Of course there are variables that need to be considered; the type of string used, the tension (generally, the higher the tension, the less time the strings last), the type of squash racket you have, your style of play e.g. whether you hit the ball very hard or with a lot of slice, the quality/price of your racket frame and lastly good you are or how good you want to become!
That’s a lot of variables that can be mixed in many ways. Let’s look at some common sense situations. If you are a recreational player with a cheap- racket, then almost certainly it’s not worth it to replace your strings every 4 to 6 months. Your racket might be worth more money than the restring! In this case, unless you decide to buy a better frame and that you really want to improve, keep the strings until they break.
But what if you are more than a recreational player? What if you are ambitious and want to play competitively? Well then it is time to take strings a little more seriously. There is no scientific data, but I would say that slightly cheaper strings replaced more often are better than the best strings rarely replaced. So begin to include restringing in your squash budget. perhaps at least once or twice per year.
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We now more on to a club player, who probably players leagues, ladders, inter-club matches on a regular basis. Their rackets, yes, they have more than one, are probably the same brand and model (more on that in a future article), they may have coaching and even dedicated training sessions; both on and off the court. In short, these players take squash seriously.
Well, these players fit into the squash strings replacement frequency guide perfectly. These types of players rarely suffer from broken strings because they are proactive and preemptive in their stringing plan. They don’t wait until strings are broken to replace them, they can feel of the string loses its “feel” over time.
Reading articles like this about squash restringing is helpful, but once you have decided to replace your strings, the next step is to talk with some stringers. See what they recommend for you, based on your playing style, frame and budget.
Just like finding the right hairdresser or brand of product, you may need to try a few different stringers until you find one that you like and who gives you a good service.
Final Thoughts
To summarise: Ideally, you should change you squash strings as often as your toothbrush, but I also recognise that cost is an issue. If you take your squash seriously, then take your strings seriously.