Sebastian Korda Racket and Strings (What Does He Really Use?)
Coming from a family teeming with sporting pedigree, Sebastian Korda has a high bar set to live up to in his early tennis career. Both sisters being professional golfers and both parents being former professional tennis players (his dad actually won the Australian Open), means young Sebastian has some big shoes to fill.
He is branded one of the Next Gen contenders, as his steady rise up the ATP rankings has seen him reach 30 in the world just this year.
Whilst he has not necessarily had the stand out wins or results in his early career so far that some of his peers have, Korda is still a player to watch as the years roll on.
He has reached the 4th round of both the French Open and Wimbledon so far and shows signs of steady improvement.
Seb is a tall guy that clearly needs to grow into his frame. However, he has a very complete game already and is an insanely clean ball striker.
Korda’s Racket
Many players are switching to the latest version of the Wilson Blade, citing it as one of the most complete and best feeling rackets out there.
Whilst many professionals will actually use pro stock rackets that are heavier and stiffer than the ones you and I can buy, they are still based on standard models.
With this in mind, Seb Korda uses Wilson’s famous H22 pro stock racket, which is a Blade that is tuned to deal with the high demands of the professional game.
Many professional players that endorse the Wilson Blade actually use the H22 pro stock racket, as it feels relatively flexible whilst also being incredibly solid on contact.
This offers pro players a sought after combination of comfort, control and stability which is exactly what you want if you play an all court game.
The H22 pro stock suits Korda’s game down to the ground, given his huge ground strokes from the baseline, has a big serve and is also very comfortable moving forward to finish points off at the net.
Racket Specs
Racket: Wilson H22 Pro Stock
Strung Weight: 347g
Lead Tape: No
Length: 27in
Swingweight: 338
Grip: Head TK82 with Wilson Pro Overgrip
String Pattern: 18×20
Korda’s String
Like most professional players on the ATP tour these days, Sebastian Korda uses a hybrid setup consisting of a stiff polyester string alongside a soft natural gut.
The strings in question are Luxilon ALU Power in the mains and Wilson natural gut in the crosses. He strings his mains at 50lbs and crosses at 47lbs, which is in line with most pros these days favouring lower string tensions.
This is because there is more power and comfort on offer from a lower tension, so clearly players feel they can control the ball well enough to play with a more forgiving string setup.
The reason why so many professional players use a combination of both a polyester string and a natural gut, is that they are able to get a ‘goldilocks’ balance between performance and playability.
What does this mean exactly? Well, a stiffer polyester string like Luxilon ALU Power offers optimum control and plenty of spin, as it imparts a lot of friction on the ball and doesn’t move about very much in the string bed.
This means you get more of a ‘dead’ or wooden feel from the racket, which helps with predictability and consistency.
Whereas, with a natural gut string, there is a lot more flexibility and better tension maintenance.
This helps with power, feel and touch. The combination of these two strings is favourable as it offers spin, control, comfort and power all in one racket!
Why Are These Combinations a Good Choice for Sebastian?
Seb Korda using a traditional setup of a heavy pro stock racket with a hybrid consisting of polyester and natural gut strings is not uncommon for professional tennis players today.
The Wilson H22 he uses is firm but also forgiving, which suits his game style down to the ground. He likes to crunch the ball from the back of the court, but also needs that extra bit of suppleness when he needs to dig out a deft drop shot at the net.
He is also a tall, strong guy that needs a hefty racket to add momentum to his shots whilst also giving him plenty of stability.
Thinking About Your Own Game
Following the status quo doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, as long as you do it for the right reasons.
Seb Korda uses his racket and string combinations because it suits his game style, not just because a lot of other professional players do. However, this doesn’t mean you should go out and buy the next pro stock racket you can get your hands on!
It is important to listen to yourself and your coaches and pick both rackets and strings that compliment your game, not just the ones you like the look of.
If you aren’t sure where to start, give our custom fitting service a try! It is the perfect way to take the stress out of finding your next winning combination!
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