How Often Should You Restring a Tennis Racket? (The Rule Most Players Get Wrong)
Updated: 10 hours ago
The classic rule, the one most shops still quote: restring your racket as many times per year as you play per week. Play twice a week, restring twice a year. Play four times a week, restring every three months. And even if you barely play, restring at least once before every season, because strings lose tension sitting in the bag whether you hit with them or not.
That rule is a good starting point. Wilson itself now calls it a minimum rather than a target, and it is flat wrong for one very common group of players, which we will get to.
Why "wait until it breaks" is costing you
Most recreational players restring when a string snaps. By then the racket has been playing badly for weeks, sometimes months. Strings do not go from great to broken. They lose tension from the moment they are strung (lab tests at Tennis Warehouse University show strings can lose up to 15 lbs in the first minute after stringing and as much as 20 lbs over the first 20 hits before they settle), and they keep losing it after that, faster in heat and with heavy hitting.
What that feels like on court: balls that used to land inside the baseline start sailing long. Your control goes before you notice the strings look any different. Then the feel goes muted and dead, and more shock reaches your elbow and shoulder. You start swinging differently to compensate, which is how bad habits and sore arms begin.
The poly exception
If you use polyester string (Luxilon ALU Power, Solinco Hyper G, Babolat RPM Blast, Yonex Poly Tour Pro, and so on), throw the yearly rule out. Poly almost never breaks, which is exactly the problem: it goes "dead" long before it snaps. Dead poly is stiff, low powered, has lost the snap-back that produced spin, and is harsher on the arm than fresh string.
For most players, poly has a useful life of roughly 10 to 20 hours of play. Count hours, not months. A high school player practicing 5 days a week can kill a poly in two to three weeks. The pros go through several freshly strung rackets per match, which is the only reason full poly works for them at all.
Playing in the CIF playoffs? Our checklist on when to restring before a tennis tournament covers the timing.
Five signs your strings are done
The mains no longer snap back straight. Push a main string sideways with your thumb. Fresh strings spring back parallel. Dead strings stay crooked. This is the earliest and most reliable sign.
Notching. Look where the mains and crosses intersect. Grooves worn into the strings lock the bed in place and kill spin.
Balls fly long or spray. You have not changed your swing, but the ball is not going where it used to.
Dull, muted feel. No pop on contact. Often paired with a tired or sore arm after hitting.
Fraying. On multifilament or natural gut, visible fuzz means the string is coming apart and will break soon.
If you see two of these, you are past due.
Not sure? Text a photo of your string bed to A1 Stringing at (909) 334 2676 and we will tell you whether it is time.
What about a racket that has been sitting?
Strings keep losing tension even in the closet. A racket that has been in the garage since last season almost certainly needs new strings before you play with it, no matter how good they look. And leaving a racket in a hot car trunk is one of the fastest ways to kill a fresh string job; Tennis Warehouse University measured 30 to 76 percent more tension loss in strings that were heated after settling.
Make it a habit, not an emergency
The easiest system: restring at the start of every season, and mid-season if you play more than three times a week or use poly. Write your string and tension inside the throat with a paint pen or keep it in your phone so every restring feels the same.
How A1 Stringing can help
Restringing on schedule is easier when it is easy to get your racket to us. We string premium strings only from Wilson, Luxilon, HEAD, Solinco, Babolat and Yonex, we will recommend a string and tension if you want one, and every job includes a free overgrip.
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.
Due for fresh strings? Book your restring online, or text (909) 334 2676.
Keep reading: best tennis strings for tennis elbow and how to choose the right string tension.
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
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