McEnroe was the pioneer of low tension. In the old wood racket days rackets were usually strung at 65 to 70 lbs. Mc’s racket was strung at 40 lbs. while Borg strung his at 80 lbs.
I play with Pure Aero too, I string myself my racquets, and due to a tennis and golfer elbow on my right arm, I decreased gradually the tension, from 50 lbs to 32 lbs in 3 months. It Took me around 3 months to adjust, and to feel the new launch angle. But I am now playing at my best level now with 32 lbs, hit a lot of spin, no more issues with elbow pain, lot of control, game changer for sure (my string is the TF black code ) Update july 2022: I string my racquets at 23lbs since 4 months. Feel amazing!
I know lots of people at my tennis club with elbow problems, including my 15 yr old son who is boy's club champ. I dropped his tension down to 33lbs last year and no more problems since. Low tension is THE cure for elbow problems!! People think we are crazy playing with 33lbs, but it's actually pretty easy to adjust. We are using a pretty thick gauge poly.
What string do you use? I'm a self stringer that had elbows (golfer's and tennis) problems in the past. Since I switched to the Pure Aero, I've not had elbow problems. I use Laserfibre Vorso 1.25 mains @56lbs/Synthetic gut 1.3 crosses @58 lbs. Super arm friendly setup.
@@miguelbarahona6636 I use technifibre black code full bed, ton of spin at 32 lbs, you shoud try this low tension. Even if you use an hybrid, 56/58 lbs is extremely high for player with elbow issues and not arm friendly at all in my opinion. Personally, I don"t recommend this tension if you wanna protect your arm / shoulder.
@@mikthe2004 That's exactly what I told to all my customers (I do stringing service ). But most of them keep playing with tension between 50 and 60 lbs, even at 65 yrs old. I don't get it.
@@teddymikefunk Tecnifibre Black Code has a stiffness of 250 (according TW). Laserfibre Vorso and Babolat Syn Gut have stiffness of 178 and 169 respectively. With my calculations (string lenght, tension and string stiffness), your setup is not so far of mine in total stiffness terms. Maybe, at @35-36 lbs the stiffness of a full Black Code 1.30 stringbed is the same of Vorso 1.25 @56/Babolat Syn gut @58 lbs. You´re using a 1.30 very stiff poly and mine is a 1.25 soft co-poly/1.3 soft syn gut combination.
Had a shoulder injury - started dropping the tension, was amazed the difference it made in softening the feel of the racquet. Worked well to reduce the harshness of the poly on my shoulder. Good advice about stepping it down - found different sweet spots in tension for different racquets. Dropped about 5 pounds per adjustment. Has worked well with a hybrid setup too - am a person who relies a lot on touch, no loss when dropping tensions. Thanks for the article, great advice!
I play with a shaped poly and multifilament cross at 34-38lbs. I find a lot more of the benefit to be in the stability and consistency at swinging softer, but using my body weight and timing to move forward into all my shots. Mannarino is a great example of keeping his feet planted, but driving and moving forward into all of his shots. I think you could benefit more by jumping less into your shots, and keeping your feet grounded, and thinking more about that backfoot driving your body forward. Just my thoughts, but your forehand at 6:47 was the best of them all. perfect example of what i mean.
At the very opposite end, Marcelo Ríos used to play with a full bed of VS Team gut with tensions over 33-34 kg. He has obviously dropped down in his senior years, and he currently plays with the Yonex VCore Pro 97 330. When the guys still used to play with higher string tension, Filippo Volandri regularly played with 12-14kg, and Daniel Nestor played at an insane 6kg (!!!). Another guy who currently plays with very low tension is Kukushkin.
Jonas! Your review inspired me. So I strung my Wilson Clash Pro with Solinco Tour Bite Soft at 14kg!!! Despite laughs and jokes that I had to listen to at my stringing specialist (btw the same place where Hubert Hurkach strings when back in Poland) I played a local league game, so stress and pressure were there. Testing such radical setup with no match pressure could be misleading. it went really well. First off all my sensitive arm doesn't hurt after 2 hours on the court. This was only possible with lighter rackets and multi strings. I had pretty much same level of control, I go for bigger targets anyway and play spin with semi western grip. Received more, free power for sure. My balls landed deeper, first flat serves were bombs, several surprisingly good shots when simply blocking the ball. On the downside? Not much to be honest. I felt it was harder to put spin on my second serve. Didn’t dial in on dropshots, most ended up in the net. I will continue for now to use this setup. Curious how it performs when tension further drops and what happens if there is an aggressive, heavy heater on the other side of the net.
If you restring a racket at low tension it won't be much different than a worn out string since playing drops the tension bit by bit. So the problem with low tension is it'll keep getting lower and lower ( same problem with high tension )
Jonas I have also gone from 52lbs down to 44. One noticeable difference is that when strings start out low e.g. 44, by 2 or 3 week they feel dead to me. But when I string at 48 after same time they hold up better. weird. this happened to me w Babolat RPM Spin and Luxilon Smart which says it's 44lbs. maybe it's the elasticity thing.
He said he was using shorter swings because of the extra power from the low tension. I think he should stick with these strokes. His original strokes were too long. He’s not a big person; not going to win by blowing people off the court; will win by hitting deep, consistent shots and moving his opponent around until an error or an easy ball for Jonas to put away.
Years ago I seem to remember coming across a study on this re lower tension and power, and if I'm remembering this right it doesn't so much increase actual power but it does increase the depth from more launch, which feels like power to the user and a deeper ball feels more powerful to your opponent as well. This has actually been my personal experience as well. If anything, I feel I hit harder in the high 50s (lbs) but I get more consistent depth and feel (yes, I get more feel (lets remember that feel is subjective to the individual)) and comfort at lower tensions. While I feel I hit harder in the high 50s I'm also more likely to drop it short when I don't get to swing through how I want, whereas a lower tension helps dramatically (for me) for those shots like on the run or when you have less time on the ball. I also like the increased launch angle and feeing of more pocketing/spin. I'm currently testing 45lbs and it's working great. Dropped from 49 recently. It was actually a tad 'easier' to hit winners at 49lbs but the feeling of extra time on the ball, better feel, and general increased security greatly outweighs it for me at the moment. Interestingly, at 49lbs I'd break strings in 90m to 3 hours of hitting. at 45lbs it's improved string durability immensely. I'm going to try going lower when I next break strings and see what happens.
Mannarino's forehand is aimed for bigger targets but he really can't place the ball with pinpoint accuracy. Basically, on he forehand he is a pusher. However, his backhand is another story and he hits and places the ball well - that's his weapon.
String pocketing: i realised that when used balls get soft, everyone seem to control better. Rallies get longer. However, with a brand new can of balls, almost every hit flies around. Tough to control or predict. So aiming for string types that give more string pocketing seem to be the better solution. Not sure if this applies to other players too.
It happens to me as well. I realized changing string type makes huuge difference in control when i moved from MSV copoly to Yonex poly tour soft. You'll lack spin but increase control and confort significantly
Interesting how many club players are very sceptic almost afraid to drop they string tension below 20kg.Having tons of smart excuses why not doing it.Some of my tennis buddies even think that I'm disrespectful towards them by beating them with racket strung at 10kg. Anyway every racket respond to different tension and different string differently, it'll might take a lot of time and understanding your own shots before finding a holly grail setup that work for you and your racket ,its worth trying! Lower your tension and see what it does to your game,you might beat someone you had never beaten before! Stay safe!
It also suprises me how tennis players can have strong preconceptions when it comes to low string tension, without having ever tried it - I guess to most people below 20 kg just seems like some kind of voodoo land.
I string at 45 lbs and completely agree. The loss of control is quite minimal, in my experience, unless I am having an off day. Then it is true that more balls fly than I would like. BUT the feel and sound make me very happy. Being able to hit out is also a plus. I am OK with the ocassional loss of control. The serve is also more powerful, and I can also hit spots. Big fan!
I tried 24lb for the first time last night, with some basic poly. I am a USTA 3.5, but I found it matched my style pretty well. I was getting the ball deeper more consistently, whereas typically I hit quite a few from baseline to service line as I lack power. I will keep trying it. I find it fascinating that Mannarino has such a different style to every other top 100 player. I wonder why more players are not doing it since he has had a very good career, and it is one with longevity.
Muy buen video!! Gracias por compartir esta info tan objetiva!! Tengo 64 años y juego 16 horas por semana, (4 prácticas de 3 horas cada una) desde hace años. Desde hace unos meses empecé a experimentar con tensiones muy bajas. No puedo decir exactamente qué valor porque coloco los encordados a mano , sin máquina. Me encanta el resultado de las tensiones bajas aunque extraño un poco la agresividad de las bolas enviadas con tensiones más altas. Pasé momentáneamente a tensiones medias y derivó en una tendinitis en el codo, así que asumí que las tensiones bajas son lo mío, sin duda! Siempre digo que primero está la salud y después lo competitivo...no entiendo la liviandad con la que se naturalizan las lesiones y cirujías. Bajemos las tensiones!! Saludos desde Argentina.
Tengo 64 años,uso raquetas vintage Prince Graphite Pro de 90 de cabeza, pesa 370 grs,indice de rigidez 49.Las cuerdas que uso son luxilon alu power con 45,y 43 libras,el resultado es fantástico para mi técnica y mi cuerpo,aún así voy a probar bajar aún más la tensión a ver que es lo que pasa con mis raquetas,muchas gracias por la información,un gran abrazo.
I string my Ultras at 18 mains/17 crosses it is easy on the shoulder and I get more power and spin with less effort plus a larger sweet spot. I also use about a dozen string savers which helps stop the notching.
Great topic! String choice and tension so much more important than the “right” racquet imo. Btw I love hyper g at low tensions (40-45lbs in my extreme tour). I find volleys a bit harder to control but everything else is magic
I've got tour bites on my extreme pro at 45lbs. Similar setup! Baselines like a dream but I don't feel that confident in the front court (probably just me and not the racquet :p)
You need the right racket, the right string and the right tension. A good string won't make a bad racket (bad = not for you / wrong racket) play as you want. A bad string will ruin your favorites racket feel. A wrong tension will ruin your favorites racket and preferred string performance. As an example, the Wilson Rf97 is a bad racket (for my play and for most of the players I know).
Strung rackets in late 70's like no one else on earth. ( X ) #'s center main, then plucked rest mains to same tone. = much lower tension on shorter mains. 10% lower than rec # on cross. Customers raved, HUGE expanded sweet spot. Never heard of before or since.
revisit your Wilson nCode Six One 95 with 12kg combo as this makes up for the extra zoom needed, the control design aspect of the racquet is the key to successful lower tension usage for most traditional players. You can either be like Adrian Mannarino, Leyla Fernadez using 100 inch tweeners to Ramen Krishna or johnny McEnroe type of player using 85/95, there is a big difference for single BH players vs double BHs for control. The nCode 6.1 and ever the PS 95 excel with lower tensions to match not only modern power racquets but excel them in pin point needs. If you arrive late to a ball you can learn to adjust your swing for that shot depending on the needs but lets just say you can hold the ball for a little longer in your hand which is a great thing once you find the adjustment.
I can 2nd this observation for sure. I played for some yrs with a 6.1 at 40-42 lbs poly strings. This is before the softer co-poly days. Depth, spin, control, feel , all were awesome. The power factor was more due to the weight of the frame and less the strings. That is one thing I've been missing these days playing with light frames, due to my shoulder, is the lack of depth on short swings, blocking balls, and when running wide for balls. I've found a stiffer frame helps but that hurts other parts of my body though. Anyway, still searching. . .
"Adapt", is THE word you nailed it. Have arm issues so instead of putting arm bands everytime, changed my tension from 58 to 47. Kinda drastic and had a hard time at first but afterwards I do get nice results. Hey, I'm not even wearing arm bands anymore! I'm happy because if I didn't switched maybe by now I guess I won't be playing much. Planning again to lower it more down to 44lbs but for now I'm good with this type of set up.
I think you mentioned a very interesting comparison: multi vs low tension poly. Would be nice to see a in-depth pros and cons of each set up. Great video!
Trying a multifilament NRG2 at 44lbs in a Clash 98 due to some elbow pain and am enjoying the easy depth of shot and more power on my volleys. Minus side is that mistimed shots go sailing out. Getting good spin on slice serves.
i have just got my head 6i restrung to 25 lb so far its going great on grass and synthetic. i am 70 years old and trying something new is a lot of fun NO MORE ELBOW TROUBLE
I started playing tennis in the early 80’s. I used the Jack Kramer Autograph back then but I can’t remember anymore what tension I had it strung back then. I remember I preferred it on the higher side at the time. Anyone remember what lbs we were using on the wood racquets back in the day. I also used a Wilson T-2000. I still have both racquets after all these years. Even have the wood piece we would screw on the racquet head to prevent warping. There was awesome tennis back then. Watching Connors play and the McEnroe/Borg battles. I’d be glued to the tv set. I miss those days. Now I’m an old dude almost 60. Life passes by so fast.
With my Vcore 95 I get my tension strung at 48lbs on the mains and 46 on the crosses taking into account the new strings will lose tension after a few hours of play, especially if its Alu power! Tennis Warehoue string database gives a good idea of your string tension loss so my strings have probably settled after a good 10 hours of play at 39 and 37lbs.
It seems just by watching your videos that your level is way better when you are playing with tweener frames like this pure aero or the twistpower instead of more control oriented racquets. I had the same experience because I've been looking for a new racquet for a year and a half and I tried almost every racquet existing but mostly players frames (Gravity tour,cx 200, blade, pro staff, tf40, prestige) and it took time to realize that with more powerful and spin-oriented (I ended going with the Yonex ezone 100) my game was better and I was hurting my opponent: my serve was better thanks to the added power and eventhough my balls were not as accurate at the beginning when I started using more spin I could easily see that they were landing deeper on the court and that my opponent had more trouble getting a good ball back. So I think lots of players play with too demanding frames and they would benefit a lot from using more powerful racquet in order to win more matches and play a better tennis
I just measured four of my racquets 2 weeks ago they were strung at 55lbs. After two weeks approx 5 hours on 2 sticks and two are fresh strung (Solinco Confidential). All the racquets were between 44 and 46 after 14 days regardless of playing with them or not.
Been waiting for you to try this out. I've been stringing low for years. I use hyper g 1.30 at 35lbs in a phantom 100p and love the feel. I've found it only works with full poly setups though. I also have found it works best for me with a stiffer poly in higher gauges rather than soft poly. Edit: additional comments.
@@monstertrucktennis yes. At least in my personal experience I’ve found that the thicker poly string helps the string bed feel more consistent at low tensions.
@@dymiyasa interesting. I've been moving towards thinner gauges for a couple years. It feels like I have more access to spin, power, and feel. I'm moving to lower tensions now and am encouraging my clients that use polys to do so as well. In addition to the perceived benefits i mentioned, the thinner gauges force more frequent stringing which means I'm playing with a more consistent tension throughout the year. I'd never considered the string bed trait of consistency. Thanks for bringing that up.
Hi Jonas. Appreciate your reviews and work. I recommend trying a mid size frame such as Pro staff 90 or Head Prestige mid with a poly strung at low tensions. In my experience its a wonderful combination. I had some arm issues earlier this year and one of the suggestions on your channel was to try low tension string. No more arm issues now. I have two Wilson 6.1 Tour 90 (K-factor) strung at 18 kgs with RPM Blast and it works well for my modern topspin oriented game (as the sweet spot is bigger with lower tension). Only difficulty is controlling the flat serve as I tend to miss the service box easily so I just add lots of slice or topspin for control and it works well.
I've found Angell Lime with Hyper G 16 l at 35lb to be outstanding. Great feel, very arm friendly. 18 x 20 gives lower launch angle, low tension balances that out.
This low tension setup works for Mannarino solely because he uses a relatively heavy stiff frame with added wgt in the hoop and his swing on his forehand is mostly wrist with a very short take back. He needs the trampoline effect on his forehand and kick serve to compensate for his mechanics. For comparison, I believe Jimmy Connors was stringing in the high 30lbs or low 40lbs towards the end of his seniors tour while using his Prince Mono 97 and Connors also had a short take back forehand.
I’ve tried Gosen Poly Professional at 43 lbs. on a Pro Staff 97 v11 2014. It was super comfortable. Almost didn’t feel the ball because of how soft it was. But too powerful. Will try it again. I think 50-51 lbs is the right one for me on that frame.
I've been using low tensions with full poly beds for a while. What I've found is that power seems to be the highest between 40 and low 50's range. Once you go into the 30s and under I've found power to actually go down. This will depend on the string and racquet, though. I like to use stiff, thick polys for very low tensions.
I use 40 lbs tension with a comfort string and dampers on top and bottom edges of the central strings. I use a thin cheap golf glove. All these tweaks enable me at about 70 yrs old to hit strong forehands, great backhands, overhead slams and bounceback balls with clarity and power. and i play with and regularly beat experienced medium level players 3.5 in gals doubles who are 15, 20, 30 yrs younger than i am!
When I started out playing with poly strings, I used tensions around 40 lbs. In the last couple of years, I increased the tension closer to 50 lbs. I've also had more wrist problems over that time. Looks like I need to dial the tension back down.
I also developed some arm and wrist problems with relatively low tension poly at 48lbs. I personally think that even low tension poly isn't great for the arm. I switched back to using natural gut at 55 lbs and my wrist and arm issues have disappeared.
@@hellobenny I started to think that is what I am going to do. Fed up with experimenting with poly and hybrids, but arm pain after playing continues and doesn't le me play better.
@@claude7473 Yes I'd recommend this, in the end I realized I'd rather play with any setup rather than not be able to play at all :) I also installed string savers to prolong the life of the natural gut, hopefully makes up for the increased cost. Natural gut is amazing because it doesn't really lose its tension, plays the same throughout its whole life. And it has so much power, I will raise the tension next time I string to 60lbs.
Remember when Mannarino asked on Twitter if anybody would sell him a racket? Apparently he was in Japan and only had a couple and the model was discontinued. Wild.
Definitely looking to drop a few pounds next year... currently at 48; next stop 45. Also didn't realise Mannarino's string tension was quite so low - wow! Also enjoying the return of bonus footage at the end of the your videos.
I currently have mine at 42 pounds . 93 sq inch frame. Feels fantastic. I used to play 54 pounds for a long time. I made a mistake by not switching sooner
If I recall correctly back in the day John MacEnroe played with low tension, a trampoline-like 25 lbs as opposed to Bjorn Borg who played with 65 lbs. I think the lower tension seemed to suit John's aggresive serve and volley game while Borg played big groundstrokes with heavy topspin on both sides.
I dig this series on strings. Most players know nothing about them. You're providing sorely needed intel. P.S. I like the riff in your opening; yours or someone else's composition?
57 lbs Luxilon savage. Pure drive plus. The trampoline woofer style frames. Heavily leaded and same balance as stock. So 45 lbs is what it stretches to and stays until they break every year. 5.0 player or high 4.5 since California's play down. Also a trusted advisor to precollegiate students and student athletes. Semi pros.
Very very interesting topic! One important point about low tension polyster on ATP tour is that they string their racquets just a couple of hours before game. Ofcourse you all know that but for some can be good to keep in mind. Tension on polyster drops fast. I really like 19 kg on 95 inch Yonex but after a week or two its something else when tension has dropped and as Jonas says it only fits a gamestyle with good timing and during matchplay I dont have that so I went to another multifilament/polyster with much higher tension. Very very interesting video, thank you for that!!
Thanks Karl! Good point - they get their racquets strung before matches and restring often. This makes it different from us mere mortals unless we're energetic and have a stringing machine :)
I tested my string tension (audible type app) and it was 22lbs - originally strung at 52lbs two months ago. I think people would be surprised at how low a tension they are truly playing.
I saw somewhere in the RacquetTune FAQ that the actual tension set up from the stringer machine to the actual racket will be dropped around 30%. And when I tried to test my actual string tension using the app, its shows 30% lower than the one I told to the stringer.
Interesting stuff. I recently lowered the tension on my PT2 from 52 M & X (16G Triax/NXT hybrid) to 48M/42X (17G Triax/18G Solinco Revolution setup) & the lower tension seemed to play better in that stick imo with no noticeable loss of power or control. Will prolly experiment further with a bit lower tension. Thanks for the post.
How about using a very high tension using the same strings and racquet? I personally string 70#’s and have a difficult time adjusting to lower tension (anything below 65 for myself). I use a full poly bed of luxilon adrenaline 16 gauge on my head microgel extreme pro but I also have 28 inches of lead tape for HL feel. All my racquet weighs in at 12 oz
low tension is good if player want to swing more vertically to get more brush for more spin. that way, the lower tension will help add power to the shot, and the player don't need as much plow through
great idea. might try that too. the control issue scares me. as I'm inconsistent. but im getting OLDER! 😬 I had only just seen ur mannarino video too coincidentally. subd now.🤟
When I lowered the tension to 20kg on my Aero Pro Drive the racquet had become too powerful for me to utilize properly. Maybe I should go even lower next time? This video has shown me that you can actually play with properly if you spend some time adapting to it.
I play with 10 kilo's in the mains and 11 kilo's in the crosses. In the mains I use Mayami Absolute perfection, multifilament and in the crosses I use Stringproject Gold, also multifilament. In my PT57A's it plays so well! I play with these low kilo's for about 15 years now, due to a hugh arm/shoulder injury. This give me much comfort, gladly because Im a tenniscoach so use it a lot 😅
i have an extreme case of tennis elbow. i strung my lux alu poly strings at 55. due to some advice i got it restrung with technifibre nrg2 at 50. ive been resting from tennis bc of my injury for 5 days now, but i hope that the lower tension helps my injury 🙏
Yes, and the more comfortable string will help, too. Make sure you do the necessary rehab and strengthening as well, and good luck with the healing process.
I think a video on launch angles and how they change from racquet to racquet based on the flex of the frame, as well as with different tensions, would be an interesting watch. I came across this looking up the Wilson Blade V8 98 16x19 the reviewer was really disappointed with the launch angle and I'd never heard of launch angles before and I've worked in the tennis industry.
If you go down with the tension then the "trempolin effect" is present for sure. But when I tested this a couple of years ago, then I found out, that below 15 Kg everything gets "dead". There is finally the area, where it make sense and where it is controllable. With a harsh poly at 12/13 Kg in a e.g. Pure Drive you have all the benefits (control, comfort, etc.) and no more "trampolin effect".
You know, lots of ATP tournaments happen at the sea level, but here where I play its 800 meters above the sea so I dont feel 53 lbs is that bad at all. But I can see 48-49 lbs being very good at sea level for example.
I've tried as low as 30 pounds but didn't like it. I've settled on 40 pounds for the last few years. Feel is super. Tension loss is almost non-existent. Strings don't break. There are no cons to this. By the way, if you have arm problems, why are you using anything but natural gut?
Great video Jonas. Try playing Kevlar at low tensions. Even better feeling than poly with far more superior dampening. PS. As regards comfort for anyone experiencing elbow tendonitis, I would still not recommend poly at even such low tensions as there would still not be enough dampening. Besides that, very excessive dwell time can also cause elbow stress, as experienced by some using the very soft Wilson Clash racquets. Best strings for Tennis elbow remain Multifilament or Natural Gut.
I have found that when I use low tensions, my mechanics have to be perfect; otherwise, the ball will fly outside the court pretty easily... On the positive, if I did manage to have a good mechanic, I was able to hit bullets
I string ALU Power 16 at 51 and have found that 52 is too tight and under 50 is too loose. I use an IG Prestige with a lot of lead tape and the result is a flexible racquet with a lot of power so I like the stiff strings to tame the power. I think that ALU Power is so stiff that you string it a lot lower than you would a multi or copoly. The flexibility of the racquet and the extra weight result in a comfortable racquet even with stiff strings. I'm not sure that I'm up to experimenting as I've played this setup for the past ten years and it's nice to not have to think about some aspects of your equipment unless you know that you can find something a lot better.
Thanks Jonas, worthwhile experiment. How was serving at such a low tension? An adjustment period reigning in control? Did you find more cheap/free points because of increased power?
Were your comments for all strokes? We’re serves more powerful but harder to control? 2nd serve - better with more spin? For those w/o a lot of string experience: going to a thinner gauge might be another option if ‘more power’ is your quest - won’t have the control issues. The downside is breakage.
i've noticed that if the tension is too low it puts extra strain on your arm because the ball stays on the string bed too long..... also i feel like the low tension works better against stronger hitters, otherwise you need to be a bit more aggressive with your swing to get good action.....opinions ?
Doesn't make sense to play sooo low for club player. Pro plays with fresh new strings at all their hitting sessions. The loss of control when the tension drop is dramatic when it's already that low. I m playing on my Prince 95 Equipe LB at 17kg and wouldn t go below for that reason. But this is just a number, I guess on a less powerfull raquet I could probably drop a couple kg further, or take a thinner gauge, or use smthg else more lively. The kind of strings makes a total difference.
Daniel Nestor supposedly strung as low as 11 pounds! The only person I know that went lower than Adrian Mannarino 12 kg. I don't know of anyone active on the tour that strings lower than 12kg, since the next lowest I know is Jack Sock at 35 pounds. I'm tempted to try stringing at 35 lb (usually string around 50 pounds atm)
Thank you for eview. As an addition, it is worth to try different strings its different behaviour under low lensions. e.g Yonex PolyTour Pro is very good at low tension but other strings are not...PS: your FH technique is better with AeroPro SW-like racket than with your usual monster-SW racquets) Or maybe softer stringbed allows you to swing more freely. What do you think?
Muchos puede mantener peloteos con raquetas de baja tension...pero en partido y corriendo es otra cosa yo ya voy 3 años con tensión de 35 LB y cuando te acostumbras..quieres bajar mas...ese el problema..creo que a Adrian le ha pasado lo mismo
If you use an old string that has been sitting in the racket for say 6 months and dropped tension by say 10lbs, is it going to feel relatively the same as stringing a fresh one at that lower tension?
Folks, a tennis nerd will always spend the $ on gamma glide cross strings in order to study and project the results of main string quality. These playtesters are holding back a lot of information. To tennisnerd: "this video should've been at least 9 hours long. {(filled with the following play style templates): #1: 90-93" heads; varying string beds from different eras; #2: 95-97" heads; varying string beds from different eras; #3: 98-100" heads; varying string beds.} They should've maxed out each racquet's potential swing weight by adding lead tape to the middle neck, also @ 3 & 9 o'clock, also at 11 & 1 o'clock, and they should've done so in front of the camera for all to see. They should've used various low tensions from 35-48 lbs., They should've used 15-16 gauge strings for the 98-100" heads, they should've used 16-16l gauge strings for the 95-97" heads, and they should've used 17l-18g strings for the 90-93" heads. Never using full set poly's ever. Always spending the money on gamma glide 16g to pair with the poly being playtested ($11 extra per racquet setup). They should've conducted themselves on various court surfaces and in various humidity conditions, 2 playtesters in Florida on clay, 2 playtesters in northern California on a hard court, and 2 playtesters in the new England area of the u.s. on a grass court. Then they should've all come back a few times whenever mother nature created a various humidity conditions for them to experiment with. The play testers would also allow other playtesters who have completely different play styles and different swing types to repeat the same experiments. These "tennis nerds" need to step their quality of teaching. Tennis is a science that can show a person who they really are, as long as a certain criteria is met. One's standard of living should exceed their level of preparation. The person who trains hardest, and who prepares for longer a duration of time, and who values fun on court just as much as serious training for competition, will always win every match as long as they are not malnourished, and as long as they are on top of their ***t (as long as their priorities are in check). These folks's priorities are not in check, they should have the bravery and maturity to check themselves into a mental health facility like Mr. Nadal did. If the staff of "tennis nerds" were as serious as they should be about teaching, America would be #1 in tennis. The sad truth is, we Americans have more options and don't necessarily have to work as hard as other foreign athletes; we Americans tend to get easily distracted by a decidant lifestyle of over-stimulation. These people are pretending to be nerds, they have lives of their own. A nerd has no life, very few to no friends at all. A true tennis nerd has no life outside of tennis, is 98-99% antisocial & spends the majority of one's time researching better odds for success. A true tennis nerd has no life outside of tennis. Tennis is their emotional battlefield. The wall is their best friend, rain or shine.
So a genius player could choose low tension racquet for 1st set, and then high tension racquet for 2nd set or for different games depending on receiving serves just to confuse ur opponent?
Thanks for the video! Speaking of more compact swings, I play in a doubles league and I'm always trying to adapt to shorter swings - especially return of serve. Do you have any info on doubles players' string tensions?
I noticed you copy Mannarino’s haircut too
It´s a trend! I use it too! HAHAHA.
hahaahahahahh
Ouch
Hey in the summer time might be cooler😂
slam
McEnroe was the pioneer of low tension. In the old wood racket days rackets were usually strung at 65 to 70 lbs. Mc’s racket was strung at 40 lbs. while Borg strung his at 80 lbs.
I play with Pure Aero too, I string myself my racquets, and due to a tennis and golfer elbow on my right arm, I decreased gradually the tension, from 50 lbs to 32 lbs in 3 months.
It Took me around 3 months to adjust, and to feel the new launch angle.
But I am now playing at my best level now with 32 lbs, hit a lot of spin, no more issues with elbow pain, lot of control, game changer for sure (my string is the TF black code )
Update july 2022: I string my racquets at 23lbs since 4 months. Feel amazing!
I know lots of people at my tennis club with elbow problems, including my 15 yr old son who is boy's club champ.
I dropped his tension down to 33lbs last year and no more problems since.
Low tension is THE cure for elbow problems!!
People think we are crazy playing with 33lbs, but it's actually pretty easy to adjust.
We are using a pretty thick gauge poly.
What string do you use? I'm a self stringer that had elbows (golfer's and tennis) problems in the past. Since I switched to the Pure Aero, I've not had elbow problems. I use Laserfibre Vorso 1.25 mains @56lbs/Synthetic gut 1.3 crosses @58 lbs. Super arm friendly setup.
@@miguelbarahona6636 I use technifibre black code full bed, ton of spin at 32 lbs, you shoud try this low tension.
Even if you use an hybrid, 56/58 lbs is extremely high for player with elbow issues and not arm friendly at all in my opinion.
Personally, I don"t recommend this tension if you wanna protect your arm / shoulder.
@@mikthe2004 That's exactly what I told to all my customers (I do stringing service ). But most of them keep playing with tension between 50 and 60 lbs, even at 65 yrs old. I don't get it.
@@teddymikefunk Tecnifibre Black Code has a stiffness of 250 (according TW). Laserfibre Vorso and Babolat Syn Gut have stiffness of 178 and 169 respectively. With my calculations (string lenght, tension and string stiffness), your setup is not so far of mine in total stiffness terms. Maybe, at @35-36 lbs the stiffness of a full Black Code 1.30 stringbed is the same of Vorso 1.25 @56/Babolat Syn gut @58 lbs. You´re using a 1.30 very stiff poly and mine is a 1.25 soft co-poly/1.3 soft syn gut combination.
Had a shoulder injury - started dropping the tension, was amazed the difference it made in softening the feel of the racquet. Worked well to reduce the harshness of the poly on my shoulder. Good advice about stepping it down - found different sweet spots in tension for different racquets. Dropped about 5 pounds per adjustment. Has worked well with a hybrid setup too - am a person who relies a lot on touch, no loss when dropping tensions. Thanks for the article, great advice!
I haven't seen this kind of comparison anywhere else nor have a tried it, very nice
I play with a shaped poly and multifilament cross at 34-38lbs. I find a lot more of the benefit to be in the stability and consistency at swinging softer, but using my body weight and timing to move forward into all my shots. Mannarino is a great example of keeping his feet planted, but driving and moving forward into all of his shots. I think you could benefit more by jumping less into your shots, and keeping your feet grounded, and thinking more about that backfoot driving your body forward. Just my thoughts, but your forehand at 6:47 was the best of them all. perfect example of what i mean.
At the very opposite end, Marcelo Ríos used to play with a full bed of VS Team gut with tensions over 33-34 kg. He has obviously dropped down in his senior years, and he currently plays with the Yonex VCore Pro 97 330.
When the guys still used to play with higher string tension, Filippo Volandri regularly played with 12-14kg, and Daniel Nestor played at an insane 6kg (!!!). Another guy who currently plays with very low tension is Kukushkin.
Gut at very high tension is the same as a stiff poly at medium or low tension.
Jonas! Your review inspired me. So I strung my Wilson Clash Pro with Solinco Tour Bite Soft at 14kg!!! Despite laughs and jokes that I had to listen to at my stringing specialist (btw the same place where Hubert Hurkach strings when back in Poland)
I played a local league game, so stress and pressure were there. Testing such radical setup with no match pressure could be misleading.
it went really well.
First off all my sensitive arm doesn't hurt after 2 hours on the court. This was only possible with lighter rackets and multi strings.
I had pretty much same level of control, I go for bigger targets anyway and play spin with semi western grip. Received more, free power for sure. My balls landed deeper, first flat serves were bombs, several surprisingly good shots when simply blocking the ball.
On the downside? Not much to be honest. I felt it was harder to put spin on my second serve. Didn’t dial in on dropshots, most ended up in the net.
I will continue for now to use this setup. Curious how it performs when tension further drops and what happens if there is an aggressive, heavy heater on the other side of the net.
What did find out after more experience?
If you restring a racket at low tension it won't be much different than a worn out string since playing drops the tension bit by bit. So the problem with low tension is it'll keep getting lower and lower ( same problem with high tension )
Jonas
I have also gone from 52lbs down to 44. One noticeable difference is that when strings start out low e.g. 44, by 2 or 3 week they feel dead to me. But when I string at 48 after same time they hold up better. weird. this happened to me w Babolat RPM Spin and Luxilon Smart which says it's 44lbs. maybe it's the elasticity thing.
It probably just means you've been using strings longer than you should.
It is crazy how much your game has improved lately! Keep up the good work
He said he was using shorter swings because of the extra power from the low tension. I think he should stick with these strokes. His original strokes were too long. He’s not a big person; not going to win by blowing people off the court; will win by hitting deep, consistent shots and moving his opponent around until an error or an easy ball for Jonas to put away.
Years ago I seem to remember coming across a study on this re lower tension and power, and if I'm remembering this right it doesn't so much increase actual power but it does increase the depth from more launch, which feels like power to the user and a deeper ball feels more powerful to your opponent as well. This has actually been my personal experience as well. If anything, I feel I hit harder in the high 50s (lbs) but I get more consistent depth and feel (yes, I get more feel (lets remember that feel is subjective to the individual)) and comfort at lower tensions. While I feel I hit harder in the high 50s I'm also more likely to drop it short when I don't get to swing through how I want, whereas a lower tension helps dramatically (for me) for those shots like on the run or when you have less time on the ball. I also like the increased launch angle and feeing of more pocketing/spin.
I'm currently testing 45lbs and it's working great. Dropped from 49 recently. It was actually a tad 'easier' to hit winners at 49lbs but the feeling of extra time on the ball, better feel, and general increased security greatly outweighs it for me at the moment.
Interestingly, at 49lbs I'd break strings in 90m to 3 hours of hitting. at 45lbs it's improved string durability immensely. I'm going to try going lower when I next break strings and see what happens.
try a comfort string at 40 lbs, works great for me.
Mannarino's forehand is aimed for bigger targets but he really can't place the ball with pinpoint accuracy. Basically, on he forehand he is a pusher. However, his backhand is another story and he hits and places the ball well - that's his weapon.
String pocketing: i realised that when used balls get soft, everyone seem to control better. Rallies get longer. However, with a brand new can of balls, almost every hit flies around. Tough to control or predict. So aiming for string types that give more string pocketing seem to be the better solution. Not sure if this applies to other players too.
It happens to me as well. I realized changing string type makes huuge difference in control when i moved from MSV copoly to Yonex poly tour soft. You'll lack spin but increase control and confort significantly
Interesting how many club players are very sceptic almost afraid to drop they string tension below 20kg.Having tons of smart excuses why not doing it.Some of my tennis buddies even think that I'm disrespectful towards them by beating them with racket strung at 10kg. Anyway every racket respond to different tension and different string differently, it'll might take a lot of time and understanding your own shots before finding a holly grail setup that work for you and your racket ,its worth trying! Lower your tension and see what it does to your game,you might beat someone you had never beaten before! Stay safe!
It also suprises me how tennis players can have strong preconceptions when it comes to low string tension, without having ever tried it - I guess to most people below 20 kg just seems like some kind of voodoo land.
I string at 45 lbs and completely agree. The loss of control is quite minimal, in my experience, unless I am having an off day. Then it is true that more balls fly than I would like. BUT the feel and sound make me very happy. Being able to hit out is also a plus. I am OK with the ocassional loss of control. The serve is also more powerful, and I can also hit spots. Big fan!
I tried 24lb for the first time last night, with some basic poly. I am a USTA 3.5, but I found it matched my style pretty well. I was getting the ball deeper more consistently, whereas typically I hit quite a few from baseline to service line as I lack power. I will keep trying it.
I find it fascinating that Mannarino has such a different style to every other top 100 player. I wonder why more players are not doing it since he has had a very good career, and it is one with longevity.
Muy buen video!! Gracias por compartir esta info tan objetiva!! Tengo 64 años y juego 16 horas por semana, (4 prácticas de 3 horas cada una) desde hace años. Desde hace unos meses empecé a experimentar con tensiones muy bajas. No puedo decir exactamente qué valor porque coloco los encordados a mano , sin máquina. Me encanta el resultado de las tensiones bajas aunque extraño un poco la agresividad de las bolas enviadas con tensiones más altas. Pasé momentáneamente a tensiones medias y derivó en una tendinitis en el codo, así que asumí que las tensiones bajas son lo mío, sin duda! Siempre digo que primero está la salud y después lo competitivo...no entiendo la liviandad con la que se naturalizan las lesiones y cirujías. Bajemos las tensiones!! Saludos desde Argentina.
Tengo 64 años,uso raquetas vintage Prince Graphite Pro de 90 de cabeza, pesa 370 grs,indice de rigidez 49.Las cuerdas que uso son luxilon alu power con 45,y 43 libras,el resultado es fantástico para mi técnica y mi cuerpo,aún así voy a probar bajar aún más la tensión a ver que es lo que pasa con mis raquetas,muchas gracias por la información,un gran abrazo.
Also have vintage prince Graphite 90 @45 ins and 107 @ 50 ibs
I string my Ultras at 18 mains/17 crosses it is easy on the shoulder and I get more power and spin with less effort plus a larger sweet spot. I also use about a dozen string savers which helps stop the notching.
Great topic! String choice and tension so much more important than the “right” racquet imo. Btw I love hyper g at low tensions (40-45lbs in my extreme tour). I find volleys a bit harder to control but everything else is magic
I've got tour bites on my extreme pro at 45lbs. Similar setup! Baselines like a dream but I don't feel that confident in the front court (probably just me and not the racquet :p)
You need the right racket, the right string and the right tension. A good string won't make a bad racket (bad = not for you / wrong racket) play as you want. A bad string will ruin your favorites racket feel. A wrong tension will ruin your favorites racket and preferred string performance. As an example, the Wilson Rf97 is a bad racket (for my play and for most of the players I know).
Strung rackets in late 70's like no one else on earth. ( X ) #'s center main, then plucked rest mains to same tone. = much lower tension on shorter mains. 10% lower than rec # on cross. Customers raved, HUGE expanded sweet spot. Never heard of before or since.
Your swing looks better with this setup. Interesting tes!
revisit your Wilson nCode Six One 95 with 12kg combo as this makes up for the extra zoom needed, the control design aspect of the racquet is the key to successful lower tension usage for most traditional players. You can either be like Adrian Mannarino, Leyla Fernadez using 100 inch tweeners to Ramen Krishna or johnny McEnroe type of player using 85/95, there is a big difference for single BH players vs double BHs for control. The nCode 6.1 and ever the PS 95 excel with lower tensions to match not only modern power racquets but excel them in pin point needs. If you arrive late to a ball you can learn to adjust your swing for that shot depending on the needs but lets just say you can hold the ball for a little longer in your hand which is a great thing once you find the adjustment.
I can 2nd this observation for sure. I played for some yrs with a 6.1 at 40-42 lbs poly strings. This is before the softer co-poly days. Depth, spin, control, feel , all were awesome. The power factor was more due to the weight of the frame and less the strings. That is one thing I've been missing these days playing with light frames, due to my shoulder, is the lack of depth on short swings, blocking balls, and when running wide for balls. I've found a stiffer frame helps but that hurts other parts of my body though. Anyway, still searching. . .
"Adapt", is THE word you nailed it. Have arm issues so instead of putting arm bands everytime, changed my tension from 58 to 47. Kinda drastic and had a hard time at first but afterwards I do get nice results. Hey, I'm not even wearing arm bands anymore! I'm happy because if I didn't switched maybe by now I guess I won't be playing much. Planning again to lower it more down to 44lbs but for now I'm good with this type of set up.
With arm issues or elbow pain, depending on your gravity, 30-35 lbs is the truth
I think you mentioned a very interesting comparison: multi vs low tension poly. Would be nice to see a in-depth pros and cons of each set up. Great video!
Poly is still going to grip the ball more, even if the strings are pocketing and launching more at a lower tension.
Trying a multifilament NRG2 at 44lbs in a Clash 98 due to some elbow pain and am enjoying the easy depth of shot and more power on my volleys. Minus side is that mistimed shots go sailing out. Getting good spin on slice serves.
i have just got my head 6i restrung to 25 lb so far its going great on grass and synthetic. i am 70 years old and trying something new is a lot of fun NO MORE ELBOW TROUBLE
I started playing tennis in the early 80’s. I used the Jack Kramer Autograph back then but I can’t remember anymore what tension I had it strung back then. I remember I preferred it on the higher side at the time. Anyone remember what lbs we were using on the wood racquets back in the day. I also used a Wilson T-2000. I still have both racquets after all these years. Even have the wood piece we would screw on the racquet head to prevent warping. There was awesome tennis back then. Watching Connors play and the McEnroe/Borg battles. I’d be glued to the tv set. I miss those days. Now I’m an old dude almost 60. Life passes by so fast.
With my Vcore 95 I get my tension strung at 48lbs on the mains and 46 on the crosses taking into account the new strings will lose tension after a few hours of play, especially if its Alu power!
Tennis Warehoue string database gives a good idea of your string tension loss so my strings have probably settled after a good 10 hours of play at 39 and 37lbs.
My setup yr opposite... 46 main, 48 cross... Hold tension longer
It seems just by watching your videos that your level is way better when you are playing with tweener frames like this pure aero or the twistpower instead of more control oriented racquets. I had the same experience because I've been looking for a new racquet for a year and a half and I tried almost every racquet existing but mostly players frames (Gravity tour,cx 200, blade, pro staff, tf40, prestige) and it took time to realize that with more powerful and spin-oriented (I ended going with the Yonex ezone 100) my game was better and I was hurting my opponent: my serve was better thanks to the added power and eventhough my balls were not as accurate at the beginning when I started using more spin I could easily see that they were landing deeper on the court and that my opponent had more trouble getting a good ball back. So I think lots of players play with too demanding frames and they would benefit a lot from using more powerful racquet in order to win more matches and play a better tennis
That’s a good point
I just measured four of my racquets 2 weeks ago they were strung at 55lbs. After two weeks approx 5 hours on 2 sticks and two are fresh strung (Solinco Confidential). All the racquets were between 44 and 46 after 14 days regardless of playing with them or not.
Been waiting for you to try this out. I've been stringing low for years. I use hyper g 1.30 at 35lbs in a phantom 100p and love the feel. I've found it only works with full poly setups though.
I also have found it works best for me with a stiffer poly in higher gauges rather than soft poly.
Edit: additional comments.
Agree. It solves elbow problems too.
By higher gauge do you mean thicker string?
@@monstertrucktennis yes. At least in my personal experience I’ve found that the thicker poly string helps the string bed feel more consistent at low tensions.
@@dymiyasa interesting. I've been moving towards thinner gauges for a couple years. It feels like I have more access to spin, power, and feel.
I'm moving to lower tensions now and am encouraging my clients that use polys to do so as well. In addition to the perceived benefits i mentioned, the thinner gauges force more frequent stringing which means I'm playing with a more consistent tension throughout the year.
I'd never considered the string bed trait of consistency. Thanks for bringing that up.
Hi Jonas. Appreciate your reviews and work. I recommend trying a mid size frame such as Pro staff 90 or Head Prestige mid with a poly strung at low tensions. In my experience its a wonderful combination. I had some arm issues earlier this year and one of the suggestions on your channel was to try low tension string. No more arm issues now. I have two Wilson 6.1 Tour 90 (K-factor) strung at 18 kgs with RPM Blast and it works well for my modern topspin oriented game (as the sweet spot is bigger with lower tension). Only difficulty is controlling the flat serve as I tend to miss the service box easily so I just add lots of slice or topspin for control and it works well.
I've found Angell Lime with Hyper G 16 l at 35lb to be outstanding.
Great feel, very arm friendly. 18 x 20 gives lower launch angle, low tension balances that out.
Great stick!
Your forehand looks great with this setup.
This low tension setup works for Mannarino solely because he uses a relatively heavy stiff frame with added wgt in the hoop and his swing on his forehand is mostly wrist with a very short take back. He needs the trampoline effect on his forehand and kick serve to compensate for his mechanics. For comparison, I believe Jimmy Connors was stringing in the high 30lbs or low 40lbs towards the end of his seniors tour while using his Prince Mono 97 and Connors also had a short take back forehand.
I’ve tried Gosen Poly Professional at 43 lbs. on a Pro Staff 97 v11 2014. It was super comfortable. Almost didn’t feel the ball because of how soft it was. But too powerful. Will try it again. I think 50-51 lbs is the right one for me on that frame.
I've been using low tensions with full poly beds for a while. What I've found is that power seems to be the highest between 40 and low 50's range. Once you go into the 30s and under I've found power to actually go down. This will depend on the string and racquet, though. I like to use stiff, thick polys for very low tensions.
Cool! I’m gonna try 18/18 full bed of Alu Power to see what happens
I use 40 lbs tension with a comfort string and dampers on top and bottom edges of the central strings. I use a thin cheap golf glove. All these tweaks enable me at about 70 yrs old to hit strong forehands, great backhands, overhead slams and bounceback balls with clarity and power. and i play with and regularly beat experienced medium level players 3.5 in gals doubles who are 15, 20, 30 yrs younger than i am!
i love your experiment. will copy soon. hope it will help with my arm and wrist pain
Let me know how it goes!
When I started out playing with poly strings, I used tensions around 40 lbs. In the last couple of years, I increased the tension closer to 50 lbs. I've also had more wrist problems over that time. Looks like I need to dial the tension back down.
I also developed some arm and wrist problems with relatively low tension poly at 48lbs. I personally think that even low tension poly isn't great for the arm. I switched back to using natural gut at 55 lbs and my wrist and arm issues have disappeared.
@@hellobenny I started to think that is what I am going to do. Fed up with experimenting with poly and hybrids, but arm pain after playing continues and doesn't le me play better.
@@claude7473 Yes I'd recommend this, in the end I realized I'd rather play with any setup rather than not be able to play at all :)
I also installed string savers to prolong the life of the natural gut, hopefully makes up for the increased cost. Natural gut is amazing because it doesn't really lose its tension, plays the same throughout its whole life. And it has so much power, I will raise the tension next time I string to 60lbs.
One could use 15 gauge gut as well, it is durable with string savers, plays good and a lot of control, balls don"t fly .@@hellobenny
Remember when Mannarino asked on Twitter if anybody would sell him a racket? Apparently he was in Japan and only had a couple and the model was discontinued. Wild.
I’ve been playing 44lbs for a decade now. No arm issues, 4.5, USTA top 200 nationally in 2021.
what string and racket are you using?
@@yamiliogyu8 RF97, NXT 17, 44lbs, Good luck
4.5, norbetter
I had 24 horizontal and 26 vertical. Horizontal for more spin and 26 for more power.
I bought Tourna Stringmeter, measured the tension of the racket, which I feel comfortable playing - 15kg/10kg
For these extremely low string-tensions, how does it affect durability and tension-maintenance?
Definitely looking to drop a few pounds next year... currently at 48; next stop 45.
Also didn't realise Mannarino's string tension was quite so low - wow!
Also enjoying the return of bonus footage at the end of the your videos.
I currently have mine at 42 pounds . 93 sq inch frame. Feels fantastic. I used to play 54 pounds for a long time. I made a mistake by not switching sooner
If I recall correctly back in the day John MacEnroe played with low tension, a trampoline-like 25 lbs as opposed to Bjorn Borg who played with 65 lbs.
I think the lower tension seemed to suit John's aggresive serve and volley game while Borg played big groundstrokes with heavy topspin on both sides.
I dig this series on strings. Most players know nothing about them. You're providing sorely needed intel.
P.S. I like the riff in your opening; yours or someone else's composition?
57 lbs Luxilon savage. Pure drive plus. The trampoline woofer style frames. Heavily leaded and same balance as stock. So 45 lbs is what it stretches to and stays until they break every year. 5.0 player or high 4.5 since California's play down. Also a trusted advisor to precollegiate students and student athletes. Semi pros.
Very very interesting topic! One important point about low tension polyster on ATP tour is that they string their racquets just a couple of hours before game. Ofcourse you all know that but for some can be good to keep in mind. Tension on polyster drops fast. I really like 19 kg on 95 inch Yonex but after a week or two its something else when tension has dropped and as Jonas says it only fits a gamestyle with good timing and during matchplay I dont have that so I went to another multifilament/polyster with much higher tension.
Very very interesting video, thank you for that!!
Thanks Karl! Good point - they get their racquets strung before matches and restring often. This makes it different from us mere mortals unless we're energetic and have a stringing machine :)
Nice video again! I will definitely try lover tension
I tested my string tension (audible type app) and it was 22lbs - originally strung at 52lbs two months ago. I think people would be surprised at how low a tension they are truly playing.
I saw somewhere in the RacquetTune FAQ that the actual tension set up from the stringer machine to the actual racket will be dropped around 30%.
And when I tried to test my actual string tension using the app, its shows 30% lower than the one I told to the stringer.
So a freshly stringed 52lb racket will show 36.4lb in the app
Why would they make the appdo th
..app read like that?
Borg used to string his Donnays at 80lbs! Some frames would snap when being strung, apparently.
Interesting stuff. I recently lowered the tension on my PT2 from 52 M & X (16G Triax/NXT hybrid) to 48M/42X (17G Triax/18G Solinco Revolution setup) & the lower tension seemed to play better in that stick imo with no noticeable loss of power or control. Will prolly experiment further with a bit lower tension. Thanks for the post.
I'd be interested to see how you'd find lower tensions in more control-oriented racquets like a Prestige MP or the Volkl Power Bridge 10 mid.
I play with a pure strike 18x20, round 16 gauge poly @42M/40C - I think it's magic.
I played with the PB 10 mid at 33M - 30X for many years with Volkl Cyclone. This was a very nice setup for me.
Great video mate!
How about using a very high tension using the same strings and racquet? I personally string 70#’s and have a difficult time adjusting to lower tension (anything below 65 for myself). I use a full poly bed of luxilon adrenaline 16 gauge on my head microgel extreme pro but I also have 28 inches of lead tape for HL feel. All my racquet weighs in at 12 oz
low tension is good if player want to swing more vertically to get more brush for more spin. that way, the lower tension will help add power to the shot, and the player don't need as much plow through
great idea. might try that too. the control issue scares me. as I'm inconsistent. but im getting OLDER! 😬
I had only just seen ur mannarino video too coincidentally.
subd now.🤟
On some of your shots the higher launch angle the lower string and Aero racquet gave you been VERY noticeable!
thanks for the video, i will play with 40 lbs or lower based on this explanation...considering avg tour players are stringing at 44 lbs
would love to see full video of this match! you guys are good!
I play with a head pro stock at 53.5 with full poly. I like the control.
When I lowered the tension to 20kg on my Aero Pro Drive the racquet had become too powerful for me to utilize properly. Maybe I should go even lower next time? This video has shown me that you can actually play with properly if you spend some time adapting to it.
It didn't get more powerful, the launch angle increased so the ball went further
I play with 10 kilo's in the mains and 11 kilo's in the crosses. In the mains I use Mayami Absolute perfection, multifilament and in the crosses I use Stringproject Gold, also multifilament. In my PT57A's it plays so well!
I play with these low kilo's for about 15 years now, due to a hugh arm/shoulder injury. This give me much comfort, gladly because Im a tenniscoach so use it a lot 😅
i have an extreme case of tennis elbow. i strung my lux alu poly strings at 55. due to some advice i got it restrung with technifibre nrg2 at 50. ive been resting from tennis bc of my injury for 5 days now, but i hope that the lower tension helps my injury 🙏
Yes, and the more comfortable string will help, too. Make sure you do the necessary rehab and strengthening as well, and good luck with the healing process.
I couldn't control the ball at 24 lbs. That's crazy low.
Hahahaah yeah..i cannot even imagine 24lbs..
I think a video on launch angles and how they change from racquet to racquet based on the flex of the frame, as well as with different tensions, would be an interesting watch. I came across this looking up the Wilson Blade V8 98 16x19 the reviewer was really disappointed with the launch angle and I'd never heard of launch angles before and I've worked in the tennis industry.
If you go down with the tension then the "trempolin effect" is present for sure. But when I tested this a couple of years ago, then I found out, that below 15 Kg everything gets "dead". There is finally the area, where it make sense and where it is controllable. With a harsh poly at 12/13 Kg in a e.g. Pure Drive you have all the benefits (control, comfort, etc.) and no more "trampolin effect".
You know, lots of ATP tournaments happen at the sea level, but here where I play its 800 meters above the sea so I dont feel 53 lbs is that bad at all. But I can see 48-49 lbs being very good at sea level for example.
I've tried as low as 30 pounds but didn't like it. I've settled on 40 pounds for the last few years. Feel is super. Tension loss is almost non-existent. Strings don't break. There are no cons to this.
By the way, if you have arm problems, why are you using anything but natural gut?
You a very, very good channel, however i am having a hard time following your recommendations in kilos since i live in the USA. Thank you!!!!
Great video Jonas. Try playing Kevlar at low tensions. Even better feeling than poly with far more superior dampening.
PS. As regards comfort for anyone experiencing elbow tendonitis, I would still not recommend poly at even such low tensions as there would still not be enough dampening. Besides that, very excessive dwell time can also cause elbow stress, as experienced by some using the very soft Wilson Clash racquets. Best strings for Tennis elbow remain Multifilament or Natural Gut.
What tension you use in multi filament strings, I've never tried them and not sure how long they would last
i would like to see the same 3 racquets and string. 15, 20, and 25 kg tension
great form on slices Jonas. I wish mine were like that.
I have found that when I use low tensions, my mechanics have to be perfect; otherwise, the ball will fly outside the court pretty easily... On the positive, if I did manage to have a good mechanic, I was able to hit bullets
I string ALU Power 16 at 51 and have found that 52 is too tight and under 50 is too loose. I use an IG Prestige with a lot of lead tape and the result is a flexible racquet with a lot of power so I like the stiff strings to tame the power. I think that ALU Power is so stiff that you string it a lot lower than you would a multi or copoly. The flexibility of the racquet and the extra weight result in a comfortable racquet even with stiff strings. I'm not sure that I'm up to experimenting as I've played this setup for the past ten years and it's nice to not have to think about some aspects of your equipment unless you know that you can find something a lot better.
Thanks Jonas, worthwhile experiment. How was serving at such a low tension? An adjustment period reigning in control? Did you find more cheap/free points because of increased power?
Were your comments for all strokes? We’re serves more powerful but harder to control? 2nd serve - better with more spin?
For those w/o a lot of string experience: going to a thinner gauge might be another option if ‘more power’ is your quest - won’t have the control issues. The downside is breakage.
Very interesting, thanks 🤗
Love it! Will try Hyper G 17 around 30lbs. Thanks
Thanks! Good luck!
This tension will work well with 18x20
Thank You for testing this for us, I will try this out for sure too! Do You know where on the racket Mannarino has lead tape placed?
I play with 29 pounds and have won a national senior championship… racket size 105…
Well done
You should do this on a more tight pattern like your prestige MP/Pro
i've noticed that if the tension is too low it puts extra strain on your arm because the ball stays on the string bed too long..... also i feel like the low tension works better against stronger hitters, otherwise you need to be a bit more aggressive with your swing to get good action.....opinions ?
There is a stringing instruction by Dustin brown suggesting he has his rackets strung at 37 (!) kg
cool, ill have to try this. not this extreme but poly is too stiff feeling for my arm and shoulder and i am often late on my shot
Doesn't make sense to play sooo low for club player. Pro plays with fresh new strings at all their hitting sessions. The loss of control when the tension drop is dramatic when it's already that low.
I m playing on my Prince 95 Equipe LB at 17kg and wouldn t go below for that reason. But this is just a number, I guess on a less powerfull raquet I could probably drop a couple kg further, or take a thinner gauge, or use smthg else more lively. The kind of strings makes a total difference.
Can you hit a topspin backhand consistently with this setup? You hit with all slice on your backhand!
Daniel Nestor supposedly strung as low as 11 pounds! The only person I know that went lower than Adrian Mannarino 12 kg. I don't know of anyone active on the tour that strings lower than 12kg, since the next lowest I know is Jack Sock at 35 pounds. I'm tempted to try stringing at 35 lb (usually string around 50 pounds atm)
I string my 15 yr old sons racquet at 35lbs, and mine as well. Try it. It solves arms problems!!
Thank you for eview. As an addition, it is worth to try different strings its different behaviour under low lensions. e.g Yonex PolyTour Pro is very good at low tension but other strings are not...PS: your FH technique is better with AeroPro SW-like racket than with your usual monster-SW racquets) Or maybe softer stringbed allows you to swing more freely. What do you think?
Muchos puede mantener peloteos con raquetas de baja tension...pero en partido y corriendo es otra cosa yo ya voy 3 años con tensión de 35 LB y cuando te acostumbras..quieres bajar mas...ese el problema..creo que a Adrian le ha pasado lo mismo
If you use an old string that has been sitting in the racket for say 6 months and dropped tension by say 10lbs, is it going to feel relatively the same as stringing a fresh one at that lower tension?
No because it won't be as elastic
Folks, a tennis nerd will always spend the $ on gamma glide cross strings in order to study and project the results of main string quality. These playtesters are holding back a lot of information. To tennisnerd: "this video should've been at least 9 hours long. {(filled with the following play style templates): #1: 90-93" heads; varying string beds from different eras; #2: 95-97" heads; varying string beds from different eras; #3: 98-100" heads; varying string beds.}
They should've maxed out each racquet's potential swing weight by adding lead tape to the middle neck, also @ 3 & 9 o'clock, also at 11 & 1 o'clock, and they should've done so in front of the camera for all to see.
They should've used various low tensions from 35-48 lbs., They should've used 15-16 gauge strings for the 98-100" heads, they should've used 16-16l gauge strings for the 95-97" heads, and they should've used 17l-18g strings for the 90-93" heads. Never using full set poly's ever. Always spending the money on gamma glide 16g to pair with the poly being playtested ($11 extra per racquet setup).
They should've conducted themselves on various court surfaces and in various humidity conditions, 2 playtesters in Florida on clay, 2 playtesters in northern California on a hard court, and 2 playtesters in the new England area of the u.s. on a grass court. Then they should've all come back a few times whenever mother nature created a various humidity conditions for them to experiment with.
The play testers would also allow other playtesters who have completely different play styles and different swing types to repeat the same experiments. These "tennis nerds" need to step their quality of teaching. Tennis is a science that can show a person who they really are, as long as a certain criteria is met. One's standard of living should exceed their level of preparation. The person who trains hardest, and who prepares for longer a duration of time, and who values fun on court just as much as serious training for competition, will always win every match as long as they are not malnourished, and as long as they are on top of their ***t (as long as their priorities are in check).
These folks's priorities are not in check, they should have the bravery and maturity to check themselves into a mental health facility like Mr. Nadal did.
If the staff of "tennis nerds" were as serious as they should be about teaching, America would be #1 in tennis. The sad truth is, we Americans have more options and don't necessarily have to work as hard as other foreign athletes; we Americans tend to get easily distracted by a decidant lifestyle of over-stimulation.
These people are pretending to be nerds, they have lives of their own. A nerd has no life, very few to no friends at all. A true tennis nerd has no life outside of tennis, is 98-99% antisocial & spends the majority of one's time researching better odds for success.
A true tennis nerd has no life outside of tennis. Tennis is their emotional battlefield. The wall is their best friend, rain or shine.
Great video. Will low tension improve the life span of a poly (does it go dead earlier or later)?
Will extend life of strings 100% as is stretched less
Thanks!
So a genius player could choose low tension racquet for 1st set, and then high tension racquet for 2nd set or for different games depending on receiving serves just to confuse ur opponent?
Thanks for the video! Speaking of more compact swings, I play in a doubles league and I'm always trying to adapt to shorter swings - especially return of serve. Do you have any info on doubles players' string tensions?