A frequently asked question by our clients at the World Headquarters of Racquet Quest, LLC is “what is your favorite string?”
I am going to tell you what it is, and tell you why it is, and why, I believe, it should be your favorite string as well!
VS Team v VS Team
It should come as no surprise that natural gut is our favorite string! Well, of course, you say! It is probably everyones favorite but it is way too expensive for most recreational players! You are correct that natural gut is everyones “favorite” string, however, you may not be correct about it being too “expensive” for recreational players!
What follows is predicated on the belief that “performance” is the primary factor in selecting a string.
On the positive side:
- Natural gut plays better longer than any other material.
- Natural gut is more stable than most string materials.
- Natural gut is more forgiving (comfort) than most other materials.
- Natural gut is more eco-friendly than other materials.
- Natural gut is a good hybrid component.
On the not so positive side:
- Natural gut is expensive @ $70.00 to $75.00 (installed).
- Natural gut is more expensive than other materials.
- Making natural gut string is very labor intensive.
- Making high quality natural gut is limited to a “few” major manufacturers.
- Natural gut can be affected by moisture.
And, how do you quantify “plays better”, anyway? Some players are fine with string that has long since offered any performance! Some strings have a “play”life of a couple of hours! So, the player must decide on what is important.
But, if you ask us, natural gut is our favorite string!