Mikeler's Multis

mkedda said:

Ramon,
Everything that I have read and have been told says that I will break natural gut in set or less. I have been sawing through multi's so fast its ridiculous. The mitigating factor about multis is cost, so its not too bad. But, to start spending $30 or more dollars every 3-4 sets seems excessive.

Are you a string breaker?

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Gut definitely lasts longer both playability wise and physically compared to multis, given that you take care of it.

I have the same problem, as I got through strings alarmingly quickly, even more so now that I've switched to a 16x18 pattern. Gut, when I take care of it, lasts up to twice as long as most multis.

officerdibble said:

The Thunderblast went on me today; durability-wise it's been slightly better than Prince Premier Attack, but in terms of playability, I preferred the PPA. I've found it gives less pocketing and less feedback on volleys.

Just looking at your reviews again, I've seen that I can get Micronite locally (and about 35% cheaper than PPA).

Given my like of PPA and my opinion of it in relation to Thunderblast, how confident would you be that I'd like Micronite? My primary concerns are durability and a slightly stiffer than average (for a multi) feel, whilst not being excessively powerful.

A percentage probability to the nearest 0.05 will suffice

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Micronite/Microfibre is softer than PPA and quite a bit softer than Thunder Blast. The durability is great. I just cut out another set yesterday, just could not break the darn thing but it was fraying so bad I could pull on some of the frays and make them up to an inch long!

mikeler said:

Micronite/Microfibre is softer than PPA and quite a bit softer than Thunder Blast. The durability is great. I just cut out another set yesterday, just could not break the darn thing but it was fraying so bad I could pull on some of the frays and make them up to an inch long!

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Can you put your finger on what characteristic this string has that you like, or that makes it better than another softer multi that I've tried like Mantis Comfort? (please!)

officerdibble said:

Given my like of PPA and my opinion of it in relation to Thunderblast, how confident would you be that I'd like Micronite? My primary concerns are durability and a slightly stiffer than average (for a multi) feel, whilst not being excessively powerful.

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I've used PPA multiple times, and I tried Microfibre (probably same as Micronite) once. If you like PPA for dwell time and feel, I think you'll like Microfibre as well. There's really no adjustment to make between the two because they play quite similarly. I'll give Microfibre the edge on dwell time, feel, and comfort. I'll give PPA the edge for liveliness, spin, and crispness. I've tried them both as full beds, and they last long enough for me that I never let them break. I cut them out when they don't perform as well as they did originally. PPA gets stiffer, and Microfibre gets mushy. I suspect that in a poly hybrid setup they will both break sooner and probably at close to the same time. It's probably worth a shot. I'll be interested in knowing how long each one lasts in a hybrid setup.

officerdibble said:

Can you put your finger on what characteristic this string has that you like, or that makes it better than another softer multi that I've tried like Mantis Comfort? (please!)

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Return of serve for me. I get so many more breaks now. Flattening out forehands and it just feels very consistent on everything else. Just wish it had a tad more spin potential.

Ramon said:

I've used PPA multiple times, and I tried Microfibre (probably same as Micronite) once. If you like PPA for dwell time and feel, I think you'll like Microfibre as well. There's really no adjustment to make between the two because they play quite similarly. I'll give Microfibre the edge on dwell time, feel, and comfort. I'll give PPA the edge for liveliness, spin, and crispness. I've tried them both as full beds, and they last long enough for me that I never let them break. I cut them out when they don't perform as well as they did originally. PPA gets stiffer, and Microfibre gets mushy. I suspect that in a poly hybrid setup they will both break sooner and probably at close to the same time. It's probably worth a shot. I'll be interested in knowing how long each one lasts in a hybrid setup.

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I'll order the Micronite and report back. It may take a me a while though because next week I may not get to play at all because of work. Thanks for your views on both strings: I did like the crispness of PPA. But I could always tweak the tension of the mains to get the balance with a string that is slightly softer. The extra dwell time will probably help my game more as I work on flattening out my forehand: and if make any progress there strings will last a little longer too!!

mikeler said:

Return of serve for me. I get so many more breaks now. Flattening out forehands and it just feels very consistent on everything else. Just wish it had a tad more spin potential.

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I should get all the 'grip' I need for spin from the Blackcode mains; and the extra dwell time will help with flatter shots. I'll put an order in. I might even gamble on a small reel and trust that I can get to something optimum from tweaking tensions.

Thank you.

Just string up another DM setup at 54. The last one came in at 55 on RacquetTune. This one came in at 55.1. It is such an easy string to work with. I really never thought I'd be stringing a multi below 60 and loving it so much.

officerdibble said:

The Thunderblast went on me today; durability-wise it's been slightly better than Prince Premier Attack, but in terms of playability, I preferred the PPA. I've found it gives less pocketing and less feedback on volleys.

Just looking at your reviews again, I've seen that I can get Micronite locally (and about 35% cheaper than PPA).

Given my like of PPA and my opinion of it in relation to Thunderblast, how confident would you be that I'd like Micronite? My primary concerns are durability and a slightly stiffer than average (for a multi) feel, whilst not being excessively powerful.

A percentage probability to the nearest 0.05 will suffice

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Why doesnt someone mail him the strings LOL

mikeler said:

Just string up another DM setup at 54. The last one came in at 55 on RacquetTune. This one came in at 55.1. It is such an easy string to work with. I really never thought I'd be stringing a multi below 60 and loving it so much.

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Every time you do this we new stringers have to go back through all the posts to find what DM might mean. You are already killing my wallet with all the new setups to try must you take my mind also? There is not much left.
So,, what is DM

levy1 said:

Every time you do this we new stringers have to go back through all the posts to find what DM might mean. You are already killing my wallet with all the new setups to try must you take my mind also? There is not much left.
So,, what is DM

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DM = Discho Microfibre

I'd put an acronyms list in post #2 but then I'd spend half the thread telling people to hit post 1 for the review and post 2 for the acronyms etc.

levy1 said:

Every time you do this we new stringers have to go back through all the posts to find what DM might mean. You are already killing my wallet with all the new setups to try must you take my mind also? There is not much left.
So,, what is DM

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DM = Discho Microfibre = SPM = Signum Pro Micronite QED

officerdibble said:

DM = Discho Microfibre = SPM = Signum Pro Micronite QED

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PPA = Prince Premiere Attack, MCS = Mantis Comfort Synthetic, ThB = Thunder Blast

This thread is truly amazing!! Remember when it all started!! Great job Mikeler. Just an enormous amount of information. I love how you can just to back to page 1 and see all the reviews/rankings---find myself doing it all the time to "refresh" the memory bank.

Looking forward to testing out the DM (Microfibre) and sharing my thoughts. Thanks so much buddy

Kcraig said:

This thread is truly amazing!! Remember when it all started!! Great job Mikeler. Just an enormous amount of information. I love how you can just to back to page 1 and see all the reviews/rankings---find myself doing it all the time to "refresh" the memory bank.

Looking forward to testing out the DM (Microfibre) and sharing my thoughts. Thanks so much buddy

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I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it since you have tried a number of multis like myself.

@Mikeler -

After another match out with DM, I'm curious, what did you think about the power level compared to Maxim Touch?

sphinx780 said:

@Mikeler -

After another match out with DM, I'm curious, what did you think about the power level compared to Maxim Touch?

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Interesting question. I'm noticing that I seem to be getting a lot more aces with DM, almost like when I played with Maxim Touch 2 years ago. The control on ground strokes is still much better with DM. Keep in mind, I'm comparing DM 16 at 54# in the PK 7Gs to Maxim Touch 17 at 60# in the Babolat PSTs (non GT). Spec wise the two rackets are not that different but the difference in feel and power is more than the specs would indicate. The 7G is definitely more powerful.

My last multi horrah

All, I have been reading and loving mikeler's multis thread. I have used all of his top 3 multi's and cannot disagree with anything but ... durability! I am getting no more than 3 sets off of the string beds. I have 2 more I want to try.

RIP Control 17 (16 had the best durability but NO power).
Pacific Premium Power X Synthetic 16L String

Should I bother wasting my time with any of the above ones?

I posted in a thread there what poly's I may try out..LINK

mikeler said:

Interesting question. I'm noticing that I seem to be getting a lot more aces with DM, almost like when I played with Maxim Touch 2 years ago. The control on ground strokes is still much better with DM. Keep in mind, I'm comparing DM 16 at 54# in the PK 7Gs to Maxim Touch 17 at 60# in the Babolat PSTs (non GT). Spec wise the two rackets are not that different but the difference in feel and power is more than the specs would indicate. The 7G is definitely more powerful.

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I agree there's definitely more control and I'd lean towards stating that it's because of the increased dwell time that DM gives. Funny thing is from my test, I'd also put DM above Maxim Touch (both at 54/51 on a BB Melbourne) in the power department...but IIRC I was using Maxim 16 so that could be a part of the difference as well. If you like this power level, then you may want to give Volkl Gripper a try, contrary to my prior thoughts based off your preferences. It's about as soft with fairly equal power level but has a little more access to spin.

mkedda said:

All, I have been reading and loving mikeler's multis thread. I have used all of his top 3 multi's and cannot disagree with anything but ... durability! I am getting no more than 3 sets off of the string beds. I have 2 more I want to try.

RIP Control 17 (16 had the best durability but NO power).
Pacific Premium Power X Synthetic 16L String

Should I bother wasting my time with any of the above ones?

I posted in a thread there what poly's I may try out..LINK

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What racket are you using and what is your level?

mkedda said:

All, I have been reading and loving mikeler's multis thread. I have used all of his top 3 multi's and cannot disagree with anything but ... durability! I am getting no more than 3 sets off of the string beds. I have 2 more I want to try.

RIP Control 17 (16 had the best durability but NO power).
Pacific Premium Power X Synthetic 16L String

Should I bother wasting my time with any of the above ones?

I posted in a thread there what poly's I may try out..LINK

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Don't bother with RIP Control 17. Other posters here who don't break strings like you do reported that it breaks prematurely for them. I think your best bet is probably natural gut, unless you want to try poly mains and risk your arm.

I am using a Head Youtek IG Speed 300. 16x19. I play 4.0 and 4.5. I have been told I hit like a 4.5 serve and ground strokes

mikeler said:

What racket are you using and what is your level?

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mkedda said:

I am using a Head Youtek IG Speed 300. 16x19. I play 4.0 and 4.5. I have been told I hit like a 4.5 serve and ground strokes

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Open patterns are string eaters unfortunately.

I'm waiting for the Discho Microfibre (or whatever it's called) to arrive from Germany. But I've just realised that I still have some Isospeed Control that I haven't put in.

How does it stack up against the DM / Genesis ThB / Prince Premier Attack? I'm confident that I'll like the Discho, but I could either put the IsoSpeed in one of my racquets or put it in my son's (his first ever restring).

Any suggestions?

Hi Mike,

I bought "Pro's Pro Hiteck multifiber" and played with for few hours ( close to 5/6 hours of hitting) in a hybrid setup. I used this as a cross and poly as main.

The crosses broke. I didn't notice much wear on the other crosses. the two center crosses started to wear out and it broke.

How long did you get in a full bed setup ?

Thanks

Sorry for not reading the entire huge thread but would you say premier attack and premier lt play alike? I'm not a huge string breaker, even with hybrids but premier lt lasted me only 6 hrs of hitting time but i love the feel of it. Would you say premier attack is a better lasting alternative?

5g strings

Hi Mike,

I just bought a 5g classic and planning to get it strung,can you please advise if a full gut or gut/poly hybrid will be better for it.

officerdibble said:

I'm waiting for the Discho Microfibre (or whatever it's called) to arrive from Germany. But I've just realised that I still have some Isospeed Control that I haven't put in.

How does it stack up against the DM / Genesis ThB / Prince Premier Attack? I'm confident that I'll like the Discho, but I could either put the IsoSpeed in one of my racquets or put it in my son's (his first ever restring).

Any suggestions?

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I did not play very well with the Isospeed Control so let's just say I'm not a fan.

mars76 said:

Hi Mike,

I bought "Pro's Pro Hiteck multifiber" and played with for few hours ( close to 5/6 hours of hitting) in a hybrid setup. I used this as a cross and poly as main.

The crosses broke. I didn't notice much wear on the other crosses. the two center crosses started to wear out and it broke.

How long did you get in a full bed setup ?

Thanks

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I believe that string is the same as Mantis Comfort Synthetic which typically lasted me anywhere from 3 to 5 hours. If I was playing a big hitter, I could break them in a 3 set match.

mrtrinh said:

Sorry for not reading the entire huge thread but would you say premier attack and premier lt play alike? I'm not a huge string breaker, even with hybrids but premier lt lasted me only 6 hrs of hitting time but i love the feel of it. Would you say premier attack is a better lasting alternative?

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You don't have to read the entire thread, just go to the first post and you'll see links to all my string reviews. The simple answer to your first question is "Yes". If you read the Premiere review, you'll see my thoughts on the two strings. Ramon has also compared the two strings and I agree with his take on them. Both seem to stiffen up over time but Premiere is softer. I did not play either to breakage but Premiere was darn close to breaking while LT just started getting too stiff for me so I had to cut it out.

lucky44 said:

Hi Mike,

I just bought a 5g classic and planning to get it strung,can you please advise if a full gut or gut/poly hybrid will be better for it.

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If you are using a 5G, I'm guessing arm comfort is important. If so, full gut is the way to go but there is a lot of love on TTW for gut/poly hybrids. I've only tried it once and did not get the WOW factor that others got. Perhaps I need to give it another whirl with a higher end gut but now that summer is in full force, I don't want to mess with gut at this time.

Hey Mikeler,

Between B5E/ThB and DM, how much more spin and control do you get from B5E/ThB, if you can quantify it? Does DM give you quite a bit more power and comfort? I would like to try out DM for my arm's sake but am afraid I will lose too much spin and more importantly, control.

TenFanLA said:

Hey Mikeler,

Between B5E/ThB and DM, how much more spin and control do you get from B5E/ThB, if you can quantify it? Does DM give you quite a bit more power and comfort? I would like to try out DM for my arm's sake but am afraid I will lose too much spin and more importantly, control.

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I feel like DM has great control if you get the tension right. The only time it got springy was when I strung it up at 50# which is very low for a multi. The spin is certainly higher with B5E/ThB. If I had to quanitfy it, I'd guess I get about 10% more spin with that setup. I'm stringing DM now at 54#. At that low of a tension, I'm really getting some nice pop on my serve. Not quite gut like but getting close. Since the tension is so low, I'd say it is probably close to the comfort of MCS at 60#.

mikeler said:

If you are using a 5G, I'm guessing arm comfort is important. If so, full gut is the way to go but there is a lot of love on TTW for gut/poly hybrids. I've only tried it once and did not get the WOW factor that others got. Perhaps I need to give it another whirl with a higher end gut but now that summer is in full force, I don't want to mess with gut at this time.

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Thanks for your quick response,yes,arm comfort is very important to me but I was jut wondering if I will get more control and spin with the hybrid,for now I think I will go with full gut.

lucky44 said:

Hi Mike,

I just bought a 5g classic and planning to get it strung,can you please advise if a full gut or gut/poly hybrid will be better for it.

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I have a Ki 5x, which is similar to your 5G. I tried both full gut and gut/poly. Right now I'm using full gut, and I plan to stick with it because of my arm.

Gut/poly does have its advantages, the biggest being more spin. If you decide to try it, just be on the lookout for arm problems. It will probably be okay the first few times out, but if your wrist or elbow starts to feel painful or numb after about 5 hours of play, it's the poly.

Ramon said:

I have a Ki 5x, which is similar to your 5G. I tried both full gut and gut/poly. Right now I'm using full gut, and I plan to stick with it because of my arm.

Gut/poly does have its advantages, the biggest being more spin. If you decide to try it, just be on the lookout for arm problems. It will probably be okay the first few times out, but if your wrist or elbow starts to feel painful or numb after about 5 hours of play, it's the poly.

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Thanks Ramon,appreciate it.

Hey everyone,

As promised I have returned to deliver my verdict on Wilson Stamina (WS). As a refresher, I was playing with head rip control (HRC) for about a year but decided to change it up since I didn't like the muted feel of HRC and also wanted something with better tension stability. I tried tech x-one biphase (TXOB) but it had far too much power for me. Though on the plus side it had excellent feel and access to spin. After much debate I went to WS because it's claim is low power and good tension stability.

I have played for about 6 or more hours with WS at mid-tension. My verdict is that WS is low powered. However, it has poor access to spin. The coupling of the low power and lousy spin means I am swinging harder and wippier to on groundstrokes. This is bringing me inconsistent results, sometimes I am sending balls long and other times they are lacking pep. I have not been able to get into a good groove. The feel is less muted than HRC and far less plush than TXOB. I don't really love it or hate the feel so it works for me for the most part. Tension is holding up well, and the strings are behaving consistently (consistently lack luster in my opinion).
I am getting frustrated at this point because I have been playing poorly for a month and can't get into a groove again. Prior to that my GF and I were demoing a bunch of rackets for her birthday gift and we both were playing awesome. I can't believe I am saying this but I am thinking of trying yet another string set-up. This is getting ridiculous. Thinking of going back to HRC, I obviously didn't love those strings but at least I will know what I am getting. I would be happy to hear any advice, I could use the help right about now

Weston said:

Hey everyone,

As promised I have returned to deliver my verdict on Wilson Stamina (WS). As a refresher, I was playing with head rip control (HRC) for about a year but decided to change it up since I didn't like the muted feel of HRC and also wanted something with better tension stability. I tried tech x-one biphase (TXOB) but it had far too much power for me. Though on the plus side it had excellent feel and access to spin. After much debate I went to WS because it's claim is low power and good tension stability.

I have played for about 6 or more hours with WS at mid-tension. My verdict is that WS is low powered. However, it has poor access to spin. The coupling of the low power and lousy spin means I am swinging harder and wippier to on groundstrokes. This is bringing me inconsistent results, sometimes I am sending balls long and other times they are lacking pep. I have not been able to get into a good groove. The feel is less muted than HRC and far less plush than TXOB. I don't really love it or hate the feel so it works for me for the most part. Tension is holding up well, and the strings are behaving consistently (consistently lack luster in my opinion).
I am getting frustrated at this point because I have been playing poorly for a month and can't get into a groove again. Prior to that my GF and I were demoing a bunch of rackets for her birthday gift and we both were playing awesome. I can't believe I am saying this but I am thinking of trying yet another string set-up. This is getting ridiculous. Thinking of going back to HRC, I obviously didn't love those strings but at least I will know what I am getting. I would be happy to hear any advice, I could use the help right about now

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Read the first page of this thread and try out the top strings. It's really that simple. Wilson Stamina is a monofilament synthetic, and in my experience, those types of strings don't have the feel and spin of good multifilaments. I monitor my tension regularly with RacquetTune, and the raw numbers tell me that, in real world testing in the Florida summer, PPA's tension maintenance is better than Klip Legend's (a natural gut). One of the best monofilament synthetics, PSGD, doesn't even come close in tension maintenance.

First Hit with Discho Microfibre (DM) 16g

Well Mikeler was kind enough to send me a set of the famed DM to test out and share some thoughts. I of course have been a long follower of this thread from its first days and Mikeler and I tend to agree on "most" string setups. As we all know, he is definitely HIGH on this string and I think i know why now!!! So here are my initial thoughts after about a 3+hr session of 4.5 doubles (5 sets)

Frame: Prince EXO3 Tour 16*18
Tension: 52# on Babolat star 5 (Mikeler's recommendation on tension)
Normal Setup: Pacific Classic/CoFocus 54/50 or Poly/Kirsch Touch 48/52
Me: 4.5 player with SW FH, 2hb and 1hb slice all courter--playing more dubs than singles these days.
Stringing: I dont string myself, but as soft as this string felt to the touch i would imagine it was a very easy to string up. Some ghosting, but not bad at all.

Groundies/Feel: From the very first feed I knew I was going to like this string. It had a soft, plush yet "crisp" feel to it. Softness reminded me of MCS, but unlike MCS, there was some POP behind this string. FHs had great directional control and i could really flatten out some screaming FHs both crosscourt and dtl. Just found myself almost laughing a few times and just trying to see how hard i could hit the ball and it still go in. One of the more control oriented, yet soft/arm friendly multis I have tried to date.

Spin: Spin is decent for a multi, but def lacking from the gut/poly setup. I am not a "high spin" player and hit more of a flat ball. Although the spin is slightly less (I agree with Mikeler--maybe 10-15% less than gut/poly) I still had excellent control--even at the low tension of 52#!! Not going to see any full poly spin and balls jumping off the court, but if your reading this thread and considering full multi, then spin can NOT be your major concern/attribute out of a string.

Serves: Hit some very nice flat serves and noticed some additional pop as well. This is probably the area where the lack of spin hurt me some. I was used to the extra spin on 2nd serves and had just a few more DFs than i would like. Something to be adapted to with a slight change in grip and acceleration through the ball.

Volleys: Was impressed with the feel off the stringbed at net, but was just ever so slightly missing that "put away" pop on some volleys. May add just a tad of lead tape to 9.5/3.5 position to get some more stability and ooomph on volleys. But at stock, it was not bad at all.

String movement: Coming from world of gut/poly this full multi setup obviously moved more, but it wasnt really that bad. If only I had Mikeler's "string thing"--LOL:razz:

Tension: Was concerned with stringing a full multi at 52# especially in the extreme hot temps we have here (around 100* in summer) but it really was nice. I may go up to 54# and see how that works.

OVERALL--very nice string and I pretty much agree with all the raving reviews it has received. Very arm friendly (have had GE issues for a while now and NO twinges last night!). It is right up there with Babolat Xcel (16g)and Kirsch Touch Multi (17g) as my favorite multis. Thanks again Mikeler!!

^^^ Glad you enjoyed the string. Thanks for the detailed write up. Keep us posted if anything changes over the life of the string.

@KCraig-

Thanks for the write up and I full heartedly agree with you on all accounts, it was that silly second serve that I noticed the lack of spin on most as well. Like you said, it's just a little adjustment to settle that part in. It is a top notch string!

Ramon,

I didn't think this thread sole purpose was to subscribe to Mikeler's top strings and that the community would benefit from hearing a review on another string. Are you having a bad day or are you always this closed minded a narrow sighted?

Ramon said:

Read the first page of this thread and try out the top strings. It's really that simple. Wilson Stamina is a monofilament synthetic, and in my experience, those types of strings don't have the feel and spin of good multifilaments. I monitor my tension regularly with RacquetTune, and the raw numbers tell me that, in real world testing in the Florida summer, PPA's tension maintenance is better than Klip Legend's (a natural gut). One of the best monofilament synthetics, PSGD, doesn't even come close in tension maintenance.

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Weston said:

Ramon,

I didn't think this thread sole purpose was to subscribe to Mikeler's top strings and that the community would benefit from hearing a review on another string. Are you having a bad day or are you always this closed minded a narrow sighted?

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I'm not sure what Ramon said that is worth being upset about. You seemed to want a very nice multifilament string, so Ramon referred you to a list of the favorites of someone who has tested out numerous kinds.

Weston said:

Ramon,

I didn't think this thread sole purpose was to subscribe to Mikeler's top strings and that the community would benefit from hearing a review on another string. Are you having a bad day or are you always this closed minded a narrow sighted?

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I think he was just trying to simplify the process for you. I know he likes the Kirschbaum multi just like KCraig, so that may be worth a shot for you.

Weston said:

Ramon,

I didn't think this thread sole purpose was to subscribe to Mikeler's top strings and that the community would benefit from hearing a review on another string. Are you having a bad day or are you always this closed minded a narrow sighted?

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Not having a bad day, and don't know why you seem upset. Just from your description I think PPA and DM would be worth your time: good feel, spin, and tension maintenance. Looking at the top of the board is a shortcut to recommending them. I've used both. If you don't want to try as many strings as he has, it's a good start.

As for being closed minded, I've experimented with about as many setups as Mikeler over the last 6 months, and not just multifilaments. My go to setup is Klip Legend (natural gut) and my backup is Kirschbaum Touch Multifibre 16 (#15A on the list, not exactly a great review). I like KTM for the feel, spin, control, and overall gut like response. Tension maintenance is not that great on my measurements, but long term playability is still good.

Ramon said:

Not having a bad day, and don't know why you seem upset. Just from your description I think PPA and DM would be worth your time: good feel, spin, and tension maintenance. Looking at the top of the board is a shortcut to recommending them. I've used both. If you don't want to try as many strings as he has, it's a good start.

As for being closed minded, I've experimented with about as many setups as Mikeler over the last 6 months, and not just multifilaments. My go to setup is Klip Legend (natural gut) and my backup is Kirschbaum Touch Multifibre 16 (#15A on the list, not exactly a great review). I like KTM for the feel, spin, control, and overall gut like response. Tension maintenance is not that great on my measurements, but long term playability is still good.

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It's funny that I agree with you on DM and PPA so closely but when you say the KTM has a gut like response, I don't feel that way at all. It felt quite stiff to me. Then again, I agree with KCraig on many strings but he also really likes KTM. So perhaps it was just not a good fit for my racket and/or game.

mikeler said:

It's funny that I agree with you on DM and PPA so closely but when you say the KTM has a gut like response, I don't feel that way at all. It felt quite stiff to me. Then again, I agree with KCraig on many strings but he also really likes KTM. So perhaps it was just not a good fit for my racket and/or game.

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My racquet is just an update to yours, and your description of your game is pretty close to mine. String selection is not an exact science. You can't explain everything.

Maybe you just had a crappy day on the court and took it out by shanking it! LOL

Ramon said:

My racquet is just an update to yours, and your description of your game is pretty close to mine. String selection is not an exact science. You can't explain everything.

Maybe you just had a crappy day on the court and took it out by shanking it! LOL

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I was also playing ssgator80. Never seen a guy that size hit a forehand so big. Still, the string felt very firm and nowhere near gut to me. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

mikeler said:

It's funny that I agree with you on DM and PPA so closely but when you say the KTM has a gut like response, I don't feel that way at all. It felt quite stiff to me. Then again, I agree with KCraig on many strings but he also really likes KTM. So perhaps it was just not a good fit for my racket and/or game.

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I have only tried the 17g kirsch touch multi but liked it a lot. Even have a reel of it. Used it in full setups and as cross string. Very very good durability especially for a 17g string!!! Will be very interested to see how the DM works over an extended period of time.

Kcraig said:

I have only tried the 17g kirsch touch multi but liked it a lot. Even have a reel of it. Used it in full setups and as cross string. Very very good durability especially for a 17g string!!! Will be very interested to see how the DM works over an extended period of time.

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I might have to try the 17g some time. I normally only use 16g because of the durability factor. One thing I noticed is that KTM played lousy the first time I tried it. I think it was because it was only a day away from being strung, so I only hit with it for a few minutes. It moved a lot and had no bite. 2 days later, it was like a completely different string. I was shocked when I hit consecutive heavy topspin shots and the mains didn't budge and the balls spun! It loses more tension than PPA and DM, but the only reason I know that is because I measure it. Otherwise, it seems to play longer and more consistently than the other two.

I may give the Kirschbaum another shot down the road.

Hi Mike,

I think the durability of MCS seems to be weird.

I strung my racquet during the weekend and after hardly an hour of hitting the Strings broke. (The cross at the center of the frame).

I am not sure whether it's typical for this multi.

Also what's the most durable multi you have tried so far.

Thanks.

mikeler said:

I did not play very well with the Isospeed Control so let's just say I'm not a fan.




I believe that string is the same as Mantis Comfort Synthetic which typically lasted me anywhere from 3 to 5 hours. If I was playing a big hitter, I could break them in a 3 set match.




You don't have to read the entire thread, just go to the first post and you'll see links to all my string reviews. The simple answer to your first question is "Yes". If you read the Premiere review, you'll see my thoughts on the two strings. Ramon has also compared the two strings and I agree with his take on them. Both seem to stiffen up over time but Premiere is softer. I did not play either to breakage but Premiere was darn close to breaking while LT just started getting too stiff for me so I had to cut it out.




If you are using a 5G, I'm guessing arm comfort is important. If so, full gut is the way to go but there is a lot of love on TTW for gut/poly hybrids. I've only tried it once and did not get the WOW factor that others got. Perhaps I need to give it another whirl with a higher end gut but now that summer is in full force, I don't want to mess with gut at this time.

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