Gut/Poly hybrid

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TennisFan2

New User
I'm looking to upgrade from a Poly/Multi hybrid which lasts 10-15 hours of play for me to potentially a Gut/Poly.

I currently use Wilson Ultimate Duos 53/57. I have heard amazing things about Volkl Cyclone. But a full bed of poly kills my arm sometimes. I do currently play with a Volkl Oraganix 10.

Is Volkl Cyclone a good cross for a Gut main? What Gut would work well with it? I do tend to play from the baseline with a heavy spin game. Any suggestions for hybrids would be awesome.
 
Lukhas

Lukhas

Legend
TennisFan2 said:
I'm looking to upgrade from a Poly/Multi hybrid which lasts 10-15 hours of play for me to potentially a Gut/Poly.

I currently use Wilson Ultimate Duos 53/57. I have heard amazing things about Volkl Cyclone. But a full bed of poly kills my arm sometimes. I do currently play with a Volkl Oraganix 10.

Is Volkl Cyclone a good cross for a Gut main? What Gut would work well with it? I do tend to play from the baseline with a heavy spin game. Any suggestions for hybrids would be awesome.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, gut-poly will last about the same time. It isn't because of the gut, it is because of the poly. Poly dies very quickly, so it brings the stringbed down while the gut is still alive and kicking. I heard some folks here just restring the crosses though. No concrete experience for or against that method was found AFAIK. To sum up, who knows what can happen to the frame, it hasn't happened yet.
 
T

TennisFan2

New User
I thought I read around some other topics of the string beds last 30+ hours of solid playability.

But the arm friendliness is also an important factor, if not more so.
 
D

drgchen

Rookie
Recently tried gut mains with poly crosses. Pacific natural gut and RPM blast. The string bed was comfortable. Strung at 60 lbs in a babolat pure storm tour. It was similar in stiffness to a full bed of synthetic gut. Spin is good, control is good.

Honestly, if the poly dies really fast, I will restring the crosses. I think that the chances of damage to the frame are less than 1%. Durability will depend on how you play...the string could break before you get your 30 hours...If I get 10 hours I will be happy.

Volkl cyclone should work as a cross. You can buy a half set of gut for the mains.
 
T

TennisFan2

New User
The string bed gets more comfortable at lower tensions. I believe I read gut/poly plays really well in the high 49s/low 50s.

How is VS touch, Wilson Gut and Klip Legend? Or is another better?
 
Lukhas

Lukhas

Legend
TennisFan2 said:
I thought I read around some other topics of the string beds last 30+ hours of solid playability.

But the arm friendliness is also an important factor, if not more so.
Click to expand...
It feels so because the playability of gut "compensates". But in fact, the poly is well dead as the same time he'd be in a poly/multi hybrid. It's just that gut is so good.
 
K

kazamzaa

Rookie
I have no complaints about performance of the first hours with any gut/poly hybrids ive tried. It's what happens after that. ..
If I can't find anything better, then I will just stick with tonicBF/bhs17. When my current Pacific classic 16L/ yonex ptp 16L snaps I will put wilson16/msvFH17. Hoping to find the perfect setup with that.
I always string crosses 3lbs lower. Pk ki5 315.
 
R

Rjtennis

Hall of Fame
TennisFan2 said:
I thought I read around some other topics of the string beds last 30+ hours of solid playability.

But the arm friendliness is also an important factor, if not more so.
Click to expand...

You can play gut/poly for 30 hours if it doesn't break. The mains dictate the feel of the stick and offer great long-term playability and comfort. I just wouldn't use any textured polys as it will snap much quicker. Use a smooth poly that has good tension maintenance.
 
Nostradamus

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
Lukhas said:
Unfortunately, gut-poly will last about the same time. It isn't because of the gut, it is because of the poly. Poly dies very quickly, so it brings the stringbed down while the gut is still alive and kicking. I heard some folks here just restring the crosses though. No concrete experience for or against that method was found AFAIK. To sum up, who knows what can happen to the frame, it hasn't happened yet.
Click to expand...

If you just string the crosses, then I heard that could damage the racket or just break it altogether.:???:
 
Nostradamus

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
Lukhas said:
I heard it too. Never got a proof. Give me the proof, then I'll agree it can happen.
Click to expand...

I think people are referring to those that in Junior tournament,, in orange bowl, I think it was. Some stringer left rackets 1/2 way done and left it on the machine Over-night. and when they came back in the morning, they found that these rackets were Warped...........:shock:
 
T

TennisFan2

New User
Is any one gut better for spin? Or all they all about the same?

I read Klip Lengend is a favorite amoung the board I thought.
 
Lukhas

Lukhas

Legend
Nostradamus said:
I think people are referring to those that in Junior tournament,, in orange bowl, I think it was. Some stringer left rackets 1/2 way done and left it on the machine Over-night. and when they came back in the morning, they found that these rackets were Warped...........:shock:
Click to expand...
If you left a racquet half strung, that's what is likely going to happen anyway, restringing of the crosses or not. Why do you think people cut the strings when it breaks?
 
D

drgchen

Rookie
It is theoretically possible for a racquet to break if strung inappropriately. If you have a six point mount then it should be less likely that the racquet will warp if the tension on the frame is different. Cutting the poly cross out, then mounting the racquet would be risky.

Probably the safest way to restring would be the following:
Place frame in six point mount.
Carefully cut out the poly crosses.
Restring the poly crosses.
Remove from the six point mount.

Anyhow I haven't broken a racquet during stringing and I can get racquets for relatively cheap. I usually restring quite often, but with gut I might break that rule and keep it in until it is broken.

BTW I've received many racquets with broken strings where the person didn't cut out the strings afterwards...and I haven't seen them break. It is rare for a racquet to break or permanently warp based on the tension of the strings. YMMV
 
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A

AlfaAce

Rookie
TennisFan2 said:
Is any one gut better for spin? Or all they all about the same?

I read Klip Lengend is a favorite amoung the board I thought.
Click to expand...

Maybe KL is "one" of the favorites. But, time and time again... Wilson NG is regarded as the best-of-the-best and the widely accepted rumor is that it is made by Babolat in France in the original VS gut formula (pre-BT7 coating).

All NGs are about the same regarding spin. Not, however, for feel or durability. Try thinner gauge NG (like 17) for better spin. Won't compare to full poly though.
 
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N

NLBwell

Legend
I like Pacific Tough Gut for the mains. A couple of things for extending the life of the stringbed:
As the poly loosens up, I put in string savers around the edges of the stringbed. since it increases the distance the strings cover, it slightly tightens the stringbed. I've had as much as 3 concentric rings, which is a lot of stringsavers. After that, I've restrung the poly crosses. It should be fine to do on a good stringer with a good mounting system, however, it must be done with care.
 
moonballs

moonballs

Hall of Fame
What is the danger of just restringing the cross with a 2 point drop weight? I am thinking step 1, mount the racquet as snugly as possible against the holder, step 2, cut the crosses and remove them, step three, string in new crosses. Wouldn't the two point support provide enough force to hold the shape?
 
R

ricardo

Hall of Fame
None...

moonballs said:
What is the danger of just restringing the cross with a 2 point drop weight? I am thinking step 1, mount the racquet as snugly as possible against the holder, step 2, cut the crosses and remove them, step three, string in new crosses. Wouldn't the two point support provide enough force to hold the shape?
Click to expand...

I re-strung just the crosses 70 times and I haven't broken/warped a frame yet.
I use NG Mains and multi/syn gut on the crosses @50/46-48 lbs.

I will continue to use NG mains and re-string just the crosses when they break.

For every NG mains, I break about 5 crosses.
 
JT_2eighty

JT_2eighty

Hall of Fame
moonballs said:
What is the danger of just restringing the cross with a 2 point drop weight? I am thinking step 1, mount the racquet as snugly as possible against the holder, step 2, cut the crosses and remove them, step three, string in new crosses. Wouldn't the two point support provide enough force to hold the shape?
Click to expand...

I do this many times with my racquets on my Gamma X-2 dropweight, a two point stringer. I use a very flexible racquet that will show warping when I've strung mains too tight and crosses too loose. However, by mounting the racquet like you say, *before* cutting any crosses, and then cutting them throat to head, restringing head to throat, I've never seen any warping or damage to my already old and battered frames (which I think would break more easily than modern, stiffer racquets). As a comparison, I've strung gut/poly at 60lb main / 40lb cross on a Youtek Prestige Pro, a substantially newer, stiffer frame, and it barely showed any warping and was playable for that test as well as never cracked over multiple restrings and many matches.

Thus, TLDR: yes you can use a two-point dropweight and restring crosses, as long as you mount the racquet first, then cut the crosses throat to head. It's a great way to preserve gut mains and play them til they break, while also allowing you to "refresh" the stringjob every so often with new crosses. I've even tried this on a racquet that sat in my trunk for months with used, frayed gut mains: refreshed the crosses and it played like a new stringjob.
 
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JT_2eighty

JT_2eighty

Hall of Fame
Lukhas said:
Unfortunately, gut-poly will last about the same time. It isn't because of the gut, it is because of the poly. Poly dies very quickly, so it brings the stringbed down while the gut is still alive and kicking. I heard some folks here just restring the crosses though. No concrete experience for or against that method was found AFAIK. To sum up, who knows what can happen to the frame, it hasn't happened yet.
Click to expand...

See my post above, it's ok to do if you are a careful stringer.

Also, another way around this if you don't string your own or worry about your frame, is to use polys in the crosses that are known for great tension stability: Weisscannon, Signum Pro, etc. I've tried a multitude of poly crosses and the differences between them all are very negligible; the key is using the best tension stability polys.
 
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