Ranking Every Poly I’ve Every Tried

String Reviews

Aug 11

This list will be updated as I try more strings. Last update: August 11, 2023.

Criteria

Accounting for different gauges and colours, I’ve tried well over 100 different polyester strings, and still I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s out there. The following is a list of polyester strings ranked by a single criteria: tournament play. The first string on the list would be my first choice if I had to play a tennis tournament. The last string on the list is the last choice.

When it comes to tournament play, control, playability duration and tension maintenance are king for me. Spin and feel are also very important, while power is less so. Price was less carefully considered for this list because the price of tennis strings varies wildly depending on your region.

Eligibility

For a string to quality for this list, I must have played with the string in my racquet of choice at the time. I must have also played with it fresh and at a reasonable tension. For example, if I had only tried Lynx Tour at 20lbs (when my normal tension is 50lbs) it would have been omitted.

I also chose to omit minor differentiating factors, such as gauge and colour. While these factors do have an impact on playability, I felt that there were sufficiently minor to omit. I think most players have a preferred gauge based on their racquet setups, playing style and level. For example, I wouldn’t want someone who usually uses 1.20mm to choose 1.25mm because I ranked 1.25mm higher given that it’s the gauge I prefer. I also never felt colour influenced playability enough to warrant ranking one type of string between two different colours of another type of string. For example, nesting Signum Pro Firestorm between Toroline Wasabi pink and red.

Bias

It’s important to note that some of the strings of this list were tested up to 6 years ago, as this was the time I first started experimenting with strings under a critical lens. This huge time gap means that I’m doing my best to remember the playability, as its simply impossible to perform side-by-side tests on this volume of strings.

I also have affiliate partnerships with some of the string companies below. This means I am paid a commission based on sales generated from my affiliate codes or links. This also means that I am able to get some of these strings for free. I have not let these partnership influence my rankings.