Checklist

Restring when the bed, not the calendar, says so.

A practical follow-up to the UK service-price guide. Not a hands-on string test and not a ranked “best string” list.

When to restring

You break a main or cross — restring; do not keep playing on a half-dead bed.
Notch depth: mains look sawn where crosses pass, or the bed feels “boardy” and lifeless.
Tension loss you can feel: balls sail long on your normal swing compared with the first weeks after stringing.
Fray, fuzz, or a sharp edge that catches a finger — especially on multi or syn gut.
Rule of thumb many stringers cite: restring about as often per year as you play per week — a planning aid, not a lab result. Adjust for poly (loses tension faster for many players) vs multi.

Before you book

Ask whether the quote is labour only or string + labour (see dated price examples).
Name the string type and gauge you want — or ask for a recommendation and write it down.
Agree tension and whether the machine is calibrated / how they tension (ask “why this number?”).
Confirm turnaround and any postage or urgent fee.

Type choice for club players

Polyester is not automatically an upgrade.

For a social or improving player who rarely breaks strings, start the conversation with synthetic gut or multifilament before premium polyester. Match the bed to how often you break strings and how much comfort you need — not to what tour players use on TV.

Synthetic gut — common, affordable starting point; fine for many club nights if you do not snap strings often.
Multifilament — usually the comfort-led ask when your arm or elbow complains on poly or a dead bed.
Polyester (full bed) — durability and control for heavy hitters who break soft strings; can feel stiff and lose tension; not the default “upgrade” for every adult beginner.
Hybrid — poly in one direction, softer string in the other; a middle path when you want some bite without a full poly bed. Ask the stringer which goes in mains vs crosses for your goal.

Gauge: thicker generally lasts longer and feels firmer; thinner often feels springier and may break sooner. Pick with your stringer rather than chasing a number from a forum.

Tension

Use the frame’s recommended range as the map.

Find the manufacturer’s recommended tension range on the racket or spec sheet.
Tell the stringer your goal (more pocket / more control) and your last setup if you know it.
Change one variable at a time — type or tension — so you learn what mattered.
We don’t give one “best tension” for everyone, because we haven’t lab-tested that.

Demo or new racket: one thing to check

Shop demos are often strung differently from what you will buy. Note type and tension on the demo tag, then restring your purchased frame to your plan — see also the 30-minute demo checklist.

Compare labour vs string-included quotes on the strings guide, then book with the four questions answered.

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