The mains/crosses gut issue

[ohcaptain]

Hi,

People say Federer is the only player using gut in the mains, while all other players that use gut put them in the crosses.

I never understood that Federer idea, once at first sight mains should be tougher string, so not gut.

Now some stringers information seem to show more and more players are using gut in mains.

Anyone has an idea if this is true?!
And also what's the advantages/disadvantages of either option?

Thanks.

[Hidious]

People who say Federer is the only player using gut in the mains are just wrong.

[NLBwell]

The gut in mains vs. gut in crosses are for different purposes.
The gut in the crosses is to take a poly stringbed and to make it more comfortable and slightly more powerful. Since the mains are the primary factor, the gut crosses kind of change the flavor of the poly string job.
The gut mains/poly crosses is different than a full gut string job. Mains ride across the poly crosses like on rails instead of the whole stringbed flexing on a full gut job. The springiness of the gut gives power (though less than full gut) but the stretching and snapping of the gut across the poly can give great amounts of spin.

[Doubles]

Other pros using poly crosses is common knowledge at this point in time.

[drakulie]

Joker uses gut in mains.
fish uses gut in mains.
tsonga uses gut in mains.
dimitrov uses gut in mains.
mayer uses gut in mains.
nishikori uses gut in mains.
serena uses gut in mains.
venus uses gut in mains.
radwanska uses gut in mains.
and so on.....


putting gut in crosses is a waste of gut as any less expensive multi will do the same thing,,,,,soften the string bed.
putting gut in mains gives more:
-power
-comfort
-spin
-control
-plays better longer

[Doubles]

Originally Posted by drakulie

Joker uses gut in mains.
fish uses gut in mains.
tsonga uses gut in mains.
dimitrov uses gut in mains.
mayer uses gut in mains.
nishikori uses gut in mains.
serena uses gut in mains.
venus uses gut in mains.
radwanska uses gut in mains.
and so on.....


putting gut in crosses is a waste of gut as any less expensive multi will do the same thing,,,,,soften the string bed.
putting gut in mains gives more:
-power
-comfort
-spin
-control
-plays better longer

Radwanska uses gut mains? From the pictures I remember seeing of her she was using what appeared to be Hurricane Feel, with gut crosses.

[drakulie]

Originally Posted by Doubles

Radwanska uses gut mains? From the pictures I remember seeing of her she was using what appeared to be Hurricane Feel, with gut crosses.

Sorry, when I strung for her last year at Cincy, she was using RPM mains, Gut crosses. 23 kg.

her sister too. (Ursula)

some others

Alexa Glatch (spelling) vs/pht
Bopana- vs/alu power rough
Yunghan Chan-vs/alu


also, Nishikori is actually 4G/Gut

[Bash and Crash]

looks like Maria is also

[marosmith]

Gut in the crosses is a waste of money, and time.

[TRVX1912]

Doesnt Djokovic too? Drak you ever face Jolly?

[rkelley]

Originally Posted by drakulie

[snip]
putting gut in crosses is a waste of gut as any less expensive multi will do the same thing,,,,,soften the string bed.
putting gut in mains gives more:
-power
-comfort
-spin
-control
-plays better longer

Just a clarification question: Gut in the mains gives more power, comfort, etc. than . . . what? All gut? All poly?

I use poly in the mains (Lux rough) and a Babolat Xcel ("comfort") in the crosses. I've never tried it the other way around. The Xcel always breaks first.

[Wilander Fan]

Ive tried both and gut in main is much more playable. Jumpier ball and not as grabby if you have a verticle stroke but still very grabby if you hit across the ball. Gut in the crosses was horrible but it might be a different story on different tensions. High tension gut crosses mixed with low tension poly crosses? The best all around set up I found is poly/multi hybrid...poly mains and multi cross. Very soft and grabby but wears out very quickly. The gut main and poly cross seems to last the longest.

[Rogael Naderer]

Originally Posted by rkelley

Just a clarification question: Gut in the mains gives more power, comfort, etc. than . . . what? All gut? YES All poly? YES

I use poly in the mains (Lux rough) and a Babolat Xcel ("comfort") in the crosses. I've never tried it the other way around. The Xcel always breaks first.

Babolat Excel is not gut, the hitting experience would not be as good as gut.

[TRVX1912]

And usually with a gut or multi main and poly crosses it will tend to break quicker. At least for me

[Rabbit]

Originally Posted by Rogael Naderer

Babolat Excel is not gut, the hitting experience would not be as good as gut.

As someone who has "tested" this, I will disagree with this in full. First, one cannot state a player experience to an absolute. Second, crosses do little more than hold the mains in place, using gut for this is a waste of gut, IMO. Third, I have done both and truthfully preferred the multi set up in the crosses as it was even "softer" than the like gut setup.

[mikeler]

I like poly in the mains better than gut in the mains. It is all about individual preference.

[byealmeens]

I agree that many pros use gut in the mains for more spin. However, most pros are not as concerned with durability as the average player. They often switch racquets several times during a single match … some at each ball change. Many polys cut through gut mains fairly quickly, especially with the additional string movement of the poly cross. Also, multis and/or synthetics do not hold tension nearly as well as gut. Using gut as a cross produces a much more consistent stringbed and in my opinion, one that stays playable for a longer period of time.

So, I’m not sure if gut as a cross is a waste of money. I think it depends on the player, what they require from their set-up, how often they re-string to get it, and of course, what they can afford. I once had a poly main/gut cross string job that felt very good even after a full 8 months of use … but with synthetic I probably get about a month at the max.

[ohcaptain]

Originally Posted by byealmeens

I agree that many pros use gut in the mains for more spin. However, most pros are not as concerned with durability as the average player. They often switch racquets several times during a single match … some at each ball change. Many polys cut through gut mains fairly quickly, especially with the additional string movement of the poly cross. Also, multis and/or synthetics do not hold tension nearly as well as gut. Using gut as a cross produces a much more consistent stringbed and in my opinion, one that stays playable for a longer period of time.

So, I’m not sure if gut as a cross is a waste of money. I think it depends on the player, what they require from their set-up, how often they re-string to get it, and of course, what they can afford. I once had a poly main/gut cross string job that felt very good even after a full 8 months of use … but with synthetic I probably get about a month at the max.

8 months!? %) man... I suffer to go longer than 2 weeks

[NLBwell]

Gut as a cross does have positive benefits. Whether it is worth the cost to you depends on how sensitive to it you are and your financial situation.

[TennisCJC]

Many pros use gut mains with poly crosses as other state above.

Gut crosses are better than syn gut or multi crosses but since the mains determine about 75-80% of how a racket plays, it seems like a big waste of money to me.

Gut mains/poly cross is a great stringbed for me, but too expensive. I now use multi mains or syn gut mains with poly crosses.