6 Strings - Order in terms of Stiffness?

[TripleB]

I'm looking at six possible choices for a main string. The string, depending on how stiff it plays, will be in a hybrid with either Gosen OG Sheep Micro Super 16L, Forten Sweet Syn 16 Gold, or Forten Sweet Syn 16 Natural.

So, can anyone put these strings in order from most stiff to least stiff (or at least the ones you've played with)?

- Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 1.25mm
- Tourna Big Hitter Silver Rough 1.25mm
- Volkl Cyclone 1.25mm
- WeissCannon TurboTwist 1.24mm
- WeissCannon SilverString 1.20mm
- WeissCannon Black 5 Edge 1.24mm

Any feedback you can give on any of the strings in terms of spin, feel, power, durability, tension loss, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

TripleB

 

[nadalex]

they are all quite soft strings but id say the big hitter silver rough is the stiffest but its a crisp string i wouldnt call it stiff

 

[tennisexecutor]

2. Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 1.25mm
1. Tourna Big Hitter Silver Rough 1.25mm
3. Volkl Cyclone 1.25mm
5. WeissCannon TurboTwist 1.24mm
6. WeissCannon SilverString 1.20mm
4. WeissCannon Black 5 Edge 1.24mm

 

[pvaudio]

I'm looking at six possible choices for a main string. The string, depending on how stiff it plays, will be in a hybrid with either Gosen OG Sheep Micro Super 16L, Forten Sweet Syn 16 Gold, or Forten Sweet Syn 16 Natural.

So, can anyone put these strings in order from most stiff to least stiff (or at least the ones you've played with)?

- Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 1.25mm
- Tourna Big Hitter Silver Rough 1.25mm
- Volkl Cyclone 1.25mm
- WeissCannon TurboTwist 1.24mm
- WeissCannon SilverString 1.20mm
- WeissCannon Black 5 Edge 1.24mm

Any feedback you can give on any of the strings in terms of spin, feel, power, durability, tension loss, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

TripleB

Easy.

BHSR
Silverstring
Cyclone
BHBR
B5E
Turbotwist

 

[Up&comer]

^^ I thought bhbr is slightly stiffer than cyclone. Other than that spot on.

 

[CDestroyer]

1. Tourna Big Hitter Silver Rough 1.25mm
2. WeissCannon Black 5 Edge 1.24mm
3. Volkl Cyclone 1.25mm
4. Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 1.25mm
5. WeissCannon SilverString 1.20mm
6. WeissCannon TurboTwist 1.24mm

Guranteed.

 

[Gasolina]

- WeissCannon SilverString 1.20mm - 167.40
- Tourna Big Hitter Silver Rough 1.25mm - 197.20
- Volkl Cyclone 1.25mm - 191.50
- Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 1.25mm - 209.70
- WeissCannon TurboTwist 1.24mm - 216.60

- WeissCannon Black 5 Edge 1.24mm - no data

Based on TW's string stiffness data at mid tension. Except for Silverstring - I think they are spot on

 

[TripleB]

Based on TW's string stiffness data at mid tension. Except for Silverstring - I think they are spot on

I assume the higher the number the softer the string?

Thanks for the info.

TripleB

 

[Up&comer]

I assume the higher the number the softer the string?

Thanks for the info.

TripleB

Nope. The higher it is the stiffer it is.

 

[Torres]

The TW numbers simply don't translate into real world conditions. As with the RSI stiffness ratings they should only used as an indicative guide because are anomalies in the numbers.

The actual gauges of some of those strings also run thinner than the stated gauge which obviously has an effect on the stiffness of the resulting stringbed, and neither do those numbers take into account the fact that strings lose tension at different rates, again something which has an effect on 'real world' stringbed stiffness.

I haven't tried all of those strings but at the same tension and in 'real world' conditions, I would rank the strings as follows:-

Softest / most comfortable
1. BHBR
2. BHSR
3. Cyclone
4. B5E
Stiffest / least comfortable

 

[TripleB]

Nope. The higher it is the stiffer it is.

:shock: ! :shock: ! :shock: !

Maybe on some machine somewhere...but in play there is no way that TurboTwist is stiffer than Silverstring or even Big Hitter Silver Rough. After playing the three side by side (by side), Turbotwist is way softer than the other two.

I will admit right now I have TurboTwist with Forten Sweet so it will play a great deal softer (the other two have Gosen crosses), but I've tried TurboTwist with other crosses in the past and still, there is no way it's stiffer than Silverstring or BHSR.

TripleB

 

[Up&comer]

:shock: ! :shock: ! :shock: !

Maybe on some machine somewhere...but in play there is no way that TurboTwist is stiffer than Silverstring or even Big Hitter Silver Rough. After playing the three side by side (by side), Turbotwist is way softer than the other two.

I will admit right now I have TurboTwist with Forten Sweet so it will play a great deal softer (the other two have Gosen crosses), but I've tried TurboTwist with other crosses in the past and still, there is no way it's stiffer than Silverstring or BHSR.

TripleB

RSI ratings are not always accurate.

 

[pvaudio]

RSI ratings are not always accurate.

Scientifically, they are accurate. In the real world, they are useless.

 

[Up&comer]

Scientifically, they are accurate. In the real world, they are useless.

That's what I meant.

 

[Gasolina]

Not really accurate, but useful nonetheless. Everyone knows that Polyfibre makes the softest co-polys out there. And the RSI rating confirm it.

Granted it shouldn't be treated as the bible of strings, but there's a lot of useful info in there.

Like how does an RSI rating of 200+ feel? How does it compare to those with ratings around 100?

Look at Kevlar, its RSI is around 703.5, now way does it play almost 9 times as stiff as natural gut. It doesn't also say, the Natural Gut is 9 times more powerful, given that stiffness is the dominant factor in determining power.

 

[Deleted member 120290]

Scientifically, they are accurate. In the real world, they are useless.

In the (my) real world, Alu Power and RPM are practically useless. Even though Alu P gives me great control, my arm wants to fall off after an hour or 2. I've switched back my default to BHBR, and I'm using B5E in place of Alu P hoping it will give me similar control against hard hitters, on fast surfaces and/or when I have to hit flatter.

 

[tlm]

:shock: ! :shock: ! :shock: !

Maybe on some machine somewhere...but in play there is no way that TurboTwist is stiffer than Silverstring or even Big Hitter Silver Rough. After playing the three side by side (by side), Turbotwist is way softer than the other two.

I will admit right now I have TurboTwist with Forten Sweet so it will play a great deal softer (the other two have Gosen crosses), but I've tried TurboTwist with other crosses in the past and still, there is no way it's stiffer than Silverstring or BHSR.

TripleB

I agree here turbo twist is one of the softest polys i have ever used, i consider it 75% poly and 25% multi the way it feels.

 

[Torres]

I've switched back my default to BHBR, and I'm using B5E in place of Alu P hoping it will give me similar control against hard hitters, on fast surfaces and/or when I have to hit flatter.

I used to think that hybriding different polys was a stupid idea, but having tried quite a few of the new polys recently, its difficult not to take the view that everthing is a compromise. What you gain with control with one string, you lose in comfort and feel. What you gain in power and comfort, you lose in control, and so on and so on.

I really liked the match results that I could achieve with B5E but I didn't like the feel or lack of comfort. I'm going to try crossing it with a softer poly, perhaps something like BW17 or PH18 to see what sort of results it produces.

 

[Deleted member 120290]

...What you gain with control with one string, you lose in comfort and feel. What you gain in power and comfort, you lose in control, and so on and so on.

I really liked the match results that I could achieve with B5E but I didn't like the feel or lack of comfort. I'm going to try crossing it with a softer poly, perhaps something like BW17 or PH18 to see what sort of results it produces.

I played tonight on a fast hardcourt (I barely won.) BHBR was stretching a little too much so I switched to the B5E racket. It had really good control and nice pop, similar to Alu P without the extreme harshness. I wouldn't say B5E is soft like BHBR, Energy or Cyclone but it doesn't stretch or trampoline either so it gave me great control. It had more spin than I was expecting. Not BHBR or Cyclone crazy spin but very good. In an actual match Alu P and B5E give me the best control and the confidence to really hit out on my shots. Since my arm won't let me use Alu P, B5E is my choice for matches.

 

[Steve Huff]

I agree with the PolyFibre. I had to cut out it and put some synthetic gut in to get less power and more control.