poly death
 

Played a match indoors yesterday, and this was the first time I had ever used a poly string that I had strung myself at the 10 hour mark (string age).

So anyway, I couldn't keep the ball in. I was using an IG YT Prestige MP with BHB7 17 @ 52 lbs. It was a rocket launcher!

So my question is: as poly dies, is it supposed to get more powerful? No amount of spin I put on that ball kept it in. 90% of my shots sailed long. We only won our match because my partner stayed more consistent and dug me out of trouble.

other than that, there are no "classic" identifiers of string death. The strings weren't overly stiff, there wasn't a lot of string movement. The only symptom was way too much power.

thanks

hmmm interesting question .

I have noticed that as poly ages the power level and subsequently the unpredictability of the string bed, do go up. Just remember that not all poly dies at the 10 hour mark. Some goes much quicker and your play style/ swing style does affect this.

One of my hitting partners has been playing with a full poly stringbed for at least 5 months (I know cuz I strung it). He keeps lamenting that his forehand is flying long a lot (and he's losing control and matches). I'd say something, but he still hasn't paid me for stringing it... lol.

Thanks all. I'll re-string it then.

A textured poly might help with the spin. After going textured, I never went back.

I find ball flies more too

So you're saying that LESS string on string sliding (higher coefficient of friction with textured strings) actually gave you MORE spin? Interesting.

IMO different poly's die in different ways.

I think some textured strings actually have very good COEF. Federer uses a textured cross with gut mains and he get tremendous spin.

I have used textured crosses with gut, multi, or syn gut mains and spin is good.

Some polys do turn into rocket launchers when they lose tension. Luxilon is bad. SigPro and Tecnifibre polys seem to hold tension better. They do go "flat" after about 10 hours but they don't turn into trampolines. I play with them for about 6-8 hours and then relegate them to practice after that.

Textured strings create more spin because they grip the ball more. But the same texture that grips the ball more also grips the cross and main strings more which results in less string slipping, less string movement, and less snap back - all of which should create more spin. The rougher the string, the higher the coefficient of friction, and the less the string will slide or snap back and the longer it will take for the string to move or snap back.

Any string can become a racket, oops rocket launcher if it loses tension.

Some poly strings die and literally give up the will to return the ball (no power) and some become slingshots like yours. As an example, WeissCannon polys go for the dead version and Kirschbaum polys go for the trebuchet version.

Aside from these feel-based identifiers, the sign that poly is dying is that the MAINS begin to move about more. Once dead, they do not return to their original place due to having no elasticity. Below is WeissCannon Scorpion at 8hrs and it's absolutely cremated:


This is the same string an hour before:


You can see that it's started to move about slightly, but it's no longer grid straight as when it's freshly strung.

I use the third string in snap back test.
Just pluck it new and again old, you'll know what I mean.

Do you know how dies RPM Blast : more or less power ?
Thanks

So why are some dead poly strings turning out to be rocket launchers as they lose tension, when there are many folks here stringing them @ 30 lbs? How could fresh strings @ 30 lbs be any less of a rocket launcher?

could u explain this a little more?

Pull/pluck the third main from the outside. If it just sits there without snapping back, it's dead.

ive wondered this myself

i have raised this question myself in the thread made by the twprofessor and have not yet gotten a "scientific" answer.
my take about this is that, as has been established by the tests, all polys lose tension and thus you will experience an increase in the deflection of the stringbed upon impact. while some also lose their resiliency and will return slower to the initial position, they will basically feel like a board and you will have a hard time hitting those balls over the net, you need to accelerate even more through the ball and this in the end leads to pain or even injury of the joints.
others will have a slower decline in the energy return ratios and thus, combined with the higher launch angle that comes along with higher deflection of the stringbed you will see your balls sailing long more often and also will notice a loss of lateral placement. the dwell time also increases meaning that you carry the ball for a longer arch of your stroke on the stringbed, which will basically lead to this loss of placement precision,like trying to hit a crosscourt but landing in the doubles alley because the ball leaves the strings later.