Best Tennis Strings for Tennis Elbow: What Actually Takes Stress Off Your Arm

If you are searching for the best tennis strings for tennis elbow, here is the short version: natural gut or a soft multifilament, strung a few pounds below the middle of your racket's recommended range, and replaced before it goes dead. The setup we see most often on sore arms is stiff polyester at high tension that has been in the frame for months, and that is the first thing to change. New string will not cure tennis elbow by itself. But it is the cheapest, fastest adjustment you can make, and most players never think to try it.

Why strings matter for a sore arm

Every ball you hit sends a jolt up the frame and into your forearm. How big that jolt feels depends on how stiff the string bed is. A harsh string bed comes from four things: a stiff string material (polyester), high tension, a stiff frame, and strings that have gone dead (they lose their elasticity and stop snapping back, and your arm reads that as harshness). Stack two or three of those together and, in our experience, that is the setup most often sitting in a sore-armed player's bag.

Polyester deserves a special mention because it is the most popular string among competitive players and the least forgiving. It is firm to begin with, and it loses tension faster than any other type, so often within 10 to 20 hours of play, sometimes sooner, it feels mushy and harsh at the same time. Players keep it because it does not break, so it stays in the racket long after it stopped being good for the arm.

The three arm-friendly setups, in order

1. Natural gut. The softest, most elastic string made, and it holds tension better than anything else, so it stays comfortable for longer. Babolat Touch VS and Wilson Natural Gut are the two we string most. The tradeoffs are price (gut costs several times more than a multi) and sensitivity to humidity, so it is not ideal if your racket lives in a car trunk.

2. Soft multifilament. Hundreds or thousands of fine fibers wrapped together to mimic gut. Wilson NXT, Head Velocity MLT, and Babolat Xcel are all excellent for arm comfort at a fraction of the cost of gut. Multis fray visibly as they wear and usually break before long, which is actually helpful: you can see when they are done.

3. Soft poly, strung low, or a hybrid. If you have advanced technique and rely on poly for spin and control, you do not necessarily have to give it up. Switch to a softer poly such as Yonex Poly Tour Air, Luxilon ALU Power Soft, or Solinco Hyper-G Soft and string it in the mid to high 40s. Or go hybrid: gut or multi in the mains with a soft poly in the crosses. Gut and poly hybrids are what Djokovic and a number of other top pros play, mostly for feel and tension hold, and the comfort comes along for free. Either way, restring on a schedule, because soft poly still goes dead.

If you are a beginner or an intermediate player with elbow pain and you are currently in full poly, our recommendation is simple: move to option one or two.

Not sure which of the three fits you? When you book with A1 Stringing, put your arm symptoms in the notes and we will recommend one for your racket and game.

Tension: lower is kinder

Lower tension generally means more dwell time, a bigger sweet spot, and a softer feel at impact. As a general rule, drop 2 to 4 pounds from your current tension and, with gut or multi, stay inside the range printed on your frame. If you are stringing poly, the mid to high 40s is where comfort-focused players tend to settle, even if that lands a little under the printed range, because poly is designed to be strung lower. Change in small steps and give each setting a couple of sessions. Your arm will tell you quickly.

Gauge matters less than you think

Thinner strings are slightly softer and more elastic, so a 17 gauge multi will feel a touch more forgiving than a 16. But gauge is a small lever. Material and tension are the big ones. If you break strings, keep the thicker gauge and fix the material first.

Three things new string will not fix

Dead strings make everything worse, so if your racket has been sitting since last season it needs fresh string regardless of the type. Beyond that, a very stiff frame (stiffness rating above the mid 60s) will send shock through even a gut string bed, and an undersized grip or hitting late can load the forearm on every shot. If your elbow has been hurting for more than a few weeks, see a doctor or physical therapist. We can make the racket kinder to your arm, but we cannot fix mechanics or treat an injury.

How A1 Stringing can help

Tell us your symptoms, your current string and tension, and your racket make and model, and we will recommend an arm friendly setup. We string premium strings only from Wilson, Luxilon, HEAD, Solinco, Babolat and Yonex, natural gut included, every job includes a free overgrip, and we inspect the frame before stringing so a cracked racket is never hidden under new string.

Book a day ahead and your racket is strung while you wait. Need it today? Same day rush slots are available. Drop offs at the 24/7 drop box are ready in 24 to 48 hours. Pickup and drop off is available in nearby zones, and teams and groups can book mobile on site stringing.

Current prices for every service, from stringing and rush slots to pickup, mobile visits and the 3 Pack, are always up to date on our Book Online page. Prices do not include sales tax.

Ready to give your elbow a break? Book your restring online and tell us about your arm in the notes, or text (909) 334 2676.

Keep reading: poly vs multifilament vs natural gut and how often to restring a tennis racket.

Follow A1 Stringing on Instagram at @a1_stringing for stringing tips and shop updates, and share this post with a teammate who needs it. New posts go up every Thursday.

A note on this post: this is general information based on our experience as stringers and on the sources referenced above. It is not medical or professional advice, and the right string, tension, and equipment for you depend on your racket, technique, and physical condition, so results vary. Always check your racket manufacturer's recommended tension range, confirm current prices and specifications with the retailer or manufacturer, and see a qualified medical professional for any pain or injury.

Nathan Lee | Owner, A1 Stringing