reString Playability Graph Explained

The reString Playability Graph is a single map of the reString polyester string lineup.

Rather than rate strings against the whole market, the Playability Graph gives you a clear view of how our own lineup compares so you can take everything in at a glance.

It plots the lineup on two axes.

Power runs against control along the horizontal, and firm runs against soft along the vertical. With those two measures, the full range sits on one chart.

One thing to keep in mind is that the graph compares reString strings against each other, not against the wider string market. Every position is relative to the rest of our lineup.

In this article you will learn how to read the two axes, where each string sits on the chart, and how to use the graph to find your next string alongside our String Finder.

How to Read the Two Axes

Power vs Control

The horizontal axis runs from power to control.

A power string is more responsive, sending the ball off the stringbed more easily.

A control string gives you more pocketing and connection, so you decide where the ball goes.

Firm vs Soft

The vertical axis runs from firm to soft.

A firmer string has less elasticity and less give when the ball meets the stringbed.

A softer string is the opposite, plusher and more elastic, with more forgiveness on contact.

Where Each String Sits on the Graph

reString Zero

reString Zero is the most powerful string in the lineup and sits on the firm end of the chart.

That power is easily accessible for all players but that does not mean it is a low-level string. reString Zero is a tour-level product that high-level players around the world rely on too.

reString Slap

reString Slap is a power string like reString Zero, with a touch more control and softness.

It also carries our Signature Snapback coating that feeds spin. reString Slap sits close to reString Zero on the graph, almost like a sibling, since both live in the power category.

reString Sync

reString Sync is our flagship control string that offers exceptional feel and pocketing.

It is softer and more forgiving than our other control string, reString Vivo, and carries our Signature Snapback coating to offer long-lasting spin alongside control.

reString Vivo

reString Vivo is the most control-oriented string in the lineup, and also the most firm.

That places it in the upper-left of the graph and suits advanced players who create their own pace. Sustainability is a standout feature too, being made from recycled polyester.

Why Spin Is Not One of the Axes

If the chart were three-dimensional, spin could sit on a third Z-axis. We leave it off because reString is a spin-focused brand and every string produces high spin.

The differences between our strings are from high spin to even higher spin, not low spin to high spin, so spin does not separate the strings in a useful way.

Spin still shows up across the lineup, just through different routes.

Our Signature Snapback coating paired with a hexagonal shape in reString Zero and reString Slap produces maximum spin.

reString Sync also contains the snapback coating, while reString Vivo uses a hexagonal shape for its spin generation.

What the Third Descriptor Captures

Beyond the two axes, each string carries three descriptors. The third is an added characteristic that the chart cannot easily show, such as sustainability or snapback.

Sustainability lives in that third slot because it is a major reString Vivo selling point, one of the very few strings made from recycled polyester that still performs at a high level.

The rest of the range is sustainable in broader brand terms too, through packaging, brand initiatives, and strings that play better for longer.

Like spin, that eco-friendly quality matters but does not work as its own axis.

Summary

Use the Playability Graph on each product page to see what string is right for you.

It works best for comparison inside the brand, for example spotting a more control-oriented option once you know what you already play.

The graph is less useful as a starting point if you are coming from a non-reString string, since it is not calibrated against the wider market.

In that case, lean on other resources like our string comparisons available in our Journal.

About the Author. Juan is the co-founder of reString. He was born in Argentina, raised in Japan, and moved to the US to pursue college tennis. He now plays as an ATP and WTA hitting partner.