Find the string type that fits how you play.
Answer 8 quick questions to get a suggested string category and three researched models to compare, with clear reasons and tradeoffs.
Start the string finder ↗A better starting point for your gameYour game.
Your game.
Your feel.
Your strings.
Cut through the string confusion. Find a setup that fits how you play, what you need, and what you want to feel.
Find my string type ↗8 quick questions · No account needed
Good tennis starts with the right feel.A string setup is personal. Let's find your starting point.
Built around your playing needsClear reasons behind every resultComfort comes into the conversation
COACH SHELBY'S TENNIS TOOLS
Start with the tool that fits your question.
Use these quick, no-account tools to explore equipment choices and understand the tradeoffs before you talk with your coach or stringer.
Need a reusable record? Use the free tennis string log. Want the basics first? Read our guide to choosing tennis strings or guide to choosing a tennis racquet.
Compare racquets for your game.
Share how you play and what you want to feel. Get three researched demo candidates and understand how each may suit your needs.
Use the racquet picker ↗Know the string name already?
Search researched string models by brand, model, or thickness.
Search strings ↗The string finder
Less guesswork.
More time on court.
Tell us a little about your game. We'll suggest a string category to discuss with your stringer, plus the tradeoffs to consider.
Get a suggested category and three researched string models to compare. Answers stay in this page and are not submitted.
Want monthly tennis articles and product picks? Join Coach Shelby's Tennis Notes. The tools work without a subscription.
Coach Shelby's racquet picker
Find a racquet that supports your game.
Tell us how you play and what you want to feel. Get three researched demo candidates with the reasons and tradeoffs behind each.
This first version focuses on standard adult racquets. Style matters alongside handling, comfort, and a repeatable swing. No email is required; answers stay in this page. Want monthly tennis articles and product picks? Join Coach Shelby's Tennis Notes.
Racquet basics before you start
Head size: the area inside the hoop, usually measured in square inches. A larger area can offer more forgiveness, but does not determine the whole response.
Weight: total mass. Compare strung figures with strung figures; installed strings and accessories add weight.
Balance and swingweight: weight distribution and resistance to rotation help explain why two equally heavy racquets can handle differently. More swingweight is not automatically better.
String pattern: 16 × 19 means 16 lengthwise main strings and 19 cross strings. Pattern, spacing, strings, and technique all influence the response.
Grip and length: fit the handle to your hand and check the right length. Junior sizing needs separate attention. Don't select grip size just by gender or the professional player who endorses a model.
Already know what you want?
Find a specific string.
Search the 12 product variants we've researched by brand, model, or thickness. This is a starter catalog, not Tennis Warehouse's full selection or a live stock feed.
Type a model, brand, or thickness to search our 12 researched product variants.
Can't find it here? Visit Tennis Warehouse. These are ordinary links; affiliate tracking is not active.
Know your setup
String basics, in plain English.
You don't need to know the jargon to use the picker. Start here, and choose “I don't know” whenever you're unsure.
What is the string made of?
Synthetic gut is usually a nylon string built for balanced play and value. Multifilament bundles many fibers and often offers softer feel and easier power. Polyester is generally firmer and lower powered. Natural gut is elastic and usually costs more. A hybrid combines strings in one racquet. These are categories, not guarantees about every model.
Gauge means thickness.
In the usual U.S. system, higher numbers mean thinner strings: 17 is thinner than 16. An L means a thinner version of that gauge, such as 16L. Labels vary across brands, so compare the actual diameter in millimeters.
Example: 1.20 mm is thinner than 1.30 mm. Within the same model, a thicker version generally resists breakage better. Thinner does not automatically mean better or guarantee more spin.
Check the packet, receipt, or stringer's record. You do not need to guess by looking at your racquet.
How tightly was it strung?
Tension is the pull used during stringing, usually recorded in pounds or kilograms. It is different from gauge. For example, “17 gauge at 50 pounds” describes two separate things: thickness and stringing tension.
Use your racquet's recommended range as a reference and ask your stringer how material and tension work together. Change one variable at a time.
Unbroken doesn't mean unchanged.
Strings can lose playing characteristics before they break. Record what you use, the stringing date, playing hours, and how it feels. Your own breakage rate and changing response are more useful than one replacement schedule for everyone.
Learn more in Tennis Warehouse's string-basics guide.
Choose equipment that supports your game.
I order my strings from Tennis Warehouse because I want the exact model and gauge that give me the response I rely on. That choice helps me play my game.
Coach Shelby
Your string choice doesn't have to stop at what's on your local shop's shelf. Local selection and installation prices vary. Compare the full cost, including string, shipping, and labor, and ask whether your stringer stocks or will install the setup you want.
Before ordering, confirm the exact model and thickness, the quantity needed for your racquet, and any charge for installing customer-supplied strings.
Learn with Coach Shelby
Know your equipment. Give your shots a purpose.
Does your racket fit the way you play?
Start with the swing you have and understand what your frame helps you do.
Read the racket lessonWhat string is actually in your racket?
Learn the difference between gauge and tension, and keep a useful stringing record.
Read the string lessonYour questions and equipment stories
We're planning Ask Coach Shelby and Share Your Setup features for our monthly newsletter.
Coming soon. Submission forms and gift selections are not open. Eligibility and any gift terms will be announced before entries are accepted.