Which string for Wilson Steam 99S and 105S?

D

DC Tennis Fan

Rookie
I have Genesis Hexonic 16L in my two Steam 105s frames. One is at 60 lbs. the other is at 62. I see no notching after a month of hitting twice per week for over two hours each time. Hexonic is super durable and imparts a ton of spin! I have added weight at 12 o'clock for even more topspin which had added much more control to this frame.
 
BLX_Andy

BLX_Andy

Professional
I'm pretty sure Wilson and Luxilon go hand in hand in marketing that's why Wilson recommends a Luxilon poly.
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
BLX_Andy said:
I'm pretty sure Wilson and Luxilon go hand in hand in marketing that's why Wilson recommends a Luxilon poly.
Click to expand...

Wilson distributes Lux, so you are right that that is why they recommend it for the S frames. The Wilson website recommends Wilson Spin Cycle though, and now that Wilson Rip Spin is out with a 15g, they are sure to push it heavier then the Lux 4g.
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
Lack said:
Wilson Ripspin 15g for max spin and durability
Click to expand...

I put in 15g Ripspin Friday morning and have played 3 matches in the last 2 days......in my 105s at 48#. It has a very very nice feel, but I feel and see almost no spin at all, very very sad and disappointing. I cut out Pro's Pro Spinox at 48# after a match Thursday night because I was worried that it felt too stiff and it gave me no power. I did have 8-10 aces on the deuce side alone Thursday night and the ad player said that my heavy spin made him have to take large steps backwards because the ball was kicking so much. In 3 matches with Ripspin I have had 0 aces on the deuce, and 2 of the matches were mixed doubles with the woman on the deuce court. I just could not even come close to getting the ball to grip and rip outside like I am used to.

I am a 4.0 player at 6'4", so my serve and net play are 90+% of my game. The Spinox was just a little too weak for the groundstrokes, and with a tournament this weekend I decided to try the 15g Ripspin and I can say that I will never use it again. I like Wilson Spin Cycle in there much much better than Ripspin, and the Spinox was far superior as well. In the middle of my second match I am also noticing that it is not snapping back as easily as it should.

Oh well, disappointing but lesson learned.
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
Just another update, I had one more match in the tournament yesterday, so it was my 4th with the Ripspin in there as I did not have time to restring. It was moving a lot and pretty much felt worthless. As far as polys go, it has been my worst experience in the 105s.
 
G

gameboy

Hall of Fame
I have been using Kirschbaum Orange Smash since they were on sale on TW ($4/set). They last about 3 to 6 hours for me and the feel and spin are just fine. I have been stringing them so often, I can string the racquet in about 30 to 40 mins. The orange also looks great with the rest of the frame. Going cheap and replacing them more often seems more beneficial to my game than buying more expensive strings that may last twice as much since once the strings start moving, the control is questionable.

I just got packs of Volkl co-poly mixed sets since they were on sale as well. I will report back once I try them.
 
Last edited:
G

gameboy

Hall of Fame
I just broke my first Volkl set and would like to share my review.

To recap, TW is selling Volkl Co-Poly Trial Pack right now for $19.99. Since I am always looking for an economic way to feed my string eating monster, this seemed like a good deal.

The first string I tried is V-Torque. I must say the neo green in the middle of predominantly red Steam is, shall I say, not pleasing. But perform, it does.

Test Racquet: 105s, 62lbs.

Spin: High

I could tell from stringing it, that this is one slick string. This was the easiest string job I have ever done as weaving the crosses took almost no effort.

The actual spin generation on the court did not let me down. I can hear the string slide back and forth on every stroke and the ball dips sharply towards the baseline. I would say, this generates as much spin as any string I have tried so far.

Power: Medium

A pretty typical power generation for a poly, nothing of note.

Comfort: Medium

Not as soft as Gosen Sidewinder, but much better feel than 4G. The touches on volleys were fine.

Durability: Medium

This set lasted about 5 hours, which is pretty typical for me. However, the string hardly moved the entire time. This string performs at a high level for as long as any string I tried.

Overall, I liked this string a lot. At this price, I would easily choose this string over Kirschbaum Orange Smash that I was using before.

Cyclone Tour is NEXT!
 
Rabbit

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
SCRAP IRON said:
Any poly that will tame their power and not hurt your arm!
Click to expand...

You should try a good poly with a synthetic cross. I played a little too long with mine and my wrist began to hurt. I cut it out, restrung, and played with a fresh string job and all is well.
 
Sander001

Sander001

Hall of Fame
racertempo said:
How about what other strings you have tried? What racquet do you have, the 99s or 105? Maybe some explanation of why you thought it was good? Was there a break in time? How long did you use it before deciding it was "good"? What was your tension?

Any of these might actually help some of us.
Click to expand...
Heh that username tells you all.
 
G

gameboy

Hall of Fame
Cyclone Tour just broke, here is my review

Test Racquet: 105s, 62lbs.

Spin: Medium

The spin generation is good, but it was not quite as good as V-Torque. The string did not feel as slick and string moved around a bit right from the start due to the ridges created by the twist in the string. I would say generates about average amount of spin compared to other polys that I have used on this racquet.

Power: Medium

A bit more power than V-Torque. But again, nothing of note.

Comfort: Medium

The comfort is better than V-Torque, not quite a stiff, but not cushy soft like Sidewinder. It is pretty average in feel.

Durability: Medium

It lasted slightly longer than V-Torque and I did not notice too much notching until the very end. The string never moved too much before breaking, and spin generation was acceptable right up to breakage.

Decent, but nothing special. I would only get this string if it was on special.

Cyclone is next.
 
T

tycooper

New User
tests

Thanks for this thread: thought I'd list my history with this if someone finds it helpful, although I'm not at a conclusion yet. For reference, I now have the 105S, but came from a modded KSurge. They are both tweener racquets that feel the same to me, except for the spin/trajectory, and larger sweetspot on the 105S. I hit my 2nd serves around 75-80, and I think that stat is important for this discussion, because 2nd serves do a lot of string "damage". What I have found in general is that strings notch about half way through very quickly, and then sit there for awhile, having lost the ability to move. Thus, the magic is gone, but the racquet plays on, similar to a standard racquet. When I say quickly, 17(16L) gauge strings like Lux4G, Enduro Pro, and Cyclone only take 2-3 hours to notch half-way through. That compares with about 20 hours on my KSurge. I can't really live with that, so I'm trying combinations with Spin Cycle as a few have recommended. I'll probably have to go to 16 gauge or thicker though, I'm just worried about a loss in spin and control. If I find a better combination, I'll post it, but will monitor this thread for ideas.
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
tycooper said:
Thanks for this thread: thought I'd list my history with this if someone finds it helpful, although I'm not at a conclusion yet. For reference, I now have the 105S, but came from a modded KSurge. They are both tweener racquets that feel the same to me, except for the spin/trajectory, and larger sweetspot on the 105S. I hit my 2nd serves around 75-80, and I think that stat is important for this discussion, because 2nd serves do a lot of string "damage". What I have found in general is that strings notch about half way through very quickly, and then sit there for awhile, having lost the ability to move. Thus, the magic is gone, but the racquet plays on, similar to a standard racquet. When I say quickly, 17(16L) gauge strings like Lux4G, Enduro Pro, and Cyclone only take 2-3 hours to notch half-way through. That compares with about 20 hours on my KSurge. I can't really live with that, so I'm trying combinations with Spin Cycle as a few have recommended. I'll probably have to go to 16 gauge or thicker though, I'm just worried about a loss in spin and control. If I find a better combination, I'll post it, but will monitor this thread for ideas.
Click to expand...

I like Spin Cycle in there a lot but I probably don't put as much on a second serve as you do. I am currently using Pro's Pro Intense Heat in there and love it.....it is not shaped or twisted so notching is not as quick. It slides back and forth on itself very easily and I have gotten 12-14 hours before it was staying out of position a little too much for my liking.

Post your results, look forward to seeing them.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Cool, thread. I can contribute - the Wilson Ripspin is not very good. Bad feel and just doesn't accent the racquet at all (99s).

Next up is Prince XC 15 gauge and I may try Cyberflash 1.35 as well.
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
Power Player said:
Cool, thread. I can contribute - the Wilson Ripspin is not very good. Bad feel and just doesn't accent the racquet at all (99s).

Next up is Prince XC 15 gauge and I may try Cyberflash 1.35 as well.
Click to expand...

Totally agree, I used Ripspin in the 105s and hated it, no feel and horrible spin production. I found it funny that they were marketing this stuff for the 16x15 patterns yet Spin Cycle is better in there.
 
R

Ramon

Legend
Non-poly setup

For those of you who want to try a non-poly setup, you should try Ashaway Monogut ZX 1.27 mains with Gamma Marathon 15L crosses at 66 lbs (maybe higher for the Steams). On my Prince Tour 98 ESP, it's on 5.5 hours and still going. I'm predicting it might get 8. Hard to say right now, but the crosses still look good with some signs of wear at this point and the mains look fresh. Full bed ZX lasted me less than 2 sets, so it seems to need a soft cross to last long. I tried ZX/multi setups with PPA and DNA, but multis fray too quickly. Marathon seems to work better overall. For reference, I tried full Pro Line X 16 and it lasted 5.5 hours for me.

You do give up some spin compared to poly, but on my 98 ESP I still hit some angles that are impossible with most racquets.
 
Last edited:
T

tycooper

New User
Wow, that pro's pro string is very inexpensive! Did I see that correctly: $36 for a full reel? Which gauge do you use in your 105S? If I could get 12-14 hours at around $2 a set I'd be happy as a clam.
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
tycooper said:
Wow, that pro's pro string is very inexpensive! Did I see that correctly: $36 for a full reel? Which gauge do you use in your 105S? If I could get 12-14 hours at around $2 a set I'd be happy as a clam.
Click to expand...

I have used a few in there as I am still playing around with them. I keep one of my 105s frames strung with Intense Heat at it's thickest gauge, I think it is 1.3 or 1.32. I string it at 48# and love it.....so in the other 105s in my bag I have done Spinox and loved the bite on the ball, amazing kick to the serve like I have never seen and even complimented by my opponents. I did not keep it in there long as it was a little stiffer then I like for single. To me, Spinox is a perfect doubles string since so many of the shots in doubles are serves and volleys. I had Red Vandetta in there for about 4-6 hours and it was a good feel but l like Intense Heat better. Just removed Vandetta for Ichiban Spin which a lot of people on here have complimented. Have not hit with it yet so no feedback from me at this point on that one.......I am really wanting to try Devil Spin in there next but don't have any, so looks like another order soon to the Big T.

BTW, The guy who runs/owns Big T is a contributor on here with the same name, he gives great feedback and is very involved. I am telling you, just like you mentioned price/hours, Pro's Pro is hard to beat for the string-eating 105s.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Pros pro strings seemed to die really fast for me, but im willing to try since reels are so cheap. I got a little confused, so let me ask. I am looking for 8-10 hours out of a setup with consistent play before breakage, and pretty good feel for a poly. To me, the ripspin was too stiff and lacked much feel at all. Which pros pro string should i try?
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
Power Player said:
Pros pro strings seemed to die really fast for me, but im willing to try since reels are so cheap. I got a little confused, so let me ask. I am looking for 8-10 hours out of a setup with consistent play before breakage, and pretty good feel for a poly. To me, the ripspin was too stiff and lacked much feel at all. Which pros pro string should i try?
Click to expand...

for the 105s Intense Heat has been the best for me, the string really slides on itself so nicely. In my opinion it has great feel and has lasted 12+ hours......but I am not a huge huge hitter. Having also tried Ripspin and hating it within the first set, I think you should start with Intense Heat. Since you are doing the 99s I would think that a good try, especially given the price.
 
tlm

tlm

G.O.A.T.
For these rackets I suggest 14 gauge kevlar, maybe then the strings would last and these rocket launchers would have some control.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Its rather easy to control this racquet if you know how to hit with spin properly. That is one of the selling points of it.

Its easily the most accurate tweener i have used.
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
tlm said:
For these rackets I suggest 14 gauge kevlar, maybe then the strings would last and these rocket launchers would have some control.
Click to expand...

Power Player said:
Its rather easy to control this racquet if you know how to hit with spin properly. That is one of the selling points of it.

Its easily the most accurate tweener i have used.
Click to expand...

Ugh, yet another post about the rocket-launching Wilson 16x15. String your racquet the right way and control your game. These frames are not hammer-technology 10+ points head-heavy frames. If you are launching balls with the 99s or even the 105s.....the YOU are launching balls, not the frame.
 
mikeler

mikeler

Moderator
Power Player said:
Cool, thread. I can contribute - the Wilson Ripspin is not very good. Bad feel and just doesn't accent the racquet at all (99s).

Next up is Prince XC 15 gauge and I may try Cyberflash 1.35 as well.
Click to expand...

You could have told me this before I bought the string PP! :)
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
mikeler said:
You could have told me this before I bought the string PP! :)
Click to expand...

haha, I know. The first few hours were not bad. I'm thinking it may be better in the prince due to the softness of the frame. Plus it is also durable. So I think it's worth trying. If you had the Steam, it would be a different story.
 
T

tycooper

New User
Well, I have now tried both combinations of Spin Cycle 16L and Enduro Pro 17 in my 105S at 57#, and while both felt and played great, the strings were halfway notched within 2-3 hours. Actually, with Spin Cycle as the mains, they lost it in less than 2 hours. After a set and a half, there was a big hole in my string bed after every point that I had to straighten, and control was out the window. So running the Enduro Pro as the mains was a little better. I haven't yet tried just Spin Cycle, so that is next. I was really hopeful that pairing it up with the softer Enduro Pro would reduce notching. So far, between these combinations, pure Enduro Pro 17, Volkl Cyclone Tour 17, and Lux 4G 16L, the Lux wins at about 4-5 hours. If I were to try the lux again, I would probably drop to 55#. At least it would get me through a match, although I can't afford to spend $15-$17 every time I play tennis :(
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
tycooper said:
Well, I have now tried both combinations of Spin Cycle 16L and Enduro Pro 17 in my 105S at 57#, and while both felt and played great, the strings were halfway notched within 2-3 hours. Actually, with Spin Cycle as the mains, they lost it in less than 2 hours. After a set and a half, there was a big hole in my string bed after every point that I had to straighten, and control was out the window. So running the Enduro Pro as the mains was a little better. I haven't yet tried just Spin Cycle, so that is next. I was really hopeful that pairing it up with the softer Enduro Pro would reduce notching. So far, between these combinations, pure Enduro Pro 17, Volkl Cyclone Tour 17, and Lux 4G 16L, the Lux wins at about 4-5 hours. If I were to try the lux again, I would probably drop to 55#. At least it would get me through a match, although I can't afford to spend $15-$17 every time I play tennis :(
Click to expand...

I have found that the smooth strings notch far far less, in fact I have had no notching at all....but I only get minimal notching with Spin Cycle as I am not as aggressive. I agree that the S frames can and will be expensive in terms of stringing, but that is why I think Pro's Pro is worth the look, best dollar/hour played value.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Only issue with pros pro is the gauge is only 1.30. even though they are cheap, I am afraid I will tear through those strings every 4 hours as I hit pretty aggressively.

I think 1.33 is just cutting it for me, and most likely I need to stick with 1.35 and above.
 
g4driver

g4driver

Legend
Tonic 15L / Yonex Poly Pro Tour 130mm (16g) = Sweet hitting, but doesn't last long. 8 sets max = $$$$

Yonex PPT 130 works good enough at 54/52 until I find something better.

Black5Edge full bed = hated it. Black5Edge/Silverstring = hated it

Silverstring full bed = 3rd choice behind YPPT
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
Power Player said:
Only issue with pros pro is the gauge is only 1.30. even though they are cheap, I am afraid I will tear through those strings every 4 hours as I hit pretty aggressively.

I think 1.33 is just cutting it for me, and most likely I need to stick with 1.35 and above.
Click to expand...

I have not used it but Pro's Pro Strategem is available at 1.35

Concept is available in 1.33 and 1.38! At only $37.7 a reel, another one I have not hit but might need to try the 1.38, it says to compare to Weiss Cannon.

Pro Poly Spin in 1.33
Power Plus in 1.33

The only thing that I hate is that the reel price is so low. It makes me want to not even both with the sets and go straight for the reel.

Crap, just noticed on the website that sells Pro's Pro that the thicker gauge in Strategem and Concept are only available in reels.
 
Last edited:
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Ok the Strategem sounds very very intriguing at 1.35.

I am definitely reel shopping, so this would be an interesting purchase. I wish there was a set, maybe I can bribe BigT to sell me some :)
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
Power Player said:
Ok the Strategem sounds very very intriguing at 1.35.

I am definitely reel shopping, so this would be an interesting purchase. I wish there was a set, maybe I can bribe BigT to sell me some :)
Click to expand...

I bet you might be able to talk him into cutting you 40'. The Control set specifically states that it is "40' cut from a reel", but that is for the smaller gauge. I may try the 1.38 control.
 
W

wmilas

Rookie
I play with 99S's Damn near everything that pockets worth a damn breaks in 2 hours. Full bed of BHB7 (pretty soft poly) lasts only 2 to 2.5 hours.

4G is the only thing that lasts that's not a hard poly but it feels like a wet paper bag to me.

I gave up and string with OGSM 16 in the mains and Polyfibre TCS 17 (soft) in the crosses. I break the OGSM pretty fast 60-120 minutes depending on if its practice or a match. The OGSM breaks before the TCS (horrible at tension maintenance) looses its tension. Its a pretty cheap, very playable all around setup for me. I can play doubles at the net and really spin groundies in with it. I'm pretty happy.

No matter what you do, if you want something more than just a groundie stick, you are going to break strings regularly. Nothing you can do about it.
 
W

wmilas

Rookie
Mikeler: if it maters cyber Grey lasted about 2.5 hours cyber blue about 3. Grey played much better than blue all around. Its a very good string in the 99 frame. It feels a little "buzzy" at the end of its life. It vibrates at a very high pitch without a dampener. I don't use a dampener and it was a very weird feeling.

I liked it the best among the soft co-polys I tried. I liked it better with OGSM in the cross to get rid if the buzz. The grey broke first.

I don't like it as much as OGSM/TCS though (but it lasted longer than that combo)
 
T

tycooper

New User
Completed my test of Spin Cycle 16L in my 105S. It broke within 4 hours. Played great for that 4 hours though. I liked it as much as any other string I tried (Cyclone Tour 17, Lux 4G 16L, Enduro Pro 17). I just need more than 4 hours out of a string. At $6 a set from the mini reel though, this one wins so far. Super easy to string, too: practically no coil memory!

I'm guessing that if none of these strings last 4 hours, then nothing at this gauge except maybe Kevlar will get me the minimum of 10 hours I'm wanting. So here's the question: do I bother trying thicker gauges of these polys, or do I try 17 gauge Kevlar next? Which is more likely to feel and perform the same as these, but last at least 10 hours?
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Im going to try a 17 gauge string because I have a reel of it.

But 1.35 gauge lasts a lot longer for sure. I have 1.41 Prince XC in there and it will last 8-10 hours. I just don't really dig the string.

I think ideally you will need to use a string that is 1.33ish or more.
 
racertempo

racertempo

Semi-Pro
tycooper said:
Completed my test of Spin Cycle 16L in my 105S. It broke within 4 hours. Played great for that 4 hours though. I liked it as much as any other string I tried (Cyclone Tour 17, Lux 4G 16L, Enduro Pro 17). I just need more than 4 hours out of a string. At $6 a set from the mini reel though, this one wins so far. Super easy to string, too: practically no coil memory!

I'm guessing that if none of these strings last 4 hours, then nothing at this gauge except maybe Kevlar will get me the minimum of 10 hours I'm wanting. So here's the question: do I bother trying thicker gauges of these polys, or do I try 17 gauge Kevlar next? Which is more likely to feel and perform the same as these, but last at least 10 hours?
Click to expand...

Yup, Spin cycle is one of the easiest I have ever used to string, really enjoy the job. Are you going to try some of the Pro's Pro to see if you can get your cost per hour down?
 
Fuji

Fuji

Legend
I use goldenset snake bite at 63.5lbs right now. Dropped down from 67lbs. Its 17g, but I absolutely love the response I get from it, and it's quite cheap! I don't mind busting it every couple hours.

-Fuji
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Dunlop Ice 17 is a winner. Well it feels great and the spin is incredible. Tension loss, movement and durability are bad though since it is only 1.25 gauge. I grabbed some gosen polyon 16, which is basically the same thing in a thicker gauge, some cyberflash 1.35, and some Kirschbaum Pro line II 1.30 next.

My takeaway is I like crisper polys, and 1.35 is as thick as I need to go. Prince XC is not very good to me at all (I had the 1.41 gauge). The Dunlop Ice is far better, and makes the Steam basically perfect except the tension drops an hour in and things get a little crazy then.
 
bad_call

bad_call

Legend
PP - need to bundle my string order with yours next time to maybe save on shipping $...seeing how your Steam is chewing thru strings like pacman. :)

got another poly hybrid ready for testing in the blade.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Yeah it's nuts. The Prince XC was very very durable though More than I needed to be honest. So like Mikeler said - 1.30-.135. For me - crisper feel, more power. Honestly, something like ALU power that lasts 8-10 hours will be perfect. So I am interested in in what Cyberflash brings to the table.
 
mikeler

mikeler

Moderator
bad_call said:
PP - need to bundle my string order with yours next time to maybe save on shipping $...seeing how your Steam is chewing thru strings like pacman. :)

got another poly hybrid ready for testing in the blade.
Click to expand...

What strings are you looking at getting?
 
T

tycooper

New User
OK, so based on what you guys have said, I'll try thicker gauges before going to Kevlar. I have some Cyclone 16 I'll try. Since Spin Cycle is 1.27 and Cyclone 16 is 1.3, I don't expect too much difference, but I have to give it a shot. I may try Pro's Pro eventually, but I think the gauge is more important, just because I don't like to string so often. If the thicker gauges compromise the playability too much, I may just reconsider the racquet entirely, although that will be difficult, since I recently broke the strings early in a practice session and had to use my old frame: that was an eye opener! It didn't feel like too big of a difference moving to the 105S, but it sure felt big when I had to go back for some reason.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Yes, the trajectory is pretty different.

Thin strings die really fast because they drop tension faster and move so much, the snapback only lasts so long after the tension drops.

Ice lasted 4 hours at 1.25 for me. Started to suck pretty badly after that.

For 1.30, I am real interested in the Kirschbaum PL II since people seem to like it a lot in the Steam.

But first I think I will put in Cyberflash 1.35 - on paper it seems like a great match for this racquet.
 
W

wmilas

Rookie
I tried cyberflash 1.30 twice with ogsm in the cross as a hybrid. I don't remember that it was bad, but I don't remember it being good either. Seemed unremarkable to me, which means it probably broke pretty fast.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Will string savers help extend Wilson Steam 99S string life??
Replies
4
Views
2K
gameboy
G
J
  • Poll
Wilson Steam 99S String Poll
Replies
5
Views
3K
fibonacci888
fibonacci888
J
M2 used in Wilson Steam 99S
Replies
0
Views
541
john hempel
J
JJam2112
hybrid for Steam 99s
Replies
2
Views
579
Ramon
R
PureDrive573
Lux 4G or RPM Blast for Steam 99S
Replies
8
Views
2K
KYHacker
K
Top