Pacific Classic 1.25 x MSV Co-Focus 1.18

[Power Player]

Im going to use less SSers...I dont like what they do to the feel. It gets kind of crispy. Ill probably try and go without on my next job.

[Smasher08]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

4) Are stringsavers reusable?

I've just finished restringing and can confirm that although stringsavers are reusable, they aren't reusable indefinitely.

Here's a photo I took of some that came out of one of my old frame. Look at the three on the right.



You see the little hole in them? That's caused by the wear and tear of friction. The one on the left without the hole is newer. Its teflon coating is still intact, so presumably it will slide more than the burned through ones.

I'd say that they can be reused once before this happens, depending on how long they're in the frame for.

[Smasher08]

Update - 71.5 hours (Set 2)

That's all she wrote! The additional SSers just took away too much feel and I was really, really struggling with touch shots -- which are my bread and butter in doubles.

So that's it, they've been cut out. The stringjob was magnificent until the last batch of SSers went in around the 58 hour mark. While I was starting to adjust to the increased stiffness and reduced spinniness, the loss of touch was a dealbreaker. RIP and thanks for the memories.

A new batch (set 4) went in at 51 x 47 lbs.

[Smasher08]

Update - 1.5 hours (Set 4)

Had to post this.

I think the stringers who'd been doing my hybrids before had been prestretching my gut. Having now strung it with my X-6, the difference is remarkable: much livelier, spinnier, and a little more powerful.

Out of the gate, the spin was much more reminiscent of poly. It took 10 or 12 hours to get this spinny before. And the feel of the ball in the stringbed was dialled up by several notches. By comparison, it had been much more muted before.

I just did groundies tonight, but am very impressed. I'll report further after serving tomorrow.

In the meantime, I wonder how the spinnier properties of non-prestretched mains might affect the longevity. Hopefully, it won't have any effect at all.

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

You don't pre-stretch your gut? I pre-stretch everything but polys.

[Smasher08]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

You don't pre-stretch your gut? I pre-stretch everything but polys.

Nope. And given how incredibly it's performed right off the bat, I honestly doubt I'll ever do it!

EDIT: here's an older thread I found on the topic. Perhaps others will take a different view, but I'm finding that non-prestretched gut has much more of the attributes that I look for in this particular type of hybrid.

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by Smasher08

Nope. And given how incredibly it's performed right off the bat, I honestly doubt I'll ever do it!

EDIT: here's an older thread I found on the topic. Perhaps others will take a different view, but I'm finding that non-prestretched gut has much more of the attributes that I look for in this particular type of hybrid.

I don't use the machine to pre-stretch gut. I just wrap it around a doorknob and pull until the coil memory is gone.

1) Easier to work with.
2) I believe there'll be less of a tension lost.

By the way, I just crossed my gut with MSV Co-Focus 1.18, and I absolutely hated stringing it. I fanned the crosses so it won't burn into the gut, but the Co-Focus didn't want to slide across the gut. It roughed up my fingernails!

In comparison, Polystar Energy weaved like it was butter.

[Posture Guy]

yeah, I prestretch my gut, too, mostly for ease of stringing and avoiding kinking. I find non-stretched gut difficult to work with. I use Say's method, tie it around a doorknow and sit back into it.

I also concur with him about stringing Co-Focus. Love the way it plays, not a fan of stringing it.

[GlenK]

I don't pre-stretch gut at all. It plays much better with out it for me. As for Co-Focus stringing, I've had no issues with it and it continues to perform as the best cross I've tried with Wilson Nat gut...

[polytheist]

My Klip Legend Tour is starting to lock up with Cofocus after 8-10 hours, I'm not sure the coating is agreeing with this hybrid combination. Maybe it will loosen up later when the coating wears off more.

Thinking just regular uncoated gut is the best partner for Cofocus. Anyone try totally uncoated gut with Cofocus?

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by Posture Guy

yeah, I prestretch my gut, too, mostly for ease of stringing and avoiding kinking. I find non-stretched gut difficult to work with. I use Say's method, tie it around a doorknow and sit back into it.

I also concur with him about stringing Co-Focus. Love the way it plays, not a fan of stringing it.

That's my method.

I'm hoping Co-Focus won't play as nice as Polystar Energy, because I really did not enjoy stringing it.

[Power Player]

I dont prestretch my gut. I guess I am used to the tension drop...its usually just 5#s though.

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

So I had a chance to play with Co-Focus 1.18 in my blx90, Mamba premium gut 16g/MSV Co-Focus 1.18, 52/46lbs.

It does give me a tad more feel than Polystar Energy 17g, while retaining the same level of comfort.

That, and someone said it sounds like I'm hitting with a bat.

[polytheist]

Do you use a dampener?

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by polytheist

Do you use a dampener?

No, I hate dampeners, they turn the stringbed into a 2x4. Besides, dampeners only changes sound of impact to you, to everyone else it still sounds the same.

[Power Player]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

So I had a chance to play with Co-Focus 1.18 in my blx90, Mamba premium gut 16g/MSV Co-Focus 1.18, 52/46lbs.

It does give me a tad more feel than Polystar Energy 17g, while retaining the same level of comfort.

That, and someone said it sounds like I'm hitting with a bat.

Yeah it sounds so good when you are hitting clean with this setup.

It's funny how people are about dampeners..it is super subjective. I MUST have a dampener or it drives me crazy. Used one since I was 9 years old. Hit with a friends stick with no dampener and I hated all the vibrations and that up close **sprong** sound that I hear. But other people hate what I like..kind of funny how that works.

[Smasher08]

Originally Posted by Power Player

It's funny how people are about dampeners..it is super subjective. I MUST have a dampener or it drives me crazy. Used one since I was 9 years old.

Same with me. I grew up with one and now a racket just doesn't feel right without one.

[GlenK]

Well the summer humidity in Florida is in high gear. Wilson Nat gut and MSV co-focus. I'd been getting great tension maintenance with this set up but the last string job is dropping like a rock.

My last two jobs in April averaged 7.3% & 7.9% loss after 3.5 hours. Last week strung up two and after 3.5 hrs they're both down about 11.4%.. Still plays great but longevity is dropping off quite a bit..

[Mansewerz]

Have you tried Klip in place of pacific?

[tennisinoc]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

By the way, I just crossed my gut with MSV Co-Focus 1.18, and I absolutely hated stringing it. I fanned the crosses so it won't burn into the gut, but the Co-Focus didn't want to slide across the gut. It roughed up my fingernails!

Can someone explain this to me? Is Co-focus sticky or something?
Isn't it slick like most other round polys?