Racket Restringing Service + FAQs

RACKET RE-STRINGING SERVICE

Our team of tennis racket stringers string in studio, daily. Turn around time is 2-4 working days and at peak tennis season this might take longer.

If you need your racket strung urgently you can pay a small additional charge of up to £10 on top of the restringing price to have your racket back quicker.

We have a fair amount of knowledge on rackets and strings and we are happy to support you with trustful, safe and free advice on tennis strings that can help improve your tennis, based on your specific needs.

Restringing service prices start at £22 depending on the strings you choose. We can also get your racket restrung with your own strings at £18 per frame.

We have a few pick up/drop off locations around north and east London, and we’re just a phone call (or text, email) away so please do get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.

Now we understand it may be tricky to purchase restringing service online if you don’t even know that theres’s different types of strings. We put together some info for you below but this list is non exhaustive. Feel free to get in touch for free and safe advice on all things tennis.

Strings
Tennis strings have many variables such as the type, or the material strings are made of (polyester, synthetic, natural gut), its thickness (aka string gauges) and tension - in kilos (kg) or in pounds (lbs) - which is how tight a stringing machine will pull the strings in a racket.

Types of Strings

Synthetic Gut:
Synthetic Gut strings are designed for all players. It is a soft string that provides power/spin whilst still providing a soft feel. This can be a good option for preventing elbow or arm pain. It isn’t the most durable string but is still more durable than multifilament and natural gut strings.

Polyester:
Polyester strings are a lot firmer than the others providing control and spin helping players keep the ball on court since it reduces the amount of power produced. Polyester strings can be produced in rough or shaped versions that give a little more bite on the ball allowing for extra spin. The hard feeling of a polyester string means it is not recommended for those with arm injuries or those who need a little extra power. Not recommended for beginners.

Natural Gut:
This is supposed to be the best of all string materials. It delivers exceptional feel, playability and tension maintenance; therefore these are the most expensive string on the market and it’s not very durable either. It is often used in hybrid setups to counter this. Players like Federer, Murray and Djokovic do that. 

Multifilament:
Multifilament are strings made of multifilament synthetic materials as opposed to monofilament strings such as synthetic gut (made of nylon) or polyester. Today, multifilament are the closest string you can get from the incredibly comfortable feeling provided by natural gut. It provides good access to power, very good tension maintenance, though it is harder to control especially on lower tensions as ‘multis’ don’t offer too much access to spin. A few multis get actually really close to that natural gut feeling, but not quite. They’re usually the second most expensive strings on the market and they’re not very durable either just like natural gut.

Hybrid:
Now this is a great option to combine all of the above. Being able to get 'the best of both worlds' so to speak is growing in popularity. Typically putting the polyester in the mains and a synthetic gut/natural gut in the crosses allows you to strike a balance between the control of a polyester with the powerful and soft touch feeling of a synthetic or natural gut.

Gauges
Most tennis strings are made in 1.25mm. Thicker strings have become more popular especially for professionals and advanced amateur who break strings really often. The thicker the string, more durable… You can find strings in 1.30 and 1.35mm too. Thinner strings are also available on the market on 1.10, 1.15, 1.18, 1.20mm as they increase the playability and the main characteristics of a string however offering less durability, which may not be a problem for beginners, intermediates or advanced who don’t break strings easily. Beginners and intermediates should definitely stay away from thicker polyester strings.

Tension
Lower tension gives more power and a higher tension gives more control. There are obviously exceptions to this rule but generally this is a good rule of thumb to go by. For players that access easy spin, it’s been found that polyester may work well even on lower tensions, even though such a combination would mean loss of control. Multifilament and Natural Gut

We appreciate you don’t need to know all these and that’s why we are here for you. Please ask us for help and we will explain how the type of string selected and tension selection interact to change the characteristics of your racket.

Racket Restringing FAQ

1. Why would I need new strings in my racket in first place?
Well, strings will lose tension the more you use them. Loss of tension overtime will result in loss of control on your shots. This is the first aspect you should look at when asking yourself whether you need new strings on your racket. Additionally, by repeatedly making contact with a ball, strings will tear and eventually break, meaning someone trained for it, using a specific stringing machine will be able to restring your racket. Please note that in the case of polyester strings, the tension maintenance is very poor and the drastic loss may result in you having ‘dead strings’ in the frame form within 3-6 months being used, without breaking or being replaced.

An average recommendation for club, recreational players is that, in a year, strings should be replaced matching the amount of time you play per week, if not before due to breakage (ex.: I play three times a week so I should get it restrung at least three times a year). This is no rule and string is a very personal, subjective matter. We’d like to think that a good time to change strings before they break could be when you start missing ofter or losing confidence in that one shot you can always trust.

2. Racket Restringing - how does it work?
Whenever your string breaks or feel like you need new ones visit our shop and select the strings of your choice. As you proceed to pay, you’ll select variables such as where to drop off and collect your racket, and tour preferred turnaround. After purchasing racket restringing service, our team will be in touch to ensure your needs are met.

3. What about if i don’t know which strings to choose?
You can get in touch via email (hello@fabtennis.co.uk) or via Whatsapp (+44 07592530789) for free and trustful advice on any tennis related matter, especially on best strings for you. Whether you need more spin, more control or to prevent tennis elbow, we are here to help you find the best gear.

4. Why do you have different prices for restringing?

First of all strings will vary in price as each string is made differently, either with polyester or nylon, etc. But also, we offer at least three different prices depending on the turnaround you’re looking for. It usually takes 2-4 working days to get a racket collected, restrung and delivered, but we can jump your racket in the queue, for an extra, should you need it back quicker.
Select the right turnaround when choosing your strings.

5. What’s hybrid stringing?

First of all, hybrid restringing service is when we put a string on the mains and a different string on the crosses. There are many pros and cons but hybrid stringing is very popular on professional tennis and players use hybrid strings in multiple ways.

6. How do I purchase a hybrid restringing service?

We do have a few popular hybrid options in our online shop. However, if you wish to purchase a specific hybrid restringing service, please select the most expensive string out of the two you’re willing to have in a hybrid set up. Make sure you make a note on the contact form before purchase, detailing how you’d like your hybrid to be done (on mains and on crosses). Feel free to call us for advice.

7. What if I’m still not comfortable with purchasing this service online?

That’s not a problem at all. The online shop is here to make it easier for players who are used to the process that at present still mostly happens offline, and it requires a few phone calls between racket drop, service and pick up. However, a lot of customers still prefer to call or text to arrange everything and we’ll be very pleased to help you as well, through the website, phone call, text, whatsapp or email.