Mikeler's Multis
- Thread starter mikeler
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Semi-Pro
Hey mikeler just wanted to thank you for talking about the mantis comfort, best string i've ever tried.
I use a blx90 and usually full poly at 47, been getting some arm issues recently tho so been looking for something softer. I put full mantis comfort in one stick at 60 and full gut at 55 in another. I find control to be about even but surprisingly the mantis seems to offer better feel and is softer even at the higher tension and its got more pop to boot. Not having used gut in years i don't recall if it gets better with time but if it doesn't get better by a huge margin enough to warrant the 30 bucks more for a set i think mantis is my new string. Spin seems to be the only area where it's pretty average but i still think you get what you put in so its not bad.
Thanks again!!
Anyway thanks again
I use a blx90 and usually full poly at 47, been getting some arm issues recently tho so been looking for something softer. I put full mantis comfort in one stick at 60 and full gut at 55 in another. I find control to be about even but surprisingly the mantis seems to offer better feel and is softer even at the higher tension and its got more pop to boot. Not having used gut in years i don't recall if it gets better with time but if it doesn't get better by a huge margin enough to warrant the 30 bucks more for a set i think mantis is my new string. Spin seems to be the only area where it's pretty average but i still think you get what you put in so its not bad.
Thanks again!!
Anyway thanks again
mikeler
Moderator
Glad to hear it is working for you. Mantis recommends stringing at higher tensions so maybe that is why it is softer when strung tighter. I agree that the spin potential is just OK but you can get a decent amount of spin with it for a multi.
I gave a set to a friend of mine who plays singles and doubles about 6 days a week and Gosen OG Sheep Micro 16 lasts him up to 6 weeks. I'll be curious to see what kind of durability he gets out of it.
MuscleWeave
Semi-Pro
Thanks for that. I've been trying to chip and charge all of these years and it hasn't been me. It's been the string's fault. I still love it though.
MW
mikeler
Moderator
Well, I didn't get a chance to test it out very long. Maybe I could have adjusted to it.
fgs
Hall of Fame
i tried multifeel in 1.30mm gauge and was surprised that it lasted about 3 hours. i thought it was a defective set and tried one more, same result. with the comfort synthetic i still get some 6 hitting hours. i strung it at 23mains and 22 crosses and basically it felt quite dead from the beginning - i don't mean dead like a poly! - but compared to the comfort syn it had no liveliness and i was missing the touch.
the only string that i played that comes close or basically equals the touch of the comfort syn is the two times more expensive isospeed professional (not the control! which i did't like either - sort of dead feel like the multifeel).
the only string that i played that comes close or basically equals the touch of the comfort syn is the two times more expensive isospeed professional (not the control! which i did't like either - sort of dead feel like the multifeel).
Interesting thread, and thanks for the feedback on the various strings mikeler.
I normally play with a poly hybrid, but due to the interest generated by this thread, I strung up some 1.20mm RIP Control at 57lbs in a 18x20 335g K-Blade 98.
It's quite a soft string - softer than say Gosen OG 1.22 at the same tension. Fairly powerful too. I suspect that I'm going to have to up the tension.
Is this string fairly typical of multis or are there lower powered, slightly crisper/stiffer feeling multis?
Do you not have control issues playing with multis, Mikeler? I notice that you have a fairly hefty racquet - a PST with leather and lead must be c360g?
I normally play with a poly hybrid, but due to the interest generated by this thread, I strung up some 1.20mm RIP Control at 57lbs in a 18x20 335g K-Blade 98.
It's quite a soft string - softer than say Gosen OG 1.22 at the same tension. Fairly powerful too. I suspect that I'm going to have to up the tension.
Is this string fairly typical of multis or are there lower powered, slightly crisper/stiffer feeling multis?
Do you not have control issues playing with multis, Mikeler? I notice that you have a fairly hefty racquet - a PST with leather and lead must be c360g?
mikeler
Moderator
RIP is pretty low powered and feels stiffer than most of the multis I've used to date. What tension are you stringing at and what machine type? RIP is a very unique string and I would not judge multis as a family of strings by it whatsoever. If you are looking for more crisp, then MultiFeel might be a good one to try. I'm going to try out DuraMix tonight so I'll report back tomorrow but I think that it will be more crisp than RIP too.
The only multis I've had a lot of control issues with so far is Maxim Touch 17 and the TW blind playtest string. The rest don't seem too powerful strung high on my lower powered frame. I've never weighed my sticks but I think your estimate is probably close.
Pretty soft. Not as soft as RIP. But it is worthless to me because I'd be restringing it every two days.
mikeler
Moderator
I'm definitely looking for playability and then durability in my string quest. I restring my own, but I really want something that lasts me at least 3 matches.
mikeler
Moderator
The Hexy is not bad getting through blocked holes. Crosses are tougher to weave but the spin potential is probably the best out of all the multis. RIP may be about equal.
JackB1
G.O.A.T.
Did u try it in any hybrids or just full bed? It was quite soft, correct?
mikeler
Moderator
JackB1
G.O.A.T.
I was thinking it might be good as a cross with Dunlop's Black Widow as the mains?
mikeler
Moderator
OK, here is my review in the TW format of the Technifibre DuraMix HD 16.
I strung up the DuraMix a few nights ago. It did have lots of coil memory, but still it was one of the easiest strings I've every worked with except for 1 kink. The string feels like a very solid synthetic gut and is easy to get into the grommet holes. That one kink presented a small challenge after I weaved a cross, it kinked on the outside of the racket. I could not pull the cross back out with pliers for fear of damaging the stringbed to uncoil it, so I grabbed the kink itself with the pliers to pull it out. I did some minor damage to the string, fortunately that area was inside the grommet after I pulled tension, so I don't think I'll get premature breakage because of it. This is the first time I've seen ghosting in awhile, the last few strings have not shown it.
Tension it is strung: 60 pounds on a lockout machine full bed
Your regular string set up: Mantis Comfort Synthetic 60 pounds full bed
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 20
Power (or lack there of): Medium powered multi
Feel: Average feel
Tension maintenance: Held fine so far
Price: $13
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: The first few hits I could tell this string was very crisp but not stiff. I was concerned that control would be an issue because I could not feel any ball pocketing, but that was not the case at all. I thought spin was about equivalent to the MultiFeel. Like MultiFeel, this string had a ton of CONTROLLED power on first serves. It was very windy last night, so I did not flatten out hardly any ground strokes. I still need to see how the string performs in calm conditions this weekend. I played very well with this string.
Serve/Return of Serve: I hit the fastest serves ever with this multi. My flat serves had so much zip on them. I was able to hit some nice 2nd serves with it too. My returns were so good, even with the wind I refused to slice them unless I was stretched out. When I tried to chip returns I had nice feel too.
Strokes: Lots of spin on both wings. Depth control was fantastic. It just seemed like if I hit it soft, medium or hard the ball was finding the baseline. This string is almost tied with RIP/Hexy for spin potential.
Volleys: It's average for volleys. If I hit it late, the power would send the ball beyond the baseline. I only got to hit a few volleys though.
Touch shots: Hard to tell so far, the wind made hitting drop shots pretty hard.
Softness: The string feels like a stiffer multi but I did not feel my elbow one time while hitting. Because the string is so crisp, I kept expecting to feel something but it never happened.
Tension: Perfect for my game.
Durability: The string looks like a sturdy 16g string. No signs of notching after 2 sets but broke it the next set of singles.
Movement: String movement is average for a multi meaning it moves a decent amount.
Conclusion: This is an excellent string that justifies the $13 price tag. If I can get double the durability of the Mantis, I might consider making it my string of choice.
Arghh! Hit with it for another set today and blew out 2 strings. I don't even think I got a full 3 sets out of it. My search continues...
I strung up the DuraMix a few nights ago. It did have lots of coil memory, but still it was one of the easiest strings I've every worked with except for 1 kink. The string feels like a very solid synthetic gut and is easy to get into the grommet holes. That one kink presented a small challenge after I weaved a cross, it kinked on the outside of the racket. I could not pull the cross back out with pliers for fear of damaging the stringbed to uncoil it, so I grabbed the kink itself with the pliers to pull it out. I did some minor damage to the string, fortunately that area was inside the grommet after I pulled tension, so I don't think I'll get premature breakage because of it. This is the first time I've seen ghosting in awhile, the last few strings have not shown it.
Tension it is strung: 60 pounds on a lockout machine full bed
Your regular string set up: Mantis Comfort Synthetic 60 pounds full bed
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 20
Power (or lack there of): Medium powered multi
Feel: Average feel
Tension maintenance: Held fine so far
Price: $13
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: The first few hits I could tell this string was very crisp but not stiff. I was concerned that control would be an issue because I could not feel any ball pocketing, but that was not the case at all. I thought spin was about equivalent to the MultiFeel. Like MultiFeel, this string had a ton of CONTROLLED power on first serves. It was very windy last night, so I did not flatten out hardly any ground strokes. I still need to see how the string performs in calm conditions this weekend. I played very well with this string.
Serve/Return of Serve: I hit the fastest serves ever with this multi. My flat serves had so much zip on them. I was able to hit some nice 2nd serves with it too. My returns were so good, even with the wind I refused to slice them unless I was stretched out. When I tried to chip returns I had nice feel too.
Strokes: Lots of spin on both wings. Depth control was fantastic. It just seemed like if I hit it soft, medium or hard the ball was finding the baseline. This string is almost tied with RIP/Hexy for spin potential.
Volleys: It's average for volleys. If I hit it late, the power would send the ball beyond the baseline. I only got to hit a few volleys though.
Touch shots: Hard to tell so far, the wind made hitting drop shots pretty hard.
Softness: The string feels like a stiffer multi but I did not feel my elbow one time while hitting. Because the string is so crisp, I kept expecting to feel something but it never happened.
Tension: Perfect for my game.
Durability: The string looks like a sturdy 16g string. No signs of notching after 2 sets but broke it the next set of singles.
Movement: String movement is average for a multi meaning it moves a decent amount.
Conclusion: This is an excellent string that justifies the $13 price tag. If I can get double the durability of the Mantis, I might consider making it my string of choice.
Arghh! Hit with it for another set today and blew out 2 strings. I don't even think I got a full 3 sets out of it. My search continues...
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mikeler
Moderator
Congrats on becoming a Legendand on finding/trying another decent string
I hope you are right. It would be nice to see the 10 hour mark with one of these strings again.
You might get 3 matches, but not much more, depending on your playing style. I hit pretty flat and 6 sets was my max. I had two sets of string to test, and I also string my own rackets.
mikeler
Moderator
AWESOME!! This thread is amazing--keep it up buddy!
mikeler
Moderator
Mikeler,
I see what you mean about the Mantis Comfort. Nice string while it lasts but once the coating goes it breaks. This morning I broke a string on a set that I've only used for around 5 hours (at most). But most of that time was against a ball machine, so I hit a lot more balls than in matches. Fortunately, at $9/set, I can afford to keep using it.
I see what you mean about the Mantis Comfort. Nice string while it lasts but once the coating goes it breaks. This morning I broke a string on a set that I've only used for around 5 hours (at most). But most of that time was against a ball machine, so I hit a lot more balls than in matches. Fortunately, at $9/set, I can afford to keep using it.
mikeler
Moderator
It's a much better deal if you buy a reel at $90. For 17 string jobs it comes out to $5.29 per string job.
bad_call
Legend
^^ mikeler - the Weiss Cannon 6Star string looks interesting. maybe give that multi a try.
http://www.stringforum.net/strings.php?sdnr=4223&count=1
http://www.stringforum.net/strings.php?sdnr=4223&count=1
I bought a reel of Forten Nylon and I'm going to try using Mantis Comfort on the mains with Forten Nylon on the crosses. I've got to make my last set of Mantis last a while. I just got the stringer and some strings for Christmas and the wife will give me this look
?) if I order more strings before March.
mikeler
Moderator
mikeler
Moderator
I bought a reel of Forten Nylon and I'm going to try using Mantis Comfort on the mains with Forten Nylon on the crosses. I've got to make my last set of Mantis last a while. I just got the stringer and some strings for Christmas and the wife will give me this look
You may want to put the Mantis in the crosses if durability is your main concern.
My main concern is my golfers elbow, which I though was getting better but flared up today because I played this morning. It's not as bad as it was at its worst but it's there enough to let me know I'm not over it yet.
I've got one racket already strung with a full set of Mantis and I set left. I'll string my backup with a half set of Mantis and hopefully I can get the last set to last me long enough that I can buy a reel of the stuff without ticking off the spousal unit. Once I get a reel, I'll be set for a while. My racket is only supposed to use 33 feet of string.
mikeler
Moderator
You can always buy a few sets off me and maybe it'll go under the radar.
What racket are you using? Are you on the flexbar program?
You can always buy a few sets off me and maybe it'll go under the radar.
What racket are you using? Are you on the flexbar program?
Racket is a 1983 Wilson Sting Midsize. According to a thread on TT, the specs are pretty elbow friendly: 12.6 oz, 7 pts headlight and stiffness of 61.
I don't have a flexbar but I do eccentric exercises with the wrist roller machine at my health club. I roll the weight up with both hands and once it's raised I lower it with my right hand and raise it with my left. I also have a dumbell with a 2.5 lb weight on one side and I hold the unweighted side with my right hand, lift the weight with my left, let go with my left hand and then allow my right wrist to supinate and lower the weight. I've also been warming up my forearm before playing tennis by using the wrist roller machine. I wasn't warming up at all before playing and I think that may have been a small part of the problem.
I took 3 weeks off tennis and the GE seems to be going away. I've recently started to practice backhands a couple of times a week and play once a week. I'm hopeful that I can play doubles (only serving 1 out of every 4 games) while I recover. I'm only serving second serves right now but that's not a problem with the social group I'm playing in. It will be a problem once my singles league starts up in two weeks but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
I might take you up on some "under the radar" cash purchases of string if I run out.
mikeler
Moderator
Racket is a 1983 Wilson Sting Midsize. According to a thread on TT, the specs are pretty elbow friendly: 12.6 oz, 7 pts headlight and stiffness of 61.
I don't have a flexbar but I do eccentric exercises with the wrist roller machine at my health club. I roll the weight up with both hands and once it's raised I lower it with my right hand and raise it with my left. I also have a dumbell with a 2.5 lb weight on one side and I hold the unweighted side with my right hand, lift the weight with my left, let go with my left hand and then allow my right wrist to supinate and lower the weight. I've also been warming up my forearm before playing tennis by using the wrist roller machine. I wasn't warming up at all before playing and I think that may have been a small part of the problem.
I took 3 weeks off tennis and the GE seems to be going away. I've recently started to practice backhands a couple of times a week and play once a week. I'm hopeful that I can play doubles (only serving 1 out of every 4 games) while I recover. I'm only serving second serves right now but that's not a problem with the social group I'm playing in. It will be a problem once my singles league starts up in two weeks but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
I might take you up on some "under the radar" cash purchases of string if I run out.
You described exactly the way I returned from GE at this time last year. Nip it in the bud now. You may want to demo a newer arm friendly racket just to make sure that your current racket is not a problem.
X Code......
mikeler
Moderator
I started out today with the goal of breaking one of my Mantis sets. Mission accomplished at the 4-1 mark. So I went back to the DuraMix and got less than a set out of it before it snapped in 2 places. The break was EXACTLY identical to the two I broke on the Mantis. Kind of weird. So that kind of bummed me out. DuraMix ain't that durable!
Next up is Head FXP. The string was kind of flimsy like Maxim Touch and MCS. It was pretty easy to string with only one minor kink. I gave it the ball bounce test and it seems about as crisp as the DuraMix with some good spin potential.
My other racket was a touch call. I went to the local outlet of a TW competitor and realized that all the strings I wanted to try I was going to get next week as a birthday gift. I could have picked up some Gamma strings or Wilson Sensation but my instincts led me against it. TNT2 was 10 bucks but it had some weird outer coating on it. The Sensation at $8 looked really thick and did not seem that soft when I touched it on a reel.
So guess what I put in my other racket? The KCraig setup. I'm curious to see if that feels better than the reverse KCraig setup that I tried a few months ago. I'm also curious about the durability if I like it. Maybe with RIP locking the MCS into place it might not shear as much of the mains. RIP is a bear to string, I forgot about that.
Next up is Head FXP. The string was kind of flimsy like Maxim Touch and MCS. It was pretty easy to string with only one minor kink. I gave it the ball bounce test and it seems about as crisp as the DuraMix with some good spin potential.
My other racket was a touch call. I went to the local outlet of a TW competitor and realized that all the strings I wanted to try I was going to get next week as a birthday gift. I could have picked up some Gamma strings or Wilson Sensation but my instincts led me against it. TNT2 was 10 bucks but it had some weird outer coating on it. The Sensation at $8 looked really thick and did not seem that soft when I touched it on a reel.
So guess what I put in my other racket? The KCraig setup. I'm curious to see if that feels better than the reverse KCraig setup that I tried a few months ago. I'm also curious about the durability if I like it. Maybe with RIP locking the MCS into place it might not shear as much of the mains. RIP is a bear to string, I forgot about that.
Pressure, pressure!! Def keep us posted! I think my next "mains" string will be NRG. Have been playing some w/ a full bed of NRG at 56# and it is very nice, comfy and great pocketing. More pop thjan MCS--which could boast well with the RIP cross. One thing that really surprised me on the NreG was the minimal string movement--esp in my 16x18 pattern--that is a real plus for me!!
Mikelers Multi's
I know I sounded sold on the isospeed energetic but I cut them out after about 15 hours and strung the whole frame with head rip. It felt pretty good but i knew i had a half set of mantis comfort so i cut out the crosses and put mantis just to experiment. If the head rip/mantis comfort proves to be durable, the isospeed will finish second. I've played two matches with it and i'm sold. If it lasts this will be the one. I have no concerns about my elbow either.
I know I sounded sold on the isospeed energetic but I cut them out after about 15 hours and strung the whole frame with head rip. It felt pretty good but i knew i had a half set of mantis comfort so i cut out the crosses and put mantis just to experiment. If the head rip/mantis comfort proves to be durable, the isospeed will finish second. I've played two matches with it and i'm sold. If it lasts this will be the one. I have no concerns about my elbow either.
mikeler
Moderator
OK, here is my review in the TW format of the Head FXP (Control) 16.
The string was kind of flimsy like Maxim Touch and MCS. It was pretty easy to string with only one minor kink. The clamps left minor marks on the string but no real ghosting. I gave it the ball bounce test and it seems about as crisp as the DuraMix with some good spin potential.
Tension it is strung: 60 pounds on a lockout machine full bed
Your regular string set up: Mantis Comfort Synthetic 60 pounds full bed
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 20
Power (or lack there of): Low/Medium powered multi
Feel: Above Average feel
Tension maintenance: Held fine so far
Price: $7.95
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: My first few hits went wayward and I started thinking that this string may be a stinker. After that, I ended up playing very well. It is a nice control oriented string.
Serve/Return of Serve: My first serve was OK. I was able to hit some nice 2nd serves with it. My returns were OK against a good server. When I tried to chip returns I had nice feel too.
Strokes: Decent spin on both wings. Depth control was good. I could not really place my backhand where I wanted to many times but my unforced error count was very low.
Volleys: It's average for volleys.
Touch shots: Pretty good. Hit a few drop shot winners against a very quick opponent.
Softness: The string feels like a stiffer multi but I did not feel my elbow one time while hitting. Because the string is so crisp, I kept expecting to feel something but it never happened.
Tension: Perfect for my game.
Durability: I'm seeing some micro fraying happening but nothing major.
Movement: String movement is minimal for a multi. KCraig would approve.
Conclusion: This is a good string that is worth the $7. It reminds me of Intellitour playing wise, just a little more crispy and spinny.
The string was kind of flimsy like Maxim Touch and MCS. It was pretty easy to string with only one minor kink. The clamps left minor marks on the string but no real ghosting. I gave it the ball bounce test and it seems about as crisp as the DuraMix with some good spin potential.
Tension it is strung: 60 pounds on a lockout machine full bed
Your regular string set up: Mantis Comfort Synthetic 60 pounds full bed
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 20
Power (or lack there of): Low/Medium powered multi
Feel: Above Average feel
Tension maintenance: Held fine so far
Price: $7.95
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: My first few hits went wayward and I started thinking that this string may be a stinker. After that, I ended up playing very well. It is a nice control oriented string.
Serve/Return of Serve: My first serve was OK. I was able to hit some nice 2nd serves with it. My returns were OK against a good server. When I tried to chip returns I had nice feel too.
Strokes: Decent spin on both wings. Depth control was good. I could not really place my backhand where I wanted to many times but my unforced error count was very low.
Volleys: It's average for volleys.
Touch shots: Pretty good. Hit a few drop shot winners against a very quick opponent.
Softness: The string feels like a stiffer multi but I did not feel my elbow one time while hitting. Because the string is so crisp, I kept expecting to feel something but it never happened.
Tension: Perfect for my game.
Durability: I'm seeing some micro fraying happening but nothing major.
Movement: String movement is minimal for a multi. KCraig would approve.
Conclusion: This is a good string that is worth the $7. It reminds me of Intellitour playing wise, just a little more crispy and spinny.
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parasailing
Legend
I finally had a chance to test out the Mantis Comfort strings. I would be inclined to say Weiss Cannon and Mantis use the same manufacturer or WC makes it for them. Prior to stringing them up, I inspect both strings and they felt identical. They were equally as soft and both had that same strong chemical smell.
It is soft string and reasonably priced. I prefer crisp strings which this is not and I can't give a fair comparison as all the multis I tried are 17 gauge version.
It is soft string and reasonably priced. I prefer crisp strings which this is not and I can't give a fair comparison as all the multis I tried are 17 gauge version.
mikeler
Moderator
OK, here is my review in the TW format of the Mantis Comfort Synthetic 16 (mains) and Head RIP Control 16 (crosses). AKA the KCraig setup:
What can I say, Mantis is easy to string and RIP is awful. I gave it the ball bounce test and it seemed like it would have some good spin potential.
Tension it is strung: 60 pounds on a lockout machine full bed
Your regular string set up: Mantis Comfort Synthetic 60 pounds full bed
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 20
Power (or lack there of): Low/Medium powered multi
Feel: Above Average feel
Tension maintenance: Held fine so far
Price around $9.00
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: My first few hits I was a little concerned that I might not have enough control but once I got used to it, the setup is really nice. It had the spin of RIP combined with the touch of Mantis.
Serve/Return of Serve: My first serve was coming in fast. I was able to hit some nice 2nd serves with it due to the high spin potential. My returns were OK against a good server. When I tried to chip returns I had nice feel too.
Strokes: Great spin on both wings. Depth control was all over the place but I did not make many unforced errors. My forehand was a beast last night. I must have had 6 or 7 short cross court forehand winners which is not normal. It just felt like I could grab the ball with this setup. I could not dictate with my topspin backhand but my slice was really good.
Volleys: It's great for volleys. Feels just like a full setup of RIP. For some reason, when I volley with those RIP strings it feels like I can't miss.
Touch shots: Pretty good. Had a number of nice drop shots.
Softness: It feels pretty soft, maybe about halfway between RIP and Mantis.
Tension: Perfect for my game.
Durability: At 3-3 in the 2nd set I noticed the Mantis fibers showing. I'm surprised it lasted the next 3 games. I'll be cutting it out the next chance I get because it will break any hit or maybe in my bag.
Movement: String movement is minimal for a multi. KCraig was right that the RIP locks the Mantis into place.
Conclusion: This is a very interesting setup. If it lasted longer I'd be tempted to try it out again.
What can I say, Mantis is easy to string and RIP is awful. I gave it the ball bounce test and it seemed like it would have some good spin potential.
Tension it is strung: 60 pounds on a lockout machine full bed
Your regular string set up: Mantis Comfort Synthetic 60 pounds full bed
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 20
Power (or lack there of): Low/Medium powered multi
Feel: Above Average feel
Tension maintenance: Held fine so far
Price around $9.00
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: My first few hits I was a little concerned that I might not have enough control but once I got used to it, the setup is really nice. It had the spin of RIP combined with the touch of Mantis.
Serve/Return of Serve: My first serve was coming in fast. I was able to hit some nice 2nd serves with it due to the high spin potential. My returns were OK against a good server. When I tried to chip returns I had nice feel too.
Strokes: Great spin on both wings. Depth control was all over the place but I did not make many unforced errors. My forehand was a beast last night. I must have had 6 or 7 short cross court forehand winners which is not normal. It just felt like I could grab the ball with this setup. I could not dictate with my topspin backhand but my slice was really good.
Volleys: It's great for volleys. Feels just like a full setup of RIP. For some reason, when I volley with those RIP strings it feels like I can't miss.
Touch shots: Pretty good. Had a number of nice drop shots.
Softness: It feels pretty soft, maybe about halfway between RIP and Mantis.
Tension: Perfect for my game.
Durability: At 3-3 in the 2nd set I noticed the Mantis fibers showing. I'm surprised it lasted the next 3 games. I'll be cutting it out the next chance I get because it will break any hit or maybe in my bag.
Movement: String movement is minimal for a multi. KCraig was right that the RIP locks the Mantis into place.
Conclusion: This is a very interesting setup. If it lasted longer I'd be tempted to try it out again.
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mikeler
Moderator
Getting my birthday strings this Saturday. Here is the order I was thinking of testing them out and the reasoning. If anyone would like me to try a string out earlier let me know and maybe I'll change the order:
Wilson Shock Shield 16 (Can't find any reviews on this string yet, so maybe I'll be the first)
Tecnifibre NRG2 16 (Having recently played with 2 Technifibres, I plan to review these while those strings are still fresh in my mind)
Tecnifibre X ONE Biphase 16 (Same reasoning)
Babolat Xcel 16 (Compare the titans Babolat and Technifibre)
Babolat Addiction 16 (See if this cheaper Babolat version is almost as good)
Yonex Tour Super 16 (Read a few good things about this one)
Wilson NXT 16 (Just have a feeling this is not going to be "the one")
Prince Premier LT 16 (Prince strings never really excite me)
Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 16 (See if this cheaper Prince version is almost as good)
Wilson Shock Shield 16 (Can't find any reviews on this string yet, so maybe I'll be the first)
Tecnifibre NRG2 16 (Having recently played with 2 Technifibres, I plan to review these while those strings are still fresh in my mind)
Tecnifibre X ONE Biphase 16 (Same reasoning)
Babolat Xcel 16 (Compare the titans Babolat and Technifibre)
Babolat Addiction 16 (See if this cheaper Babolat version is almost as good)
Yonex Tour Super 16 (Read a few good things about this one)
Wilson NXT 16 (Just have a feeling this is not going to be "the one")
Prince Premier LT 16 (Prince strings never really excite me)
Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 16 (See if this cheaper Prince version is almost as good)
Alot of that is about your own play rather than how the string performs. Same with the other categories as well.
I know you mentioned before you weren't all that impressed with Isospeed Control. I consider myself quite a string breaker and I cut the Energetic out to try the Head Rip. Im just wondering what kind of evaluation you would give of the Energetic, especially in terms of durability. The softness is in line with the other multi's I tried. Those are NXT, AG2000 and PSGM. I realize not nearly as comprehensive as your playtesting, but i can barely get out twice a week to play. Three times has not happened in years. But I have played two doubles matches with the Rip/Msc string job and I really like those. Just a thought if you were on the fence about Isospeed.
mikeler
Moderator
Spin is not a function of day to day play for me. It's very noticeable with any RIP combination how much more spin it gets. I'll agree with you that the other comments would need to be tested in other match situations to see if they hold up. Unfortunately this setup did not last long enough for me to find out.
