Accepting that you cannot use poly strings

Happi

Hall of Fame
I got a set of RPM Soft 1.25, any advice on tension compared to gut/poly or full poly?
Also how does Triax compare to it, as this is the string I want to try next. If only Triax weren't so bloody expensive.
String RPM soft as you would string any other multi. Great string works very well in FB but also with MF black as a cross string.
I string Triax almost as it was a poly.

Edit to elaborate:

I string:

Gut - 22 kg (I cross with Isospeed prof Classic at 23kg)
Multi - 22 kg
Multifeel Black - 19 kg, I found that this string works great at that tension as a cross for other multis or gut strung at 22 kg
Triax - 18 kg
Poly - 17 kg or lower
 
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veelium

Hall of Fame
String RPM soft as you would string any other multi. Great string works very well in FB but also with MF black as a cross string.
I string Triax almost as it was a poly.

Edit to elaborate:

I string:

Gut - 22 kg (I cross with Isospeed prof Classic at 23kg)
Multi - 22 kg
Multifeel Black - 19 kg, I found that this string works great at that tension as a cross for other multis or gut strung at 22 kg
Triax - 18 kg
Poly - 17 kg or lower
Thx great overview, I'll try at 24/23 like my gut/poly.
 

Rubiks

New User
String RPM soft as you would string any other multi. Great string works very well in FB but also with MF black as a cross string.
I string Triax almost as it was a poly.

Edit to elaborate:

I string:

Gut - 22 kg (I cross with Isospeed prof Classic at 23kg)
Multi - 22 kg
Multifeel Black - 19 kg, I found that this string works great at that tension as a cross for other multis or gut strung at 22 kg
Triax - 18 kg
Poly - 17 kg or lower
Happi - I've just got some multifeel to trial as you speak very highly of it. I currently play kirschbaum SG FB, at 56-52lb in a Dunlop 300g.

Would you still recommend 22-19kg if I were to use multifeel as a cross for the kirschbaum, or go up in tension and keep the differential pro-rata? TIA
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
Happi - I've just got some multifeel to trial as you speak very highly of it. I currently play kirschbaum SG FB, at 56-52lb in a Dunlop 300g.

Would you still recommend 22-19kg if I were to use multifeel as a cross for the kirschbaum, or go up in tension and keep the differential pro-rata? TIA
Be aware that MF black is very different from the natural bersion. The black is smooth and crisp and plays almost like a poly cross, so yes I would string it like you would string your poly as a cross.
 

Rubiks

New User
Be aware that MF black is very different from the natural bersion. The black is smooth and crisp and plays almost like a poly cross, so yes I would string it like you would string your poly as a cross.
Thanks. Yes I've got black multifeel. I will try it as a cross and provide feedback.

Been delighted with kirschbaum SG so far, surprisingly playable and durable (in 1.35) once I strung it slightly higher as it's so soft.
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
Thanks. Yes I've got black multifeel. I will try it as a cross and provide feedback.

Been delighted with kirschbaum SG so far, surprisingly playable and durable (in 1.35) once I strung it slightly higher as it's so soft.
Sorry, just realized that you play syn gut mains, then I would string syn gut main at your normal tension and then MF 2-3 kg lower as cross. Let me know how it is, as I have some Babolat black syn gut and I could try that with MF as cross.
 

veelium

Hall of Fame
Very positive first session with the RPM soft. Comfortable and easier to control than in a way than most syn gut/multis I've tried in a full bed.
Decent spin too. I'll see how long it lasts.
Considering that most syn guts are 1/3 of the price, hard to say if it's worth buying for most of us.
Good string though, I'll get another set to try for hybrids in the winter season.
 

liftordie

Hall of Fame
Very positive first session with the RPM soft. Comfortable and easier to control than in a way than most syn gut/multis I've tried in a full bed.
Decent spin too. I'll see how long it lasts.
Considering that most syn guts are 1/3 of the price, hard to say if it's worth buying for most of us.
Good string though, I'll get another set to try for hybrids in the winter season.
1/3 of the price but 1/3 of the control/spin...
 

veelium

Hall of Fame
Triax is awesome. Control and spin are almost like a poly but it feels quite soft while stringing and playing.
I'll see how comfortable it actually is when I play more with it, 1 hour of light hitting isn't enough to judge.
But this has great potential as a too-humid-for-gut replacement string this winter.
 

billsedd

Rookie
I have wanted to try it as an alternate to gut/poly when the weather is not suitable for gut/poly so let us know how things go with the Triax. RPM soft was another one I was interested in. I have diadem evolution as well but have not tried as a full bed either. That could be an option for some as well
 

TBM

Semi-Pro
I have wanted to try it as an alternate to gut/poly when the weather is not suitable for gut/poly so let us know how things go with the Triax. RPM soft was another one I was interested in. I have diadem evolution as well but have not tried as a full bed either. That could be an option for some as well

I used triax in a Tecnifibre TF40. It doesn't play like a poly at all. More like a firmer multi. I think Head Velocity shares similar characteristics for much cheaper.

It's still a really nice string if you don't mind the price.
 

veelium

Hall of Fame
I have wanted to try it as an alternate to gut/poly when the weather is not suitable for gut/poly so let us know how things go with the Triax. RPM soft was another one I was interested in. I have diadem evolution as well but have not tried as a full bed either. That could be an option for some as well
RPM soft was the one I tried before Triax.
RPM soft imo is more like a synthetic gut, less spin and the strings are all over the place after one session.
It had decent control though (better than a normal syn gut) and could be great in a hybrid. It's not something I'll use in a full bed in the future.
If you don't care for spin give it a try.

I have to add that so far I've only had like 3 hours with the RPM soft and 1 hours with the triax
as well as some leftover ankle injury.
So I wouldn't trust my current judgement too much. Tomorrow I'll hit more with the triax to find out how it does for match play and if my initial love for it holds up.
 

veelium

Hall of Fame
I used triax in a Tecnifibre TF40. It doesn't play like a poly at all. More like a firmer multi. I think Head Velocity shares similar characteristics for much cheaper.

It's still a really nice string if you don't mind the price.
My last full bed of velocity is quite a long time back but from memory triax seems a lot more poly like than velocity.
But I need more time with the triax to know.
 

Tmano

Hall of Fame
Let me give you my take on the strings you mentioned.

Isospeed professional Classic 17 (1.20) is a very unique string, very very soft for the arm. Its the only string in TWU strangdatabase besides Natural Gut that does not increase stiffness when you increase tension. I have been playing this string for more than 10 years, and use it mainly as a cross for Natural Gut or when I sometimes try out poly strings. It is also the cross string in Head Intellitour hybrid string. It has a strange lifespan, it drops tension very fast, then settles for a long time and plays consistant, then starts to fray and you will have some string movement, it is still playable but I cut it out and replace (if gut mains). Softest string I have played, works well at any tension. Great string for arm comfort. All time favorite string. I string Isospeed 1-2 kg higher than my normal reference tension for multi strings.

Head velocity, I have this string both in black and natural and in 1.25 and 1.30. Great string, low powered, good spin, soft and easy to string. Like the string very much. Works well in a full bed too. Holds tension ok. Downside is that there is a lot of string movement after just 1-2 hours of play. I use Velocity as a main string with Multifeel black as cross string. I string Velocity at my normal reference tension for multi. No difference (or very little) in playability between the colors. There is a huge thread about this string where you can read more, lot of players here favor Velocity.

Technifibre Multifeel, I have this string in natural and black, 1.25 and 1.30. You might see some mixed opinions about this string as this string is almost like 2 different string when you compare black and natural. I only use the black version as this is such an excellent string, and I use it for my cross string in almost every multi hybrid. Black multifeel is a stiff string, and due to this stiffness and coating it has the snapback almost like a poly string. I string Multifeel at lower reference tensions due to this stiffness. Love this string for its snapback, and it does not move (like poly). Downside is that it does not last that long as it will soon fray up and snapback is reduced and there will be some string movement. But af a fresh string for the first few hours is is unmatched as a cross for any multi. Works also well in full bed, but does not last long.

I use a lot of multi, and if my reference tension for multi in a certain frame is 22 kg then I would string:

Isospeed professional Classic - 23kg or even higher
Head Velocity - 22kg
Multifeel - 20kg or even lower as cross string

Head Velocity / Multifeel hybrid: 22kg / 20kg (19kg)

Never tried Isospeed / Multifeel hybrid, but that could actually be interesting.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, H
So i tried Isospeed full bed at 46 on my DR 98 and it was actually surprise it did not ply much different at all than a round soft poly in term of power and spin. It also true i was testing my arm and hitting against the wall, however for enough time to understand the string. It is also very soft multi however i thought it was that much softer than poly string.

Do multi have life span like poly if eft on the racquet/ I mean if i don't play with it in a week would it cause issue to my elbow like a poly would?
Thanks
 

veelium

Hall of Fame
So i tried Isospeed full bed at 46 on my DR 98 and it was actually surprise it did not ply much different at all than a round soft poly in term of power and spin. It also true i was testing my arm and hitting against the wall, however for enough time to understand the string. It is also very soft multi however i thought it was that much softer than poly string.

Do multi have life span like poly if eft on the racquet/ I mean if i don't play with it in a week would it cause issue to my elbow like a poly would?
Thanks
Generally multis have a longer life span and should be fine even if you let them in the racquet for weeks or months.
 

TBM

Semi-Pro
So i tried Isospeed full bed at 46 on my DR 98 and it was actually surprise it did not ply much different at all than a round soft poly in term of power and spin. It also true i was testing my arm and hitting against the wall, however for enough time to understand the string. It is also very soft multi however i thought it was that much softer than poly string.

Do multi have life span like poly if eft on the racquet/ I mean if i don't play with it in a week would it cause issue to my elbow like a poly would?
Thanks

I just use them until they break. The comfort level usually just gets better over time as it loses a little bit of tension. 46lbs sounds quite low, but I've seen people do it successfully before.
 

Tmano

Hall of Fame
I just use them until they break. The comfort level usually just gets better over time as it loses a little bit of tension. 46lbs sounds quite low, but I've seen people do it successfully before.
When stringing it did not give away much at all so i figure to string it at the same tension i would string poly.
 

veelium

Hall of Fame
More triax play today. Feels still great but I think I need to string it even lower as I miss some of the free power I usually get from gut/poly.
 

TBM

Semi-Pro
I've recently been playing with a Dunlop CX 200 tour 16x19 strung with Prince premier touch at 52lbs. This string is unbelievably soft feeling and works really well in a low powered racket.

My shoulder can get sore after serving at full speed for a whole match, but this setup lets me serve rockets with no impact.

I think other multis have overall better performance, but if youre looking for comfort above everything I'm not sure anything beats it.
 

BillKid

Hall of Fame
Hey guys, 46yo here. I attach a lot of importance to comfort (perhaps more than anything else now ) and after a lot of testing, I'm very happy with HyperG Soft (17 or 18 G at 46-48 lbs).
I'd suggest that anyone hesitating to leave the poly world try this.
 

BillKid

Hall of Fame
More triax play today. Feels still great but I think I need to string it even lower as I miss some of the free power I usually get from gut/poly.
In my hands Triax started to fray extremely quickly and broke after 5 hours. Did you have the same experience ? I wanted to like Triax but I really couldn’t see any advantage to this string over the HyperG Soft.
 

TBM

Semi-Pro
In my hands Triax started to fray extremely quickly and broke after 5 hours. Did you have the same experience ? I wanted to like Triax but I really couldn’t see any advantage to this string over the HyperG Soft.

Triax feels much softer than Hyper G soft to me. I used triax 16 in an 18x20 Tecnifibre tf40, so it actually lasted a really long time (15+ hours).
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
Hey guys, 46yo here. I attach a lot of importance to comfort (perhaps more than anything else now ) and after a lot of testing, I'm very happy with HyperG Soft (17 or 18 G at 46-48 lbs).
I'd suggest that anyone hesitating to leave the poly world try this.
It's absurd why poly players have to keep pushing poly strings, in one of the only threads here that discuss non poly strings.
 

veelium

Hall of Fame
In my hands Triax started to fray extremely quickly and broke after 5 hours. Did you have the same experience ? I wanted to like Triax but I really couldn’t see any advantage to this string over the HyperG Soft.
The advantage is that it's softer and not a monofilament poly string. Hyper g soft is certainly stiffer but if you don't have issues with it, hyper g soft will surely last longer and provide more spin.
Tension maintenance also seems better on the triax.
I'm currently trying the 1.28 gauge and after ~4 hours it's certainly notched and the crosses have started to fray a bit. I assume it's gonna break before hour 10 for sure.
As there is an 1.38 gauge too, I think that one is gonna last long enough to be viable for the price.
 

BillKid

Hall of Fame
It's absurd why poly players have to keep pushing poly strings, in one of the only threads here that discuss non poly strings.
I don't think my post is off topic. It's a thought I had for a moment about trying something other than a poly like several others who share their experiences here. I thought they might be interested, but if not sorry! My goal is not to push anything, just to share my experience and know yours.
 
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BillKid

Hall of Fame
The advantage is that it's softer and not a monofilament poly string. Hyper g soft is certainly stiffer but if you don't have issues with it, hyper g soft will surely last longer and provide more spin.
Tension maintenance also seems better on the triax.
I'm currently trying the 1.28 gauge and after ~4 hours it's certainly notched and the crosses have started to fray a bit. I assume it's gonna break before hour 10 for sure.
As there is an 1.38 gauge too, I think that one is gonna last long enough to be viable for the price.
Honestly, I was a bit disappointed by the level of comfort of Triax. Actually I did not find it really more comfortable than HyperG soft in a H2H comparison. One of my racquet was strung with HyperG Soft and the other one with Triax, though I must acknowledge the Triax was strung at a slightly higher tension (don’t remember exactly how much).
According to TW string database, Triax 16G stiffness is 162 vs 172 for HyperG Soft 16G. No value is provided for 17 and 18G but I assume it must be very close to Triax 16G.
I tried Triax 16G and I would be concerned using a thinner gauge considering how fragile it is, whereas I have no problem using a thin HyperG gauge.
My aim is not to demonstrate that HyperG soft is better than Triax, it's simply a string that suits me better, even if I stay away from most poly strings that I find too stiff. Perhaps some will report a better experience than mine and make me want to try Triax again in the future, perhaps at a different tension.
 

Tmano

Hall of Fame
Honestly, I was a bit disappointed by the level of comfort of Triax. Actually I did not find it really more comfortable than HyperG soft in a H2H comparison. One of my racquet was strung with HyperG Soft and the other one with Triax, though I must acknowledge the Triax was strung at a slightly higher tension (don’t remember exactly how much).
According to TW string database, Triax 16G stiffness is 162 vs 172 for HyperG Soft 16G. No value is provided for 17 and 18G but I assume it must be very close to Triax 16G.
I tried Triax 16G and I would be concerned using a thinner gauge considering how fragile it is, whereas I have no problem using a thin HyperG gauge.
My aim is not to demonstrate that HyperG soft is better than Triax, it's simply a string that suits me better, even if I stay away from most poly strings that I find too stiff. Perhaps some will report a better experience than mine and make me want to try Triax again in the future, perhaps at a different tension.
I just moved to multies from playing only poly and trying the isopseed professional which is supposed to be one of the softest string in full bed at 45lbs i did not notice that much difference in comfort, so i thought that it could be because the DR 98 flex on the throat instead of the head.
I'm probably wrong but i started thinking that a racquet even with a lower flex like the DR 98 might play a role on how comfortable a string would feel (multi or soft poly) depending on where it flexes.
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
I don't think my post is off topic. It's a thought I had for a moment about trying something other than a poly like several others who share their experiences here. I thought they might be interested, but if not sorry! My goal is not to push anything, just to share my experience and know yours.
Sorry for my rant, but the topic is clearly “accepting that you cant use poly strings” and players are trying go give alternative advice to each other and sharing experience. There are plenty of threads that discuss soft poly strings, trust me we have tried them all…..

There are so many good advices here in the 30p thread, so worth a read.
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
I just moved to multies from playing only poly and trying the isopseed professional which is supposed to be one of the softest string in full bed at 45lbs i did not notice that much difference in comfort, so i thought that it could be because the DR 98 flex on the throat instead of the head.
I'm probably wrong but i started thinking that a racquet even with a lower flex like the DR 98 might play a role on how comfortable a string would feel (multi or soft poly) depending on where it flexes.
Sorry that you did not find the Isospeed String soft, I only know the classic version and I like that string a lot. Isospeed Professional Classic is close to Head RIP Control and players here have a love / hare relationship with that string as it plays muted, the same is true for Isospeed.

I play with Angell TC Line that is a custon racquet also with low RA and foam filled, it does have a more uniform flex, but my take is that it is not the racquet but I could be wrong. You could try Velocity and that might be a good fit for your DR98.
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
Honestly, I was a bit disappointed by the level of comfort of Triax. Actually I did not find it really more comfortable than HyperG soft in a H2H comparison. One of my racquet was strung with HyperG Soft and the other one with Triax, though I must acknowledge the Triax was strung at a slightly higher tension (don’t remember exactly how much).
According to TW string database, Triax 16G stiffness is 162 vs 172 for HyperG Soft 16G. No value is provided for 17 and 18G but I assume it must be very close to Triax 16G.
I tried Triax 16G and I would be concerned using a thinner gauge considering how fragile it is, whereas I have no problem using a thin HyperG gauge.
My aim is not to demonstrate that HyperG soft is better than Triax, it's simply a string that suits me better, even if I stay away from most poly strings that I find too stiff. Perhaps some will report a better experience than mine and make me want to try Triax again in the future, perhaps at a different tension.
My arm is even sensitive to the poly in Triax, HDMX and others, I do find that if I string Triax like a poly (low) instead of a multi (medium) then comfort is much better.
 

Tmano

Hall of Fame
Hey Happi, i'm glad you suggested isospeed and multifeel so i had a great starting point, so again thanks! And it might be that for me it would really come down to changing the racquet to a lower flex or brand at this point, however, playing with multies still. To be honest i never thought that the DR was so soft as the flex rating says.
 

Trip

Legend
@Happi - Curious if you know the strung spec of your TC95 18x20's (static weight, balance, swing weight)? If you haven't tried already, maybe some MGR/i / recoil weight tuning could allow for a more relaxed swing with higher comfort level on impact, enough to allow for a little bit of poly with less or no pain, in the form of a multi-ester or otherwise...?
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
@Happi - Curious if you know the strung spec of your TC95 18x20's (static weight, balance, swing weight)? If you haven't tried already, maybe some MGR/i / recoil weight tuning could allow for a more relaxed swing with higher comfort level on impact, enough to allow for a little bit of poly with less or no pain, in the form of a multi-ester or otherwise...?
My TC95’s 18x20 are 310g 315mm and around 295SW unstrung. With a 17g multi its around 322 SW. I actually prefer SW 315-320.

I still experiment with poly, only to find elbow pain one again. I think I will never learn, but I am so wise that with even the smallest discomfort I change to multi setup again. I can play poly for around 2-3 hours and then my elbow starts to act up, with poly/multi a little longer. My big problem is that I actually have better performance with poly, so hard to accept the fact that I cant use poly strings anymore. I will still be looking out for a string setup that can get me close to poly performance, and so far my favorite is RIP Control mains with Multifeel black as cross.
 

Trip

Legend
My TC95’s 18x20 are 310g 315mm and around 295SW unstrung. With a 17g multi its around 322 SW. I actually prefer SW 315-320.
So strung spec is probably around 327g, 32.5cm, and let's go with 322sw, as that's what it's actually at right now. In an MGR/i calculator (link), that's a recoil weight of only about 156... a decent fit if you're, say, 5'5" to maybe 5'7" or 5'8", but if you're any taller than that, or have average or longer arms for a guy, there's a good chance you could stand to play with a bit more, which alone would increase comfort and offload some noticeable bludgeoning shock from your body to the frame (and ball), as well as allow you to swing the racquet with a more lose wrist coupling and consequently less tense forearm muscles. If that sounds like it would be worth trying, then you might consider adding ~5g spiral-wrapped 1/4" lead tape (so ~20") below the base grip, centered at about 2-3" up the handle, which will boost recoil weight about 5 points, while keeping playability about the same, and actually increasing maneuverability slightly. Upward heaving effort on overheads and serves will go up ever-so-slightly, but the added stability-in-motion will likely be more of a benefit overall. Perhaps give it a try. In the end, the idea is that it will add effortlessness and stability to your swing, as well as comfort and ability to play a slightly firmer, less shock-absorbent string bed, perhaps even allowing for the use of some very low-percentage-content poly with less or no pain.
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
So strung spec is probably around 327g, 32.5cm, and let's go with 322sw, as that's what it's actually at right now. In an MGR/i calculator (link), that's a recoil weight of only about 156... a decent fit if you're, say, 5'5" to maybe 5'7" or 5'8", but if you're any taller than that, or have average or longer arms for a guy, there's a good chance you could stand to play with a bit more, which alone would increase comfort and offload some noticeable bludgeoning shock from your body to the frame (and ball), as well as allow you to swing the racquet with a more lose wrist coupling and consequently less tense forearm muscles. If that sounds like it would be worth trying, then you might consider adding ~5g spiral-wrapped 1/4" lead tape (so ~20") below the base grip, centered at about 2-3" up the handle, which will boost recoil weight about 5 points, while keeping playability about the same, and actually increasing maneuverability slightly. Upward heaving effort on overheads and serves will go up ever-so-slightly, but the added stability-in-motion will likely be more of a benefit overall. Perhaps give it a try. In the end, the idea is that it will add effortlessness and stability to your swing, as well as comfort and ability to play a slightly firmer, less shock-absorbent string bed, perhaps even allowing for the use of some very low-percentage-content poly with less or no pain.
Thank you @Trip there are some very good info there, I will have to look into this. I got myself a Briffidi SW and I think there is an addition to meassure Twistweight if that is what you are refering to. It is complicated as I have experienced that 1g in string weight is around 1.75 in SW.

I am 6’2” - 188 but like SW around 215-200 as I find that easier to serve with.

I have to look into the technical details in your post, thank you once again
 

Trip

Legend
@Happi - Very welcome. Recoil weight (ie. the amount of hitting weight in relation to the balance point) and twist weight (the amount of weighted force it takes to twist the racquet about the length-wise axis) are two different things; it's recoil weight I am referring to, and depending on your perspective, there is anywhere from mild to strong evidence to suggest that there is optimal amount of it depending on a person's arm length as a function of their height, per @Brando's table in his thread on recoil weight (link). At your height of 6'2" (same as me), I am almost positive you could stand to do with a healthy amount more recoil weight. I've been conscious to make sure my setups hit the 172-ish mark, and, controlling against placebo as much as possible, I think it's made a noticeable difference in long-term arm comfort, even allowing me to play full bed poly in frames where I previously though it wasn't possible.

And for the skeptics, I get that numbers often don't match up to real life, and that overall all this stuff can seem like unicorns and fairy dust, but there's a fair amount of sample size that suggests it's much more than that. But, you ultimately have to try it to see for yourself. If I can be of any further help, don't hesitate to @ included me anywhere, or PM, or both.
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
@Happi - Very welcome. Recoil weight (ie. the amount of hitting weight in relation to the balance point) and twist weight (the amount of weighted force it takes to twist the racquet about the length-wise axis) are two different things; it's recoil weight I am referring to, and depending on your perspective, there is anywhere from mild to strong evidence to suggest that there is optimal amount of it depending on a person's arm length as a function of their height, per @Brando's table in his thread on recoil weight (link). At your height of 6'2" (same as me), I am almost positive you could stand to do with a healthy amount more recoil weight. I've been conscious to make sure my setups hit the 172-ish mark, and, controlling against placebo as much as possible, I think it's made a noticeable difference in long-term arm comfort, even allowing me to play full bed poly in frames where I previously though it wasn't possible.

And for the skeptics, I get that numbers often don't match up to real life, and that overall all this stuff can seem like unicorns and fairy dust, but there's a fair amount of sample size that suggests it's much more than that. But, you ultimately have to try it to see for yourself. If I can be of any further help, don't hesitate to @ included me anywhere, or PM, or both.
Thanks I will for sure look into this, I will get back with some questions I am sure. Great help (y) to you @Trip
 

veelium

Hall of Fame
Honestly, I was a bit disappointed by the level of comfort of Triax. Actually I did not find it really more comfortable than HyperG soft in a H2H comparison. One of my racquet was strung with HyperG Soft and the other one with Triax, though I must acknowledge the Triax was strung at a slightly higher tension (don’t remember exactly how much).
According to TW string database, Triax 16G stiffness is 162 vs 172 for HyperG Soft 16G. No value is provided for 17 and 18G but I assume it must be very close to Triax 16G.
I tried Triax 16G and I would be concerned using a thinner gauge considering how fragile it is, whereas I have no problem using a thin HyperG gauge.
My aim is not to demonstrate that HyperG soft is better than Triax, it's simply a string that suits me better, even if I stay away from most poly strings that I find too stiff. Perhaps some will report a better experience than mine and make me want to try Triax again in the future, perhaps at a different tension.
While playing I didn't find Triax that comfortable-feeling but I know it afterwards or the next day that it's more comfortable than the polys.
I also think I strung it too high, I probably need to go as low as poly around the same gauge.

I find the thinner gauges of polys often deceptive, my last injury I got from 1.10 tour bite which according to numbers is almost as soft as triax but can send some really jarring impacts on a bad hit.

Anyway, I'm not trying to convince you about triax, just giving my side.
As they say, one man's arm destroyer is another man's pillow.
 

Trip

Legend
I find the thinner gauges of polys often deceptive, my last injury I got from 1.10 tour bite which according to numbers is almost as soft as triax but can send some really jarring impacts on a bad hit.
That's it right there. Static and dynamic stiffness are a minority part of the equation. It's really the shock propagation of the material itself that is the main comfort factor. Much higher in most poly/co-poly than in non-poly. This is why syn gut strung at 60 can, more often than not, still feel more comfortable than most poly strung at 45.
 

tele

Hall of Fame
It's really the shock propagation of the material itself that is the main comfort factor.
my experience aligns with your example about syn gut and poly, but is "shock propagation" has been measured? i have wondered what measurable variables aside from stiffness affect comfort. even within string types, particularly multis, the twu stiffness ratings do not seem to tell the entire story
 
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BPlain

Professional
my experience aligns with your example about syn gut and poly, but is "shock propagation" something that can be or has been measured?
Hopefully @Trip has some more thoughts to share on the term itself but my proxy has been to stay below a 140 TWU vibration number on the racket itself and then skip poly completely. Tension then seems to be more a matter of preference when using syn gut or multi rather than a must stay below tension number - within a normal range - to avoid elbow issues.
 

Wolffje

New User
I played with poly in my past years of tennis when i was playing a lot. After tennis elbow switched to natural gut. I now started playing again a few years ago with synthetic gut and multifilament strings. All good and i keep on improving. Last week i thought i might give poly another try after reading on this board that you should string with lower tension. So i took a freshly strung multifilament (i believe it is Pro's Pro Maxim 1.25) @58lbs and a full poly setup (Pro's Pro Poly 1.20) @50lbs. Started hitting with the multi and then switched to the poly after half an hour. At first i had to adjust my swing a little bit to put more spin on the ball, after that it was flying again. Only to feel a bit soreness in the wrist after half an hour. So i changed back to the multi and quickly got anoyed with rearranging the strings after every point. This for me is a big plus for poly. Now the day after hitting i also feel a slight discomfort in the elbow. For me enough reason to quit on poly and stick with multi's.

Or did i not lower the tension enough and should i have strung @40-45lbs? My rackets are Dunlop Aerogel 300 16x18 (98inch headsize).
 
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