Solinco Prototype Playtest - String "A"

[mad dog1]

^^ sounds very similar to my playtest experience! i really enjoyed this string.

[sparkyS4]

First off, let me thank TW for including me in this play test. Here is my review.

Your regular string set up: Genesis Typhoon

Confirm the prototype you received - A or B: received prototype A

Used as a full set

Tension used for play test: 56

Racquet brand and model used for test: Prince Diablo Mid

Power level of test string: Fairly powerful, definitely had more out right power than Typhoon, gave more ball speed, seemed to lack some heavieness of shot, but was very close.

Feel: Liked the feel, was soft and crisp at the same time, was softer than typhoon. Seemed very easy on the arm, hit with it for about 6 hours and my arm thanked me.

Tension maintenance: After about 4 or so hours, I noticed a significant drop in tension, ball started flying a little. Before hour 4 I would have said that the tension maintenance was good, but the string seemed to drop off signifigantly after hour 4.

Control: Before the tension dropped, I though that the control was great, a few odd flyers, but that was probably on me. I felt that this string was very accurate early on, depth control was good as well, just had some issues after the tension dropped.

Spin: Great spin, more inherent spin than Typhoon.

Compare to the string you use most often: I have been playing with Genesis Typhoon for several years. Typhoon along with Alu Power gives me a very heavy ball that I haven't been able to replicate with other strings. this prototype string hit either a lot of spin or very fast, but I couldn't seem to get spin and speed working together. That may come with more familiarity.

Tension recommendations: Seemed great at my reference tension of 56 for a full bed.

General comments: I really enjoyed hitting with this string, feels like I could get the heavy ball I want from it if I spent more time with it. I liked the fact that it is very easy on my arm. Only negative to me is that the drop off in tension and play ability that happened at the 4 hour mark, wondering if this string may be a candidate for the JET stringing process?

[Slim Pickens]

Your regular string set up
Solinco Tour-Bite mains at 48 with Vanquish crosses at 50

Confirm the prototype you received - A or B
Prototype A

Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest
I strung it as a hybrid with Solinco Vanquish multi on a Klippermate

Tension used for playtest
48/50

Racquet brand and model used for test
Babolate Aero Storm GT

Power level of test string or hybrid
The string bed was more powerful than my regular setup.

Feel (crisp? mushy? soft? stiff? off center feedback?)
The string bed felt softer than my normal setup.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable?)
After about 6 hours there had been a considerable loss of tension. I had to begin "straightening" the mains after each point.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
Control was a little off in the begining. Balls on serves and groundstrokes went a little longer than expected with my normal swing. After a few swing adjustments control was much better, but again went away at about the 6 hour mark.
The added power of this string was nice on volleys and overheads.

Spin
Good spin, though a little less than expected for a textured poly

Compare to the string you use most often
I get more spin and control with my normal setup. At identical tensions this string feels softer and more comfortable though.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension?)
This is a soft poly, therefore I would recommend upping the tension 2-3 pounds in order to allow for better control.


General comments (please summarize likes and dislikes)

This string has a number of good qualities: good spin, god comfort, and strings easily for a poly. The only negative for me was accuracy. Maybe I was having a few bad days or maybe I should have upped the tension a few poiunds. As I have a 1/2 set left I think I will give it a try at 53/55 and see what happens.

Lastly, I like this string, but not as well as Tour Bite; at least not yet.

[jk175d]

Originally Posted by Slim Pickens

This string has a number of good qualities: good spin, god comfort, and strings easily for a poly. The only negative for me was accuracy. Maybe I was having a few bad days or maybe I should have upped the tension a few poiunds. As I have a 1/2 set left I think I will give it a try at 53/55 and see what happens.

Please report back when you up the tension a couple of pounds. It is my guess that if you go from 48 to 51 or 53 you will actually have LESS control. I'll be curious if you're experiment confirms this.

[AC Tennis]

Your regular string set up
Babolat Pro Huricane 16g at 47lbs mains and Pro Supex Titan syn gut 17g at 50lbs crosses

Confirm the prototype you received - A or B
Prototype A

Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest
Hybrid with Pro Supex Titan 17g on crosses, sample "A" on mains

Tension used for playtest
47m/50x

Racquet brand and model used for test
Yonex VCore 98 D

Power level of test string or hybrid
The string bed was slightly more powerful than my regular setup.

Feel (crisp? mushy? soft? stiff? off center feedback?)
It had a nice soft and "springy" feel. It was comfortable for a poly and initially played like a bit of a stiff multi

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable?)
After about 8-10 hours (mostly doubles with a couple sets of singles) there was a noticable drop in tension. I'm going to play a bit more, but I think I'm going to have to cut them out soon as they feel really dead.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
Control was pretty good. I don't hit with a lot of spin on my groundies, so the extra ball pocketing helped me with control, especially on volleys and overheads (which I hit a lot)

Spin
I noticed good spin on my second serves and my opponent commented on the jump my 2nd serves were getting. On groundies, seemed about the same, or a little less than the Pro Huricane I usually use.

Compare to the string you use most often
More comfort than my normal set up, better ball pocketing leading to more feel, more touch, and a bit more power. A little less spin, and loses tension quicker than normal set up.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension?)
No, tension was about right for me.


General comments (please summarize likes and dislikes)
I liked the feel, pocketing and touch. Power was good. Spin was OK. Tension maintenance was not so good. It may work better with a multi cross so that when it goes dead, the multi may prolong the life of the string bed.

[Doubles]

Okay, review time.

Normal setup: I've been testing a lot of polys recently, but I guess my regular setup is Gut/SPPP

Confirm the prototype you received: I recieved the A set

Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest: Hybrid with MCS Crosses

Tension used for playtest: 50/53 and 54/56

Racquet brand and model used for test: IG Prestige Pro

Power level of test string or hybrid: The power level was high on the lower tension hybrid. In the higher tension hybrid, I found the power level to drop considerably, and it's more what I'm comfortable with.

Feel:At the lower tension it felt somewhat mushy, I thought that at the net it was nice, but from the baseline I got too much of a trampoline effect from the string until it "broke in" after a few hours. The hybrid strung at a higher tension felt more crisp and comfortable from the baseline.

Tension maintenance: Fairly poor. I could feel both hybrids losing tension after a few hours. After this point in time I felt an increase in spin and power, however, I felt that the string bed also become somewhat unpredictable.

Control: Control was there at first, but as tension was lost, it became somewhat erratic, even with increased spin.

Spin: Below average for a poly hybrid at both tensions. I felt that spin increased after a few hours, but it was still noticeably less than other hybrids.

Compare to the string you use most often: Compared to gut/poly, I didn't care much for it. It had some positive qualities, such as having a nice feel for a poly, but in the end, I would pass on this if it became available for purchase.

Tension recommendations: (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension?)I preferred it at the higher tension in the hybrid, if anything I would string it up a little bit tighter, even.

General comments: I liked the feel, but I disliked the tension loss, and the lack of spin for a poly. In the end, if I tried it again, I would playtest it in a full bed. Either way, thanks for the opportunity, TW.

[db10s]

Your regular string set up
Dunlop Black Widow 45lbs.

Confirm the prototype you received - A or B
A

Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest
Full Set

Tension used for playtest
45lbs, But RT read 39.5lbs for a 1.30 poly

Racquet brand and model used for test
Dunlop Hotmelt 200G leaded to 12.75 oz

Power level of test string or hybrid
I would put it at average/slightly above average for a poly (assuming that its a poly)

Feel (crisp? mushy? soft? stiff? off center feedback?)
For the first couple minutes it felt crisp. From there on out it was more of a soft poly feel. Every once in a while I would get a mushyish feel. Overall while the tension was there I liked the softness.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable?)
After the first hour I could notice it losing tension, but not unplayable the until 7 hour point, I played one more hour with it to see how much worse it could get, and by then it had fallen off of a cliff.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) It was really good for a while on some shots and on others it was lacking, but it was acceptable for me. I had some good depth on the ball on both sides, though. I also felt like I had good control on my serves.

Spin
It was not the best, but maybe that is because I was expecting better, or maybe its because I'm used to spin (BW). I was able to get some good slice bh's here and there. What had the most spin was my kick serve, I felt like I had almost too much spin at times. I easily figured out how to control it though. Overall, average for a poly.

Compare to the string you use most often
Serves: Solinco (by a mile)
Forehands: Dunlop
Backhands: Tie (leaning towards Solinco)
Volleys: Dunlop
I prefer the Solinco short term but the Dunlop over a period a time.


Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension?)
I'm not sure if I would string it higher or lower, but I would be interested to see how it plays at different tensions, if I had more string I would string one set at 55 and another at 35.

General comments (please summarize likes and dislikes)
I really liked how my serves came off of the strings with some good pop, yet with control to place my serves with precision. I would probably buy it if it went on sale, just because of how my serves came off. I wouldn't mind having a frame strung with this in the event of a total collapse of my game just to play with something different. I could deal with the tension loss by stringing just a little bit more than normal, and not buying as many pairs of shoes...

[Chace]

Thanks TW for including me in the playtest.

Your regular string set up-
Genesis Black Magic 17g at 52lbs (full bed)

Confirm the prototype you received - A or B
Prototype A

Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest
If hybrid, list the other string used and whether it was in mains or crosses
Used a full bed for the playtest

Tension used for playtest
52lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test
Tecnifibre Tfight 320

Power level of test string or hybrid
For a poly the power level was above average. It was a little more powerful than the black magic both off the ground and on serves.

Feel (crisp? mushy? soft? stiff? off center feedback?)
The feel was comfortable yet crisp and somewhat stiffer than my regular set up. No problems with any vibrations on off center shots. No arm issues when using this string.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable?)
For a poly i thought it held it's tension just fine. It never became too loose or uncontrollable. It broke after about 8-9 hours of play.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
The string had good control. As far as trajectory it seemed to come off the stringbed at a higher angle than my normal setup but after a a good 10-15 minutes of hitting i adjusted to it. Was able to swing out on groundstrokes without any difficulty controlling the shots. Good power on serves.Able to generate good spin on serves, both kick and slice. Good control when serving and able to hit the spots i was serving to. Volleys were easy to control and place. Good touch for a poly at the net and with dropshots.

Spin
Spin was a little above average for a poly. I was able to generate a little more spin off the ground compared to my usual set up. Slice backhands were easy and had good bite.
A couple of my regular hitting partners felt my shots werent quite as "heavy" with the prototype compared to my usual setup. I thought that seemed a little odd since it felt like the string was a little more powerful than my usual setup and seemed like i was getting a little more spin.

Compare to the string you use most often
Not as comfortable, more power and more spin with the prototype(or so i think)

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension?)
Maybe increase it by 1 to 2 pounds

General comments (please summarize likes and dislikes)
Overall i liked the string. Seems like it's a tad more powerful and a bit more spin than the black magic but not quite as comfortable as the black magic. Maintained tension well for a poly. If the string is released I look forward to trying it again.

Thanks TW

[The Wreck]

Well, didn't get to give these as thorough of a play test as I had hoped (no tournaments or anything), I still put some hours on them and got a pretty good idea of my thoughts about them:

Your regular string set up - Don't have a regular setup per se, but my most recent was a hybrid with Gamma Zo Twisted mains and OGSM crosses.

Confirm the prototype you received - A or B Prototype A

Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest - Full Set strung at around 50 pounds.

I'll also throw in stringing thoughts here. As everyone has said, this definitely looks and feels like a poly. It was, however, way stretchier than most poly strings I've strung with. Stringing wasn't particularly difficult, nor was the string really stiff. It didn't have much coil memory compared to something like the Big Hitter strings that I use often.

Racquet brand and model used for test - Head IG Youtek Prestige Pro

Power level of test string or hybrid - Not particularly high or low powered. Very middle of the ground for me.

Feel (crisp? mushy? soft? stiff? off center feedback?) - Because it's such a stretchy string (in my opinion), I didn't find it really crisp, which is what I prefer. However, it wasn't overly soft or mushy either. Again, very middle of the ground. It was a pretty comfortable string though. I never felt any odd vibrations or any sort of arm discomfort.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable?) - I'm usually not the best at recognizing when tension drops too far, and since I've been playing in very hot, humid weather it's even less noticeable. I probably have 8-ish hours on the strings and have not noticed any significant tension drop yet.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) - It was in line with most poly strings I've hit with. I had to put a full swing on the ball to really do much with it.

Spin - Again, middle of the ground. I got enough spin to keep those deep ground strokes in the court, but it wasn't anything out of the normal. Guess the best way to put it is here are definitely strings out there that will give you more spin, but this string doesn't hold you back from being able to hit sufficient spin.

Compare to the string you use most often - Hard to really compare since my last setup was a hybrid. The biggest difference though was DEPTH. If I was just off center, or got a little too wristy, or didn't put a full swing on the ball, it always came up very short, and sometimes just dumped into the net. Hitting balls beyond the service line required a lot more effort than I'm used to. This isn't to say it lacked power. As I mentioned earlier, it was okay there. But the power didn't translate into depth.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension?) - I would probably string it a little bit tighter. Try 55 first and then go from there. It needed to be stiffened up a little, in my opinion, since it was a bit stretchy.

General comments (please summarize likes and dislikes) - All in all a very average string. It definitely is a cool looking string, and it's by far one of the more comfortable polys I've ever used. Power and spin were just okay and didn't blow me away. The biggest hang up I had about the string was the lack of depth. I'm guessing since the Prestige Pro is already quite sensitive to string setup, the string and tension combo I had it strung up at probably suffered from that. It was sweet spot or nothing. All in all, not a bad string, but probably not one I see myself using in the future (although I'd like to try it one more time at a higher tension to see how it changed the play test).

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Thanks TW, this review will come with a twist: I personally do not use a full bed of polyester, so I thought I wouldn't be the best to review the strings. I gave the strings to a friend who does use a full bed of polyester.

He is a 5.0 - 5.5 player, lots of doubles, but can hold his own in singles.

His equipment is Head Youtek Prestige Mid, this will be compared to his Solinco Tour Bite 18.

He thought the strings played well, but not to his own liking. He thought the strings played too soft but lacked power. Though the strings grabbed the ball, he thought the lack of power producing too many short balls.

Can't speak on the durability, because he ended up cutting the strings out.

[Larrysümmers]

Your regular string set up
polylon ice 16
Confirm the prototype you received - A or B
A
Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest
If hybrid, list the other string used and whether it was in mains or crosses
full bed
Tension used for playtest
45lbs
Racquet brand and model used for test Wilson K pro tour
Power level of test string or hybrid
for a poly in a full bed there was more power than i expected, but it wasnt uncontrollable
Feel (crisp? mushy? soft? stiff? off center feedback?)
had a pretty average poly feel. it was crispy but wasnt harsh. a little boardy. i felt off center shots but they still flew predictably.
Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable?)
played with it for about 10 hours-a calender week going out 4 times.
Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
after the first 15 mins i found the 'range' with the string and it was quite controling. with slower swing speeds on some shots i felt like it was landing short. i felt like this string amped my running forehand. i felt like this string would be a fan of doubles players as volleys were pretty deadly with this
Spin
a lot of action with this string. nothing ive not seen before though. very tour bite esque as the string would be flying then just sink down like a baseball pitch.
Compare to the string you use most often
i would call it a slight upgrade. the feel was a lot 'better'. theres a little more spin. power. etc
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension?)
i liked the tension. ive found that for all polys 45 lbs is my wt.
General comments (please summarize likes and dislikes)
theres not a whole lot to really say.
-there was plenty of spin
-all the power youre looking for in a poly
-has that general crisp poly feel
-lasted me a good 10 hrs, im not a string popper or that hard of a hitter(compared to the macho men on here), but this looked like a string that could break on a hard hitter relatively fast due to the way its geared or twisted or what ever the proper term is.

[bspitch1]

Normal setup: X-One, SPPP

Confirm the prototype you received: A

Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest: Full bed of Prototype A

Tension used for playtest: 45/45

Racquet brand and model used for test: Babolat Pure Storm Tour with added weight

Power level of test string or hybrid: I felt that the power was relatively low compared to others that I have tried.

Feel:The string felt a little dull for the first time or two hitting, but after several hours, I started to "warm up" to the feel of the string and I liked it much more. Still not my favorite, but was 100x better than when I first strung it

Tension maintenance: Average. It is a poly so it has a reasonable quick tension loss. I found it to be better than RPM though.

Control: As I began to get used to the string, control got better. I liked the spin generated by the string.

Spin: I liked the spin. Seemed to bite the ball pretty well. I didnt find anything particularly amazing about it but the spin quality was definitely there.

Compare to the string you use most often: Compared to my current setup, I did not like it as much. It had the spin that my setup has but was much more harsh on my arm. It lasted much longer than my current setup!

Tension recommendations: I liked my tension that I used. I wouldnt change it.

General comments: I liked the string as a whole but it just wasnt enough to beat out X-One, and SPPP. Spin was good but I wish tension maintenance was a little better!

[MarinaHighTennis]

Your regular string set up
Full Solinco Outlast 16 (52lbs)
Confirm the prototype you received - A or B
A
Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest
Full set (54lbs)
Racquet brand and model used for test
Babolat AeroStorm GT
Power level of test string or hybrid
I found the power level to be average, not as powerful as outlast because the outlast had much more pop
Feel (crisp? mushy? soft? stiff? off center feedback?)
The feel, imho was pretty stiff compared to outlast. However, it was less stiff than tour bite. It was also very crisp, which i liked because outlast seemed to lack as much crispness in the groundstrokes compared to this. What I disliked were the offcenter shots. It seems like the ball dies on the strings if its not the sweet spot.
Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable?)
It never felt that it lost tension with playing with it but I've hit with it for 1 day and it snapped on me but then again I'd break gosen polylons in 2 weeks and tour bite in 2 days
Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
sometimes the ball would fly on me but depth control was very good. I found it hard to pop/block returns though as compared to outlast. It seems hard to control when I play against flat hitters or flat serves
Spin
It was decent. At first looking at the string I expected something similar to tourbite with lots of spin... I was disappointed. It had less spin that both tourbite and outlast
Compare to the string you use most often
See above, but I perfer my solinco outlast 16s rather than these for more pop, soft feel, and durability
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension?)
I would tension it at 52lbs instead of 54 because it needed a lil more pop
General comments (please summarize likes and dislikes)
My likes of these strings are that my serves and volleys were like butter and cream. Its groundstrokes were average but it lacked pop compared to my other strings. IMHO it would be a very good string, but I am very happy with my Solinco Outlasts as I find absolutely no problems.

It plays similiar to luxilon big banger rough though

Thanks TW for the opportunity! I will post a video asap

[nalvarado]

Your regular string set up: RIP Control 17 58lbs

Confirm the prototype you received: A

Whether or not you used a full set or hybrid for the playtest: Full set

Tension used for playtest: 54

Racquet brand and model used for test: Gamma RZR 98T

Power level of test string or hybrid: Above average for a poly, possibly due to the profiling of the string. Felt like it was significantly more elastic than other polys.

Feel (crisp? mushy? soft? stiff? off center feedback?): The string felt mushy to me, strange for a stiff poly. This could be due to the perceived extra elongation/elasticity of the string due to the profile. Felt like there a an unknown variable creating unpredictable hotspots on the bed that I have not perceived with this racquet in the past.

Tension maintenance: I stopped playing with it in between 6 and 8 hours. Felt like I had absolutely no control after this point.

Control:I was not able to dial into this string due to the variables that I described before. Very rarely was I able to really hit the shot I wanted with enough pace and spin to dictate the pace of the game.

Spin: I was hitting pretty loopy spots. Was not able to consistently get the tight spin I desired, keeping the ball low to the net and kicking on contact with the ground.

Compare to the string you use most often. RIP Control is alot more forgiving. I am very familiar with it so I am just more confident with it.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension?): Strangely for a poly, I would suggest this string at higher tensions, such as 58-62. This may cause the string to set in a bit quicker at the expense of tension maintenance.

[smittybuckeye]

Like a dummy I sent an email in with review without thinking I should have posted it here Sorry for the delay..

My regular string set up = X-1 BiPhase Red 52 lbs

Prototype received = A

Strung with full set
Tension used for playtest = 47 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test = Pacific Vacuum 90

Power level of test string or hybrid = Low powered. Much less than what I'm used to with X-1, but wasn't as underpowered as I thought going in.

Feel = No fault of the string I don't think, but such a stiff Poly just doesn't do the frame I threw it in justice.. Pretty Jarring, but may could fix that with looser setup?

Tension maintenance = Spot on, didn't feel any change as I hit.

Control = Very Good. The spin definitely helped to keep the ball between the lines.. Didn't loose any of the laserlike accuracy of the frame..

Spin = Great Spin, Felt like this string had a little more bite than my last go round with Similar products from Tourna and Lux.. Would definitely think about using this string with a larger head more powerful racquet.

Tension recommendations = Definitely would lower the tension in my frame the next go round.. Maybe even low 40's..

Compare to the string you use most often:
Well, I use a very soft powerful multi, so it was apples and oranges.. I am used to buttery feel and soft, this was much stiffer and spin friendly.. Definitely not a bad thing, just not my ideal setup in my current frame.

General comments (please summarize likes and dislikes):
Overall I felt it to be a very quality hi-end poly.. Probably in a more powerful frame, this string would shine.. Can't imagine what it would feel like in a XFast 100 or Pure Drive.. Probably be a dream spin machine

Thanks for the opportunity to test.. Would love to continue to help!