Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut is a very common tennis string and is one of the cheapest strings on the market, but is it actually any good? In this Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut review we’ll be testing the string from a performance and durability perspective and letting you what we think of it!
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Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut Key Features & Specs
| String Material | Polyamide / Nylon Synthetic Gut Multifilament |
| Special Features | Anti-Abrasion Coating |
| String Gauge | 17 Gauge (1.25 mm) or 16 Gauge (1.30 mm) |
| String Colour | Black or Yellow/Gold |
String Testing Setup
For this review, we tested the Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut 16 (1.30 mm) using a Wilson Pro Staff RF97. We tried the string on multiple occasions, some with a full bed strung at 53 lbs and a few times at 57 lbs.
Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut Review - Test Results
Here’s a quick overview of the ratings we awarded the string in our test:
Control - Score: 71
Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut is certainly more of a power oriented string, though it does offer a decent amount of control. That being said, the amount of control does depend massively on the tension the racquet is strung at. At higher tensions, the string provides enough control even for big hitting players, though it definitely drops off significantly at lower tensions. It can also be a problem after a few hours of play, as the string does tend to suffer from tension loss and a dip in playability.
Power - Score: 81
Perhaps one of the highlights of playing with the Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut is the easy access to power. The softness of the string increases is great for ball pocketing and helps generate a little extra power, so keeping the ball deep in the court is no problem at all.
Spin - Score: 70
While spin isn’t necessarily a selling point for the Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut, it does grip the ball enough generate plenty of spin and keep groundstrokes in the court and get a bit of bite on serves. However, at lower tensions or once the initial tension has dropped a little, the strings move and don’t snap back into position, generating less spin. It’s somewhat predictable, though can be an issue if you’re a big hitter as you may struggle to keep control of the ball.
Comfort - Score: 86
Synthetic gut strings are well known for being a little more forgiving on the arm, and Tecnifibre Synthetic gut is no exception. Even when strung at a higher tension, the string feels great to play with and offers a fantastic amount of comfort. It’s pretty forgiving even when mishitting the ball and missing the sweet spot, and is great for anyone with arm or wrist injuries looking for a slightly more arm-friendly string.
Feel - Score: 75
We were pleasantly surprised at how nice the Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut felt to play with given its small price tag. At lower tensions, it feels comfortable to play with and very responsive. At slightly higher tensions, it still feels crisp and responsive and doesn’t seem to become dull at all.
Playability Duration - Score: 72
Many people report a lot of tension loss in the Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut and it seems to be particularly problematic for anyone stringing their racket at a lower tension. Large amounts of tension loss are a common issue with synthetic gut strings given how soft they are, and it’s unfortunately just one of the trade-offs with synthetic gut.
Personally, we didn’t have too much of an issue with it and found we got a fair few hours of play out of it before noticing too much tension loss.
However, we did find that when strung at 53 lbs, the tension dip made it a little uncomfortable to play with as we lost some of the control. We also noticed there was quite a lot of string movement when hitting even with the slightest bit of topspin. When strung at 57 lbs, it seemed to play a little nicer and noticed fewer problems when the tension did drop.
We’d definitely suggest stringing it at a slightly higher tension than you usually would a poly string to account for a bit of the initial tension loss.
Durability - Score: 60
Unfortunately, Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut doesn’t last long. That’s not really unexpected from a synthetic gut, though it definitely affects our overall take on the string. The string offers a nice performance during the first few hours of play, though it doesn’t last much longer than that.
If you’re a club level player and would rather have a string that will last longer, the Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut may not be your best choice of tennis string.
If, however, you’re playing at a competitive level and prioritise the performance and feel of a string over its duration, the Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut might actually be a decent choice. It will last long enough for two or three matches before loosing its tension an either snapping or needing to be cut out.
Regardless of the level you play at, we’d definitely suggest sticking with the thicker gauges to get a bit more playing time out of them.
Price
Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut is actually one of the cheapest tennis strings on the market and is available at most online stores at around £3-4 a set of 12 metres or £30-40 per 200 metre reel. It’s pretty useful if you have your own stringing machine and are stringing your racquets on a regular basis. If, however, you rely on a stringing service, you may find yourself paying more by having your racquets strung more often. Ultimately, it balances out.
Verdict - Who Is This String For?
Overall, the Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut is an all-round good performer. It offers some nice performance, but it really doesn’t last long. While that might be great for some advanced players who want to use a racquet for a few games or a set and then switch, it’s not suitable for anyone looking for a slightly more durable string.
Similar Tennis Strings
If you’re not quite settled on the Tecnifibre synthetic gut and are looking for something with a similar performance and feel, be sure to check out strings like the Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex which offers a little more durability, the Head Synthetic Gut PPS or the Gosen OG Sheep Micro.
