Most tennis strings fall into three main families: polyester, multifilament, and natural gut.
Choosing the right family is often more important than choosing the exact model. Each one has a different balance of power, spin, control, comfort, durability, and tension stability — so start with the characteristics that suit your game.
Polyester / co-polyester
Polyester strings are typically monofilaments made from a single solid material. They’re generally firmer and more control-oriented than other string types, with relatively low power and strong spin potential.
Modern co-polys are designed to improve on traditional polyester, offering different combinations of feel, snap-back, control, and tension maintenance. Shaped and textured versions can further increase spin potential.
The trade-off is comfort and longevity of playability. Poly is generally stiffer than other string families and can lose its best playing characteristics relatively quickly.
Who it suits: intermediate to advanced players with a fast, full swing who generate their own power and want control and spin.
Think twice if: you have arm sensitivity or regularly play with a short, slow swing that benefits from a more powerful and forgiving stringbed.
Multifilament
Multifilament strings are made from hundreds or thousands of fine fibres, designed to replicate some of the feel and elasticity of natural gut.
They’re typically soft, comfortable, powerful, and responsive, making them one of the most forgiving options for players who don’t need the control of a polyester.
The trade-off is usually durability and spin potential. Multifilaments can fray with use, and they generally don’t provide the same snap-back and ball bite as a modern co-poly.
Who it suits: beginners and improving players, players looking for more power and comfort, and anyone who prioritises feel over maximum spin and control.
Natural gut
Natural gut is made from cow serosa and remains the benchmark for comfort, power, feel, and tension stability.
It offers an exceptionally lively and responsive feel while maintaining tension extremely well. The downside is the price and durability — especially for players who generate heavy spin. Gut can also be more sensitive to moisture and environmental conditions.
Who it suits: players who want premium feel and performance, players looking for maximum comfort, and anyone who wants excellent power and tension stability.
The middle ground: hybrid
You don’t have to choose just one.
A hybrid combines two different strings in the same racquet — for example, co-poly mains with natural gut or multifilament crosses. This lets you combine characteristics from different string families, such as the spin and control of poly with the comfort and feel of a softer string.
Hybrid setups are widely used at the highest levels of the game and can be an excellent way to fine-tune your stringbed.
Want to learn more? Read our guide to hybrid stringing.
So which one should you choose?
There is no single “best” string family. The right choice depends on your level, swing speed, playing style, priorities, and arm comfort.
As a simple starting point:
- Want control and spin? Co-poly.
- Want comfort and power? Multifilament.
- Want maximum feel and tension stability? Natural gut.
- Want a combination? Hybrid.
And if you’re still unsure, use the Tennis Cube String Finder or explore our string ratings to compare options across all six performance categories.