Volkl Cyclone Tour Playtest

^^thanks md, I'm gonna string it up at 60 then. I received the 17g today. I'm currently trying out Black Magic 16g @ 57lbs for the stringforum and it's pretty stiff, really liked the 17g version last summer, had better feel and pocketing.

I strung my 17g set at 47 lbs. I'll report back in a few days as to how it plays.

Picked up the string in my mailbox. In my preferred gauge as well! Will be looking forward to how this would compare to my other strings.

hit with it and it felt good for the first 10 mins or so then the tension started dropping as the string settled in. after that, it was WHOA, NELLIE!!! definite lack of control. if i were to do it again, i would string this up +5 to 6#s higher for sure instead of the +3# that i strung it at. it's definitely soft and comfortable enough that increasing tension some won't be too stiff.

mad dog1 said:

hit with it and it felt good for the first 10 mins or so then the tension started dropping as the string settled in. after that, it was WHOA, NELLIE!!! definite lack of control. if i were given a 2nd try, i would string this up +5 to 6#s higher for sure instead of the +3# that i strung it at. it's definitely soft and comfortable enough that increasing tension some won't be too stiff.

Click to expand...

Did you prestretch?

Andyroo10567 said:

Did you prestretch?

Click to expand...

i strung it on an electronic CP machine and leave the string tensioned for 10 secs to let the tension stabilize before clamping off.

both chris and andy mentioned the lack of control as well in their review. i can definitely see why. this is not the best control string which are the strings that work best for me.

Frame is ready to be strung, time to playtest.

Initial impressions are good, has more of a muted feel, good spin, everything was nice and controlled strung at 60lbs on a LO.

so last night i tried/tested for a couple of hours the volk cyclone tour 1.25 mainly fromthe baseline.

my usual strings Tour bite 1.25 strung at 46lbs and scorpion 1.22 47lbs
racquet used: microgel prestige MP
string tension: 49lbs
set up used: full bed cyclone tour
stringing machine; gamma progression 2 drop weight

first impression: by just looking at it due to the twisted gear i thought it look like BHS rough.
Stringing it: i'm not the most expert stringer here but i really thought i was not hard at all weaving the string all thought it has some coil memory that can bother a little but it was not too bad. it's definitely softer than cyclone which i strung a few times.also i noticed that once the racquet was strung i had way more string left on the table than with mostly of other strings. TW suggested because softer than the original cyclone to string it 3/4 lbs tighter but because of the 18/20 string pattern of my racquet i went up to my usual tension a couple of lbs only.

hitting session

first 10 minutes the string bed felt a bit stiff, not like cyclone but a comfortable stiffness, then some how or it lost some tension right away or it was only the break in time. after the 10 minutes i really noticed the difference when hitting the ball. i could almost feel the ball sitting for a fraction of a second on the string bed( like it was a pillow) kind being wrapped by the string bed and coming off nicely.
i can tell for sure that these string would be a good fit for flat hitters. I hit top spin and flat on bought wings and i got to say that the balls coming off flat were traveling with a lot more power and penetration that when i use tour bite. spin is very nice too but i did not notice it had more than the original cyclone but it is still a very good amount of spin.
i did have any complain about the control at all, i could do anything i wanted hitting any area of the court.
when hitting the FH the balls coming off were pretty deep heavy and i was constantly pushing back my tennis buddy and i really thought it was very easy to change direction to the ball.
slice back had was great! ball was traveling really close to the net, deep and once bouced it sliced away. Also the side spin was very good as well.
i had some issue at the beginning with the double hands back hand, i could not really feel the ball on the string bed as when using the FH. however, after a little i got used to it softness and i had no more issue. my friend said that i could generate some nice power and the ball was pretty deep and heavy.
initial final thought are that it's for sure a softer string and with some more power that cyclone, but controllable even though some times i thought it was a bit springy. i really enjoyed flatting balls out which i believe it's the main quality of the string in my opinion. after my hitting session the gear in the middle of the string bed was gone.....little disappointed.


i will get back to you guys with more about the string especially serve, volley and feel..

however, if i had to string my racquet again i would not go higher than 50lbs with a 18/20 string pattern

Cyclone Tour 16G review

Include the following in your review:

Gauge of playtest string: 16G

Tension used for playtest: 53# strung on an electronic CP machine

Regular string set up: Discho Iontec salmon 1.25 @ 50# or Solinco Tour Bite 16L/Iontec Hexa 1.20 @ 48/50#

Racquet brand and model used for test: Vantage BC20

Power of test string:Very high, especially for a poly. It was very elastic and springy.

Feel: Cyclone Tour offered good feel. I could feel the stringbed pocketing the ball.

Spin: Average. Here’s where I was really surprised. Given the twisted gear shape of the string, I was expecting some good action on the ball. I didn’t get any more spin with this string than any other typical round poly. I get A LOT more spin w/ Tour Bite.

Comfort: Excellent! VERY comfy. I was a bit concerned that stringing up a full bed of poly 3# higher than usual would result in a very stiff and uncomfortable string bed, but was very surprised how plush this was. In fact, I probably should have increased the tension another 2-3#s.

Durability: No issues w/ string breakage.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time) : After the first few strokes, I realized that I should have strung this higher. My groundstrokes were all landing very deep. After 10 mins, the string bed had settled in and the tension felt a bit lower and the string bed got launchy. Everything was going long. I tried closing the angle of the racquet face but that didn’t help much. Nearly everything was either long or into the net. Basically after the first 10 mins, the string bed wasn’t playable for me. I did try to hit with these strings 2 more times and it wasn’t any better. After what was maybe a total of 60 mins of hitting, I looked at the strings around the sweetspot and noticed that the gears had worn down. Very surprising given the little amount of play time I had on this string bed.
Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): I had issues with directional and depth control. Felt ok for the 1st 10 mins and after that, I couldn’t hit with any sort of consistency. I have 2 BC20s. I strung one w/ Cyclone Tour and the other w/ Iontec. I would go back and forth between the two sticks. Hit with the Cyclone Tour for 10 mins and couldn’t control the ball. Then I’d switch to the one w/ Iontec and the control was back. The ball would go exactly where I was hitting it. I’d switch back to Cyclone Tour and the control was gone. Because it was lacking in control I never felt confident swinging out due to fear of hitting long.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): in an attempt to improve control, I would try this string at 56# or I would try it in a stiffer racquet. Given the low stiffness of the BC20 (50RA) and the elastic nature of Cyclone Tour, I wasn’t shocked that control was poor for me. Had I known Cyclone Tour was this soft and stretchy, I would have playtested this in a stiffer frame.

Compare to the string you use most often: Compared to Discho Iontec salmon 1.25 and Kirschbaum Super Smash Orange 17, Cyclone Tour was softer and more comfortable but at the expense of control. With the lack of control, I was unable to swing confidently and was not able to generate as much spin, pace, and heaviness to my shots.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare.: I have not tried the original Cyclone string before.

Thanks TW for this playtest opportunity!

Volkl Cyclone Tour 17 String Test

Playtest set-up: Volkl Cyclone Tour 17 at 52/50lb CP
Regular string set up: Signum Pro Tornado 17 at 52/50lb CP
Racquet: Dunlop 4D 100

Power: 5/5. The string was high powered, a step more than Tornado (which is also a powerful poly). While Cyclone Tour’s high spin potential helped keep my ground strokes in play, volleys, half-volleys and flat shots required some adjustments. Depth control was tricky as an all-court player, especially when stepping into the net. While every other stroke experienced a significant boost in power, for a reason unknown, my serves did not gain any additional pace compared to my usual set-up.

Feel: 3/5. The string felt very soft and somewhat mushy. I personally prefer a crisper feel. The sweet spot felt plush, though. It felt great when generating heavy spin, such as topspin or backhand slices, but it was not an ideal feel (for me) for volleys, flat shots, and serves. On a slightly more personal note: the sound when hitting first serves with this string resembled a ‘thud’, which is fine but not quite as satisfying as Tornado’s ‘bam!’ at contact.

Spin: 4/5. Cyclone Tour 17’s spin potential was comparable to Tornado 17. My slice and kick serves were effective, with good movement. I had no trouble keeping my backhand and forehand slices low and with heavy spin, and it was quite fun to the point that on a few occasions I went completely overboard with slices and framed the ball instead (which was a fault of my own, not the string). On ground strokes, heavy topspin was easy to generate, which was great but not as outstanding as, say, a natural gut / poly set-up. The string helped generate spin in a more balanced way without skewing my game style.

Durability: 4/5. I should preface this by saying I don’t find it useful to differentiate physical durability from playability duration. I usually just record a single score for “durability” and write the minimum between the two criteria, as anything beyond that is redundant to me. For this reason, I won’t write much here. This string is pretty soft for a poly. But if you’re not a serious string breaker, I won’t worry too much about the physical durability of this string.

Playability Duration: 3/5. On my third hour of casual hitting, tension has dropped quite noticeably, and the string bed became even more powerful. The textures were gone near the sweet spot. Spin was about the same. Due to an increase in power, controlling the ball became a little more difficult. I don’t consider myself particularly sensitive to string characteristics, but I could feel the gradual change over time. The change was relatively linear, but significant enough to restrict my game, especially since this set-up is already quite powerful and not particularly control-friendly. Of course, the string was still definitely playable – I just had to pay more attention to the string during play and that just isn't ideal. I am waiting to see whether the playing characteristics will eventually settle (I may edit later). Regardless, the initial changes were noticeable enough to make Cyclone Tour just mediocre in playability duration for me.

Control: 3/5. In general, I had a hard time predicting precisely how the ball was going to come off my racket. Directional control was not too bad; there were some shots – such as defensive backhand flicks – that I could pull off with Tornado but not very well with Cyclone Tour, but in general, I adjusted quite quickly in this regard. However, depth control was harder to adjust to due to its high power. Sometimes my aggressive flat shots went out; sometimes my topspin shots, perhaps overcompensated for power, bounced short or went into the net. Keep in mind, though, that I like switching around between flat shots and heavy topspin on my ground strokes to make my play unpredictable; my particular style might be hard to adjust to a string like Cyclone Tour, but for others who employ a more consistent level of spin each stroke, it might be an easier adjustment.

Tension recommendations: Unless you enjoy a very powerful set-up, I would suggest stringing Cyclone Tour 17 up about 2-3lb higher than your usual poly set-up.

Comparison with Tornado 17: When stringing, Cyclone Tour was softer and stretched more than Tornado. On the courts, the Volkl string was more powerful, more comfortable, less crisp, had similar spin potential, and lesser control than my normal set-up. Volkl Cyclone Tour is a good option for those who want a powerful poly combined with great spin and comfort.

It’s a good string that serves a purpose; it just wasn't for me. I’m probably not going to try this string again... But suppose another set of Cyclone Tour miraculously fell down from the sky, I would probably try upping the tension to around 55lb. Either that or I'd be trading it for a set of Tornado in the string trade forum

Thank you TW for the string!

Playtest set-up: Volkl Cyclone Tour 17 at 53 lbs on my Prince Neos 1000
Regular string set up: Tour Bite 16L and Pro Stacked 16 53/56 lbs.
Racquet: Babolat Aero Storm GT

Power: 4.5/5. For a full poly job, I thought this played with a good amount power. At 53 lbs I would think that it sure would play with a good amount of power, but I've used full Tour Bite at 53 and didn't find enough power. As time went on I felt like I gained more power, mostly because I felt that the strings settled in. It didn't feel quite as predictable at the net as I am used to with my given set up, but after an adjustment period I was able to do what I wanted with volleys.

Feel: 3.5/5. This had a softer feel than what I am used to using when I use full poly. I figure that it felt softer because it's a thinner gauge and I think that the twisting softens it up a little bit more. I got a good amount of feedback from the strings on contact. I don't usually use a dampener so I can get a better feel from the string bed.

Spin: 5/5. I found a great amount of spin coming off of this set up. I hit with a full western forehand grip and so generating top spin isn't an issue for me, but the strings amplified the amount of spin that I can normally get on my forehand, backhand, slice, and serves. Kick serves were easier to generate than my usual set up.

Durability: 4/5. I almost never break strings, so this wouldn't be an issue for me. I am usually restringing every two weeks so I never wait around for my strings to die or break. I think that since it is a twisted poly that will take some of the durability away. I've found that shaped and twisted strings have less durability than a round poly.

Playability Duration: 3.5/5. I found that the texture on the string wore out faster than other polys that I have used in the past. BHBR lasted considerably longer. I noticed around hour 5 or 6 that the texture near my contact point was noticeably worn and that i was getting less bite. Tension maintenance was pretty average for a poly. If I can get 6 or 7 good hours out of a string, then I am pretty happy with it. I didn't notice a huge drop off around hours 6 and 7, and I would be fine playing with this string for another few hours.

Control: 4/5. This set up slightly favored power vs control in my opinion. Not as controlling as a full Tour Bite set up, so I wouldn't say that control is a huge advantage for this considering it is a poly. It took a while for me to adjust to the difference in power, but after I did I found that I had a decent amount of control.

Tension recommendations: If I were to use this string again I would string it about 2 or 3 lbs tighter than my normal full poly jobs. 55 or 56 lbs.

Comparison: compared to my usual set up of Tour Bite and Pro Stacked, this strung up a little bit nicer. I like being able to feel the string get a good stretch in when I string it, and that usually isn't noticeable for poly, but I've noticed that twisted polys stretch a little bit more. This set up played stiffer than my normal set up which was expected because it was full poly. I found relatively the same amount of spin, slightly less control, and less power.

This is a great string for the price. I would put it up with most of the other textured or shaped polys. I won't be switching to it, but I think that this string will be popular among TW forum users and others alike.

Once again, a big thanks to TW for involving me in this playtest and I look forward to being involved in the next one!

Off to give this stuff a serving workout.

Volkl Cyclone Tour Playtest 17g






Stringing: Did NOT like stringing this. Very coily and annyoing much like another string I've used (will get to that momentarily). Nonetheless, it wasn't any worse than anything so I won't knock it for its shape. Strung 47lbs.

Initial Views/Serves: I have played this string before. I swear it. This feels almost identical to Genesis SpinX Red. I mean, it strings exactly the same, it has the same sort of plasticky crisp feel, sort of pingy...I can't describe it. It's a very unique feel which I am not saying is bad, BUT it feels exactly like it. It feels absolutely nothing like the original black Cyclone, that's for sure. However, I will say this. While I can compare it to the original having used it, I prefer to compare it to my Scorpion Nvy hybrid. This feels like an order of magnitude cheaper. I know that sounds mean, but it just does not feel like as quality a product as other polys out there. The feel is lower, the spin is about the same, the power is likely the same but more unpredictable and the control is nowhere close. I will continue to use it and see if my thoughts change once it breaks in (if this occurs).

Very helpful reviews, looks like this is a bit too high powered for my liking although I still want to give it a try

Gauge of playtest string-16g

Tension used for playtest-63lbs

Regular string set up-Genesis 16g Razor Mains-Genesis 16G Crosses

Racquet brand and model used for test-Donnay X-White 99

Power of test string-More power felt compared to other strings I have use which are polys and Kevlar.

Feel-Decent feel for poly as it was softer then my usual strings

Spin-Great spin but lost just a little when it smoothed out in sweet spot

Comfort-Very comfortable since it was softer than what I normally use

Durability-Below average as it snapped during my 2 outing which would be during my 4th set

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time)-It lost enough tension during the first 3 sets that I had to start hitting with extra spin to keep it in play. I usually hit a little flatter during the Winter because of the heaviness of the conditions.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)-It was consistent throughout, but I did have to put my summer spin on the ball once the string lost tension and smoothed out in the sweet spot. I was getting great control and lots of action on my serves. My forehand is heavy top with a little across the ball reverse action which seemed to be affecting others on the other side of the net a little more than usual. My second serve is a reverse serve and it was causing a little extra problems for my opponents
.
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)-This was about 3lbs higher than normal so I would keep it the same.

Compare to the string you use most often-I use my listed setup in the winter but mix in some Ashaway Kevlar 18g during the summer. This string played much softer and did have more pop. Not sure how this softer string would react during our hot 100 degree summers. I have tried some softer polys before and didn’t like them during the summer because they felt mushy to me.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare.-NA

It was a fun test but not good enough for my game type to make me want to switch.

Thanks TW for the chance to give it a hit.

pvaudio said:

Sorry for the color balance, I was trying to get the most out of the macros as I could. Nonetheless, you can see that this isn't any ordinarily twisted poly:

Click to expand...

I find it funny how the English description says "potential to generate more spin than ever before", while the German description says "potential to generate more power". No mention of power in the English description, no mention of spin in the German one, who translates this stuff, and where can I apply?

pvaudio- funny, I thought it looked just like Genesis Spinx, it's been so long since I played with Spinx that I really cant compare playablity wise. I will say stringing this at 60lbs took most of the power and any springiness out of the Cyclone Tour so far. Definitely not a whole lot of feel to it, muted and stiff. I've hit once for an hour and will try it today and see if it there's a change.

It was a nice surprise to be included in this playtest as I was having a terrible day, and when I got home, I had a nice little present from TW waiting for me. It is small, but it really made my day. Thanks, TW! I've finally logged enough time with this string that I feel comfortable in reviewing it. First, about me...

I'm a 3.5/4.0 player that hadn't played in 22 years. I just started up again over the summer and have been steadily increasing my game. I consider myself an all court player mainly because in this league, guys aren't hitting deep so I'm constantly coming in. I've been working on this part of my game quite a bit. Generally, though, I'm comfortable as a stay at home baseliner. I hit a hard, topspin forehand that is easily my biggest weapon. I also have a 2hbh that isn't as hard, but just as much spin. I also have a solid slice bh and solid volleys. I've recently added a hard, flat serve to my normal slice and kick serves which are my other strong weapons.

Alright, so here goes...

Gauge of playtest string 16g

Tension used for playtest 54lbs for full bed. I string my own, and this string was easy for me. I usually use reels, though, and getting this untangled out of the pack proved a challenge. Otherwise, it was easy enough to lace up.

Regular string set up Isospeed Baseline Spin X OGSM @ 56lbs. I did just switch to BHBR X OGS, though, after trying a bunch of shaped polys.

Racquet brand and model used for test Pro Kennex 7G

Power of test string 10/10 for me. This is easily one of the more powerful polys I've hit with. The nice thing is that it fits my game very well. Unlike some of the other testers, I found the power to be a bonus. My groundies were up to speed, and my serves were booming. I was trying BHB7 at the same time, and during one match, my partner told me to go back to the red strings because I wasn't getting near the pace with the black ones. Volleys, swinging volleys and approach shots were all solid and penetrating. Slices were hard and low. I really liked the power of this one. Over time, the string bed did loosen up quite a bit, and I had to adjust my shots to keep them in the court, but the power stayed predictable the whole time, and I liked it. It might be tough for some, though, as the way it played (more due to spin for me) changed as time wore on. Again, predictably, but different.

Feel 10/10. I link this to the power level since the two really seem to be directly proportional to me. In a word, the feel was awesome. I found the springyness, softness and just overall plush feel to be exactly what the doctor ordered. It also has just enough "edge" to the feel to keep it from feeling mushy and give me positive feedback on what the ball was going to do. Topspin forehands felt perfect! It just fits my style very well. It started out great and never lost its magic in this area for me. Conversely, I've used SPPP which started terribly, but within an hour or so felt incredibly better. This one just felt right from start to finish. Every shot felt powerful and crisp with good feedback.

Spin 7/10. This was a mixed bag for me. Initially the spin was strong and noticeably enhanced. It isn't quite up to the BHBR standard for me, but it was good. The profile seemed to wear down quickly, though, being fairly smooth at about the 3 hour mark. It was still generating solid spin (it is a poly after all), but not what I'd expect from a textured string. This is likely where I had to start adjusting my shots due to a decrease in spin production and slight increase in power.

The initial bite was good, however, and you could feel it grab the ball. I liked it a lot. Topspin ground strokes were where I saw the most spin. The ball was diving down hard especially with the added power. It really gave a solid, heavy ball with pace. Slices stayed low and skidded.

I didn't think it gave much more than standard on slice and kick serves, though. I was getting solid action, but nothing that made me say wow. Somewhat disappointing given the spin potential and what I saw on the groundies, but still better than a smooth string (at least while it had texture).

Odd side note here, normal strings will sometimes take strands of fuzz off the ball, and I've even seen a "cloud" of fuzz after smacking a fluffed up Penn. This string actually rips patches of fuzz off the ball. I didn't notice anything on the balls themselves, but there were little patches all over the court after about an hour. Must be due to the grooved shape vs pentagon, etc. Maybe it compresses on impact and literally grabs the ball. Might also explain why the spin was good, not great.

Comfort 10/10. Like power and feel, I think comfort is somewhat linked here. At the end of the day, this is a great feeling string. Very soft and plush. This might be good for TE sufferers that still want the spin of a poly. Very nice. Never got stiff, either, as some polys do when they die. Big reason for me wanting to switch to this string.

Durability 7/10. I see this one as 2 part. First, the strings lasted well for me. I don't generally break strings, and I didn't find anything new here. I also play 17g normally, so these were a bit thicker and less likely to break. I will probably cut them out at some point. I'm 12+ hours now with some notching--nothing to write home about. If you're not a string breaker, these will last a while if you can tame the power.

On the other hand, since this is a textured string designed for spin, I think the durability of the texture is lacking. Like I said earlier, around 3 hours or so, the sweetspot was smooth. You couldn't even see the grooves. BHBR, by contrast, lasts almost twice as long. I wouldn't hold this against this string, but I was somewhat disappointed. I also had the 17g in a hybrid and found the same to be true.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time) 8/10. Like most everyone else, I noticed the playing characterisitics change over time. They started off perfect, then slowly, but surely got more springy and less controlled. It was a predictable transition, though, so it never got to me. I gave it an 8 because I felt it still played well. Again, it works very well for my style. The spin changed (dropped off), the power picked up (not terribly, but it did increase slightly) and the control decreased a little. I thought it played well and probably in my top 5 all the way to 12 hrs, but your mileage may vary. It just fit my game.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?). 7/10. While control is not this string's strong suit, I found my shots to be fairly predictable. I have a full, fast and hard swing on ground strokes, and I was hitting the general area of the court I was aiming for. Slices seem to go where I put them, as well.

For serves, I found the control to be adequate. A big part of my serve effectiveness is placement. I was putting the ball wherever I wanted it. Stiffer polys do seem to give me a bit more preciseness, but I wasn't having any issues on serve.

The negative side of control comes from the decreasing spin and increasing power. It just changes how you manage your shots. Although I adjusted well, I don't think this is for everyone. If you're looking for a string to tame your shots, you might look elsewhere.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?). I liked 54lbs, but I think if I was going to do a full bed again, I'd go up to 58 or so just to add in some control. It might change the feel a lot, but I'd look for a little more tension initially to sharpen it up. I'd play it at 54 again, too, though, because it really felt great there.

Compare to the string you use most often. Really tough comparison to IBS/OGSM due to the texture and syn gut. The feel is similar, but the hybrid maintains its playing characteristics much longer. I also don't have to adjust much since it plays the same until the crosses are too shredded to carry on. The IBS does start to get really springy at the end, though, to the point that it is a launcher. I found Cyclone Tour to be more consistent in this regard. Maybe because it starts out fairly springy, and I'm already adjusted?

Compared to my new standard of BHBR/OGS, it loses a little of its luster. It still starts better, but after an hour, BHBR softens up and settles in. The spin is crazy better, and the texture lasts much longer. The BHBR doesn't have quite the feel or power of CT, and I do miss that, but I have more control out of the former. It is just a more precise set up. I might keep a set of CT on hand for my second racquet, though, for those days I want to crush the ball.

The biggest reason for not going with CT for me is price/reel. At nearly double the cost @ $155, it doesn't fit in well with my overall scheme. It is still relatively inexpensive per racquet, but I can get a reel of BHBR for $80 and OGS for $24 and do 2x as many racquets. If it came down to under $100, I might be tempted. I really liked this string a lot. Even the color looked great with my 7G.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare.. Unfortunately, this playtest came out before I got a chance to string up the pack of Cyclone I have.

Overall 8.5/10. Bottom line, I like this string a lot. It provides strong spin, great feel, plush comfort and solid power. Reels could be cheaper. It isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for a spin string that also gives a bit of pop, look no further.

Gauge of playtest string: 17

Tension used for playtest: 52 lbs

Regular string set up: Solinco Tour Bite @ 49 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test: Dunlop Biomimetic Max200G

Power of test string: This string definitely had some power to it. Plenty of pop from all areas of the court. Lots more power than the previous 2 play-test strings I had (Super Smash Orange and Lux 4G). This is a good and bad thing. I enjoyed the power off the ground and serving (for awhile). I did not care for it when it came to volleying though. I continually pushed volleys long as they rocketed off the string bed. It just had no predictability at the net for me.

Feel: I enjoyed the feel of this string. I had nice touch on drop shots and lobs for the first initial hours of play(3-4). As the string wore down, the feel and touch I was able to impart went down but it still had a soft feel overall.

Spin: String had nice access to spin. I wouldn't put it on par with Tour Bite but it had the type of spin I've come to expect from typical shaped and/or twisted polys. I was able to keep slices low and sliding. Spin was also nice on the serve as it kept my kick serve up higher than Super Smash or 4G did. The spin diminished as the strings wore down and starting notching (5 hr mark). Once they did that, it became harder to bank on the extra spin from the string keeping some of my shots in.

Comfort: Comfortable string for me. It felt soft and I was thankful for the power and spin the string provided. The last 2 play-test strings had been tough on my arm. I had no comfort issues with this one.

Durability: Not fantastic. Started notching and wearing down the edges really quick and started impacting playability at about 5hrs. I still have it in after 11 hrs of play but it is almost worn smooth in a lot of parts and notched up quite a bit. It also seemed like some of the coating was rubbing off while stringing but I'll fully admit to not being the best stringer in the world either.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): Played great for about the first 4 hrs. Power off the ground and on serve. Great spin for drop shots and slices. At about 5 hrs, the string got really springy and the power became more difficult to control. My struggles with this string at the net really amplified at this point as well. Volleys were just flying high and long off the string bed.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): Control is solid initially but drops off a cliff after a few hrs. At my current 11 hrs of use, balls are spraying and go longer than they did initially. I had mediocre control on volleys initially and now have even less. As this string ages, it gets dramatically more unpredictable. Control is passable if you are able to re-string this every 3-5 hrs of use.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): Tension maintenance on this string is NOT good. I kept track using Racquettune after stringing on a freshly calibrated lockout machine. I strung 3 lbs higher than usual after reading early feedback. Good thing as it was 8 lbs different between machine and dynamic tension off the stringer. That difference is more than any poly I have used recently. After the first 1.5 hrs of play my racquet that was strung at 52 was now measuring 39.1. It has since settled in and only lost an additional 2.2 lbs but that initial tension drop is a deal breaker for me. I also believe it contributes to the difficulty in controlling the power of this string. Both Super Smash and 4G killed this string in tension maintenance and I have gotten better performance from Tour Bite and BarbWire as well.

Compare to the string you use most often: Power was about on par with Tour Bite, if not a little higher, but in a more comfortable feeling setup. Spin was good but didn't really equal the kicking and jumping of Tour Bite. I also prefer the firmer feel of Tour Bite for volleys compared to this string. Tour Bite has better tension maintenance and longer playability than the Cyclone for me.

Overall, I liked the feel of the string but the lack of control, unpredictability and large initial tension loss are turn offs for me and would keep me from switching. I would snag a set if it were on sale and I think I would like this string more in a hybrid with a stiffer cross string as well.

Thanks again TW for the opportunity!!

TW, I apologize for cutting my playtest short, but this string is simply terrible in my Prestige. Perhaps it needs to break in some more, but after an hour, it's playing like plastic. When I have to force myself to not cut it out, it's just not for me. It seriously made playing tennis not enjoyable, and I presume it's just a racquet-string combination mismatch.

Gauge of playtest string 16

Tension used for playtest 50/48 I strung low because of comfort concerns

Regular string set up 4G (52) / N.vY 16ga (54)

Racquet brand and model used for test Volkl X8

Power of test string This is a powerful string, no doubt, but surprisingly it wasn’t uncontrollable during my play testing. If one is used to hitting with Poly in a full bed, and do so to control fast full swings then you would want to bump up the tension in this string. Playing with this string makes me want to lower the tension in my usual 4G mains and see how it fares.

Feel I have hit with some poly strings that were so disconnected and dull that I couldn’t play with them for any period of time. This string, for a soft full bed poly, offered reasonable feedback during ground strokes and serves. But ‘normal’ volleying technique didn’t feel connected. Also I noted that the feel of the string bed improved after what was a marked breaking in period of about 2 hours of play. And I did first play with these right off the stringer.

Spin Very solid especially on the serve. I was able to hit all my shots, top and slice from both wings, matching the spin potential of any strings I have tried. The X8 will bring out the spin in a string if it is there. These didn’t disappoint in that regard. Regular hitting partners noted the action of slice and kick serves was extreme for me, and ‘egg-shaped’ ball paths particularly from the forehand side was more common than with the strings I have been using. Balls fell deep and heavy in the court which certainly helped me control the power of this string.

Comfort Here is where these strings shine. I do have a history of TE, particularly when I first started playing often after a very long hiatus three years ago. It was so bad I went back to syn gut and switched to a 2HBH for about a year (two years ago). I have worked hard to strengthen my arms, stretch, and focus on proper technique and switched to the Volkl racquet so I am able to dabble in poly strings again, even if always in a hybrid. I was concerned about playing these in a full bed, but I can say that after about 7 hours I haven’t felt the first twinge. This is an excellent comfort string for a poly.

Durability/ Playability Duration I really have noticed any sharp drop in playability or extreme notching. They are still sliding reasonably well and are still mostly coming back into place now at about the 7 hour mark. Possibly the low starting tension is helping in this regard. I can say they don’t compare well to the stellar tension maintenance and durability of 4G, but I haven’t found any other poly strings that play so consistently as 4G over say 12 hours.

Control Without loads of spin these strings are hard to control. The free power is a blessing at times however. Particularly when I was out of sorts, wrong footed, etc. I was able to manage a shot with reasonable predictability and control relatively deep, or to a particular spot and height. That attribute may not normally be characterized as control, but in the case of my game it was helpful. I play doubles and singles about equally and the sort of spin control that these strings offered was mostly helpful in singles. The higher ball flight path wasn’t an advantage against my regular dubs guys.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) In a full bed, because these strings offer access to spin, comfort, and power I don’t believe I would change the tension. If I try them in a hybrid as mains I would probably bump up the tension a couple of pounds however.

Compare to the string you use most often Lately I have committed to playing with 4G / N.vY 16ga as they have offered the most predictable play over the longest duration in the open pattern of the X8, and that combo provides the feedback, flatter balls, and touch I need for doubles. Because of the free power and spin the play test strings offer, I am going to try to lower the tension in the 4G and string up a hybrid setup with the Volkl Cyclone Tour to see how they compare. I’m just concerned about the duration of use with the Cyclone Tour.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare. I have played with it and wasn’t blown away. Seemed like a good middle of the road poly, but didn’t maintain its playability very long for me. The tour string offers more power and more comfort. And will probably maintain its playability about the same as the original, which is to say not a standout feature.

I am testing out the Volkl Cyclone Tour 17 (1.25) in my leaded up IG radical MP at 42/42 and I will compare it to my Tour Bite 17 at 40/40

Stringing= In my hand, I thought it was going to be on the stiffer side. The string didn't have that much coil memory so it wasn't difficult. Weaving CT was very similar to BHBR but it was a little bit easier since the edges are not as pronounced.

Power of test string= I thought the power level of this string was up there with the other higher powered polys like BHBR and TB so I didn't have any adjustment period when it came to the power and the depth of hitting the ball. It had good pop of the string bed. It wasn't erratic power but was pretty much controlled power.

Feel= The feel was a little different compared to most of the polys I've tried. It isn't as crisp as most polys. It is one the softer side for sure. During the first 3 hours, I thought it was perfect feeling great response throughout the string bed. After the tension lost around the 4th hour, it felt a little to mushy for me.

Spin= Ct gave me pretty good spin but it felt normal on groundies since I generally play with shaped polys. What stood out was my slice groundies and slice serves. It reminded of the ridiculous side spin of BHBR but it was controlled.

Comfort= This is probably one of the most comfortable polys i've tried up up to date. It is very soft after the tension drop. It was even a little too soft for me but upping it a # or 2 will fix that problem.

Durability= I've been playing with CT for about 8 hours and the egdes are smoothed out and I have some notches near the sweetspot which is normal for strings for me. So durability is comparable to other polys.

Playability Duration= I thought the string played well until now. There was a tension drop in the 3rd to 4th hour where I had adjust to it but that was not biggie. At the 8th hour, I am feeling that the balls are spraying a bit. I will probably cut the strings out in 2 or 3 hrs to see if it'll break or if it will spray too much for me

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)= I thought the control was pretty good. There were some flatter shots where it was sort of erratic but it still went miraculously but other than that I knew where majority of my balls were.

Tension recommendations = I would string it maybe a pound up to stiffen the bed a bit. I already added 2 pounds to my usual poly tension since I saw people suggested to up the tension a bit compared to other polys.

Compare to the string you use most often
I really the CT but I think I will still stick with TB. The power level of both of the strings are very similar but Tb gives me just a tad more power which I need to serve. For spin, I would prefer TB since it has a more consistent spin and had a tighter spinning ball. Comfort for sure would go to CT. For feel, I would give it to TB. hitting in the sweet spot is really nice with CT but on off centered shot, I get a more uniform response with TB. Tension maintenance and playability duration goes to Tb because TB is more gradual compared to CT.

Thanks TW and Volkl for the playtest!

Tmano said:

so last night i tried/tested for a couple of hours the volk cyclone tour 1.25 mainly fromthe baseline.

my usual strings Tour bite 1.25 strung at 46lbs and scorpion 1.22 47lbs
racquet used: microgel prestige MP
string tension: 49lbs
set up used: full bed cyclone tour
stringing machine; gamma progression 2 drop weight

first impression: by just looking at it due to the twisted gear i thought it look like BHS rough.
Stringing it: i'm not the most expert stringer here but i really thought i was not hard at all weaving the string all thought it has some coil memory that can bother a little but it was not too bad. it's definitely softer than cyclone which i strung a few times.also i noticed that once the racquet was strung i had way more string left on the table than with mostly of other strings. TW suggested because softer than the original cyclone to string it 3/4 lbs tighter but because of the 18/20 string pattern of my racquet i went up to my usual tension a couple of lbs only.

hitting session

first 10 minutes the string bed felt a bit stiff, not like cyclone but a comfortable stiffness, then some how or it lost some tension right away or it was only the break in time. after the 10 minutes i really noticed the difference when hitting the ball. i could almost feel the ball sitting for a fraction of a second on the string bed( like it was a pillow) kind being wrapped by the string bed and coming off nicely.
i can tell for sure that these string would be a good fit for flat hitters. I hit top spin and flat on bought wings and i got to say that the balls coming off flat were traveling with a lot more power and penetration that when i use tour bite. spin is very nice too but i did not notice it had more than the original cyclone but it is still a very good amount of spin.
i did have any complain about the control at all, i could do anything i wanted hitting any area of the court.
when hitting the FH the balls coming off were pretty deep heavy and i was constantly pushing back my tennis buddy and i really thought it was very easy to change direction to the ball.
slice back had was great! ball was traveling really close to the net, deep and once bouced it sliced away. Also the side spin was very good as well.
i had some issue at the beginning with the double hands back hand, i could not really feel the ball on the string bed as when using the FH. however, after a little i got used to it softness and i had no more issue. my friend said that i could generate some nice power and the ball was pretty deep and heavy.
initial final thought are that it's for sure a softer string and with some more power that cyclone, but controllable even though some times i thought it was a bit springy. i really enjoyed flatting balls out which i believe it's the main quality of the string in my opinion. after my hitting session the gear in the middle of the string bed was gone.....little disappointed.


i will get back to you guys with more about the string especially serve, volley and feel..

however, if i had to string my racquet again i would not go higher than 50lbs with a 18/20 string pattern

Click to expand...

I finally was able to try this string for a second time and here is the update:

First I would like to confirm all i wrote in my previously test above in fact all though the string lost a few pounds( maybe 3lbs) it is still playing pretty good. Maybe losing some tension did not matter much due to the tight string pattern. However, the control and predictable trajectory, power and spin were there as before.
Talking about the serve I would say pretty good string, i particularly like the second serve. i kind of pushed my second serve to see how far i could go with this set up and i was able to place the ball were i wanted with a nice kick, i trusted the string and it did not let me down. first serve less impressive if you go for a flat one.
Feel was good i got some nice drop shots.
if i had to compare this string to tour bite or scorpion i would say:

power: goes to volkl and scorpion and tb second place

control: maybe a tad more tb second place for volk and scorpion

spin: tb wins it second volkl third scorpion

comfort: volkl fist, second scorpion and then tb

tension recommendation: for people who play my same racquet i would just stick with the tension mentioned before or if you really want to go a little higher i would increase 2lbs the most.
comparing it to the original volkl cyclone i really like the tour version a bit more because way less stiff, the more useful power.

Volkl Cyclone Tour Playtest 17g






Stringing: Did NOT like stringing this. Very coily and annyoing much like another string I've used (will get to that momentarily). Nonetheless, it wasn't any worse than anything so I won't knock it for its shape. Strung 47lbs.

Initial Views/Serves: I have played this string before. I swear it. This feels almost identical to Genesis SpinX Red. I mean, it strings exactly the same, it has the same sort of plasticky crisp feel, sort of pingy...I can't describe it. It's a very unique feel which I am not saying is bad, BUT it feels exactly like it. It feels absolutely nothing like the original black Cyclone, that's for sure. However, I will say this. While I can compare it to the original having used it, I prefer to compare it to my Scorpion Nvy hybrid. This feels like an order of magnitude cheaper. I know that sounds mean, but it just does not feel like as quality a product as other polys out there. The feel is lower, the spin is about the same, the power is likely the same but more unpredictable and the control is nowhere close. I will continue to use it and see if my thoughts change once it breaks in (if this occurs).

Groundstrokes: I have decided to complete this playtest just out of scientific curiosity. The string did break in slightly, but not enough to make it really playable or enjoyable. Overall good spin, but power was let down by the lack of feel. Balls were not spraying everywhere, but I didn't really have as much confidence as I do with my main setup.
Overall: 8/10

Serves: Similar to above. This string does provide good pop, but it's not really giving me the information I like when I hit various serves. Spin was fine, and short angle slices were fine as well. They just didn't seem to be as potent as I would have liked.
Overall: 8.5/10

Volleys: The lack of feel for me really came through at the net. It's up to your technique alone to let you know what's coming off the stringbed. People have said this poly has a lot of feel. I disagree entirely. It gives you an enormous amount of information and feedback, but that is not the same as feel. In other words, it feels wild and underdamped whereas feel would be the sensation of getting out just what you put in.
Overall: 7/10

Durability: Tension stability? Not bad. Definitely better than the original. The ridges on the string are worn off after an hour, but that doesn't really have anything to do with durability. What I will say is that it has started to notch slightly at 2 hours. Even Baseline Spin will get to 4 before it starts cutting itself.
Overall: 8.5/10

As mentioned in a small blurb above, this was not one of my favorites. I'm pretty confident that it was just a mis-match between my frame and the string. Nonetheless, this player will not be using Cyclone Tour.


Overall: 8.25/10

Gauge of playtest string. 16g

Tension used for playtest. 52lbs

Regular string set up. Discho Iontec Mains crossed with POSG 54x58lbs.

Racquet brand and model used for test. 2012 PDR

Power of test string. I felt like there was a good amount of power, enough that I had to adjust my strokes some when warming up the first time I demo'd it. Good pop off of the stringbed.

Feel. This is where I was disappointed. There just wasn't any feel for what the ball was going to do. The tennis ball was fairly erratic off of the stringbed and unpredictable. This probably the category that will lose me with this version unfortunately.

Spin. Really surprised here. Regular Cyclone is a spin monster with incredible dips/dives with topspin and hard sliding cuts. I don't feel the potential for spin with the Tour version is any more than a round poly.

Comfort. Nice and comfortable. I felt no twinges or pains during or after playing. Even lacking in the feel department, the string isn't harsh on the arm.

Durability. Durability appears to be on average with other polys. Slight notching was noticed after about 2 hours of playing singles.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time). The pronounced ridges disappear within a couple of hours of hitting. With the twisted ridges being a main characteristic of the string, I would have to say that the playability duration is short.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) The tennis ball comes off the stringbed really erratic, I never was able to find a good trajectory to feel comfortable with.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) I wouldn't change. 52 lbs felt okay.

Compare to the string you use most often. The Discho Iontec has a very nice feel for a polyester string. It is crisp with a good bite on the ball and is more predicatable.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare. Comfort level was about the same. I feel that the original had much more bite, feel, and spin production. I can get approximately 8-10hrs of consistent performance with the original version. Both are a little fickle to string. The original will leave you feeling like your fingers are eaten up with paper cuts, whereas the Tour version had a lot of coil memory and was more difficult to weave. It also did not feel as slick as other polyesters.

Cyclone Tour is probably not a string that I intend to use in the future. As a regular Cyclone user, I really appreciate the chance to demo the string and compare. I'm sure it will have a place and hope for the best for Volkl.

Thanks TW for including me !

Gauge of playtest string - 17
Tension used for playtest - 52lbs
Regular string set up - Don't have a regular, yet.
Racquet brand and model used for test - Yonex VCORE Tour 89

Power of test string - 7/10
Feel - 7/10
Spin - 7/10
Comfort - 9/10
Durability - 9/10

Playability Duration - Initially, the string was rather stiff. I hit with it right after I strung it up. Then I also hit with it a day later. The string has a break-in time. After the break in, like any pair of shoes, it feels a lot better. The string softens, but doesn't seem to have the lost tension. A week as passed and I still want to keep this string in the racquet.

Control - Seems like it's just like any other poly. The control is there for me, occasionally I'll spray a ball or two, but, that's like any other string.

Tension recommendations - Since it's winter, I dropped down to 52. During the hot, summer season, I'd go with 55, like the regular version of Cyclone.

Compare to the string you use most often - I've been using a bunch of different types of polys. I can compare it to the regular version of Cyclone. See below.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare. - The Tour version has the different texture, but, I'm not one to give much thought to how much spin potential a string can provide. I feel like my swing has more bearing on the spin than the string. Tour is definitely softer and has less of the ping when played w/o a dampener. Power seems to be about the same.

Bottom line: Tour is a softer version of Cyclone. It's not more or less powerful nor does it have any significant differences in control.

JDMasFCK's Review

Gauge of playtest string: 16G
Tension used for playtest: 50LBS
Regular string set up: Solinco Tour Bite 18G 45LBS
Racquet brand and model used for test: Head Prestige IG MP

Power of test string: 8/10
Feel: 9/10
Spin: 7/10
Comfort: 9/10
Durability: 9/10

Playability Duration: These strings fresh from stringing felt amazing! But noticed a DRAMATIC loss in tension the longer I played. My shots were going a little longer than what I was used to. I noticed that these strings provided A LOT of power than what I'm used to (Tour Bite).

Control: At first control was not a problem for me because the tension was exact, but after awhile the tension started dropping and I had to "brush" up more to put more spin on the ball to keep it in play, if I don't the ball would be flat-ish and would fly out. I noticed that the texture of the string didn't provide a lot of spin as I hoped it would. Comparing it to Tour Bite, Cyclone Tour has a lot LESS spin than Tour Bite. The texturing of Cyclone Tour fades away the longer you play and combining that with the soft co-poly, it turns into a trampoline. Stiffer strings like Tour Bite maintains the spin but on the other hand you sacrifice comfort which is a tradeoff. Was quite disappointed by the spin potential that Cyclone Tour had but then again it was quite comfortable so that's a plus.

Tension recommendations: I usually string my racquets really low, but seeing how Cyclone Tour is soft, I thought I would bump it up 5LBS to compensate for that softness. After playing with it, I thought I should have bumped it up a little more (2/3LBS) and it would be golden.

Compare to the string you use most often: Comparing to Solinco Tour Bite 18G, I would say that Tour Bite surpasses it in spin potential and tension maintenance. The only thing that Tour Bite falls short in comparing to Cyclone Tour is comfort, but than again I have not experienced any arm/elbow problems using Tour Bite. The comfort of Cyclone Tour is amazing and would be a good cross string if I were to ever go hybrid.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare.: I have played with the regular Cyclone and I would say that the Cyclone Tour is A LOT softer than the regular Cyclone. Spin potential wise, the Cyclone Tour falls short compared to the regular Cyclone. I thought the regular Cyclone had A LOT more spin than the Tour. I'm assuming it has to do with the Tour's texture, that spiral texturing is not really comparable to the octogonal shape. I tried Gosen's Sidewinder, which has the similar texture to Cyclone Tour and I found that the spin potential wasn't that good as compared to Tour Bite's texture.

In Conclusion: Cyclone Tour is REALLY soft and would be a great cross string for hybrids. If you're planning on stringing this in your racquet, remember to bump up the tension quite a bit to what you're normally use to or else you're going to be spraying your shots. The spin potential was lacking compared to the regular Cyclone but then again Tour softer and it's a tradeoff.

Gauge of playtest string - 17g

Tension used for playtest - 52lbs

Regular string set up - Leopard Plus Control 16g

Racquet brand and model used for test-Dunlop 4D 500 Tour

Power of test string – Being a thinner gauge string than I usually play with I expected it to have a bit more power than what I am use to. This string definitely had plenty of power which I had to harness. If I were to hit with it again I would absolutely string it around 56/57 pounds for more control.

Feel – I enjoyed the feel of the string. It was softer then my usual strings. Volleys and touch shots were good.

Spin – The string had great spin for me. I tend hit the ball flatter a majority of time with occasional topspin. The easy access to spin with this string was a plus for me because I felt like I had to impart more spin than I usually do on my shots to balance out the power of the string.

Comfort - This string was very comfortable and I did not experience any arm discomfort at all.

Durability – Less than average for me. While stringing my racquet it was noticeable the coating was rubbing off. This could just be the way I was stringing it. Also, after a few matches (5 hours) the edges seemed to begin smoothing out quite a bit and losing bite.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time)-After a few sets there was a good bit of tension loss, and due to the significant power of the string I had to really concentrate on hitting with extra spin to keep it in play. I really deviated from being able to hit the ball flat and hard like I usually do.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) – In the beginning the control on all my strokes was very good for me, but once the tension loss began the balls really started to fly. I was just trying to make sure I put enough spin on the ball to stay in the court. The one stroke that I will say was solid throughout was my backhand slice. I do not slice that much normally but I really enjoyed the stroke with this string. I was also able to get good action on my second serve.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) – Since the tension loss seems to be a big issue I would recommend 3-4lbs higher than normal.

Compare to the string you use most often - Power was higher than the Plus Control, spin was more with the Cyclone Tour, comfort level seemed to be on par with the Plus Control and the tension maintenance is better with the Plus Control

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare. – I have not played with the original Cyclone but plan to give it a try in 16g.

I really enjoyed the play test and would have been interested to see how the 16g would have worked for me. There was nothing overwhelmingly that stuck out with the playtest that would make me want to switch to this string.

Thank you TW for the chance to participate in this string test!

Does anyone else think that this string looks like black mamba gear twisted?

swfh said:

Does anyone else think that this string looks like black mamba gear twisted?

Click to expand...

I've heard that fr a friend who get's strings supplied to him by the rep.

Gauge of playtest string: I got the 16 gauge

Tension used for playtest: 45lb

Regular string set up: Big Hitter Black 7 17 @ 45lb

Racquet brand and model used for test: Wilson BLX2 Six.One 95 16x18

Power of test string: This is definitely on the powerful/springy end of the poly spectrum, much more so than I expected having played with the original Cyclone. I probably should have strung it at a higher tension, since as tested, it was too powerful for some of the other qualities of the string to shine.

Feel: Much better than I expected. It felt plasticky when I strung it up and I expected a mushy, unresponsive stringbed. I was pleasantly surprised when it hit with it; I could tell by feel where the ball was hitting the stringbed.

Spin: Spin was excellent. Not quite at the BHB7 level, but that's a high bar. I had a hard time getting heavy balls to spin down into the court, but I expect a tension adjustment would fix that.

Comfort: Very good for a poly. It's definitely on the softer side. I'm recovering from a light case of tennis elbow (Pure Storm + ALU), so I'm suddenly more sensitive than ever before, and the Cyclone Tour didn't aggravate things at all.

Durability: It seems to be holding up well, but I gave up on it after about 8 hours of hitting. I just couldn't adjust to the springiness.

Playability Duration: I feel like it softened up noticeably in the first half hour or so. After that, it was always too springy for me, so it's hard to say for sure how stable it was.

Control: Control was sub-par for me, but that's probably directly related to the low tension and high power. I suspect that stringing it more appropriately would bring the control up to where it should be.

Tension recommendations: 45lb is my usual tension for pretty much any poly in this frame. BHB7, Cyclone, Solinco Tour Bite, MSV Co-Focus, you name it and 45lb works. But not Cyclone Tour. I'd want to jump up to at least 50lb and maybe iterate up from there to try and reign it in. For me, the string wasn't really playable at 45lb, and that's a shame, because I think it's got promise.

Compare to the string you use most often: Definitely springier than BHB7, with less spin and less control. It's also far redder; way too red to look right in my 2012 6.1's.

More seriously, I didn't enjoy stringing Cyclone Tour. The twisting caused extreme coil memory, akin to Solinco Barb Wire. Every time I pulled a cross, I had to carefully manage the loop on the other side of the frame and help it unwind so it wouldn't kink. I've yet to be convinced that twisting the string improves performance, so I'm not really interested in making this my normal string.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare: Cyclone Tour isn't going to be confused with Cyclone. The new string is much more lively and free-spirited. I went through a reel of 16g Cyclone before switching to BHB7, and I have fond memories of it. Cyclone Tour seems to be taking the string in a new direction, and it doesn't work as well for me as the original.

That said, I appreciate the chance to try it out. Thanks TW and Völkl!

I am currently in Taiwan playtesting this string in 80%+ humidity during the winter season. I will be using both hard court and red clay courts.



Gauge of playtest string : 16G
Tension used for playtest : 55lbs
Regular string set up : Weisscannon Scorpion 50-52bls
Racquet brand and model used for test : Yonex Vcore Tour 97 (330g)

Power of test string : 8/10. I found way too much power on these strings. I was aiming for service box lines for rallies and they were going closer to the baseline.

Feel : 7/10. Meh. A lot of my "touch" volleys and drop shots weren't going where I wanted them to.

Spin : 7/10. Mixed bag here. Sometimes the string would provide some good spin (not great), other times...just simply mediocre.

Comfort : 8/10, This was a very comfortable string! On par with my WC scorpion. Had I strung at a higher tension, I'm sure the comfortableness would be there.

Durability : 8/10. Great durability as well. No complaints here.


Playability Duration : Played about three hours of solid hitting today and it held up nicely, I started feeling the tension dip slightly at the end of hour 3.

Control : I found my WC scorpions were FAR superior in this department. I felt that my shots were spraying sometimes and that not placed as well as I'm used to. The higher power made it fairly difficult to place anything where I wanted it to.

Tension recommendations : I cranked up the tension to 55 lbs, 3 lbs more than what I usually string at, in response to the majority of the play tester's recommendations. I STILL found it to have too much pop.

Compare to the string you use most often : No comparison here. Weisscannon Scorpion is a much better string for my game. This string can definitely benefit the all court player, but I much prefer the Scorpion in all departments, especially tension maintenance, spin, and FEEL.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare : I have played the previous cyclone and that string was heavenly...for the first 7 or so hours. Once the tension dropped, balls would be overshot left and right. While I feel that Volkl has tried to address some of the previous version's tension maintenance, they should have left the spin potential alone. This string is superior in terms for comfort and power. But I would still prefer using the 1st iteration of the cyclone.

This string was odd. I didn't like this string that much, but I didn't hate it either. It fell flatly in the middle, nothing special about it. I could easily overlook this string had I not heard about it. Especially at the price point there are better strings that are cheaper.

Update: Strings cut at hour 10. Just not the string for me.

After numerous attempts to reserve a court, i finally managed to pick up 2 30 minute sessions on 2 different days.

Gauge of playtest string : Received a 17G.

Tension used for playtest : 43lb. Yes, i strung it pretty low. I would probably have a different opinion on it during spring/summer with higher tensions

Regular string set up Was Babolat Revenge 17G. Experimenting with new.

Racquet brand and model used for test Head IG Prestige Pro

Power of test string My goodness. Playing against a ball machine for the first 30 minutes was a eye popper. The power was extremely high. Should have taken these reviews previous users have made into account when stringing. Basically just slowed down my swing to maintain the power. When playing the second time, i learned my mistakes from the ball machine and played fine. Ground strokes were great. Volleys were hitting bit too deep. Serves rarely too deep, hits nicely on serves. Backhands were hitting baseline, partner couldnt tell if some were out. this is just 7/10.

Feel I think it felt pretty soft. Like lawrencejin said as well, I love the blasting bam noise in the indoor courts. I got a little bit of the sound i wanted, but not enough. Feels ok, not bad, not amazing. Maybe if i had an 18G i could get more bam into my shots. overall, 5/10

Spin Slices were great! My forehand doesnt have much topspin but there was a noticeable amount of increased spin on my forehand. My backhand had plenty of topspin. Going for winners with my backhand was easy to score with. Topspin lobs were easy to mess with. My dropshots were on spot. 8/10

Comfort Did not hurt my arm at all. Felt like i could play with this string perfectly fine until it goes dead and breaks. 9/10

Durability Did not break on me yet. I usually snip out my strings every now and then if they last too long. I would prefer a fresh feel like most people do. 8/10

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time) : Played well for the first day. Second day it was dead. Still played fine but the feel and power was different. Felt more dead, and power was higher. The tension dropped quite a lot from what i was seeing. 7/10

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) Had pretty good directional control. With a higher tension, i would definitely have more confidence since it had so much power. 8/10

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) : Probably about 58 and higher. This just has too much power to use my normal strokes.

Compare to the string you use most often Less pop on the ball. ( bam sound ). Had better directional control. Better spin. But since the stringbed im using atm, i just dont want to switch. Natural gut feels so.... good.... But soo.... Expensive...

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare. Never used Cyclone before. :/

Enjoyed this play test. Thanks TW! Would recommend this string to some of my partners!

Volkl Cycone tour playtest result

Gauge of playtest string: 16g

Tension used for playtest: 49lbs/46lbs on lockout machine

Regular string set up: 50lbs/48lbs kischbaum super smash orange

Racquet brand and model used for test: head pro tour 630 18x20

Power of test string: powerful string. Actually one of the most powerful poly ever used. It is fun to play with and for some of weak shot, like back hand volley, the extra power made it look good, but on the other end, I hit a lot of serve and forehand, back hand out due to the extra power. I will string it tight next time to cut down some of the power.

Feel: Very nice feel, crisp and fun to hit with. It is very easy to volley due to the extra power. Also the feel is very good in volley. In forehand and back hand drive, I feel the control is a bit off and cannot place the ball where I want it to be.

Spin: very good spin coming off this string both forehand and backhand when dig in. With proper topspin technique, this string will reward those players a lot. With the extra power this string provides, the capable player can focus more on generating spin and less on hitting through to create monster spin.

Comfort: this is very crisp and soft string, I have strung it in low tension so the feel is very comfortable. I have played syn gut and multi strung in 60lbs before and I will say this poly in 50lbs is more comfortable than those strings. It is a perfect string for players have elbow problem but want to use poly for the extra spin.

Durability: I have hit with this string for 7 hours and it is still fine. There is hardly string movement in my 18x20 racket and no obvious notch. It holds very well.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): playability still the same after 6 hours of hitting. Still have that crisp, lively feel when I stroke the ball. Spin and power also still the same. Very happy with the playability compare to a lot of other polys I have used.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): because this is powerful string and I have strung it low tension, control is not that good for me. Hit a lot of server and forehand long. I think the reason for this is because the string tension is a bit too low. I would love to string it 5 lbs high and try it out again to see if it will increase the control while also reduce some power. If that can be done by string it tighter, this will be one of my favorite strings.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) I will up at least 5 lbs in my 18x20 racket to 54/51 to cut down some power and also increase the control. This is a very nice string and I believe if it strung in right tension, it will perform really well.

Compare to the string you use most often: Kischbaum super smash orange(KSSO) is a fun string to hit with. power, spin, control and comfort are all very good. Cyclone tour is definite more fun to hit with because of the crisp feel of the string bed. Even though the control is not as good as the KSSO, I believe it is caused the strung tension. I will rate cyclone tour above KSSO.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare. Never used cyclone before. cannot compare.

Thanks for the play testing opportunity. definitely will recommend to players I know and in the list of my next string.

Gauge of playtest string 16

Tension used for playtest. 60 pounds on both mains and crosses. High, I know, but others here and in the comments on the sales page have lamented not stringing this at higher tension to tame it. I went up 5 pounds over my regular setup.

Regular string set up. Generally hybrid Cyber Flash or Big Hitter Silver 17 mains with OGSM crosses

Racquet brand and model used for test Prince Warrior OS

Power of test string. Power was good. There was a welcome bit of pop, unlike a lot of the common dead polys.

Feel. Another strength of this string. Firm enough for my preference, without feeling too muted or rubbery. I did notice it seemed to stretch a bit on stringing, so maybe it's softer than most polys.

Spin. Good spin. I'm always expecting shaped and twisted strings to have a crazy amount of spin, but usually find, as is the case here, that the access to spin isn't really all that much greater than my normal round strings. I did think this Cyclone Tour was particularly good at grabbing the ball for chop-and-drop shots, but my baseline topspin was just marginally better than normal.

Comfort. Good. Not jarring on the arm, and more comfortable than my usual setup.

Durability. Just OK. After 10 hours, the ridges have smoothed out a bit, and the tension loss is making me spray balls all over the place.

Playability Duration Good only for maybe 4 hours before I started to lose confidence in it over a loss of control from the tension loss. And a couple of hours after that, the spin benefit from the shaped ridges was diminished as the string rounded out a bit. So, not a string you're going to get 20 hours from. I cut it out after 10.

Control This was the deal breaker for me. It really ruined my first serve percentage when I was swinging out. Man, I just couldn't buy a first serve with this string. In a couple of sessions, I switched off to another racquet with 20-hour-old Lux 4G (still sitting there from a previous playtest) to see if it was the Cyclone or me having serving problems. Both times, my first serves instantly came back with the Lux. Switching back to the Cyclone required me to take something off the first serve and groundstrokes to get directional control. I suppose there was still some life left in this string after 10 hours, but my lack of control with it is the main reason I cut it out.

Tension recommendations I don't know where to go with this string. I already bumped the tension up 5 pounds over my usual poly tension, and still couldn't get good directional control. Not sure if going higher would have helped.

Compare to the string you use most often. Cyclone has good power and spin, reasonably close to my regular Cyber Flash. Cyclone has a more comfortable feel than the CF. Cyclone has slightly better spin potential than CF, particularly on slices. The CF is much better than the Cyclone in directional control. Overall, this string is not for me. While the power, feel and spin were all very nice, I just couldn't consistently put the ball where I wanted when swinging out with this string.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare. Sorry, no experience with regular Cyclone.

Nuke said:

Gauge of playtest string 16

Tension used for playtest. 60 pounds on both mains and crosses. High, I know, but others here and in the comments on the sales page have lamented not stringing this at higher tension to tame it. I went up 5 pounds over my regular setup.

Regular string set up. Generally hybrid Cyber Flash or Big Hitter Silver 17 mains with OGSM crosses

Racquet brand and model used for test Prince Warrior OS

Power of test string. Power was good. There was a welcome bit of pop, unlike a lot of the common dead polys.

Feel. Another strength of this string. Firm enough for my preference, without feeling too muted or rubbery. I did notice it seemed to stretch a bit on stringing, so maybe it's softer than most polys.

Spin. Good spin. I'm always expecting shaped and twisted strings to have a crazy amount of spin, but usually find, as is the case here, that the access to spin isn't really all that much greater than my normal round strings. I did think this Cyclone Tour was particularly good at grabbing the ball for chop-and-drop shots, but my baseline topspin was just marginally better than normal.

Comfort. Good. Not jarring on the arm, and more comfortable than my usual setup.

Durability. Just OK. After 10 hours, the ridges have smoothed out a bit, and the tension loss is making me spray balls all over the place.

Playability Duration Good only for maybe 4 hours before I started to lose confidence in it over a loss of control from the tension loss. And a couple of hours after that, the spin benefit from the shaped ridges was diminished as the string rounded out a bit. So, not a string you're going to get 20 hours from. I cut it out after 10.

Control This was the deal breaker for me. It really ruined my first serve percentage when I was swinging out. Man, I just couldn't buy a first serve with this string. In a couple of sessions, I switched off to another racquet with 20-hour-old Lux 4G (still sitting there from a previous playtest) to see if it was the Cyclone or me having serving problems. Both times, my first serves instantly came back with the Lux. Switching back to the Cyclone required me to take something off the first serve and groundstrokes to get directional control. I suppose there was still some life left in this string after 10 hours, but my lack of control with it is the main reason I cut it out.

Tension recommendations I don't know where to go with this string. I already bumped the tension up 5 pounds over my usual poly tension, and still couldn't get good directional control. Not sure if going higher would have helped.

Compare to the string you use most often. Cyclone has good power and spin, reasonably close to my regular Cyber Flash. Cyclone has a more comfortable feel than the CF. Cyclone has slightly better spin potential than CF, particularly on slices. The CF is much better than the Cyclone in directional control. Overall, this string is not for me. While the power, feel and spin were all very nice, I just couldn't consistently put the ball where I wanted when swinging out with this string.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare. Sorry, no experience with regular Cyclone.

Click to expand...

good review nuke

Andyroo10567 said:

After numerous attempts to reserve a court, i finally managed to pick up 2 30 minute sessions on 2 different days.

Gauge of playtest string : Received a 17G.

Tension used for playtest : 43lb. Yes, i strung it pretty low. I would probably have a different opinion on it during spring/summer with higher tensions

Regular string set up Was Babolat Revenge 17G. Experimenting with new.

Racquet brand and model used for test Head IG Prestige Pro

Power of test string My goodness. Playing against a ball machine for the first 30 minutes was a eye popper. The power was extremely high. Should have taken these reviews previous users have made into account when stringing. Basically just slowed down my swing to maintain the power. When playing the second time, i learned my mistakes from the ball machine and played fine. Ground strokes were great. Volleys were hitting bit too deep. Serves rarely too deep, hits nicely on serves. Backhands were hitting baseline, partner couldnt tell if some were out. this is just 7/10.

Feel I think it felt pretty soft. Like lawrencejin said as well, I love the blasting bam noise in the indoor courts. I got a little bit of the sound i wanted, but not enough. Feels ok, not bad, not amazing. Maybe if i had an 18G i could get more bam into my shots. overall, 5/10

Spin Slices were great! My forehand doesnt have much topspin but there was a noticeable amount of increased spin on my forehand. My backhand had plenty of topspin. Going for winners with my backhand was easy to score with. Topspin lobs were easy to mess with. My dropshots were on spot. 8/10

Comfort Did not hurt my arm at all. Felt like i could play with this string perfectly fine until it goes dead and breaks. 9/10

Durability Did not break on me yet. I usually snip out my strings every now and then if they last too long. I would prefer a fresh feel like most people do. 8/10

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time) : Played well for the first day. Second day it was dead. Still played fine but the feel and power was different. Felt more dead, and power was higher. The tension dropped quite a lot from what i was seeing. 7/10

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) Had pretty good directional control. With a higher tension, i would definitely have more confidence since it had so much power. 8/10

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) : Probably about 58 and higher. This just has too much power to use my normal strokes.

Compare to the string you use most often Less pop on the ball. ( bam sound ). Had better directional control. Better spin. But since the stringbed im using atm, i just dont want to switch. Natural gut feels so.... good.... But soo.... Expensive...

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare. Never used Cyclone before. :/

Enjoyed this play test. Thanks TW! Would recommend this string to some of my partners!

Click to expand...

interested in your sound comparisons. thanks.

seekay said:

lively and free-spirited

Click to expand...

yep; spot on.

Well, I broke this at right around the 6 hour mark, so here's my review:

Gauge of playtest string: 17 Gauge

Tension used for playtest: 47 Lbs.

Regular string set up: Tour Bite at 45 Lbs.

Racquet brand and model used for test: IG Prestige Pro

Power of test string: For a poly, this string had some pop to it. I would compare it power wise to Tour Bite.

Feel: Nice feel for a poly. I could feel it sink into the strings as I hit with it, as opposed to Tour Bite which has absolutely no give to it. Volleys felt crisp and I didn't have an issue placing the ball when I wanted to.

Spin: Impressive. The texture on the string definitely helps with the grab on the ball. It's not Tour Bite level, but it's above other polys that I've tried. Kickers and slice both had nice action on them. Groundies seemed pretty spinny, too.

Comfort: Comfy for a poly. It's soft so it didn't cause me any problems.

Durability: I snapped it at six hours. I was happy with that given the would-be price of the string. Nothing spectacular, but I've dealt with worse.

Playability Duration: It remained playable during the course of its life. I don't know how long this would last before it died, but for me, it was still relatively fresh by the time I broke it.

Control: Spin helps create control. I was able to generate plenty of spin with this string, so control was nice. Not as good as with Tour Bite, but it's hard to beat Tour Bite in terms of spin.

Tension recommendations: String it a few pounds higher than what you normall use for a poly. This is definitely on the softer side.

Compare to the string you use most often: It seems similar to Tour Bite in terms of spin potential, but it's significantly softer. It plays better at the net than Tour Bite does, but I liked it less for ground strokes and serves.

Gauge of playtest string - 16 gauge

Tension used for playtest - Cyclone Tour full bed at 57lbs

Regular string set up - Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 16g mains 17g cross

Racquet brand and model used for test - Pro Staff Tour 95

Power of test string - This is a very powerful co-poly. First day hitting I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, the string is very soft and springy but yet it grabs the ball nicely. I was afraid the shots I hit would sail out but somehow the spin was able to keep it in the court. Definitely takes a little getting used to, one needs to have a lot of confidence in their strokes to be willing to hit out with this. Occasionally there will be a flyer or two but if you're able to control that power, this setup can be addictive! The added power along with a high launch angle creates a very heavy ball that is difficult for the opponents to handle.

Feel - One word, springy. This is a love/hate relationship for me. I love it when the springy and powerful stringbed allows me to launch a super heavy ball and the opponent struggles to get it back. I hate it when I'm on defense, had to block a shot back and the ball sails on me when I barely touched it. I thought to myself how can anyone control this stuff if they don't use spin, they can't. Initially I thought the wording on the TW site was a bit strange "Volkl Cyclone Tour, a somewhat springy co-poly designed for big hitters," but that pretty much nailed it.

Spin - At the start I was a bit unsure what the Cyclone Tour was capable of, looking at all the texture and and twists I was expecting this to be a spin monster but that wasn't the case. In rallying I was getting good spin but not tremendous spin, it wasn't until I started to hit out and take full strokes that the spin potential was fully realized. Once full racquet speed was used, the ball launched, nose dived into the court then exploded toward the back fence, it was jaw dropping. I could not believe what I was seeing, I really didn't think such a springy, powerful string bed could be controlled but it did. There were streaks where I hit 20+ forehands at full speed and every single one of them dove into the court, then jumping in an unpredictable fashion. The only way I can explain this is when striking the ball with full force, the soft/springy string bed cradles the ball and the textured strings bite and launch it with tremendous spin and power behind it. I have to say this stuff is not for everyone, some will say no thanks at the first sign of springyness but for those that can find a way to control it, it could be a really fun ride!

Comfort - Needless to say the Cyclone Tour scored high in this category. I had the 16 gauge, strung it at 57lbs and this is one of the softest co-polys I have tried. I thought the comfort level was on par with Black Magic or maybe even more comfortable than BM for how soft and springy the string bed is. I really don't think anybody can hurt themselves with this string unless you are stringing it at 60lbs +, I am not a believer in stringing polys that high. If one likes the firmer feel, they can simply play with Babolat Revenge or Alu power. The impression this string had made on me is I can hit big with tremendous power and spin but at the same time its not going to shred my arm into pieces, what a wonderful concept! Win win situation, best of both worlds!

Durability - This is always one of my main concerns as I am a string breaker. At the end of the 3rd hit session the strings are starting to move a bit, there are some notching but I expect to be able to get another 3 sessions out of it before breakage. The initial playability of the string with the textures and sharp edges only lasted one session and it wore off quickly like everyone says. Midway through the 3rd session there was a huge tension drop and the springiness got springier. At nine dollars a pop and $140 per reel, it is a bit difficult for me to pull the trigger since I break strings about once a week. To me the more realistic price point has to be $100 or less per reel, competition is stiff out there.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time) - Playability at the start is tremendous, the strings are sharp, the texture is there, the string bed cradles and bites the ball nicely and has a certain amount of crispness to it surprisingly. Couple hours into it, the texture is eroding, string bed is very lively, the bite is still there although not as sharp as earlier. In the 2nd session I thought the string maintained its playability quite nicely, nothing really changed much after the initial drop off. It maintained that consistency until midway through the 3rd session that's when I experienced a major tension drop and control is starting to suffer. I am still hitting the ball fine but in the back of my mind I am always thinking when is that flyer going to come. In match situation I may have to switch to a new string bed.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) - Control was good as long as I have enough racquet speed going through my shots but in certain defensive situations where I have to block the ball back then it becomes a challenge. I find it very difficult after hitting full strokes then have to hit a touch shot and control the depth with this setup, that's the downside of a powerful setup. Other than that, I thought the control was very good for something this powerful. In my opinion, the more powerful the setup, the more difficult it is to get that pinpoint accuracy for the simple reason that so much more action could be put on the ball. To me, this string performed more than satisfactory in this area but I'm sure there will be others that disagree.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) - For big hitters or people that like it a bit firmer they may want to string this up 2 or 3lbs higher than their usual co-poly but for me I'm going to stay at my usual 57lbs. The thinking behind that is this string is designed to be soft, springy, powerful. If I take it up to 60lbs +, it'll bring a lot more control back into play but at the same time it takes the "fun" qualities of the string out. Bottom line is if I want a control oriented string, there are plenty of those out on the market.

Compare to the string you use most often - Bhbr is a control string compared to the Cyclone Tour, they are both powerful strings but CT is in a class of its own. It is the most powerful co-poly I have used. In the spin department, I'd say they're about equal but its a different kind of spin. With the added power, pocketing and spin, CT's trajectory and flight path allowed me to do things other strings cannot. The one thing that keeps coming to mind is the control issue, while the majority of the time I am able to tame the power of the CT but there is that one shot under pressure where it can fly have me second guessing if this string is ready for competitive match play. Overall, I'd say one has to take the good along with the bad, I'm curious how CT holds up in the summer heat but at the moment it is definitely a good winter blend.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare - Have not played with the original Cyclone

Summary - Overall I thought this was one of the more fun playtest I've had, there were many other ones where I was hoping to get it over with quickly. Sad to say but there are times where some of the manufacturers were putting out strings that they should not be, *ahem I won't say who.

The Volkl Cyclone Tour is definitely worth further investigating, it has unique attributes which I don't see many others have. In a way CT is allowing players to experience co-poly at low tension without physically going to that tension. The recent trend on the boards have players stringing polys in the 30's or 40's, in a way this is what the CT feels like but with added power and maybe slightly more firmness and crispness to that.

I never thought I could associate pocketing with co-poly strings but this is exactly what the Cyclone Tour has done. The soft characteristics allowed the ball to be more easily pocketed and effectively gives it more spin to control the shots, to me the extra spin seems not to be coming from the texture or the material of the string with but rather from the pocketing effect. I've tried low tension before and was a none believer but this playtest leaves me thinking I should explore that a bit further. I will be dropping tension wth BHBR from 57 to 52, 50, 48, 45 to see if I can create the same effect.

The CT is definitely something I would like to have in my bag for days when I just want something fun to hit with. I am really curious how other players will react to its unique characteristics by changing their setup to this. Unfortunately at $140 per reel I will not be taking that risk. I would have pulled the trigger if it was $100 or below, how about a promotion like what Kirschbaum did with the Super Smash so we can explore it a bit more?

Thanks TW for letting me playtest this string, it was a really fun ride~

I got the 16g Cyclone Tour and I tested it out in my Volkl PB10 mid stock weight at 52#s and I am comparing it KB PL II 17 at 52#s.
Power of test string=CT is one of the most powerful polys out there. It gave me great pop off the stringbed and it felt like I didn't have to work for my shots.
Feel= This string is very soft with good ball pocketing. Despite being really soft for a poly, it was kind of crisp but not enough for me.
Spin= EXTREME! I loved this string because I got insane spin comapred to the smooth poly I currently use. I especially loved my slice serve and slice groundie. It gave it some a low skidding effect on the ball with great amount of side spin.
Comfort= It felt very comforatable. It gave me nice ball pocketing that helped contribute to soft feeling of it.
Durability= I think it is about average compared to other polys. I can see notching in my sweetspot and I am on my 5th hr on the string.
Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time)= Playability decreased on the third hour after hitting with heavy spin and power.
Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)= sprayed a little bit on flat shots, but was still controllable. Perhaps this was due to the lower tension
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) = Would have been better had it been 2 lbs tighter. Controll was lacking at the tension used.
Compare to the string you use most often = kirschbaum proline II had better control and feel but this string won in the other areas.

Gauge of playtest string
Tension used for playtest: 16 gauge string at 57Lbs strung on a Gamma lock-out crank I would typically string my polys at 50 I increased tension expecting a soft powerful string

Regular string set up: Always trying diffrent strings bounce bck and forth with multis and Polys

Racquet brand and model used for test: Babolat pure drive gt

Power of test string: 10/10 The power level for a poly was big. I was quite suprised. To much power for the PD. would be great in a softer framed racket

Feel: 8/10 I would compare the feel almost up there with some of the stiffer Multis, Volleys were pleasant with a nice pocketing feel

Spin: 10/10 Loved the amount of spin for the first 5-6 hrs I could swing away and see the ball really crank down on the other side of the net. reminded me of head sonic pro but with more spin:

Comfort 9/10 great for a poly. Definately one of the softer ones I have played. I broke my wrist back in March and I had no issuse with the string.

Durability 7/0 lost tension a little quicker than I would of liked 8 hrs. I think with a softer racket the playability would be longer

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): The first 8 hrs were great just like a brand new car. once the tension started to drop the power level jumped a little more and the control started to be an issue. However they did not get that dead boardy feeling like most polys. There was still a good feel to the strings

Control : I have a big kick serve and these strings made it even bigger. I was able to place the ball anywhere in the box with dramatic results even after the string lost tension . Groundstrokes for the first 8 hrs, reminded me of throwing a wiffle ball. The amount of movment from topspin generated was crazy. My partner had a hard time judging the ball because they would look like they were going to sail into the back drop then just crank down on the baseline. After the honeymoon period (tension drop) I started missing the baseline by a foot. Volleys were spot on

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) I would string it at whatever you would string a Multi at. or at least 5lbs heavier than your normal poly .

Compare to the string you use most often: Last poly I had in my racket was Rpm this string was softer more powerful with more spin. Lacked a little in the control


If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare. I have not played the original

I am a 4.0 40 year old male that plays with my son 4 days a week. This string was a pleasure to try. I am looking to switch to a softer framed racket and I will try this string again. As for the frame I have now (PD) it is a little to powerful for my game.

Gauge of playtest string- 17g

Tension used for playtest- 52lbs

Regular string set up- Genesis black magic 17g at 52lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test-Tecnifibre Tfight 320 16 by 19

Power of test string- For a poly this had alot of power, much more than black magic.

Feel- The feel was decent. It felt kind of plasticky. It reminded me of genesis spin x in terms of feel.

Spin- The spin was comparable to black magic as far as topspin. However on backhand slices it didnt seem like i was getting the same "bite" compared to black magic. The same was true with slice serves.

Comfort- Despite the plasticky feel, the string was comfortable. Softer than most polys.

Durability- I cant really speak to the durability. I had about 4 hours of play on it. I then sold the racket. For the 4 hours of play the durability seemed fine. Looking at the notching on the mains i would say i probably had another 2 hours or so left before breakage. Black magic lasts me anywhere from 6-7 hours of play before it breaks.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time)- The playability was ok. Around 3 hours of play the balls started to fly somewhat due to the tension loss.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)- The stringbed did not feel honest at times, was a little inconsistent. Didn't have my usual confidence when trying to put away midcourt balls. They seemed to fly when flattening them out, so had to compensate by using more topspin. Slices didnt have the normal bite on the backhand side. They had a tendency to stay up a bit.
On flat serves the pop was there but a little trouble hitting my spots.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)- Probably would go up to 55lbs for a little more control.

Compare to the string you use most often- Black magic felt more solid all around with the exception of the Volkl being more powerful. Both strings are comfortable and soft for polys. In terms of feel I like the feel of black magic better. The Volkl felt too plasticky.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare.- Sorry I haven't used the original cyclone.

Thanks TW and Volkl for the playtest.
Chace

First off, thanks again to TW and Volkl for letting me participate in the playtest!

Gauge of playtest string: 17g

Tension used for playtest. 52 pounds on both mains and crosses.

Regular string set up. Generally Donnay X-Hybrid polyester mains at 50 pounds and synthetic crosses at 55 pounds.

Racquet brand and model used for test: Donnay Pro One 97 18x20

Power of test string. Extremely powerful. Was like a rocket launcher on serves and groundies

Feel. Had nice feel, especially at the net. Definitely feels softer than most full poly set ups that I have used in the past.

Spin. Very good access to spin. My racquet and current setup are usually best for flat hitting baseliners like myself. I expected that this string would provide that level of spin based on the fact that it is shaped and twisted string. Back hand slice and drop shots were especially effective in this department.

Comfort. Very good. This is a very comfortable poly string and felt surprisingly comfortable compared to my usual hybrid setup.

Durability. Average. After about 5 hours of agressive play, the twisted ridges on the string are beginning to flatten in some spots, and there is noticeable tension loss.

Playability. Good for maybe 4 - 5 hours of agressive play before I began to notice a bit more loss of control and balls were flying long. With continued play there is a noticeable reduction in the level of spin due to the flattening of the twisted string.

Control. I had good control with this string for about 5 hours of play. In the first hour or two I was able to hit some serious bombs with this string especially on my first serves. Groundies were also powerful and controlled. As play time progressed I noticed diminished control when hitting all out. It still had good control at net but from the baseline the balls began to fly long.

Tension recommendations. I would probably take this string up another 3 or 4 pounds to 55 or 56 in both the mains and the crosses. The string feels comfortable enough as is and there would probably be an increased benefit on the control side. don't know where to go with this string.

Compare to the string you use most often. Cyclone Tour has good access to power and spin, reasonably close to my Donnay X Hybrid setup. However, the tension maintenance for me has been superior with my regular setup. I feel that I can get twice as much duration out of it. This Cyclone Tour string is extremely comfortable and has good access to spin as well until the twisted string wears out a bit. At that point it becomes much more difficult to control the ball. Overall, I think it is a good string, but the tension maintenance suffers much earlier on than expected.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare. I have not used the original Cyclone string.

Gauge of playtest string: 16

Tension used for playtest: 50lbs

Regular string set up: Luxilon 4G at 50 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test: Babolat PSTGT

Power of test string: Very powerful string, especially compared to 4G. The power was my biggest complaint but could be do to my normal string setup.

Feel: Feel was good, volleys were better than groundstrokes for me. Touch shots got better as I got used to the string. Slightly better than average.

Spin: Incredible spin. My favorite quality of the string was the spin that it produced. Definitely a major plus

Comfort: Good comfort, especially for a poly.

Durability: Hit with it for college practices, broke after 6ish hours. About average for me.

Playability Duration: I felt that it played pretty well for the time that I used it. 6 hours over twoish days wasn't too much time for it to change though.

Control: Less than I expected. I found it to be lacking in this category.

Tension recommendations: 45lb is my usual tension for pretty much any poly in this frame. BHB7, Cyclone, Solinco Tour Bite, MSV Co-Focus, you name it and 45lb works. But not Cyclone Tour. I'd want to jump up to at least 50lb and maybe iterate up from there to try and reign it in. For me, the string wasn't really playable at 45lb, and that's a shame, because I think it's got promise.

Compare to the string you use most often: More power, more spin, and less control than 4G. I don't think I will be switching any time soon

Gauge of playtest string: 18

Tension used for playtest: 40/37lbs

Regular string set up: RPM Blast 17/VS 17 38/36 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test: Donnay Pro One 16x19

Power of test string: Good power. Not as powerful as my hybrid combo, but the combo of spin and power gave my racquet a bit more bite and control. My SHB was a bit short at first because of the lower power, but I adjusted and used the bite.

Feel: Feel was so so. About the same as the RPM17, which for an 18g thickness is not great.

Spin: Very good bite on the ball. I'd say 10% more than my hybrid combo. The spin on 1st and 2nd serves provide good margin so I actually hit harder.

Comfort: Pretty comfortable like a co-poly. My forearm aches a tad more after heavy hitting.

Durability: 4 hours of doubles, 3 hours of hitting and so far still quite playable with good spin.

Playability Duration: 7 hours of hitting over 4 days and still providing good spin and power. Good so far!

Control: Nice control with spin and power. I'm still surprised! I can swing freely off the serve and forehand. Volleys lack that bit of touch feel which I miss for short angle and drop volleys.

Tension recommendations: I'd agree that the string is pretty powerful and needs to be strung a bit tighter. That's why I moved up 2 lbs. If you have arm issues, I'd recommend keeping the tension on the lower end and use the spin potential for control.

Compare to the string you use most often: More spin, good power. Allows better lunge recovery shots. I'm a little torn as I like it, but I can't feel the ball as well on the volleys. I'll have to experiment with it as a hybrid with gut.

PS I bought my own Cyclone Tour string so I'm not part of the playtest. NTRP 5.5 all court.

Sorry for the late posting but snow & the lack of competitive hitting have kept me off the courts aside from giving lessons.

Gauge: 16

Tension for playtest: 50 lbs
Tension (normal): 50 or below

Regular string set up: Honestly I change strings almost every string job but 90% of the time Syn Gut in low tensions.

Racquet: Boris Becker V1 OS.

Power: I Found it to be a little lacking in power for me, which was similar to regular Cyclone, which I too found to be a little under-powered.

Feel: A little better feel than the last string I had in this specific racquet which was Volkl Cyclone 16, but nothing earth-shattering.

Comfort: I play with 2 hands on both sides so comfort is never an issue.

Control: No issues keeping the ball in even at a lower tension. Control is my strongest point, so it did nothing to change it either way.

Spin: I'm a firm believer that technique is much more important than a string for spin, that being said, I didn't notice any difference in spin from the Cyclone to the Cyclone Tour.

Durability: I'm not much of a string breaker unless you get up into the 18 syn guts, but after about 4 hours of hitting with it, no fraying, no movement.

Playability: It just seemed to be lacking any 'oomph' to it even at a lower tension. Just not a crisp enough string.

Tension recommendations: I'm going against what almost everyone else on here suggestions. I say keep it low if you have no issues with control & need a little more power.

Compare to string used most: I tend to use Syn Gut in most of my racquets, cheap stuff no less---& I just didn't find anything superstar about it which would make me change to a co-poly permanently. I find Genesis Hex to be far superior in each & every category which I usually add in my string rotation.

I have used the original Cyclone & to me there wasn't any noticeable differences that would make me choose 1 over the other. I wasn't wowed by either.

Volkl Cyclone Tour 17ga playtest

Gauge-17g

Tension-60lbs on my lockout

Regular string-currently testing out different strings

Racquet-Yonex Vcore 100 customized

Power-medium power, adequate for a poly, became more powerful after a couple of hours. I strung this higher due to everyone stating how powerful a poly this was but at 60lbs initially this string played well and I had no issues with control.

Feel-muted,crispy, sort of plastic-like, not harsh though. No issues stringing with kinks but it had some serious coil memory right out of the package.

Spin-a good textured string, sent ball fuzz flying through the air with big cuts I would put it right up there with some of the higher end textured strings as far as capable spin production.

Comfort-decent for a full bed of poly, similiar to strings like alu rough where the texture actually softens the strings feel a bit.

Durability-non issue, cut the strings out at the 4 hr mark. They were notched pretty well and would have probably lasted a few more hrs before breaking, I typically cut out full poly beds anyhow at 5-6 hrs playing time for me about 2 weeks.

Playability Duration- 3 hours. The performance took a nose dive around this mark, became more powerful and found the control to be lacking.

Control- really good control with all spin shots, top and slice came off the racket nice & predictable within the first 3 hours, at and around this time I sent a few flyers long and lost some accuracy on serves.

Tension recommendations- I stay around the 52-58lb range typically with full poly in 100" frames depending on a strings stiffness. I could have come down 2-3lbs with the Cyclone Tour and this could have possibly helped with the strings playable duration.

Comparability to other strings- I found this string matched up well in comparison to other textured strings. I will throw out there that to me there was some similiarities with alu rough as far as the muted, dampened feel and spin. It lacked alu's thick feel and awesomeness though. The playability just did not last long enough, so I doubt I will stock it due to other cheaper options that I prefer.

I have not tried the original Cyclone,yet.

Thanks TW and Volkl for the opportunity and Happy New Year!

Nice string for heavy spinners.

Gauge of playtest string: I received the 16.

Tension used for playtest: 56 LBS.

Regular string set up: Pro Supex Big Ace 16 @ 56 LBS.

Racquet brand and model used for test: Wilson K Six One Team 95 (18x20)

Power of test string: Very powerful for a poly. I found it more powerful than big ace, which is a powerful poly. The power was fine on spin shots, but when I flattened it out, the ball tended to fly long.

Feel: I liked the feel of this one a lot. It had what I call 'cupping' crispness. It was soft and cupped the ball, but not muted or plasticky like other polys as you could still feel the ball through the crispness.

Spin: Definitely more spin than my regular setup; one of the spinniest strings I have tried.

Comfort: Very good for a poly. Even when it lost tension it felt soft.

Durability: This string was not as durable as Big Ace, which is not surprising since it is twisted and textured. It lasted me 10 hours.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): It remained pretty stable until the last hour where it became really springy.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): Control was fine when I was hitting spinny forehands, but other parts of my game suffered. My backhand which is pretty flat, was going out a lot. I also had to spin my serves in because my flat serve kept going long. Slices were fine, but drop volleys sat up a little bit. Near the end of the string life I really had to be careful or every shot would go out.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I would string it maybe two pounds higher, at 58, so flat shots would have better control.

Compare to the string you use most often: This had more spin and power than big ace, but at the expense of control and durability. The feel with this was similar to Big Ace, maybe a bit crisper because of shape. I think I could play with either string and do well, but I prefer to hit flatter and through the court more so Big Ace is probably better for my style. If I were a loopy heavy topspin player, I would probably use Cyclone Tour. But my only spinny shot is my forehand.

If you have played with the original Cyclone, please compare.: I have not played with the original Cyclone.

Thanks TW & Volkl for this playtest. I enjoyed it a lot!