What String Combo to use for 100+ hours a month of play/practice - Kevlar???

[jason586]

I started tennis and have been playing and practicing 100+ hours a month for the last 15 months and am looking to change away from full poly which is what I play most of the time.
In general, I like a firmer poly from costly LUX BB to the cheaper Gosen Polylon.

To start I have a stringer to use at no cost approximately once a month.
Looking for thoughts on the most economical and best playing string combo that retains its playing characteristics the longest since I'm practicing and playing 100+ hours a month.
I've been using full poly between 52-58lbs depending on how soft a poly it is for 80+ hours at which point it breaks. I end up playing 60+ hours with dead poly.
I understand this will not the best for my arm long term and the playing characteristics suffer after about 10-20 hours with the full beds of poly.
I recently read every thread on TT on kevlar and am thinking that could be an answer as I am not lacking in the power department.
What I am thinking is:
1) Kevlar should not be more harmful to the arm than 60+ hours of dead poly?
2) Kevlar playing characteristics should be better over 80 hours of play than poly?
3) Kevlar should give the spin I'm used to with full poly but without the dramatic dropoff?
4) Kevlar should be at least as control oriented as poly?

I'm thinking I will try 48lbs mains - 17ga Ashway Kevlar (which I have on the way), and 55 lbs crosses - 16 ga OGSM Syn Gut.
If the Kevlar does not bother me with the SG cross, I may try a poly cross like polylon.
My racquets are:
Vantage 100" / 11.6 strung / 6 HL strung / 63ra / 16x19
Vantage 95" / 11.9 strung / 9HL strung / 70ra / 16 x 19

[dominikk1985]

If you play that much I would get a string machine and buy a 200m of a cheap poly and retring myself like once a week. probably not more expensive than having strung kevlar once a month.

[pvaudio]

Here is the problem with kevlar. It in itself is plenty durable, however, your cross string is not. You will pop that hybrid faster than your full poly. More importantly, no, MOST importantly, if you are not breaking full poly after literally 100hrs, then you really are not playing at a high enough level yet to warrant its use. If this is the case, then the string for you is natural gut without a shadow of a doubt. Kevlar is simply tough, and that's about it. It loses the most tension of any string type out there which is due primarily to its stiffness. Natural gut, however, does not. It will have an initial tension drop and then settle there for almost its entire life. If you're not popping poly after 10 hours (and have no means of restringing), let alone 10x that, you don't need to be using it.

[Torres]

Originally Posted by jason586

I started tennis and have been playing and practicing 100+ hours a month for the last 15 months

100+ hours a month of tennis?

Even a top regional junior with special schooling arrangements doesn't play that amount of tennis. Somehow I can't imagine a beginner playing 100+ hours of tennis a month for the last 15 months.

[Logic Dude]

More than three hours a day every day for more than a year? Wow, what are you training for?

[LeeD]

I think he means "at the courts" time.
Still, how many strings have your broken in the 15 months of tennis? If less than 5 sets, don't worry about getting durable strings.

[pvaudio]

^^^I'm tellin you, 16g natural gut and be done with it.

[BlxTennis]

Originally Posted by pvaudio

^^^I'm tellin you, 16g natural gut and be done with it.

I agree. I am using Supra Main Iontec cross and I have this set up since around July and lost track after counting 30+ hours and it is still going strong. I used to break Multi every 2 weeks. Since Supra is out of stock for so long, I will try Pacific when the current set up breaks.

[db10s]

Originally Posted by Torres

100+ hours a month of tennis?

Even a top regional junior with special schooling arrangements doesn't play that amount of tennis. Somehow I can't imagine a beginner playing 100+ hours of tennis a month for the last 15 months.

I'm a fairly high ranked junior with special schooling arrangements.... And I can confirm what you are saying.... I'm playing at least 2 hours every day and I don't even hit 90 hours a month. So, this guy should just buy a cheap stringing machine. End of story...

[jason586]

I actually do more than 100 hours a month; it was a round figure I used. I practice and play Monday through Saturday for about 3-4 hours per day and play at night as well on Tuesday and Thursday about 3 hours. I enjoy the sport and am a bit obsessive! I am 37 and semi-retired, so I have a lot of time and have enjoyed the challenge of becoming a quality tennis player. I currently play mostly against 4.0s and win as much as I lose, but I have yet to beat a legit 4.5 although I've come close. My goal was to play quality 4.5 tennis by the end of the year, but I did not quite make it.
I am strongly considering buying a $169 gamma stringer, but I am currently waiting as I have a friend who is likely going to sell me his better machine ($700 gamma ST) for next to nothing but not until this coming summer, so I am in a waiting period on a machine.
I mostly use 1.25mm full poly at 55lbs and it takes approximately 3 weeks to break which is about 80ish hours. I've broken approximately 20 sets of strings in the 15 months of playing. I recently tried some Black Magic I had with a multi cross on two frames, and the multi frayed and broke in 3 days on one and 4 days on the other (lasted about 12-15 hours on each racquet). I hit about as hard a forehand with topspin as anyone I play around including a couple of friends who are 5.0 teaching pros, but not all my time is spent hitting forehands as it is my strength. I spend a lot of time working on my two-handed backhand, volleys, backhand slice, 2nd serves, etc.

I do have some Kevlar on the way from a string trade, so I will at least try it out especially after reading some of the positive experiences such as travlerjam. I would think with a firmer 16 ga SG like OGSM, it should last the 3-4 weeks that full poly would but with better playing characteristics over that length of time.
Once I get a stringer of my own, I am also strongly considering the Discho Ionic Reels for $69 which ends up being only $4 per set as I've read all the good about the string on TT. I like a firmer string bed, so I think the Hexa would be the one for me?

[nyc]

Originally Posted by jason586

I am 37 and semi-retired, so I have a lot of time and have enjoyed the challenge of becoming a quality tennis player.

GOOD FOR YOU!!!

[maxpotapov]

Something does not add up in that situation. 80 hours to break 1.25 full poly setup at 4.0 level... Maybe you need to work a little more on your technique and worry a little less about how much hours you play or how long your strings last. Even with moderate power and spin you should break strings in like half of that time, and your arm should start hurting long before that. Or maybe it's not 4.0 level play/practice after all.

[pvaudio]

^^^As I said. I do not hit an enormous ball, but I can notch my way through a 1.25mm poly in 10-15 hours easily. The string is dead after 6-8 or the cross has snapped, however. OP, what do your strokes look like? Lots of spin? Flat hitting? If you're a flat hitter, then poly is not the string for you.

[jason586]

If you are going to reply with worthless commentary, you should take the time to read a post more thoroughly. One sentence in my post negates half of what you said.

"Maybe you need to work a little more on your technique and worry a little less about how much hours you play or how long your strings last."
Common sense would tell an intelligent person that the limited number of times I post about strings or equipment in a 15 month time period, I play and practice A LOT more than I worry about my strings.

Originally Posted by maxpotapov

Something does not add up in that situation. 80 hours to break 1.25 full poly setup at 4.0 level (unless..."I spend a lot of time working on my two-handed backhand, volleys, backhand slice, 2nd serves, etc.")... Maybe you need to work a little more on your technique (I spend a lot of time working on my two-handed backhand, volleys, backhand slice, 2nd serves, etc) and worry a little less about how much hours you play or how long your strings last. Even with moderate power and spin you should break strings in like half of that time (unless..."I spend a lot of time working on my two-handed backhand, volleys, backhand slice, 2nd serves, etc."), and your arm should start hurting long before that. Or maybe it's not 4.0 level play/practice after all.

[jason586]

Fairly heavy spin. I do not know anyone who goes breaks firm poly in 10 hours? I usually end up snapping a main towards the top of the racquet though, almost never a cross on full poly? I went through a full bed of PLII in about 8 days which was probably about 30ish hours though, and as I mentioned my poly main/multi cross string jobs only lasted 3-4 days. I know several 3.5 players guys not restringing for over a year with full poly and no breakage, and they all play with topspin (although more moderate topspin that I play with).
I have a very basic recording function on my digital camera and will try to get some video if that would help.

Originally Posted by pvaudio

^^^As I said. I do not hit an enormous ball, but I can notch my way through a 1.25mm poly in 10-15 hours easily. The string is dead after 6-8 or the cross has snapped, however. OP, what do your strokes look like? Lots of spin? Flat hitting? If you're a flat hitter, then poly is not the string for you.

[nyc]

Typical.

OP is asking for String recommendation and not even ten posts later thread deteriorates into criticizing OP's technique/ability/mental state.

Just sayin'.

[maxpotapov]

Originally Posted by jason586

If you are going to reply with worthless commentary, you should take the time to read a post more thoroughly. One sentence in my post negates half of what you said.

Agreed, if I would read your post more thoroughly, I would have noticed that you are using stiff 16x19 frame. Which makes me wonder even more, especially with all the exercises that you highlighted (they involve repetetive hitting, right?).

It's all just... confusing

[anubis]

just get a stringing machine and string your own racquets. A reel of any poly less than $100 is all you need. Since you go through strings so often, have 3 or 4 of the same racquet, all strung with same string and rotate them for even wear.

[maxpotapov]

Originally Posted by nyc

Typical.

OP is asking for String recommendation and not even ten posts later thread deteriorates into criticizing OP's technique/ability/mental state.

Just sayin'.

No it's not typical. You don't see questions like that every day. 100 hours per month 4.0 training with 80 hours on full poly... I remember another thread when someone was going through kevlar/poly setup in just few hours, and that was puzzling too

[pvaudio]

Originally Posted by nyc

Typical.

OP is asking for String recommendation and not even ten posts later thread deteriorates into criticizing OP's technique/ability/mental state.

Just sayin'.

Not really, considering the life of polyester is literally 1/10 of the amount of time he's using it.