2012 Luxilon Playtest

[cardshark]

Confirm the prototype you received - A or B: B

Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest: Hybrid

If hybrid, list the other string used and whether it was in mains or crosses: Prototype B in mains at 58 lbs & Head FXP 16g in crosses at 61 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test: Head Flexpoint Radical Oversized

Power level of test string or hybrid: Medium. I did not feel that the string added more power to my shots in comparison to my usual set up.

Feel (crisp? mushy? soft? stiff? off center feedback?): The feel was a little stiffer than my usual set up, but are softer than some of the polys that I have tried, such as the Prince Beast XP 16g.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable?): I have played with it for a couple of hours and I haven’t noticed any loss in tension. I think that it maintains its tension much better than other strings I’ve tried out.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): I thought that the control with this string was pretty good. I was able to control the depth and direction of my ground strokes and volleys well with this string. I also enjoyed the added control on my serves too.

Spin: I enjoyed the amount of spin I got from this string setup. I am a relatively flat hitter and am looking for strings that will help me get my shots in the court, which this string did.

Compare to the string you use most often: This string is a large improvement in the spin and control categories when compared to my usual set up, which helped my consistency considerably. I did not notice any extra power in my shots with this new string. While stiffer than my usual setup, the string was not as hard on my arm as other polys.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension?): I am happy with the tension that I chose.

General comments (please summarize likes and dislikes): I enjoyed this string and playtest. I am currently looking for a new string set up to help me improve my game further, especially in consistency. I think this string is a good candidate to switch to. Hopefully the price of the string will not break the bank.



Full set or hybrid: Hybrid w/ Head FXP 16g in crosses

Tension used for playtest: Luxilon 4g in mains at 55 lbs & Head FXP 16g at 57 lbs

Regular string set up: Wilson Enduro Pro 16g at 57 lbs & Head FXP 16g at 61 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test: Head Radical Flexpoint Oversized

Power of test string: I felt that the power was average to below average. Sometimes I had to swing a little faster to get my groundstrokes and serves to the velocity that I wanted.

Feel: The feel was stiffer than my regular set up. When I hit sweetspot, I was rewarded with a nice crisp feel, but off center shots were did not feel very good. Touch shots, like drop shots and lobs, were amazing.

Spin: I felt that I got a good amount of spin from this string, enough to keep my shots, which are relatively flat, in the court. I did not think that the Luxilon 4g gave me as much spin when compared with the Solinco Prototype B String that I tried a few weeks ago.

Comfort: The string was very comfortable in comparison to some of the other polys I have tried and did not cause me pain or problems with my arm.

Durability: It doesn’t look like it is breaking soon after over 10 hours of play.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable): After playing with this string set up for several hours, I did not feel any significant drop in tension, which is great considering how other polys lose tension very quickly.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): I felt that I had great control on my shots with this string. I was able to hit my shots with an almost pinpoint accuracy. The control on depth, direction, & height were great.

Compare to the string you use most often: It definitely has more spin and control that my usual set up, which definitely helped my relatively flat game. It was slightly lower powered and stiffer than my usual string, but I felt that it is a good match for my playing style.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I think that the tension that I chose perfect.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes: I really loved the control that the strings gave me. I also enjoyed how comfortable the strings were and the great tension maintenance, despite being polys. If the strings had a little more power and are not too expensive, I would say that it would be a great string.

[cardshark]

Full set or hybrid: Hybrid w/ Head FXP 16g in crosses

Tension used for playtest: Luxilon 4g in mains at 55 lbs & Head FXP 16g at 57 lbs

Regular string set up: Wilson Enduro Pro 16g at 57 lbs & Head FXP 16g at 61 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test: Head Radical Flexpoint Oversized

Power of test string: I felt that the power was average to below average. Sometimes I had to swing a little faster to get my groundstrokes and serves to the velocity that I wanted.

Feel: The feel was stiffer than my regular set up. When I hit sweetspot, I was rewarded with a nice crisp feel, but off center shots were did not feel very good. Touch shots, like drop shots and lobs, were amazing.

Spin: I felt that I got a good amount of spin from this string, enough to keep my shots, which are relatively flat, in the court. I did not think that the Luxilon 4g gave me as much spin when compared with the Solinco Prototype B String that I tried a few weeks ago.

Comfort: The string was very comfortable in comparison to some of the other polys I have tried and did not cause me pain or problems with my arm.

Durability: It doesn’t look like it is breaking soon after over 10 hours of play.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable): After playing with this string set up for several hours, I did not feel any significant drop in tension, which is great considering how other polys lose tension very quickly.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): I felt that I had great control on my shots with this string. I was able to hit my shots with an almost pinpoint accuracy. The control on depth, direction, & height were great.

Compare to the string you use most often: It definitely has more spin and control that my usual set up, which definitely helped my relatively flat game. It was slightly lower powered and stiffer than my usual string, but I felt that it is a good match for my playing style.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I think that the tension that I chose perfect.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes: I really loved the control that the strings gave me. I also enjoyed how comfortable the strings were and the great tension maintenance, despite being polys. If the strings had a little more power and are not too expensive, I would say that it would be a great string.

[pperfater]

Luxilon 4g test

I strung the test string as a full set

Tension used for playtest: 52lbs.

Regular string set up: Solinco Tour Bite 16g at 52 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test: Wilson Nblade 98

Power of test string: I found the string to be low/medium powered. Felt a little “board-like” but not so different that numerous other polys I have tested. I was unable to get the spin I desired on serves. Ground strokes were OK and stayed in range even with a full swing. A number of folks here have compared this to ALU, but if I am playing with a Luxilon string I find TIMO to have better pop and spin than ALU and chose TIMO.

Feel: If I am going to have to put up with the “board-like” feel I might as well get the power of ALU or TIMO.

Spin: What spin ? I hit a flat ball, but like to get a good slice serve which I was unable to obtain with the test string. Maybe the Solinco Tour Bite spoiled me on the spin serve.

Comfort: Perhaps this string is softer than ALU as others have suggested, but the lack of power made me want to hit harder.

Durability: Still using it after several weeks, and will likely continue until some other string gets my attention. I don’t break strings before they lose their feel and I restring.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable): My sample is still playable after several weeks. I expect I will just get bored with it in a week or two and move on to something else.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): I cannot complain about control. I do have to focus on hitting the sweet spot on serves as opposed to trying to force spin and slice. I just cannot seem to get this string to give good spin on a serve. However, my slice backhand seems OK with this string.

Compare to the string you use most often: I play with Solinco Tour Bite, sometimes Solinco Barb Wire, and then I sometimes hybrid one of the Solinco strings with Gamma TNT2. I cannot see going to this Luxilon string as I am certain it is going to be expensive compared to the Solinco strings and I do not think it plays better.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I strung at 52 lbs; if I had another pack I would likely try it lower to see if I could get some pop.

Summary: (List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.)

Likes:
1. The gold string looks real “purty” in the black and gold Wilson Kblade..

Dislikes:
1. Needs a little more pop and spin potential
2. I expect I will not like the price.

I wonder what this string would be like in a thinner gauge, and perhaps strung lower; could be a completely different feel. However, I just don’t see my investing in a bunch of this string when customers who think they know what they want in a pricey string will ask for ALU, or now Babolat RPM Blast. .... Thanks for the chance to test the string.

[bigmalik76]

Thank You TW for the opportunity, as always it was my pleasure!

Setup: M: TestString @52 lbs; C: Babolat Addiction 17g at 58 lbs

Regular string set up: lately M:Pros Pro Balckout @52 lbs; C:technifiber E-Matrix 17g/Forten Seet 17g @58 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test: Head Speed Pro

Power of test string: Low powered. I generate my own so for me it was exactly what I like.

Feel: Although the feeling was muted compared to full bed of multi I really like the feeling for a Poly.

Spin: Spin was normal I did not feel that the string improved the spin from other strings.

Comfort: I was surprised but for me this setup was very comfortable. I really enjoyed the way it felt and had no soreness at all.

Durability: I felt durability was good and I had no issues with the string.

Tension maintenance: For me I really enjoyed the string until around the 10 hr (+- 2 hr) mark. After that the comfort and feel both seemed to drop

Control: I really love the string from the baseline. Had great control even when really going for big shot. I liked serving as well. On Volley the string was ok, little bit muted for me to really like this string at the net. I did like it on BH slice.

Compare to the string you use most often: I really did like the string a lot. I was surprised how good it played from the baseline. I will probably purchase a set and will try it out as a cross as well and with some other hybrid setups. Definitely a string that is worth a try.

Tension recommendations: For me the tension was good. I usually string all my setups the same especially for comparison reasons. I would leave the tension the same.

Summary: I really like the string from the base line. I love the control I had with it. For big hitting baseliner this is worth a try. At net I was missing some feel but nonetheless this was a positive test for me. I would give the string 8.5 out of 10.

[enderx1x]

Full set or hybrid: Full bed

Tension used for playtest 48/46

Regular string set up Solinco Tour Bite (previously 52 but past few string beds I have gone a bit lower and liked 48/46)

Racquet brand and model used for test Yonex RDiS 100 midplus

Power of test stringlow-medium. If I had strung at 52 the power would have probably been too low for me. However, the power at this tension was good enough for me, and I could swing out while getting good depth.

Feel Fairly good. I like the feel of soft polys in general. On ground strokes it felt about normal, but I really liked the feel on volleys. It was medium stiffness (soft for a poly) but still a bit crisp.

Spin Medium - fairly low for a poly. However combined with the lower power I got good depth. This string gave me the power and spin I put in, with no extra "help". However, that is not necessarily a bad thing as I could swing out more. On ground strokes less spin wasn't too much of a problem. However, I was feeling it a bit on kick serves.

Comfort Good here, no arm problems- although I don't usually have them. Soft for a poly.

Durability About 10 hours in a deep notches. Probably won't get too much longer.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable)Pretty good for around 6 hours, and then a slow decline in control.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)One of the highlights of this string. I could place the ball a bit better than I usually could. Nice for volleys.

Compare to the string you use most often less spin, less power, more control, softer

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) 48/46 felt good. The comfort was good enough that if I wanted to go into the low 50s I would have no problem. However, I enjoyed the extra pop that I got from going a bit lower.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes. I liked the control and comfort. However, I would still prefer my strings to have a little more pop to them. Overall I would say this string is maybe a little better than average, but nothing amazing.

Thanks TW and Luxilon for the string and shirt.

[cltennis21]

You must include the following in your review

Full set or hybrid
- full bed

Tension used for playtest
-43/44 constant pull

Regular string set up
- iontec black 1.25 43/44

Racquet brand and model used for test
- babolat pure storm gt

Power of test string
- 5/10 power was low even for a poly. Not nessisarly a bad thing because I like
Low powerd strings but this was a tad too low for my game.

Feel
- 7/10 has a unique feel I thought, very solid not plasticky. But nothing like natural gut.

Spin
- 8/10 on big fast swing this string has some exceptional spin but you have to put in that effort on every swing.

Comfort
-6/10 no arm problems with this string but typical poly comfort.

Durability
8/10 slight notching so far cant really comment

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable)
4/10 did not enjoy the tension maintance of this string I though it dropped heavily at the 2 hr mark but then stabilized which is a plus.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) 9/10 great control on all shot. Big swings stay in the court due to the low power and good spin.

Compare to the string you use most often
Compared to iontec it's a little stiffer, less power, more control, and more damanding overall.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) I would change te tension to 43/42 in order to open u the sweet spot.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes
Great control but the feel and tension maintance
Could be better. And looking at the price it's quite steep.

Thanks tw
- chase

[Rjtennis]

Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest:
I used the 4G is a full bed.

Tension used for playtest:
50/49 lbs on a Neos lockout machine


Your regular string set up:
Kirschbaum Spiky Shark 17G

Racquet brand and model used for test:
HEAD YOUTEK Extreme Pro

Power level of test string or hybrid:
I felt that the string was pretty low powered even when strung at a fairly low tension.

Feel (crisp? mushy? soft? stiff? off center feedback?:The string felt very crisp throughout the playtest, but did not feel harsh in anyway. I really liked how plush the stringbed felt.

Spin:
I wouldnt categorize this as a string that offer exceptional access to spin. I mean it still offered spin by it being a poly string, but it was not as a stand out feature of this string. When being pressed and defending from behind the baseline, it wasnt as easy to hit high, deep, topspin rally balls to get myself back in the point. I also had a harder time getting the same amount of kick on my serve that I usually do. When I was stringing my racket, I noticed that the surface of this string had a wax like feeling. I wonder if that coating negatively influences spin.

Comfort:This string felt extremely comfortable to me. It didnt send off bad vibrations or feel tinny at all!

Durability: I probably have 4.5 hours on the string and it still is very playable. After one hitting session I felt that the tension had dropped just a little bit, but it was nothing that affected the performance of this string. Tension maitenence and durability on this string seems to be very good. Most polys would be moving on me like crazy by now and would have some large notches.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
Control is where this string really leads the pack. I felt very comfortable going for my shots without fear of overhitting. Also, the low power level of the string let you really go after the ball while having great placement. I also enjoyed the control aspects on serve. I may have lost a little speed on serve with the 4G, but I made up for it with placement.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension?)
I might even try a tension in the mid 40's with this string. It holds tension well enough to try that and I dont think you would lose the great control characteristics at that tension.

General comments (please summarize likes and dislikes):
I loved the feel & control the string offered and I didnt mind that it was low powered, but for me the lack of spin potential was a disappointment. There are a lot of poly's coming out these days and it seems that they all share the common trait of easily being able to produce topspin. This string did not. I really had to crank up the racket head speed to be able to produce the heavy FH and kick serve I am used to getting with my usual set up. With that lacking the 4G wouldnt be my first choice for a poly. If that changed and they decided to make a rough version, I would definetly try it again. The 4G did not offer the same amount of power as the string I typically use, but I dont think that it hurt my game and it definetly helped my control. The 4G also felt much more plush than my Spiky Shark. All in all, I think it is a great string in the right hands. A good player with a live arm and big game would benefit from using 4G. A friend of mine with that type of game hit a few balls with my frame and loved the string. He typically uses ALU Power and was very interested in purchasing some 4G.


Thanks TW and Luxilon for the great opportunity to test this string!

[Rjtennis]

Accidently posted my review twice...sorry.

[MarinaHighTennis]

Full set or hybrid
Full
Tension used for playtest
53
Regular string set up
Full Solinco Outlast 16
Racquet brand and model used for test
Wilson KPro Tour
Power of test string
It was very high powered. In comparison to the Solinco Outlast I would say it was exactly the same in terms of power. However, it wasn't overpowered where balls will be sprayed everywhere.
Feel
It had very bad feel. It felt very stiff and when I hit the ball it kind of rattles (what I feel/think). This is its only downside. If it weren't for the feel, I would've thought it exactly as the Solinco Outlast.
Spin
There was easy access to spin but the greatest thing was its versatility. I could hit flat when i wanted to and put extreme amounts of spin on it too.
Comfort
Like I said in feel it felt very uncomfortable wheras Solinco Outlast was very comfortable. It seems to shudder my wrist and arm when I hit the ball but the result was exactly the same I get with Outlast except that it feels horrible when i hit the ball.
Durability
I've only hit with it for 3 hours so I can't say anything about the durability but since it plays very similiar to Outlast, I'd say that it seems very long lasting as well.
Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable)
Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
n/a
Compare to the string you use most often
It produced exactly the same results as Outlast. Great spin versatility, power, etc. Volleys and serve were very sound too. However the fell was HORRIBLE!!! It would have been exactly like the Outlast except different colors if t weren't for the bad feel.
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)
48-54. Due to the stiff feel. I recomend making the tension as low as possible.
Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.
I liked the result that came from when I hit the ball
Power was great
Spin potential was great as well
Volleys and serve were sound

BUT THE FEEL WAS VERY STIFF AND HORRIBLE. Just because of the feel, I absolutely cannot switch to this strings no matter how well I hit with them.

[Cup8489]

Sorry for the time it took me to get this posted.. but hhere it is!


Full set or hybrid: Full Set

Tension used for playtest: 52 LBs

Regular string set up: Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 17

Racquet brand and model used for test: Head Microgel Extreme MP

Power of test string: Not sure exactly how to explain this. It certainly isn't as high powered as the Big Hitter Blue Rough that I usually play with, but that is a good thing. I could swing confidently with the frame and still count on the ball to land in. I know I wasn't rushing by hitting partners as often as I do with my primary string setup, but because of the additional control, I could work the angles better than normal. This led to some creativity on my part, and a willingness to stretch the court that I normally dont have. I normally try to use the power provided by the frame to hit through the court, but with this string I was far more willing to move the ball around and construct points, with great consistency.

Feel: About what is to be expected from a Luxilon Poly. This string is meant for heavy spin hitting, not for touch and feel shots. I pride myself on my feel, but this string didn't really help me out very much. I could pull off the shots I am usually able to, but I never found myself saying "WOW, what a slice/dropshot!"

Spin: Compared to Both my regular string and my favorite Lux (ALU Power), this string isn't as great for the divebombing spin that I'm accustomed to having with Luxilon. It was a little disappointing, I must say, but the string didn't completely die in an hour either. But the spin could certainly have been better, considering Luxilon's reputation in particular for spinny strings.

Comfort: About what you'd expect from a stiffer Luxilon type poly... definitely not a strong suit of this string IMO. I preferred the BHBR for sure in this department.. But in a more solid or softer frame, I'm sure this wouldn't be much of an issue.

Durability: Can't speak too much on the durability in terms of how long it goes before breaking, as I'm not much of a stringbreaker. But at 8 hours, it still has some good feel for being Luxilon, and I'm sure I will be able to get about 10 hours before it becomes too dead to play with. Not bad for a Luxilon string.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable): Good for a Luxilon string ,but not as good as my preferred setup, for sure. If I was a stringbreaker I'd probably prefer this string over the BHBR, but I am not a stringbreaker. Not bad tension retention for a Lux poly, though.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): As I said before, great control from this string, really let me work the points tactically. Definitely better with faster swings, though.. Anything other than quick racquet speed wasn't getting it done enough with this frame. But that encouraged me to swing freely and quickly with more brushing.. less drive.

Compare to the string you use most often: Not a bad string for me, but I think I still prefer BHBR (I dunno if I'll ever get away from it, tbh). A good string for longer playability compared to ALU Power, but it doesn't have that trademark divebomb spin that I was hoping/expecting from it. Not sure it's worth the price, but it wasn't a crappy string by any means. Just not sure it should be ranked as highly as ALU Power in all departments except tension retention.
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I think around the 50 lbs mark in the frames I use is about right... I would probably string it right at 50 if I had another set. It was a tad stiff at 52 lbs compared to my usual 54lbs with BHBR.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.: As mentioned before, The spin isn't as good as I wanted it to be, and the feel wasn't on par with my regular string, especially considering the price difference. I liked the control and tension maintenance when compared to ALU Power, but it's not so good to ignore the lesser spin potential. But overall, a pretty good string from Lux, but not their best, for sure.

[mars76]

Full set or hybrid :Hybrid with Gosen OG Sheep Micro 17(Cross)

Tension used for playtest Main Luxilon-52/Cross Gosen-54

Regular string set up Pro's Pro Hitec multi with Gosen OG Sheep

Racquet brand and model used for test  Yonex RD Ti-70 Long

Power of test string  Decent power. I am able to generate enough power without much effort.When I tried to hit flat I had to control the power as the balls are sailing long if I don't try to put much spin on it.

Feel  Feel is really good.I can place the ball where ever I want.

Spin  Spin potential is decent. Again I don't hit heavy top spin. I am happy with the Spin I am getting.

Comfort  Biggest plus is I didn't feel much pain after hitting for hours. May be this string is really soft. This String has excelled in this category.

Durability  I don't break poly's that often. I was breaking the multi's after one hour of constant hitting. So durability is obviously better than multis. But whether I am able to have the same comfort over the period of time has to be seen.

Tension maintenance  I didn't notice much loss of tension.

Control Good control on the flat shots. The racquet i use is control oriented racquet and even with my regular setup i have very good control.
this string didn't change control of my shots.

Compare to the string you use most often  There are certain positives like spin potential when compared to my regular setup. The durability is a plus and comfort level is also really good

Tension recommendations  I have been using the 52lb mains/54lb crosses.

Summary:

Overall I liked the string. How ever I need to play few more times before deciding on switching to this String.

[ChadW]

Thanks to TW and Luxillon for the opportunity to test this string and the bonus T-shirt (now I just need to lose 20 pounds to fit into it).

I'm the new owner of a (very) old Ektelon Stringing Machine, and so I'm still experimenting with various strings to find something I'd like to stick with. So, as a green stringer, and greener reviewer, here's my opinion of the Luxilon Playtest String:

Full set or hybrid: I set this up as a full set

Tension used for playtest: 56 main/53 crosses using a close out crank Ektelon Model DE with a Model H upgrade kit.

Regular string set up: I've been experimenting with a lot of various polyester set ups. Most recently Tourna Big Hitter Black 7 @ 53 pounds. Also have tried hybriding polys (Solinco Tour Bite, Mamba Gear Twisted, and Gosen Sheep Micro or Dunlop Hexy Fibre.)

Racquet brand and model used for test: Head Youtek Speed MP 16x19 with lead on the handle and at 10 and 2 in the hoop.

Power of test string: I would consider this a low powered polyester string. The gauge is thicker than I've been playing with recently, so there is more control on the bed as a whole. Striking a serve solidly generated a good pop and high reward from the stringbed. Ground strokes hit with high top spin landed deep and my opponents commented on the ball being particularly heavy. Given the low power, I found myself needing to swing hard on every stroke, where I could get away with backing off a little with my other recent set ups.

Feel: For a polyester string, and because it was a thicker gauge, I think the response was a softer feel than I've experienced recently (aside from my hybrid set ups). Touch volleys would drop quickly and there was no instance of trampolining off the bed.

Spin: Given that my recent experiments have been with thinner gauged spin oriented polyesters (Big Hitter Black 7, Mamba Black Gear Twisted, and Solinco Tour Bite), the Luxillon didn't offer a spectacular amount of spin. My kick serve wasn't anything special with this set up, but ground strokes had good top spin when struck correctly (and heavily). I noticed the strings always snapped back and even 7 hours in were never out of order. The spin was good for a thicker polyester, but not close to the strings designed specifically for spin.

Comfort: It is rare that I experience any comfort issues. I'm guessing that the lower tension used here helped to keep that at bay. The stringbed felt great throughout the play test (7 hours).

Durability: After 7 hours, there's only minimal evidence of string notching (and I mean very minimal). The durability appears to be great. Of course, this is, again, in comparison to a normal set up of thinner, sharp-edged strings.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable): I played with the racquet again tonight, and the tension maintenance was strong. In fact, I didn't even think about tension maintenance until I came to write this review and was prompted to think of it. The racquet is still entirely useable, and I imagine has a few hours still left.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): I've mentioned this already in my "Power" section, but the string required a quick swing speed from me. When hit solidly and quickly, the ball had great depth. I had no problems (to blame on the string) with predictable trajectory. I had confidence in the ball going where I intended when I struck it cleanly. In the first match I played, I was especially astonished by the pinpoint control on a fully struck return of serve. I was putting balls back at the server's feet with a good strong return swing.

Compare to the string you use most often: I've compared this throughout, and think that there are too many differences in the string construction's themselves to compare too closely. The test string had more control than my 'normal' thinner, spin-oriented polyester set ups, a bit softer than the edged polys, and comparable pop on my serve.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): If I had a chance, I might try tightening this up a little bit. Though I've been experimenting with lower tension polyester set ups (low-mid 40s), I think I'm ready to give up on that and go back to a high 50 pound range.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.: I enjoyed the confident control I felt with this set up. The depth and heft of my ground strokes were exciting. I do wish I could have generated more spin, and perhaps a thinner gauge would accomplish that. If I were to have a chance to play this string again, I'd try it tighter and with a spin-oriented cross (perhaps my Dunlop Hexy Fibre).

[nalvarado]

Full set or hybrid: Full bed

Tension used for playtest 56

Regular string set up: Right now I use Polystar energy and syn gut at 58.

Racquet brand and model used for test: Gamma RZR 98T

Power of test string: It is a low powered control poly through and through.

Feel:Very soft for a copoly. Comparable to Polystar Energy in some regards but I give the edge to PSE for comfort.

Spin: The spin factor is about average for a copoly. It is not going to preform miracles for you but spin is on tap if you know how to hit.

Comfort: Again very soft for a copoly. I had no issues using it full bed coming off a shoulder injury.

Durability: 8 Hours and still strong

Tension maintenance: Around the 4-6 hour mark I started noticing a difference in feel from freshly strung, however I have no way of measuring the tension loss.

Control: It is an extremely fun string that lets you place shots where you want without having to fight it. Control on groundies and volleys alike.

Compare to the string you use most often: Slight edge to 4G on the spin factor, but I do not believe that this alone would sway me to pay for this string. Power and comfort are about even with the advantage going to Energy/Syn for power and comfort, likely due to the syn in the cross.

Tension recommendations: I really enjoyed this string at 56, I saw no reason to change this.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes. One of the more comfortable polys out, the string is pretty average for the rest. It does not do one thing exceptionally well but does all things adequately. The only thing that sways me away is the price point.

[purple-n-gold]

1st hit this week, 4G raq sat in my hot truck all day, goat string 10+hrs and still going strong, picked up 10 sets

[Nostradamus]

Originally Posted by purple-n-gold

1st hit this week, 4G raq sat in my hot truck all day, goat string 10+hrs and still going strong, picked up 10 sets

So do you think the string plays better after baking in hot temp for 10 hours. should i put it out in the sun for a day then string it ?

[purple-n-gold]

nah, really liked the 4G the more I played it..great feel, playabilty and tension maintenance...will report back when I cut it out, doesn't look like it's gonna be anytime soon

[swfh]

Hit with 4g again today, in an important match. Sadly, the spin was gone, and it became somewhat of cannon. It's not a bad string, but it is not something that I would use. I think that isospeed baseline spin is a better string overall. I think that this is really meant for the pros, who have the luxury of changing rackets every set

[SOY78]

Full set or hybrid: I set this up as a full set

Tension used for playtest: 50# on a Gamma Progression FC .

Regular string set up: Multi mains and poly crosses.

Racquet brand and model used for test: Volkl C10 Pro Tour.

Power of test string: I would consider this a mid powered poly string. I had lots of control and power hitting a rare out. Mostly I've painted the lines with this string with good speed on the ball.

Feel: Feel with a poly is something to found very rare. I'd say the feel of this string is a medium type feel with ok touch on the volleys.

Spin: Spin with this string was great, since my regular setup is multi mains and poly crosses this 4G had a little more spin then my reg setup. A lot of balls my opponent let go because he thought they would go out but at the last second they would drop right in.

Comfort: Not the most comfortable string out there, but for a poly it is ok. I was feeling a tinge in my elbow, but maybe it was because I didn't play full poly in a while.

Durability: After 2 hours of singles they are a little notched but not too much. I haven't popped a poly string in a long long time. So far this has a lot of life left.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable): So far it has been very good. But more time will tell.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): Control is one of my favorites pros for this string. I was able to put a lot of spin and power on the ball and it would still land in. I had amazing serves down the T and out wide most of them landing in. Incredible angles were something else, just wow.

Compare to the string you use most often: It's like comparing apples to oranges but I will try to compare. Of course my multi/poly hybrid pops much faster than the full 4G and it is much softer than 4G. But 4G has a lot more spin and control compared to my regular setup.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I'd lower the tension to like 40's where I never tried a string that low of tension just to get the comfort up a little.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.: I liked the control and spin that I got with this 4G and the free T-Shirt of course What I didn't like is the comfort but hey this is a poly and I was expecting that for sure.


Thanks TW for the playtest.

[pvaudio]

Originally Posted by swfh

Hit with 4g again today, in an important match. Sadly, the spin was gone, and it became somewhat of cannon. It's not a bad string, but it is not something that I would use. I think that isospeed baseline spin is a better string overall. I think that this is really meant for the pros, who have the luxury of changing rackets every set

Curious that you say that a string that is less than 1/5 of the price is better overall. I do agree with you, but just curious that you'd compare it to the ultimate budget poly and say that the Lux is worse.

[swfh]

Originally Posted by pvaudio

Curious that you say that a string that is less than 1/5 of the price is better overall. I do agree with you, but just curious that you'd compare it to the ultimate budget poly and say that the Lux is worse.

Only compared it with the baseline because that is what I currently have in my frames. Iontec, and any of the tourna offerings are better than 4g