Tension used for playtest: 52 pounds all around.
Regular string set up: Kirschbaum Pro Line X 17g 54/56
Racquet brand and model used for test: 2012 Babolat Pure Drive Roddick Standard
Power of test string: Definitely low powered, wish I had strung it in the low to mid 40's, even after break-in, still very low powered. It really forces me to swing through the ball, and harder than normal to get power into my shots.
Feel: Being one of the stiffer Co-Polys that I have used, the feel was a bit harsh in the beginning, but after a couple hours on it and some of the tension dropped off, the strings became softer. But even then, it feels the best when you are able to hit it on the sweetspot spot-on every time, if you are able to do that, it is one of the best feeling strings I have ever used. But hitting off center tended to be harsh at times, and I could really feel the vibration of the racquet through the stiffness of the strings.
Spin: One of the better co-poly spin strings out there imo, if not the best I have used, it was very easy to generate spin, and very easy to access. I doubted myself at times, it felt like a shaped/textured string as opposed to a regular round one at times because I could really feel the strings bite onto the ball and give it that extra oomph of spin and pace.
Comfort: This was the only thing I could not get used to, it was just a tad stiff for me when I mishit or hit outside of the sweetspot zone. Compared to other co-polys I have tried, including almost all the Kirschbaums, this is one of the stiffest ones I though. Even after break-in and compared to my current favorite Pro Line X setup, it was still definitely stiff.
Durability: Well in general, I would say Kirschbaum co-polys tend to last a good amount of time, 10+ hours for my level of game. And this one does the same, although I found this one to go dead right around the 10-12 hour mark, which is definitely low compared to the others of the brand. From Pro Line X and Pro Line II I always got into the 16 hours range before it went dead. As well, it has started to notch a little bit as well.
Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): When I first strung it up, it was definitely harsh and felt really stiff all around, it softened up after a couple sessions for a break-in which took around 2-3 hours, from then on it started to get a bit softer and softer as the tension dropped. I still feel the stiffness off off-center hits, but it definitely gets better and time went by, spin generation gets better, and so does control. So this string does definitely require a break-in period, after that, it starts to play better and better as tension drops and the string starts to soften up.
Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): Control-wise, maybe it was my technique or I did not get quite adjusted, but I felt like I was just spraying my balls most of the time when I first started using these strings because the ball came off with so much spin and pace when I swung. I could keep the ball in the general area where I wanted it to go, but I found control to not come in until I had broken it in, around the my 3rd time out with it (5th hour or so), from then I could get better control because the tension had dropped off. Even then, I really had to adjust my swing and technique to work well with these strings, I had to stand back a little bit and use a shorter swing on the ball to keep control, spin and pace in check to go where I want.
Compare to the string you use most often: I currently am using the Kirschbaum Pro Line X 17g strings, and I have fallen in love with these. Compared to this string, Pro Line X is definitely softer overall, and provides a much softer feel compared to these strings. This string dominates in the spin category over the X, but in terms of power, they are about the same, low powered where you really have to push the ball.
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): Well using a PDR, one of the more powerful racquets out there, I still recommend around 50 lbs. or lower, bc a stiff string and stiff racquet is just aching for problems. I strung it as 52, and even then that was really harsh physically, I did not get any injuries or anything from the playtest. So for tension range, I recommend something around 50 lbs. or probably lower depending on the frame.
Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.[/B]
Likes: Not sure which category this fits in, but there is definitely one topside to the stiffness of the string. I dominate at net with these strings, all balls comes off crisp and with plenty of control when I was volleying with this. As well on my topspin and slice serves, so much spin and smoothness just jumps out from these strings.
Dislike: I only have one dislike, the strings were a bit too stiff for me, even after break-in and tension drop, it was still too stiff.
Overall, if individual packs of these strings are made and sold, I would give them another try and mess around with tension to find a suitable setting for my game. I really enjoyed these strings though and could see myself getting a bump in my game from these strings.
Thanks TW for letting me in on the PlayTest and I hope to participate again in the future.