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PV Audio's Playtest Thread
I figure that since I string for a fair number of people here on campus and thus stock a lot of strings, I'll post up a review of whenever I try out a new string setup. Three categories: Stringing, Playability, Durability with subsections for each. Each post will be a different string. I'll start with what I've got in my bag now and therefore have hit with then will constantly update on what I'm playing with by the day. First off, intrinsic information for each playtest:
Stringer: PV Audio aka ME! Stringing Machine: Silent Partner Aria w/ Opus clamps (newest Aria) Frame: Head IG Prestige Pro (stock) Grip Size: 4 1/2 Overgrip: Wilson Pro Overgrip Dampener: none Playing Style As some general information, my forehand is my groundstroke weapon, my backhand is my consistent side and is becoming a weapon having switched from 1H to 2H. My serve, however, is my main weapon and gives me the most free points. It sets up my other strokes, and I tend to S&V if serving out wide. I do not have or give myself a NTRP rating as the system does not, in my opinion, reflect playing ability below 5.0. Instead, please view the videos below to compare your playstyle to mine so you may make your own assessment. Serving warmup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtfYGIiHVdY Hitting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMv2I2bA6RM Table of Contents String reviews are listed in chronological order rather than alphabetical order. This is intentional as my thoughts on the same string setup have sometimes changed as I have altered my game. Therefore, if a setup seems very similar to another posted later, click both and see the different characteristics. Likely a difference in tension is present. Also note that these reviews are my opinion and my opinion alone. Take all of my words with a handful of salt. I am only one 20s aged player, likely using a different racquet than you, and likely hit the ball differently. I have never suffered from elbow problems either, so no string in here I would call arm-friendly as I never have issues there. I have, however, torn my rotator cuff in high school and therefore have limited RoM. It is for this reason that in my serving videos, you will never see me hit a flat serve as it causes too much internal and external rotation. In other words, my main serve is a 100-105 spin serve. Use my setups at your own discretion. Signum Pro Tornado 1.23 / Technifibre NRG 1.18 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...21&postcount=2 Topspin Cyber Twirl 1.27 / Technifibre NRG 1.18 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...25&postcount=3 Weiss Cannon Mosquito Bite (Blue) / Laserfibre SNGPS 17 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...32&postcount=4 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=172 Weiss Cannon Scorpion 1.22 / PerforMAXX Whisper Touch 1.20 Natural Gut http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...70&postcount=8 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=453 Initial Polyfibre Hexablade 1.18 / WhisperTouch WeissCANNON Scorpion 1.22 / WhisperTouch Polyfibre Hexablade 1.18 / Mantis Comfort Synthetic WeissCANNON Scorpion 1.22 / Mantis Comfort Synthetic http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=140 Final Verdicts Polyfibre Hexablade 1.18 / WhisperTouch WeissCANNON Scorpion 1.22 / WhisperTouch Polyfibre Hexablade 1.18 / Mantis Comfort Synthetic WeissCANNON Scorpion 1.22 / Mantis Comfort Synthetic http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=144 Genesis Typhoon 16L / Technifibre NRG2 1.18 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=210 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=234 WeissCANNON Black5Edge / WhisperTouch http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=262 WeissCANNON Black5Edge vs. WeissCANNON Scorpion 1.22 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=265 PerforMAXX WhisperTouch Pro / WeissCANNON Scorpion 1.22 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=417 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=427 PerforMAXX WhisperTouch Pro / WeissCANNON Black5Edge http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=418 WeissCANNON Black5Edge / WeissCANNON 6Star Supercharged http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=455 WeissCANNON Silverstring / PerforMAXX WhisperTouch Pro http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=494 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=508 WeissCANNON Black5Edge / PerforMAXX WhisperTouch Pro http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=495 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=509 WeissCANNON Turbotwist 1.18 / PerforMAXX WhisperTouch http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=615 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=629 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=701 Tourna Poly Big Hitter Blue Rough 17g / PerforMAXX WhisperTouch http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=616 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=630 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=703 Signum Pro Hyperion 1.24 / PerforMAXX WhisperTouch Pro http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=617 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=631 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=702 Volkl Cyclone 17g http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=618 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=632 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=704 Topspin CyberTwirl Black 1.27 / Babolat VS Team 17 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=796 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=834 Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 17 / Performaxx Touch 17 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=812 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=834 Genesis Black Magic 17g http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=941 Genesis Black Magic 17g / WhisperTouch http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=945 WeissCANNON B5E / Prince Recoil http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=995 Tourna Poly Big Hitter Blue Rough 17g / Prince Recoil http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=996 Tourna Poly Big Hitter Blue Rough 17g / WhisperTouch Pro http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...&postcount=998 Discho Black Mamba 1.23 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1043 WhisperTouch Pro / MSV Hepta-Twist 1.25 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1067 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1094 [b] |
Dunlop Aerogel 4D200 Tour Review, Strung with B5E / WT Pro
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1068 WT Pro / MSV Co Focus 1.23 Midnight Blue http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1162 Performaxx Light Touch / Scorpion 1.22 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1300 Performaxx Light Touch / ThunderStrings Storm 1.25 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1369 WeissCANNON B5E / Genesis Thunderblast 16g http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1606 Tourna Big Hitter Black 7 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1664 2012 Wilson Prototype Blue String http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1696 Signum Pro Tornado 1.23 / Babolat Xcel French Open 17g http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1807 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=2020 (update) Solinco Tour Bite 18g / Genesis Thunderblast 16g http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1808 Discho Iontec Salmon 1.25mm http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1883 Polyester Comparison: WC Scorpion 1.22, WC Silverstring 1.20, Discho Iontec Salmon and MSV CoFocus 1.23 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1932 Solinco Barb Wire 16L / WeissCANNON Mosquito Bite http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=2021 L-Tec Premium Pro / L-Tec Premium 5S http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=2124 Isospeed Baseline Spin 1.20mm / Gosen OG Sheep Micro 17g Natural http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=2332 Luxilon Adrenaline Rough 1.25mm / Yonex Tour Super 850 1.30mm http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=2419 SP Tornado 1.23mm / WC Explosiv! 1.30mm http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=2662 All images in this thread are my property. If you would like to use one, please ask me first. Stringing: Stringing of the mains is fairly easy. Just make sure to not set the clamps too tightly as the Tornado is highly textured and you can shred the strings fairly easily if you're not careful. This is especially important if you do a full bed. Stringing the NRG is butter, nothing needs to be said there. All Pro knots on racquet. Tension: 57/60 Playability: Great racquet setup here. The NRG provides just enough softness and responsiveness to what is otherwise a pretty dull feeling string. The spin that the Tornado produces is phenomenal as its reviews state. Control is excellent as well, but is more of a function of the spin instead of actual directivity as with a string like Silverstring where you can pinpoint a spot and hit it. Great combination here. Durability: Played with for 3 hours so far, minimal fraying of the NRG. String movement is decent, but it's a multifilament cross, so the crosses moving really isn't a big concern. Overall: 8/10   In the end: Cut out due to boredom. Overall: 80/100 |
Topspin Cyber Twirl 1.27 / Technifibre NRG 1.18
Stringing: Easy peasy to string the CT. Less coil memory than the Tornado. Again, NRG strings like butter so as long as you're careful, you should be fine. Tension: 57/60
Playability: Read the review of the Tornado above. These strings play almost identically except that the Cyber Twirl trades some spin potential for more feel. It's your choice. Personally, I can't pick between the two. I guess more play time will have to determine which is superior based on durability and longevity of the great playing characteristics. Durability: Same as Tornado, a little less fraying of the T-Fibre. Overall: 8/10   In the end: Cut out due to boredom. Overall: 80/100 |
Weiss Cannon Mosquito Bite (Blue) / Laserfibre SNGPS 17
Stringing: No coil memory whatsoever with the MB. Strung up like PSG with just slightly more stiffness. The laserfibre, however, is even easier to string, but not as easy as NRG. Overall, no problems. Tension: 58/60
Playability: Jaw dropping. The feel that this setup provides is unparalleled. As I've stated many times, I feel that SNGPS is the best multifilament that money can buy and plays far superior to any of the budget natural guts out there. I'd put it just below Tonic because if you close your eyes, you can't tell the difference. The MB is a perfect match. It is a super responsive poly thanks to its gauge and construction, and the resiliency of the Laserfibre just enhances that. Spin? Look elsewhere, but the control is still top notch. You won't find a better net player's setup for the money unless you choose a cheaper multi. Durability: This is the longest lasting setup that I have, and the Laserfibre is just starting to fray ever so slightly. Tension hasn't dropped either, so no complaints on that end. Overall: 9/10   In the end: WeissCANNON MosquitoBite 1.16 Vein Blue / Laserfibre SNGPS Power: 8/10 Control: 8.5/10 Feel: 9.5/10 Spin: 7/10 Durability: 7/10 Tension Maintenance: 9.75/10 Total: 49.75/60 Final Total: 83/100 |
Next review: Weiss Cannon Scorpion 1.22 / PerforMAXX WhisperTouch 1.20 Natural Gut (e*Bay)
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Weiss Cannon Scorpion 1.22 / PerforMAXX Whisper Touch 1.20 Natural Gut
Before I delve into the categories, a little background on this natty since many of you may not be familiar with it. This is the bumf from the e.Bay seller's page, so I didn't write this:
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The natural guts that I carry for stringing are the following: Babolat Tonic 15L Babolat VS Team 17g Global Gut 17g Klip Legend 17g Pacific Prime 17g I have used VS, Klip and Global in the mains, and those three plus tonic in the crosses (all as hybrids). In the mains, VS is the best by a long shot. In the crosses, VS is the best simply because it does not fray as badly, but the feel is better than Global and Tonic which are tied. Since I cannot link to the Bay page, I'll describe the string's appearance. They say that they use a polyurethane coating like on furniture which gives it a glossy appearance and helps with stringing. Now, as is evident from my username, I have a strong basis in audio and thus in loudspeaker building and have used polyurethane to finish speaker cabinets many a time. Therefore, I know its properties: dries hard, dries clear and yet is flammable. The string that you receive is so clear, and I mean so transparent, that I did not believe for one second that it was natural gut. It looked like a natural colored version of Pro Supex syn gut original: it was that transparent. So, I figured that if they're telling the truth, that I could literally light the string on fire, which should make the polyurethane coating go up in flames quickly and reveal the gut below which should expand immediately. So.....that's what I did! I cut a 1" section off of the string, took a Bic to it, and immediately the entire thing burst into flames and quadrupled in size. There was a definite smell of polyurethane/lacquer and of burning flesh: this stuff truly is natural gut despite the crystal clear appearance. Onto the actual playtest: Stringing: Scorpion, like all WC strings, is a breeze to string. No coil memory, easy to tie off, easy on the fingers. Since it was just in the mains, no problems whatsoever. Now comes the interesting part: the crosses. The gut, when woven, is about as hard to weave as a low coil memory poly. Therefore, I'd put its ease of stringing in between a stiff multi and a soft poly, but definitely easier to weave than any of the other Babolat or Klip guts let alone the rope, I mean, Global gut. What's interesting is that the string looks crystal clear while weaving, but the moment you pull tension on it, it literally transforms before your eyes into a cloudy string where you can see the individual sinews and takes on an appearance identical to VS. You really need to see this to understand it: it looks crystal clear, to the point that I stepped on it multiple times because i saw right through it while it was on the carpet while I was doing the mains, but when tensioned, the fibrous nature is immediately apparent. Tension: 56.5 / 58.5 Playability: This is, without question, the best playing string setup that I have ever used in my entire life. Nothing else even compares. Honestly, not even VS crosses compare. I am not putting it to either string, but rather the combination of a crispy yet soft poly main and a natural gut cross. It just so happens that both strings happen to be the best of their respective breeds. The power is EFFORTLESS. Wrist flick shots are dime a dozen. You can modulate the amount of power simply by how much force you put behind each shot, OR, you can accelerate your racquet more quickly for more spin. Oh, the spin. This setup generates spin levels on par with some of the top textured strings. Why that is, I don't know, but the harder you hit (assuming you have a topspin generating stroke), the more the ball dives into the court at the last second. It only goes long when you flatten it out for no reason. Feel at the net is incredible, but then again, just about all natty setups are great at the net. I took off the rubber band and felt no increase in feel, but that'd be pretty difficult since the touch possible with this setup is pretty much untouchable, no pun intended. Durability: All good things must come to an end: PerforMAXX does not lie or hide anything back in their descriptions. The WhisperTouch is definitely meant for those with a moderate swing speed with a flatter trajectory on most balls. Scorpion is not textured, and yet, after an hour and fifteen minutes of serving drills, the crosses are frayed more than all of the previously mentioned setups combined. I expect that in a match, the crosses are going after about a set if you're lucky. I think that the 1.30 or 1.25 is more appropriate for a modern topspin stroke...and they say as such in their advertising. I wanted the ultimate in playability so I chose the thinnest gauge and paid the price. So, expect to see me using the 1.25 as my next playtest cross string. Overall: 9.25/10   Well, the gut finally broke on me. Sorry, no pics as I dont' have a camera here. Either way, here's how it stacks up: In the end: WeissCANNON Scorpion 1.22 / PerforMAXX WhisperTouch 17L Natural Gut Power: 8.5/10 Control: 9/10 Feel: 9.5/10 Spin: 8.75/10 Durability: 8/10 Tension Maintenance: 9.75/10 Total: 53.5/60 Final Total: 89/100 This one will certainly be hard to beat. The poly had long gone dead, but yet the gut just did its job and kept the feel to the point that it played like a low-feel poly setup. I honestly cannot see myself finding a better setup. |
Great thread. Can you comment on the softness of Laserfibre SNGPS 17?
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pvaudio - can u comment on which cross string lasts the longest and still acceptable in other attributes?
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 SNGPS, which I have obviously used in the past, frays slightly then breaks compared to NRG's hairdo-like fraying above. I will update on which breaks first, but at this point, it seems pretty obvious as to which one that will be :-? |
I have a reel each of Mantis Comfort and Power Synthetic coming across the Atlantic this week (stupidly low price), so each of those will get a workout. Any polys you guys want to see play tested? Perhaps a full bed of a multi?
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Scorpion 1.22 is one of my faves and typically cross with Gosen OGSM 17 for the price/performance. my experience has been that the multi crosses notch and somewhat "lock" the poly mains which i don't care for. curious if other synthetics or multis offer better performance (whilst keeping price reasonable). :)
btw - thanks for asking and sharing your stringing experience. |
Silverstring, SPPP or Energy hybrid with one of the Mantis strings please. Im a bit curious about "arm-friendliness" of such a setup
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^ As long as You're willing to sacrifice some of Your time and test it, i don't care for a particular order ;) But lets start with WCSS:)
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hi pvaudio, just wondering on few strings you could help me with (i use a k factor tour 90, 16x19) in your opinion what tension rating i should try and go for in these strings:
solinco tour bite 16L or 17? mosquito bite 1.16? signum pro tornado 1.23 gona use these as full bed, thanks you asked what other strings you want to test with, heres a few: isospeed control 1.30 solinco revolution Polyfibre TCS 1.30 Kirschbaum Pro Line No. II 1.30 Polystar Strike 1.25 |
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Honestly, string them all at the same tension, and see which one you like best.If you had a Dunlop 100, 200 or 300, then I'd actually give some real advice since I've owned all of those frames :) I don't have any of those other ones you listed there aside from pro line 2 and I have it in 1.15 and it is my least favorite poly. It launches balls, feels like pudding and IMO is a disgrace to the Kirschbaum name which I think is second only to Weiss Cannon for overall great string products. |
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If you could string up a full job of Mantis Comfort and compare it to your favorite Laserfibre multi that would be interesting to compare the softness of those two. |
ok, thanks as ive just getting my tornado strung at 54lb- as i find my wilson lack power compared 2 babolat rackets -briefly used
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