Low tensions on gut/poly blends

[ushynoti]

Hi everyone,

Can someone either direct me to another post that they know or else share their experiences with low tensions (30 lbs or so) on gut/poly hybrids? I'm going to be using it in a Wilson Prostaff BLX 90 (Federer) frame. Thanks!

[cluckcluck]

The search function is your friend...use it wisely.
There is a thread floating around about low tensions in the 20's and 30's.

[ushynoti]

Originally Posted by cluckcluck

The search function is your friend...use it wisely.
There is a thread floating around about low tensions in the 20's and 30's.

Yeah, I've tried that but pull up a lot of threads that aren't on point. I have read that low tension thread but it's mainly about full poly setups and not gut/poly. If anyone knows of a thread they can post a link to on this one, that would be huge. Thanks!

[Centerforward71]

Originally Posted by ushynoti

Yeah, I've tried that but pull up a lot of threads that aren't on point. I have read that low tension thread but it's mainly about full poly setups and not gut/poly. If anyone knows of a thread they can post a link to on this one, that would be huge. Thanks!

I am trying poly main 38 gut cross 44. Just strung it will report when I play it.

[ushynoti]

Originally Posted by Centerforward71

I am trying poly main 38 gut cross 44. Just strung it will report when I play it.

I thought the playability was supposed to be better with gut in the mains?

[corners]

Gut mains at low tension will defeat the purpose of gut mains/copoly crosses hybrid. Gut mains strung too loose will stretch sideways too far and fail to snap back in time to provide the extra spin this setup is known for. Instead, you'll just get a very high rebound angle and poor control. You're better off picking the least stiff copoly you can find for the crosses and stringing tighter rather than looser.

Sub-50 tensions really only work with full copoly and kevlar/copoly hybrids.

Copoly mains with gut crosses might be Ok, but I would'nt even try it myself.

[ushynoti]

Originally Posted by corners

Gut mains at low tension will defeat the purpose of gut mains/copoly crosses hybrid. Gut mains strung too loose will stretch sideways too far and fail to snap back in time to provide the extra spin this setup is known for. Instead, you'll just get a very high rebound angle and poor control. You're better off picking the least stiff copoly you can find for the crosses and stringing tighter rather than looser.

Sub-50 tensions really only work with full copoly and kevlar/copoly hybrids.

Copoly mains with gut crosses might be Ok, but I would'nt even try it myself.

Doesn't Federer string at like 48 lbs and has a gut/poly blend? I can understand the lack of snap back, which I guess is supposed to be the advantage, but I just didn't want too stiff a stringbed where there's no feel...

[Torres]

Originally Posted by ushynoti

Can someone either direct me to another post that they know or else share their experiences with low tensions (30 lbs or so) on gut/poly hybrids? I'm going to be using it in a Wilson Prostaff BLX 90 (Federer) frame. Thanks!

Doesn't work. The gut is waaaay too powerful and doesn't offer enough control.

Originally Posted by ushynoti

Doesn't Federer string at like 48 lbs and has a gut/poly blend? I can understand the lack of snap back, which I guess is supposed to be the advantage, but I just didn't want too stiff a stringbed where there's no feel...

It's been answered many, many, times before, but unless you're prepared to constantly cut your strings out every couple of hours, Fed is a poor comparison. What he does as a pro with a constant stream of freshly strung racquets available to him has no applicability to you. Also gut/Alu at around 50lbs CP isn't stiff or uncomfortable, well, not when the Alu is fresh anyway. Firm side of crisp when hitting flatter, and different variations of buttery crisp depending on how much top you put on the ball. Gut/Alu is sublime but out of the reach of us mortal folk in terms of a standard, regular string combo.

[ushynoti]

Thanks Torres, that certainly answers my question about gut. I actually tried a really cheap blend of Babolat Duralast (cross) and Gosen OG Sheep Micro (mains) this past week and the playability was really nice, a lot better than full poly, but this was cheap poly not the more expensive stuff, so I'm wondering how this blend would do with better poly crosses like Black Magic...

[corners]

Originally Posted by Torres

It's been answered many, many, times before, but unless you're prepared to constantly cut your strings out every couple of hours, Fed is a poor comparison. What he does as a pro with a constant stream of freshly strung racquets available to him has no applicability to you. Also gut/Alu at around 50lbs CP isn't stiff or uncomfortable, well, not when the Alu is fresh anyway. Firm side of crisp when hitting flatter, and different variations of buttery crisp depending on how much top you put on the ball. Gut/Alu is sublime but out of the reach of us mortal folk in terms of a standard, regular string combo.

I agree with Torres. 48 in a mid is OK, but as tension loss sets in things start getting too loose. Fed never experiences tension loss.

[corners]

Originally Posted by ushynoti

Thanks Torres, that certainly answers my question about gut. I actually tried a really cheap blend of Babolat Duralast (cross) and Gosen OG Sheep Micro (mains) this past week and the playability was really nice, a lot better than full poly, but this was cheap poly not the more expensive stuff, so I'm wondering how this blend would do with better poly crosses like Black Magic...

A softer and more slippery copoly cross would definitely be better, but unless you never break strings you'll probably find that syngut mains notch very quickly and break soon after. Of course, if you never break strings you're not going to benefit from copolys or copoly hybrids anyway because you're not bending the strings enough to get snapback.

[anubis]

Originally Posted by ushynoti

Hi everyone,

Can someone either direct me to another post that they know or else share their experiences with low tensions (30 lbs or so) on gut/poly hybrids? I'm going to be using it in a Wilson Prostaff BLX 90 (Federer) frame. Thanks!

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...319527&page=63

[ushynoti]

Originally Posted by anubis

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...319527&page=63

Thanks anubis, but this is the thread that I've referred to in another post which deals only in low tension for full bed poly setups. I was referring to a gut/poly setup, but now I'm thinking more about synthetic gut/poly setups...

[neverstopplaying]

Since hitting with my Blade 98 18x20, I'm not getting the comfort from gut/poly that I had with my previous frames. I've gone done from 59/55 to 50/45. Now I'm thinking of trying 46/42 (VS-Beast or 4G). I was looking to see if anyone (ANYONE) plays with gut under 50.

So far best performance is coming from full poly on this stick and I have several sets of VS lying around (and no, you can't have it).

[Ilove10nis]

Originally Posted by corners

A softer and more slippery copoly cross would definitely be better, but unless you never break strings you'll probably find that syngut mains notch very quickly and break soon after. Of course, if you never break strings you're not going to benefit from copolys or copoly hybrids anyway because you're not bending the strings enough to get snapback.

I'm wonder, have you every try muti string main/ poly cross. I'm thinking to put nxt 16 main/ alu rough cross ( guts is too expensive) on Wilson PS90. Can anyone suggest good string for main ( none poly)? I did try poly main/ muti cross @ 49/51 but didn't work well, too stiff. Please help. Thanks

[ricardo]

Originally Posted by neverstopplaying

Since hitting with my Blade 98 18x20, I'm not getting the comfort from gut/poly that I had with my previous frames. I've gone done from 59/55 to 50/45. Now I'm thinking of trying 46/42 (VS-Beast or 4G). I was looking to see if anyone (ANYONE) plays with gut under 50.

So far best performance is coming from full poly on this stick and I have several sets of VS lying around (and no, you can't have it).

Because of my chronic TE/GE, I tried natural gut at 42 lbs mains. Multi crosses are 4 lbs lower.

I am now at 52 lbs NG mains with multi crosses 4 lbs lower.

My racket is wilson kfive and wilson khamsin 5 (both 108 sqi headsize).

I am 3.5 level and playability is Ok.

I also tried NG Mains/poly crosses (50/40).
Playability is very good, but
my elbow complains so I cut the poly out and replaced with multis.

If I try poly again as a cross I will string it at 35 lbs instead of 40lbs.

[cltennis21]

Mats wilander was using gut poly at 30/25 on his donnays last summer... idk how he was playing with it though.

[BlueB]

I now mostly string gut 55 / poly 45. It plays great.

[corners]

Originally Posted by Ilove10nis

I'm wonder, have you every try muti string main/ poly cross. I'm thinking to put nxt 16 main/ alu rough cross ( guts is too expensive) on Wilson PS90. Can anyone suggest good string for main ( none poly)? I did try poly main/ muti cross @ 49/51 but didn't work well, too stiff. Please help. Thanks

I haven't tried multi mains/copoly cross but I have tried syngut mains/copoly cross. The syngut broke for me in less than two hours. Nylon is not very durable under tension and is easily cut. (Rock climbers know this because their nylon ropes are very tough when just lying around but are very easy to cut when under tension.) I don't see how multi would be much better as multis are just a bunch of thin nylon strands glued together with elastic glues.

The best alternative to gut/copoly I have tried is full copoly at very low tension. In a mid I string gut/copoly at 53/51 and think full copoly at 35 is a decent alternative, in terms of spin, dwell time and comfort.

[roc17355]

I string my blade 98 with gut/poly @ 51/46 and its sublime. Granted it is an 18x20 so that stiffens the string bed a little but I'd be willing to go down a few lbs with gut and think it would be ok.