Natural gut tennis strings: pros, limits and prices

In short: natural gut is the most elastic string and the one that holds tension best, with a comfort synthetic strings struggle to match. In return it's the most expensive (€47.99 at Decathlon and €64.95 on Babolat Belgium's site for the Touch VS, as of early November 2026), it dislikes moisture, and it wears quickly with heavy topspin or off-centre hits. Many players therefore use it in a hybrid, combined with a polyester.

What natural gut is

According to Wikipedia, natural gut is made from fibres extracted from the serous membrane of cow intestine, rich in collagen: that elasticity is what makes it useful as a string. Babolat, whose family says it invented it in Lyon in 1875 and which now makes it in Ploërmel (Brittany), says it has never used cat gut, that its strings have been made from cattle gut since the 1960s, and that it takes two cows for one set and four weeks to make it. Keep in mind that Babolat is a manufacturer, with an interest in promoting its product.

According to Wikipedia, gut is usually sold with a coating to reduce unravelling, particularly when wet. The much-mentioned “synthetic gut” contains none: it's nylon, a very different string, affordable and versatile.

To place gut among the other families, see which tennis string to choose.

What it offers

• Tension holding : Wikipedia states it retains tension better than any other material. Babolat explains that its twisted fibres make it the string that holds tension best over time.
• Power and feel : Wikipedia describes it as the string that returns the most energy. In his test of the Babolat Touch VS, a USRSA-certified technician rates it 9.9/10 for power and 9.5/10 for feel.
• Comfort : again according to Wikipedia, it stays soft at high tension where other materials stiffen sharply: you can string tight for control without raising impact shock much, which can tire the elbow. The TennisCompanion tester gives it 10/10 for comfort. These are players' and sellers' assessments, not medical advice: if your arm hurts, ask a qualified professional.

On tension holding and what it changes, see why strings lose tension.

Its limits

• Price : its main drawback according to Wikipedia, and the prices below confirm it.
• Moisture : Wikipedia notes poor durability when wet. The TennisCompanion tester sees it as the point needing the most care: in damp conditions the string degrades faster and loses tension and liveliness.
• Off-centre hits : Wikipedia cites its weakness to shear stress from off-centre hits, typical of beginners.
• Fraying : the TennisCompanion tester finds the Touch VS fairly resistant to breaking, but more prone to fraying, especially with heavy topspin. Its durability score is 7/10.
• Spin : gut isn't slick: the same tester gives it 7.8/10 for spin, decent but less than polyester.
• Consistency : Wikipedia mentions quality that varies by brand, batch, age, storage and grade, and a more delicate stringing job.

If your strings already break often, read why your tennis strings keep breaking first: gut isn't the answer to a wear problem. For a first string, see also the right string for tennis beginners.

How much does a gut string cost?

These prices aren't directly comparable: lengths, versions and included services differ, and they change. With €12 labour, the Decathlon Touch VS comes to about €60 (about €53 if labour is €5 with a turnaround over six days), against €65 to €70 all-in at Sportline. For comparison, most common synthetic strings are listed between €9 and €30 at Decathlon.

For the details of labour prices and turnaround, see restringing cost and turnaround in Belgium.

Full gut or hybrid?

Babolat itself stresses that while gut used to be the only option, its qualities are now mostly used at the top level by mixing it with a polyester. The TennisCompanion tester goes the same way: pairing the Touch VS with a stiffer polyester adds control without sacrificing too much of its feel. For the budget, it also limits spending: the 6 m half set of gut (€35.95 at Babolat Belgium) plus a common polyester set, for example a Luxilon Alu Power at €15 at Decathlon, comes to about €51 of string, labour not included.

Hybrid combinations, tensions and prices are covered in the hybrid strings guide. To compare polyester and multifilament families, see monofilament or multifilament.

Which tension, which stringing?

The TennisCompanion tester found the Touch VS performs very well at the upper end of its racket's tension range, which tightens the string bed and adds precision to an otherwise very lively string. That's not a rule: tension depends on your racket, your game and the gauge.

To ask for a precise tension, see what tension should you choose for your tennis racket. Babolat stresses the stringing: gut must be strung avoiding excessive friction between mains and crosses, without bending it and with a professional machine. That's a criterion for choosing your stringer: how to choose a tennis stringer.

Who it's for, and when to skip it

• It can be worth it : if comfort, feel and tension holding matter more than price, if you mostly play indoors or in dry weather, and if you accept restringing before it breaks. Many prefer a hybrid.
• Better to skip it : if you break strings often, if you often play in damp conditions, if your stringing budget is tight or if you're starting out and often hit off-centre.
• To try without spending too much : try a hybrid with a half set of gut instead of a full job, and note what you think.

To know when to replace a string, see when should you restring your tennis racket.

Keeping track of what works for you

Choosing gut means choosing a string whose effect depends on the stringing, the tension and the weather. To know if it suits you, you need to compare from one job to the next: which string, which tension, which date. In practice, many players don't remember.

That's exactly what Tension wants to simplify: find an available stringer near you, compare their prices and turnarounds, book, then keep the history of your strings and tensions. Tension is coming to Belgium in late 2026, and you can already get notified at launch.

Are you a stringer or a shop? Tension Pro is designed to manage your orders, customers and stringing jobs, while letting new players find and book you. For the big picture, see our tennis stringing guide.