2012 Kirschbaum Playtest - Super Smash Orange 17

[tennis_enthusiast]

Tension used for playtest: 53 lbs. on my Neos 1000
Regular string set up: Tour Bite 16L and Pro Stacked 16 53/56 lbs.
Racquet brand and model used for test: Babolat Aero Storm GT
Power of test string: I strung this at the normal tension for my poly strings in a hybrid set up. Compared to my normal set up, this had less power, but that's mainly attributed to the fact that it's a fully poly set up. This isn't necessarily a really powerful string, but isn't underpowered either. I felt that it was slightly less powerful than a normal poly.
Feel: I thought that this string had a decent amount of feel. Stringing it at a lower tension definitely added feel. I didn't have any arm discomfort afterward which was a plus.
Spin: I have a pretty long swing, with a full western grip. I didn't have any trouble generating a good amount of topspin with this test string. It had substantially less string than the Tour Bite that I'm used to, but that makes sense because it isn't shaped. I found an average amount of spin coming off of my backhand when I wanted to hit spin.
Comfort: I was satisfied with this. Normally a fully poly set up would leave my elbow sore afterwards, but I have no discomfort so far. The thinner gauge and the low tension helped with this.
Durability: I replace strings every 2 or 3 weeks, so I usually don't break. I"d rate the durability as good.
Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): I think that the pre-stretching (I've heard Kirschbaum prestretches) helped with the playability. I played with the strings for about 10 hours and I only felt a slight decrease in playability around the last 2 hours of play. Control dropped a little bit and the ball popped off of the string a little bit less.
Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): I found a good amount of control on nearly all of my shots. Particularly my backhand and serve were both shots that I had a really good amount of control on.
Compare to the string you use most often: Not as much spin as my usual set up of Tour Bite and Pro Stacked. It played softer than a full set of tour bite would for sure. I found slightly better control with this string, my placement seemed to be better with this string.
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) I would recommend a low 50's tension if you are using it in a full set. It's a slightly underpowered string so the lower tension should compensate and provide a good amount of power.
Summary: The comfort of the string is a great selling point. The thin gauge and the comfort of the string make this a good option for people with arm problems that want to try poly. I also am a big fan of the orange color, pretty unique. My biggest complaint was that I didn't think that the string gripped the ball enough, I'm used to using a shaped string so this string had a lot less bite.

Thanks again TW for involving me in this string playtest. I look forward to helping with the next one!