Pros using silcone spray on their strings

[mikeler]

Let's talk about silicone spray.

[HiRO]

Originally Posted by mikeler

Let's talk about silicone spray.

It works....

It adds spin potential....

It makes strings last longer......

Bab RPM uses a silicone coating....

Bab thermo gut coating had a similar affect.

^_^

[Torres]

I regret ever starting thread.

[klementine79]

^ Why?

It ain't a show until someone gets banned.

Besides, I feel it's still a constructive conversation and has not escalated (yet) into an argument, thanks to the maturity and decency of the posters.

Now then, I have not read any research (yet) as to which type of string is more suitable for enhancing spin, so I cannot comment about known theories or research.

Most textured polys are hardly that. ALU rough for example just feels like someone stamped notches into the string, it still retains quite a slick surface. I've actually hand-sanded full beds of ALU-rough and BigBangerO and did not notice a significant increase in spin production.

Shaped polys like RPM and TourBite definitely boost spin potential. RPM being quite slick, yet soft and tourbite rougher and stiffer. Both create great potential for spin, but for different reasons. RPM, has a less noticeable shape to it than TB, it's quite soft and slick, allowing the mains to slide against the crosses, which in turn create spin. TourBite feels like you could cut yourself on it while stringing and you can definitely tell it's shaped. It's quite rough and very, very stiff. You don't get much mains-sliding-against-the-crosses action here, but what you do get is ball to string friction and this also imparts a good amount of spin.

Adding silicone to my non-poly set-up has produced the RPM effect, not the TourBite phenomenon. After all, if it DIDN'T work, why would they contemplate banning it?

[Larrysümmers]

i dont see whats so unfair about it. it could evolve the pro game and rec game further.

[3fees]

Interesting, lub'ed strings snap back easier imparting more spin on the ball, than non lub'ed strings

Heres an recent article on it,,ect

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spor...-1226407028315


Cheers
3fees

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by Torres

I regret ever starting thread.

I'm glad you did. This could add that little extra spin to my full multi setup which would make it just about perfect for what I'm looking for.

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by 3fees

Heres an recent article on it,,ect

Sorry, but the author of the item, Barry Flatman, is one of the worst writers in all of tennis. His only link to the game is via Cash - he co-authored Cash's autobiography. Other than that he seems to be way out of touch with the game. He is almost uncontactable by email - unlike most Sunday Times writers - for a reason. He'd spend all day being corrected on stuff ha ha.

Who we should be asking is the P1 guys who are members here. If anyone would know, they would.

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by klementine79

Adding silicone to my non-poly set-up has produced the RPM effect, not the TourBite phenomenon. After all, if it DIDN'T work, why would they contemplate banning it?

Isn't it ironic that they are contemplating banning silicone spray on strings because they think it might enhance spin but, AFAIK, they are NOT contemplating banning poly strings even though they KNOW that poly strings enhance spin?

[colan5934]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

Isn't it ironic that they are contemplating banning silicone spray on strings because they think it might enhance spin but, AFAIK, they are NOT contemplating banning poly strings even though they KNOW that poly strings enhance spin?

I think that the fact that the silicone spray is something unnecessarily applied to the strings, which are essential to play tennis, is the reason silicone spray is being questioned. As for poly strings potentially being banned because they increase spin, any player can choose to reap the benefits of polyester string or not, at least at the professional level, and most do. The one exception due to arm issues that I've come across is Tommy Haas, although he occasionally uses it in the crosses with gut mains.

[pinky42]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

You can't have both (in the case of rough strings). Think about it. How can a string surface have more friction on the ball but at the same time have less friction on another string? That would imply that the string's coefficient of friction instantaneously changes depending on if it's about to touch a ball or if it's about to touch another string. A string surface can only have one coefficient of friction.

You are wrong. A string surface can have more than one coefficient of friction. The coefficient of friction is determined by both surfaces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeffic...ts_of_friction

Alumninum against Steel is 0.61
Copper against Steel is 0.53

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by colan5934

I think that the fact that the silicone spray is something unnecessarily applied to the strings, which are essential to play tennis, is the reason silicone spray is being questioned. As for poly strings potentially being banned because they increase spin, any player can choose to reap the benefits of polyester string or not, at least at the professional level, and most do. The one exception due to arm issues that I've come across is Tommy Haas, although he occasionally uses it in the crosses with gut mains.

But the same rationale can be said of silicone spray, couldn't it? That any player can choose to reap the benefits of silicone spray or not.

The fact that anyone can use something IS the reason that something should be banned. I mean, if no one wanted to use something, then there would be no need to ban that something, right?

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by pinky42

You are wrong. A string surface can have more than one coefficient of friction. The coefficient of friction is determined by both surfaces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeffic...ts_of_friction

Alumninum against Steel is 0.61
Copper against Steel is 0.53

Um...Aluminum and steel are two different materials with two surfaces.

Copper and steel are two different materials with two surfaces.

A string by itself is one material with one surface.

Of course the coefficient of friction (COF) between the ball and the string is different than the coefficient of friction between the string onto itself. That's because the ball is fuzzy and a lot rougher than the string so therefore the ball is going to have a much higher coefficient of friction than the string. But you can't raise the COF between the ball and the string and AT THE SAME TIME lower the COF between the string and the string because the string itself only has one COF. So they either both go up or they both go down depending on how much you increase or decrease the roughness of the string's surface. You can't both increase AND decrease the roughness of a surface at the same time.

[kimbahpnam]

i tried it out today and i did notice a slightly enhanced spin effect. i was using my APDC with focus hex/isospeed baseline which were about 75% gone. i imagine it works even better when the strings aren't already notched. i'll give it another go with fresh strings.

[dman72]

Originally Posted by mikeler

Let's talk about silicone spray.

The discussion is irrelevant if you think it has no impact on spin. They are basically the same subject.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by kimbahpnam

i tried it out today and i did notice a slightly enhanced spin effect. i was using my APDC with focus hex/isospeed baseline which were about 75% gone. i imagine it works even better when the strings aren't already notched. i'll give it another go with fresh strings.

OK, I will try it at lunch today and hopefully hit tonight with an older set of strings. Question, do you only have to spray the stuff on one time?

Originally Posted by dman72

The discussion is irrelevant if you think it has no impact on spin. They are basically the same subject.

It seemed like the thread was starting to spiral out of control hence the reason for that comment.

[colan5934]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

But the same rationale can be said of silicone spray, couldn't it? That any player can choose to reap the benefits of silicone spray or not.

The fact that anyone can use something IS the reason that something should be banned. I mean, if no one wanted to use something, then there would be no need to ban that something, right?

I think you are missing my point. A racket must be strung to play with it effectively, and thus, strings, regardless of composition, are required. You can choose to get the benefits of gut, or kevlar, or poly, or whatever. Silicone spray is something that is applied after stringing. It does not need to be applied IN ORDER TO PLAY TENNIS. Also, pinky42 is correct in saying that there is more than one coefficient of friction. The coefficient of friction is between two surfaces. The lower the force between the strings, the more they will slide and the more energy the sliding will impart to the ball. A rough string will have a high degree of friction with the ball. The force here that puts spin on the ball comes from the strings tendency to remain at rest. Friction is a force that resists movement. So, when a rough string moves, it won't move as much a slick string with a low coefficient of friction, but it will snap back with greater force, although over shorter distance. I believe that the difference is minimal because technique is a huge part of how much spin is imparted on the ball, but tennis is a game of millimeters. Sadly, we may have to agree to disagree here.

[Power Player]

Waste of time arguing with BP. Hard headed and trolly.

I was thinking about grabbing some for my backup gut/poly experiment. I am going to string red alert mains with cofocus crosses and am thinking the silicone spray may help this setup last longer.

[HiRO]

Originally Posted by Power Player

Waste of time arguing with BP. Hard headed and trolly.

I was thinking about grabbing some for my backup gut/poly experiment. I am going to string red alert mains with cofocus crosses and am thinking the silicone spray may help this setup last longer.

Please let us know in here or in the string section how your experiment goes...if you end up doing that.

HiRO

[Power Player]

Will do. It's only a few bucks so I think it is worth checking out.