Do you like oddball strings?

Booger · Oct 26, 2021

Weird stuff that 99% of people wouldn't use. Which ones am I missing? Do you play with any of these?

Luxilon 4g in 15 gauge, stiffest and thickest string ever measured
Solinco Tour Bite 20 gauge, like badminton string
Ashaway monogut ZX, a zyex string that stretches like melted mozzarella
Ashaway Kevlar string, you are living your Agassi fantasy
Gamma Glide, specifically only for crosses

socallefty · Oct 26, 2021

I’ve tried STB 19g and 20g. They don’t last very long, but play good otherwise.

Booger · Oct 26, 2021

socallefty said:
I’ve tried STB 19g and 20g. They don’t last very long, but play good otherwise.

I played with tour bite in 20 gauge and for some reason it felt deader, less power than normal 17 gauge. Like it was so thin I didn't feel any elasticity at all on bigger shots.

It did make it about 2 hours before snapping, though.

1HBHfanatic · Oct 26, 2021

-check out head.GRAVITY hybrid string pack
-PITA to string, poly/poly
-the main string is a triangular shape string, it is a-bit too thick to fit through conventional grommet holes (force needed)
-second issue, the triangular shape (of the main string) gets deformed from the stringing clamps, and creates weak spots
-third issue, it is sharp!, weaving/fanning is painful

-only other string ive found to be this painful to string was "solinco.barbwire"

-btw, i like gamma.glyde, its nice, comfortable, slick cross string that behaves like a synthetic
-even when it starts to fuzz, it remains slick
-is it worth the price?!?! you decide

1HBHfanatic · Oct 26, 2021

Booger said:
I played with tour bite in 20 gauge and for some reason it felt deader, less power than normal 17 gauge. Like it was so thin I didn't feel any elasticity at all on bigger shots.

It did make it about 2 hours before snapping, though.

-yeah, thats the problem with some thin strings (18, 19, 20g)
-they stretch out right away
-you get to the "dead feel" way too fast

-i would however use/recommend an 18g string on a 18/20 pattern

Nate7-5 · Oct 26, 2021

Ive tried 1.10mm Völkl Cyclone and it has pretty good durability for being that thin.

ryushen21 · Oct 26, 2021

Booger said:
Weird stuff that 99% of people wouldn't use. Which ones am I missing? Do you play with any of these?

Luxilon 4g in 15 gauge, stiffest and thickest string ever measured

Solinco Tour Bite 20 gauge, like badminton string

Ashaway monogut ZX, a zyex string that stretches like melted mozzarella

Ashaway Kevlar string, you are living your Agassi fantasy

Gamma Glide, specifically only for crosses

I'm actually more surprised these days when I see people playing 16g or heavier strings. Advancements in string technology have made it where the thinner gauges perform great and are as durable as their thicker counterparts.

1HBHfanatic · Oct 26, 2021

-Gamma.JET is a weird poly
-not very arm friendly either
-only good thing i see is the color, deep BLUE almost purple

ryushen21 · Oct 26, 2021

1HBHfanatic said:
-Gamma.JET is a weird poly
-not very arm friendly either
-only good thing i see is the color, deep BLUE almost purple

YTex Tiangle Twisted has a very cool purplish color to it. And it's actually a very good string especially when crossed with ghost wire.

Deleted member 781523 · Oct 26, 2021

I personally feel like kevlar is still pretty usable these days under the conditions you have good technique and a soft frame. It generates impressive spin and it lasts for ages.

Rabbit · Oct 26, 2021

Booger said:
Weird stuff that 99% of people wouldn't use. Which ones am I missing? Do you play with any of these?

Luxilon 4g in 15 gauge, stiffest and thickest string ever measured

Solinco Tour Bite 20 gauge, like badminton string

Ashaway monogut ZX, a zyex string that stretches like melted mozzarella

Ashaway Kevlar string, you are living your Agassi fantasy

Gamma Glide, specifically only for crosses

When I strung for a WTA pro event here in town, there was a girl who strung at 86 pounds (my old machine's max). For practice, she used Luxilon ALU. For her matches, she used 1.25. For practice, she had a couple of frames strung up with 1.38. She'd break 3 - 4 frames a day, even those with the 1.38 in them.

1HBHfanatic · Oct 26, 2021

ryushen21 said:
YTex Tiangle Twisted has a very cool purplish color to it. And it's actually a very good string especially when crossed with ghost wire.

-i dont know if ive strung this one yet for someone, i might have
-i did how ever try ytez.SQUARE, is that one?? it was 4 sided, did not stand out to me!!
-i do know that wilson also brought out a triangular.twsited one, in pearl white
-my buddy found a small reel at the thrift store and picked it up, haaaa
-i guess it was not that good cause it ended in the thrift store

-ive tried it a few times and it was ok,,,,,, but again did not have stand out features

1HBHfanatic · Oct 26, 2021

Rabbit said:
When I strung for a WTA pro event here in town, there was a girl who strung at 86 pounds (my old machine's max). For practice, she used Luxilon ALU. For her matches, she used 1.25. For practice, she had a couple of frames strung up with 1.38. She'd break 3 - 4 frames a day, even those with the 1.38 in them.

-dammm thats something there!! 86lbs, wow

-i feel for the people who break strings like this ^
-it might seem like a bad-ass thing for us non string breakers, chronic string breaking is no joke
-ive seen older good players get frustrated and feel hopeless to try to keep strings on the racquets
-the cost and the aggravation is a PITA for them
-and me to, having to string for them over and over and over again
-im just glad there are more 18/20 frames now, to try to help a bit more

ryushen21 · Oct 26, 2021

1HBHfanatic said:
-i dont know if ive strung this one yet for someone, i might have
-i did how ever try ytez.SQUARE, is that one?? it was 4 sided, did not stand out to me!!
-i do know that wilson also brought out a triangular.twsited one, in pearl white
-my buddy found a small reel at the thrift store and picked it up, haaaa
-i guess it was not that good cause it ended in the thrift store
-ive tried it a few times and it was ok,,,,,, but again did not have stand out features

I wasn't overly impressed by Ytex Square X or Quadro Twist. They aren't bad but ultimately a little too soft/vague for my liking. I do very much like their Penta Power Twisted though.

Booger · Oct 26, 2021

Rabbit said:
When I strung for a WTA pro event here in town, there was a girl who strung at 86 pounds (my old machine's max). For practice, she used Luxilon ALU. For her matches, she used 1.25. For practice, she had a couple of frames strung up with 1.38. She'd break 3 - 4 frames a day, even those with the 1.38 in them.

Did she ever say why she preferred to play with such a dumb setup?

Rabbit · Oct 26, 2021

Booger said:
Did she ever say why she preferred to play with such a dumb setup?

Well, one man's dumb is another woman's smart. If she played with lower tension, she said it trampolined on her. If she played with ALU 1.25, she got about a set out of it. So, in practice, she wanted more than a set out of her strings. In a match then she could possibly have gone through at least 3 rackets in a 3 set match. It was more necessity than desire. FWIW, she did some hitting with one of our pros who is probably a solid 5.5. He couldn't win a game from her.

Booger · Oct 26, 2021

Rabbit said:
It was more necessity than desire.

Bro if guys like Shapo and Rublev can hit the hardest rally ball in the world using 50-56lbs, I don't think anyone is stringing 86lbs out of necessity.

Rabbit · Oct 26, 2021

Booger said:
Bro if guys like Shapo and Rublev can hit the hardest rally ball in the world using 50-56lbs, I don't think anyone is stringing 86lbs out of necessity.

"Bro", if a player is paying me to string and wants 86 pounds, I'll string it at 86 pounds. I even had to let each pull sit for a count of 5 to get as much stretch out of the string as I could. She was that sensitive to the tension. And by the by, she played in Dubai this last year, so she's still swinging a pretty good stick. And I'd bet my car she could beat anybody on the boards and even spot them 5 games a set.

Point being, one man's ceiling is another man's floor. When Borg came one scene, everybody said you needed to string natural gut at 75 pounds in a wood racket. But he did. And after he got to number 1, average tensions began going up. When McEnroe came along a little later everybody said, you can't control the ball strung with natural gut at 44 pounds. But he did. And average tensions began to go down.

Booger · Oct 26, 2021

Rabbit said:
"Bro", if a player is paying me to string and wants 86 pounds, I'll string it at 86 pounds. I even had to let each pull sit for a count of 5 to get as much stretch out of the string as I could. She was that sensitive to the tension. And by the by, she played in Dubai this last year, so she's still swinging a pretty good stick. And I'd bet my car she could beat anybody on the boards and even spot them 5 games a set.

Point being, one man's ceiling is another man's floor. When Borg came one scene, everybody said you needed to string natural gut at 75 pounds in a wood racket. But he did. And after he got to number 1, average tensions began going up. When McEnroe came along a little later everybody said, you can't control the ball strung with natural gut at 44 pounds. But he did. And average tensions began to go down.

Chief,
Obviously if someone is paying you to string, do what they want, but I don't think it's correct to assume that every pro is using their perfect setup because they are good players.

Even the GOATs - Sampras had to retire early in large part because he refused to adopt modern equipment. Imagine if he had switched to a pure drive with a luxilon/gut hybrid setup. Maybe he wins 3 more grand salamies, like Federer did after he finally listened to his equipment guys.

Rabbit · Oct 26, 2021

Booger said:
Chief,
Obviously if someone is paying you to string, do what they want, but I don't think it's correct to assume that every pro is using their perfect setup because they are good players.

Even the GOATs - Sampras had to retire early in large part because he refused to adopt modern equipment. Imagine if he had switched to a pure drive with a luxilon/gut hybrid setup. Maybe he wins 3 more grand salamies, like Federer did after he finally listened to his equipment guys.

Padnah -
Sampras won 14 Grand Slams. If frogs had wings they wouldn't bump their butts. Retire early? He retired at 31 which, at the time, was ancient for a pro. Borg retired at 26, hardly any players played into their 30s in Sampras' era. Notable exception was Agassi and what did he do in his mid 30's? He won one major in 2003 and then nada, nil, just hanging around.

This young lady was an accomplished player. She won the tournament. Who am I to suggest what she should or should not use? Likewise, who is she to tell me what I like? And finally, who are you to pee on somebody else's setup? She plays tennis for money. I would bet my house that she's tried other setups, probably some that would meet your seal of approval. She had no physical ailment from the high tension, she won.....what else is there?

time410s · Oct 26, 2021

Booger said:
Weird stuff that 99% of people wouldn't use. Which ones am I missing? Do you play with any of these?

Luxilon 4g in 15 gauge, stiffest and thickest string ever measured

Solinco Tour Bite 20 gauge, like badminton string

Ashaway monogut ZX, a zyex string that stretches like melted mozzarella

Ashaway Kevlar string, you are living your Agassi fantasy

Gamma Glide, specifically only for crosses

What do others say about gamma glide? Cool idea. Never tried

Booger · Oct 26, 2021

Rabbit said:
Padnah -
Sampras won 14 Grand Slams. If frogs had wings they wouldn't bump their butts. Retire early? He retired at 31 which, at the time, was ancient for a pro. Borg retired at 26, hardly any players played into their 30s in Sampras' era. Notable exception was Agassi and what did he do in his mid 30's? He won one major in 2003 and then nada, nil, just hanging around.

This young lady was an accomplished player. She won the tournament. Who am I to suggest what she should or should not use? Likewise, who is she to tell me what I like? And finally, who are you to pee on somebody else's setup? She plays tennis for money. I would bet my house that she's tried other setups, probably some that would meet your seal of approval. She had no physical ailment from the high tension, she won.....what else is there?

The generation before Pete and Andre hailed from the dark ages of fitness and still made it at 44 (Connors), 36 (Mcenroe), 34 (llendl), etc. Borg was an exception, even at the time. Sampras himself has been open about his bad equipment choices at the end of his career. He won 14 grand slams and was once considered the best that ever was, but today he says he should have listened to all the nobodies who were telling him to fix his setup.

86 pounds can still be stupid, even if you win 50 grand slams. Which it is. I'm not saying you should say anything or do anything or confront a pro in any way. Their choice - but on the anonymity of Al Gore's internet, it's fine to call that setup stupid.

Booger · Oct 26, 2021

time410s said:
What do others say about gamma glide? Cool idea. Never tried

I've never actually tried it. I did string it for someone once, but never heard back.

time410s · Oct 26, 2021

Booger said:
I've never actually tried it. I did string it for someone once, but never heard back.

in other words, you strung gamma glide for someone one time and then they never contacted you again. Ha.

I've never even heard of the string but I think of something like Tier 1 Ghostwire to be cross specific but it isn't strictly marketed that way but is more or less appreciated in that way.

time410s · Oct 26, 2021

Booger said:
I've never actually tried it. I did string it for someone once, but never heard back.

Oh wow it sells in half sets for like 11 dollars. Not cheap!

tlm · Oct 26, 2021

brento1499 said:
I personally feel like kevlar is still pretty usable these days under the conditions you have good technique and a soft frame. It generates impressive spin and it lasts for ages.

I agree I go back and forth between Poly and Kevlar and end up going back to Kevlar. Get tired of poly changing its playability and feel so quickly.
Right now I’m using what many would consider oddball which is 17 gauge Ashaway Kevlar main with head 16 gauge Rip Control with both at 55lbs. This set up plays extremely well and plays consistently for a long time.

Booger · Oct 26, 2021

time410s said:
in other words, you strung gamma glide for someone one time and then they never contacted you again. Ha.

I've never even heard of the string but I think of something like Tier 1 Ghostwire to be cross specific but it isn't strictly marketed that way but is more or less appreciated in that way.

I did string a few frames for him after that, but never again Gamma Glide. I'm going to text him and see if he even remembers trying it. And yeah, 22 bucks/set for a gimmick string (and not offered in reels) is steep.

time410s · Oct 27, 2021

Booger said:
I did string a few frames for him after that, but never again Gamma Glide. I'm going to text him and see if he even remembers trying it. And yeah, 22 bucks/set for a gimmick string (and not offered in reels) is steep.

Might not bother. I doubt it's that much better and the only known focus really is snapback and there are other qualities to a string that might matter more to me. It's weird, people say shape matters vs snapback matters but a more sharp shape will reduce snapback so I wonder where the perfect blend of both is. I think both matter but most don't talk about bigger gauge translating to bigger spin if you can access it. It's ceiling is higher but...it's higher. I go for smooth shapes instead of super sharp shapes which dull quickly anyway and tend to feel super hard.

Rabbit · Oct 27, 2021

Booger said:
The generation before Pete and Andre hailed from the dark ages of fitness and still made it at 44 (Connors), 36 (Mcenroe), 34 (llendl), etc. Borg was an exception, even at the time. Sampras himself has been open about his bad equipment choices at the end of his career. He won 14 grand slams and was once considered the best that ever was, but today he says he should have listened to all the nobodies who were telling him to fix his setup.

As with stringing, each player has his/her own options. They decide.

Booger said:
86 pounds can still be stupid, even if you win 50 grand slams. Which it is. I'm not saying you should say anything or do anything or confront a pro in any way. Their choice - but on the anonymity of Al Gore's internet, it's fine to call that setup stupid.

So by your own admission and example, Pete Sampras' setup of 70+ pounds 17 gauge natural gut in an 85 square inch frame was "stupid". Got it....

<unsubscribe>

SteveI · Oct 27, 2021

I thought this thread was about oddball strings.. not oddball players...LOL. To each his own. I use Cyclone 19G as my regular set-up. That string is pretty out there compared to 16G or 17G versions.

Deleted member 781523 · Oct 27, 2021

Rabbit said:
As with stringing, each player has his/her own options. They decide.

So by your own admission and example, Pete Sampras' setup of 70+ pounds 17 gauge natural gut in an 85 square inch frame was "stupid". Got it....

<unsubscribe>

you mean the setup that he admits became antiquated and expresses regret about not switching to poly and bigger head size earlier? hm

Rabbit · Oct 27, 2021

brento1499 said:
you mean the setup that he admits became antiquated and expresses regret about not switching to poly and bigger head size earlier? hm

My point is/was/will be a player's setup is their decision. If it works for them, it's the right one. I don't see any validity in calling a setup stupid if it that's what the player wants. Would I string my frames at 86 pounds with ALU? No. But if a touring pro tells me that's what they want, then that's what they're going to get. Sampras can rue all he wants, but the fact his the setup he used got him 14 Majors and a boatload of money. 99.9% of world class pros don't change what works and makes them $$$.

SteveI · Oct 27, 2021

brento1499 said:
you mean the setup that he admits became antiquated and expresses regret about not switching to poly and bigger head size earlier? hm

Looking back he did say (Pete) that he should have made gear changes as well as other changes. Look how long it took Fed to design and play with the RF97... years. The Pros make very few moves unless they think it can get them more wins and therefore money. Pete never had a decent backhand (compared to his FH..or other pros BH) or could play on clay to save his life. He could have more made changes. He does what any smart player does... he played to his strengths. Who knows if he could have made the move to a larger head size frame or poly. Pete was not a guy that embraced change.. to be kind.

SteveI · Oct 27, 2021

Where is heck is @Shroud ??? Come on man.. this your thread.

Shroud · Oct 27, 2021

Booger said:
Weird stuff that 99% of people wouldn't use. Which ones am I missing? Do you play with any of these?

Luxilon 4g in 15 gauge, stiffest and thickest string ever measured

Solinco Tour Bite 20 gauge, like badminton string

Ashaway monogut ZX, a zyex string that stretches like melted mozzarella

Ashaway Kevlar string, you are living your Agassi fantasy

Gamma Glide, specifically only for crosses

Used 3/5. Ashaway kev, zx and the 20g solinco. Wanted 15g lux 4g and went to order it but cant find it. Dont think its made anymore.

i also used some survival rope with 4g crosses. And i made my own string with kev and steel and teflon.
Glide seems soft and breakable and a wanna be zx so no desire

add ashaway monofire to the list too .
Anyhow my goto on any frame is ashway kev 16g/ lux 4g 16g at 86 lbs

SteveI · Oct 27, 2021

Shroud said:
Used 3/5. Ashaway kev, zx and the 20g solinco. Wanted 15g lux 4g and went to order it but cant find it. Dont think its made anymore.

i also used some survival rope with 4g crosses. And i made my own string with kev and steel and teflon.
Glide seems soft and breakable and a wanna be zx so no desire

add ashaway monofire to the list too .
Anyhow my goto on any frame is ashway kev 16g/ lux 4g 16g at 86 lbs

3 out of 5... Awesome. What are you playing now? Does it match your profile listing?

Deleted member 781523 · Oct 27, 2021

SteveI said:
Looking back he did say (Pete) that he should have made gear changes as well as other changes. Look how long it took Fed to design and play with the RF97... years. The Pros make very few moves unless they think it can get them more wins and therefore money. Pete never had a decent backhand (compared to his FH..or other pros BH) or could play on clay to save his life. He could have more made changes. He does what any smart player does... he played to his strengths. Who knows if he could have made the move to a larger head size frame or poly. Pete was not a guy that embraced change.. to be kind.

The point still stands that a full bed of poly at 86 is ridiculous especially considering the justification is that anything looser is too trampoline-y. The entire ATP strings their poly 30+ looser than whoever this woman is while likely hitting twice as hard. It makes no sense

cortado · Oct 27, 2021

Never tried them but I would quite like to try Zyex and Kevlar.
If I was doing gut mains in a 16x19 I would go with the thickest gauge I could find, 15L or whatever.

cortado · Oct 27, 2021

brento1499 said:
The point still stands that a full bed of poly at 86 is ridiculous especially considering the justification is that anything looser is too trampoline-y. The entire ATP strings their poly 30+ looser than whoever this woman is while likely hitting twice as hard. It makes no sense

Did this woman never consider that she might be breaking strings all the time precisely because they were strung at 86?

Shroud · Oct 27, 2021

SteveI said:
3 out of 5... Awesome. What are you playing now? Does it match your profile listing?

yes except that I extended things to 28.25" and I think its at 379g now. I am still working on fine tuning.

SteveI · Oct 27, 2021

brento1499 said:
The point still stands that a full bed of poly at 86 is ridiculous especially considering the justification is that anything looser is too trampoline-y. The entire ATP strings their poly 30+ looser than whoever this woman is while likely hitting twice as hard. It makes no sense

This entire thread is about oddball strings and set-up. @Rabbit was sharing one. He was not agreeing with it. My head hurts. Have to teach a lesson.. see ya..

I used to play a full bed of poly at 62 a few years ago... now I play it about 48.. The 62 was cool then... odd now.

Shroud · Oct 27, 2021

Booger said:
86 pounds can still be stupid, even if you win 50 grand slams. Which it is. I'm not saying you should say anything or do anything or confront a pro in any way. Their choice - but on the anonymity of Al Gore's internet, it's fine to call that setup stupid.

Thanks man. Good thing I don't know who you are. And fwiw you are taking things out of context at least in my case. You have at add in the other stupidity of a super high swingweight, which with all the added lead the racquet plays less stiff and more powerful. If you play stock or 330sw then yep 86lbs seems stupid. But if you have a high swingweight over 370 then your tension will go up and up too....

Shroud · Oct 27, 2021

brento1499 said:
The point still stands that a full bed of poly at 86 is ridiculous especially considering the justification is that anything looser is too trampoline-y. The entire ATP strings their poly 30+ looser than whoever this woman is while likely hitting twice as hard. It makes no sense

Dustin Brown begs to differ and last I heard was full poly in the high 70s...think it was 78 IIRC. Best touch on the tour btw...which blows up the myth that ball pocketing is needed for touch...

Nate7-5 · Oct 27, 2021

At a certain tension it ceases being a string bed and becomes a ribbed plastic plate

Mongolmike · Oct 27, 2021

Oddball string l just strung in one of my racquets...

Gamma TNT Ruff 16.

Many don't like stringing it, but it is my goto string in cooler outside conditions.
It's pretty comfortable, so l like it when playing in 50 degree weather and everything feels stiff, and it's a braided string,
so pain in the butt to weave and push thru shared holes, but gives good spin.

blai212 · Oct 27, 2021

gamma glide sounds good on paper but if you play with modern technique and incorporate any significant amount of spin, nonpoly cross will get shredded. Personally I cant stand the fraying but my arm can’t handle stiff polys so I use softer copoly strung at low tension

Booger · Oct 27, 2021

Shroud said:
Thanks man. Good thing I don't know who you are. And fwiw you are taking things out of context at least in my case. You have at add in the other stupidity of a super high swingweight, which with all the added lead the racquet plays less stiff and more powerful. If you play stock or 330sw then yep 86lbs seems stupid. But if you have a high swingweight over 370 then your tension will go up and up too....

Shroud I love your setup. If I ever want to explode my arm like the liquid metal terminator after a liquid nitrogen bath, I hope you'll let me borrow it.

SteveI · Oct 27, 2021

Shroud said:
Dustin Brown begs to differ and last I heard was full poly in the high 70s...think it was 78 IIRC. Best touch on the tour btw...which blows up the myth that ball pocketing is needed for touch...

Yes... Dustin Brown. Nice work. Had a brain fart and could not come up with his name.

Shroud · Oct 27, 2021

Nate7-5 said:
At a certain tension it ceases being a string bed and becomes a ribbed plastic plate

IME that is great. The stringbed flexes based on the incoming ball and you have to adjust differently every shot. With a stiff bed it flexes less so shots are more uniform and less variables to adjust for

Booger said:
Shroud I love your setup. If I ever want to explode my arm like the liquid metal terminator after a liquid nitrogen bath, I hope you'll let me borrow it.

surprisingly arm friendly…

Shroud · Oct 27, 2021

SteveI said:
Yes... Dustin Brown. Nice work. Had a brain fart and could not come up with his name.

Sure there are others out there and pretty sure he has no arm issues

Do you like oddball strings?

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