How Often Should You Restring Your Tennis Racquet?
Quick answer: A common rule of thumb is to restring your tennis racquet as many times a year as you play per week. If you play three times a week, restring about three times a year. Players using polyester strings, hitting hard or playing competitively should restring more often, because poly loses tension and goes dead sooner.
Strings don’t have to break to need replacing. From the moment a racquet is strung, the strings start losing tension and elasticity, and the racquet slowly plays differently. Here’s how to tell when it’s time for fresh strings.
How often should you restring a tennis racquet?
Start with the times-per-week rule: restring as many times a year as you play in a week. Babolat suggests a similar baseline of about every three months for regular players. Treat these as starting points, then adjust for your strings, your game and how the racquet feels.
| You play… | Restring about… | Roughly every… |
|---|---|---|
| Once a week | Once a year | 12 months |
| Twice a week | Twice a year | 6 months |
| 3 times a week | 3 times a year | 4 months |
| 4 times a week | 4 times a year | 3 months |
| 5 or more times a week | 5+ times a year | Every 2 months or sooner |
Rule of thumb for recreational players (Tennis Warehouse). Polyester users and competitive players usually need to restring more often.
Does string type change how often you should restring?
Yes. Different materials lose tension and liveliness at different rates. In Tennis Warehouse University testing, polyester lost the most tension, followed by nylon, with natural gut losing the least. Players often report that poly feels “dead” after anywhere from about 2 to 20 hours of play. See our tennis string types guide for more on each material.
| String type | Tension holding | What usually ends its life | Restring guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyester (co-poly) | Poor | Goes dead (loses tension and snapback) before it breaks | More often than the times-per-week rule |
| Multifilament | Very good | Fraying, then breaking | Use the rule; restring when fraying is heavy |
| Synthetic gut | Average | Loss of feel or breaking | Use the rule |
| Natural gut | Best | Breaking or moisture damage | Use the rule; keep it dry |
Tension holding from Tennis Warehouse; tension loss order from Tennis Warehouse University.
How do you know when your strings are dead?
- The ball flies long or feels less controlled, even though your swing hasn’t changed.
- The stringbed feels stiff, harsh or “boardy” instead of lively.
- The strings stay out of place after shots instead of snapping back, so you straighten them often.
- You’re getting less spin than you used to.
- The sound has changed to a dull thud.
- The strings are frayed or notched, especially at the crossings, which means a break is close.
Why do strings lose tension?
Strings start losing tension right after stringing and keep losing it as you play, because the material stretches and relaxes under load. With polyester especially, the string also loses its ability to stretch and spring back, and the strings start to rub instead of sliding. That reduces snapback, which costs spin and makes the stringbed feel dead.
Should you restring if your strings haven’t broken?
Yes. Waiting for a break means playing for weeks or months on strings that have lost much of their tension and elasticity. Dead polyester in particular feels harsh, which some players find uncomfortable on the arm. If you rarely break strings, schedule restrings by the calendar or by how the racquet feels.
Should you restring a new racquet?
Many new racquets come pre-strung with a basic nylon string at a standard tension, and some are sold unstrung. A pre-strung racquet is fine to play with. Players who want a specific string or tension often restring a new racquet right away. If you buy an unstrung frame, choose a string and a tension within the manufacturer’s recommended range; stringing above the maximum can void the warranty. Our tennis strings buying guide explains how to choose a tension.
Where can I get my racquet restrung?
We string racquets in-store on Baiardo stringing machines, with standard and one-hour stringing options, and we offer string consultations if you aren’t sure what to choose. See our racquet services page for details and current options.
The bottom line
Restring as many times a year as you play per week, and more often if you use polyester or play competitively. Don’t wait for a string to break: if the ball flies long, spin drops or the strings feel harsh and stay out of place, it’s time. Pick strings with our tennis string types guide and choose a tension with our tennis strings buying guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long do tennis strings last if you don’t play?
Strings lose tension even when the racquet isn’t used, because the material relaxes over time. A racquet that has sat unused for many months will usually play noticeably differently from a freshly strung one, so consider restringing before you start playing again.
How often do pros restring?
Many professional players have their racquets freshly strung for every match, because they want consistent, fresh string tension. Recreational players don’t need that frequency.
How long does restringing take?
It depends on the shop and how busy it is. We offer standard stringing and a one-hour stringing service; see our racquet services page for current details.
Does tension loss mean I should string tighter?
Not necessarily. Stringing tighter doesn’t stop tension loss, and too high a tension can make the racquet feel stiff and reduce power. Restringing more often is the usual fix for strings that go dead.
Can I keep playing with a broken string?
It isn’t a good idea. Once one string breaks, the stringbed loses its even tension, so the racquet plays inconsistently. Have it restrung before your next session. If you break strings often, a more durable string or a thicker gauge may help.