Advice needed: strings for junior

[davidcbear]

Hi - our son is 11, somewhat small for his age (70 pounds). Using Ezone SL. We switched his strings from Xcel to HyperG Soft (50 lbs) in the fall and he has had good results, no arm issues. And his ball has had good bite. But I am wondering, despite the low durability, if we should go back to Xcel. He says he may want more power, even if he loses some spin.

Second issue is he is getting one of those Yonex deals (50% off) so wondering if there is a good Yonex equivalent to either Xcel or HyperG Soft.

UTR 5.8.

 

[Trip]

Obviously some 11 year-olds will be more physically mature and/or technically proficient than others, but in general, I'm not sure full-bed poly is the greatest idea until early teens (at the earliest). He may not be complaining of any arm issues now, but who knows what kind of undetectably mild contact trauma he may be accumulating, which may only become noticeable once it builds into something bigger... Anyways, I'd at least consider a hybrid, such as HGS mains and perhaps a slick-but-durable syn gut cross (Kirschbaum, Babolat, etc). It may give him the best of all worlds: retaining the bite and control from HGS, but adding pop and arm-protective comfort from the SG cross. Else, he may do just as well with a full non-poly setup, for even more power.

Hope some of that helps. Any questions, feel free.

 

[ChanterRacquet]

Yonex Rexis are the Xcel equivalents, being premium multis, though there are 3 versions and I haven’t played any of them so can’t recommend which to go with.

My 13 yo son played fullbed NRG2 until recently, then having tried fullbed hybrid poly, have settled on NRG2 mains to keep some power with Wilson Revolve poly crosses for spin. Was using Yonex Poly Tour Fire crosses for a little while.

Anyway, multi Rexis in the mains and poly YPTFire in the crosses would have the best of both worlds: power and spin. That being said, I dunno if I’d be switching to poly at all until he’s more fully developed.

 

[TennisJrDad]

I would strongly advise either a full bed of Yonex Rexis or a synthetic gut for him at this age. Let him focus on proper stroke dynamics and develop physically before moving to a poly setup.

 

[davidcbear]

Yonex Rexis are the Xcel equivalents, being premium multis, though there are 3 versions and I haven’t played any of them so can’t recommend which to go with.

My 13 yo son played fullbed NRG2 until recently, then having tried fullbed hybrid poly, have settled on NRG2 mains to keep some power with Wilson Revolve poly crosses for spin. Was using Yonex Poly Tour Fire crosses for a little while.

Anyway, multi Rexis in the mains and poly YPTFire in the crosses would have the best of both worlds: power and spin. That being said, I dunno if I’d be switching to poly at all until he’s more fully developed.

Thanks for the Yonex-specific advice. I also had been worried about the switch to poly, but the HGS at 50 seemed like the safest next step (we had been restringing so often, it was becoming crazy expesnive, with the Xcel). I probably should pick the right strings and not just the ones he gets 50% off from, or the ones that last forever (HGS). Given your suggestion I think we will try Rexis Speed full bed, and also as you suggest a hybrid with YPTFire and see how it goes with both set-ups. In case it helps form the advice, this video (we don't have many !) shows his size and stroke type -- with the Hyper G soft, he lost a little power, but control and shape improved, compare the when using the Xcel.

 

[davidcbear]

Obviously some 11 year-olds will be more physically mature and/or technically proficient than others, but in general, I'm not sure full-bed poly is the greatest idea until early teens (at the earliest). He may not be complaining of any arm issues now, but who knows what kind of undetectably mild contact trauma he may be accumulating, which may only become noticeable once it builds into something bigger... Anyways, I'd at least consider a hybrid, such as HGS mains and perhaps a slick-but-durable syn gut cross (Kirschbaum, Babolat, etc). It may give him the best of all worlds: retaining the bite and control from HGS, but adding pop and arm-protective comfort from the SG cross. Else, he may do just as well with a full non-poly setup, for even more power.

Hope some of that helps. Any questions, feel free.

So you think poly main and syn gut crosses ? or multi crosses? Ie - where should the poly be ? Main or cross . . .

 

[Trip]

I would do a syn gut cross over multi, for better durability (usually). And yes, I'd start with the poly in the mains. If he find he wants even more pop/power, then flip the hybrid. If he still wants more bounce/pop off the string bed, I'd consider excluding poly altogether and going with a full bed of syn gut, or a more slick multi with a solid core, like TF Multifeel Black.

 

[ClownCar96]

I have VS natural gut crossed with poly tour pro for my 11 year old using pure aero lite and it’s been fabulous. He gets great comfort, feel, touch and power. Gut lasts a long time, I’ll sometimes change the cross out for him to freshen it up

 

[PRS]

I know you're getting lots of different advice, but at his age, if the Xcel was getting a little expensive from breaking, I'd go with Yonex Dynawire. It's cheaper and should last longer, but it's a little higher quality than some other generic synthetic gut strings (think "<insert company name> Synthetic Gut" named strings). Or, for a more equivalent change, try one of the Yonex Rexis variations.

I would stay away from poly entirely until at LEAST early teens, and even then start out with hybrids. You likely won't notice anything right away, but you don't usually see damage from poly right away. Yeah, it might be fine, but I'd say better safe than sorry. When the time comes though, Yonex PolyTour Air is a very solid option.

 

[Steve Huff]

Why not try Yonex Dynawire 16? It's a quality syn gut, and at 58-60# will still be easier on his arm than HGS at 50. If he likes it, buy it by the reel. It's cheaper that way. I see no way that a 70# 11 yr old would benefit from using any poly.

 

[davidcbear]

Thank you to everyone who gave so much good information. I appreciate better the idea that while HGS may not be hurting him visibly, there could be an accumulation. So I am going off the poly for now, even in a hybrid setup. Going to try NRG full bed and see how that goes. May cost more, but if it saves his arm and gives a bit more pop (albeit less spin), should be fine. And we will also consider progressions suggested here as well.

Thanks all!

 

[Trip]

@davidcbear - Good call. Going to round synthetics will also push him to develop spin and shot curvature based more so on his own physicality and technical control of the racquet face, and less so on the assistance of any additional grip/snap from the string bed itself, which in the long run will give him finer high-intensity motor skill command. Examples: both Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic played full bed multi well into their young adult pro careers (Thiem: I believe IsoSpeed Classic; Djokovic: TF X-1 Biphase) before introducing any polyester whatsoever. So it definitely can be done, up to the highest of levels. Best of luck to you and the youngster.

 

[devoker]

Thank you to everyone who gave so much good information. I appreciate better the idea that while HGS may not be hurting him visibly, there could be an accumulation. So I am going off the poly for now, even in a hybrid setup. Going to try NRG full bed and see how that goes. May cost more, but if it saves his arm and gives a bit more pop (albeit less spin), should be fine. And we will also consider progressions suggested here as well.

Thanks all!

Actually, might save money as he won't be breaking NRG so fast based on what I see on the video. You need to replace HGS once every 1-20 hours, a good multi will play good until it breaks and I assume you can get 40 hours easily. NRG is my favourite multi and holds tension great. I would suggest stringing low to mid 50s to test like 53-54.

 

[davidcbear]

Actually, might save money as he won't be breaking NRG so fast based on what I see on the video. You need to replace HGS once every 1-20 hours, a good multi will play good until it breaks and I assume you can get 40 hours easily. NRG is my favourite multi and holds tension great. I would suggest stringing low to mid 50s to test like 53-54.

@davidcbear - Good call. Going to round synthetics will also push him to develop spin and shot curvature based more so on his own physicality and technical control of the racquet face, and less so on the assistance of any additional grip/snap from the string bed itself, which in the long run will give him finer high-intensity motor skill command. Examples: both Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic played full bed multi well into their young adult pro careers (Thiem: I believe IsoSpeed Classic; Djokovic: TF X-1 Biphase) before introducing any polyester whatsoever. So it definitely can be done, up to the highest of levels. Best of luck to you and the youngster.

I do worry that part of his recent good run in past few months may have been aided by the bite from the HGS - we'll see if he misses it. We have an L5 and then an L3 coming up, so won't take long to tell . . .

 

[devoker]

I do worry that part of his recent good run in past few months may have been aided by the bite from the HGS - we'll see if he misses it. We have an L5 and then an L3 coming up, so won't take long to tell . . .

If you are worried you can try a multi/poly hybrid with a soft poly cross like ghostwire. Bite will still be less than HGS but the snapback will be very close to it. My favourite combo is multifeel/ghostwire and it produces great spin. The only problem will be that you would still restring it more frequently as the cross will die sooner than he could break.
However, he should still try full bed of multi first. It will give him some free power and depth and if he can get adjust to hitting with more shape and topspin it would even be better than HGS.

 

[fuzz nation]

Thank you to everyone who gave so much good information. I appreciate better the idea that while HGS may not be hurting him visibly, there could be an accumulation. So I am going off the poly for now, even in a hybrid setup. Going to try NRG full bed and see how that goes. May cost more, but if it saves his arm and gives a bit more pop (albeit less spin), should be fine. And we will also consider progressions suggested here as well.

Thanks all!

You may easily find better performance and durability with syn. gut (SG) over many multis. Syn. guts come with a significantly lower price tag than most multis and they typically have at least a moderate degree of softness (generally softer than poly) that's fine for just about everybody.

Some SG's are more durable than others, but that toughness means that these also have a stiffer feel. One durable option - Gosen OG Sheep Micro should give you much better service life than just about any multifiber, but it will probably feel less clunky at a couple pounds lower tension than a multi of similar gauge. Although this string has a stiffer than average feel, it's still a bit softer than many polys.

My favorite SG is from Kirschbaum, which I've found in full reels priced from $45 on down to $30. This is a relatively soft SG that I've enjoyed for at least a few years. Babolat SG is also rather good, but there are several others on par with it.

If you eventually go back toward a poly setup for your son, I'd recommend a light gauge poly main in a hybrid with perhaps that Gosen OGSM as a cross. That should bring some of the poly performance that he may eventually benefit from along with more arm-friendliness compared with similar hybrids that include heavier gauges of poly mains. When I say a light gauge poly, I'm thinking something around 1.20mm-1.22mm.

 

[jimmy8]

poly tour pro 1.20 is a great string. it's durable, great spin for a round string, decent comfort/power from a poly (1.20), and can be found for cheap in a reel, especially from overseas (with free shipping). then get rexis 1.30, put that in the crosses and PTP in the mains. this hybrid will give great combination of power, spin, control, feel.

 

[maksp]

Msv + 38 1.15mm is softer then triax,hgs,dynawire or duraflex

 

[davidcbear]

Well - all this advice has been great. As ste[p 1, we switched to full bed NRG 51 lbs. Two racquets lasted a total of 6 hours (3 each). Breaks on the crosses. I am thinking to go to alternative 2 -- many to choose from -- above . . .

 

[ClownCar96]

This is easy... put a gut/poly hybrid in. It's not even a debate IMO haha. Get babolat VS touch. 1.30, cross with round poly 1.25. Natural gut is the ultimate string... for a junior (and adults!) it allows them to experience the feel and connection to their shots while providing best in class comfort and free power. Crossing with a poly reduces the cost but will also give him a little better control and spin. The gut will fray gradually, but will last a long time, 25+ hrs. He hits hard for a 11 year old but I'd be surprised if he would break it sooner. You can restring the cross after 10 hrs or so (poly will loose tension and playability before the gut) as long as you mount the racquet securely. Be sure to tie the cross to a cross to make it easy to remove.

 

[davidcbear]

This is easy... put a gut/poly hybrid in. It's not even a debate IMO haha. Get babolat VS touch. 1.30, cross with round poly 1.25. Natural gut is the ultimate string... for a junior (and adults!) it allows them to experience the feel and connection to their shots while providing best in class comfort and free power. Crossing with a poly reduces the cost but will also give him a little better control and spin. The gut will fray gradually, but will last a long time, 25+ hrs. He hits hard for a 11 year old but I'd be surprised if he would break it sooner. You can restring the cross after 10 hrs or so (poly will loose tension and playability before the gut) as long as you mount the racquet securely. Be sure to tie the cross to a cross to make it easy to remove.

The gut doesn't solve the cost issue but we will try He doesn't hit that hard for his peer group, which are the 12U tournament players in the L4 / L5 scene (UTR 5.8), but for some reasons the multifilament just goes fast.

 

[ClownCar96]

The gut doesn't solve the cost issue but we will try He doesn't hit that hard for his peer group, which are the 12U tournament players in the L4 / L5 scene (UTR 5.8), but for some reasons the multifilament just goes fast.

Cost is a small fraction of what you are paying for lessons and clinics and it will last much longer than that full bed of NRG which is actually the same cost as 1/2 set of gut!

 

[devoker]

Well - all this advice has been great. As ste[p 1, we switched to full bed NRG 51 lbs. Two racquets lasted a total of 6 hours (3 each). Breaks on the crosses. I am thinking to go to alternative 2 -- many to choose from -- above . . .

NRG is a great string however one of the worse multis in terms of durability. My wife doesn't even hit that hard but breaks them in less than 10 hours. If they are breaking on the crosses multi/poly is still a good option imo.

 

[Hansen]

no need for poly, better to use a thick syngut

 

[TennisViking]

My 10 year old son uses NRG2 and it has been great. Used to play with the Pure Aero but recently switched to the Wilson Ultra.
I was surprised that the string (1.30) lasts a lot longer in the Ultra than the Pure Aero. This is obviously due to the very open string pattern in the Pure Aero.

Completely agree on the poly issue; best to avoid poly until later on. Just in case. The added benefit, if any, is not worth it as arm injuries tend to accumulate over time.

 

[devoker]

My 10 year old son uses NRG2 and it has been great. Used to play with the Pure Aero but recently switched to the Wilson Ultra.
I was surprised that the string (1.30) lasts a lot longer in the Ultra than the Pure Aero. This is obviously due to the very open string pattern in the Pure Aero.

Completely agree on the poly issue; best to avoid poly until later on. Just in case. The added benefit, if any, is not worth it as arm injuries tend to accumulate over time.

People who start playing early won't get tendon injuries as often as poeple who start later in life as they build up strength gradually during growth. A big chunk of tennis elbow sufferer are those who start playing late use poly without having proper technique.

 

[sheenzhaox]

My 10 year old son uses NRG2 and it has been great. Used to play with the Pure Aero but recently switched to the Wilson Ultra.
I was surprised that the string (1.30) lasts a lot longer in the Ultra than the Pure Aero. This is obviously due to the very open string pattern in the Pure Aero.

Completely agree on the poly issue; best to avoid poly until later on. Just in case. The added benefit, if any, is not worth it as arm injuries tend to accumulate over time.

A player that I restring for is a quite good junior, UTR 11. When he used Head Extreme Tour, he almost never broke string within 15 hrs. I just cut his string when it touched 15 hrs window. When he moved to Pure Aero 98, the same string generally lasted less than 8 hrs. Life span immediately halves.

 

[PRS]

People who start playing early won't get tendon injuries as often as poeple who start later in life as they build up strength gradually during growth. A big chunk of tennis elbow sufferer are those who start playing late use poly without having proper technique.

I disagree with the first part of that. I have seen plenty of people get tendon injuries that started playing early; getting injured either as a junior or early into adulthood (into early 20's). I think if they hit 25-ish without getting injured though then they are usually in the clear.

I do agree with the second part though, as adults, the most susceptible people to those injuries are the ones that started later and use poly without the best technique.

 

[davidcbear]

This is easy... put a gut/poly hybrid in. It's not even a debate IMO haha. Get babolat VS touch. 1.30, cross with round poly 1.25. Natural gut is the ultimate string... for a junior (and adults!) it allows them to experience the feel and connection to their shots while providing best in class comfort and free power. Crossing with a poly reduces the cost but will also give him a little better control and spin. The gut will fray gradually, but will last a long time, 25+ hrs. He hits hard for a 11 year old but I'd be surprised if he would break it sooner. You can restring the cross after 10 hrs or so (poly will loose tension and playability before the gut) as long as you mount the racquet securely. Be sure to tie the cross to a cross to make it easy to remove.

So coming back to this reply months later -- after a full summer of tennis . . . . we just got him a setup of HG mains + gut crosses. Let's see how it goes . . .

 

[esgee48]

IMO, HG (Hyper G) mains and NG crosses are not a good hybrid. I hope you meant to say NG mains and a round poly cuz HG crosses will cut thru the NG in a hurry.

 

[VanDerVaart23]

Grapplesnake tour Mako

 

[LOBALOT]

IMO, HG (Hyper G) mains and NG crosses are not a good hybrid. I hope you meant to say NG mains and a round poly cuz HG crosses will cut thru the NG in a hurry.

I agree might as well toss a multi in the cross vs. spending all that $$$ on natty gut there just to shred and lock up with the Hyper G main.

 

[JK208]

I will concur that Tour Mako is a good choice, but of you're looking to stay in the Yonex family of strings then go with Polytour Pro