A couple string tests
- Thread starter Up&comer
- Start date
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
I'll do gut mains and b5e crosses after the tour bite.
Then I'll have to do the xcel and scorpion full beds.
mixedmedia
Professional
Mamba Tennis carries it. It might be Scorpion+ according to one guy on these boards.
mixedmedia
Professional
Maybe it's not great for your wallet (or your parents') that you go through strings quickly, but it's awesome for everyone else b/c you can (and are willing to) try out so many strings!
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
I actually pay for my own string. I string rackets for alot of the juniors around me, so it about evens out. On good days, I even make a good profit!
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
mixedmedia
Professional
He's MambaT.
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
And what exactly do you mean it's supposed to be a scorpion+?
mixedmedia
Professional
I'm not entirely sure... Search the L-TEC thread for it, and you'll know as much as I do about it.
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
Alrighty.
Pacific classic/solinco tour bite 56/53
Stringing- one of the more nerve wracking string jobs i've done. You can hear the tour bite scraping the poor gut mains. No fun.
Groundstrokes- fun. This setup definitely has more spin POTENTIAL than the gut scorpion combo. You really have to swing out and generate the racket head speed to do it. Plenty of pop, lots of spin, and it had a nice even response. Really good.
Overall- 9.5/10
Serves- another good part of this setup. Kick serves really jumped, and flat serves were penetrating. It did sometimes lack spin on slice serves for some reason. Also didn't have quite as much pop as I like.
Overall- 8.5/10
Volleys- meh. Average for a gut mains setup. That's good, but again, the lack of pop made volleys more difficult than they should be.
Overall- 8/10
Durabilty- this is not good. The TB is already starting to tear up the gut.
Overall- 4.5/10
Stiffness- soft, but not to the point of arm friendly soft. The TB noticeably stiffened the string bed up from the scorpion.
Overall- 4/10
All in all, this string was inferior to the scorpion in everything except spin potential. I'm definitely sticking to the scorpion for now.
Overall- 8/10
Pacific classic/solinco tour bite 56/53
Stringing- one of the more nerve wracking string jobs i've done. You can hear the tour bite scraping the poor gut mains. No fun.
Groundstrokes- fun. This setup definitely has more spin POTENTIAL than the gut scorpion combo. You really have to swing out and generate the racket head speed to do it. Plenty of pop, lots of spin, and it had a nice even response. Really good.
Overall- 9.5/10
Serves- another good part of this setup. Kick serves really jumped, and flat serves were penetrating. It did sometimes lack spin on slice serves for some reason. Also didn't have quite as much pop as I like.
Overall- 8.5/10
Volleys- meh. Average for a gut mains setup. That's good, but again, the lack of pop made volleys more difficult than they should be.
Overall- 8/10
Durabilty- this is not good. The TB is already starting to tear up the gut.
Overall- 4.5/10
Stiffness- soft, but not to the point of arm friendly soft. The TB noticeably stiffened the string bed up from the scorpion.
Overall- 4/10
All in all, this string was inferior to the scorpion in everything except spin potential. I'm definitely sticking to the scorpion for now.
Overall- 8/10
Last edited:
eidolonshinobi
Professional
Are you going to test B5E mains/gut crosses as well?
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
U&C, we need to collaborate. You just saved me wasting some Tour Bite on my gut mains. Thanks!
Haha. Alright. If you have any other setups you don't want to waste, throw em at me.
I only got to hit with the gut mains b5e crosses for about 20 minutes, but first impressions were pretty nice. I'll report when I get to have a full hitting session.
athleticstennis
Rookie
^^
I agree. I have liked very much the reliable up&comer and pvaudio reviews.
I agree. I have liked very much the reliable up&comer and pvaudio reviews.
getsby
Semi-Pro
waiting......:|
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
It's possible after all the other tests I have to do (scorpion, excel, fxp tour, gut mains/b5e crosses)
I might do it while I'm waiting for the fxp tour to come in if it hasn't yet.
mikeler
Moderator
I believe FXP Tour is designed to be used as a full bed being a poly/multi "all in one" string. Are you planning on a full job of this or a hybrid? Either way, I'm interested to hear more about it. I'm such a sucker for playtest threads. ;-)
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
Full bed. I'm not sure what to string it at though.
Uvijek Argen
Semi-Pro
I strung it this weekend for a day test at 55 main and cross. Same universal feeling as head/isospeed strings. Felt like my intellitour with not too much spin,and little bit more pop. Play and feel exactly like Axon multi if that help.
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
Cool. Thanks. I'll probably string at 56 then.
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
Pacific classic/b5e
Stringing- only slightly harder than than the scorpion counterpart. It sounded like it slightly scraped the gut mains, but its no tour bite. No friction burn either.
Groundstrokes- very good. It was similar to tour bite in that it was basically scorpion with more spin. It had a better feel, and still made that sweet cracking sound. Right up there as one of my favorite baselining setups because of the power and spin. Sometimes though, there was a slight loss of control.
Overall-9.5
Serves- wow. Awesome. I can't really describe it. I served better than I ever have with this setup. It stumped the b5e addiction hybrid. It has so much free power and control. Kick serves were great, slice serves hooked, and flat serves were heavy.
Overall- 10/10
Volleys- again, really nice. Just about comparable to scorpion, albeit less power.
Overall- 9/10
Durability- it won't be great compared to other gut/poly hybrids, but it won't be bad. The b5e isn't as heavily shaped as something like tour bite or bhbr.
Overall-6/10
Softness- same as scorpion, maybe a tiny bit stiffer. 1 being the softest, 10 bring stiffest
Overall- 3/10
This is right up next to the gut scorpion. It has everything the scorpion has, except more spin and a little less power on volleys. Does everything really well. I'd have to say this is my favorite, but time will tell.
Overall- 9.6/10
Stringing- only slightly harder than than the scorpion counterpart. It sounded like it slightly scraped the gut mains, but its no tour bite. No friction burn either.
Groundstrokes- very good. It was similar to tour bite in that it was basically scorpion with more spin. It had a better feel, and still made that sweet cracking sound. Right up there as one of my favorite baselining setups because of the power and spin. Sometimes though, there was a slight loss of control.
Overall-9.5
Serves- wow. Awesome. I can't really describe it. I served better than I ever have with this setup. It stumped the b5e addiction hybrid. It has so much free power and control. Kick serves were great, slice serves hooked, and flat serves were heavy.
Overall- 10/10
Volleys- again, really nice. Just about comparable to scorpion, albeit less power.
Overall- 9/10
Durability- it won't be great compared to other gut/poly hybrids, but it won't be bad. The b5e isn't as heavily shaped as something like tour bite or bhbr.
Overall-6/10
Softness- same as scorpion, maybe a tiny bit stiffer. 1 being the softest, 10 bring stiffest
Overall- 3/10
This is right up next to the gut scorpion. It has everything the scorpion has, except more spin and a little less power on volleys. Does everything really well. I'd have to say this is my favorite, but time will tell.
Overall- 9.6/10
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
Honestly, I've never found a poly poly hybrid to ever be greater or even equal than the sum of it's parts.
So I probably won't be testing it.
athleticstennis
Rookie
Up&comer,
I would like a test of gut mains, ltec premium black os crosses and/or gut mains with ltec premium gut crosses. I can help with a set of strings if you like to.
I would like a test of gut mains, ltec premium black os crosses and/or gut mains with ltec premium gut crosses. I can help with a set of strings if you like to.
mixedmedia
Professional
Any more thoughts on TS Storm Metal?
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
You know, I've been looking at the ltec strings, and honestly, I'm not sure. They all seem to be saying the same thing. "lots of spin, comfortable, new technology, etc..." I'd rather not give you my address to send the string to because my parents would flip out if I gave that out.
Not to metion it's like 18 bucks.
And as a loyal TW shopper, I could never buy it from anywhere else.
mixedmedia
Professional
Then I guess that rules out TS strings as well, since TW doesn't carry them?
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
Thunderstrings?
I was joking around. But I'm not paying 18 bucks for a string that i know nothing about and sounds ridiculous.
Ill look at those.
JackB1
G.O.A.T.
Been playing with a full bed of FXP Tour in my IG Instinct and its a very unique string. Feels soft and muted like a multi but doesn't have the springyness and elasticity of multi's. About a medium power level and as an added bonus, the stings do not move. If you like crispy feel you should probably stay away, but if you want something in between a poly and multi that is arm friendly without too much power, this is the string. You can string this about 4 or 5 lbs less than your typical multi, because it won't get loose on you. Tension maintenance seems great too. Seems best for a full bed. Its got a slightly rough and gummy texture, so it wouldn't be good as a cross for gut mains.
Would be interesting for you to try VS in mains and Scorpion in crosses to see if you get an even better hitting experience.
Would be interesting for you to try VS in mains and Scorpion in crosses to see if you get an even better hitting experience.
I tried VS Black mains with B5E crosses about three months ago and its the best setup Ive used with an APD (i still have the APD but playing with VCORE now). Havent used the non black VS as mains with B5E crosses yet.
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
Would be interesting for you to try VS in mains and Scorpion in crosses to see if you get an even better hitting experience.
Nahh. I like the feel of the pacifc more. Vs is a little too soft for me.
Ill try the polygut one after the current tests are done.
VS is also very expensive. Polygut has a fair price considering its gut and the Polyforce seems to be good. Also, its Youzhnys string of choice if that means anything.
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
It was. He recently switched to signum pro.
What signum pro did he switch to?
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
It's marked as prototype.
Wonder when it will be available to the general public and under what name? I suppose it is a hybrid with gut similar to Polygut. From what I know Signum does not produce gut:???:
mixedmedia
Professional
How many hours was that? I was scared to try B5E as a cross because of it being textured (although a lot less than many strings) and it gave my arm a weird feeling when I tried it full bed... But I may be tempted if durability was on par with gut/Scorpion.
Up&comer
Hall of Fame
Durability was comparable to the scorpion setup. It might have broken 30 minutes earlier, but that's not bad.
Be careful basing your thoughts of b5e on a full bed. It plays soo much better in hybrids than in full beds.
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