TRU PRO (formerly Tier One Sports)

D

drak

Hall of Fame
drak said:
Ok here goes, good warmup and played 2 sets of singles against a regular opponent and we are very close in who wins/loses. Overall thought was this plays as close to Kev/ZX for me as any string combo I have yet tried. Seems very comfortable with nice pocketing, great spin but acid test is a couple weeks of regular play and see how my shoulder/wrist hold up. Love the spin as like Kev/ZX it really allowed me to hit out and not worry about balls going out, this was good for offense, and defense with these strings IMO is very, very good. Also had no issue with flattening ball out either. I'd say the one thing this clearly did not do as well as my gut/Poly was directional control, just was not as precise as gut/poly but the ability to have the extra spin and have many more balls drop in while taking a good cut (healthy cut but not over done) for me works better as when I start slowing my racket head speed I simply do not play as well. I think the biggest adjustment I had was early on the the first set I was enjoying the great topspin so much I started trying to hit too much spin which messed me up for several games, then I settled back swinging normally and then the results were much better as the spin came really nicely and easily and I really did not need any more. I remember with Kev/ZX it took me several weeks to adjust and really use that easily generated spin and know when and where to use it most effectively.
I thought the power level for me was just about right as I strung my Blade 98s at 50/48, I'll see as it loosens if it still plays close to the same, I also play at 3700 ft so the spin/depth control was surprisingly good given that. If I did not hit dead center I thought I still got off a decent shot with spin/depth and off center hits did not feel jarring, seems like I got more than usual "effective" mishits - maybe it was just a lucky day! Won both sets so results were good. I thought these strings made me steadier with more effective shots in general, and I liked what I thought was the enhanced ability to go from defense to offense, will see how it goes as the week progresses.
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Day 2 with Boost: Played 3 sets of dubs on Clay and dominated the match - return of serve was en fuego. This string reminds me more and more of Kev/ZX, great spin/pocketing allowing me to swing out and drives/returns are very effective. Probably serves better than KEV/ZX because of a more lively string bed but anyone IMO who says this string is too powerful must either use a really powerful frame or hits the holy crap out of the ball. I am still a 4.5 that can put significant pop on the ball and I strung it at 50/48 and today it felt no different than day one. I hit 3 topspin lobs today that was a flashback to my old Kev/zx days, I haven't found that kind of spin/pocketing from another string since then. I find it volleys well too. If I can get 10-12 hrs out of this I think I will be sold, so far wrist and shoulder feel fine.
 
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D

drak

Hall of Fame
Had a third hit outside on hard courts, same good results, played well and the additional topspin got me a bunch of errors/easy balls from a good opponent. A small amt of string movement but I am so far impressed by how well the tension is holding up. No wrist/shoulder twinges at all so far

This morning I strung up a VCT/Ghostwire Hybrid in my other racket to compare to the Boost strings. Interested to see how they compare
 
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D

drak

Hall of Fame
OK, so had a long warmup this morning and switched between Boost and the VCT/Ghostwire set ups. Boost was strung at 50/48 and 4th time playing with it today, VCT/GW strung at 53/47 right off the stringer. Played a set of singles with each - bottom line "for me" I easily favored Boost. I thought it had better and especially more penetrating topspin with more consistent depth control and fewer "fliers". I simply felt more confident with Boost, was more consistent and felt like my shots "hurt" my opponent more. Thought I served a bit better with Boost and volleyed better (more control) as well. The VCT/GW stringbed felt significantly softer perhaps with more "pocketing", and perhaps I don't like that much pocketing and why I preferred Boost and why it gave me more controllable and I think better power/spin. Anyone who likes a very soft and forgiving stringbed should try the VCT 1.30/GW hybrid, don't get me wrong it plays well and would likely be about as arm friendly as a Poly stringbed gets. However for me the Boost just pays better all around, so far is plenty arm friendly enough, and its tension maintenance so far is outstanding and playing the same at about 7-8 hrs. Think I have my answer on what string I will be using
 
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JOSHL

JOSHL

Hall of Fame
drak said:
OK, so had a long warmup this morning and switched between Boost and the VCT/Ghostwire set ups. Boost was strung at 50/48 and 4th time playing with it today, VCT/GS strung at 53/47 right off the stringer. Played a set of singles with each - bottom line "for me" I easily favored Boost. I thought it had better and especially more penetrating topspin with more consistent depth control and fewer "fliers". I simply felt more confident with Boost, was more consistent and felt like my shots "hurt" my opponent more. Thought I served a bit better with Boost and volleyed better (more control) as well. The VCT/GW stringbed felt significantly softer perhaps with more "pocketing", and perhaps I don't like that much pocketing and why I preferred Boost and why it gave me more controllable and I think better power/spin. Anyone who likes a very soft and forgiving stringbed should try the VCT 1.30/GW hybrid, don't get me wrong it plays well and would likely be about as arm friendly as a Poly stringbed gets. However for me the Boost just pays better all around, so far is plenty arm friendly enough, and its tension maintenance so far is outstanding and playing the same at about 7-8 hrs. Think I have my answer on what string I will be using
Click to expand...
Thank you for this review. Going back and forth between getting FireWire or Trionic.
 
D

drak

Hall of Fame
JOSHL said:
Thank you for this review. Going back and forth between getting FireWire or Trionic.
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The are quite a few variables regarding string performance - is the racket stiff or flexible? is it an open or closed string pattern (mine is 18/16 98S)? the players ability level/strokes/racket head speed etc, the gauge of string (I use and used 16G). Its really valuable IMO to do a side by side test if possible, I string my own rackets and have plenty of time so its a fun and informative thing to do. I know nothing about "Trionic" so cannot help you there. Keep in mind I used Boost which is Firewire mains and Ghost Wire crosses - I see that Mikeler has this same combo as his #1 rated Poly and I can see why. That being said it is not going to be the same result for everyone.
 
mikeler

mikeler

Moderator
The Boost setup nets me a few free points every match simply by playing a safer ball with extra topspin especially on clay where a slightly bad bounce can make the difference between my opponent catching the line or hitting it just out due to my extra spin on their next shot.
 
D

drak

Hall of Fame
mikeler said:
The Boost setup nets me a few free points every match simply by playing a safer ball with extra topspin especially on clay where a slightly bad bounce can make the difference between my opponent catching the line or hitting it just out due to my extra spin on their next shot.
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Agree on the clay aspect, buddy of mine just installed a Clay-tech red clay court where I live in Oregon, have played on it few times now and when I used the Boost the boys had some trouble handling the bounce of quite a few shots! Gotta say this aging long time hard court guy really likes the dirt! Way easier on the bod as well
 
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M

mctennis

Legend
I wish there were more clay courts available around here. Seems the cost of maintaining them here with our winters has some places taking them out and putting in hard courts as a replacement.
 
D

drak

Hall of Fame
mctennis said:
I wish there were more clay courts available around here. Seems the cost of maintaining them here with our winters has some places taking them out and putting in hard courts as a replacement.
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The "Clay-tech" system looks much easier to maintain yr round, plays great too and can go right on top of a hard court which is what my buddy did, it is crushed brick red clay from Italy laid on a special grid that is glued to the hard court
 
T

tennisnoob1949

Semi-Pro
How does Tour Status play compared to Durafluxx? I understand the stiffness is slightly lower, but any thoughts on spin / power / comfort? Assuming strung at similar tensions.
 
E

emhtennis

Professional
I am about to play tour status and duraflux side by side. At 53lbs in an 18x20. Will report back initial impressions early next week.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk
 
Rabbit

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
@drak down here all I play on is dirt. I grew up on hard but have learned to play on clay and really appreciate the surface now. Down in Destin now playing on it :)

disclaimer: during the winter we move indoors on hard. But in temperate days we’re back outside in the Clay.
 
T

tennisnoob1949

Semi-Pro
emhtennis said:
I am about to play tour status and duraflux side by side. At 53lbs in an 18x20. Will report back initial impressions early next week.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Thanks ! I strung durafluxx at 45/43 in a prince Textreme tour 95 and it feels quite plush. Tour status is next and I wanted to see if I should be adjusting tension for that (45/43 is rather low but I like it).
 
g4driver

g4driver

Legend
Ok @drak

You have convinced me. I will sub in FireWire Boost 1.25mm in my blind playtest for 4.5/5.0 guys. Perhaps you can put in a good word for me to @TierOneSportsOfficial and get him to private message me another 30% off coupon so I can stock up since I give away a lot of strings/stringing in order for 4.5/5.0 guys to find the setups they like.

Here's the blind playtest process I have been offering for years. The player gives me three frames of the same make/model. I ask these questions:

1) Any TE or shoulder issues?
2) How often do you break strings?
3) What are you currently playing with and what tension?
4) Red, Green, or Blue. Pick one.
5) Do you have Venmo? (inside joke...it makes getting paid as a stringer in the future so much easier)

They got three poly setups or three hybrids if they have TE/Shoulder issues. They don't get any info on the strings I put in their frames. None. Not the brand, string, gauge, or tension. Nada. They pay me nothing. They play with the three frames and if they like one setup, they give me back the two frames they didn't pick and I restring those two frames with the same string they did pick. They pay me $30 for stringing five frames and pay me for the last two frames strings. $30 + two sets of strings and they walk away with three strung frames.

If they like none of them, they give back all three frames and the playtest continues with three more setups. Only one guy has given me back three frames, and eventually, he went head to head with Solinco Revolution 1.30mm vs TierOne Firewire 1.30mm, picking FireWire. He told me he picked FW because it was cheaper but he liked both strings equally and could play with either string.

The strings I have been using in my blind playtest have been:

1) Lux Alu Power 1.25mm Yes, the godfather of all polys. Want to know a secret? Not one 4.5 or 5.0 player has picked Alu Power 1.25mm in my blind playtest. Not one.
2) Volkl Cyclone Tour (VCT) 1.30mm -- the current choice of more 4.5/5.0 players who have done my blind playtest than all other polys strings selected combined.
3) Red/Green/Blue dictates what they get in this group. Tier One FireWire (Red) 1.30mm or Hyper G (Green) 1.25mm or 1.30mm or Revolution (Blue) 1.25mm or 1.30mm. Sorry I don't have a reel of 1.25 Firewire or would have offered that.

TierOne 1.25mm Boost will now be added to the mix, and I will string four frames now. If they tell me they have had problems with TE or shoulder issues, they will get hybrids. And those hybrids will be a smooth poly/multi mixture of these types:

1) HDMX 1.35mm/ Yonex Poly Pro Air 1.25mm crosses
2) HDMX 1.35mm / Isospeed Cream 1.28mm
3) Yonex Poly Tour Air 1.25mm / Head Velocity 1.30mm ( the slickest multi I have discovered)
4) Revolve 1.25mm Mains / Head Velocity 1.30mm

Tecnifibre discontinued HDX Tour, so HDMX moved up in the lineup. @Tecnifibre Official are you reading this? Your dayglow yellow string is getting some love. :)
The biggest hitters, and frequent poly string breakers (8 to 12 hours) get 1.30mm polys. The guys with elbow shoulder issues are getting 1.35mm Tecnfibre's HDMX in the mains because it last longer than 1.30 multis.
 
D

drak

Hall of Fame
g4driver said:
Thanks much @JOSHL :) You saved me some coin. @drak I am all hooked up thank to @JOSHL
Click to expand...
Awesome, will be looking forward to the results. I am using the 1.30 Boost set up, will have to try the 1.25 gauge but since I use a 98s 18/16 pattern am concerned about earlier breakage vs the 1.30, but its such a good price I will give it a try. Anyone playing with the 1.25 BOOST have any comments on how it plays/lasts vs the 1.30? Interesting that on Page 8 of this thread that the 1.25 actually tested as having less tension loss than the 1.30 gage and its softer - also any comment on this from 1.25 gauge users?
 
T

tennisnoob1949

Semi-Pro
I strung up Durafluxx 17 in a Prince Textreme Tour 95 at 45/43. I am a 4.0, mostly baseliner, moderate spin or both sides. I'm mostly a 'point constructor' - I hit strokes deep and with spin and focus on placing them suitably, pushing my opponent to a short / easy return to try and finish the point.

Some quick feedback:
Power: I deliberately strung it lower than usual (usually do something in the 46-50 range) given that this string is expected to be lower powered. It plays quite nice at this tension. It is also quite predictable: when I make an error (e.g. hitting long), it was usually easy to understand what I did wrong. It's not super springy or overly muted. The size of the 'sweet spot' was about average - outside of this area, the string was not super jarring but also did not provide any real power.

Control: This is where this string shines, even at the rather low tensions I strung it at. Very predictable, it gives what you put into your stroke. Full strokes with good form usually find their way to the desired target, and half-hearted/incomplete strokes barely make it to the service line (at least for my game). The string provides reasonable 'bite' - the launch angle is very predictable based on how much of a low-to-high swing you go for.

Comfort: In spite of the (supposedly) higher stiffness rating, it's quite comfortable for me, no issues at all. Comfort has improved as the string has gradually lost tension (more on that below).

Spin: About average. I did not feel any extra sense of bite or spin - it's very comparable to other round strings (e.g. Kirschbaum Max Power) and a tad lower than shaped strings (e.g. Volkl Cyclone).

Playability: I usually don't break poly strings before I cut them out (~10 hours or so), so cannot comment on durability as such. I've played about 6 hours on these strings now, and they don't appear to have lost so much tension that control suffers. Having said that - when freshly strung, the string was crisp with a lot of feedback, but 6 hours in, it's become somewhat more muted (which I take as a sign of gradual tension loss). It's still very playable and provides adequate feedback overall.

Overall: I like the string quite a bit. It's not off the charts on any one dimension, but a good solid performer. I still have all the other Tier One strings to test (I wanted to try out the round smooth one first), so more to report here once I test the other ones out.
 
R

rider4ever

Rookie
Looks like personal coupon code. So check your emails if you have signed up for the promo. But hope the code works for others too,

Tier one seems to have 50% off promo for first time buyers, I bought a reel of black knight for $64.50

Here's the email :

Thu, Jul 23, 3:38 PM (19 hours ago)

50% OFF!
If you are a first-time customer we offer a one-time opportunity to order all our string at a 50% DISCOUNT!

PERSONAL COUPON CODE: OQO5

Email said valid for 48 hours. Good luck
 
T

tennisnoob1949

Semi-Pro
tennisnoob1949 said:
I strung up Durafluxx 17 in a Prince Textreme Tour 95 at 45/43. I am a 4.0, mostly baseliner, moderate spin or both sides. I'm mostly a 'point constructor' - I hit strokes deep and with spin and focus on placing them suitably, pushing my opponent to a short / easy return to try and finish the point.

Some quick feedback:
Power: I deliberately strung it lower than usual (usually do something in the 46-50 range) given that this string is expected to be lower powered. It plays quite nice at this tension. It is also quite predictable: when I make an error (e.g. hitting long), it was usually easy to understand what I did wrong. It's not super springy or overly muted. The size of the 'sweet spot' was about average - outside of this area, the string was not super jarring but also did not provide any real power.

Control: This is where this string shines, even at the rather low tensions I strung it at. Very predictable, it gives what you put into your stroke. Full strokes with good form usually find their way to the desired target, and half-hearted/incomplete strokes barely make it to the service line (at least for my game). The string provides reasonable 'bite' - the launch angle is very predictable based on how much of a low-to-high swing you go for.

Comfort: In spite of the (supposedly) higher stiffness rating, it's quite comfortable for me, no issues at all. Comfort has improved as the string has gradually lost tension (more on that below).

Spin: About average. I did not feel any extra sense of bite or spin - it's very comparable to other round strings (e.g. Kirschbaum Max Power) and a tad lower than shaped strings (e.g. Volkl Cyclone).

Playability: I usually don't break poly strings before I cut them out (~10 hours or so), so cannot comment on durability as such. I've played about 6 hours on these strings now, and they don't appear to have lost so much tension that control suffers. Having said that - when freshly strung, the string was crisp with a lot of feedback, but 6 hours in, it's become somewhat more muted (which I take as a sign of gradual tension loss). It's still very playable and provides adequate feedback overall.

Overall: I like the string quite a bit. It's not off the charts on any one dimension, but a good solid performer. I still have all the other Tier One strings to test (I wanted to try out the round smooth one first), so more to report here once I test the other ones out.
Click to expand...
Went out to play with the same racquet today and felt tension had dropped off a cliff (hour 7). Control was noticeably worse and power seemed substantially higher. Not sure why but I was expecting tension to remain somewhat stable past the usual 10 hour mark. Oh well ...

Black Knight is next. Will probably go for about 48 lbs.
 
T

tomato123

Professional
Been playing really well with full bed Firewire after playing for a while with RPM blast, and according to the Tennis Industry string database, it looks like Firewire 16 measured stiffer than RPM Blast 15L which is a pretty stiff string. Somewhat surprising, but also made sense considering Firewire is crisper than RPM blast. I don't mind the stiffness at all since my understanding is that stiff strings provide more control, and my arm has been fine so far. But I did find it interesting that Tier One states that the Firewire Boost would provide more control than full bed of Firewire, even though the Ghost Wire crosses would lower the stiffness of the stringbed. And when considering lower stiffness as a standalone factor, my initial guess is that it would result in somewhat less control while you gain increased comfort and possibly increased power? So I must be missing other important factors to consider when they say that the Boost hybrid provides more control even with a comparatively less stiff stringbed.
 
I

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
@tomato123 I have only played with Firewire Boost and not full bed Firewire, but I found Boost to be to soft and springy for the way I swing at the ball. Definitely pretty powerful and comfy but also lacking in control because it felt like the Ghostwire crosses were just too elastic and that the Firewire and Ghostwire didn't mesh well together because the response wasn't linear to me when hitting flat versus when hitting with high spin rates.

Maybe I should have strung the Ghostwire tighter but I don't remember reading anywhere that I should have done that, so I didn't. And I only had one set so never had a chance to try it again.
 
TRU PRO Official

TRU PRO Official

Rookie
tomato123 said:
Been playing really well with full bed Firewire after playing for a while with RPM blast, and according to the Tennis Industry string database, it looks like Firewire 16 measured stiffer than RPM Blast 15L which is a pretty stiff string. Somewhat surprising, but also made sense considering Firewire is crisper than RPM blast. I don't mind the stiffness at all since my understanding is that stiff strings provide more control, and my arm has been fine so far. But I did find it interesting that Tier One states that the Firewire Boost would provide more control than full bed of Firewire, even though the Ghost Wire crosses would lower the stiffness of the stringbed. And when considering lower stiffness as a standalone factor, my initial guess is that it would result in somewhat less control while you gain increased comfort and possibly increased power? So I must be missing other important factors to consider when they say that the Boost hybrid provides more control even with a comparatively less stiff stringbed.
Click to expand...

We don't have the stiffness rating for all gauges on hand but based on our records is seems Firewire has a much lower stiffness rating than RPM blast (USRSA lab test results).

T1-Firewire 1.25mm: 221 (lbs/in), Tension Loss: 13.85 (lbs)
Babolat RPM Blast 1.26mm: Stiffness: 273 (lbs/in), Tension Loss: 17.13 (lbs)

We also don't quite agree with the premise that a softer string will be more "springy" and will offer less control. For example, Black Knight 1.23mm has a stiffness of 197 (lbs/in) which is certainly low. We believe it is a very control oriented string and much liked by high-level players who create their own power, thus looking for added control.

This is very similar with Ghost Wire. The string is very soft but when we tested the string side by side with Firewire many players thought that Ghost Wire offered more control.
 
jugheadfla

jugheadfla

Semi-Pro
Injured Again said:
Ordered four sets of Black Knight to try - two 17 gauge and two 18 gauge. Am excited to give it a try. Thanks to Tier One for this opportunity.
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I have Black Knight 17g in one of my sticks right now. Really like it, reminds me a lot of Cyclone with more pop and crispness. I have Cyclone 17g in 2 other sticks currently and I find that my serving speed and accuracy is lacking compared to Black Knight.
 
M

mctennis

Legend
TierOneSportsOfficial said:
We don't have the stiffness rating for all gauges on hand but based on our records is seems Firewire has a much lower stiffness rating than RPM blast (USRSA lab test results).
Click to expand...
I am still not sure why a string company does not have all the stiffness ratings available for the comsumer to see and to refer to. I know I have mentioned this to you one other time. If you have a R&D department, which I know each string company should or must have- unless this string company are just repacking another companys string under their own lable, you have to have a stiffness rating for each string. that is a part of R&D. You would not make a string too soft, would break too early, or a string too stiff, no one would buy a string as stiff as a piece of metal. I know I mentioned sending your strings to the USRSA to have them get their stiffness ratings as a basis for review. It looks like you perhaps did that. TY for doing that.
I also think it would help to have that stiffness rating listed on your website as a reference when people are shopping for strings on your site. I have suggested this to TW as well. To have the stiffness ratings listed on all the strings they sell under the information for the strings. Probably lots of extra work but also very good information IF people need to look for that information.
I, for one, will not use a string too stiff. I hate that jarring feeling no matter how well the string company says it plays. It is not worth the arm/wrist/shoulder pain associated with using a stiff string especially if they are using a stiffer racquet. Sooner or later you will pay the price for that combination.
Sorry to reiterate what I said before but it seems like a pretty easy fix for people asking about the stiffness ratings of your strings. Have them tested by USRSA and post them, done and over with!!
 
TRU PRO Official

TRU PRO Official

Rookie
mctennis said:
I am still not sure why a string company does not have all the stiffness ratings available for the comsumer to see and to refer to. I know I have mentioned this to you one other time. If you have a R&D department, which I know each string company should or must have- unless this string company are just repacking another companys string under their own lable, you have to have a stiffness rating for each string. that is a part of R&D. You would not make a string too soft, would break too early, or a string too stiff, no one would buy a string as stiff as a piece of metal. I know I mentioned sending your strings to the USRSA to have them get their stiffness ratings as a basis for review. It looks like you perhaps did that. TY for doing that.
I also think it would help to have that stiffness rating listed on your website as a reference when people are shopping for strings on your site. I have suggested this to TW as well. To have the stiffness ratings listed on all the strings they sell under the information for the strings. Probably lots of extra work but also very good information IF people need to look for that information.
I, for one, will not use a string too stiff. I hate that jarring feeling no matter how well the string company says it plays. It is not worth the arm/wrist/shoulder pain associated with using a stiff string especially if they are using a stiffer racquet. Sooner or later you will pay the price for that combination.
Sorry to reiterate what I said before but it seems like a pretty easy fix for people asking about the stiffness ratings of your strings. Have them tested by USRSA and post them, done and over with!!
Click to expand...

Is this request of publishing string stiffness targeted to Tier One Sports or to all tennis string companies? I believe somebody just recently did publish the USRSA lab results of all our strings on the Tennis Warehouse forum.
 
T

tomato123

Professional
TierOneSportsOfficial said:
We don't have the stiffness rating for all gauges on hand but based on our records is seems Firewire has a much lower stiffness rating than RPM blast (USRSA lab test results).

T1-Firewire 1.25mm: 221 (lbs/in), Tension Loss: 13.85 (lbs)
Babolat RPM Blast 1.26mm: Stiffness: 273 (lbs/in), Tension Loss: 17.13 (lbs)

We also don't quite agree with the premise that a softer string will be more "springy" and will offer less control. For example, Black Knight 1.23mm has a stiffness of 197 (lbs/in) which is certainly low. We believe it is a very control oriented string and much liked by high-level players who create their own power, thus looking for added control.

This is very similar with Ghost Wire. The string is very soft but when we tested the string side by side with Firewire many players thought that Ghost Wire offered more control.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your response!
 
M

mctennis

Legend
TierOneSportsOfficial said:
Is this request of publishing string stiffness targeted to Tier One Sports or to all tennis string companies? I believe somebody just recently did publish the USRSA lab results of all our strings on the Tennis Warehouse forum.
Click to expand...
This is my reply to all string companies, yours included. I mentioned it you you earlier and then someone posted the information. All that information is greatly appreciated. You mentioned earlier that your company did not have that information available. If I am not mistaken. I believe any string company needs to have that information available and be made to the consumer. The string companies list other information on their site why not make available the stiffness rating? Saying a string is a soft co-poly doesn't say anything really. Soft, as compared to what? Subjective and also perhaps misleading. Just my thoughts on this issue.
 
2nd Serve Ace

2nd Serve Ace

Hall of Fame
Just think a fullbed of firewire doesn't get its due as being a great string option since ppl tend to use it on lightweight, super-open string pattern type frames.

Then they complain that "its launchy, notches fast, loses tension" etc. So then they start stringing at 58 or some nonsense, causing overswinging and further loss of control, and possibly, arm discomfort.

Firewire is an excellent poly that performs best at mid tension on a heavy, centrally tight string pattern frame. In this circumstance, it will display a medium launch, medium power, fantastic bite both TS & BS, good control, good comfort and acceptable durability and tension maintenance. Super reliable, especially in point/match play! Gives opponents a lot of trouble and keeps them from "grooving" against you, whereas you feel super confident against them.
 
I

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
Got my order from Tier 1. Strung up Black Knight 1.18 in my regular SW104 frame at typical tensions.

uc


Strings up very easily, but looks a bit thicker than it should for a 1.18 string. Fairly low elongation when pulling tension, and fairly minimal coil memory. The surface is smooth and slick so weaving crosses was easy.

Had a hit with it and agree with the general opinions. It's a low powered, control-oriented string. Launch angles are noticeably lower than a similarly multi-sided shaped string like Silver 7 Tour, and spin capability is lower as well. Black Knight is very linear in how the ball responds through my range of swing speeds - I felt like I could dial up the exact amount of ball speed I wanted. I had the most problems on backhand slices - the low launch angle working in reverse had my underspins floating high and without the usual penetration after the bounce unless I consciously changed my racquet angle. On flat and topspin shots, I just aimed a couple of feet higher, but it's hard to reverse that and aim into the middle of the net on an underspin. I still got good pop on my first serves but second serve accuracy wasn't initially good, due to the low launch angle. Volleys were easy - point and shoot and could really ignore for the most part the spin that incoming ball had.

To me, it feels and behaves more like a round string than a shaped string, and what little shape there is will wear down to a round shape in short order anyway. Kind of feels like Yonex PTP 1.15 but with a little firmer response and a bit more crispness.
 
JOSHL

JOSHL

Hall of Fame
Injured Again said:
Got my order from Tier 1. Strung up Black Knight 1.18 in my regular SW104 frame at typical tensions.

uc


Strings up very easily, but looks a bit thicker than it should for a 1.18 string. Fairly low elongation when pulling tension, and fairly minimal coil memory. The surface is smooth and slick so weaving crosses was easy.

Had a hit with it and agree with the general opinions. It's a low powered, control-oriented string. Launch angles are noticeably lower than a similarly multi-sided shaped string like Silver 7 Tour, and spin capability is lower as well. Black Knight is very linear in how the ball responds through my range of swing speeds - I felt like I could dial up the exact amount of ball speed I wanted. I had the most problems on backhand slices - the low launch angle working in reverse had my underspins floating high and without the usual penetration after the bounce unless I consciously changed my racquet angle. On flat and topspin shots, I just aimed a couple of feet higher, but it's hard to reverse that and aim into the middle of the net on an underspin. I still got good pop on my first serves but second serve accuracy wasn't initially good, due to the low launch angle. Volleys were easy - point and shoot and could really ignore for the most part the spin that incoming ball had.

To me, it feels and behaves more like a round string than a shaped string, and what little shape there is will wear down to a round shape in short order anyway. Kind of feels like Yonex PTP 1.15 but with a little firmer response and a bit more crispness.
Click to expand...
I find most black strings muted or mushy, does black knight have any of that or is it crispy like S7T?
 
jugheadfla

jugheadfla

Semi-Pro
JOSHL said:
I find most black strings muted or mushy, does black knight have any of that or is it crispy like S7T?
Click to expand...

IMO it plays crisper than most black polys, I wouldn't say as crisp as S7T, but definitely firmer than most. To me it play like a slightly lesser version of RPM blast.
 
I

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
2nd Serve Ace said:
Not sure what the OS was, but way does some of that look silver?

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

It was dark so I had one of those LED reading lamps shining down on it. The silver looking parts are where the flat sided surface is directly reflecting the light into the camera.
 
I

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
JOSHL said:
I find most black strings muted or mushy, does black knight have any of that or is it crispy like S7T?
Click to expand...

Not as crisp or firm as S7T, and has a similar comfort level to a thinner gauge black Cyclone while being less powerful and not springy feeling. Will be interesting to compare it to PP Blackout (thanks!).
 
T

tennisnoob1949

Semi-Pro
tennisnoob1949 said:
Went out to play with the same racquet today and felt tension had dropped off a cliff (hour 7). Control was noticeably worse and power seemed substantially higher. Not sure why but I was expecting tension to remain somewhat stable past the usual 10 hour mark. Oh well ...

Black Knight is next. Will probably go for about 48 lbs.
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Took a slight detour. Strung up FireWire Boost (FireWire mains) in my phantom 93p at 50 lbs. My impressions:

Power: definitely more power than durafluxx even at 50 lbs (I strung Durafluxx a lot lower) but not too springy and still has very good control. I’d say medium powered, provides some assistance in the power department.

Spin: good bite on the ball, but can’t say it was substantially better than durafluxxx. In general, my strokes are not the kind with high net clearance and dipping in; they’re more a hit / spin through the court. I care more about ball bite / grip and this is an important part of control for me. This string delivers good bite / grip but less so than the triangular shape of the main string would indicate. Bottom line : it’s good, but not off the charts better than other strings I’ve tried.

Comfort: in short, excellent! If this is the result of the ghostwire cross, then I’m simply amazed with this poly. The stringbed feels plush, maybe only marginally stiffer than full multi ( though lot less powerful). Best of both worlds, comfort and spin.

Tension maintenance: no complaint so far. 5 hours in and the string feels exactly like it did in hour 1. Will report back as I use this racquet more.
 
I

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
I'm at about three hours on the 18 gauge Black Knight and I am having a heck of a time getting comfortable with it. The problem is that as the mild shape has worn smooth, the low launch angle has decreased a bit more. Black Knight has good tension maintenance so I don't have the benefit of a looser stringbed to get back some of that lost launch angle. Combined with the heavily control oriented, low powered nature of the string itself and I felt like I had to swing 10% harder, and when I do that I instinctively alter the racquet head angle expecting an increased launch angle that I don't get. In this way, BK is a lot like a less powerful version of RPM Power, a string which I also didn't feel suited my swing mechanics.

BK is great at the net. The low powered nature made sharply angled and drop volleys much easier and is relatively immune to my opponent's spin. Control and confidence on all volleys is excellent.

There is a bit of notching but I'm hitting the ball much flatter than usual with this string. It looks to have at least several more hours before it breaks.

It's possible that stringing looser or with a larger tension differential will help me get more of the response I'm expecting but BK feels like it is suited for someone who is looking for control and consistency but generates higher levels of racquet head speed than I use, and possibly in a stiffer frame with a bit more open of a string pattern where its good comfort level can enhance arm friendliness.
 
ChrisG

ChrisG

Professional
Injured Again said:
I'm at about three hours on the 18 gauge Black Knight and I am having a heck of a time getting comfortable with it. The problem is that as the mild shape has worn smooth, the low launch angle has decreased a bit more. Black Knight has good tension maintenance so I don't have the benefit of a looser stringbed to get back some of that lost launch angle. Combined with the heavily control oriented, low powered nature of the string itself and I felt like I had to swing 10% harder, and when I do that I instinctively alter the racquet head angle expecting an increased launch angle that I don't get. In this way, BK is a lot like a less powerful version of RPM Power, a string which I also didn't feel suited my swing mechanics.

BK is great at the net. The low powered nature made sharply angled and drop volleys much easier and is relatively immune to my opponent's spin. Control and confidence on all volleys is excellent.

There is a bit of notching but I'm hitting the ball much flatter than usual with this string. It looks to have at least several more hours before it breaks.

It's possible that stringing looser or with a larger tension differential will help me get more of the response I'm expecting but BK feels like it is suited for someone who is looking for control and consistency but generates higher levels of racquet head speed than I use, and possibly in a stiffer frame with a bit more open of a string pattern where its good comfort level can enhance arm friendliness.
Click to expand...
I used it (1.28) in an Angell Tc95 16x19 for a full year, and felt it wasn’t very low powered at all. It greatest strength is the duration of its playability, and it seemed it played very good for hours and hours. I might come back to it as I did n’ont find a good replacement.
 
M

mctennis

Legend
Dartagnan64 said:
Ghostwire is the answer. Every bit as soft as Cream. Offers better selection in thickness. I'm using it as a cross with gut and it plays soft, spins well and provides good tension maintenance. Bit higher power than Cream but that's likely because I'm comparing 19g Ghostwire vs 17g Cream.
Click to expand...
What tension(s) are you using or did you use with the gut mains and GW crosses? What racquet did you use this in?
 
T

TheFlash26

New User
First hit with Firewire Boost in the books. Played a LONG set (lost in a tiebreak) on a hot/humid day. I strung it at 47 pounds on my drop weight machine and the RacquetTune app read 46.6 right off the stringer. Racquet is a Prince Phantom Pro 93p 18x20.

First impressions:
Feel: The string has a crisp response without being harsh. Not as much of a pocketing sensation as Grapplesnake Tour Sniper (though I had that strung a few pounds lower). I missed the pocketed feel in this first hit and I'm curious if I'll like Firewire Boost better as the tension drops a bit closer to 40 pounds.
Power: This stringbed has some pop! It's a nice compliment to my low-powered frame.
Spin: I did not notice any increase in spin compared to other strings I've tried in this frame. To be fair, I tend to hit with less topspin than most and this is a mid-size frame in an 18x20 pattern.
Control: I struggled with control during this set, but I'm not sure I should blame the strings. When I swung out I was often missing long...we'll see how this is moving forward.
Comfort: I have a fairly sensitive arm and despite the crisp feel I have no arm issues after this first hit.
Tension maintanence: 2 hours in and it's reading at 42 lbs.

Playing again today and I'll update again.
 
M

mctennis

Legend
2nd Serve Ace said:
Just think a fullbed of firewire doesn't get its due as being a great string option since ppl tend to use it on lightweight, super-open string pattern type frames.

Then they complain that "its launchy, notches fast, loses tension" etc. So then they start stringing at 58 or some nonsense, causing overswinging and further loss of control, and possibly, arm discomfort.

Firewire is an excellent poly that performs best at mid tension on a heavy, centrally tight string pattern frame. In this circumstance, it will display a medium launch, medium power, fantastic bite both TS & BS, good control, good comfort and acceptable durability and tension maintenance. Super reliable, especially in point/match play! Gives opponents a lot of trouble and keeps them from "grooving" against you, whereas you feel super confident against them.
Click to expand...

2nd Serve Ace said:
performs best at mid tension on a heavy, centrally tight string pattern frame
Click to expand...

What do you consider " mid tension" on a racquet? Mid as in mid tension of the recommended racquet tension or something else, i.e., mid 50's. Just making sure I understand what you mean. I am looking to use the Firewire and do not want to waste the time on it of I am stringing it too tightly. I normally string at 58 lbs mains and 55# crosses. Some strings do not do well above a certain tension.
 
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