Almost since the beginning of the “polyester” era, the “promotable advantage” was the strings ability to slide and snapback creating the much coveted “spin.”

However, the packaging of a very popular polyester string makes a contrary claim stating that the string “resists movement”!  But, more power and spin!  So, we can have both according to this manufacturer.

Resists Movement!

So, the question, then, is what contributes to spin?

The simple answer is friction!  Also, simply, spin happens when the ball is no longer sliding on the strings and starts to rotate.  Once the rotation starts nothing else matters not even sliding string.  In fact based on some very high-speed photos, we can see that too much string movement can decrease spin, or at least slow it down.

When evaluating string please keep in mind that there are many variables that can enhance or mitigate any performance.  A tried and true way to produce spin is to hit low to high and follow through as much as your arm will allow!