SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
I think this thread is way overdue so here we go! I will share my experiences with different gut/poly hybrids and I hope you all can add yours as well, so that we'll have one place where we gather experiences with different setups for comparison and optimization.
First of all, Tonic+ <15L/4G 16L. 4G is very stiff, so the stringbed is firm and has a very crisp response, despite the gut in the mains. The response is precise and touch shots are easy to execute. Control is the major aspect of this stringbed, as 4G's low power makes it hard to overhit; however, there is good pop off the stringbed (pop≠power). For whatever reason, this particular setup grabs the ball more than other hybrids (feels somewhat similar to a shaped string in this regard), which makes the launch angle noticeably high in comparison to some other hybrids. In combination with the low power/control, this makes many shots land fairly short, so a powerful swing is advisable. The big downside is that 4G dents and notches quite easily, despite its stiffness. As a result, the movement of the mains is inhibited, which firms up the stringbed further and can lead to a slightly erratic response. Furthermore, this setup will have less durability and playability duration than some other hybrids. I enjoyed this setup most on serve and at net, where the ball grab and control allowed me to really hit my spots and add some nasty spin. From the baseline I would have preferred a slightly lower launch angle, which is more cohesive to hitting through the ball. I personally would use this specific stringjob for serve and volley play. This setup is ideal for people who want a firm feeling stringbed with good ball grab and control, but with the added comfort and playability of gut.
Next, Tonic+ <15L/Hawk 17. Hawk is not nearly as stiff as 4G, but it still is a fairly firm monofilament. Hawk however is significantly more slick than 4G and it does not dent. As a result, this stringbed has impressive durability and playability duration. The setup has a more plush feel with better ball pocketing and comfort than the stringbed with 4G, but it still has some crispness to it. For whatever reason, ball grab is not as pronounced, so this setup will not be for people who enjoy that aspect of shaped polys. The response is very consistent and there is a good balance of power, spin and control. The way the ball reacts off the stringbed is a lot like a full setup of round strings and it promotes an aggressive swing that goes through the contact point more than a exaggerated WW technique. I really enjoyed this setup on the return and from the baseline, as it was quite versatile and it made it a lot easier to finish the point than the setup with 4G. I missed the ball grab on serve and the control/low power and crisp feel on the volley though. I can see myself using this setup in regular singles play due to its predictability and versatility. I recommend it for players who want a plush, yet precise stringbed, but do not want a lot of ball grab (and the high launch angle as a result) and like to hit through the ball (even flat) more than ripping the felt off the ball with exaggerated topspin strokes.
Regularly updated links to all reviews/comments on setups in this thread:
Pacific Classic/YPTP main characteristics - KaiserW
gut/4G in IGPMP - torpantennis
Pacific Classic/Co.Focus - Triskadekaphilia
Gosen Polylon Polyquest as poly cross with Tonic + and other gut main - 0d1n
Links to Chicago Jack's awesome reviews on the setups he tried! - ChicagoJack
Comments and links to "dying" of poly crosses and Monogut ZX - ChicagoJack
Comments/review on Signum Pro Outbreak as a very comfortable poly cross - kicker75 (quoted in my comment)
Sonic Pro Edge initial impressions + Head Hawk further impressions - STW
Tension loss of Wilson Champion's Choice - Ghost3789
Lynx vs Hawk as crosses comparison - STW
Extensive reviews of Hawk, Lynx and Sonic Pro Edge as crosses + ranking characteristics - STW
4G and Co.Focus as crosses - SpinDr.
VS 17/Max Power - Edberg's Iceburg
Tourna Black Zone vs YPTP as a cross - KaiserW
Gut/SPPP in Blade 98S - Buford T Justice
Tension loss of VS 16/SPPP 16 - Buford T Justice
Tension loss of VS 16/SPPP 16 #2 - Buford T Justice
VS Black and Max Power in RF97 - PGlock
Gut/poly in Blade 98S with big tension differential - Buford T Justice
Stringsaver overkill - Buford T Justice
Legend/Tour XC in the Savage Banana (Prince Tour 98 ESP) - KYHacker
Performance comparison between Outlast, Black Fire and Max Power as crosses - Franklin_B
"The Frankenstringjob" (Champion Choice in Blade 98S with a ton of string savers) - Buford T Justice
Tension loss of "The Frankenstringjob" - Buford T Justice
"The Frankenstringjob" eats stringsavers too! - Buford T Justice
Extensive review of Max Power as a cross vs 4G - torpantennis
Generalized relation for different gauges of poly crosses - STW
Restringing used gut mains to prolong usable string life - ricardo
Method for restringing used gut mains explained - ricardo
Max Power vs 4G as cross + comments on low tension loss poly crosses - torpantennis
Why gut/poly and not poly/gut? - STW
Tourna Black Zone vs PL II as crosses - dave
Head Lynx 17 as a cross in Blade 93 - AHJS
Topspin Cyber Blue crosses notch quickly - SOY78
Head Hawk isn't suited as a cross for dense string patterns - comments by AHJS (in quotes) who uses a Blade 93
Extensive reviews of Revolve 17 and Max Power 17 as crosses - STW
Ranking of characteristics of poly crosses I have used as of the 1st of April 2015 - STW
Tough Gut is susceptible to breakage while tying off (both mains and crosses) - STW and AHJS
Tough Gut susceptible to breakage while tying off and comparison to Tonic + - 0d1n
Comments on VS Team/Alu Power 16L + Alu Power crosses have poor playability duration - PGlock
Comments on VS/Hawk and VS/Alu Power Soft - PGlock
Hawk Touch 17 as a cross in a Blade 93 + comparison to Lynx 17 - AHJS
Thin poly crosses (may) reduce durability and lead to decreased string movement - lcalamar
Thick poly crosses seem to work better - lcalamar
Alu Power Soft: Too soft in a gut/poly hybrid? - QuadCam
Alu Power Soft lasts a lot longer in the crosses than regular Alu - PGlock
Links continued in post 4
First of all, Tonic+ <15L/4G 16L. 4G is very stiff, so the stringbed is firm and has a very crisp response, despite the gut in the mains. The response is precise and touch shots are easy to execute. Control is the major aspect of this stringbed, as 4G's low power makes it hard to overhit; however, there is good pop off the stringbed (pop≠power). For whatever reason, this particular setup grabs the ball more than other hybrids (feels somewhat similar to a shaped string in this regard), which makes the launch angle noticeably high in comparison to some other hybrids. In combination with the low power/control, this makes many shots land fairly short, so a powerful swing is advisable. The big downside is that 4G dents and notches quite easily, despite its stiffness. As a result, the movement of the mains is inhibited, which firms up the stringbed further and can lead to a slightly erratic response. Furthermore, this setup will have less durability and playability duration than some other hybrids. I enjoyed this setup most on serve and at net, where the ball grab and control allowed me to really hit my spots and add some nasty spin. From the baseline I would have preferred a slightly lower launch angle, which is more cohesive to hitting through the ball. I personally would use this specific stringjob for serve and volley play. This setup is ideal for people who want a firm feeling stringbed with good ball grab and control, but with the added comfort and playability of gut.
Next, Tonic+ <15L/Hawk 17. Hawk is not nearly as stiff as 4G, but it still is a fairly firm monofilament. Hawk however is significantly more slick than 4G and it does not dent. As a result, this stringbed has impressive durability and playability duration. The setup has a more plush feel with better ball pocketing and comfort than the stringbed with 4G, but it still has some crispness to it. For whatever reason, ball grab is not as pronounced, so this setup will not be for people who enjoy that aspect of shaped polys. The response is very consistent and there is a good balance of power, spin and control. The way the ball reacts off the stringbed is a lot like a full setup of round strings and it promotes an aggressive swing that goes through the contact point more than a exaggerated WW technique. I really enjoyed this setup on the return and from the baseline, as it was quite versatile and it made it a lot easier to finish the point than the setup with 4G. I missed the ball grab on serve and the control/low power and crisp feel on the volley though. I can see myself using this setup in regular singles play due to its predictability and versatility. I recommend it for players who want a plush, yet precise stringbed, but do not want a lot of ball grab (and the high launch angle as a result) and like to hit through the ball (even flat) more than ripping the felt off the ball with exaggerated topspin strokes.
Regularly updated links to all reviews/comments on setups in this thread:
Pacific Classic/YPTP main characteristics - KaiserW
gut/4G in IGPMP - torpantennis
Pacific Classic/Co.Focus - Triskadekaphilia
Gosen Polylon Polyquest as poly cross with Tonic + and other gut main - 0d1n
Links to Chicago Jack's awesome reviews on the setups he tried! - ChicagoJack
Comments and links to "dying" of poly crosses and Monogut ZX - ChicagoJack
Comments/review on Signum Pro Outbreak as a very comfortable poly cross - kicker75 (quoted in my comment)
Sonic Pro Edge initial impressions + Head Hawk further impressions - STW
Tension loss of Wilson Champion's Choice - Ghost3789
Lynx vs Hawk as crosses comparison - STW
Extensive reviews of Hawk, Lynx and Sonic Pro Edge as crosses + ranking characteristics - STW
4G and Co.Focus as crosses - SpinDr.
VS 17/Max Power - Edberg's Iceburg
Tourna Black Zone vs YPTP as a cross - KaiserW
Gut/SPPP in Blade 98S - Buford T Justice
Tension loss of VS 16/SPPP 16 - Buford T Justice
Tension loss of VS 16/SPPP 16 #2 - Buford T Justice
VS Black and Max Power in RF97 - PGlock
Gut/poly in Blade 98S with big tension differential - Buford T Justice
Stringsaver overkill - Buford T Justice
Legend/Tour XC in the Savage Banana (Prince Tour 98 ESP) - KYHacker
Performance comparison between Outlast, Black Fire and Max Power as crosses - Franklin_B
"The Frankenstringjob" (Champion Choice in Blade 98S with a ton of string savers) - Buford T Justice
Tension loss of "The Frankenstringjob" - Buford T Justice
"The Frankenstringjob" eats stringsavers too! - Buford T Justice
Extensive review of Max Power as a cross vs 4G - torpantennis
Generalized relation for different gauges of poly crosses - STW
Restringing used gut mains to prolong usable string life - ricardo
Method for restringing used gut mains explained - ricardo
Max Power vs 4G as cross + comments on low tension loss poly crosses - torpantennis
Why gut/poly and not poly/gut? - STW
Tourna Black Zone vs PL II as crosses - dave
Head Lynx 17 as a cross in Blade 93 - AHJS
Topspin Cyber Blue crosses notch quickly - SOY78
Head Hawk isn't suited as a cross for dense string patterns - comments by AHJS (in quotes) who uses a Blade 93
Extensive reviews of Revolve 17 and Max Power 17 as crosses - STW
Ranking of characteristics of poly crosses I have used as of the 1st of April 2015 - STW
Tough Gut is susceptible to breakage while tying off (both mains and crosses) - STW and AHJS
Tough Gut susceptible to breakage while tying off and comparison to Tonic + - 0d1n
Comments on VS Team/Alu Power 16L + Alu Power crosses have poor playability duration - PGlock
Comments on VS/Hawk and VS/Alu Power Soft - PGlock
Hawk Touch 17 as a cross in a Blade 93 + comparison to Lynx 17 - AHJS
Thin poly crosses (may) reduce durability and lead to decreased string movement - lcalamar
Thick poly crosses seem to work better - lcalamar
Alu Power Soft: Too soft in a gut/poly hybrid? - QuadCam
Alu Power Soft lasts a lot longer in the crosses than regular Alu - PGlock
Links continued in post 4
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