Which poly to try for first time poly user?

Hi all,

Thinking about trying poly out for the first time (for an extended play period). Which ones would you suggest? Cost is important for me too, since I would likely go for a reel if I liked it but don't want it to cost a fortune.

Strings that I'm thinking of trying:

1) BHBR 17
2) BHB7 17
3) Tour Bite 17

For reference, I am not a string breaker. I don't even break syn gut when I play until it's been 20 hours. There have been times when I have cut syn gut out because it stiffened a lot before I broke it. This is probably because my game is relatively flat, but I would enjoy having some more spin. I currently use a full bed multi (PPA at 50 lbs, have never broken this string before cutting it ever). I am a counterpunching player on the verge of moving up to 4.5 (~85-90% win rate at 4.0 singles this year so far).

Also, should I start out full bed?

Thanks!

If your game is relatively flat and you can't even break PPA and syngut before 3-5 hour mark, don't go poly. I only went there because I hit with pretty heavy topspin and multis were breaking fast for me.

But if you really want to try poly, be prepared to get only 10-15 hours of great play. I would go Tour Bite 18 or 19 (since you can't break multis or syngut) and see how that goes for you.

Tour bite plays stiffer than the tourna strings.
Tour bite and bhb7 are similar strings in my opinion. I like and use both.
Bhbr IMO was more of a pain to string because of coil memory and the twisted nature.
I plan to stick to a non shaped poly... I think that shaped polys can give you more spin, if your style is all about hitting loopy balls. You sacrifice some control as a result of having these twisted or shaped strings-my reason for falling back to alu power again and again. Currently looking myself for an alternative to alu that I can restring every outing. Liking signum pro poly so far (decent for price.)

I would go full bed poly. Unless you can afford poly cross, gut mains. Drop a few pounds if you use tourna. Tour bite you can drop 10% to start then go from there.

Tour bite 17

If you want to see what the full potential of poly is:

Luxilon Big Banger Orig
RPM Blast

If you want to start with a milder example:

Luxilon 4G

And yes, full bed. Otherwise it's not really a test. You can always come back to some median syn gut/poly hybrid.

Don't buy a reel until you figure out if you really like it and which you like.

You have to hit with spin to get spin. Poly is not the answer.

What do you mean "extended play period"?
Long time before restringing? Bad idea on so many levels...

Pacific xcite 16L

i would recommend a soft poly like:
-dunlop black widow
-signum pro poly plasma
-polystar energy
-head sonic pro
-polyfibre rapid
-babolat hurricane feel

fortun8son said:

You have to hit with spin to get spin. Poly is not the answer.

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I'm not asking to turn into a spin monster, just to enhance the little spin that I do create. I also do hit topspin shots, it's just not the majority of them.

maxpotapov said:

What do you mean "extended play period"?
Long time before restringing? Bad idea on so many levels...

Click to expand...

I meant playing with it for more than 1 hour, which is the most I've ever spent with poly so far (in a demo racquet too, not even my own). So by "extended play", I mean having it in my own racquet and playing with it.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

If you hit hard against a hard fast ball, you could do worse than LuxilonBBanger, gauge you like for the # of strings in your racket.
I've been using TB at 16 on a 16x19 racket at 47 lbs. lately, just a great feel and solid overall. Will probably drop tension another 7, as I had a good hit with some Kevlar string at 30 lbs. on a 93 sq. in. racket.
For my Bio300T, with 18x20 pattern, I'd go TB 17 at maybe 37 lbs., but come to think of it, maybe 40 since 17 should play more resilent than 16 gauge.

For the first time poly player I think SPPP, Cyber Blue and Black Magic are also good choices. Better to ease into this before trying something like Tour Bite or any of the other crunchy strings.

VeeSe said:

I'm not asking to turn into a spin monster, just to enhance the little spin that I do create. I also do hit topspin shots, it's just not the majority of them.



I meant playing with it for more than 1 hour, which is the most I've ever spent with poly so far (in a demo racquet too, not even my own). So by "extended play", I mean having it in my own racquet and playing with it.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

Click to expand...

There's no right answer, it all depends on your racquet and style. But if you've never tried poly, Alu Power is the gold standard of polys.

PACIFIC!!! Any of their polys I recommend unconditionally, especially for a beginner who may not be accustomed to traditional poly stiffness. Pacifics offer a combination of multi-filament soft-feel with true poly control and spin potential that I've never found in any other string.

I've used Luxilon, Signum, Kirschbaum, Babolat, Dunlop and even Unique and a few others polys. Nothing compares to the Pacifics. They hold tension better than anything else as well. They're simply amazing strings.

The only thing I haven't compared them with is a gut/poly hybrid, so we'll see.

Also, don't be scared by the prices. Pacific strings actually do give you what you pay for and they're literally worth it.

Tour Bite may be a shock to the arm. Signum Pro Poly Plasma is a good transition string, but I don't know that you will get a huge difference in spin with it.
I think it is worth it to try Luxilon ALU Spin to see how that affects your game. If it doesn't make a difference to how you play, then there isn't much point in going to polys. I'm basically a flat hitter who hits spin when he chooses and even though it costs a lot and goes dead, I do play best with the ALU.
If it does help your game, then maybe go on a search to find which poly is best for you.

i would try pro hurricane tour, rpm blast, prohurricane feel
luxilon big banger is too stiff
problem with poly is that it shocks your shoulder and arm
so the next day, your shoulder and arm are stiff
so i always go hybrid

if your body can handle it, the full bed poly is the best for spin
and power.

you will see the difference, no matter what style of play, but if you hit more topspin, you can see it more

string the poly 4-5 lbs down from your normal tension

z

VeeSe said:

Also, should I start out full bed?

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If you're using a full bed of multi these days, I say no... a big fat no.

Poly will be much less resilient than your multifiber, so if you go to perhaps a hybrid with a soft poly in your mains with a multi or syn. gut in your crosses, that should offer a reasonable transition. A 17 ga. poly would be my recommendation and I think you're on the right track with Tourna Poly BH Blue - nice price and it sounds like it's softer than most.

If you're worried about price and want some extra bite on the ball, you could also consider experimenting with thinner synthetic guts if you haven't tried many to this point. I've enjoyed a few 17 ga. options including Gosen OG Micro, Tecnifibre, and Prince. Forten Sweet is rather plush, but the 17 ga. version was a little on the fragile side for me (try Sweet 16 for your crosses maybe?). These thinner syn. guts have offered me very good feel and performance in recent years at a great price.

A general caution concerning the switch to poly: Pay attention to how your joints feel as you sample this string in your racquets. It's hard for any of us to know whether we're more prone to irritation or injury from harsher string until after problems begin to show up. If any issues persist after the string switch, you'd be smart to drop the stuff immediately and get back to a softer setup.

Many pros and college level killers benefit from poly in that the string takes some power away from their racquets. It lets them take full rips at the ball and still churn out enough spin to keep the ball down on the court. Depending on your level, you may not even benefit from those strings, but then again you may find a terrific setup for yourself. Just be aware as you sample your options and remember that what's better for some of the pros isn't necessarily better for the rest of us.

fortun8son said:

You have to hit with spin to get spin. Poly is not the answer.

Click to expand...

Agree - very reasonable observation.

Probably Luxilon 4G? It's a pretty smooth texture and feels great.

VeeSe said:

Hi all,

Thinking about trying poly out for the first time (for an extended play period). Which ones would you suggest? Cost is important for me too, since I would likely go for a reel if I liked it but don't want it to cost a fortune.

Strings that I'm thinking of trying:

1) BHBR 17
2) BHB7 17
3) Tour Bite 17

For reference, I am not a string breaker. I don't even break syn gut when I play until it's been 20 hours. There have been times when I have cut syn gut out because it stiffened a lot before I broke it. This is probably because my game is relatively flat, but I would enjoy having some more spin. I currently use a full bed multi (PPA at 50 lbs, have never broken this string before cutting it ever). I am a counterpunching player on the verge of moving up to 4.5 (~85-90% win rate at 4.0 singles this year so far).

Also, should I start out full bed?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Definitely the babolat rpm blast or the babolat rpm duals. If you are a spin player these will not fail you

I think WC Scorpion is a good way to ease in to poly. BHBR to see what the fuss is all about.

VeeSe said:

Hi all,

Thinking about trying poly out for the first time (for an extended play period). Which ones would you suggest? Cost is important for me too, since I would likely go for a reel if I liked it but don't want it to cost a fortune.

Strings that I'm thinking of trying:

1) BHBR 17
2) BHB7 17
3) Tour Bite 17

For reference, I am not a string breaker. I don't even break syn gut when I play until it's been 20 hours. There have been times when I have cut syn gut out because it stiffened a lot before I broke it. This is probably because my game is relatively flat, but I would enjoy having some more spin. I currently use a full bed multi (PPA at 50 lbs, have never broken this string before cutting it ever). I am a counterpunching player on the verge of moving up to 4.5 (~85-90% win rate at 4.0 singles this year so far).

Also, should I start out full bed?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

If you use multi at 50lbs, I wouldn't bother with poly, it will feel too harsh, and too low powered, unless you string at extremely low tensions, like between 30-40lb. You must use shorter strokes, to be able to control your current setup, which is another reason you may not see any benefit from poly, in terms of spin. However, give it a try, why not, just to see what it feels like. Just don't string above 48lbs. BHB7 is a good choice, it's relatively soft and offers as much or more spin than any other poly. I wouldn't go with any control oriented, stiffer poly strings.

Alright guys, I got some polys in:

BHB7 17
BHBR 17
Tour Bite 18
Yonex Pro Poly Tour 16L

Just strung up the BHB7 (never strung a poly before btw, and it was a huge pain compared to multis and syn guts!) at 50 lbs reference tension (usually string the multi between 50 and 54 lbs), so we'll see how it goes! If these polys are way harder to string and aren't that much better, that may be a deterrent for me, as I'm no good at stringing yet =(

I guess nobody told you yet to decrease tension by at least 10% below multi tension. If the BHB7 feels to firm or boardy, try again at lower tension.

Muppet said:

I guess nobody told you yet to decrease tension by at least 10% below multi tension. If the BHB7 feels to firm or boardy, try again at lower tension.

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I have heard that, and I figured that 50 was close enough to 10% below 54, so I went with it. Played for the first time today and it didn't feel too dead power-wise, but it was very stiff. I felt sensations in the tennis elbow tendon when I have never felt anything there before in my life. At least now I sort of know what that feeling could be. This makes me think that I'm going to stick with multi, because if I felt it the first time out when I haven't ever felt it before, that's not a good sign.

Guess I may have to lower tension even further on the next one. Perhaps I wasn't aggressive enough with the 50 lbs

VeeSe said:

I have heard that, and I figured that 50 was close enough to 10% below 54, so I went with it. Played for the first time today and it didn't feel too dead power-wise, but it was very stiff. I felt sensations in the tennis elbow tendon when I have never felt anything there before in my life. At least now I sort of know what that feeling could be. This makes me think that I'm going to stick with multi, because if I felt it the first time out when I haven't ever felt it before, that's not a good sign.

Guess I may have to lower tension even further on the next one. Perhaps I wasn't aggressive enough with the 50 lbs

Click to expand...

What racquet are you using? An 18x20 string pattern in a mid or mid + is going to feel a lot stiffer than a 16x18 in a 100 sq.in. frame.

Forget the tensions you are using with multi. 45 is a good midlevel tension for poly.

50 lbs is a tight tension, especially if you use 18x20 string patterns.
Mid 40's more normal.
Using poly, it's nice to be able to hit hard against a hard incoming ball...ie good tennis, rather than hitting with old farts who just push the ball in towards your court.
LuxilonBB is the best string I've ever used for hitting hard against a real solid hitter, and worthless for creating your own spin and power vs a weak slow ball.

RetroSpin said:

What racquet are you using? An 18x20 string pattern in a mid or mid + is going to feel a lot stiffer than a 16x18 in a 100 sq.in. frame.

Forget the tensions you are using with multi. 45 is a good midlevel tension for poly.

Click to expand...

Hey, I use the IG Radical Pro, so ~96 head size and 16x19, so it's decently open. Thanks for the note about the poly tension though (and Muppet too). I guess I didn't go nearly low enough. I just played for another 1.5 hours and it felt ok. It's still worse than the PPA that I was using before obviously, but it was better. I didn't feel much.

Well, turns out that BHB7 at 50 lbs is just way too uncomfortable on my elbow for me to handle in the long term. No pain from it, but with the sensations that I was feeling, I know that the long term outlook would not be good, as it would probably eventually turn into something.

I'm not that optimistic anymore about switching to polys. I went back to my PPA racquet today for my practice match, and it was much softer on my arm. In general, I liked the results from BHB7, but my arm did not, so it's a no go.

How much does hybriding help?

edit: just wanted to add that my kick serve had some seriously nice action on it (both top and side) with BHB7. It was really awesome to see.

Hybrid set ups are a nightmare to try to sort through if you LOVE to experiment. I found it easier to just stick with certain natural gut mains and focus experimentation on different poly crosses(if you decide to use natural gut/poly). Once I got a good feel for the string I then dialed in gauge followed by tension, sometimes vice versa.