Polylon: Just a good value, or a great string?

[Lilguy1456]

At 3 bucks, I gotta wonder how good this string is. Is it a great poly, or just great for being only $3? Is polylon at 3 dollars a better deal than Cyclone at 8?

[Buford T Justice]

Personally, I really like this string.i know some guys have noted very fast tension lost, but tracking with RT this doesn't seem to be the case any more than other polys. Perhaps what they mean is it has a fast initial tension loss, which may very well be true. In my frame (99S) if I measure the stringbed right after stringing at 65 lb (within first hour) it's around 48, an hour or so hitting with it and its around 45 and it will slooooooooowly drop down from there. After about 12 sets, it will be 40-41, which I find too loose so it's time to restring. I don't consider the RT readings necessarily numerically accurate, but they definitely show stringbed changes.

As noted in other threads, I use hand lotion on the strings to get them to last longer as the strings will break sooner without it.

TW reviewed this string last month and gave it pretty high marks. So, IMO, this is a good string regardless of price. But, at $34.95 a reel, it has to be one of the very best values out there.

[EastAngels2014]

I just got a stringer and have some friends who wanted me to string for them and don't care what they use so i bought this and some syn gut. I haven't hit with it myself but it did get some good comments from TW and my from friends.

[loosegroove]

In my opinion it's neither. It was the first poly I tried when I got back into playing tennis, so I didn't know any better and played with it for a while. Then I realized my wrist was really starting to hurt (didn't help I didn't restring frequently either). It's stiff as a board, with no feel or liveliness. I really hate the stuff. There are plenty of inexpensive new generation co-polys that play and feel much better in my opinion.

[maxpotapov]

I still have a reel of Polylon 17 to finish, now I use it for cross only with synthetic gut mains. Very plasticy crisp feeling, no power/no elasticity from day one. At this price point it might still be better than some other much more expensive polys after they go dead

[Buford T Justice]

TW's summary really does "sum it up" IMO-----

"Gosen Polylon is a good old-fashioned polyester string. Unlike the emerging crop of high tech co-polys, it isn't loaded with extravagant chemical additives. Nor does it have a cadre of professional players who swear by it. What it does have, according to our playtesters, is remarkable control, especially at the highest swing speeds. It also has tremendous spin potential. This is partly because Polylon's response is so predictable and low powered that it enables big hitters to attack the ball at extreme upward angles. As for comfort, this string surprised our team by offering a feel commonly found in more elastic (and more expensive) co-polys. Of course this doesn't mean that Polylon is for everybody. It's a firm string designed for advanced players. Ultimately, though, once you factor in the price, which is less than a couple of vibration dampeners, Gosen Polylon is one of the all time best options for big hitters on a budget."

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/revi...Y17Review.html

[Lilguy1456]

Originally Posted by Buford T Justice

TW's summary really does "sum it up" IMO-----

"Gosen Polylon is a good old-fashioned polyester string. Unlike the emerging crop of high tech co-polys, it isn't loaded with extravagant chemical additives. Nor does it have a cadre of professional players who swear by it. What it does have, according to our playtesters, is remarkable control, especially at the highest swing speeds. It also has tremendous spin potential. This is partly because Polylon's response is so predictable and low powered that it enables big hitters to attack the ball at extreme upward angles. As for comfort, this string surprised our team by offering a feel commonly found in more elastic (and more expensive) co-polys. Of course this doesn't mean that Polylon is for everybody. It's a firm string designed for advanced players. Ultimately, though, once you factor in the price, which is less than a couple of vibration dampeners, Gosen Polylon is one of the all time best options for big hitters on a budget."

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/revi...Y17Review.html

I appreciate the cut and paste. Clearly, I saw what TW had to say prior to coming to the forums. I come to the forums to get a view from people not in the business of selling the product i'm inquiring about...

[themitchmann]

Originally Posted by Lilguy1456

I appreciate the cut and paste. Clearly, I saw what TW had to say prior to coming to the forums. I come to the forums to get a view from people not in the business of selling the product i'm inquiring about...

I think he's just saying he agrees with the TW review.

[Buford T Justice]

Yes.....My experience was identical to that of TW is all.

But.....I love the snarkiness of internet forums! You just dont get this stuff in real life!

[The Meat]

Meh string full bed at high or low tensions, okay crosses at high tensions and unpredictable at low tensions.

[SteveI]

Ave.. 1st gen poly... great price. If you string it on the low side under 50... if plays decent.

[corners]

Polylon Comfort 16 surprisingly outperformed a bunch of new, expensive copolys in spin generation in TWU's most recent testing: http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/lear...inpatterns.php

It's one of the worst in terms of tension maintenance though.

[Buford T Justice]

Originally Posted by corners

It's one of the worst in terms of tension maintenance though.

Im starting to believe

I think this string (Polylon 16) loses the lion' share of its tension almost immediately.

Examples using Raquet Tune----

Strung at 59, an hour or less later it reads 48

Strung at 65, an hour or less later it reads 48

Strung at 67, an hour or less later it reads 48.

In all of these cases, not a ball was struck.

Hmmmmm.......me thinks me sees a pattern here!

I dont take the strung tension to be a numerical match with the RT tension, but just to be used as a tool to judge drop. Who know....maybe it does drop 15+ lb in a hour!

My desire to string higher has been to experiment with tension maintenance (such that if I start higher, it will presumably play longer in the desired range). For me, I seem to like this string in the 99S frame when it reads 44-45. This string will play a decent amount of time in that range, as in my RT measurements at least, it is a slow drop down from the initial big drop. I think I got ~12 sets out of the last stringbed before it was ~40 on RT, which starts to feel a little too mushy to me.

[john hempel]

has anybody used polylon in the wilson steam 99s or 105s? if so, i'd be interested in your comments. thanks.

[Buford T Justice]

All the info Ive posted above is with a Wilson 99S.

[maxpotapov]

Originally Posted by Buford T Justice

Im starting to believe

I think this string (Polylon 16) loses the lion' share of its tension almost immediately.

Examples using Raquet Tune----

Strung at 59, an hour or less later it reads 48

Strung at 65, an hour or less later it reads 48

Strung at 67, an hour or less later it reads 48.

In all of these cases, not a ball was struck.

Hmmmmm.......me thinks me sees a pattern here!

Yes the pattern shows it's dead by design. Zero elasticity after it deformed under tension. Now you can cut in the middle and see very little movement, like if you cut electric wire.

[Buford T Justice]

Originally Posted by maxpotapov

Yes the pattern shows it's dead by design. Zero elasticity after it deformed under tension. Now you can cut in the middle and see very little movement, like if you cut electric wire.

That will be a good test. If I cut these out before they break, Ill take a note of how much the string moves after being cut.

[Larrysümmers]

ive been playing with it for like 5 years now over a variety of rackets. i love the feel and dead power from this older poly string.

[maxpotapov]

Originally Posted by Buford T Justice

That will be a good test. If I cut these out before they break, Ill take a note of how much the string moves after being cut.

Oh yes you will cut them out, they never break

[Buford T Justice]

Originally Posted by Buford T Justice

Im starting to believe

I think this string (Polylon 16) loses the lion' share of its tension almost immediately.

Examples using Raquet Tune----

Strung at 59, an hour or less later it reads 48

Strung at 65, an hour or less later it reads 48

Strung at 67, an hour or less later it reads 48.

In all of these cases, not a ball was struck.

Hmmmmm.......me thinks me sees a pattern here!

This string was down to 46 on RT four hours after stringing at 67 and no play.

I think this is about where the drop stops and hangs out and displays small drops with playtime.