So I thought, hey, this stringing cost thing keeps coming up in tennis forums. People always ask “how much should I pay?” but nobody’s got real 2024 numbers. Figured I’d find out myself.
Started With Google Searches
First I just typed “tennis stringing cost near me” into Google. Big mistake. Half the local shops don’t even list prices online. The ones that did showed crazy ranges – like $20 at some big box store but $50 at fancy clubs. Didn’t help at all.
Called Actual Stringers
Picked up the phone and started dialing. Talked to 18 different places over two days – pro shops, sporting goods stores, even that dude who strings from his garage. Asked simple:
- Basic synthetic string labor cost
- Extra for fancier strings
- Any hidden fees
Got everything scribbled in my notebook. People were nice but wow, the answers were all over the place.
What Blew My Mind
Found this wild pattern:
- Big chain stores: Always cheaper ($15-25) but dude you can tell they rush it. One guy literally said “we do 50 rackets per hour”.
- Tennis clubs: Charged double ($35-50) but they’ll talk technique with you for an hour. Also found out they’ll charge extra for “premium services” like specific tension checks.
- Home-based stringers: Total dark horse. Found three guys operating from garages charging $10-20 cash. No receipt obviously. One bragged about using the same machine as Wimbledon.
The Final Numbers
After adding everything up and crossing out outliers:
National average came out to $28 flat for labor if you bring your own strings. If you need them to supply basic synthetic strings? Adds about $15 more. Oh and anyone charging under $20 – run. Their machines probably haven’t been calibrated since 1998.
Funniest thing? My own racket ended up costing $32 at this mom-and-pop shop. Felt like I got played until I saw their $15,000 electronic tension head machine. Turns out sometimes you really do get what you pay for.