Rabbit
Talk Tennis Guru
I read somewhere that Novak began using Federer’s set up, natural gut mains with poly crosses. So did Serena. The article said they were both big Federer fans.
Accepting that you cannot use poly strings
- Thread starter TBM
- Start date
DariaGT
Hall of Fame
what racquet and what model nxt, there are so many. Its a great feeling string usually with plenty of easy pop, livens any old lower powered frame.
Most of the club kids where we coach use Head Velocity MLT 17 (1.25) and some using YPTP125 and others HGS125 for the mains with success.
The Velocity does not fray as much as the NXT but Happi would probably know of other Multis or SGs that dont fray as NXT does and have that feel.
The chart below NTX 16 vs HVMLT17 that the Head offering is softer, more spin or grab and power is way up there from what I witness
| Property | Wilson NXT 16 | Head Velocity MLT 17 (1.25) | Difference % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Nylon | Nylon | NA |
| Stiffness (lb/in) | 174 | 153 | -12 |
| Tension Loss (%) | 20 | 15 | -25 |
| Energy Return (%) | 94 | 94 | 0 |
| Spin Potential | 3.9 | 5.5 | 41 |
| String to String Friction (COF) | 0.117 | 0.083 | -29 |
| String to Ball Friction (COF) | 0.453 | 0.459 | 1 |
Im not into multis myself but started focusing more on them as the usual stringer has passed on and who was quiet yet strung like a crazy octopus.
So now new stringer is a young and he was using Babolat ST SG for most juniors and some better ones used Prince Warrior Response crosses
as Yonex PT Air was too dead for most and some others Volk V-star 16 crosses which is slick and soft but not as mushy as many soft strings.
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Yep, weird. Aren't we supposed to share thoughts about tennis strings? Fortunaltely we're not talking politics here
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Rabbit
Talk Tennis Guru
@TBM if you want to try a supremely comfortable hybrid that also plays great and is priced great,
www.tennis-warehouse.com
Look no further. It’s a really nice string.
Prince Warrior Hybrid Touch String | Tennis Warehouse
www.tennis-warehouse.com
Look no further. It’s a really nice string.
@TBM if you want to try a supremely comfortable hybrid that also plays great and is priced great,
Prince Warrior Hybrid Touch String | Tennis Warehouse
Look no further. It’s a really nice string.
I've already got a reel of this hybrid. A local sports store was closing down and I bought two reels for 30 each.
Unfortunately I don't like the feel of it. It's soft but not plush. Kind of plasticy.
I like the plush feeling of a full bed of synthetic strings, and I like deep ball pocketing feel from a low tension poly. I dont feel either sensation with a multi mains/ poly hybrid.
I am willing to test some more though as Ive mainly used MSV swift as a cross. Maybe a different cross might get a more desirable feel.
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Rabbit
Talk Tennis Guru
@TBM - as for me, I’m pretty much sold on Wilson NXT. The feeling at impact encourages swinging out and the results are bueno. Some say, and they’re probably right, that it’s over priced but it is the right string for me now.i am going to string up some Head Velocity in my EZone 100s when next I restring and give it a shot.
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Yeah it's only the price that's put me off it. I'm not totally sold on Velocity MLT despite it being the multi I've used the most.
I played a few tie breakers today with the Pure drive 2025 strung with Mantis Comfort Synthetic at 55lbs. It played great. Very predictable. It's not the most durable string though.
I've only used it once. It was strung at 55lbs in a 18x20 tf40. It felt pretty stiff and made my forearm tight. It got worse each session until it broke. It's hard to say if that was caused by the racket, string or tension. I linked a video in this thread of an ex-pro using it at 39lbs. I'm willing to risk trying that to see what happens. My gut feeling is it will be unplayable, but maybe that guy was onto something.
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DariaGT
Hall of Fame
velocity probably lasts longer as a cross for your NXT just due to slickness
NXT gives you that preferred locked string bed feel most of us experienced
growing up with nylon and gut. Fed like and did well with that friction feel.
I know many argue with the snap back suiting modern play but I also enjoy
some elders bashing and swinging for the fences with their locked strings.
I think it is hard to grow up with one more than the other as you always
seem to crave that feeling most of our muscle memory recalls.
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I had a half set of VS gut left so I've done the following:
Head Gravity Pro (most recent version)
Vs gut 16 mains 53lbs / Kirschbaum syn gut crosses 50lbs.
Bear in mind this Gravity Pro is extremely under spec
Unstrung specs:
306g
280 swingweight.
The only thing I've done is bring the swingweight up to 320 strung. It was previously strung with VS gut mains 55lbs and MSV swift crosses 50lbs. That felt too tight.
Head Gravity Pro (most recent version)
Vs gut 16 mains 53lbs / Kirschbaum syn gut crosses 50lbs.
Bear in mind this Gravity Pro is extremely under spec
Unstrung specs:
306g
280 swingweight.
The only thing I've done is bring the swingweight up to 320 strung. It was previously strung with VS gut mains 55lbs and MSV swift crosses 50lbs. That felt too tight.
Happi
Hall of Fame
Never liked syn gut as cross for NG due to string movement. I really like the Mojo setup: Isospeed Prof Classic as cross (string it 2kg higher than main). Other good options is RPM soft and Multifeel.
I have a reel of Kirschbaum syn gut, so please let me know how your setup works, also if VS get stuck out of place.
I am thinking about stringing up my new Head Squared with NG mains / multi cross to add extra power.
I just used the kirschbaum syn gut because I have a reel and it's also soft. I don't mind a full bed of multi locking up so maybe this will work ok
I've not liked any gut hybrid I've used so far, so I doubt I'll use it again after this. I put it in the gravity because it might last longer in an 18x20.
WYK
Legend
Likely because they were both on in age. Serena and Djoker both use an 18X19 pattern. Gut mains would help a lot with the power.
Bear in mind that pros do not care about the longevity of their strings. So most will go to gut hybrids if they need power and spin.
I dunno what the heck Medvedev is doing. Perhaps gut gives him too much spin, but he is always complaining about not enough power.
DariaGT
Hall of Fame
Happi is that in the past or present as SG now come in crazy slick finishes unlike gummy offerings of the past
cheapo Head Synthetic Gut PPS 17 black and Babolat Origin 17 are around 0.66-0.77 COF and easily kept slick using tyre shine
Been trying old NOS VS touch black with Origin 17 crosses 60lbsx60lbs with great success and ordering some Rexxxer to see
if these oval offerings can increase durability with Fed string saver locations. Also want to try Gosen Composite Master or some
kind of flat nylon/multi that I read recently in some posts but on japan market. Aim is to keep the NG sliding and not cut by crosses.
| Property | Babolat Origin 17 | Head Synthetic Gut PPS 17 (1.25) | Difference % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Nylon | Nylon | NA |
| Stiffness (lb/in) | 171 | 151 | -12 |
| Tension Loss (%) | 17 | 15 | -12 |
| Energy Return (%) | 94 | 93 | -1 |
| Spin Potential | 6.4 | 6.2 | -3 |
| String to String Friction (COF) | 0.066 | 0.074 | 12 |
| String to Ball Friction (COF) | 0.425 | 0.46 | 8 |
tele
Hall of Fame
Compositemaster is long gone from the Japanese market, unless you buy NOS. If you want a more extreme shape than Rexxxer, I think Orbitour has a similar makeup and is available in a flatter oval.
DariaGT
Hall of Fame
Thank you just re-read your posts and rexxer seems like a good alternative for Gut mains, elastocross and that friction more locked stringbed we most grew up on as juniors using SG combos.
Im really digging VS touch, its pretty special for feel and as a halve set not impossible using it till is almost snaps.
Im really digging VS touch, its pretty special for feel and as a halve set not impossible using it till is almost snaps.
Rabbit
Talk Tennis Guru
The article I read attributed the change to their fandom of Federer. Serena’s camp wanted to duplicate the set up but got the crosses wrong, again according to the article.
I believe prior to changing to the Federer set up, both Serena & Joker were using full gut.
My take on it is Federer set the game on its ear like no player since Borg.
WYK
Legend
The article I read attributed the change to their fandom of Federer. Serena’s camp wanted to duplicate the set up but got the crosses wrong, again according to the article.
I believe prior to changing to the Federer set up, both Serena & Joker were using full gut.
My take on it is Federer set the game on its ear like no player since Borg.
Well yes and mebbe not. When I was in college in the freaking 90's gut and syn hybrids were common on the team since we could split the costs. Gut was 30 bucks a set, Prince syn gut was 2.99 a set.
Now Serena was sponsered by WIlson, so she would def have access to whatever Fed was doing at the time.
Djoker had Prokes, so no copying necessary - he had a racquet master on his team already for advice.
Rabbit
Talk Tennis Guru
@WYK if you Google “Serena copy Federer string setup” you’ll see that in 2012 Serena copied Federer’s setup. She then worked with Wilson because the ALU felt too harsh for her and settled on 4G. My memory on that point was incorrect.
There is also a thread that @drakulie contributed to where he verified the change. @drakulie string for her at Cincinnati.
The article also specifically listed Joker as a Fed fan and he copied as well because of Federer. I can’t find the original article but it struck me that even the greats are fanboys.
There is also a thread that @drakulie contributed to where he verified the change. @drakulie string for her at Cincinnati.
The article also specifically listed Joker as a Fed fan and he copied as well because of Federer. I can’t find the original article but it struck me that even the greats are fanboys.
DariaGT
Hall of Fame
The article I read attributed the change to their fandom of Federer. Serena’s camp wanted to duplicate the set up but got the crosses wrong, again according to the article.
I believe prior to changing to the Federer set up, both Serena & Joker were using full gut.
My take on it is Federer set the game on its ear like no player since Borg.
So basically very little snap back and more string friction from mains, Thiem was also in this camp.
