Full Disclosure: Grapplesnake USA was kind enough to send me a demo set of CES hybrid. I ordered a full price set of Cube to go along with it.
Finally got a chance to try out my set of Cube.
My usual setup, and the setup I used for a direct comparison, is a Wilson H22 18x20 with Volkl Cyclone 18g (Orange) at 42lbs in the mains and 40lbs in the crosses.
I'm a strong NTRP 4.5 to average 5.0 depending on the day, in my mid 20s. All-court player, but I focus on the 1-2 punch as my biggest weapon. Average topspin on my forehand, flatter 2hbh. Enjoy using the slice and dropshots to keep people on their toes. Think Benoit Paire, but my forehands better.
I strung up a fresh racket with Cyclone and Cube, both at 42/40, the day before taking them out on court.
My first impression of cube is that it is by far the sharpest string I've ever strung before. It can actually be pretty painful when weaving the crosses through unless you've got some tough fingertips.
Additionally, the string appears to be pretty thick, especially when compared to the 18g Cyclone.
So right off the bat I found Cube to play surprisingly similar to Cyclone. Based on the huge difference in look/feel when stringing I was expecting a massive difference.
Cube felt slightly more muted than Cyclone, but not to the point of being bothersome. Comfort usually isn't a big concern for me, but Cube didn't strike me as any extra harsh than Cyclone.
Cube had slightly less power and a lower launch angle, which I would most likely attribute to the thicker gauge.
Surprisingly I found it more difficult to generate topspin with Cube. I think this is due in part to the combination of the thickness of Cube and the density of the 18x20 string pattern not allowing the edges of Cube to really bite into the ball, but rather the flat sides of the string doing most of the work. With a more open string pattern, or a thinner gauge string I think the spin potential would go up significantly.
I did find Cube to provide a more consistent response off the stringbed, and never really had any balls take off on me like they sometimes do with Cyclone.
Overall, it would be a tough sell for me to switch to Cube, in large part because of how painful it is to string. I would definitely be interested in trying a thinner gauge version to see if that would unlock the spin potential promised by the extreme sharpness and aggressive shape of Cube.
Although it is more difficult to find demo time with league matches ongoing, I plan on trying to hit with Cube until it breaks so that I can comment on the long term playability. I generally don't like how Cyclone plays at the end of its life which is part of why I went with the 18g so that it'll break quickly.
Next up the CES hybrid demo!
