How Pro Players use Equipment to Advance Their game

Key Points

• How Small Equipment Changes Impact Elite Tennis Players
  
• Tiny gear changes = big impact at the top level:
  For elite athletes, a 1% change in string or racket setup can result in a 10% performance
• Example – Andy Murray’s string gauge test:
  Andy Murray tested 1.25mm vs 1.30mm string gauges.
  The thinner gauge gave him 6 km/h more serve speed, a notable difference.
  However, in match play, he felt less control with the added power, even if data showed improvement.
  This perceived lack of control led him to increase string tension again, effectively canceling out the extra speed and returning him to a more balanced setup.
• Example – Top 150 ATP player string test:
  This Australian ATP pro was testing different setups to improve forehand and serve performance.Three setups tested: full polyester, hybrid with natural gut in mains, hybrid with gut in crosses.
  Forehand results:
  Gut in mains led to up to 12 km/h increase in ball speed.
  Slight drop in spin (200–300 RPM) but not enough to offset the gain.
  More forehands landed deep in the court, improving effectiveness.
  Serve results:
  No significant difference in average speed (both around 184 km/h) between gut and polyester.
  No change in serve accuracy.
  Serve performance wasn’t improved by the gut hybrid.
  
• Final decision – performance vs practicality:
  Despite forehand improvements, the player stuck with full polyester.
  Main reason: consistency in stringing quality across tournaments.
  At challenger-level events, gut strings are harder to string properly, and stringers may lack experience.Polyester offers more reliable results worldwide, even if gut theoretically offers better forehand outcomes.
• General insight:
  -Even small changes in string type or gauge can affect power, spin, control, and feel.
  -Data can guide elite athletes, but personal preference and match environment still play a huge role.
  -Hybrids (natural gut + polyester) can enhance certain shots (e.g., forehands) but may not benefit others (e.g., serves).
  -At the pro level, data-backed testing is essential—but must be balanced with consistency, confidence, and match-day variables.