Pacific Nat Gut Durability Issues

[lcalamar]

Recently started using a Pac Nat Gut/CoFocus Hybrid and while I love this setup - I am not getting the expected durability. (strung at 52/49 - and 17g each)

Even after 2 hours play I'm seeing some fraying on the gut - and I'm only getting 6-8 hours of play from it.

I have an aggressive swing - lots of topspin on the forehand and slice on backhand.

I've strung with the gut 3 times and continue to struggle with watching for kinks - (they seem to just magically appear). Can stringing issues be the cause?

Would switching to Pacific Tough Gut provide more durability? How might it play differently?

Any other thoughts? I would love to stay with this setup - plays better than anything else I've tried... but can't afford to replace this every 6-8 hours.

[Rabbit]

You know, what you're post indicates, you're pretty much where I would think you should be in terms of durability. 6 - 8 hours should be around 15 sets? That really isn't bad for 17 gauge.

I would recommend the following:

• Start using string savers religously, they really do help if you install them after every match. Any place you see some fraying, just slip one in. After you get home from playing, check for notching and put one there too. If you know where you start fraying to begin with you can put some in before you even play with a stringbed.
• up your gauge to 16, that also will enhance your play time and you won't see a big difference in your play. pacific gut is gauged thin IMO anyway

I don't know that tough will necessarily increase your string's life. Some folks have reported longer life, but I haven't played enough with Tough Gut lately to offer an informed opinion. I know that Prime seemed to play a bit longer than Classic, but I didn't track it really too closely.

[lcalamar]

Thanks for the tip - I will go with string savers - I had seen little string movement - so had not put in my Gamma savers - will try that now... also - ordered the Babolat string savers - many forum members recommend them over Gamma (?) - though they look pretty similar!

I also ordered the tough gut - at 16g - and I'll see if that helps. I'm hoping the tough gut may give me a little more control... as long as I get the same great pocketing I am currently getting - but a little less 'launch' - should be great.

Any tips for stringing gut... keeping kinks out of the string?

[Rabbit]

Stringing gut, the #1 tip is take your time. I also take the coil out of the pack and then loop it around one of the posts on my bed. I then stretch it by hand to take as much of the coil memory out as I can.

If you still have trouble with kinks, you can also string your frames 2 piece. This helps because you're dealing with less string.

I've strung enough that I don't have trouble with kinks, but it does take me longer to string gut due to that very issue.

good luck!

[parasailing]

Listen to Rabbit, he is the expert when it comes to natural gut. I second using half sets to string the mains and the crosses as it is more manageable and easier to handle 20 feet of string.

Pacific Tough Gut would be slightly longer lasting but I find Pacific in general to be much stiffer than Babolat/Wilson/Prince brand.

[UCSF2012]

Originally Posted by lcalamar

Recently started using a Pac Nat Gut/CoFocus Hybrid and while I love this setup - I am not getting the expected durability. (strung at 52/49 - and 17g each)

Even after 2 hours play I'm seeing some fraying on the gut - and I'm only getting 6-8 hours of play from it.

I have an aggressive swing - lots of topspin on the forehand and slice on backhand.

I've strung with the gut 3 times and continue to struggle with watching for kinks - (they seem to just magically appear). Can stringing issues be the cause?

Would switching to Pacific Tough Gut provide more durability? How might it play differently?

Any other thoughts? I would love to stay with this setup - plays better than anything else I've tried... but can't afford to replace this every 6-8 hours.

You have to string up ToughGut at a lower tension or spin will be hindered. I had to drop it from 58-60lbs to 52-54ish. You can also just use 16g. There's not much difference in spin potential.

[Rabbit]

^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah,Pacific used to advertise that their guts could and should be strung looser than others and still maintain control. I found that to be true with all but Prime. Prime is the most powerful, plushest feeling gut I've used.

[parasailing]

Originally Posted by Rabbit

^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah,Pacific used to advertise that their guts could and should be strung looser than others and still maintain control. I found that to be true with all but Prime. Prime is the most powerful, plushest feeling gut I've used.

I have to disgree with you regarding Prime. I still think the original Babolat VS is more plush.

[jjaded]

lcalamar, what tension and what frame are you playing with? A higher tension and a more open pattern reduce life.

[lcalamar]

I play with a Volkl Organix 8 300 - 16x18 string pattern.

The gut is 52 and the cofocus is 49.

I just restrung tonight with Tough Gut - and while I don't know how it will play yet - it was MUCH easier to string than the Natural Gut - so I'm guessing that it may last longer just based on the fact I probably didn't have stringing issues.

I was just wondering if perhaps my clamps were too tight on the Natural gut - if that could cause durability issues?

[Rabbit]

Originally Posted by parasailing

I have to disgree with you regarding Prime. I still think the original Babolat VS is more plush.

even the new "reformulated" VS (which I haven't tried)

Originally Posted by lcalamar

I play with a Volkl Organix 8 300 - 16x18 string pattern.

The gut is 52 and the cofocus is 49.

I just restrung tonight with Tough Gut - and while I don't know how it will play yet - it was MUCH easier to string than the Natural Gut - so I'm guessing that it may last longer just based on the fact I probably didn't have stringing issues.

I was just wondering if perhaps my clamps were too tight on the Natural gut - if that could cause durability issues?

You should first clean your clamps and second set them just tight enough to prevent slippage. Clamping gut too tightly can cause it to break. I would definitely check and reset them if need be. I always clean & reset my clamps when I string gut to ensure that I don't over tighten.