How Often Should You Restring Your Racquet?

The most common answer you’ll hear is: “Whenever it breaks.”

The problem is, by the time your strings break, they’ve already stopped performing properly.

What Happens Over Time

From the moment your racquet comes off the machine, your strings start losing tension. At first, it’s subtle. But over time, that loss builds up — and it changes how your racquet feels:

Less control

Less consistency

A slightly “dead” response

Shots starting to drift long

The tricky part is that it happens gradually, so most players just adapt without realising.

The Golden Rule

There’s a simple rule used across the sport:

Restring as many times per year as you play per week.

Play twice a week → aim for two restrings a year

Play three times a week → aim for three

It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid baseline.

Why Waiting for Breakage Isn’t Ideal

Strings breaking is obvious — but performance drop-off isn’t. A lot of players are using strings that:

Have lost significant tension

Feel dull or unresponsive

Aren’t giving them the control they used to

They just haven’t connected it to their strings.

Signs You Might Need a Restring

Your shots are flying more than usual

The racquet feels less responsive

You’re struggling with control

The strings feel “dead” even if they’re intact

If any of these sound familiar, it’s probably time.

Final Thought

Restringing isn’t just about replacing broken strings. It’s about maintaining performance. Most players don’t need to restring constantly — but they do need to do it more regularly than they think.

And when they do, the difference is usually immediate.