WHAT IS A HYBRID?
It’s when one type of string is put in the verticals (mains)
and a different type of string is put in the horizontals (crosses)
Welcome to PEEK tennis!
Did you know that there are as many as 3 injuries per 1000 hours of playing tennis? And as many as 50% of competitive players retire due to injuries?? So if you’re visiting my website, chances are pretty high you’ve experienced some kind of tear, tendonitis, or impingement.
I can definitely be included in that statistic as I’ve suffered from just about every arm injury imaginable. It forced me to search far and wide for the right racquet and strings that didn’t cause me pain or more injuries. Fortunately, I’ve been stringing racquets since I was a teenager so I began to test countless string manufacturers, materials and combinations. My journey has revealed some amazing alternatives to getting polyester-like performance out of strings that are much easier on your joints.
The discoveries I’ve made are the foundations of PEEK Tennis. I’ve stayed arm-injury-free by using these hybrids. My mission for PEEK Tennis is to help you reduce your injuries so you can also keep playing tennis.
I’m a huge fan of a new material called PEEK. That’s why I gave my service it’s name. It’s short for the material it’s made of: PolyEtherEtherKetone. It’s more than just another synthetic because it has some amazing dynamic properties extremely similar to natural gut AND polyester. It’s as soft as natural gut but can create just as much ball spin as polyester and is, in my opinion, much more durable. Especially when used as a cross string. I really like the monofilament version of it. Not all stringers are patient enough to work with this fussy string but I’ve made it a point to master its properties and quirks.
Take a look at the fun and innovative hybrid combinations I’ve created below. If you’re looking to tame the stiffness of that Babolat Pure-whatever or have a nagging arm issue, one of my hybrids might work. It’s worth a try.
Hot Takes
This generally but broadly applies to beginners, juniors and NTRP under 4.0. If you don’t hit the ball in the sweet spot at lease 80% of the time, then you shouldn’t use poly. Polys have such little forgiveness that mishits will turn into excessive vibration and shock to your arm, accelerating your injuries.
Nylons and other synthetics are linear. Poly strings are dynamic. Meaning: with linear, the properties of the string match the swing. So a slow swing=less power&spin and a big swing=more power&spin. Most recreational and developing players should use linear strings. Why? It’s a direct relationship with cause and effect and it makes sense. Poly strings are the exact opposite. The bigger you swing, the less power it delivers. That’s why the top players can swing so big and the ball stays in the court. Why do I make a big deal out of this? Because, for developing players, it confuses the brain when the racquet does the opposite of what is intuitive. In addition, when polys lose their playability the properties I just mentioned go all over the place. In contrast, the properties of synthetic/nylons (non-poly) strings don’t change drastically throughout their lifespan. So yes, I may be one of the few out there who believes you can legitimately blame the equipment for your missed shots.
There’s a reason you can’t put Formula 1 tires on your Corolla. Lewis Hamilton (he’s a Formula 1 driver) drives on Pirelli slicks. That doesn’t mean you should. In fact, it would be dangerous to put those tires on your car. Plus they don’t even last for more than 50 miles. Nadal’s polyester strings are like Hamilton’s tires.
1. Top down. Go incrementally softer with your setup. Keep your current racquet and try slightly softer strings. If that still causes pain, try even softer strings. Etc, etc… until you no longer have pain. Since you’re still aggravating your tendons through this process, this might create permanent damage since your setup may take a while to find.
2. Bottom up. Get a Wilson Clash (possibly the softest racquet ever made) and put synthetic strings in there. Play until you don’t have any more pain. Then slowly stiffen your setup until the twinge comes back and then you’ll know your threshold. This method allows you to keep playing without causing more damage but may be difficult to adjust to.
WHAT THE HECK IS POLY?
I thought tennis strings were all the same
HIGH PERFORMANCE STRINGS FOR ALL AGES
Most of my hybrids are safely playable even until they break!
until it breaks
$44+labor
-until it breaks
$18+labor
until it breaks
$16+labor
-until it breaks
$21+labor
100hrs
$14+labor
3-15hours
$19+labor
20-30 hours
$18+labor
20-30hours
$12+labor
until it breaks
$18+labor
WHAT THE HECK IS PEEK?
As soft as natural gut but as slick as poly?
What I Can Do
RACQUET RE-STRINGING
One of my hybrids might get you exactly what you need. Let’s chat!
RACQUET TECH
Racquet matching, grip mods and customizing
CREATING FUN & NEW HYBRIDS
I’m a creative person who needs creative outlets
PEEK PACK
To help you compare strings, I’ve created PEEK PACK. If you’ve wondered what my hybrids are like here’s your chance to demo 6 different strings in 6 identical racquets. I’ve carefully selected 5 of my hybrids for you to try out and really narrow down which one might be right for you. If anything, it’s a great way to educate yourself on how different strings can have such a big impact on how it affects the performance and comfort of a racquet.
Choose My Pricing
STRINGING LABOR
$21/24
$21 for stringing if you buy the strings from me/$24 for stringing if you bring your own strings
RE-GRIPPING LABOR
$5/20
$5 for overgrips (white or Tourna Grip-for sweaty hands)/$20 for replacement grips (synthetic black)
