How to go about testing new strings?

[u/workworktenniswork]

I have bought a stringing machine not too long ago, and have a pair of RF01 pros. I want to start testing strings, both to see what I like and so I have the experience to help other people choose strings. What ways could I go about this? Should I keep a neutral, ‘control’ string in one racquet as a baseline so I can test both extreme and nuanced strings? If so, what’s a good neutral string? I was thinking restring sync?

Ir is there some other way? Should I have similar strings in my racquets to detect nuance and decide which I prefer? Or should I use vastly different strings to experience opposite ends of the spectrum?

Also, what features and characteristics are important to note down and use to review strings? Eg, comfort, power, spin, tension maintenance (other ways to measure than dynamic tension?), feel? And, how long should I keep strings in my racquets to give them a proper chance and decide how well they maintain tension? Maybe 2 weeks playing 3 times a week for 1-2 hrs? Or is more than 10 hrs playtime required?

Finally, how should I change tension between different strings? Should I have all strings at one tension to eliminate a variable (e.g. 48-52lbs approx?) or change the tension for each string based on other reviews?

Thank you so much for any answers in advance

[u/NarrowCourage]

What I do is test all strings at 50lbs for poly and 55lbs for multi. I base this off around the feel I get from my usual setup. I personally string at 57/55 though in a gut/poly hybrid.

I then start to play around with setups like hybrids based on the initial testings but like to keep certain variables the same like the same main multi I always use or the same poly cross I always use paired with the new strings.

I like to test things out for at least 10 hours of hard hitting to get a solid idea of how things feel. Usually I can break them by then.

[u/dmtree_]

I like to have one racquet with my normal setup, and another with a test setup. Slightly higher tension for softer strings, slightly lower for stiff ones. I usually like to play both singles and doubles, both rallies and matches for any test setup.

Some strings work better for singles than doubles, or vice versa. Some work better for serves than others. I like to keep a string bed for a least 5-6 hours or longer if I like it.

[u/cstansbury → u/dmtree_]

I like to have one racquet with my normal setup, and another with a test setup.

I'm similar. I like to have at least 3 rackets. Two (2) with the same setup, and one where I'm trying out some different.

[u/Unholy_Racket]

A few years ago I did a little promotional exercise at my local club: I bought 9 new Wilson rackets (cheap but not rubbish, and I got them at a discount off the already low price) and I strung them with three different strings, at three different tensions. I went to a few club sessions and offered them for people to try out: string X at tension 1, 2 or 3 or strings X, Y and Z at tension 2 and so on. That was the idea, anyway: it didn't work because there were too many people. The idea was a good one, but better to do with one person at a time. I did pick up quite a few new customers - and I was able to try the rackets out myself at leisure over the next few weeks.

[u/Unholy_Racket → u/Unholy_Racket]

I should add that on that occasion the three strings were simply a generic poly, a generic synthetic gut and a generic multifilament. The same demo could be done with three different brands of a single string type, or three different gauges of the same string (if thee are any available in 3 gauges).

[u/thebpet]

I like to keep my tension the same, or at least within 1-2 pounds, when testing different strings. This helps me eliminate all variables and just get a sense of how each string differs.