Strings for a beginner

S

souledge

Semi-Pro
A friend of mine is looking to get rid of his stock string and put in something a little better. He just start 2-3 months ago. I'd like to recommend a multifilament or synthetic gut, probably a syn gut, but I'm at a loss for what's good now.

He has an eastern forehand that he arms, and likes to run around the backhand to protect it. When he hits the backhand, it's a weird 1 hand / 2 hand thing. He brushes the ball and is able to hit with a little bit of topspin. I'm aware that form and technique need to be worked on, but he doesn't like the stock strings at all.

Any recommendations?

xCel Power 17?
NXT Tour 18?
Pacific Premium Power X 16L?
Pacific Power Twist 16L?
L-Tec Premium Syn Gut 16?
 
KenC

KenC

Hall of Fame
I would just put in Prince Orig. Syn. Gut w/ Duraflex. Remind him to restring in a month or two.
 
M

Murrayfan64

New User
Any of the quality Syn Gut I use HEAD will work fine. The biggest difference will be a quality string job as compared to a stock string job.
 
maxpotapov

maxpotapov

Hall of Fame
Prince Premier Attack will do better than synthetic guts, as it does not lose playability for a long time, especially for the beginner.
 
esgee48

esgee48

G.O.A.T.
You did not mention what racquet he is using. I would second the opinions to just go with Nylon/Syn Gut in 16 gauge initially in middle of recommended tension range. Restring every 3 months minimum, but adjust tension up or down depending on what he wants out of the racquet.
 
S

souledge

Semi-Pro
If he doesn't want to restring frequently (once, at most twice, a year) is it advisable to go multi over syn gut?
 
fortun8son

fortun8son

Hall of Fame
Some do, some don't.
Most synguts are fairly similar to each other.
Multis, OTOH, come in a bewildering variety of configurations.
 
S

souledge

Semi-Pro
Is there a specific string, either multi or syn gut, that holds tension the best? Preferably in a higher gauge? i.e. is there an SPPP equivalent in multi / syn gut that is a tension maintenance monster?
 
maxpotapov

maxpotapov

Hall of Fame
souledge said:
Is there a specific string, either multi or syn gut, that holds tension the best? Preferably in a higher gauge? i.e. is there an SPPP equivalent in multi / syn gut that is a tension maintenance monster?
Click to expand...

Like I said, Prince Premier Attack 16.
 
S

souledge

Semi-Pro
Also, has anyone used Prince Premier LT? What makes that one so much more expensive than Attack? I noticed it comes in an 18 gauge.
 
R

Ramon

Legend
souledge said:
Also, has anyone used Prince Premier LT? What makes that one so much more expensive than Attack? I noticed it comes in an 18 gauge.
Click to expand...

I used Premier LT 16. I usually don't pay that much for a multi, but it came free with my racquet as part of a special offer. I played well with it, but after about 6-8 hours I could feel it getting stiffer, then at about 10 hours I cut it because I didn't like it at that point.

Premier Attack is softer from the start. It gets stiffer also, but it keeps its playability for a longer time. Premier Attack has more pop, and it gives me more confidence to take full swings. I measure my tension with RacquetTune every time I'm done playing. Based on my measurements, Premier Attack holds tension as well or better than any other string I've tried. I also like that it doesn't move around much in the stringbed.

I really don't see a reason to pay more for Premier LT. Maybe Premier Softflex would be better, but I haven't tried it, and it also costs more than Premier Attack.
 
S

souledge

Semi-Pro
Premier Attack and RIP Control look like two decent choices.

What about the syn guts? Which one retains playability the longest? Is Prince Premier Attack more playable than any syn gut over the long run?
 
L

lawrencejin

Rookie
Like what fortun8son said, my experiences with synthetic guts is that they're all generally similar in terms of tension maintenance. I haven't found any particular brand that outlasts others in any significant way.

The most popular synthetics appear to be: Gosen OGSM, Forten Sweet, and Prince Synthetics. I mostly use the first two.
 
MikeHitsHard93

MikeHitsHard93

Hall of Fame
I find that Prince Synthetic Gut w/duraflex is usually pretty good for a solid 9 hours of play. After that, they lost tension for me and sent the ball flying. But thats just me
 
S

souledge

Semi-Pro
PSGD 17 or PPA 17, which lasts longer? In terms of playability.

Wilson BLX Three.Seven is the racquet.
 
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R

Ramon

Legend
souledge said:
PSGD 17 or PPA 17, which lasts longer? In terms of playability.

Wilson BLX Three.Seven is the racquet.
Click to expand...

If your client is a beginner, I'd say it's irrelevant. My guess is that PPA 17 will last longer because, in my experience, PPA 16 lasts longer than PSGD 16. However, a beginner isn't going to be breaking strings anytime soon. He will probably keep the strings so long, they will die before they break. For a beginner, I'd recommend the cheaper one unless he just wants to try something better.
 
F

filphil

Rookie
Readers said:
Natural gut is excellent for beginners.
Click to expand...

For dedicated, hard working beginners natural gut should seriously be looked at. I think it'll last them for long, give them predictable response, and won't do damage to their arms all until the string breaks.
 
F

filphil

Rookie
Ramon said:
Click here (audio track)
Click to expand...

Iareseriouscat.jpg
 
R

Ramon

Legend
filphil said:
Iareseriouscat.jpg
Click to expand...

My favorite setup is full gut. It's great for the arm, and it lasts 2-3 times as long as the best multifilaments, but just because it's great for me doesn't mean it's good for a beginner.

The softer multifilament synthetics are as easy on the arm as gut. You won't find anybody whose arm is going to be any better with full gut than it would be with a good soft multi. I know this as well as anyone because my arm starts to feel it after only 3 hours with poly.

Unlike gut, you can play with multifilament synthetics in the rain and you don't have to treat it with kid gloves. Beginners are notorious for not knowing these kinds of things. As soon as the beginner leaves his racquet out in the rain, it's done. He can play with it in a damp court or leave it in the trunk of his car, and suddenly the strings have lost tension. Yes, gut is durable, but a beginner isn't going to be breaking strings anyway. The only strings I would recommend for a beginner are cheap nylon, synthetic gut, or multifilaments.
 
fortun8son

fortun8son

Hall of Fame
Let's see... 4 out of the 5 top selling strings are:
PSGD
Lightning XX
Sensation
NXT
Any one would be fine
Although, you can probably leave out NXT because of price
The fifth is RPM Blast, which you can definitely leave out.
 
R

Readers

Professional
fortun8son said:
Let's see... 4 out of the 5 top selling strings are:
PSGD
Lightning XX
Sensation
NXT
Any one would be fine
Although, you can probably leave out NXT because of price
The fifth is RPM Blast, which you can definitely leave out.
Click to expand...

First thing came to my mind is "How the did prince managed to bankrupt itself while having top 2 selling string?"
 
schap02

schap02

Semi-Pro
lightning xx, duraflex, hell even gosen, if he's only been playing 2-3 months, I really wouldnt stress too much, just have him restring every couple months depending on how much play, once he gets some consistency down then make some subtle changes and remember, try to change only ONE thing at a time....
 
zapvor

zapvor

G.O.A.T.
i recently tried dunlop syn gut and it plays stiffer than it feels but seems more durable. what about gamma syn?
 
S

souledge

Semi-Pro
schap02 said:
lightning xx, duraflex, hell even gosen, if he's only been playing 2-3 months, I really wouldnt stress too much, just have him restring every couple months depending on how much play, once he gets some consistency down then make some subtle changes and remember, try to change only ONE thing at a time....
Click to expand...

He's looking to restring once, maybe twice a year.
 
fortun8son

fortun8son

Hall of Fame
They went away from Pro endorsements and went for the low road, not realizing that people will (often mistakenly) buy what their favorite players use.
They lost Sharapova to Head and have invested heavily in the O-Port technology which has had more than it's share of problems.

Lightning XX is popular with the ladies for it's power and flash.
It is also one of the better racquetball strings(Ektelon version)

BTW Ektelon has had some of the same O-Port problems.(premature breakage in particular)
 
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F

franks

Rookie
Readers said:
Natural gut is excellent for beginners.
Click to expand...


Of course it is, as long as you do not shank the ball. If you shank the ball regularly, the string does not last very long. So from an economic point of view it does not make much sense for a beginner to use Natural Gut, unless he/she is very wealthy or if he/she hits the sweetspot regularly. Most tennis players including myself will agree that Natural Gut strings are the best strings ever made.
 
S

souledge

Semi-Pro
franks said:
I answered the original post.

"Strings for a beginner"
Click to expand...

I think we were well past that when you responded.

I talked to him today and he also wants a string that he doesn't have to maintain and one that doesn't hopefully fray too much. He's starting to switch to a semi western grip for his forehand, but he still has his fair share of shanks.

So far, it seems like PPA 17 will be the best string for his needs. Thoughts?
 
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R

Readers

Professional
franks said:
Of course it is, as long as you do not shank the ball. If you shank the ball regularly, the string does not last very long. So from an economic point of view it does not make much sense for a beginner to use Natural Gut, unless he/she is very wealthy or if he/she hits the sweetspot regularly. Most tennis players including myself will agree that Natural Gut strings are the best strings ever made.
Click to expand...

I shank all day long and my string still break in the middle, gut being soft and resilient means they are not as prone to shank breakage as other string.
 
R

Ramon

Legend
Readers said:
I shank all day long and my string still break in the middle, gut being soft and resilient means they are not as prone to shank breakage as other string.
Click to expand...

Yes, natural gut is far stronger than multi and better able to absorb a shank. It's still a bad choice for a beginner.

souledge said:
I think we were well past that when you responded.

I talked to him today and he also wants a string that he doesn't have to maintain and one that doesn't hopefully fray too much. He's starting to switch to a semi western grip for his forehand, but he still has his fair share of shanks.

So far, it seems like PPA 17 will be the best string for his needs. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Good choice! Even though PPA is a multi, I think he will find the fraying is negligible. I would actually go for PPA 16 if he shanks. The 16 gauge plays very well and it will be better able to absorb shanks than the 17 gauge.
 
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