PV Audio's Playtest Thread

[pvaudio]

Originally Posted by Boricua

So if I want the control of B5E and the responsiveness of Tornado, what is a good poly in full bed with both characteristics, lets say the best macaroni in town?

The best overall compromise I've found is still Scorpion. It takes what I like about both strings and combines them into one. It's not as supreme as either, but since it gets above average marks in everything, I still give it the nod. HOWEVER! This is me, so your mileage may and likely will vary. Torres for instance does not find Scorpion good at all. kiteboard also hates it for other reasons. Truth be told, if youre looking to find a poly which plays exactly how I like poly, try Isospeed Baseline Spin. Even if you buy a reel of it, you can still turn it for a profit if you're a stringer. I do not recommend buying reels of string you've never tried, however.

[pvaudio]

Since I'm running low on Scorpion and don't have the money to buy another reel, I think I'm going to switch strings so I can let my clients use up the rest of the Scorpion. I would use B5E, but it needs a really good cross string to shine (in my opinion, gut, but no cashola for that right now). So instead, I'll use a string which I haven't actually playtested in this thread but have used and know to be good. String of choice: Pro Supex BAM. Probably the most responsive and crisp poly on the market, so I think that in a hybrid with my new fave S-Gut crosses should suffice. I just bought another entire reel of BAM for 20 bucks from the Depot having accrued so many points haha. The stuff flew off the reel last semester! Will post a formal playtest of the stuff in my new frame (only used it in the AG100 and AG200).

[finalfantasy7]

Pv- have you/will you ever try Yonex poly tour pro?. I know thrs a few threads about it but would want another opinion

[rdis10093]

no reels, you think that means that they are going to stop producing it. Its a nice string very dead feal with low power. first genration poly I think.

[rdis10093]

also starting to find it with the 95, but still not sure if I am going to make the switch. you used to use the rdis 93, how come you switched away from it?

[pvaudio]

Originally Posted by rdis10093

no reels, you think that means that they are going to stop producing it. Its a nice string very dead feal with low power. first genration poly I think.

Are you talking about your Revenge? It feels like I'm hitting with the frame IMO.

[pvaudio]

Originally Posted by rdis10093

also starting to find it with the 95, but still not sure if I am going to make the switch. you used to use the rdis 93, how come you switched away from it?

It doesn't have the flex that I like. Yonex frames feel solid, but the 93 did not have enough flex for how much it weighed. The AG100 is super flexy and reminded me of why I loved Dunlops so much (I'd been using the AG200 before I demoed and bought an RDiS). I only used it for a few months before the AG100 became reasonable to buy.

[rdis10093]

yeah revenge.

[rdis10093]

haha that's funny I hate flexy frames, but whatever makes you play well I guess.

ps

I am never playing with guy agian. to rich for my blood and frays like sin.

[pvaudio]

Indeed, it's why I like Performaxx (aside from liking the product). It's half the price of the expensive ones, so I can afford to use it as a cross.

Since I'm cheap now though, I use syn gut lol. I really want a reel of Nvy though, because that really is the best synthetic cross. Perhaps I'll just man up and buy one.

[Boricua]

What would be the 5 best black copolys in a full job. Im a baseliner that hits with topspin on both sides, slice backhand alot and one handed backhand

[pvaudio]

Long shot, but does anybody know what the playability differences in S-Gut are? I have white, black and yellow. Doing BAM mains, but I want the crosses to pop as the poly dies and to have the least sliding friction. The black has a coating on it which is slightly gummy, whereas the white is much stiffer feeling. I'm thinking the white unless someone has other ideas (also have OGSM 17, 18 and Super 16L).

[Torres]

Originally Posted by pvaudio

Torres for instance does not find Scorpion good at all.

Not true. I actually like Scorpion - see my Played With The Scorpion Tonight thread.

I think its a good string. Like you I agree its a good around poly. I also like the way it feels.

But for me two things hold it back from being a great 'pure outright performance' string.

One, lack of significant spin potential. Spin tends to be disruptive to opponents and hitting a heavy ball allows you to press your game onto them more readily. I don't feel I'm pressing my game onto my opponents quite as much with this string. Obviously some spin potential is there, just not as much as the best spin polys out there. Personally I like hitting flat not least because of that meaty contact sensation but you have to be 100% on whereas spin and heavy achieves better margins and competitive results the rest of the time even if when striking the ball it doesn't feel as satisfying. Its that pleasure v results thing.

Two, its more comfortable and powerful when fresh. I don't like stringbeds or strings that tighten over time with hitting. Tension maintenance is good but doesn't mean much if the string has lost whatever elasticity it had in the first place.

Solid hitting string though. I played my best match of 2011 with a racquet strung with Scorpion. Though it was a combination of string, leaded Prestige MP, me being in the zone that day, and a big flat hitting Berdych style of opponent that played into my style of game. My flat serving was amazing that day. I remember that match well.

[pvaudio]

Ah yes, I stand corrected. I was thinking of your views on B5E.

[Torres]

Originally Posted by pvaudio

Ah yes, I stand corrected. I was thinking of your views on B5E.

No, I'm not keen on that one!

[pvaudio]

Strung up BAM/S-Gut 17 at 47/52. Will take pics and make a formal playtest.

[pvaudio]

Originally Posted by finalfantasy7

Pv- have you/will you ever try Yonex poly tour pro?. I know thrs a few threads about it but would want another opinion

Never tried, but heard it's excellent. I have many many strings though, so the only one I've added this year for my clients is Discho Iontec Black (just bought a reel of N.vY for me and still have my reel of Baseline Spin for when I get really cheap this winter).

I actually have a number of strings which I have in decent quantities but aren't available for my customers. They are:

Laserfibre SNGPS
Isospeed Baseline Spin
Babolat N.vY
Genesis Thunderblast

Reasoning for each is as follows:

1. Last time I went to use a full set, they'd been cheap and sent me only 35ft instead of 40. Not taking that chance again. **** Laserfibre, even as a cross, because two of the 6 sets I bought were their regular syn gut in SNGPS packaging. Not endorsing those thieves.

2. It's simply too inexpensive to make any good-conscience money from. I have given it to players who want more spin and more durability than syn gut, but without paying more, so even then, I'm making lots of money off of it. But for that reason, I can't put it in my inventory since I can only recommend it on a case by case basis.

3. Learned my lesson with pushing Scorpion, so NvY shall be for me only since if I didn't literally have 4-5 clients using Scorpion, I'd still have enough to use it myself

4. The ball-marking is unacceptable. Although they now have natural colored versions out, mikeler gave me a great deal on the remainder of his reel of the black. The string is outstanding, but since many of the players I hit with aren't using my balls, putting waffle marks on the tennis balls just looks bad.

[pvaudio]

Played an hour with the BAM/S-Gut. Strangely stiff feeling, perhaps the cross is not right. N.vY gets here around the end of the week, and given that it's softer, I think that might be the trick. Regardless, simply absurd spin from that stuff. Also finally changed the FH for good: no wrist pain, superb RHS, greater accuracy and no shanks. Lovely

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by pvaudio

Never tried, but heard it's excellent. I have many many strings though, so the only one I've added this year for my clients is Discho Iontec Black (just bought a reel of N.vY for me and still have my reel of Baseline Spin for when I get really cheap this winter).

I actually have a number of strings which I have in decent quantities but aren't available for my customers. They are:

Laserfibre SNGPS
Isospeed Baseline Spin
Babolat N.vY
Genesis Thunderblast

Reasoning for each is as follows:

1. Last time I went to use a full set, they'd been cheap and sent me only 35ft instead of 40. Not taking that chance again. **** Laserfibre, even as a cross, because two of the 6 sets I bought were their regular syn gut in SNGPS packaging. Not endorsing those thieves.

2. It's simply too inexpensive to make any good-conscience money from. I have given it to players who want more spin and more durability than syn gut, but without paying more, so even then, I'm making lots of money off of it. But for that reason, I can't put it in my inventory since I can only recommend it on a case by case basis.

3. Learned my lesson with pushing Scorpion, so NvY shall be for me only since if I didn't literally have 4-5 clients using Scorpion, I'd still have enough to use it myself

4. The ball-marking is unacceptable. Although they now have natural colored versions out, mikeler gave me a great deal on the remainder of his reel of the black. The string is outstanding, but since many of the players I hit with aren't using my balls, putting waffle marks on the tennis balls just looks bad.

There are so many other people at my club now that use black strings which bleed that I'm just used to seeing it.

[pvaudio]

Hmm not so much over here. Most people are using syn guts, full poly or very simple hybrids. Only the more, dare I say "advanced" players bother with string fiddling. No one aside from rdis10093 has, as far as I know, even heard of Genesis.