KGut Pro 17g feeling stiffer than MSV Focus Hex 1.18?

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by ac3111

Other characteristics of hollow core, tension maintenance, control, power?
Thanks for the input...
I have been playing with Blackcode 1.18 and PL II 1.15 the last few days and I found them more comfortable than the K Gut Pro.

Not surprising at all.

Wilson should have called it K-Poly Pro or K-Kevlar Pro.

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by Valjean

Well, in my view, Wilson's Hollow Core is a pedestrian string in the tradition of Head's and Yonex's multifilaments--its main feature is control, meaning it is quite unobtrusive in play and sports some comfort, but has little else to recommend it. Anyone who fancies this type of string should be using Prince's Premier LT instead, IMO; Wilson's Hollow Core isn't even the best of the type, at this point in time. But, by the way, I hope it is understood that high tension loss, without restringing when it's due, is the main contributor to TE (and that's one reason the pros restring poly so often), not just the stiffness of any stringbed.

There's no way that could be true. Lower tensions make your stringbed more arm-friendly and that's why many people who experience arm problems at higher tensions will lower their tensions to alleviate their arm problems. This works for many people regardless if they're using poly, multi, syn gut, natural gut, etc. So if lower tensions are better for the elbow, how could tension loss be bad for the elbow?

Pros restring so often because the tension loss makes them lose control over their shots, not because of tennis elbow. Poly also goes dead very quickly, which is another reason pros string so often. Sampras used full natural gut, which maintains tension very well, yet he restrung all of his racquets right before every match and cut out the strings on all of the racquets that were never even used and got them restrung again before the next day's match.

[Valjean]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

There's no way that could be true. Lower tensions make your stringbed more arm-friendly and that's why many people who experience arm problems at higher tensions will lower their tensions to alleviate their arm problems. This works for many people regardless if they're using poly, multi, syn gut, natural gut, etc. So if lower tensions are better for the elbow, how could tension loss be bad for the elbow?

Pros restring so often because the tension loss makes them lose control over their shots, not because of tennis elbow. Poly also goes dead very quickly, which is another reason pros string so often. Sampras used full natural gut, which maintains tension very well, yet he restrung all of his racquets right before every match and cut out the strings on all of the racquets that were never even used and got them restrung again before the next day's match.

Loss of tension over time doesn't equate with deciding to lower your tension before you string because the string fatigues, like a rubber band does. That leaves your arm and shoulder doing more of the work, along with an accompanying loss of control. I didn't say, in other words, that the pros restring so often due to TE, but rather that they can do so in order to help avoid it. TE is frequently an overuse injury that comes on over time.

Every tension is a trade-off with your arm and shoulder.

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by Valjean

Loss of tension over time doesn't equate with deciding to lower your tension before you string because the string fatigues, like a rubber band does. That leaves your arm and shoulder doing more of the work, along with an accompanying loss of control. I didn't say, in other words, that the pros restring so often due to TE, but rather that they can do so in order to help avoid it. TE is frequently an overuse injury that comes on over time.

Every tension is a trade-off with your arm and shoulder.

Yes, TE is an overuse injury, but that has nothing at all to do with tension loss. Lower tensions are better for the elbow than higher tensions are. It doesn't matter if you string your racquets at a lower tension or if it comes from the strings losing tension while it's sitting in your racquet. A lower tension is a lower tension. Lower tensions also give you more power so your arm and shoulder do LESS of the work. The big negative, of course, is the loss of control. I have never heard of anyone, pro or otherwise, who said that they avoided lower tensions or didn't want to play with a stringjob that has lost tension because they wanted to avoid tennis elbow.

Now, strings going "dead" (losing their resiliency), like poly does quickly, is a different story and is not the same as tension loss. Strings losing their resiliency makes the stringbed feel less lively and less powerful while tension loss makes the stringbed feel more lively and more powerful.

[Valjean]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

Yes, TE is an overuse injury, but that has nothing at all to do with tension loss. Lower tensions are better for the elbow than higher tensions are. It doesn't matter if you string your racquets at a lower tension or if it comes from the strings losing tension while it's sitting in your racquet. A lower tension is a lower tension. Lower tensions also give you more power so your arm and shoulder do LESS of the work. The big negative, of course, is the loss of control. I have never heard of anyone, pro or otherwise, who said that they avoided lower tensions or didn't want to play with a stringjob that has lost tension because they wanted to avoid tennis elbow.

Now, strings going "dead" (losing their resiliency), like poly does quickly, is a different story and is not the same as tension loss. Strings losing their resiliency makes the stringbed feel less lively and less powerful while tension loss makes the stringbed feel more lively and more powerful.

Look, when tension loss occurs with the string in the racquet, it is tension loss due to string fatigue, and the loss of resiliency is what makes the added work load; get it??? Let's not get tangled up in this; stay on topic.

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by Valjean

Look, when tension loss occurs with the string in the racquet, it is tension loss due to string fatigue, and the loss of resiliency is what makes the added work load; get it??? Let's not get tangled up in this; stay on topic.

But strings will lose tension even if you never hit with it but from just sitting there, which is why some pros will cut the strings out from racquets that are just a day or two old even though they never even touched the racquet.

However, loss is resiliency comes from hitting with the strings (and some from pre-stretching) when the string fibers and resins start to break down from repeated stress and strain, which is different from tension loss. Tension loss alone will give you more power, but less control, and will be easier on your arm.