Can anyone help me with a string recommendation?

Hi All. I've been out of the game for three years but would like to start hitting again next month.
I hit flat although I can hit with spin if I want to but I have a more classic old style game without the open stance and window wiper shots. No extreme western grips for me - fairly flat hitter, and I can slice my backhand well enough to annoy people.

I tend to lean toward a crisp string in a soft frame. However my favourite combinations so far have been Head Rip Control 16 in my PT630 at around 55, and Isospeed Control Classic in my RDX500 mid at 53.

Otherwise I'm pretty happy playing with something like PGSD. In terms of polys, I've tried Black Code 17 (didn't much like it) and Signum Tornado (can't recall the gauge - felt a little better than the Black Code although I suspect the Black Code at 16 would have suited me better). Also tried SPPP and Gosen Polylon - both were 'ok'.

Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of polyester strings from what I've tried and I stopped because I had terrible tennis and golfers elbow (I don't think from the polys but still). If there's something new out there that's comfy I'd consider it.

At the moment I thought I'd just go back to Rip Control or perhaps try Technifibre Triax which sounds interesting. I'd be switching between my PT630, a Prince Rebel 95 and a IG Prestige Midplus.

If anyone out there could point in me a new direction or suggest something interesting I'm all ears. Many thanks for your help.

(flattish big hitter, all court game, very happy at net, big serve, can topspin when necessary but it's not a feature of my game)

I'd probably stick with the RIP Control, as it has a unique feel. If you're just itching to try something different, why not give Head FXP a try.

Good Advice - keep dancing with the partner that keeps it fun dancing... Maybe Technifibre TGV ... keep it soft and vibrant...

Well into seniordom here, and my chosen partner is a real soft Head mid frame and medium/low Pacific gut. Nothing more important than protecting the joints - in my case, my hand.
Flat, old school hitter here, also. We are lucky as the soft, dynamic strings perform so well for the flatter game (and protect the joints)...

Thank you guys - much appreciated.

Give Triax a try, it's an interesting string.

Artengo TA500? (decathlon)
where are you located in germany?

mains : sensation 16
Cross : Prince synthetic gut with Duraflex 16

check out the gut/poly thread!

galain said:

Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of polyester strings from what I've tried and I stopped because I had terrible tennis and golfers elbow (I don't think from the polys but still). If there's something new out there that's comfy I'd consider it.

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I'd be willing to bet that the poly had more than nothing at all to do with your tennis/golfer's elbow. Since you've had those issues in the past, I'd say stay away from poly strings completely just to stack the odds of success going forward more in your favor. You're not ripping on the ball with huge spin or gobbling up string jobs after every few hours of play, so you might not get any performance benefits from poly anyway. You may even notice that it robs your volleys of some of their zip and bite.

I get a crisp and punchy sort of feel from a soft and hefty racquet when I string it with a 17 ga. syn. gut. At the right tension I find this string to be typically more "crisp" compared with a 16 ga. version of the same string, which might be a little more "thuddy" - but that depends on the particular string. While a 16 ga. syn. gut can behave rather well in let's say one of my 98" racquets having a 16x19 pattern, it's a no-brainer for me to string any of my old-school mids with 17 ga., especially when they have a dense 18x20 pattern.

The two multifibers you've already used have earned rather decent reputations - maybe no need to fix what isn't broken. The multi I keep on hand for string jobs that call for that string type is Prince Premier Control 16. It's relatively affordable among strings in the multi family and I've definitely noticed how well it seems to hold its tension over time compared with some options in the multi family.

Prince SG w/Duraflex is too firm for my taste, especially in the 16 ga. version. Gosen OG Sheep Micro is another popular syn. gut, but this string is also relatively firm (not quite as bad as Prince w/Duraflex) and it's nicely durable. I tension it at a few lbs. lower than other syn. guts that are moderately soft. Those include Prince Original SG and Volkl Classic, but the top of the heap if you can find it is Kirschbaum's syn. gut.

proracketeer said:

Artengo TA500? (decathlon)
where are you located in germany?

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South west corner - between Black Forest and Bodensee

@fuzz nation - thank you for all that. I agree with you, the elbow problems preceded the polys - it's just that I'd prefer to avoid aggravating them if I can help it. At the moment my arm isn't too bad.
It's been quite some time since I've used a natural gut (Victor Imperial! I'm showing my age) - but how is the durability these days when it comes to moisture? The courts here are clay, and people like 'em slow, which means they get watered heavily before, during and after play. There's no way to keep strings dry at all where I am.

Never tried Prince Premier control - will do some reading about that. I've nothing against syn gut and actually quite enjoy it - it just doesn't last me all that long. Tried OG Sheep Micro more than a few times and never really enjoyed it but I plan to do some reading about Völkl Classic too. Thanks again for your recommendations.