best budget syn-gut?
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Muppet
Legend
Budget, Synth gut - Redundant.
Synthetic guts are budget strings.
I like Dunlop S-gut in white. It has some polyurethane, so it will quiet a noisy frame. Only $3.95 and comes in a lot of colors. The reel is not a savings though. Get it by the set and try the different colors.
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
Well, there are some rather pricey synguts when you look at syngut all together. I think $ for $, Gosen OGSM is the best. I mean at $44/reel, it's 2/3 the price of Dunlop S-Gut. TW sells the following reels (all 660 foot) of syngut in order of highest price to lower (all prices rounded up to the nearest dollar):
- Prince Lightning - $100 - 56% more expensive
- Prince SynGut - $70 - 37% more expensive
- Volkl Classic SynGut - $70 - 37%
- Dunlop S-Gut - $70 - 37%
- Kirschbaum Prem Syngut - $65 = 32%
- Wilson SynGut - $65 - 32%
- Gamma SynGut - $60 - 27%
- Babolat SynGut - $57 - 23%
- Forten SynGut - $50 - 12%
- Gosen OSGM - $44 - 0%
- Kirschbaum SynGut - $35 - 25% cheaper
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Thanks Muppet. That's one to check out. Nice job.
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CopolyX, you're not wrong. Most syn-guts are relatively cheaper than other string types. There are lots of good values out there in tennis equipment, including strings. Maybe finding good price/performance is just fun for me....No, wait...It's probably smart, too. Thanks for your input anyway.
Thanks, Rabbit. Over and above the call of duty on the analysis. Much appreciated.
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
Although it's rather popular, I'm not too big on Prince Syn. Gut w/Duraflex. While I suppose that the 17 ga. can work for me, the 16 ga. version of that string can be too firm and "clunky" for my personal taste.
Gosen OGSM is mildly more firm than some syn. gut, but not terribly harsh at the right tensions. It can work great in a full bed and I use it almost all the time as a cross when somebody wants a poly hybrid (with the poly in the mains).
My go-to budget syn. gut these days is Kirschbaum's standard syn. gut, not their premium syn. gut. I've compared the premium to the standard and didn't find anything with the premium string that made me want to pay almost twice as much for a reel. It's fine, but the standard works great for me in both 16 and 17 gauges.
I keep some sets of Forten Sweet 16 on hand because this syn. gut is soft enough to work as an affordable alternative to some multifibers. Sweet 17 was rather fragile when I tried it and I'd probably only put that string in a frame with a dense pattern (like an 18x20). Other 17 ga. syn. guts can offer decent feel and some softness as long as the tension is right, but they'll hold up a bit longer, too.
If I had to get only one reel of each gauge, I'd probably get Gosen OGSM 16 ga. and Kirschbaum's basic syn. gut in 17 ga. If you want a little better durability in either gauge, I'd say stick with the Gosen.
mike schiffer
Semi-Pro
For the older players....or arm sensitive avid players....co polys are arm suicide....Amazing recoverys are possible with 17 and 18 gauge strings in syn guts and multis....Get away from the trendy polys...playing pain free is my new mantra...outta here!
jersey34tennis
Professional
prince syn gut w/duraflex for crispness and spin
forten sweet for soft gumminess
gosen for best all around and plushness
tecnifibre syn gut black for best for flat hitting and very crisp feeling
forten sweet for soft gumminess
gosen for best all around and plushness
tecnifibre syn gut black for best for flat hitting and very crisp feeling
Zoolander
Hall of Fame
Woah there! Have you played a bit of the Tech syn gut? Have seen it but wasnt sure about trying it, I do like a crisp syn gut. Similar to the prince original or duraflex?
Very thoughtful analysis. Thank you. I find Forten too mushy. I find Gosen too generic. It's the nothing string to me. It returns the ball, but with no plusses or minuses. I will try the Kirschbaum. Thanks. Have you tried Genesis Blizzard? It has a little more bite than other synguts I've tried. I also like Tourna synthetic Gut armor for a soft syn-gut. Tourna quasi-gut armor is nice, too. It's lively and unique, but too expensive to be called budget.
graycrait
Legend
I like Tourna SG Armour as much or more as all the other "budget" SGs. I also keep some Prince SG w/Duraflex and some basic Kirschbaum. I gave away all my other "inexpensive" syn guts to a guy who strings for a bunch of kids.
CopolyX
Hall of Fame
Hey good luck, yep and it can be fun finding an underdog string company too, other that feeding the big ones...either way find the best bang for your buck and be open....
li0scc0
Hall of Fame
I've been using 1.35 Tecnifibre synthetic gut and loving it. Plays great until It Breaks, and given the thickness it does not break instantaneously, either.
Unless the string is high-powered, I'm a believer that most spin comes from the player and racquet specs (weight and balance) , not the string. I'm not finding any less spin with 1.35 Tecnifibre synthetic than I get with 1.20 poly. Just a lot more comfort and consistency.
Unless the string is high-powered, I'm a believer that most spin comes from the player and racquet specs (weight and balance) , not the string. I'm not finding any less spin with 1.35 Tecnifibre synthetic than I get with 1.20 poly. Just a lot more comfort and consistency.
SteveI
Legend
Same great advice above. Most companies make or sell.. (or both) at least one or two types.. in multiple colors and gauges. There are not as many as polys out there.. but still quite a few to be sure. Each one plays a bit different.
The best deals out there are for TW... Forten Sweet 17G (white) in reels and of course Gosen OG Sleep Micro. If you picked up a reel of each.. you would be set for a while on both ends of the spectrum. Hard to beat those two.. anyway... happy hunting and hitting.
The best deals out there are for TW... Forten Sweet 17G (white) in reels and of course Gosen OG Sleep Micro. If you picked up a reel of each.. you would be set for a while on both ends of the spectrum. Hard to beat those two.. anyway... happy hunting and hitting.
SteveI
Legend
Yuppers.. creating spin is about RHS and technique. All things being equal. Some of the best spin I ever created was using Volkl Classic Syn Gut 17G (1.25mm) Mains / Tourna Big Hitter Silver 17G (1.22 mm). 55 / 52 lbs. Super cheap set-up. Both strings have a low COF... snap-back and power was great. Snapped the mains in 2 hours..
li0scc0
Hall of Fame
The best part about synthetic gut is it is a very simple process to find out what works, and once you do, there isn't the constant drama of
-is this the string work for me, or do I need to cut out my $18 string after 30 minutes?
-is it dead yet?
-why are the balls consistently going long, is it my form or is it the string?
- maybe if I just string 2 lb lower my arm wouldn't be keeping me up at night
Etc.
It's a simple process of find solid string, and... Play tennis.
-is this the string work for me, or do I need to cut out my $18 string after 30 minutes?
-is it dead yet?
-why are the balls consistently going long, is it my form or is it the string?
- maybe if I just string 2 lb lower my arm wouldn't be keeping me up at night
Etc.
It's a simple process of find solid string, and... Play tennis.
Not a PSGD user, though I suppose it's not worldwide no. 1 for nothing. I use Pro Supex syn gut spiral flex. Very nice all-around string and beats the heck out of the very generic (IMHO) GOGSM. Genesis Blizzard is pretty good too, but not better than the Pro Supex. Thanks for your input. Very helpful.
graycrait
Legend
I will have to try this Pro Supex SG w/Spiral Flex. My current gold standard syn gut is the very expensive Babolat Origin, but golly, I would rather hit with fullbed Origin than good poly cut out before 6 hrs or even fullbed natural gut. But then I was eagerly watching Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall play on TV when I was getting in to tennis.
mike schiffer
Semi-Pro
Nice to hear your response... but it's better to play tennis than have to sit on the sidelines with a grouchy elbow.....Be careful and look out for the co poly BS....... String it loose and use skinny strings and PLAY....get off your ass and away from the telly!!!!
1HBHfanatic
Legend
My experience with some of these: going back years, mind you,,
gosen.sheep.micro, beter spin, crisp, but thats because the 16 is really 1.27/8 mm thick and not 1.30mm like all other 16g sg.strings..
forten.nylon, starts hard, and gets better and better until snap.
gamma.sg/wearguard, crisp string, until the end
psgd.more comfortable than gamma. Similar crisp..
wilson.sg (extreme), softer than prince even, and lower powered somehow, to me..
tec.syn.gut,, softest ive tried, but fuzzes up very fast..
gosen.sheep.micro, beter spin, crisp, but thats because the 16 is really 1.27/8 mm thick and not 1.30mm like all other 16g sg.strings..
forten.nylon, starts hard, and gets better and better until snap.
gamma.sg/wearguard, crisp string, until the end
psgd.more comfortable than gamma. Similar crisp..
wilson.sg (extreme), softer than prince even, and lower powered somehow, to me..
tec.syn.gut,, softest ive tried, but fuzzes up very fast..
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
No experience as of yet with the Genesis. I do agree that the Gosen is generic. It seems to be a good option for somebody switching away from poly to a slightly softer string, since it's a little firm a "thuddy" feeling, at least for me. The Kirschbaum is cheap and super easy for me to live with, so I'll be sticking with that for now.
Tecnifibre syn. gut was easily my favorite, but TW stopped carrying it and I decided to switch to something else instead of jumping ship.
Quasi-Gut might be a multifiber with some funky ingredients that make it a little more firm than other multis that can turn to mush as they're used on the courts. Hope I'm not confusing that string with something else. If it is a multi, that explains the higher cost. Tecnifibre E-Matrix is among the cheapest multifibers around, but it's also super fragile.
MZ9526
New User
I had a good experience using Quasi-Gut mains with Pacific Poly Force crosses. After it loosened up, it felt like hitting with natural gut. It is a multi-filament, but to me, it's not worth the extra cost if I can get similar or better performance from a synthetic gut.
-Kap-
Rookie
I'm also a fan of Spiral Flex and just picked up two more reels of it. Sadly, Tennis Warehouse doesn't carry it, but the vendor that I bought them from has the reels on sale, so they were slightly cheaper than the OGSM as well.
matchpointread
Rookie
Old thread.. I really like Tourna Syn Gut Armor 17 in the mains with a slick cross string (using Pink Multifeel 17). To me, I get a rare combo of comfort and big spin on full swings.
Hitting with a full bed of it side by side with OGSM, it's softer with similar levels of power which is on the low side, which I prefer. It's harder to use touch with OGSM IMO, but some may prefer the crisper feel in comparison.
I'm more of a fan of the white than the black since is has a bit more feel, but the black may have more spin potential with it's slightly deader response to be able to take bigger cuts at the ball.
Some may be satisfied with a full bed of these, but I wouldn't recommend it generally. I prefer good snapback from strings, and it's not there on it's own (seems to be true with most if not all syn guts especially under $5). But it pairs very well with a slicker string in my experience so far.
I'm not a string breaker, but I do think the playability duration and consistency is near excellent.
Hitting with a full bed of it side by side with OGSM, it's softer with similar levels of power which is on the low side, which I prefer. It's harder to use touch with OGSM IMO, but some may prefer the crisper feel in comparison.
I'm more of a fan of the white than the black since is has a bit more feel, but the black may have more spin potential with it's slightly deader response to be able to take bigger cuts at the ball.
Some may be satisfied with a full bed of these, but I wouldn't recommend it generally. I prefer good snapback from strings, and it's not there on it's own (seems to be true with most if not all syn guts especially under $5). But it pairs very well with a slicker string in my experience so far.
I'm not a string breaker, but I do think the playability duration and consistency is near excellent.
matchpointread
Rookie
BTW, Ashaway Liberty 16 seemed to be a better string than Forten Sweet 17 IMO. I was surprised there wasn't any mention of Liberty here.
SteveI
Legend
I think Ashaway Liberty is not considered a syn. gut per say. Thought more of as a basic nylon. It does play very nice and used to be in my stock when I was stringing more frames. Forten Sweet 17 is very sweet indeed. It has much love on Talk Tennis. I always have a reel..
I do not break string (often)... and Syn gut suits me most times.
my most budgeted Syn gut is Pro’s Pro 16 @ about £18 a reel delivered. My most expensive Syn gut is Angell Halo 3 that is abit under £60 a reel. I also have something else (price-wise) in between... I usually use these two... lol
my most budgeted Syn gut is Pro’s Pro 16 @ about £18 a reel delivered. My most expensive Syn gut is Angell Halo 3 that is abit under £60 a reel. I also have something else (price-wise) in between... I usually use these two... lol
Been using Prince SG Duraflex a lot recently. To me it's slightly lower powered than any other synthetic gut I've tried and helps me keep the ball in the court.
If you can string your racket with 38 feet (open pattern rackets generally), the Ektelon branded Duraflex 16g for racquetball is on sale at TW for $3.50. Green 17g Duraflex reels are apparently also on sale.
If you've read this far ...
I've actually been using Duraflex 16g mains and OGSM 18g crosses. Softer than full bed Duraflex, seems to let the strings move around just enough for my liking, and plays consistently for its short lifespan (i.e. doesn't go dead, change launch angle, etc).
I've also tried TNT2 mains and Duraflex crosses ... in my 6.1 95 I get an loud POW on contact that I find really amusing.
If you can string your racket with 38 feet (open pattern rackets generally), the Ektelon branded Duraflex 16g for racquetball is on sale at TW for $3.50. Green 17g Duraflex reels are apparently also on sale.
If you've read this far ...
I've actually been using Duraflex 16g mains and OGSM 18g crosses. Softer than full bed Duraflex, seems to let the strings move around just enough for my liking, and plays consistently for its short lifespan (i.e. doesn't go dead, change launch angle, etc).
I've also tried TNT2 mains and Duraflex crosses ... in my 6.1 95 I get an loud POW on contact that I find really amusing.
Khadir General
Rookie
I played a lot of syn gut, and my winner is the Dunlop S-Gut. Very durable, and great spin and power.
It has one drawback. The strings are moving brutally.
It has one drawback. The strings are moving brutally.
matchpointread
Rookie
Is there snapback after a fresh stringing? How long before they need straightening on court?
S-Gut 18 was a firm and powerful for me (not my preference), but it seems like it would hybrid well with another string with a good coating like Velocity or Multifeel. I never tried it, but any thoughts on trying something like this?
Humbi_HTX
Semi-Pro
Over the years I have tried many of the major brands and widely available s.gut strings, and I preffer Gosen in natural color. I have gone thru a reel of 16g, several packs of 17g and for the last year (currently) have been using a reel of 18g. We have about 15+ frames in the family (wife, dad, brother) and over time we have all switched to thinner gage even on the hybrid string jobs, there is no going back to thicker gages.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
I'm looking at lowering my stringing costs while maintaining arm protection. And I like green or black strings because aesthetics are important.
Right now I've got green sensation in my Phantom. Fairly mediocre string in all respects but comfortable and not much string movement. Was looking at other options in green such as Prince SG with duraflex and Lightning XX. Also some black options out there like OGSM, Dunlop and Lightning Pro. Any recommendations as to what to try first?
Right now I've got green sensation in my Phantom. Fairly mediocre string in all respects but comfortable and not much string movement. Was looking at other options in green such as Prince SG with duraflex and Lightning XX. Also some black options out there like OGSM, Dunlop and Lightning Pro. Any recommendations as to what to try first?
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
Muted and springy. Odd combination of characteristics.
happyandbob
Legend
You might want to give the previously mentioned tourna syngut armor a try. It comes in black and I've found it to be a reasonably crisp and dirt cheap syngut and the poly coating does a decent job of keeping it slick until it starts notching. I've used it both as a cross and a main. YMMV
matchpointread
Rookie
I'm looking at lowering my stringing costs while maintaining arm protection. And I like green or black strings because aesthetics are important.
Right now I've got green sensation in my Phantom. Fairly mediocre string in all respects but comfortable and not much string movement. Was looking at other options in green such as Prince SG with duraflex and Lightning XX. Also some black options out there like OGSM, Dunlop and Lightning Pro. Any recommendations as to what to try first?
Could you please share more about what you prefer in terms of feel and performance?
Is there a setup in your Phantom that you liked yet, but wasn't that great for your arm health?
Does gauge matter? Are you using a 16x18 or 18x20?
If you are not really a string breaker, natural gut is the best budget string in terms of playability.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
I love gut/soft poly but I find even that can cause arm issues.
In my Phantom 107G I definitely like 16g medium power set up (gut or multis in the mid 50's tension). The 107G has an open string pattern so it offers good spin no matter the string type and so a comfort setup with control is more important to me than power and spin potential.
Khadir General
Rookie
I can compare the S-Gut with the Velocity.The Dunlop is more powerful and durable. The Velocity have more control. I think, the head string gives a stiffer feeling.
matchpointread
Rookie
IMO
The two softest feeling strings that are black or green under $5 are Tourna Syn Gut Armor and Wilson Syn Gut Power. Wilson syn gut is very powerful and has great feel, but will get stuck out of place pretty quick (I saw this with 16g black). TSGA is a lower powered syn gut that will also get stuck out of place more than I prefer (I tend to have setups last for months if I'm not experimenting as I don't break strings). Both have a thicker coating, to which should pair well with a string with a slicker coating, as is the case with TSGA. I can't say the WSGP will also for sure, but I think the chance that it would is very good.
Tecnifibre Multifeel and Head Velocity MLT are good-value, medium-powered multi strings that have really good snapback (my experience is with natural, and not black). You may like them on their own, pair them with the strings mentioned above, or even with the green Sensation (for reference, I think it's a medium-high powered string). I'm not the biggest fan of Sensation (15g plays the softest/best if I had to choose), but it'll play better with either one in the crosses and probably be the most arm-friendly choice.
It's my understanding that the twaron in your Phantom gives it a stiffer feel than the stiffness rating indicates, so you may want to stick with multis, or a syn gut as a cross only. I'd say just keep that in mind as you try new setups.
People I know that play with natural gut mains and poly crosses can play with their setup for many months (6+). If you're not a string breaker, we're probably talking about a setup that will last around 1-3 months, give or take a few weeks for the strings above.
Natural gut is in its own class for feel, but if you would like to get close and consider a natural color string, then consider Wilson NXT Power (not regular NXT). Has power but not too much, feel and touch, and great playability duration. It's crisper than natural gut, but still pockets the ball extremely well. It has a great coating, and I think it will pair well with the TSGA in the cross, but no first hand experience with this yet. If I dialed in my tension correctly, I think I could get around 6 months of play with it. Personally, I'd like to try TSGA as a cross with Multifeel in the mains first (probably would play well for about 4-6 weeks) to get a better sense of where I'd like to be with the NXT Power/TSGA hybrid.
Long post, but I wanted to give you some ideas on what may work. If you would like me to share more specific setup options, please tell me:
Are you a string breaker? If so, how often? What strings?
How long do you want your setup to play for?
Up to what price would you like to setup to cost?
Hope this is helpful!
matchpointread
Rookie
A cheap string with a good coating is rare. Thanks for the feedback!
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
Thanks for the post. I've actually got a lot of experience with Velocity so its a reference string for me and I'm trying some other things. Currently have green Sensation 16g in my Phantom at 55lbs and its been a surprise for staying in place. Mediocre for control and spin but very comfy.
So i did a gut/poly durability test in my Phantom 107G and got 40hrs from it before it broke.
I'd like a full multi/syn gut to last me 15-20 hrs (3-4 weeks). I pay $15 for stringing and am looking for strings from $5-15 USD. i will often take multis out before they break if they are moving too much and losing control. So playability is more important than durability.
matchpointread
Rookie
Suggestions for black and/or green string setups to try that should have better control and spin than Wilson Sensation are:
Cheap (under $4) - Dunlop S-Gut (both colors are available- crisp and powerful) with Tourna Syn Gut Armor (black - soft and low powered). Hybrid how you please, but trying it both ways may be useful. Both should have playability that lasts, and you would probably break a string before its playability would fade. You could probably get 4 weeks or more out of them. For more spin, go 17g, and you could still probably get 3-4 weeks of play.
Making dinner and I'll post more in a bit.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
The 107G has a very open string bed. No need for 17g string. Too little control and rapid loss of tension. I get lots of spin with 16g Sensation. Could easily play with 15g string in that frame.
