Aye, Pacific gut is still relevent. The choice comes down to how your wallet is feeling when it's time to buy more strings.
I should have mentioned I popped my last Pacific string outside the sweet spot. The fraying was minimal - I think it could have gone on much longer otherwise.
But to answer BC1... After about 10 hours of solid hitting, yes I notice a higher trajectory. My serves have more on them, for example. When I notice this trampoline effect, I use it as a reminder to relax and let the frame do some work for me. I usually get the impression that I've been getting away with some ball muscling during the first few hours of play, due to me thinking I have imminent control off the fresh string job.
Despite being an ok stringer, I get my racquets strung at a small Tennis/Kite shop in North Austin. Small little shop, knowledgeable guys. Time and again, they hear from the reps that poly is essentially bad for you after a couple hours, and it's best properties have fallen off dramatically in that time as well. I'm sure for many here, this is well known.
Obviously, some Polys hold tension a bit longer, will be softer than others, etc - but their elasticity is lost very quickly. you can still reap the spin benefits and perhaps control before too much tension loss, but shock and touch are issues.
With a gut hybrid, my impression is that you will still lose tension in a similar timeframe, but you retain a useful portion of the forgiveness/elasticity, and the gut lasts longer - which makes this setup both healthy and cost effective, while having a good measure of control. The issue you face is having to endure the performance difference over the lifespan of your string job. At least with the gut hybrid your health is preserved, and you spend a bit less.
Anyway, not sure if I'm allowed to mention the tennis shop name (in the forum), but these guys have been in the business a long time. They still remember Andy Roddick when he'd come knock on the back door to get his freshly-strung racquets (early 90s, before he relo'd to Florida). I enjoy hearing their input and experience gained from the tour events they attend (various vendors, tour stringers).
BC1, there is always the option of suffering through the initial stages of higher tension - it will at least be less harmful on you due to the gut. This might add a 'third phase' to your stringlife experience, and potentially reduce the lifespan, but you may wind up with a slightly tightter 'floor' tension for the majority of the string's playable period, if that makes any sense.
Forget BHBR. That's a second grade string.
