PV Audio's Playtest Thread

[pvaudio]

I wouldn't care if it never lost tension. It's just not good enough to play with for me to want it to last.

[alidisperanza]

Originally Posted by pvaudio

I wouldn't care if it never lost tension. It's just not good enough to play with for me to want it to last.

Stellar post right here. Give the man a Pulitzer

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by pvaudio

Yeah, it's interesting. As an undergrad, right now was:

"YES! Spring break! WOOOOOO! Time to relax, play video games, catch up on sleep and just have fun!"

Now, as a grad...:

"YES! Spring break! WOOOOOO! Time to study without having to go to lecture, catch up on work, and get prepared for the rest of the semester!"

So sad, yet so true.

I crammed grad school in to 3 semesters, so that was not the "fun" portion of college for me either. It will all be worth it when you are making decent money, working hard and having the government at all levels (local, state and federal) try to take it away from you.

[pvaudio]

L-Tec Premium Pro / L-Tec Premium 5S





First and foremost: thank you again to jdunnie014159 for supplying all four L-Tec half sets


Note: "Cliff notes" of this very long review are posted right at the bottom.

Stringing: Here are the strings in question:

Mains: http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/L-Te...-LTPPOS16.html

Crosses (in black which TW does not carry): http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/L-Te...Y-LTP5S16.html

Now, normally, this section is the most boring part of the review. However, I think that this time it will be the most important part because there are a few issues I want to address. First, the poly handles like any other mid-grade poly when stringing. No coil-memory, no friction, knots easily, etc. No problems there.

The key here, as you can imagine, is the JET method. I'm actually looking at the instructions right now, and here's what I can tell you: I did NOT use the JET or JayCee or any other stringing method that I do not normally do. This is very important for a few reasons:

1. This is a string review thread. I am not here to review stringing methods. If I want to test the JET method on a string I'm already familiar with, I will do so later. At the moment, I am reviewing L-Tec polyester strings.

2. As hinted at above, as I'm scientific with most things, I will not change more than one variable at a time. Here, the variable is the string.

3. I do not buy into string hype for a multitude of reasons, but in this case, the main issue is arrogance...and not on my part. They insinuate, and I do mean that word, that it takes a select group of stringers to be able to install these strings. That means that no one from RPNY or Priority 1 is qualified to string L-Tec polyester. That's preposterous, and as said, arrogant. I already string everything at the slowest pull speed, use low tension for polyester and let it settle before clamping. Have been doing that for quite some time for myself and every customer in fact. I've never had anyone dissatisfied with the quality of my stringing.

4. So, to L-Tec if you're reading this: you can hold off on saying my results are invalid because I did not use JET. If anything, all opinions of your strings using a specific method cannot be taken at face value unless the string is evaluated first when strung normally.

Now, onto a bit nicer tone: I chose this hybrid because it was part of the string set given to me and because it was recommended.

I think that's all I have to say about the stringing, but here's cliff notes: this is an objective STRING review. No special stringing methods were used as I have not tried the method previously to see if it favorably changes stringbeds I am already familiar with. Tension: 45/45 lbs

I am approaching this review as though they were given to me blind and unmarked.

Groundstrokes: Overall, not bad off the ground. As I hinted at before, this plays like MSV CoFocus. So while it's not bad, it's not brilliant. There isn't an obscene amount of spin as was suggested, nor is there lots of power, extra control or super par comfort. It just feels like a mid-range poly.
Overall: 8.5/10

Serves: Pretty weak here. There wasn't much action being generated on my serves, so the spin carries over from the groundstrokes: not more than expected. Power was mid-range, accuracy was the same. Generic-ly good.
Overall: 8.25/10

Volleys: Slightly above average feel for a poly, but truth be told, it was just a poly at the net.
Overall: 8/10

Durability: Two definitions of durability here: tension stability, and breakage resistance. There was no noticable tension drop, and I didn't break the strings. So, I can't rate them on either merit, but there isn't any notching either. That also is not odd, so I'll give it my normal poly durability rating in that stead.
Overall: 9/10

These strings were really just...strings. There was no wow factor. WC Scorpion wow you with its dwell time and control. Signum Pro Poly Plasma wows you with its tension maintenance. Genesis Black Magic wows you with its comfort. This poly hybrid really didn't so anything exceptionally well, but it didn't do anything poorly. Again, this is like a slightly harder stringing MSV CoFocus: everything you need from a poly. Nothing you don't need, and nothing extra that you might want.


Overall: 8.75/10

Now, I reviewed the string in this way because it's only fair since I did not in fact pay for them. I evaluated them as poly strings, and was not looking to find that they were exceptional. In fact, I was going to be surprised if they were something special because I never believed any of the L-Tec claims. So, with all of that out of the way, let me state it like this: L-Tec polyester is the biggest rip-off on the market. It's based around clever marketing, a zero-loss game comprised of infinite exit strategies ("didn't use JET", "wrong hybrid", "wrong tension", etc.) and most of all, premium pricing to make you assume greatness. There is none here. This is just regular run-of-the-mill polyester.

While the string may play like it is now for 30 hours, I simply do not care. Why? Two reasons of which the first is obvious: the playability is not high, so it's pointless to use. Secondly, I would break the string before then. So, if they indeed claim that their strings are so resistant to breakage that a futures level player can hit with them for 30 hours without popping, they can claim that. I don't care. I wish I could say that I was disappointed, but I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary to begin with. As Torres has said multiple times, polyester simply has intrinsic properties which unless there is something supremely novel going on, you cannot get around. It will not hold tension for 30 hours of hard hitting. It will not remain intact for 30 hours of hard hitting.

There are what I like to call "pick 2 of 3" situations for just about everything. As an example: a car can be high performance, reliable and inexpensive. The car that's high performance and reliable will NOT be inexpensive (i.e. Ferrari). The high performance car that's cheap will not be reliable (i.e. 300HP Honda Civic that a 17yr old drives to high school). The reliable and inexpensive car will not be performance based (i.e. the aforementioned Honda Civic before it was modified). L-Tec wants to give you "pick x" situations. They claim spin, power, control, feel, tension hold and comfort are all superior. It's because of this that the price is seen in a different light as being a good value (you get more hours of supreme playing than any other string). Unfortunately, only the last one there, the cost, is truthful. This stuff is outperformed by poly costing literally fractions of the price.

For whatever my word is worth: I do not recommend that anyone waste their money on trying for themselves. They are just ordinary strings backed by extraordinary hyperbole and hubris.

True Overall: 5.75/10

CLIFF NOTES: Do not waste your time and money.

[Up&comer]

I get the feeling you don't recommend these strings.....

[kiteboard]

I have used both the 5s/3s, os/4s etc. I would not say the os/4s is worthless. That is the combo recommended for control all court.

[mixedmedia]

The pick 2/3 scenario is a good point. My dad (an industrial designer) would always say the same thing to his students.

[pvaudio]

Originally Posted by kiteboard

I have used both the 5s/3s, os/4s etc. I would not say the os/4s is worthless. That is the combo recommended for control all court.

And yet, you don't even use L-Tec strings anymore. You cut them all out after a handful of hours to find something better. I never once said the strings were bad. I said the strings are bad value. Point more or less proven.

[pvaudio]

I was warming up my serve today, so here's the string forum's relevance to this video: I needed somewhere to set the camera, so I put a racquet on the teaching cart and then the camera on that. What racquet is holding up the camera? The L-Tec frame. Yes, it got demoted to pedestal use in favor of the weeks old Iontec which is what I'm using in the vid.

http://youtu.be/UtfYGIiHVdY

[mixedmedia]

Hahah, that's awesome. And nice motion. I like how you really explode into them. I'm sure you do more on actual serves, but with a bit more knee bend and chest opening up (like bending it up to face the ball or w/e), I bet you could get an even sweeter serve. (Just a friendly note, since I was just watching a few service videos of pros today.)

[pvaudio]

Yeah, there is next to no knee bend there. I'm not really even on my toes on my rear foot haha. I was going to make an updated serve video (see first post of this thread), but alas, the backhands drained the camera.

[alidisperanza]

Very well written and thanks for taking out the time to review the string. I'm glad I don't have to buy a set.

[mixedmedia]

Originally Posted by pvaudio

Yeah, there is next to no knee bend there. I'm not really even on my toes on my rear foot haha. I was going to make an updated serve video (see first post of this thread), but alas, the backhands drained the camera.

Haha, nah, it's cool.

[Uvijek Argen]

delete post...............

[Icedorb217]

Originally Posted by alidisperanza

Damn you Californians with your weather and beautiful people...

Weather YES. Beautiful people YES. Complete mean ppl YES. Plus the weather here is soo moody. Like a 30 degree difference every day.

This post is meant to the off topic stuff on the previous page. Sorry if Im clogging the thread. Also PV can you try Iontec with OGSM?

[arche3]

After awhile most players realise strings are really just strings. All the strings you reviewed have plus and minus. Too bad you didnt like the ltec. Many do regardless of the marketing. And the string is 20 bucks for most sets. Not going to break the bank.
The biggest plus of the ltec is the consistency of them till they break. And as far as i know noone here has actually played a set till 30 hours.
[


QUOTE=pvaudio;6388897]L-Tec Premium Pro / L-Tec Premium 5S





First and foremost: thank you again to jdunnie014159 for supplying all four L-Tec half sets


Note: "Cliff notes" of this very long review are posted right at the bottom.

Stringing: Here are the strings in question:

Mains: http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/L-Te...-LTPPOS16.html

Crosses (in black which TW does not carry): http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/L-Te...Y-LTP5S16.html

Now, normally, this section is the most boring part of the review. However, I think that this time it will be the most important part because there are a few issues I want to address. First, the poly handles like any other mid-grade poly when stringing. No coil-memory, no friction, knots easily, etc. No problems there.

The key here, as you can imagine, is the JET method. I'm actually looking at the instructions right now, and here's what I can tell you: I did NOT use the JET or JayCee or any other stringing method that I do not normally do. This is very important for a few reasons:

1. This is a string review thread. I am not here to review stringing methods. If I want to test the JET method on a string I'm already familiar with, I will do so later. At the moment, I am reviewing L-Tec polyester strings.

2. As hinted at above, as I'm scientific with most things, I will not change more than one variable at a time. Here, the variable is the string.

3. I do not buy into string hype for a multitude of reasons, but in this case, the main issue is arrogance...and not on my part. They insinuate, and I do mean that word, that it takes a select group of stringers to be able to install these strings. That means that no one from RPNY or Priority 1 is qualified to string L-Tec polyester. That's preposterous, and as said, arrogant. I already string everything at the slowest pull speed, use low tension for polyester and let it settle before clamping. Have been doing that for quite some time for myself and every customer in fact. I've never had anyone dissatisfied with the quality of my stringing.

4. So, to L-Tec if you're reading this: you can hold off on saying my results are invalid because I did not use JET. If anything, all opinions of your strings using a specific method cannot be taken at face value unless the string is evaluated first when strung normally.

Now, onto a bit nicer tone: I chose this hybrid because it was part of the string set given to me and because it was recommended.

I think that's all I have to say about the stringing, but here's cliff notes: this is an objective STRING review. No special stringing methods were used as I have not tried the method previously to see if it favorably changes stringbeds I am already familiar with. Tension: 45/45 lbs

I am approaching this review as though they were given to me blind and unmarked.

Groundstrokes: Overall, not bad off the ground. As I hinted at before, this plays like MSV CoFocus. So while it's not bad, it's not brilliant. There isn't an obscene amount of spin as was suggested, nor is there lots of power, extra control or super par comfort. It just feels like a mid-range poly.
Overall: 8.5/10

Serves: Pretty weak here. There wasn't much action being generated on my serves, so the spin carries over from the groundstrokes: not more than expected. Power was mid-range, accuracy was the same. Generic-ly good.
Overall: 8.25/10

Volleys: Slightly above average feel for a poly, but truth be told, it was just a poly at the net.
Overall: 8/10

Durability: Two definitions of durability here: tension stability, and breakage resistance. There was no noticable tension drop, and I didn't break the strings. So, I can't rate them on either merit, but there isn't any notching either. That also is not odd, so I'll give it my normal poly durability rating in that stead.
Overall: 9/10

These strings were really just...strings. There was no wow factor. WC Scorpion wow you with its dwell time and control. Signum Pro Poly Plasma wows you with its tension maintenance. Genesis Black Magic wows you with its comfort. This poly hybrid really didn't so anything exceptionally well, but it didn't do anything poorly. Again, this is like a slightly harder stringing MSV CoFocus: everything you need from a poly. Nothing you don't need, and nothing extra that you might want.


Overall: 8.75/10

Now, I reviewed the string in this way because it's only fair since I did not in fact pay for them. I evaluated them as poly strings, and was not looking to find that they were exceptional. In fact, I was going to be surprised if they were something special because I never believed any of the L-Tec claims. So, with all of that out of the way, let me state it like this: L-Tec polyester is the biggest rip-off on the market. It's based around clever marketing, a zero-loss game comprised of infinite exit strategies ("didn't use JET", "wrong hybrid", "wrong tension", etc.) and most of all, premium pricing to make you assume greatness. There is none here. This is just regular run-of-the-mill polyester.

While the string may play like it is now for 30 hours, I simply do not care. Why? Two reasons of which the first is obvious: the playability is not high, so it's pointless to use. Secondly, I would break the string before then. So, if they indeed claim that their strings are so resistant to breakage that a futures level player can hit with them for 30 hours without popping, they can claim that. I don't care. I wish I could say that I was disappointed, but I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary to begin with. As Torres has said multiple times, polyester simply has intrinsic properties which unless there is something supremely novel going on, you cannot get around. It will not hold tension for 30 hours of hard hitting. It will not remain intact for 30 hours of hard hitting.

There are what I like to call "pick 2 of 3" situations for just about everything. As an example: a car can be high performance, reliable and inexpensive. The car that's high performance and reliable will NOT be inexpensive (i.e. Ferrari). The high performance car that's cheap will not be reliable (i.e. 300HP Honda Civic that a 17yr old drives to high school). The reliable and inexpensive car will not be performance based (i.e. the aforementioned Honda Civic before it was modified). L-Tec wants to give you "pick x" situations. They claim spin, power, control, feel, tension hold and comfort are all superior. It's because of this that the price is seen in a different light as being a good value (you get more hours of supreme playing than any other string). Unfortunately, only the last one there, the cost, is truthful. This stuff is outperformed by poly costing literally fractions of the price.

For whatever my word is worth: I do not recommend that anyone waste their money on trying for themselves. They are just ordinary strings backed by extraordinary hyperbole and hubris.

True Overall: 5.75/10

CLIFF NOTES: Do not waste your time and money.[/quote]

[fgs]

gosurfboy initiated a thread about l-tec strings and in his very first post claimed to be an open/futures level player and getting 30+ hours on l-tec strings as opposed to 5-6 with any other string (i checked that but you can use the search function to crosscheck my take of that).

my first reaction was that noone at futures level, no matter how flat he hits, will get 30 hitting hours out of any string. from all the players at that level that i know, the max. is 8-10 hitting hours for a truly flat hitting 1.95m guy. the average is somewhere around 3-4 hours, with some extreme topspinners getting through the string in less than a 2hrs practice session.

i myself, coming of age and still having a heavy topspin centered game, don't get past 10 hours anymore, but i'm mostly hitting with my almost 13yr old son, so if i'd have some harder hitting opponents, i wouldn't myself get more than 6 hrs max. on a string. last october i had a chance to hit some sessions with a 27yr old former futures player and the strings went in around 4 hours.

this is what makes me really interested in this string, that apparently a current open/futures player gets about 5 times as much hitting time as opposed to other strings. under these circumstances it would really get very interesting and, as gosurfboy also argues in his thread, the initial cost is more than evened out by the additional playing time.

i tried to clarify previously if the string is just bad in the evaluation of pvaudio, and the answer was negative, but in the sense that it plays just like any other decent poly out there, which is basically nothing bad. from my point of view nevertheless, shelling out some 23 euros for a hybrid string job does not make sense unless i get at least similar playing characteristics and a 5-6 times longer life span. my current set-ups, which i'm very pleased with, are around 5-6 euros and practically give me everything i'm looking for. if i could nevertheless get more playing time, i might be also willing to put up the money, as it comes out about even, i only have to string 5 times less!

by the way, i have somewhere read that on the regular stringing symposium held by the distributor, the attendants could playtest sticks with strings that have been played already for 30-40 hours. of course, this was about tension maintenance and the ability of the string not to be dead by that time, but i might be allowed to doubt that that string has taken any serious "abuse" during those 30-40 hours and much more likely has been used to feed balls from a cart. these strings might be indeed very good at tension maintenance and then of course you would have a specific market segment just looking after that, but what good is 40 hrs tension maintenance capacity if you break the string after 8 hitting hours

[arche3]

I think someone here at that high level needs to play the string till break. I made it to 20 playing some hard tennis. I can make it to 30 i would imagine as i play with my 11 year old a lot mixed in with some really good players. But i play a lot of top with an open pattern. If i used a smaller tighter pattern i can easily make 30.

The 0s 4s hybrid barely notches. I dont see a reason to doubt gosurferboy. Or his level. Frankly most posters on here can def use most string jobs way past 30 hours as they over estimate their level like crazy and how hard they hit.

A few posters have enjoyed the string. But not the hybrid set pvaudio played so its not really the same playtest.

Originally Posted by fgs

gosurfboy initiated a thread about l-tec strings and in his very first post claimed to be an open/futures level player and getting 30+ hours on l-tec strings as opposed to 5-6 with any other string (i checked that but you can use the search function to crosscheck my take of that).

my first reaction was that noone at futures level, no matter how flat he hits, will get 30 hitting hours out of any string. from all the players at that level that i know, the max. is 8-10 hitting hours for a truly flat hitting 1.95m guy. the average is somewhere around 3-4 hours, with some extreme topspinners getting through the string in less than a 2hrs practice session.

i myself, coming of age and still having a heavy topspin centered game, don't get past 10 hours anymore, but i'm mostly hitting with my almost 13yr old son, so if i'd have some harder hitting opponents, i wouldn't myself get more than 6 hrs max. on a string. last october i had a chance to hit some sessions with a 27yr old former futures player and the strings went in around 4 hours.

this is what makes me really interested in this string, that apparently a current open/futures player gets about 5 times as much hitting time as opposed to other strings. under these circumstances it would really get very interesting and, as gosurfboy also argues in his thread, the initial cost is more than evened out by the additional playing time.

i tried to clarify previously if the string is just bad in the evaluation of pvaudio, and the answer was negative, but in the sense that it plays just like any other decent poly out there, which is basically nothing bad. from my point of view nevertheless, shelling out some 23 euros for a hybrid string job does not make sense unless i get at least similar playing characteristics and a 5-6 times longer life span. my current set-ups, which i'm very pleased with, are around 5-6 euros and practically give me everything i'm looking for. if i could nevertheless get more playing time, i might be also willing to put up the money, as it comes out about even, i only have to string 5 times less!

by the way, i have somewhere read that on the regular stringing symposium held by the distributor, the attendants could playtest sticks with strings that have been played already for 30-40 hours. of course, this was about tension maintenance and the ability of the string not to be dead by that time, but i might be allowed to doubt that that string has taken any serious "abuse" during those 30-40 hours and much more likely has been used to feed balls from a cart. these strings might be indeed very good at tension maintenance and then of course you would have a specific market segment just looking after that, but what good is 40 hrs tension maintenance capacity if you break the string after 8 hitting hours

[fgs]

i am aware of some posters overestimating their level and i know that going through a set of strings in two hours does not mean you are a good player either.

i the 40 years i spent on tennis courts so far nevertheless, i have not found a string to exceed others (we talk same category just to make it clear, not mixing multis with polys etc.) by 5x playingtime - maybe i just got the wrong strings all the time.

now, this is the information i am looking for, in the sense that a good player hitting with spin and decent pace, gets so much out of these strings as compared to other poly jobs.

pvaudio said that the l-tec he tested played similar to polyfibre black venom. now this is interesting and important for me, because i liked that polyfibre string, so this rather increased my interest in these strings! but the cash rules and the arithmetics of it is really simple: a reel of black venom costs around 100 euros and gives me some 33-34 sets of mains = 3 euro for the mains. a decent multi in the crosses is also around 100 euro and gives me 40 sets = 2,50 per set. so, currently i'm running at around 5,50 per string job and get around 8-10 very decent hitting hours out of this job i really enjoy. in this time, the strings i like and play do not go dead, so this part is not an issue with me, as i obviously go through the strings sooner than they die. that means that in my case the l-tecs would make sense if they do really keep it going about 3-4 times longer than my current set-up.

so far, in this respect, only gosurfboy made a statement and noone else to my knowledge has confirmed that so far. i don't gosurfboy's abilities, but i don't take them for granted either, because in the end he could be one of those who overestimate their abilities too. what i would like to hear is that more posters which have gotten to play these strings confirm that they keep up longer by a considerable amount as compared to other mid-to-high priced polys.

i think there were two other posters who stated that there is a slight loss of playability around the 8 hours mark, but that itself would not turn me off. all strings do have this, even the ones i appreciate the most. none of those, if i recall correctly, stated though that the string kept going at least twice as much as their regular set-up so far.

over the winter i strung up a stick for me about every second to third week, as my playing time has been rather restricted - twice a week with my son when there are no tournaments. on touraments we get to practice courts, but that is a different hitting than regular practice. now, when we prepare to get outdoors, my playing time will increase. i agree that putting in a set of l-tecs at 20something does not break the bank, but at the end of the year and most probably 20 sets (if they don't last longer!) we get to an amount i could have attended quite a few tournaments with my son or would have practiced at least 20 hours more - so, from my point of view, it does count and it does sum up in the longer run.

what i also don't really understand is that i seem to can't find any european source for these strings, in spite of them being obviously produced in the u.k.

[arche3]

If you compare fresh Ltec 0s/4s to 10 hour they are extremely close in performance. Close enough that a decent player can easily compensate if they don't have a fresh stick.

If you compare fresh ALU to 10 hour ALU it is a completely different string. I cut ALU out at 4 or 5 hous or 1 match. It just feels so different after a few hours.

Ltec 0s/4s is very close in performance to ALU. Different but very similar characteristics. 2x the performance window and you can stretch it out longer for practice stick. The steep drop off is not the same as ALU.

Maybe it is not better but more predictable than ALU its closest string imo.

The other thread about Ltec review has the OP stating basically my findings as well. He got 2x the playability of ALU (for him around 8 hours.) I get more because I am sick of stringing my rackets. So I play till I can't stand it anymore which is around 16 or 18 hours when the string snap back changes.

I think Gosurferboy has no reason to lie about being a futures player as there is no point in it. Unless he was actually one of the Ltec guys. the other high level guys are never on here talking about strings. If they do its brief. Only us hacks are all bent up about strings. It seems most of the high level guys are gone from TT anyways which is a shame.

Originally Posted by fgs

i am aware of some posters overestimating their level and i know that going through a set of strings in two hours does not mean you are a good player either.

i the 40 years i spent on tennis courts so far nevertheless, i have not found a string to exceed others (we talk same category just to make it clear, not mixing multis with polys etc.) by 5x playingtime - maybe i just got the wrong strings all the time.

now, this is the information i am looking for, in the sense that a good player hitting with spin and decent pace, gets so much out of these strings as compared to other poly jobs.

pvaudio said that the l-tec he tested played similar to polyfibre black venom. now this is interesting and important for me, because i liked that polyfibre string, so this rather increased my interest in these strings! but the cash rules and the arithmetics of it is really simple: a reel of black venom costs around 100 euros and gives me some 33-34 sets of mains = 3 euro for the mains. a decent multi in the crosses is also around 100 euro and gives me 40 sets = 2,50 per set. so, currently i'm running at around 5,50 per string job and get around 8-10 very decent hitting hours out of this job i really enjoy. in this time, the strings i like and play do not go dead, so this part is not an issue with me, as i obviously go through the strings sooner than they die. that means that in my case the l-tecs would make sense if they do really keep it going about 3-4 times longer than my current set-up.

so far, in this respect, only gosurfboy made a statement and noone else to my knowledge has confirmed that so far. i don't gosurfboy's abilities, but i don't take them for granted either, because in the end he could be one of those who overestimate their abilities too. what i would like to hear is that more posters which have gotten to play these strings confirm that they keep up longer by a considerable amount as compared to other mid-to-high priced polys.

i think there were two other posters who stated that there is a slight loss of playability around the 8 hours mark, but that itself would not turn me off. all strings do have this, even the ones i appreciate the most. none of those, if i recall correctly, stated though that the string kept going at least twice as much as their regular set-up so far.

over the winter i strung up a stick for me about every second to third week, as my playing time has been rather restricted - twice a week with my son when there are no tournaments. on touraments we get to practice courts, but that is a different hitting than regular practice. now, when we prepare to get outdoors, my playing time will increase. i agree that putting in a set of l-tecs at 20something does not break the bank, but at the end of the year and most probably 20 sets (if they don't last longer!) we get to an amount i could have attended quite a few tournaments with my son or would have practiced at least 20 hours more - so, from my point of view, it does count and it does sum up in the longer run.

what i also don't really understand is that i seem to can't find any european source for these strings, in spite of them being obviously produced in the u.k.