Which string for Wilson Steam 99S and 105S?

Power Player · Jan 14, 2014

wmilas said:
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.

Yeah you need CF in a full job. I learned that lesson a long time ago when I tried it in a hybrid. It just doesn't have the mojo like in a full job.

bad_call said:
PP - got some Tecnifibre gen 1 poly 1.25 for you to try.

Thanks. It probably is too thin for me though. I am going to have to be between 1.30-1.35 in these open pattern sticks.

bad_call · Jan 14, 2014

^maybe try it as a cross.

Power Player · Jan 14, 2014

Ok yeah, if I try Kevlar mains, this makes sense.

I hope I don't have to try kevlar mains though..lol

wmilas · Jan 14, 2014

Power Player said:
Yeah you need CF in a full job. I learned that lesson a long time ago when I tried it in a hybrid. It just doesn't have the mojo like in a full job.

Doh. Ok, I'll give it a try again. Thanks.

gameboy · Jan 24, 2014

I have now gone through 4 sets of V-Torque now and am sorry to say this string is not a good fit for Steam.

Last three sets lasted 2 to 3 hours. The other strings are lasting twice that.

While I love the bite and spin generation, the durability is so poor, this is not a good match. Too bad...

racertempo · Jan 24, 2014

gameboy said:
I have now gone through 4 sets of V-Torque now and am sorry to say this string is not a good fit for Steam.

Last three sets lasted 2 to 3 hours. The other strings are lasting twice that.

While I love the bite and spin generation, the durability is so poor, this is not a good match. Too bad...

Glad to see that feedback, I have been wanting to try that string in there, but I won't bother.

eelhc · Jan 24, 2014

Power Player said:
Yeah you need CF in a full job. I learned that lesson a long time ago when I tried it in a hybrid. It just doesn't have the mojo like in a full job.

Try Cyber Flash mains with Isospeed Baseline Spin crosses. I string for a several guys with Cyber Blue mains and Baseline Spin crosses. Feedback is that it plays similar to a full bed of Cyber Blue. Very good combination at ~$4/string job.

tycooper · Jan 27, 2014

OK, two updates on strings for the 105S.

First, just cut out the Volkl Cyclone 16 at 57#. I'm happy to say that the extra thickness does actually seem to help in the durability dept more than I thought it would. I got a good 8-9 hours, and although it was notched about halfway through, still felt decent. I normally have been going about 50-54#, so it seemed a little stiff to me, but it played well.

That is, until I put Lux 4G 16 at 54# in there yesterday. Holy Moses! That string is on another level. More power, comfort, control, and a liveliness I have never felt. I'll report back about the durability, but frankly, I don't even care. I don't think I'll be happy hitting anything else in there. Considering you can get a reel that comes down to about $10 a set for the 105S, I'm afraid I'm hooked.

g4driver · Jan 27, 2014

tycooper said:
OK, two updates on strings for the 105S.

First, just cut out the Volkl Cyclone 16 at 57#. I'm happy to say that the extra thickness does actually seem to help in the durability dept more than I thought it would. I got a good 8-9 hours, and although it was notched about halfway through, still felt decent. I normally have been going about 50-54#, so it seemed a little stiff to me, but it played well.

That is, until I put Lux 4G 16 at 54# in there yesterday. Holy Moses! That string is on another level. More power, comfort, control, and a liveliness I have never felt. I'll report back about the durability, but frankly, I don't even care. I don't think I'll be happy hitting anything else in there. Considering you can get a reel that comes down to about $10 a set for the 105S, I'm afraid I'm hooked.

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/reviews/LUX4G125/LUX4G125Review.html

Funny, the TW reviewers don't feel the power from 4G, but many don't feel the stiffness from it either. To me, it feels very stiff and low powered. I don't need the power, but I can't take the stiffness of 4G. Learning to string my own strings has certainly paid for the Alpha Apex Two many times over.

Power - Score: 65
Erring on the side of control, Luxilon 4G did not give our team a lot of free power.

Comfort - Score: 78
While people are not likely to confuse Luxilon 4G with natural gut or Wilson NXT, our team thought it had above average comfort for a co-poly.

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/reviews/UBHBK17/UBHBK17Review.html
The 16 gauge lasts longer and is much more comfortable with far more comfort that 4G.

tycooper · Jan 28, 2014

Tension?

I haven't tried the tourna string, but I will say this about the reviews: this 105S seems to be a completely different beast, so its hard to correlate findings from other frames. On the surface, you are going to get more power out of a 105 frame anyway, and as we've all seen, the spin and trajectory are a new thing altogether. It also depends on your swing speed. Which is why this thread is so great!

I tried Lux 4G 16L on my old frame among many others like the Volkl poly trial pack without being wowed, but on this frame, at the lower tension of 54#, I seemed to have unleashed something special with the 4G 16. I will also say that tension makes a lot of difference with these stiffer strings, esp Lux. They seem to have a sweet spot that is tricky to find. If you string too tight, they feel like a board, and that point tends to be relatively lower than other strings, often below the racquet's recommended tension range. The TennisWarehouse demo (that basically sold the racquet for me) came with 4G 16 strung around 59# or so, and I can feel that I may have a little room to go tighter without hitting the "board", so at least for me, that range seems to be about right. I'm curious if you thought 4G was too stiff at that tension, or had tried it at something higher.

racertempo · Jan 28, 2014

I played with Pro's Pro Ichiban Spin in my 105s last night at 48#. I like it but did not love it in there, it started to lose its snap back just a little at the end of 2 hours. It was very slight, and it was very cold, but it held up well otherwise. I will be interested to see how it does in a second and third hitting session. Good power and great control on volleys. Oddly, not as much spin as I have noted with other strings, but again, not bad either. For the price of a reel it is not a bad option.

DrewRafter8 · Jan 28, 2014

I just bought a Steam 105s. I was able to buy a reel of 4G rough for $160 so I'm going to try that in this racquet first. I'll be adding weight to the handle until it weighs 330 grams. Hopefully, I can try it out this weekend. Anyone have a tension suggestion for the 4G rough?

tycooper · Jan 30, 2014

DrewRafter8 said:
I just bought a Steam 105s. I was able to buy a reel of 4G rough for $160 so I'm going to try that in this racquet first. I'll be adding weight to the handle until it weighs 330 grams. Hopefully, I can try it out this weekend. Anyone have a tension suggestion for the 4G rough?

DrewRafter8: If that is 16L gauge, then I felt something around 55# was good for regular 4G. Not too stiff, not too springy. For reference, I probably hit 2nd serves in the mid 70's. I have no idea what adding 20 grams would change, or if the "rough" version is much different.

quest01 · Jan 30, 2014

When I used this racquet, I used a full bed of the 15g luxilon 4G string, I found these lasted the longest. I tried a full bed of alu power 16L and the 16g 4G, they both didn't last very long; the alu power didn't last long at all between the two.

parasailing · Feb 2, 2014

4G offers good tension maintenance and not a lot of power for those looking for more control.

I also have tried Wilson Ripspin and it is a very controlled string which doesn't offer much power and is not very springy which for such a open string pattern is not a bad thing.

Devilito · Feb 2, 2014

what about the new Lux Alu Power 138? Who's given this a go yet. I want to know how it feels compared to the 125

USS Tang · Feb 4, 2014

I use 15-gauge natural gut (Babolat) strung at 57 lbs. with over 22 hours so far on the Wilson Steam 105.
You guessed right: I am not a top-spin artist.

tycooper · Feb 4, 2014

Well the Lux 4G 16G did last nearly 10 hours, although that included a couple of mixed doubles matches. Looks like it is on par with the Cyclone 16 as far as durability, maybe a little better because it handled better while severely notched. Since I have a reel now, that will be it for trials for some time, although $1/hr is still not where I'd like to be. I am still curious about the Cyclone Tour 16g. The 17g worked well, and the red looked pretty cool in the Steam. Maybe I'll try that when the 4G runs out, which will come all too quickly. I'll monitor this for other suggestions, like that Tourna Big Hitter Black. That looked like a good possibility too.

g4driver · Feb 5, 2014

tycooper said:
I tried Lux 4G 16L on my old frame among many others like the Volkl poly trial pack without being wowed, but on this frame, at the lower tension of 54#, I seemed to have unleashed something special with the 4G 16. I will also say that tension makes a lot of difference with these stiffer strings, esp Lux. They seem to have a sweet spot that is tricky to find. If you string too tight, they feel like a board, and that point tends to be relatively lower than other strings, often below the racquet's recommended tension range. The TennisWarehouse demo (that basically sold the racquet for me) came with 4G 16 strung around 59# or so, and I can feel that I may have a little room to go tighter without hitting the "board", so at least for me, that range seems to be about right. I'm curious if you thought 4G was too stiff at that tension, or had tried it at something higher.

tycooper,

Sorry for the delayed response.

I've found Yonex Poly Pro Tour 54/52 works well for me in the 99S. I was using the 125mm (16L), but switched to the 130mm (16g) to get a little more life out of the strings. I purchase by the reel, which helps a lot with these open patterns. My preference is Tonic 15L / YPPT but it's expensive, and I play in a very humid climate which breaks down the gut quicker than less humid climates.

I have tried 4G in a Steam 99S, a Six.One 95S, and a Blade 98 (hybrid as the mains). It is simply too stiff for my arm at any tension. It holds tension well, but the YPPT works much better for me.

Last night, I strung a 99S with Babolat Origin 16g 54 lbs / YPPT 16g 51 lbs and will hit with it tonight. I only have two Steam 99S frames and will probably get a third one matched by TW then sent (they matched the first two). I want to try the PPT mains / Origin crosses also. It is a shot in the dark with the new Origin. When stringing it it feels like a soft poly, not a monofilament. I am guessing I will get strings out of place, but I want to see it first hand since I haven't read any reports of this string in a 16x15 pattern as a hybrid.

wmrhawk · Feb 5, 2014

Review/feedback on two different string jobs:
Racquet #1: 15L Isospeed Baseline Long Life mains/Gosen Polymaster I (1.02x1.46) crosses at 49/49lbs.

Racquet #2: 16g Pro's Pro Intense Heat mains/16g Pro's Pro Syn 130 crosses at 49/49lbs.

I preferred #1 slightly. It felt like it got a little more bite. I am guessing that is the effect of the narrow, rectangular Gosen cross string, but I'll have to experiment more with that to know for sure. #1 was strung over a week prior to #2 and had about 2 hrs of hitting on it, so the tension there was probably 5-10% lower. Interestingly, I asked my opponent to evaluate the difference from his perspective, and he said he noticed that #1 had noticeably more "pop" on the serve. Durability seems to be pretty good with both of these setups. I am expecting 4-6 hours.
[side note: I dropped my tension recently after having it up around 62/63 back in September, which coincided with a Hard Serve contest during which I hit dozens of hard, flat, excessively pronated serves. My medial epicondyl got sore and stayed sore, so I dropped and dropped the tension to the high 40's. I may sneak it back up gradually to around low 50's, as I prefer the feel of the racquet, but for now, it is actually playing and feeling good at 49]

gameboy · Feb 7, 2014

4G is absolutely the worst feeling string I have ever used. Boardy, stiff, with no feel whatsoever.

It lasts a lot longer than others, but I see no benefit in having terrible feeling string lasting longer.

racertempo · Feb 8, 2014

wmrhawk said:
Review/feedback on two different string jobs:
Racquet #1: 15L Isospeed Baseline Long Life mains/Gosen Polymaster I (1.02x1.46) crosses at 49/49lbs.

Racquet #2: 16g Pro's Pro Intense Heat mains/16g Pro's Pro Syn 130 crosses at 49/49lbs.

I preferred #1 slightly. It felt like it got a little more bite.

Intense Heat is my favorite in the 105S right now, maybe consider dropping to 48-50#. I used to string in the 60s and when I got to 48# I have love it.

racertempo · Feb 8, 2014

gameboy said:
4G is absolutely the worst feeling string I have ever used. Boardy, stiff, with no feel whatsoever.

It lasts a lot longer than others, but I see no benefit in having terrible feeling string lasting longer.

Totally agree, but I don't even think that it lasts much longer.

ShahofTennis · Feb 8, 2014

Kevlar coated with Silicon spray.

Doctor of Tennis · Feb 15, 2014

I've used forten 15g nylon and also prince 15g nylon on the 105s and they played great, but doesn't last long, like 3 hrs. If u want to use dirt cheap strings and string yourself u can try some nylon

tycooper · Feb 20, 2014

ShahofTennis mentioned silicone spray, so I looked around the forums for discussions about string lubrication. Several people mentioned that lotion helped with the performance after notching had robbed it. Well, I was game, so gave it a try. Wow. That special Steam S zing came right back, and held for a significant period. I'm impressed. As a byproduct, it seemed to restore my overgrip to its former grippy self as well, since the Winter seems to dry those things out, causing me to spit on it to get traction. Who knew? Thanks for the tip, Shah. And I dig the picture too, although that was for the Kevlar, and probably NOT for the silicon spray, let alone lotion

wmrhawk · Feb 20, 2014

I may give some type if string lube a try, especially since I'm now experimenting w Pros's Pro flat multi which is called Tornado (I think). It has a lube coating to begin with, but probably goes away after 20 minutes of hitting.
I, personally, will be keeping all lubes, lotions, etc. away from my overgrip. I can't see how lube on a grip could be anything but awful.
[Tornado seems like an ok multi, but it didn't work in the hybrid configuration that I tried (as the main w a poly cross). It broke in the first hour.]

Carolina Racquet · Feb 20, 2014

If I had the open pattern frames I would try Pro's Pro Nano Vendetta. Comes in a 1.30mm gauge. Price is right at under $38 a reel.

racertempo · Feb 20, 2014

wmrhawk said:
I may give some type if string lube a try, especially since I'm now experimenting w Pros's Pro flat multi which is called Tornado (I think). It has a lube coating to begin with, but probably goes away after 20 minutes of hitting.
I, personally, will be keeping all lubes, lotions, etc. away from my overgrip. I can't see how lube on a grip could be anything but awful.

Pro's Pro Intense Heat has that coating as well and it really slides back and forth great in my 105s 16x15. I have a reel of 1.30 and like that string the best in there, performed better then Red Vandetta, Spinox, and Ichiban Spin. Was also much better then Wilson Ripspin and 4g IMO.

I am going to try Pro's Pro Concept next, it comes in reels of 1.33 and 1.38.

tycooper · Apr 22, 2014

Racertempo: any update on the Pro's Pro Concept? I'm well over halfway through this reel of 4G so I thought I'd start thinking about this again. I know you like PP Intense Heat, but if you like the Concept better, I may try it instead.

tycooper · Apr 22, 2014

Also, while I'm at it, I read that notching (which is my biggest problem) is reduced if Natgut or Syngut is used in the crosses. Anyone have experience with this? It makes sense to me that a softer cross would reduce notching in the mains, although I didn't really see that by using what I thought was a slightly softer poly in the crosses.

racertempo · Apr 22, 2014

tycooper said:
Racertempo: any update on the Pro's Pro Concept? I'm well over halfway through this reel of 4G so I thought I'd start thinking about this again. I know you like PP Intense Heat, but if you like the Concept better, I may try it instead.

Sadly no, have not ordered it yet as I have been going with Intense Heat over and over out of my reel. I am going to order Concept in the 1.38 reel probably next week, will let you know!

tycooper · Apr 30, 2014

Prince Problend 16 - Bad
I got a free set of Prince Problend 16, and just had a little test with it on my 105S. My big problem with the Steam has been severe notching, as in halfway through in 2-3 hours. This rapid notching changes the performance of the racquet throughout a match, which is annoying, so I've toyed with the idea of trying Kevlar anyway. Summary: Kevlar is bad, at least when strung at 52#/55#. Problend is Kevlar mains with prince syngut duraflex crosses. It felt like a board, provided no spin, and the mains moved without snapping back in place. After 3 or 4 strokes, my racquet looked like a bowl of spaghetti, and it was difficult straightening the mains back up. Flat shots were ok, and I laid down some nice flat serves at a higher percentage than normal, but that was about it. Although I cut it out after an hour, I'd say that it is durable: My regular wire cutters wouldn't go through the stuff. I have a drop weight machine, and had to be careful not to start it rotated back too far or the weight woudn't go level after one drop. That is some stiff stuff, although I will say that 4G is just behind it there. If I start 4G rotated back, I only have to do a partial crank. The syngut took 4-5 cranks. Anyway, maybe the stuff works if you lower the tension drastically? If I get another free set, maybe I'll try it at 40# and see. I've got some more duraflex, so I'm going to try a hybrid of that with 4G and see if that performs ok with reduced notching. I haven't heard of anyone running poly mains with syngut crosses.

g4driver · Apr 30, 2014

Volkl Cyclone Tour (CT) 16g full bed works great for about 10 -12 hours for me

And I like these combos of polys:

CT 16 mains / Weiss Cannon Silverstring crosses

Volkl V-Torque 16g / Head Hawk 16g Crosses

I get about 8 sets of doubles before breaking a main. Maybe 5 sets of singles.

tycooper · May 1, 2014

g4driver: I guess the 105S is just that much more string hungry, which makes since as it is even more open. I tried Cyclone Tour 16 and it notched halfway through within 3 hours. After that, it just doesn't play right for me (notching prevents the string snapback, I guess). Do you notice that the Silverstring delays notching? I'm guessing not since you don't get any more hours out of those combos?

g4driver · May 1, 2014

tycooper said:
g4driver: I guess the 105S is just that much more string hungry, which makes since as it is even more open. I tried Cyclone Tour 16 and it notched halfway through within 3 hours. After that, it just doesn't play right for me (notching prevents the string snapback, I guess). Do you notice that the Silverstring delays notching? I'm guessing not since you don't get any more hours out of those combos?

Silverstrjng does allows for the mains to move easier across the mains easier than a full bed of CT, so a little more life from the mains. Try a smooth copoly like Silverstring and I am guessing even if they notch you will see more SnapBack.

Maybe VOLKL will make a 15L OR 15g version of CT since it is softer than regular Cyclone.

I was playing a lot of singles with the V- Torque/Silverstring and some of those matches are 2+30 at 4.0. In singles I hit a lot more groundstrokes than I get in doubles where the points end much quicker, hence the strings are going to break quicker. When the strings stop snapping back, I only have a few sets left before they break.

I have been trying to pick one setup,but frankly I can switch between a full bed of CT and CT/Silverstring or V-Torque/Silverstring and play with any of them.

Your post and my pack of Head Hawk as inspired me to try a CT/HH setup.

tycooper · May 9, 2014

Hybrid update - Since my main problem has been severe notching of the mains, I thought maybe a softer cross would reduce notching. So I just finished trying a hybrid of Lux4G 16 (287 stiffness) with Prince SynGut Duraflex 16 (177 stiffness). The verdict? It appears to be the case. With a full bed of Lux, my mains were notched halfway through within 3 hours. At the same 3 hour mark with the syngut, I only had less than 10% notching. However, at that point, the syngut was beat up pretty badly. By hour 5, the outer sheath was completely gone in the sweet spot (that's kinda funny looking). I think that sped up the notching, so that by the end of hour 7, it was unplayable. Anyway, so syngut is soft enough, but not durable enough. I will say that this combo played better overall than a full bed of lux. More power and comfort, in this case better durability because of less notching, and of course it would be much cheaper.

With this in mind, I'm going to try 4G with a softer poly. I have strung up Spin Cycle (206 stiffness) with 4G, and will report on that next. However, I'm thinking a soft, smooth and round poly would work best. Mining the TW database, it looks like Topspin Cyber Flash 16 might be ideal. It has a 185 stiffness, has decent power (85), and is about $3.50 a set in the reel. Anyone used that as the cross in a hybrid?

I might would try some Pro's Pro, but I can't get any stiffness numbers for them since they aren't in anyone's database.

Bhairava · May 9, 2014

tycooper said:
Hybrid update - Since my main problem has been severe notching of the mains, I thought maybe a softer cross would reduce notching. So I just finished trying a hybrid of Lux4G 16 (287 stiffness) with Prince SynGut Duraflex 16 (177 stiffness). The verdict? It appears to be the case. With a full bed of Lux, my mains were notched halfway through within 3 hours. At the same 3 hour mark with the syngut, I only had less than 10% notching. However, at that point, the syngut was beat up pretty badly. By hour 5, the outer sheath was completely gone in the sweet spot (that's kinda funny looking). I think that sped up the notching, so that by the end of hour 7, it was unplayable. Anyway, so syngut is soft enough, but not durable enough. I will say that this combo played better overall than a full bed of lux. More power and comfort, in this case better durability because of less notching, and of course it would be much cheaper.

With this in mind, I'm going to try 4G with a softer poly. I have strung up Spin Cycle (206 stiffness) with 4G, and will report on that next. However, I'm thinking a soft, smooth and round poly would work best. Mining the TW database, it looks like Topspin Cyber Flash 16 might be ideal. It has a 185 stiffness, has decent power (85), and is about $3.50 a set in the reel. Anyone used that as the cross in a hybrid?

I might would try some Pro's Pro, but I can't get any stiffness numbers for them since they aren't in anyone's database.

I think your optimum would be 4g crossed with a thick 1.40 syn gut. there are a couple of them around, if i remember well. never used syn gut personally

comeback · May 9, 2014

I haven't used my Wilson Steam 105s due to control issues with full poly, So i use Vortex as my main racket. i wanted to experiment the 105s with 18g Kevlar mains/16g GauchoGut crosses so i strung it up at 52/44.
I hit against the wall several times but finally played 2 matches with it. I beat a 4.0 player 6-2,6-1,6-2 then the next day beat a very good 4.5 , 4-6,6-2,6-3.
Several main points: i seldom play 2 days in a row much less 3 setters because i use full poly on a Vortex and need the spin on my serve to win matches; so i space my matches to avoid nagging wrist/forearm soreness.(not tennis elbow)
But with the 105s the spin on the serve with the kevlar/gut was less but the control on groundstrokes and returns was 9/10 and the power on my flat serve was 8/10 so it was such a pleasant surprise. And very little wrist/forearm soreness for 6 sets in 2 days. Also after approx 5 hours very little notching on the gut, but more notching on the 18g kevlar.. I'm going to keep playing with the 105s for now with some different arm friendly setups..I did buy a reel of Monogut ZX Pro to experiment with further.

Bhairava · May 9, 2014

No one has tried some more 1.33-1.38-1.40 string from pro's pro?

tycooper · May 15, 2014

comeback said:
I haven't used my Wilson Steam 105s due to control issues with full poly, So i use Vortex as my main racket. i wanted to experiment the 105s with 18g Kevlar mains/16g GauchoGut crosses so i strung it up at 52/44.
I hit against the wall several times but finally played 2 matches with it. I beat a 4.0 player 6-2,6-1,6-2 then the next day beat a very good 4.5 , 4-6,6-2,6-3.
Several main points: i seldom play 2 days in a row much less 3 setters because i use full poly on a Vortex and need the spin on my serve to win matches; so i space my matches to avoid nagging wrist/forearm soreness.(not tennis elbow)
But with the 105s the spin on the serve with the kevlar/gut was less but the control on groundstrokes and returns was 9/10 and the power on my flat serve was 8/10 so it was such a pleasant surprise. And very little wrist/forearm soreness for 6 sets in 2 days. Also after approx 5 hours very little notching on the gut, but more notching on the 18g kevlar.. I'm going to keep playing with the 105s for now with some different arm friendly setups..I did buy a reel of Monogut ZX Pro to experiment with further.

Comeback: Interesting combo w/ the kevlar. I have some questions:

- Was that Ashaway Kevlar? I tried Prince ProBlend and it was awful, but I see that it is much stiffer than Ashaway.
- I'm surprised that the gut is fine, but the kevlar is notching. In my experiment with 4G/Prince syngut, the 4G mains notched less than normal (which was the goal), but the syngut was fried within 5 hours. I'm at a loss to explain our opposite results. I would think you'd get the same results, but even more extreme.
- Also, I see you strung the crosses 8# lighter than the mains. Normally people string the softer crosses higher. What is the goal there? I just tried a 10# differential with a medium poly for a fun exercise: control was worse, but notching was still just as bad. I guess whatever you get out of that relies on the difference between the string types?

comeback · May 15, 2014

I got the idea from the Dark Knight and Traveljam to string that setup/lbs.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=478625&highlight=kevlar
The 18g kevlar is from a Canadian string company named Zone Strings that i bought a reel from 15 years ago. Here is the name/description: E-Lastex Technique 18g $6.00 a set $95 660 reel....3800+ e-lastic fibers twisted together w 4 kevlar strands, I still have his contact info if you are interested.
I played another 90 minutes today with it and beat a good 4.5 player 6-3,6-3 (10-7)... Still no notching in the 16g Gaucho Gut after 6 hours. Just waiting for it to break so i can experiment with Kevlar/Monogut pro17. I do lubricate w Armor All before playing and in between games with candle wax.
PS. For todays match i also added 16gr of lead under the grip and 4gr to the head 3&9 to bring the weight of the 105s to 11.9oz. My opponent was so thrown off my the lower trajectory of the 105s that i won the first set just on his errors..I took off 2 grams from the head for the 2nd set and i played much better.
PPS-if i continue to play this well with the Kevlar, i can't see myself changing back to my old less controlled thick full poly which was great on wide serves but gave me wrist/forearm soreness.

racertempo · May 19, 2014

tycooper said:
Racertempo: any update on the Pro's Pro Concept? I'm well over halfway through this reel of 4G so I thought I'd start thinking about this again. I know you like PP Intense Heat, but if you like the Concept better, I may try it instead.

Ordered the Concept reel today, should be here soon!!

Bhairava said:
No one has tried some more 1.33-1.38-1.40 string from pro's pro?

I went with 1.33, could not make the jump to 1.38 since my 1.30 Intense Heat lasts 12-15 hours and does not break. Figured 1.33 is my next step, I will let you know how it goes in the 105s.

comeback · May 20, 2014

comeback said:
I got the idea from the Dark Knight and Traveljam to string that setup/lbs.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=478625&highlight=kevlar
The 18g kevlar is from a Canadian string company named Zone Strings that i bought a reel from 15 years ago. Here is the name/description: E-Lastex Technique 18g $6.00 a set $95 660 reel....3800+ e-lastic fibers twisted together w 4 kevlar strands, I still have his contact info if you are interested.
I played another 90 minutes today with it and beat a good 4.5 player 6-3,6-3 (10-7)... Still no notching in the 16g Gaucho Gut after 6 hours. Just waiting for it to break so i can experiment with Kevlar/Monogut pro17. I do lubricate w Armor All before playing and in between games with candle wax.
PS. For todays match i also added 16gr of lead under the grip and 4gr to the head 3&9 to bring the weight of the 105s to 11.9oz. My opponent was so thrown off my the lower trajectory of the 105s that i won the first set just on his errors..I took off 2 grams from the head for the 2nd set and i played much better.
PPS-if i continue to play this well with the Kevlar, i can't see myself changing back to my old less controlled thick full poly which was great on wide serves but gave me wrist/forearm soreness.

I'm up to approx 9 hours with this setup. Played a young good strong 4.0+ today and won 7-6, (7-5) 7-6 (7-5)...I took some lead out of the handle and brought the total weight for the 105s down to 11.6oz..I keep thinking that this setup is a 10/10 for control but a 7/10 on power/spin on my groundstokes and lacks spin on my serve .But the guy i played today had one of the hardest and fastest forehands i have ever played against..Without the control of the Kevlar/Gut combo (i just blocked sliced a lot back until he missed)..But i'm not sure if my defensive shots and serve returns would have worked with poly..So my lesson for today is sometimes control /defense wins matches too! Can't wait till this setup breaks so i can try a full bed of Monogut ZX Pro

tycooper · Jun 23, 2014

4G 1.3 / Prince Tour XS 1.35

I think I've found a winning combo! I've recently been using a hybrid of Lux 4G 1.30 on the mains with Prince Tour XS 1.35 crosses that measured about 52# off the stringer. Unlike all the other combos I've tried (except a brutal kevlar setup), this one does not notch through in less than 5 hours. In fact, I already have at least 15 hours on it, and I'd say notching is about what I would call normal, compared with typical strings on standard racquets. And it plays great. Apparently, the thick triangle creates a nice flat base for the round mains to slide on (giving me that cool 105S spin that made me buy the racquet in the first place), and it seems to have about the same power and comfort level as syngut, which is what I like about the 4G (I'm aware that many disagree with me on this point, but you still may consider XS for your crosses). The TW playtesters said the XS was low power, but I found the opposite: when comparing to a racquet with duraflex in the crosses, there is very little difference in power or comfort, but the XS has a crisper feel. The TW string database backs this up, with a higher power score. About the only downside I've found is that the tension maintenance was not quite as good with the XS as with a full bed of 4G or syngut in the crosses, but if I'm talking about tension maintenance, then the battle is practically over. It has been nice to play for more than a few days without worrying about the condition of my strings! Of course I'd like for the strings to be cheaper, but the combo comes out to a little more than $10 (I got my 4G reel off the slow boat, and XS is currently on sale), so it's not too bad to avoid the hassle of restringing every 2-3 outings, or finding that your mains aren't snapping back in the middle of a match.

Bhairava · Jun 23, 2014

I recommend you discho big star tour 1.35mm: it is very low powered string similar to luxilon 4g, very resistant to notching and that can be strung at medium or even low tension on 99s/105s (however I would try 25kg on 99s and 26kg on 105s) and will still give control

racertempo · Jul 1, 2014

tycooper said:
Racertempo: any update on the Pro's Pro Concept? I'm well over halfway through this reel of 4G so I thought I'd start thinking about this again. I know you like PP Intense Heat, but if you like the Concept better, I may try it instead.

Finally finally finally finally put Concept 1.38 in my 105s today, play with it on Friday so I will post some thoughts. Was just liking the Intense Heat and in the middle of league so was afraid to try something new....but got it in there now!!!!

Komapoulus · Jul 22, 2014

I'm testing one set of 16 babolat rpm blast 1.20 - 58 lbs mains x 54 lbs crosses, and I am absolutely amazed with the results. Unbelievable spin, excellent power, good control ... it seems that the court has grown about 6 feet each side. Balls that would surely out before, now fall 1 feet before the line, with much more spin.

g4driver · Jul 23, 2014

Guys using the Steam 99S...here's how to string six 99S frames with only five packs of strings.

Mains: 3 packs for 6 frames.

Crosses : 2 packs will actually do the crosses for 6 frames. Cut the 40' string into 3 equal parts of 13'4". I have about 14" left from the 13'4" once I tie off at 11T.

For those of you with Steam 105S, measure how much string you have left if you use 1/2 pack. If you have 13" remaining , you can use 40' to string three sets of crosses.

racertempo · Jul 27, 2014

racertempo said:
Finally finally finally finally put Concept 1.38 in my 105s today, play with it on Friday so I will post some thoughts. Was just liking the Intense Heat and in the middle of league so was afraid to try something new....but got it in there now!!!!

I have 5-6 matches with my 105s with the 1.38 Concept and LOVE IT. It has yet to even start notching at all, that was the issue that would make me need to restring the Intense Heat. I did start to notice a little bit of string staying out of position in my last match, but it was very minor. Great touch for volleys and great bit for a 1.38 on serves. I am 6'4" with a big wide serve on the deuce, and if the sting does not bite I won't get any aces with it in a match, but I get 3-6 a match on that side with the concept, more than the Intense Heat.

I am very pleased, give it a try if you have a 105s, even if just a pack or 2 before going with the reel, even though the reel is under $40 :shock:

Which string for Wilson Steam 99S and 105S?

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