless you need it for a match. If your tennis racquet gets wet, you should ensure you dry it as soon as possible using dry towels.
Some tennis players make one mistake using their tennis racquets for other activities instead of playing tennis only. Do not use your tennis racquet to hammer objects or carry heavy items. The strings are designed to hit a tennis ball; anything heavier than that could cause damage to the strings or the frame. If you are not going to use your tennis racquet for a while, avoid storing it at the bottom of heavy items.
Restringing is very important in ensuring a tennis racquet lasts longer; however, it is important to maintain the string tensions recommended by the manufacturer. Tennis racquets manufacturers spend a lot of time researching the perfect string tension to improve a player’s performance.
If you increase the string tension, your game performance will suffer, or you might even bend or break the frame. If your restringing efforts lead to damage, you will need to get a replacement because restringing voids your warranty.
You should replace your tennis racquet’s grip regularly before it wears out. Most tennis players only remember to restring their racquets, but the grip also plays an important role in your performance.
A worn-out grip can cause discomfort, blisters in your hands, and the racquet slipping from your hand. If your tennis racquet keeps slipping from your hand, it might land on a hard object or surface and get damaged. To avoid injuries and damage, you should replace your tennis racquet’s grip at least twice a year.
Restringing your tennis racquet is very important, and you have to do it regularly depending on how many games you play. Most professionals suggest that you restring a tennis racquet as many times in a year as you play tennis per week.
For example, if you play tennis three times a week, you should restring it three times a year. Use professional services when restringing your tennis racquet. They can use their experience and knowledge to advise you on the type of string that suits your game style.
It is also important to have a spare tennis racquet and bring it to your games every time. Having a backup tennis racquet ensures that you do not use a damaged tennis racket. Sometimes, a tennis racket can get damaged while you are in the middle of the game, and you cannot stop the match to repair it or buy another one.
If you have a backup tennis racquet, you can put away the damaged tennis racquet and avoid inflicting more damage on it. You should also remember to keep your spare tennis racket away from direct sunlight or moisture.
You should also ensure that you buy a good quality tennis racquet. Your tennis racquet’s quality will determine if you will use it for a long time or it will break after a few games. High-quality tennis racquets tend to last longer if you take good care of them. If you want to buy a high-quality tennis racquet, you should first check the brand. The top brands like Yonex and Wilson are known to manufacture great tennis racquets.
Wrap Up
Restringing your tennis racquet is very important in extending its life. The new strings ensure high-quality performance. String tension on your tennis racquet decreases with each use, and after some time, you can either see the effects or feel them.
When you hit a tennis ball with a racket with loose strings, you will feel the shock and vibration because the frame cannot absorb them. However, restringing has a long-term negative effect on the frame; therefore, you cannot do it for a long time. The more you restring, the heavier the toll your frame is taking, and it will get to a point where restringing does little to improve your racquet performance.
A great tennis player knows how to take good care of their equipment. It will be unfortunate if you lose a match because your tennis racquet broke during or before the match. You can use the suggestions in this article as a guide to look after your tennis racket. You should also know when it is time to get a new tennis racket. If you take good care of your tennis racquet, it will last not less than two years. After two years, you should start shopping for a new tennis racket.
Read more:
- Best Tennis Strings
- Best Hybrid Tennis Strings
- Best Tennis Stringing Machines
- How To String A Tennis Racquet At Home (Step-by-Step Instructions)
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