Low, low tensions. 30lbs feels great. 20lbs pretty good, too

yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
Hey Lynnbart,

Where's your sense of adventure? Try going lower. I feel much more comfort at 32 or 30 than I did at 46 or 44.

No discomfort at all, and my shoulder used to get sore because of my funky flat hard serve. The lower tensions (low 30s) seem to just pop the ball on my hard serves, and my kick and slice serves are much better at the lower tensions.

Try 30 or 32 and see if you like it. You can always go back up.

I have now done several string jobs for people wanting to experiment with the extreme low tensions, and each has found that they really do like it, and that any problems they have had with soreness went away rather quickly.

Tomorrow night I will have 3 strung at 30 for mixed doubles. One all syn-gut, one all poly, and one with poly mains and syn-gut crosses. So far, I have only played with the all syn-gut and the all poly, and I actually prefer the syn-gut for most things. Tomorrow will be the test for the hybrid. Hoping it will give me the best of what I like about both.
 
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yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
Using Gosen OG Micro Sheep (18g) on the crosses. The mains are Technifibre Pro Red Code 18g.

I have one more to do tomorrow. I am going to try co-poly (Gamma Zo Verve 17) in the mains and syn-gut for the crosses.
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
I have over a half reel of Zo Verve left that I bought when I ordered my stringing machine. It was a bit pricey, but I wanted to try a good co-poly, and it was my birthday. :)

Thanx for the tip, though.
 
sansaephanh

sansaephanh

Professional
its weird... i would guess really low tensions with these super soft polys feel as mushy as prince rackets. I'm surprised everyone likes it so much. I must try.
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
Believe me, I am surprised as well. I do like it though. Up until about a year ago, I was all the way up at 70#s on two of my racquets. I am shocked at how well the extremely low tension plays, and how easy it is on my arm.
 
F

freddyfox

New User
yourmailman. Thank you so much for your info. I too have a Dunlop Biomimmetic 100 as well as the Dunlop Aerogel 100 and Aerogel 4D 100. I really want to try low tensions (36lbs and less) using poly or syn gut but I don't know which strings of each type I should get.

I was thinking Gamma Synthetic Gut or Forten Sweet Synthetic Gut.

I'm clueless on poly though. What's a good yet cheap poly to begin this low tension experiment?

yourmailman said:
Believe me, I am surprised as well. I do like it though. Up until about a year ago, I was all the way up at 70#s on two of my racquets. I am shocked at how well the extremely low tension plays, and how easy it is on my arm.
Click to expand...
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
The only one I have experience with so far is the Code Red 18g. It is about $10 a set.

For synthetic gut, I highly recommend the Gosen OG Micro. $37 for a reel.
 
db10s

db10s

Hall of Fame
I'm at 33lbs with Black Widow 17. I'm getting some more Dunlop ICE in, and I'm going to try that.
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
I have really grown to like the 18g in both the mains and the crosses. I am not a frequent string breaker. The majority of the time, I wind up cutting them out because they are starting to feel dead, or just to experiment.
 
C

Centerforward71

Rookie
sansaephanh said:
its weird... i would guess really low tensions with these super soft polys feel as mushy as prince rackets. I'm surprised everyone likes it so much. I must try.
Click to expand...

Don't try it I'm warning you :)

Genesis twisted razor strung at 36 on a drop weight machine. Plays great all the way down to about 28 which can be about 6-8 hours of play.

I too played poly at 60+ and gut 62+. Been six months now and don't see going back.
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
Update ...

Didn't get the hybrid done today. I lost track of time and before I knew it, it was time to head out for mixed doubles.

Tonight was round 2 for my partner and her Pure Drive 107 @ 38.

According to her, it was "even better than last week". She also said she was excited about playing again. She had been a little discouraged with her net play. Tonight, she was popping them back for winners. She has also picked up a goodly amount of kick on her serve.

I started out with my syn-gut 30# and was planning on switching for the second set. It felt so comfortable, and it was a tight match, so I stayed with it the whole match. I just wasn't ready to go to the poly and not feel as confident.
 
v-verb

v-verb

Hall of Fame
Nice update YMM!

I hit my POG mid tonight - stringing has relaxed to 41lbs. If I keep my concentration, I can hit out and the ball lands in with room to spare.

I was able to remove the rubber band - the racquet was too mushy otherwise. It was nice to feel the ball and the increased pocketing. No loss of control at all

Looking forward to see if the tension settles in the 30's and see how it affects hitting.
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
V-Verb

I totally agree. I had a lot of fun tonight teeing off on second serves and ripping topspin winners. Plus having the confidence to go down the line with power off of a serve to the dismay of our opponents.

My favorite shot of the night was off of a first serve. I play the add side and got served out wide to my backhand. I normally like two-hands on that side, but I was able to hit a beautiful one-handed slice that curled over the net and practically went sideways, landing in the alley in front of the net man, but because of the extreme spin, was a clean winner.

I've said it before, but I will say it again ... I am liking this extremely low tension stuff!
 
fortun8son

fortun8son

Hall of Fame
freddyfox said:
yourmailman. Thank you so much for your info. I too have a Dunlop Biomimmetic 100 as well as the Dunlop Aerogel 100 and Aerogel 4D 100. I really want to try low tensions (36lbs and less) using poly or syn gut but I don't know which strings of each type I should get.

I was thinking Gamma Synthetic Gut or Forten Sweet Synthetic Gut.

I'm clueless on poly though. What's a good yet cheap poly to begin this low tension experiment?
Click to expand...

My two favorite synguts. :)
OGSM 17 is a close third.

Take a shot at Tourna Big Hitter Silver 17, Blue if you want more power.
Solid strings. Great price by the reel.
All of the Mamba/Discho strings work well at low tensions, too.
 
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F

freddyfox

New User
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
Fortun8son,

Do you like the regular or the rough on the big hitter? I am thinking of getting a reel of the blue to add to my collection.
 
sansaephanh

sansaephanh

Professional
yourmailman said:
Fortun8son,

Do you like the regular or the rough on the big hitter? I am thinking of getting a reel of the blue to add to my collection.
Click to expand...

Get rough17 if you want a 18g. round 16=16. round 17=17. rough16=17, rough 17=18.

Great strings imo, but if i'm going to try low tensions i want something stiff.
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
Thanx,

Good to know. The Big Hitter sounds pretty good to me since I like the syn-gut at the lower tensions. It is a lot more affordable than the Code Red.
 
R

RetroSpin

Hall of Fame
yourmailman said:
Update ...

Didn't get the hybrid done today. I lost track of time and before I knew it, it was time to head out for mixed doubles.

Tonight was round 2 for my partner and her Pure Drive 107 @ 38.

According to her, it was "even better than last week". She also said she was excited about playing again. She had been a little discouraged with her net play. Tonight, she was popping them back for winners. She has also picked up a goodly amount of kick on her serve.

I started out with my syn-gut 30# and was planning on switching for the second set. It felt so comfortable, and it was a tight match, so I stayed with it the whole match. I just wasn't ready to go to the poly and not feel as confident.
Click to expand...


Interesting. Can I ask what level you and your mixed partner play at? I'm curious because i can't imagine using syn gut in an oversized frame strung that low. I would think it would be a classic missile launcher.

I understand the poly. I haven't ventured into the 30's yet but it sounds interesting.

BTW I really like BHBR17. Very unique poly from what I can tell.
 
kaiser

kaiser

Semi-Pro
Which polys work best with low tensions?

I'm currently using BHBR16 in the high 30's, am happy with that, but don't have much experience with other polys at such low tensions.

What is your favorite poly for a low tension setup?
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
We are 3.5 players, and she didn't seem to have problems with the missile launch properties so many people think result from low tension. I will have to look at some video, but I think she actually hit less long balls than she was at 62#.

Also, with the low tensions, a little bit of topspin goes a long way. That is to say, if you hit the same topspin that you did at a higher tension, you will have more topspin, and therefore, more balls will dip down into the court instead of flying long.
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
I should also as that I am playing up a level in one singles and in men's doubles. I think the low tension has helped me there more than in the 3.5 leagues.
 
fortun8son

fortun8son

Hall of Fame
sansaephanh said:
Get rough17 if you want a 18g. round 16=16. round 17=17. rough16=17, rough 17=18.

Great strings imo, but if i'm going to try low tensions i want something stiff.
Click to expand...

That's why my first suggestion was Silver, not blue. It's stiffer.
There appears to be less difference between rough and round in the Silver than there is in the Blue.
 
bad_call

bad_call

Legend
thinking of trying these in upper 30s: B5E/syn gut, BigAceMicro(BAM)/syn gut, Gosen Polybreak/syn gut. any thoughts about these combos?
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
Played tonight exclusively with my Bio 100 strung with TF Pro Red Code 18g.

I still like the syn-gut a little better, but I do like the poly. It is a bit more stiff than the syn-gut, bit it worked well in our doubles match. The poly doesn't seem to to have as much bite on a one handed backhand. Other than that, it felt really good. I think I may actually prefer it against a big server. It seems to have a little more control in that situation.

Can't wait to try out the hybrid with poly on the mains and syn-gut on the crosses.
 
-Kap-

-Kap-

Rookie
yourmailman said:
Okay. I am officially hooked on the extremely low tension...

Tonight, I whipped out my trusty 30#er and proceeded to whip butt....

...I love this low tension!
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but I just can't read your posts anymore... without trying it, myself! :)

The outdoor season is quickly drawing to a close here in the northeast, but I'll follow your lead and take a chance with a full-bed of low-tension OGSM in the spring. (I've tried poly at 35# and loved it, but I'm weaning myself off of poly). I'd expect that you get some crazy string movement, but fixing strings between points is a small price to pay if the feel and performance is good.

Thanks for all of your feedback, yourmailman! 8)
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
Kap,

Thanx for the nice review.

I am playing in a tournament this afternoon and I have my three weapons ready ... fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope! Amongst my weapon are ... seriously 3 Bio 100s at 30#s each, one syn-gut, one poly, and one hybrid.

I'll let you know.
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

I used all three racquets and I still like the syn-gut a lot. I also really liked the hybrid (poly mains/syn-gut crosses). The jury is still out on the all poly setup. It just seems a little too stiff, even at 30#s.

My serve seems better with the hybrid, but I have gotten really used to the syn-gut and just really like the way it pockets the ball. When serving with the hybrid I had 3 aces, and my only two double faults were with the poly.Again, it could be that I am not used to it. Still need more time with it.

Overall, I am still loving the low tension. I will have to try one at 20# or even 10# just to see how it fits my game.

Stay tuned.
 
Rozroz

Rozroz

G.O.A.T.
kaiser said:
I'm currently using BHBR16 in the high 30's, am happy with that, but don't have much experience with other polys at such low tensions.

What is your favorite poly for a low tension setup?
Click to expand...

can you tell me a bit on what tensions you tried till you got to 36, and why?
thanks.
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
Actually, my drop shots with backspin are incredible at the low tension. I actually hit one the other night with enough backspin that it came back over the net before my opponent got to it.

Volleys seem pretty nice as well. I don't feel I have to kill the ball to make a nice shot, and therefore I am hitting more angles on my volleys. Also, the ones I punch back without a whole lot of power from me, have enough power to get deep in the court. It took me a few times to figure that out, but once I did, I like it.
 
A

anewtypedude

Rookie
Do you think SPPP will be a good string for low tension? I am asking because it has very good tension maintenance. I don't want to string something at 35 and have it drop to 25 the next week.
 
S

souledge

Semi-Pro
Chris, was it 30 lbs strung on a crank machine or a dropweight?

Also, has anyone tried a gut / poly hybrid at 30 lbs?
 
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v-verb

v-verb

Hall of Fame
Rozroz said:
well i had my racquet strung at 40's with BHB7 :)
anything i should be 'warned' about trying it the first time?
Click to expand...

It took me one session to get used to my POG mid strung at 40lbs. I was hitting long, missing volleys etc.

The second time I tried it, I was hooked. My serves had wicked slice, groundies were spinning crazy good and volleys had nice pop.

So takes a bit of an adjustment but IMO it's worth it. I'm not going back - except for trying to figure out how to recapture the magic my Prince Boron had before I strung poly at 50 lbs....but that's another post.
 
v-verb

v-verb

Hall of Fame
MikeHitsHard93 said:
Is stringing this low only good for poly?
Click to expand...

Well I played on my friends old CTS Graduate with Babolat Syn Gut 16. Got some amazing ball pocketing and junk on my serve.

Didn't know why until I measured the tension. 33 lbs (very old strings). So it worked fine, no catapulting or anything. I think I prefer poly at low tensions but some syn guts will be fine IMO
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
When I went down to the low 40's and 38, I noticed a lot more spring than the 60 to 70#s I had been hitting. It took a few games to get used to it, as it did going down to 30#s. Now that I am there and have learned the characteristics of that tension, I like it a lot!
 
Rozroz

Rozroz

G.O.A.T.
I really feel like I've discovered a new world! It's just unbelievable.
i just came back playing with BHB7 16 strung at 40.

I will try to restore my experiences as accurate as possible:
First of all, for those who don't like 'butter touch', there's no point in trying low tensions.
I love it! Just as soft as melted butter! The first major thing that really stands out with this tension.
It's as if you slipping into your favorite sweat pants after a whole day with jeans ;)

And now for the differences in terms of the game itself.
i'll probably say again what many said here over the thread including Chris.

the spin is so enhanced it's just ridicolous, almost in every hit. slices and droppers become very easy, this is just crazy.
forhands and backhands have quite a different feel. I do not know how to explain it. Clearly there's a lot more power, but it's still mysteriously controlled. hard strokes end up inside the court most of the times. i didn't feel unsecured at all. it also has a unique feel of pocketing the ball just enough for you to control it. you DON'T lose control and spring balls at the fence.
The ball also gets an unexpected addition of spin in all sorts of directions, and it really killed my partner's game. He had to make last-minute adjustment many times (like Novak at the USOPEN LOL).
simply unbelievable. i really had a different game.
For serves, i don't know yet. I felt a change, but still not any significant improvement in something.
but it's now possible to produce rather fast accurate flatters almost without effort.
and now to the cherry at the top- my returns!
Almost all of my returns somehow remained in the court. all i had to do is put the raquet at the spot and the rest happened by itself. ball returned deep with no effort, sometime with weird spin that made my partner make UE's.
It was much easier to control slice returns and they simply ruined all the serve intimidation my partner had before.
Pure pleasure!
again i'll say that those who like a hard accurate strung stick might even hate this tension. But those who are accustomed to a soft and spoily multi will feel at home.
I'm pretty sure that also my arm and wrist 'enjoy' hitting with less hard impact feel.
i Recommend everyone to try a 30-40 tension with poly at least once.
I sure did not expect such a unique experience.
Of course there are some drawbacks. power shots with some inaccuracies may fly out. But for me it rarely happened. So I'm not sure it's right for those who like to hit with power toughness and accuracy.
But if you manage to get used to low tension and learn how to master it's gentleness, the feeling is just addictive.
The biggest advantage is the easy power, depth, and SPINNNNNN.

Hope this honeymoon will last very long.
 
v-verb

v-verb

Hall of Fame
Very nice Rozroz

My POG and Boron are slowly getting into the 40's and I'm looking forward to it.

The last time I hot with the POG was very very nice! I'm having a match tonight and will let you guys know.

I silicone/tefloned the strings for fun and we'll see how the strings react with that witches brew

Cheers

nigel
 
yourmailman

yourmailman

Rookie
Nice Rozroz!

I have found the same. I am winning more games and having to use a lot less effort to get the ball back deep, and the exaggerated spin seems to drive most people crazy.

The serve took a little getting used to. My spin serve now moves way more than it did at higher tension. One nice result of the lower tension on serve is that a lot of times it will look like it's going to their backhand (on a righty) and end up being a body serve. Also, I get a lot more pop on a hard flat first serve.

Glad you are liking it.
 
Rozroz

Rozroz

G.O.A.T.
yourmailman said:
Nice Rozroz!

I have found the same. I am winning more games and having to use a lot less effort to get the ball back deep, and the exaggerated spin seems to drive most people crazy.

The serve took a little getting used to. My spin serve now moves way more than it did at higher tension. One nice result of the lower tension on serve is that a lot of times it will look like it's going to their backhand (on a righty) and end up being a body serve. Also, I get a lot more pop on a hard flat first serve.

Glad you are liking it.
Click to expand...

but how the hell did you like the complete opposite feel of stringing at 60??
 
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