2012 Gamma Prototype Playtest!

Gamma Prototype







Stringing: One of two things has clearly happened here:

1. Gamma sent out two prototype strings
2. Some people simply didn't install the string at all (self stringers I mean) and kept it

I say that because this is the most unique string I have seen in my life. It is literally the shape of linguinetti aka slightly less wide than linguine. As a few people have said, it is flat. That means that on the narrow side, it's about 1.08mm, and on the wide side, close to 1.50mm. It is absolutely impossible NOT to notice this because your clamps grip absolutely differently depending on how the string is oriented. For this reason, I have to say that I did not enjoy stringing this at all. You end up either crushing the flat side, or not having enough grip to clamp the thin side. I tried to capture this with the images, but my little camera simply isn't good enough. Those who did notice it will attest to how obnoxious it was to work with. Nonetheless, I will play with it tonight. Strung 47/47lbs.

pvaudio said:

Gamma Prototype

Stringing: One of two things has clearly happened here:

1. Gamma sent out two prototype strings
2. Some people simply didn't install the string at all (self stringers I mean) and kept it

I say that because this is the most unique string I have seen in my life. It is literally the shape of linguinetti aka slightly less wide than linguine. As a few people have said, it is flat. That means that on the narrow side, it's about 1.08mm, and on the wide side, close to 1.50mm. It is absolutely impossible NOT to notice this because your clamps grip absolutely differently depending on how the string is oriented. For this reason, I have to say that I did not enjoy stringing this at all. You end up either crushing the flat side, or not having enough grip to clamp the thin side. I tried to capture this with the images, but my little camera simply isn't good enough. Those who did notice it will attest to how obnoxious it was to work with. Nonetheless, I will play with it tonight. Strung 47/47lbs.

Click to expand...

Ok well does that mean i received both prototypes of the strings?

I have no idea what it means, but one of the earlier posters said "I got a package of fettuccine in the mail today" and a few others have commented on it being flat while others have said absolutely nothing. Either they didn't string it themselves, there are multiple strings, or the review is BS. It seriously is impossible not to notice. As someone on the previous page said, he had to keep readjusting his clamps because of its shape. I stand by those and my statements: if someone says they strung it themselves and say it was like a normal poly, then either it's a different string or they just posted a review to get in for future free string.

pvaudio said:

I have no idea what it means, but one of the earlier posters said "I got a package of fettuccine in the mail today" and a few others have commented on it being flat while others have said absolutely nothing. Either they didn't string it themselves, there are multiple strings, or the review is BS. It seriously is impossible not to notice. As someone on the previous page said, he had to keep readjusting his clamps because of its shape. I stand by those and my statements: if someone says they strung it themselves and say it was like a normal poly, then either it's a different string or they just posted a review to get in for future free string.

Click to expand...

The only word i got from my stringer was " What string is this? Tough one to string " . I was just suspecting that his clamps were losing grip from many racquets being restrung. But that's good to know.

Andyroo10567 said:

The only word i got from my stringer was " What string is this? Tough one to string " . I was just suspecting that his clamps were losing grip from many racquets being restrung. But that's good to know.

Click to expand...

I found it basically simple to string. I checked the clamps to prevent any slipping so yes I kept the clamps tight, and they flattened the string where the clamps contacted it , but it still strung up okay, and was not that big a deal.Being a flat string it made it easier to slide through the blocked holes easier as well. It was a simple string to string up for me.Possibly since I use a 5 tooth clamp, and kept it relatively tight, so no slipping, was no big deal.

Must be two types

My sample was not flat. A shame as a thinner version might address some of my issues with it.

I've been posting in another thread on this string, but I had similar (but not exactly the same) observations. I didn't necessarily find it difficult to string though, but I definitely found it a little unusual.

You can see my comments in this thread: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=435680

And here is what I originally said about it the day I strung it (8/12):

-----

I am VERY interested to play with this string now, after stringing it up this evening. It found it to be a really interesting string.

First, to the touch, it seemed to be on the softer side for a poly, and perhaps even a tad more pliable than most polys.

What really struck me was the thickness. When I first began the mains, I thought to myself "wow, this is one THICK string." However, as I started stringing, it seems to thin out! It almost exhibited a quality similar to teflon tubing. Stringers who have reinforced grommets with teflon tubing will certainly know what I mean. As you stretch it, it gets thinner/skinnier.

That was the impression I got as I was stringing this stuff. It actually seems to thin out as it was pulled. I even wondered if it might be hollow.

After stringing, I did the ol' "bounce test." You can't really tell much at all from these tests in my experience, but my impression was that it felt soft for a poly. I compared it with another racquet strung with Gamma Professional and no doubt about it, the GPro is far more "muted" and soft.

But still, this experimental strings seems like it may have potential for those seeking a softer feel in a poly.

I strung it at M:50,X:48. I checked tension with the Gamma STT right after stringing and the M were 50. I didn't check the crosses.

Will be playing with this tomorrow morning, so will be able to give my first impression of how it plays sometime tomorrow.

jim e said:

I found it basically simple to string. I checked the clamps to prevent any slipping so yes I kept the clamps tight, and they flattened the string where the clamps contacted it , but it still strung up okay, and was not that big a deal.Being a flat string it made it easier to slide through the blocked holes easier as well. It was a simple string to string up for me.Possibly since I use a 5 tooth clamp, and kept it relatively tight, so no slipping, was no big deal.

Click to expand...

I didn't say that it was difficult to string. It was just quite different than even a shaped poly to the point that it's obvious. However, as a poster or two ago said, he said his was normally shaped. I strung up a bed of pasta tonight. The sauce I mean plot thickens...

jim e said:

I found it basically simple to string. I checked the clamps to prevent any slipping so yes I kept the clamps tight, and they flattened the string where the clamps contacted it , but it still strung up okay, and was not that big a deal.Being a flat string it made it easier to slide through the blocked holes easier as well. It was a simple string to string up for me.Possibly since I use a 5 tooth clamp, and kept it relatively tight, so no slipping, was no big deal.

Click to expand...

Just went to my local pro shop to show him my second set of the strings and he said that they were exactly the same ones he strung my racquet with from what he saw. While i was looking at the strings they weren't SUPER flat but they were shaped a lot differently ( cannot see amazingly, hard for me to see up close on things. ). I felt that it was shaped slightly flat but thats just from rolling it in between my 2 fingers.

Andyroo10567 said:

Just went to my local pro shop to show him my second set of the strings and he said that they were exactly the same ones he strung my racquet with from what he saw. While i was looking at the strings they weren't SUPER flat but they were shaped a lot differently ( cannot see amazingly, hard for me to see up close on things. ). I felt that it was shaped slightly flat but thats just from rolling it in between my 2 fingers.

Click to expand...

I didn't even notice it while unwinding the coil. Once when my clamps were either slipping or crushing the string did I stop and realize that the shape is the reason.

pvaudio said:

I have no idea what it means, but one of the earlier posters said "I got a package of fettuccine in the mail today" and a few others have commented on it being flat while others have said absolutely nothing. Either they didn't string it themselves, there are multiple strings, or the review is BS. It seriously is impossible not to notice. As someone on the previous page said, he had to keep readjusting his clamps because of its shape. I stand by those and my statements: if someone says they strung it themselves and say it was like a normal poly, then either it's a different string or they just posted a review to get in for future free string.

Click to expand...

That was me who said "I got a package of fettuccine in the mail today". I wrote that (amusingly) because I was surprised at how flat the string is. I have never seen a string that flat.

It was a bit of a pain to string because I had to make sure my clamps and the tensioner did not crush the string (Gamma Progression II). The string oriented itself on the flat side making it, effectively, the thickest string I have ever used. I have been hitting with it on and off for about a week now and will post my full review in the near future. So far, I am not very impressed. . . . . . . . . . .

BDINPGH

bdinpgh said:

That was me who said "I got a package of fettuccine in the mail today". I wrote that (amusingly) because I was surprised at how flat the string is. I have never seen a string that flat.

It was a bit of a pain to string because I had to make sure my clamps and the tensioner did not crush the string (Gamma Progression II). The string oriented itself on the flat side making it, effectively, the thickest string I have ever used. I have been hitting with it on and off for about a week now and will post my full review in the near future. So far, I am not very impressed. . . . . . . . . . .

BDINPGH

Click to expand...

Same here with the orientation to the flat side facing out. It's fatty flatness doesn't add anything useful for me. And even with an open pattern ( 16x18 ) that thick face just created a plank to hit with.

I didn't understand the fettuccine comment until I strung it. I didn't have any issues with clamps or anything. I think the way it's shaped though is the reason that it moves so much. It's actually tougher to straighten the strings when comparing to regular round strings while I'm playing.

I'll save my other comments for my review in a couple of weeks. I've actually enjoyed the playtest so far, way better than the Solinco playtest.

Tension used for playtest: 50lb constant pull

Regular string set up: Tourna Big Hitter Black 7 @ 48lb

Racquet brand and model used for test: Babolat Pure Storm Tour

Power of test string: Moderate power, compared to other polys.

Feel: Feel was disappointing. The stringbed didn't provide much feedback as to where and how I hit the ball. I could hit touch shots, but they felt awkward and I was never quite confident where they were going.

Spin: Spin was ok, but not exceptional. That was a disappointment given the initial slippery feel I noticed when I strung it.

Comfort: Comfort was good. Very little shock.

Durability: Adequate, sort of. It played well in spite of disappointing tension loss.

Playability Duration: The playability dropped off very early. I was able to hit good shots, but the stringbed felt sloppy and imprecise.

Control: I wasn't impressed with the control. I had to use heavy spin to keep balls in the court.

Compare to the string you use most often: My normal string would be a lot harder to confuse with pasta, for one. BHB7 keeps its tension a lot more predictably and offers much better feel.

Tension recommendations: No idea. Tension maintenance was my biggest disappointment with this string, and I wouldn't be interested in experimenting to try and find the right initial tension to let it eventually settle into something playable.

Summary: I didn't find much impressive about this prototype. It was awkward to string because of the extreme difference in width depending on orientation, and it lost enough tension sitting in the racquet that I never felt it was really working well. Beyond that, after a few hours of hitting, the mains stopped sliding on the crosses, which alone is enough reason for me to avoid this string (both for the loss of spin potential and disheveled appearance).

All the same, thanks for the playtest TW!

pvaudio said:

Gamma Prototype
I say that because this is the most unique string I have seen in my life. It is literally the shape of linguinetti aka slightly less wide than linguine. As a few people have said, it is flat. That means that on the narrow side, it's about 1.08mm, and on the wide side, close to 1.50mm. It is absolutely impossible NOT to notice this because your clamps grip absolutely differently depending on how the string is oriented. For this reason, I have to say that I did not enjoy stringing this at all. You end up either crushing the flat side, or not having enough grip to clamp the thin side. I tried to capture this with the images, but my little camera simply isn't good enough. Those who did notice it will attest to how obnoxious it was to work with. Nonetheless, I will play with it tonight. Strung 47/47lbs.

Click to expand...

The Gosen Powermaster strings have a similar construction and have been available for a while on TW. There was also a Compositemaster but that is no longer listed. I agree that stringing it was "interesting". Eventually I settled on adjusting the clamp for the thinner gauge and hand-rotating the string whenever the clamp would naturally close on the thicker gauge.

Experimental Gamma

Anybodies Gamma have an experimental code with the packaging?

Just got the following sets
SG0355D1 - black color, appears to be a multi
SG0283 - Appears to be poly - natural color
SG0355C1 - Grey syn gut, looks like duraflex
SG0355A1 Looks like blue nxt control

Anyways just checking....didn't get these from TW but thought I would ask

I will post a review this weekend, school has taken me another week.

I have a tournament this weekend. Will post a review next week.

I'll post my full account some time this coming weekend, but first impressions are of absolute mediocrity. Nothing outstanding, but nothing bad at all.

edit: I am an idiot

Tension used for playtest: 58
Regular string set up: no hybrid
Racquet brand and model used for test: Head Youtek Ig Prestige Pro
Power of test string: 1/10- This string has no power!
Feel:5/10- I don't really like the feel either. It has an awful drawback when I hit the center of the string.
Spin- 7/10- This string has plenty of spin. Since, I am semi-western player, this wasn't any of a problem.
Comfort: 6/10
Durability:5/10
Playability Duration: The duration changed in the 3rd day of the play test. The strings started moving everywhere! As a poly and natural gut user, I won't be doing any more future play test.
Control: I am not a synthetic user, so I can't really answer this question.
Compare to the string you use most often
Tension recommendations: I recommended tension 60+. I had it on 56 and the strings weren't as tight. I lost a lot of control on the ball.
Summary:
Therefore, I won't be play testing any more strings for TW.
Likes- Easy to string
controlled spin
Dislike- the gauge is 15!
The power is way too low.

That is for the Gamma play test string.

Tension used for playtest: 48 on CP

Regular string set up: L-Tec 5s/3s

Racquet brand and model used for test: Donnay X-Dark Red 94

Power of test string: It was very nice off the ground and on serve. The strings that felt very much like a multi provided some nice pop. I felt like I could go for my ground strokes.

Feel: I was quite surprised at the touch and ball control I able to get from this string. DTL or CC was extremely easy. Though, mishits would produce crazy balls all over the place.

Spin: Virtually nonexistent. Other than normal spin production, there was no extra spin. Even drop shots would not get the bite that other strings can give.

Comfort: Very comfortable coming from a person with a history of shoulder problems.

Durability: Still in tact. Though some very wide notching going on the crosses.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): The string got better on the third time hitting (5th hour).

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): Easy swings produced terribly underpowered balls that would land short or in the net. When over hitting the ball would go way long.

Compare to the string you use most often: Felt similar to Dunlop Silk

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): Low tension (<50). The lower tension to give a little more string movement and eventual snapback because of the lack of spin.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.

Like 1: Comfortable string, hard strokes didn't jar the arm.
Like 2: Durability. The string notched but didn't break after heavy hitting.

Dislike 1: Lack of spin, the smooth round string didn't produce nearly enough spin.

cluckcluck said:

Tension used for playtest: 48 on CP

Regular string set up: L-Tec 5s/3s

Racquet brand and model used for test: Donnay X-Dark Red 94

Power of test string: It was very nice off the ground and on serve. The strings that felt very much like a multi provided some nice pop. I felt like I could go for my ground strokes.

Feel: I was quite surprised at the touch and ball control I able to get from this string. DTL or CC was extremely easy. Though, mishits would produce crazy balls all over the place.

Spin: Virtually nonexistent. Other than normal spin production, there was no extra spin. Even drop shots would not get the bite that other strings can give.

Comfort: Very comfortable coming from a person with a history of shoulder problems.

Durability: Still in tact. Though some very wide notching going on the crosses.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): The string got better on the third time hitting (5th hour).

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): Easy swings produced terribly underpowered balls that would land short or in the net. When over hitting the ball would go way long.

Compare to the string you use most often: Felt similar to Dunlop Silk

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): Low tension (<50). The lower tension to give a little more string movement and eventual snapback because of the lack of spin.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.

Like 1: Comfortable string, hard strokes didn't jar the arm.
Like 2: Durability. The string notched but didn't break after heavy hitting.

Dislike 1: Lack of spin, the smooth round string didn't produce nearly enough spin.

Click to expand...

:shock: it's not a round string. it's a a flat fettuccini shaped string like a few others have mentioned. it's so pronounced that it's really hard to miss if you strung it up yourself. :shock:

dParis said:

Alright, I have about 3 hours with the Gamma test string. I normally don't play/don't care for polys, but I'll do my best to be informative.

My stringer (who ran the tennis pro room for Wilson BITD) said there was nothing remarkable about stringing the Gamma test product and that it reminded him of Head Sonic Pro. There appears to be a few indentations on the string from what I assume are clamps. No apparent effect on durability of playability, though.

Tension used for playtest: 52m 50c Constant pull.

Regular string set up: Various multis, full beds. 58m 56c

Racquet brand and model used for test: Volkl Organix 10 295g

Power of test string: Initially, I thought this was very low powered as a result of the ball bounce test and the first few minutes of real hitting, but I soon realized the power is sufficient as long as I worked for it with a long, powerful stroke. It wasn't the most powerful string on serve, but sufficient pace was there without having to try too hard to bring the heat.

Feel: Nothing to write home about, but not horrible either. Being a regular user of multi-filaments, my initial description would be that this felt like some run of the mill, cheap string - differing little from my limited experience with other polys. I wasn't expecting great pocketing and I can say this string met my expectations. I did get used to it the more I played, though and stingbed feel was generally solid, without harsh vibration.

Spin: Above average. There are multi filaments that I get as much, or more spin out of, such as Gamma Professional, Prince Premiere Attack or Isospeed Pro Classic. I thought this sting lacked bite, but I was often able to produce noticeable, effective spin on a variety of shots and serves nonetheless. I would think that baseliners who use topspin more effectively than I, would find this string playable in that regard.

Comfort: I'm not prone to arm pain, but I definitely feel like I hit a lot of tennis balls tonight. There is no pain, mind you, but I would rate this string Average to Below Average for comfort.

Durability: I'm not a string breaker, so I think this string will lose playability before I ever break it. I notice no wear at all after 3 hours of play.

Playability Duration: I will play with it again next week and report back if I notice any drastic difference in playability.

Control: This is where I thought the string stood out for my game. My return of serve was particularly outstanding. I was playing a hard, flat server and I was zoning tonight. In part, I believe, due to the control gained with this stringbed. I never felt like my returns were getting away from me. I found it easy to find the court and my "shot dispersion" was rather tight. As I adjusted, I was able to hit my returns deeper and/or go for more angles. This translated to my groundstrokes as well. I was confident in changing directions and going down the line. Cross-court, sharp angle forehands were easier to execute.

On serve, my percentages were up and my double faults were way down. I was able to find the right side of the ad court repeatedly and my slice to the deuce court was effectively pulling my opponent off the court. I was able to move the ball around the box more effectively than any time this year.

Compare to the string you use most often: I have been using Iso Control Classic lately, but the control part is a complete misnomer, particularly when compared to this Gamma playtest string. I may have played my last game with the Iso Control, but the other multis I mentioned earlier (Iso Pro Classic, PPA and Gamma Pro) offer more comfort, power, feel, bite and almost as much control as the Gamma teststring.

Tension recommendations: Considering the control I found with the Gamma teststring a 52/50, I would go down two pounds, at least, without any worries.

Summary: I didn't really care for the feel or comfort of this string and volleys and certain approaches could use a little more punch. On the plus side, I really enjoyed the return game with this string and though feel was lacking, I was still able to hit repeatable shots which suggests a consistent stringbed. Control was good.

Though I probably wouldn't game this string, it has opened my mind to considering a poly string - if it could provide improved comfort, bite and feel with similar power and control.

Click to expand...

Ten days and three court hours later, my original assesment of this string remains, by and large. The string plays better after a short break in period. Power is on the low side but big swings will produce a big ball though sometimes I'd catch a flier and think, "Whoa, where did that come from?". I'm still enjoying the overall control I get with this string but when I have to play tougher competition than I have been the past couple of weeks, I'm afraid I'll be lacking some fire power when I'm put under stress. As mentioned by others, the string moves around a bit. I'm not experiencing that "poly snap back" and while it doesn't really bother me, I can see it spooking out loyal poly-heads.

Is this a square synthetic gut? The strings move so much! When moving them back it sounded like a stiff nylon. Anyone do the peroxide test? If there are different strings our there I'm talking about the square white string.

I'm testing out the Gamma Playtest at 40 CP in my modded YT radical MP
My regular full poly setup is TB 16 at 40 CP

Power=I actually really liked the power of the PT. It was up there regarding power fora poly. It was a little bit less than TB but I didn't really mind a little bit less power.

Feel= I thought the feel was pretty muted. On my mishits, it was a unforgiving feel but it gave me super unpredictable spin though which gave me a few free points. On volleys, the string gave me a good response on my punched volleys.

Spin= Spin was pretty average or a tad above for a poly for me. I was disappointed because I thought the shape would give me a little more spin.

Comfort= I think it is pretty average for a poly. Didn't feel anything the next morning out of the 6 hrs I played with it.

Durability= The string is notching in the sweetspot. The strings are moving a lot which is annoying me though. It makes me feel like I'm playing with a really stiff multi.

Playability Duration= I felt that I had a big tension drop around the 3rd hour. I would give another hour on this setup before the string is going to snap.

Control= I thought the control was pretty good. I can control the ball whether CC or DTL but had some problems with depth at times with the spin. The shape of the string did provide some unpredictable spin that gave me free points here and there.

Compare to the string you use most often

Tension recommendations= I would maybe do a # or 2# tighter so I can try to control the ball more. I think it will be ok since the tension drop around the 3rd hour will make it playable after for another 3 or 4 hrs.
Summary:
Likes: I really like the directional control and the nice pop I got on this string
Dislikes: I wanted more spin on the ball and the fact that the strings move like a multi.
Thanks again to TW and Gamma for the playtest!

Thank you, TW and Gamma.

Tension used for playtest: 56# on a CP machine

Regular string set up: Discho Iontec Hexa 1.20 @ 54/55# CP

Racquet brand and model used for test: Head Twin Tube Radical Tour OS (18M x 19C)

Power of test string: Average power for a poly.

Feel: Average for a poly. Feel was not great nor was it bad. It just doesn’t pocket the ball that well.

Spin: Below average to Average for a poly. The spin this string generates is not wicked, dynamic spin to leaps unpredictably off the court after the bounce. The spin that it produces is pretty average in predictability and didn’t trouble my hitting partner at all.

Comfort: Above average comfort for a poly string.

Durability: Durability won’t be an issue for me. At 6 hours, the mains have very little notching.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): Playablity decreased over time. The same running crosscourt forehand I was consistently hitting in started landing long consistently after about 3-4 hours due to the drop in spin.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): The string performed best when I kept my strokes fluid and smooth driving through the ball. Directional control became an issue when I increased RHS and tried whip through the ball. The control wasn’t always there.

Compare to the string you use most often: Compared to Iontec Hexa 1.20, the prototype string doesn’t offer the same levels of control, pop or spin.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?: I wouldn’t change the tension. The string felt about right at the tension I used.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes. I liked that string resisted notching. I didn’t like the excessive string movement nor did I like the average spin production. I enjoyed the playtest, but the performance didn’t impress me enough that I purchase the string if it is released.

Initial impressions: The string itself is an unusual flat shape, flatter than any other sting I have ever seen. Upon cutting off the zip tie that held the string, it did not have excessive coil memory. In the process of uncoiling the string, it did not give me any problems and was easy to uncoil. For a co-poly string it feels fairly supple.

Stringing the Racket: My racket of choice is a Head Liquidmetal Radical MP. The racket is stock, with no modifications other than putting an over grip on the handle. Since early this summer, I have been consistently using a hybrid set-up of Gosen OG sheep micro 17 on the mains and a co-poly (usually Gosen Polyon 17) on the crosses, however, I have frequently used beds of full poly. My hybrid combination gives me exceptional feel and access to plenty of spin. For this string test, I followed the instructions in the first post in this thread and strung it as a full bed. My preferred sting tension for my normal hybrid setup is 53 on the mains and 48 on the crosses, but for this string test, I strung the racket at 50 pounds for both the mains and the crosses.

My stringer is a Gamma Progression II - lock out-style stinging machine with a six-point mounting system. After cleaning and mounting the racket, I set the tension dial at 50 pounds. I quickly noticed that the shape of the string was going to pose some minor stringing challenges. The main issue was that I had to make sure I oriented the thin side of the string in the clamps and the tensioning device so that I did not crush the string. I also noticed that the string width on the wide side made it a little tight pulling the string through the grommet holes. Although neither of these was a big issue, it did add some time to the stringing process. Tying the knots on the mains was not a problem. Making the starting knot for the crosses was a little more difficult than other poly’s since this string is so flat, but my bulky starting know cinched down nicely when I pulled tension. This string does not have an issue notching during the process of pulling the crosses through the mains. During stringing it did not have any tendency to kink or knot up. When I pulled tension, this string required very little manipulation to prevent it from “smiling”. At the end of the string process, I noticed that this string orients itself on the flat side, effectively making it the thickest string I have ever put on my Liquidmetal. The process of stringing the crosses was uneventful and the finishing knot was easy to tie. Since I prefer not to stencil my rackets, I cannot give any impressions as to how stencil ink adheres to this string.

Playing Impressions:

Power of test string – The power this string is comparable with the other full poly string beds I have used in the past.

Feel – The feel of this string is not as good as other full poly set-ups I have used. The test string did not have as good a feel as other co-poly’s I have used previously and volleying the ball was not as good with this string as compared with other full poly set-ups.

Spin – The spin that I got from this string was less than other full poly setups I have used in the past.

Comfort - The comfort that I got from this string set up is on par with the other full poly sting set-ups I have used previously.

Durability – I'm not a big string breaker. Durability was fine – no problems there.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable) – After about 8 hours of vigorous hitting, including serving, the bed began to feel dead. When I cut the sting out of my racket, I noticed an average amount of tension loss as compared with other full poly beds I have used.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) – This setup provided less than average predictability upon ball contact and trajectory was a little lower compared to other co-poly set-ups when using the various strokes during the course of a match.

Compare to the string you use most often – All-in-all this string did not impress me compared to other full-poly beds I have used in the past. It had considerably less spin potential – which I attribute to the fact that the string orients on the thick side and effectively makes it a very thick string. The feel of the sting was also somewhat numb – again which I attribute to the thickness of the wide side of the string.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) – I am satisfied with the tension I used.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes – Likes: interesting shape of the string. Dislikes – tendency provide less feel and less spin than other co-polys that I have used.

Conclusions: Overall, I was less than impressed with this string. Although the fettuccini like shape of the string is an interesting concept, it effectively makes the string bed feel like I was playing with an excessively thick string. I have used several Gamma co-polys in full string beds, including ZoTwist and ZoVerve and was very satisfied with those strings. If I were Gamma, I would consider not bringing this string to the market because it does not provide any substantial advantage or attribute as compared to other co-poly’s on the market, including their own strings. I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this string test and commend Gamma for continuing to try new and different concepts with their strings.

I'm on my 3rd hitting session with this and I am still not convinced that this is made of polyester. This is one of, if not the worst string I've ever used. I think one more session is all I can stand.

mad dog1 said:

:shock: it's not a round string. it's a a flat fettuccini shaped string like a few others have mentioned. it's so pronounced that it's really hard to miss if you strung it up yourself. :shock:

Click to expand...

Hmmmmmm......

D-money said:

I'm on my 3rd hitting session with this and I am still not convinced that this is made of polyester. This is one of, if not the worst string I've ever used. I think one more session is all I can stand.

Click to expand...

Yes..it's almost like a mix of a poly and syn gut in 1 string...

I honestly forgot that it was in my bag because it was just so plain. As PnG mentioned and I'll expand on, it's like polyester feel with syn gut playability. The other way around is what you really want.

pvaudio said:

I honestly forgot that it was in my bag because it was just so plain. As PnG mentioned and I'll expand on, it's like polyester feel with syn gut playability. The other way around is what you really want.

Click to expand...

very true...with other sticks in the bag, i really had to force myself to play with it.

It's good to know that with all these companies out there trying to combine all the best characteristics of polys with those of multifilaments gamma is experimenting with combining all of their shortcomings in one string . If this is indeed polyester then they have added something or treated it in a way that has made it unidentifiable. I am going to have a hard time finding one thing I like about this let alone two.

mad dog1 said:

very true...with other sticks in the bag, i really had to force myself to play with it.

Click to expand...

Same here. My first session hit 3 balls with it and immediately went to the bag. The 2nd session out I stuck with it and it seemed better..maybe. I tried the Gosen Polymaster as a cross in a hybrid this summer and liked that much better, and I think that's where these flat strings are a viable option. Both are waay too wiide for my liking though.

Review!!!

Tension for this play test was 62

My usual set up is ashaway kevlar 17g / tourna hitter big blue 16g at 65

For the gamma string test i had put it on my dunlop ag 4d 100

For power out of 10 i got 8, had a nice feel when taking a bigger swing especially on my fh =]

At the net i got a lot of feel and plow thru when hitting my volleys and hitting drop shots took a little to get used to but id put touch at a 8

For spin i felt like i had to brush a lot more than usual.. maybe because of the racket but i got some decent spin so id rate it at 7

For a all poly i had a lot of comfort (but then again i use kevlar and poly =x) felt really nice id rate it a 8

After hitting with it i think i would personally string it higher somewhere around 63 but thats my preference. I know a lot of people string lower tensions but with this string i felt like a tighter tension would benefit more players.


Overall for a full poly setup it was nice and comfortable but lacked the spin i was looking for. I think for flat hitting players this is a good setup but i personally wouldve hybrid it and increased the tension more.

Tension used for playtest: 48 pounds.
Regular string set up: Luxilon M2 Pro 48 pounds.
Racquet brand and model used for test: Wilson Prostaff 6.0 85
Power of test string: Low powered. I felt like I could swing harder and still keep the ball in.
Feel: Average feel.
Spin: Had good spin because it was low powered.
Comfort: Extremely uncomfortable at first - the string felt really stiff and really hurt my elbow and arm on off-center hits in the beginning. But after it loosened up a bit after 20 or so minutes, it felt a bit mushy.
Durability: Durability seems pretty good so far after a few hours of hitting.
Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): The string played really stiff for me at first and was pretty unforgiving. After the string settled and the more I played with it, the string moved around a lot, like a syn gut.
Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): Control was good since it was low powered and I felt like I could get extra spin. I think I liked my slice backhand the most with this string though.
Compare to the string you use most often: I prefer my usual setup of M2 Pro because it isn't as stiff as this Gamma string, and is more forgiving and predictable. The feel and comfort are way better with the M2 than with this string.
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I would recommend stringing it lower because of how harsh it felt on my arm at first.
Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.
My main issue with this string was the comfort. This felt like a really harsh poly and did not produce anything special in any of the categories above.

Tension used for playtest - 55 lbs
Regular string set up - Volkl Cyclone at 55 lbs
Racquet brand and model used for test - Dunlop Biomimetic 200

Power - 9/10
Feel - 8/10
Spin - 6/10
Comfort - 9/10
Durability - 6/10

Playability Duration - Very good from the get-go, but definitely dropped off in performance around the 4 hour mark (broke in 5.5 hours, vs ~7 hours with standard co-poly).

Control - Was fairly consistent, pretty soft for what felt like a co-poly. Was best on serves and touch volleys, worst on heavy topspin groundies.

Compare to the string you use most often - Was far softer and had a bit more feel than my current string. That being said, I wouldn't trade the lack of spin that this string had.

Tension recommendations - If you string a normal co-poly, jack up the tension a few pounds (3-5).

Summary: Likes - Feel and Comfort, Dislikes - Lack of spin and overall durability.

Tension used for playtest
49/49

Regular string set up
Klip gut/Kirschbaum Pro Line II
53/50

Racquet brand and model used for test
HEAD Prestige Mid

Power of test string
The string is low powered, typical of a poly.

Feel
Slightly below average than other fully poly setups that I have used in the past.

Spin
The ‘odd’ shape of the strings did not produce any noticeable increase in spin. If anything my normal strokes produced less spin.

Comfort
Comfort wasn’t bad for a poly.

Durability
I’ve only played 3 matches with the strings and I doubt that I’ll play much more with it. The strings seem to be holding up but I’m not getting any positives from the strings to continue with them.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time)
Typical of other poly’s: tension loss after stringing with another drop after the first few hours of hitting.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
As mentioned above I wasn’t able to produce as much spin on any of my strokes as I typically would which in turn affected my control.

Compare to the string you use most often
In comparison to my typical setup and some of my other favorite poly’s this particular string was a disappointment in pretty much all categories.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)
If I were to try this string again I would try upping the tension by a couple of pounds but I honestly don’t think it would alter my opinion of the string in any way.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.
Comfort wasn’t bad but that alone wasn’t enough to make me want to make a switch. There are other poly’s on the market that are as comfortable if not more and one’s that are more capable of producing more spin.
I really don’t understand the concept of the string shape and how that would aid in the production of more spin. Perhaps if it had the same shape but were also twisted…

Again, thanks TW for allowing me to participate in the demo.

Ok here goes. I had a tough time with this playtest. I had terrible initial impressions with this string as the flat profile made it look like I was strung with 1.50 gauge strings. I did not like the feel or playability of this string at all. I would not be confident saying that this string is polyester, in fact I'm convinced that it's some sort of Nylon.

I strung this at 52 lbs on a Pure drive Roddick that I normally string with Solinco revolution at the same tension. I play heavy topspin and I guess technically I would be considered an aggressive baseliner but I like to finish points off at the net and mix in serve & volley.

Power level: This is either a medium powered poly or a medium/low powered solid nylon. Again I'm not confident that this is a polyester string. It had a decent level of ball speed and power.

Feel: Oh wow. Feel? this string felt like plastic. That's the only way I can describe it. If felt like a very poorly made, dead, solid core nylon. This did not have poly feel to me.

Spin: Spin was maybe average for a solid core nylon, well below average if this is indeed a poly. The flat profile provided little bite into the ball and no "snap back" that you would expect from a polyester string. If they are to use this shape for some reason it should be twisted to provide some sort of bite. Or if someone wanted to close up a very open string pattern I guess it would work for that as well. The string movement was unacceptable.

Comfort: This was an area that this string was acceptable. Not outstanding but acceptable.

Durability: I feel like because of the amount of movement I am getting from these I could break this which is also why I don't think it's a pure poly. I do not normally break polys unless they are very very thin, as they go dead before I could notch them enough to break. I can not stand these long enough to try to break them so durability is acceptable as well.

Playability duration: These strings lost a decent amount of tension but I disliked the way they played so much that they didn't necessarily play any worse just a little more power and a little less comfortable towards they end. They remained at the level of playability they started with basically which is very very poor.

Control: I found no control with these strings I couldn't find consistent depth off either wing and since I use spin to control my shots the lack of spin was making for a ton of unforced errors both long and into the net when forced to overcompensate. The trajectory from the stringbed was inconsistent as well which had me floating volleys and getting pummeled at the net in doubles. First volleys when serving and volleying were a crap-shoot as I couldn't keep them low enough to be affective. It was this aspect of this string that made me hate it.

Compare this string to the one I use most often: Well It's worse in every way compared to any string I've ever used so I can't. I would have to compare this string to other things that were awful like George Clooney playing Batman, Godfather 3, and Starwars episodes 1-3.

After hitting with this string at 52 the lack of control would have me stringing it at maybe 58 to 60 lbs. This string had the playability of a solid core nylon that would normally come pre-strung on a wal mart racket. I would not recommend that anyone hit with it at that tension, I would recommend that you skip this one all together. I was not a fan of this string and would say I'm glad that this a prototype because I would be wary of any company that would release a string on the market.

Thanks for the opportunity TW and Gamma......Nope, try again.

My review

Tension used for playtest: 47lbs

Regular string set up: some poly on mains (47lbs) currently the Luxilon 4G (from last playtest) and Pro Supex Titan 17g syn gut on crosses (50lbs)

Racquet brand and model used for test: Yonex VCore 98D

Power of test string: OK. I got decent power at 47lbs. Nothing exceptional, but good. I didn't feel like I had to take bigger cuts than usual to get the ball where I wanted it.

Feel: At first it was terrible. Some other posts described it as plastic. I agree. But after a couple hours it loosened up a bit and with the extra give, the feel improved. I would say OK for a poly, but still not as good as the 4G or my other regular poly, Babalot Pro Huricane.

Spin: OK. I would say better than average, but not exceptional.

Comfort: At first, terrible. Stiff, plasticy, and hurt my arm. But after a few hours, better. Still not great, but passable.

Durability: OK. I've played about 8 hours on it and after an initial welcomed tension drop, has remained pretty stable.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): See above. A welcome change after a few hours.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): It was ok for control. You have to swing fast to get control. Blocked or punched balls do not really go anywhere so if you just swing out, it gives control.

Compare to the string you use most often: 1st I would not string as a full bed. Hybrid with a multi or soft syn gut would improve feel. Compared to the 4G it was a bit more powerful, but lacked feel and spin. About the same power as the Pro Huricane but less spin and less feel.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I think 47 was pretty good as with the initial tension loss it played ok.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.
I liked the spin on my second serve. It is the only shot I noticed a possitive difference from my normal set up. For whatever reason, my 2nd serves jumped quite a bit with this string.

I did not like the initial feel of the string. And touch shots were poor. With the benefits few, the feel poor and everything else being average, I do not think I would use this string.

Thanks for the chance to test!
AC

Gamma prototype review

Tension used for playtest: 52lbs

Regular string set up: 4G full bed low 50's, also testing some poly hybrids currently.

Racquet brand and model used for test: YY Vcore 100

Power of test string: Low powered typical poly, livened up quite a bit after an hour of solid hitting.

Feel: Below average for a poly, I'm sure the shape effects the feel somewhat.

Spin: Average on ground strokes, good spin on serves.

Comfort: Decent, improved somewhat as the string was broken in.

Durability: Good,did not notice any notching after a couple of sessions which normally I do. Breakage is a non-issue since I will be cutting this out today.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): First session a day after being strung it felt really boardy. Second outing was alot better. Third session the performance had already dropped.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): Lower ball height on rally balls for me compared to the other polys I use, good control on my shots though.

Compare to the string you use most often: Currently using Lux 4G and there is NO comparison, 4G smokes it.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) Maybe drop a couple lbs to see if it helped.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes: Liked serving with it when it was fresh; but who doesn't like serving with new strings?
Disliked having to use it in a full bed,maybe strung in a hybrid would have helped.
Disliked the string movement.

Thanks TW and Gamma for the opportunity.

I played seven sessions for a total playtest time of just over 14 hours over an 11 day period. Haven't hit with it lately since I have some important matches coming up and need to go back to my regular string setup.

Tension used for playtest
47 lbs, strung on a Klippermate with no issues.

Regular string set up
Mains: Signum Pro Poly Plasma 17 at 51 lbs
Crosses: Wilson Synthetic Gut Extreme 17 at 53 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test
Yonex RDS 003

Power of test string
This string seemed to have a good amount of power but it could have been the low tension I used or the racket as I was using a tweener. Definitely welcome for flat serves and flat ground strokes.

Feel
No issues here, I liked the crispness of the string. Felt more like a synthetic gut to me.

Spin
The weakest attribute for me. I hit with a lot of spin, both top and slice, so I had to adjust my game to hit flatter shots. My topspin shots just wouldn't come down most of the time. Slice didn't have that much bite either.

Comfort
Felt like a synthetic gut so it was comfortable to me. I've never played a full bed of poly before (I use hybrids) but had no discomfort whatsoever.

Durability
Just a little bit of notching so far at 14 hours so it looks like it'll last pretty long for me.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time)
No change for me over the duration of the playtest but it hasn't been that long in my opinion as I normally play strings up to 30 hours.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
Only predictable when hitting flat. I could never tell where it was going to land when I hit topspin, mostly long, sometimes short. I did have good control on volleys though, actually I really liked volleys with this string.

Compare to the string you use most often
SPPP/Wilson synthetic gut hybrid is still my go to setup. I can hit spin and flat equally well. The Gamma prototype did have more power but that was the only plus.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)
I might bump it up to 50 lbs to see if the control would be better. I did string a little lower just because it was full poly since I didn't want the string bed to be too stiff.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.
Likes: power for flat shots for sure. If you are a flat hitter, this is the string for you!
Dislikes: unpredictable spin and way too much string movement which started within the first hour!

Overall, I enjoyed this playtest. It was way better to me than the Solinco prototype.

Thanks again Gamma and TW!

My Playtest

Firstly, thanks to TW & Gamma. Secondly, what a weirdly shaped string! It was a pain in the ass to string because I tried to keep it flat. I know that sounds weird, but that's the way it was.
Tension used for playtest: 54
Regular string set up: Pro Supex Big Ace at 56 LBS.
Racquet brand and model used for test: Wilson K Six One Team
Power of test string: Low-powered overall, but medium power for poly. I think it's a poly.
Feel: Hands-down the worst feeling string I've played with. Plasticky but not crisp. Just dead.
Spin: Pretty low for a poly. It was just like syn. gut. No extra spin.
Comfort: Much stiffer than my normal string, but no shoulder pain. It softened up after a few hours, but still pretty stiff.
Durability: I've played with it for 10 hours, and it's half-notched so it should break in a couple of hours.
Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): Lost a bit of tension after a few hours, then settled. Has dropped off more since the 8th hour, is even deader than before!
Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): Depth control average for a poly, but directional control was lacking. It was like there were different parts of the string, and sometimes I'd hit different parts. I couldn't aim for the lines, because my shots variated so much.
Compare to the string you use most often: This string was stiffer, less powerful, had less control, and had worse feel. Durability was about five hours less than Big Ace. The only good part was tension maintenance compared to other polys.
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I'd string it much lower for better spin and power, and less stiffness. It was really boardy.
Summary: The tension maintenance was pretty good for a poly, but it had a horrible feel and sub-par directional control.

Overall, I did not enjoy this playtest very much. It sucked to string(especially on a Klippermate), had horrible feel, average power, low spin, and average durability. It's tension maintenance was better than average for a poly. Thanks TW & Gamma for the playtest. Just not the string for me.

Tension. 55lbs

Regular string. Signum pro tornado 17 @ 55lbs

Racquet. Yonex rdis 200 mid plus

Power. Started out a bit low powered but after settling in it was of moderate power

Feel. Not good muted and dead from the start

Spin. There was very little spin coming from this string it felt like it never really grabbed the ball slice shots were acceptable but topspin was poor

Comfort. Pretty good it was a soft poly and was not jarring to hit with at all

Durability. I will not keep this in my racquet long enough to break it, but it seems to have held up pretty well I would say average to above average for a poly

Playability duration. I'm at 8 hours on it and after an initial drop it has held the same characteristics I would again say average to above average

Control. It was pretty predictable on flatter shots but I never knew how much spin I was gonna get on ts shots also I was struggling to swing out confidently anywhere on the court also most shots came out flatter than expected

Compared to my main string. The only area where the play test string was on par or slightly better than tornado was at the net tornado is more comfortable provides way more spin is more powerful and most likely has better tension stability

Tension recommendation. Anywhere in the low to mid 50's would be good

Summary. Solid tension stability and comfort from this string
Poor spin feel and though it doesn't relate to how it plays it was kind of horrid to string

Thank you again to tw for the play test though if did not enjoy this string it is always great to test something new out

Gamma Prototype Review - Swfh

Tension used for playtest: I strung this at 52 lbs, my benchmark for all polys.

Regular string set up: I usually play with BHBR at 52 or 57, iontec hexa at 46, or isospeed baseline at 50.

Racquet brand and model used for test: i used a dunlop aerogel 4d 300 tour, with a leather grip + over grip, and 10 grams of lead at 12, and 12 grams at 3&9

Power of test string: I found the string to be very low powered. Granted, the polys that I use are know for being rather powerful, but this string had the least power i have ever had. I just couldn't hit balls as deep as i wanted to on a regular basis. I really had to put energy into all of my shots to get a nice effect.

Feel: Feel is there in the stringbed, but only because the string is very, very stiff. I felt that I could put away volleys easily, but the finesse and touch was not there. I did not hit one good drop shot in the three weeks that i used this string.

Spin: This is where this string failed me. It is a string meant for flat hitters, similar to a del potro. For the life of me, i was not able to get nice spin. Even the wilson sensation control playtest string had more spin.

Comfort: Here is the thing. I have never had elbow or shoulder pain. Until now. During playing today, i felt a twinge in my elbow, and as i am sitting here typing this, my right shoulder is in pain. This string is stiff. It is way too stiff.

Durability: I dont really break strings, but i do not see any notching. This is probably do to the fact that the strings move around so much.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): Interestingly enough, playability remained the same, despite the enormous tension loss. It stayed low powered, and stiff. nice job gamma!

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): again, with such a low powered string, things are going to be pretty much the same. I noticed a lower throw angle compared to my go to strings, which would be best suited for flatter hitters.

Compare to the string you use most often: There is no comparison of this string compared to the others i have mentioned. it is really not good. I would not recommend it.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I am not really sure if i would change the tension. I just tested the tension with racquettune, and i found that what is hurting my shoulder is 36lbs. A string this stiff would have to be strung lower, but i dont know by how much.

Likes: Nothing really to say here. the color is decent.
Dislikes: This string is way too stiff. it is ridiculous. Also, i didnt feel like i was able to really grab the ball when hitting. The low power i can deal with. Also, the strings moved around way too much for me. Did i mention that it is stiff?

Thanks to TW and Gamma for this opportunity. I guess we cant always hit homeruns.

Tension used for playtest - 57lbs
Regular string set up - Forten Thin Blend
Racquet brand and model used for test - Head Ti. Carbon 6000

Power of test string - Above normal compared to my kevlar (obviously). I wonder, though, if the power level was affected by the variations of short and long side combos from the string (by rolling the string between your fingers, it could easily be determined that it was flat, not round). Anyway, not too much power, but more than the normal poly.

Feel - I couldn't get a good feeling out of this string at all. Again, I think it's from the inconsistencies of the string bed (long vs. skinny sides). Def not like my kevlar at all, which is crisp, and you know what you're gonna get after every hit.

Spin - below average for poly. had to really think about brushing up, and after a while it's just not worth it. Again, maybe it was the flats and peaks of the string bed and there was no great bite on the ball.

Comfort - it was soft, and therefore too comfy for me. no crispness to it, nothing I could focus on. but goo for people that like soft poly I guess

Durability - fine. I am not a string breaker, but I imagine this has a good durability compared to more popular polys that I see people breaking all the time.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time) - this, by definition, was good as well. even though I wasn't a fan of the feel, it was consistent. So that was kinda bad for me, since I was hoping something would change and I would like the feel.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) - little control for me. shots not in the sweet spot had just as much chance sailing right as they did left, up or down. I was just confused and frustrated by the string bed, which I believe was the reason.

Compare to the string you use most often - no comparison to kevlar. less everything good, more everything bad. Absolutely could not get in this string's zone.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) - would not change the tension, it's what I always use regardless.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes - I liked Gamma's ingenuity and the string's playability duration. But I didn't like the inconsistencies and the question of "will the ball land in the same spot as it did a second ago, or will it be three feet up, down, left, or right." Again, I have never tried textured strings, but I hope they are not like this... But thanks again TW for the chance to do this, keep 'em coming!

Interesting. Most people think that the string is soft. I found it to be quite the opposite...

Gamma Prototype







Stringing:This is the most unique string I have seen in my life. It is literally the shape of linguinetti aka slightly less wide than linguine. As a few people have said, it is flat. That means that on the narrow side, it's about 1.08mm, and on the wide side, close to 1.50mm (tested via calipers). It is absolutely impossible NOT to notice this because your clamps grip absolutely differently depending on how the string is oriented. For this reason, I have to say that I did not enjoy stringing this at all. You end up either crushing the flat side, or not having enough grip to clamp the thin side. I tried to capture this with the images, but my little camera simply isn't good enough. Those who did notice it will attest to how obnoxious it was to work with. Nonetheless, I will play with it tonight. Strung 47/47lbs.

Groundstrokes: As hinted at previously in this thread, this is one quite strange string. Normally when there is an air of weirdness to a poly, that ends up being something unique. In this string's case, it ends up being uniquely bad. What seems to have happened here is that there was an attempt to meld the comfort of synthetics with the playability of poly. Instead, what happened was a string with the playability of nylon with the feel of poly. The converse of that is what is actually desired. For me this played just like a synthetic gut, but with the firm feel of polyester instead of the crispness of poly. Moreover, this stuff also exhibited some terrible movement issues. Normally, no, I have never not thought of string movement as anything but a side effect. With poly strings, however, it's a very good indicator of when the string is dying and should be cut out if you cannot tell by feel alone. This stuff was moving from day one, and just felt like plastic. As mentioned previously also, the string danced with mediocrity so well that I had to force myself to continue testing it after the first 20 minutes because it just offered nothing that a poly should.
Overall: 7/10

Serves: Bad. No poly action, no increase in anything. Rather, simply a decrease in every aspect of my serve.
Overall: 6/10

Volleys: Fairly okay at the net. This is far from a "feel" poly, but it's not dead feeling like some of the others on the market. In this case, I would say it's just about average for a poly.
Overall: 8/10

Durability: With movement from day one and notching within 70 minutes, I can expect the durability to be quite poor for big hitters. While it didn't break for me (to be honest I didn't even use it for 2.5 since if after that period it hasn't woken up, I just leave it in my bag to sleep), it just felt as though playability was worsening as the strings notched.
Overall: 7/10

I am a huge fan of Gamma. I played Gamma strings for many years, and while I never caught on to their polys, their synthetics are still up there with the best. This, however, is not a good example of the Gamma name. The odd shape, poor playability and stringing frustration just sum to a flat passing grade for me.

Normal setup: WeissCANNON Scorpion/Dunlop S-Gut 17g at 47/52 lbs.


Overall: 7.25/10