Tourna Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour
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Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I've only used the 17 gauge version of S7T but have used the 1.30/16 and 1.20/17 gauge versions of Hyper-G, the 1.30/16, 1.20/17, and 1.15/18 gauges of Tour Bite, and the 1.30/16 and 1.25/16L gauges of Cyclone.
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
Thanks.
I've been using mostly 17g Cyclone, until a couple months ago when I got 16g. After one stringing, I think I need to drop the tension a little bit with the thicker 16g.
Would you pick S7T over Cyclone? I like the feedback of Cyclone. The polys I don't like are ones that feel too soft with not enough feedback for me.
Mostly using a Yonex 95D, but occasionally trying my other racquets. (e.g. PT630, Radical Tour Zebra, RF97, wood racquets,...)
SteveI
Legend
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I **did** pick S7T over Cyclone! The 17 gauge black Cyclone is my son's string of choice and it works well in his heavily weighted Pure Drive Tour Plus. It plays with it at about 365 grams and the Cyclone softens it up enough for him. In my SW104, the Cyclone is just a bit too springy at the high end of my swing speed capability, but when I up the tension 5%, it feels a little too boardy and plasticky on the softer shots. 17 gauge S7T firms up more quickly at the higher end of my swing speed and provides a bit more power overall while giving me the sensation of better control and a stronger pocketing feel.
My son did try S7T in his racquet and he felt it was a bit too harsh when he mis-hit. I think he was also used to the response curve of Cyclone after having used it for three or four years so he just didn't have the same level of comfort using S7T. I think the S7T has a bit more sensitivity to incoming spin and missing some volleys also eroded his confidence in the string.
FIRETennis
Professional
Cyclone is actually a great string with a very plush response, especially the Tour version.
How does your son deal with the tension stability of it? A few higher level players I talked to "don't notice" the tension loss but when I play I can feel the ball goes 6" deeper for every hour of hitting.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
He hits the ball pretty flat on his backhand, and has a strong semi-western on his forehand that he hits with anywhere from moderate to heavy spin. He notches the string fairly quickly and I think it locks up his stringbed right as it is losing enough tension to affect the rebound angle so these two effects kind of cancel each other out but not completely. I know he does try to hit more spin on his forehand right before he breaks the string somewhere in the 12 hour range, but his control does suffer pretty badly near the end. I recorded one video right before he had me restring and I'll post it here to show the kind of control issues he was having. But you are exactly right - the ball just starts to fly and he has to try and compensate for the extra trampoline effect.
This was from last May or so, when I was testing V-Square. It's **ugly** video because I remember this was my second singles session of the day, and this was the last seven or eight minutes of our 90 minute practice session. So ignore how badly I start to break down physically after the first couple of minutes and see if how he misses looks similar to how Cyclone dies for you. He's typically more solid on his backhand than forehand but by this point he's not swinging normally to try to compensate for the string. I showed him this exact video at some point later saying that he might not have this problem with S7T so to give that a try, which he did, but he still prefers Cyclone for that first ten hours of play.
His PDT+ is 16X19 pattern and pretty open, and Cyclone seems to die differently for me in my 18X19 and fairly dense pattern racquet. I feel more a loss of grip and a lowering of launch angle on the ball on typical rally shots, whereas the ball just flies on my son.
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
I'm torn between Cyclone 17g and 16g. I love 17g but it seems to lose tension very fast and I eventually lose control/spin. I ran out of 17g earlier and used my reel of 18g. Definitely too powerful for my 95D so I had to up tension a few pounds. For my 95D I prefer 17g.
This time I ordered 16g Cyclone. First time, it felt quite a bit different than 18g. Way less power. Still adapting to it. Will try dropping tension. My hope is that it'll hold tension better/longer.
I'm using just the regular cyclone. Not cyclone tour. I prefer cyclone b/c it is stiffer.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I had my son try 16 gauge Cyclone and he didn't like it. Just from reading various player experiences, it seems like the various gauges play a lot more different from each other than would be expected. In my son's case, he said it felt okay on his backhand but he couldn't get a consistent angle off the stringbed on his forehand, like that it magnified any small inconsistency in how good the contact was. When I ordered a couple of individual sets to try, TW was out of black and so I got the yellow color and I wonder how much could be attributed to the lighter color dye affecting the string material. I still have the second set sitting around so maybe I'll string it up one day and try it myself.
I have not tried Cyclone Tour yet. I've been spoiled by how well S7T holds tension and I'm almost unwilling to put up with a string that is going to change a lot over its lifetime.
topspn
Legend
So it there a big difference in the 2 gauges of S7T? I have only tried the 1.25 in a 16x19 blade and it played pretty good for a while. A bit more elasticity on volleys which i didn’t care for but overall good string. If I try 16g in my Angells will it be significantly stiffer and more control?
DJ-
Hall of Fame
I have tried it in my tc100 63ra in 16g. Not as much control as tier one bk 1.30 but still pretty decent. For reference I only use 1.30g in my tc100's ....
DJ-
Hall of Fame
I am pretty set in my tensions on the tc100 53m/51x, and love 16g. with max power 16g it does feel stiff for the first 3hours then it softens up. Black knight just feels great from the first hit.
I chose BK over it due to price and for me got more mileage than S7T.. also the feel on volleys and touch shots for me is better..
I think S7T will work great at lower tensions on some 18x20 frames though !
ron schaap
Hall of Fame
It looks more a stringing error than a string error to me!
Let me join the club.. this is unacceptable for me. I string for guys who play tournaments and matches and who rely on their stuff being good. I Will try to reclaim via TWE or throw the reel away..
Happi
Hall of Fame
It looks more a stringing error than a string error to me!
I would not call it a stringing error. I think the key thing with this string is to string it slow, and to treat it like a Ashaway ZX Pro, be carefull when pulling the knots. I know a lot of stringers can be brutal with poly strings, this string is brittle so be kind to it
I have yet to experience the string breaks, and I also never had problems with ZX Pro or NG strings - I guess I am a gentle stringer.
I would call myself a gentle stringer. Especially after reading everything here I treated this string more gentle than natural gut. The problem is in the string for sure. It is too brittle and can break easily. This string simply can not be trusted. This was the first time in 8 times stringing this string, and the first time in string hundreds of rackets that this has ever happened to me
Happi
Hall of Fame
I get what you are telling, I am just waiting for my first break. There was also some mention about a bad batch of S7T ?
Anyway it is an awesome string, BTW I string with Sergetti method and that puts less stress on where the breaking points seems to be.
SteveI
Legend
Sometimes you just get a bad section of string off a reel.. I have also had to send back a reel or two of poly. The replacements worked fine. QC being what it is these days, it is possible to get bad runs of product. Coming from an Networking / IT background.. I can remember getting "lots" of bad networking and computer products. It was rare but possible. The old... making the assumption that the brand new replacement part was good.. when indeed .. right out of the package and factory it was not.
I have strung many a frame using Tourna reels and sets.. and can't remember a bad experience. When you buy from TW.. you are pretty safe.. as they stand behind products like no other company I have ever dealt with. I have returned reels to them with no issue due to bad quality.. no questions asked.
I have two sets here that I will be stringing soon. If I have an issue, I will report back.
I also string like an 90 year old lady... slow and I watch a film or show while doing it. I can do a frame in about 20 mins... but most times it takes me an hour. I am slow and steady and careful as I HATE to make mistakes and have to redo my work.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
In about 30 string jobs, I've had one shear break of S7T. I don't know which thread I posted in but I took some close-up photos of the break and it didn't look like a manufacturing defect in that there were no voids in the string. It just looked like a clean shear break. After that, I cut a short section of string and pulled something like 70 or 75 pounds of tension on it to see if it was just a tension issue and that section of string did not break.
I think the issue has to do with the string being twisted as it is bent sharply like around a grommet. S7T seems vulnerable to that and I haven't had a problem with it breaking since I've tried to be careful to keep the string untwisted going through the grommets. I've mis-hit on some very hard swings near the frame and the string has held together. But other than being careful about not twisting it, I don't take any other special care.
I think the issue has to do with the string being twisted as it is bent sharply like around a grommet. S7T seems vulnerable to that and I haven't had a problem with it breaking since I've tried to be careful to keep the string untwisted going through the grommets. I've mis-hit on some very hard swings near the frame and the string has held together. But other than being careful about not twisting it, I don't take any other special care.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Just strung 17 gauge S7T up for a younger player who has recently switched to this string and really likes it. Only using 49 pounds of tension but this older AeroStorm Tour has very tight bends in several grommets. No problems with the first string job and will keep an eye on this one.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
It's going to have low tension loss so if you like Alu Power after a couple of hours, I'd suggest around 48 pounds. With S7T, I find it's more forgiving and playable atrung a little low rather than a little high.
am1899
Legend
Many thanks for your input.
tpro2000
Rookie
I'm on my second reel of S7T and haven't had one sheer break at all - during stringing or from possible bad mishits near the frame.
Idk if it matters, but I typically use a parnell knot and hand pull it tight (cinch it, then finish it), as to not over tension the area. There's typically no string/tension slippage, and if you're worried you can increase tension by a little on the last mains to counter.
I also find BHB7 was definitely more prone to be twisted than S7T during the stringing, and still never had stringing/breakage issues [emoji2369]
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Idk if it matters, but I typically use a parnell knot and hand pull it tight (cinch it, then finish it), as to not over tension the area. There's typically no string/tension slippage, and if you're worried you can increase tension by a little on the last mains to counter.
I also find BHB7 was definitely more prone to be twisted than S7T during the stringing, and still never had stringing/breakage issues [emoji2369]
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am1899
Legend
For the record, I went with 48lbs on the basis of @Injured Again recommendation. Because some folks have had problems with premature breaks, i was extra careful - basically followed the same process I usually do with a gut string job. The stringing process went fine.
I have an 8.0 mixed match to play tomorrow, so we’ll see how I fare with the new setup.
I have an 8.0 mixed match to play tomorrow, so we’ll see how I fare with the new setup.
am1899
Legend
Taught a lesson this afternoon and hit with the ST7. It does seem to have some of that Luxilon dip and magic. But there’s also some extra bite that I don’t get from ALU - probably from the shape of the string. I’m also impressed with how forgiving it feels. So much so, that I may try another set strung tighter next time. Really promising. Headed to the match now.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
So it felt like the stringbed was a bit soft for you? Or is there a different reason why you'd want to string it up tighter?
I think some of that forgiving feeling is the nature of the string. It does seem to have a bit of initial elasticity that firms up as you swing harder. In that context, S7T doesn't perform linearly throughout the range of swing speeds, and is likely to affect you most on volleys you make against groundstrokes that are hit hard and low at you. It took me a month or so to get fully comfortable hitting these a bit less firmly, and it was more difficult if I had to stab at them. The flip side is the initial elasticity seems to help grip the ball on sharply angled topspin shots and helps give a little extra speed and kick to second serves.
I think quite a few players have said it doesn't have the same amount of that Luxilon magic feel, but what it does have seems to stay at a more constant level for a much longer duration than with Luxilon. Definitely, the tension maintenance will be better than with Alu.
Looking forward to reading your impressions after the match.
topspn
Legend
So for you since you play this one and was on the confidential playtest, still S7T? You play them at the same tension?
Holdfast44ID
Semi-Pro
I tried Confidential 17g in the 16x19 Blade 98 V7 today and it looks similar to this Tourna string. It has more power and less spin but seems to have more comfort. It has a consistent feel. Initial impressions.
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Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Yes, I am still using S7T as my go-to string. And I did play them both at the same tension.
My impressions are that Confidential is a really good string. It kind of mixes and matches the attributes of the other Solinco strings I've used - Hyper-G, Revolution, and Tour Bite - and the unique combination in Confidential kind of fills out their lineup. There really is a string for just about every desire among those four.
Compared to S7T, Confidential has better control and linearity. How hard you swing almost perfectly determines how fast the ball goes, so length accuracy of all shots, from volleys to the hardest groundstrokes, is better and the control feels immediately accessible.
S7T has slightly better bite on the ball when new, and retains more spin capability as it ages. Confidential seems to lose the sharpness of its square edges in the same way that Tour Bite does for me, but Hyper-G does not.
I also had problems with Confidential notching heavily after only a few hours of play. I think I got to about seven hours and they were notched half way through. The stringbed locked up before this and at that time, the spin capability and launch angle both decreased. S7T also notches but retains its initial playing characteristics for longer - it's only in the last hour before S7T breaks that I notice a big change in the way the ball comes off the stringbed.
And S7T has more putaway power for me, and lets me hit a bigger flat first serve. And it's a bit more comfortable and forgiving overall, both on well centered shots and those that I mis-hit.
I might feel differently if I used the 1.20 gauge of Confidential. The 1.25 was pretty chunky in my dense 18X19 SW104 pattern, but then I'd be even more concerned about durability. I get probably about 12 hours on 17 gauge S7T before it's ready to break, and I only got about seven with 1.25 Confidential.
And for every reel of Confidential I could buy, I could buy a reel of S7T and a case of balls. S7T is tough to beat for my game and my lack of willingness to restring often - add in the value and I haven't found anything to make me consider changing.
topspn
Legend
I see, this is pretty good input, thanks. I have both strings in 16g and will be using them in an Angell TC100 16x19. So far not sure which one i should try first but my normal string in that frame is Revolution.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Revolution was a string I was considering using as a go-to before S7T. Compared to Confidential, it's a big more elastic feeling and with a bit crisper response, but durability was my main issue with it. It both notched and lost tension and was about an eight hour string for me. 17 gauge S7T is a bit more powerful and a slight bit more crisp feeling than 1.20 Revolution.
The TW test results for 16 gauge S7T don't seem to reflect how elastic 17 gauge S7T feels. I haven't personally tried both gauges in the same racquet but did string up 16 gauge S7T for someone who didn't like it, but they also didn't like the 17 gauge S7T. I'd be curious to hear what you think of it.
topspn
Legend
Yeah, I am playing Revolution 16g so will be different then the 1.20 you were trying. Anyway, I’ll try S7T first and will probably hit in a week or so in one of my TC100s. I’ll naturally drop my 2 cents here once i do
am1899
Legend
So I played with someone I’ve never played with before, against 2 really solid 4.0’s in our region - both of whom I know well. We won 6-0, 6-3. My partner and I didn’t miss anything in the first set. Second set our opponents adjusted, which in some ways made things trickier.
If there was one thing i noticed with this string that i didn’t like it was that the crosses started moving all over the place about half way through the first set. For me that’s usually a bad omen that groundies will soon be tough to control. Sure enough, I had a lot of trouble with my return of serve in the second set - balls just sailed.
But still, this was still a really good outing. My serve was really working - all the spins, and the flat serve, too. Volleys were spot on. Whether I had to stick one, or hit with touch - I could do either, or anything in between.
I do agree that this string doesn’t have as much of that Luxilon magic. But there’s no doubt that it’s there. And if it lasts longer than ALU, well that would be a huge relief to my wallet.
So here’s a couple things I’ll probably try:
1. String the 17g a few pounds higher
2. Try the 16g at 48lbs
3. String the 17g slightly higher, as a 1pc
Meantime, I’m going to continue hitting with this first racquet all week and see how it ages.
Last edited:
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
@am1899 Nice match!
My cross strings stay resolutely straight and I use pretty low tensions, from 32 to 45 pounds, with the mains between 39 and 51 pounds. However, I think there was one person in one of the S7T threads who also had their crosses moving on them and I believe the advice to make sure the crosses were as untwisted as possible worked for them. So maybe pay a little more attention the next time you string to see if that helps?
My cross strings stay resolutely straight and I use pretty low tensions, from 32 to 45 pounds, with the mains between 39 and 51 pounds. However, I think there was one person in one of the S7T threads who also had their crosses moving on them and I believe the advice to make sure the crosses were as untwisted as possible worked for them. So maybe pay a little more attention the next time you string to see if that helps?
I think the amount of cross string movement has to do with someones hitting style. My buddy who hits with a lot of spin has these strings moving very very fast and breaks it around 7-10 hours.
am1899
Legend
Thanks. Not entirely sure where that came from. Haven’t been playing much, nor particularly well when I have. (Maybe it’s the string, lol).
Makes sense, but I was indeed very careful with installing this string - because of the problems others have had. So I don’t think in my case that that was the problem.
@Jouke may be on the right track - when I was teaching, I was intentionally hitting heavy topspin ground strokes to my student. So maybe that started things in the wrong direction. I usually play pretty flat.
In other news, I have a little tightness in my elbow this morning...which I find rather interesting. I didn’t feel any discomfort while hitting yesterday, nor after. Could be I slept on it funny. Time will tell.
Happi
Hall of Fame
Me too, I think the string is somehow stiff, but only shows up in my wrist the day after.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I think it's the way S7T feels kind of elastic and a bit springy on softer hits, but stiffens up the harder you swing. So on your hardest swings, it's a pretty stiff string which may be causing the day-after pains. It has developed a reputation for being a bit brittle and some brittle materials get very stiff right before they break.
am1899
Legend
Elbow pain is gone. Hoping I slept funny on it.
That said, my arm has been one finicky SOB in the last few years. My arm will definitely tell me sooner than later if this string is too much.
Holdfast44ID
Semi-Pro
I have not had any arm problems for over a year after switching racquets. Could blast away. However, I started a gym membership last week and screwed up my forearm! Now I can't play at all because I strained everything or tore something in my arm. Talk about frustrating.
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am1899
Legend
Indeed, that is a real bummer. Hope it heals fast!
tpro2000
Rookie
I'm the same. Golfer's elbow twice (though almost 10y apart) and no tennis elbow, but I know right away if my arm doesn't like a string or racquet.
I have no problems with S7T 17g in my TC100 @ 47/44. Dials perfectly with how I have the frame weighted. No feeling of it being overly stiff in any way, just my opinion though [emoji41]
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ludde
Rookie
I am looking for a round 17g cross string to tame the power of S7T mains in a Head Extreme 360 and give more comfort.
I think Ghost Wire has to much power!? YPTP or Head Hawk Touch maybe a try.
At the moment I stay with S7T/Lyon 18 @52lbs-----plays great but too much power after 3h. I also think 18g is to small for the open patter in this racquet. but 17g Lyon is too stiff.
THX.
I think Ghost Wire has to much power!? YPTP or Head Hawk Touch maybe a try.
At the moment I stay with S7T/Lyon 18 @52lbs-----plays great but too much power after 3h. I also think 18g is to small for the open patter in this racquet. but 17g Lyon is too stiff.
THX.
tpro2000
Rookie
I love the 17g in my TC100 at 47/44 and it seems perfect for my hitting/playing style. Already on my second reel
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