@TierOneSportsOfficial Allow me to clarify my comments. Other than Yonex Poly Tour Air or Isospeed Cream, no string I have ever played with or written about on the TW Talk Tennis forum has any elastomer (rubber) in the string to my knowledge. If a manufacturer like Tier One uses elastomer (rubber) in their strings, please by all means let users know so they understand exactly what they are buying. I used the word "poly" in the post you quoted instead of using the correct term "co-poly". I do have 20+ reels of co-polys in stock, including four reels of Tier One strings.
But even the message board you are posting on, Tennis Warehouse, refers to co-poly strings as polys, just like I did. The semantics of "polys" vs "copolys" by the TW website, TW employees, and my posters like myself are just that, semantics. Can you and I accept the fact the first generation of polyester strings like Kirschbaum made are pretty much dinosaurs and not really relevant in this thread titled
"Soft & control-oriented polys"? I don't think the OP can edit the title, but clearly he meant co-polys, as soft "polys" are like unicorns. So per the TW filter, they don't even sell co-polys, just polys and I certainly didn't mean to imply Ghostwire is like a first-generation poly so please forgive me it my post came across in that manner to anyone at Tier One.
We explain why tennis strings are so important to your game. Plus learn what tennis strings are made of and how often you should restring your tennis racquet.
www.tennis-warehouse.com
I like your strings, but IMO of 40+ years of playing tennis, Ghostwire is indeed stiffer than both Yonex Poly Tour Air1.25mm and Isospeed Cream 1.28mm in my identically weighted 342 gram and balanced four Pure Aero + frames. I have hit with GW 1.27mm in a full bed, just as I have YPTA and Cream 1.28mm, and a cross with Lux 1.30mm Gut. I have further compared Lux 1.30mm mains with YPTA 1.25, Cream 1.28mm, and Ghostwire 1.27mm all at the same 58M/56X tension strung by me personally on my Alpha Ghost and the Ghostwire cross setup felt the stiffest of all.
If you have lab data that offers results comparing YPTA 1.25mm, Isopseed Cream 1.28, and Ghostwire 1.27mm, please share them. I don't have any lab data. Since TennisWarehouse doesn't sell your strings, they have no lab data on TierOne Strings. The USRSA would be the only place that has your lab data to my knowledge and their data shows Ghostwire 1.22mm (thinner than the 1.27mm I used) string stiffness to be 181 lbs/in which backs up my personal experience. I don't get caught up in the data as an end-all and think too many players wrap their head around data, when in fact, they should simply try strings that make them better players instead of ones that match their frames. I have commented many times about 3.0 women using Hyper G in Wilson Blade 98 frames so the green string matches their green Blade 98s. Truly sad, but that is the reality with many rec players.
Tier One makes some great strings for the majority of players and IMO, the majority of rec players using copolys would benefit from using some of your softer strings instead of stiffer copolys like Hyper G. Most players don't generate the RHS to benefit from super stiff strings, yet they play with them to look cool. FireWire and Ghostwire are two such strings that I have found to suit a great many player that I string for. But yes, I have also found two strings softer than Ghostwire and those are Yonex Poly Tour Air and Cream. Don't worry many members on this forum will back up my statement that I have recommend they try your string, so please don't take my input as a slam to Tier One Sports in any manner. You have great strings at great prices!
www.tennis-warehouse.com
www.tennis-warehouse.com
And yes, even Bob Patterson of the USRSA referred to strings in 2017 as
polyester strings.
Collaborative Effort By Bob Patterson:
When it comes to poly strings, we all need to make sure adult recreational players and juniors know the facts. I speak to many manufacturers, coaches, and racquet technicians, and the consensus is that recreational adult players and junior players are using the wrong type of string, tension—or both.
Stiff polyester strings are prevalent in the marketplace and dominate the pro tours, but are they suited for the average club or league player? Most in this industry don’t think so.
First, the very benefit of poly strings is their ability to bend and snap back faster than other materials. This snapback enhances spin on the ball. A pro can swing out and get more spin on the ball while generating a heavier shot. You might think that would be the same for your average junior or club player, but it is most definitely not the case. Most players can’t generate enough racquet-head speed to bend stiff poly strings in the first place. If the string doesn't bend, it can’t snap back, and there is little or no spin enhancement. Many recreational players who switch to a poly never adjust their tension.
I’m always amazed to hear of a 3.5 adult or junior using a full poly set-up at high tensions. This is a surefire way for a player to hurt his or her arm.
Second, monofilament poly strings lose their elasticity—or the ability to snap back—much faster than nylon or other string materials. Since poly strings have a fairly dead feeling to begin with, their decline is less noticeable for recreational players, who tend to not restring as often as they should, which only makes the problem worse. Not only is poly string wrong for most recreational and junior players, it can be harmful. The stiffer string
coupled with stiffer, lighter racquet creates much more shock to the player when the ball impacts the stringbed. In recent years, we’ve seen arm and wrist injuries sideline many top pros, and these athletes train and take every precaution to prevent injury. If we all know it is a problem, how do we fix it? It starts with education: inform players about why they should alter their string set-up. It is better for their health and for their game. Manufacturers need to step up, too.
It is easy to market a string their top sponsored player is using, but companies need to make rec players aware that string may not be best for everyone. Then they need to offer a softer, better-suited string.
The bottom line is that we all need to address this issue. Injured players play less, and may stop playing altogether.
And that’s not good for anyone.
Bob Patterson:
Executive Director of
the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association.
Tennis Industry: Nov/Dec 2017