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String gauge is the basic factor. Every player should know the gauge of the string in his or her racquet and how it affects performance. In general, thin strings are more powerful but less durable than thick ones. We'll be addressing the subject of power at some length in later columns, so for now we'll simply state that thinner strings stretch further on impact with the ball. As they recover from stretch, they propel the ball forward: the more stretch, the more power. There are two main causes of string breakage. The first is ‘notching’. During a match the cross strings (the shorter, ‘horizontal’ strings) are pounded hundreds of times against the main strings (the longer, ‘vertical’ ones). That repeated pounding cuts notches into the mains and eventually one of the notches becomes so deep that the string snaps. (It’s almost always the mains that break.) The second major cause of breakage is overstretching, or tensile failure. While notching occurs gradually, tensile failure is sudden and catastrophic. Overstretching occurs most often on poorly hit shots, when the ball contacts the stringbed near the frame. The string wants to stretch equally on both sides of the ball, but in this situation there’s not much to work with on one side. The string stretches beyond its elastic limit and simply snaps. Obviously, thicker strings are more resistant to breakage than thinner ones. But because thick strings tend to be less powerful, each player must decide for him- or herself which factor is more important. Packages of string indicate thickness with a gauge designation; some list the diameter in millimeters as well. As shown in the table below, each gauge covers a range of allowable sizes, with thicker strings having lower gauge numbers. We’ve shown only the gauges of interest to squash players (the scale actually goes ‘up’ to 15 for tennis strings and ‘down’ to 22 for badminton). String thickness can be measured with a wire gauge or a micrometer, but make sure this is done with the string off the racket. Because string gets thinner as it is stretched, you can’t get an accurate reading on a strung racket. Squash strings are made in only two sizes: 17 and 18 gauge. An 18 gauge string will deliver more power, but less strength and durability, than a 17 gauge. We’ve included 16 gauge in the table not as a suggestion but as a warning. Strings this thick are intended for tennis or racketball, and cannot deliver adequate power when strung into the smaller head of a squash racket. Unfortunately, some stringers don’t want to be bothered carrying a separate line of string just for squash, and they often get away with selling tennis string to squash players because many players don’t know the difference. But now you know better; string matters. Demand 17 or 18 gauge, and take your business elsewhere if you don’t get it. SQUASH STRING DIAMETERS 18 Gauge 1.06 - 1.15 mm Diameter 17 Gauge 1.16 - 1.25 mm Diameter 16 Gauge 1.26 - 1.34 mm Diameterhttp://www.squashplayer.co.uk/magazine/string_matters.htm
String gauge is the basic factor. Every player should know the gauge of the string in his or her racquet and how it affects performance. In general, thin strings are more powerful but less durable than thick ones. We'll be addressing the subject of power at some length in later columns, so for now we'll simply state that thinner strings stretch further on impact with the ball. As they recover from stretch, they propel the ball forward: the more stretch, the more power. There are two main causes of string breakage. The first is ‘notching’. During a match the cross strings (the shorter, ‘horizontal’ strings) are pounded hundreds of times against the main strings (the longer, ‘vertical’ ones). That repeated pounding cuts notches into the mains and eventually one of the notches becomes so deep that the string snaps. (It’s almost always the mains that break.) The second major cause of breakage is overstretching, or tensile failure. While notching occurs gradually, tensile failure is sudden and catastrophic. Overstretching occurs most often on poorly hit shots, when the ball contacts the stringbed near the frame. The string wants to stretch equally on both sides of the ball, but in this situation there’s not much to work with on one side. The string stretches beyond its elastic limit and simply snaps. Obviously, thicker strings are more resistant to breakage than thinner ones. But because thick strings tend to be less powerful, each player must decide for him- or herself which factor is more important. Packages of string indicate thickness with a gauge designation; some list the diameter in millimeters as well. As shown in the table below, each gauge covers a range of allowable sizes, with thicker strings having lower gauge numbers. We’ve shown only the gauges of interest to squash players (the scale actually goes ‘up’ to 15 for tennis strings and ‘down’ to 22 for badminton). String thickness can be measured with a wire gauge or a micrometer, but make sure this is done with the string off the racket. Because string gets thinner as it is stretched, you can’t get an accurate reading on a strung racket. Squash strings are made in only two sizes: 17 and 18 gauge. An 18 gauge string will deliver more power, but less strength and durability, than a 17 gauge. We’ve included 16 gauge in the table not as a suggestion but as a warning. Strings this thick are intended for tennis or racketball, and cannot deliver adequate power when strung into the smaller head of a squash racket. Unfortunately, some stringers don’t want to be bothered carrying a separate line of string just for squash, and they often get away with selling tennis string to squash players because many players don’t know the difference. But now you know better; string matters. Demand 17 or 18 gauge, and take your business elsewhere if you don’t get it. SQUASH STRING DIAMETERS 18 Gauge 1.06 - 1.15 mm Diameter 17 Gauge 1.16 - 1.25 mm Diameter 16 Gauge 1.26 - 1.34 mm Diameter