"Alternative String Setups"

[travlerajm]

I've been using Kevlar/Poly for a while - low power, but great control and great spin. Every time I venture away to other combos, I come back to my trusty Kevlar.

However, I'm getting frustrated with my current setup because the poly crosses keep losing tension over time.

Now that I have possession of a nice and stiff 100" headize frame with a denser pattern, I'm ready to do some experimenting with string.

Looking for "alternative setups" that give good spin without the unstable tension maintenance issue of extruded poly strings.

For example, Prince Recoil has a Teflon coating to make it more slippery. I tried it as a cross with Kevlar mains, but the Teflon coating wasn't as slippery as a poly, and it was too easy to strip off while stringing.

Ideally, I'd like to find a cross string that has a hard and slippery surface (like many poly strings do), but without the creep. Maybe a nylon-based string with a slippery shell?

Any suggestions? There must be something out there that might fill the bill?

 

[treo]

I've been using the packaged kelvar/syngut sets with the syngut prestretched and there has been practically no tension lost. The kevlar mains get sawed by the crosses so longevity is not very good. I'm going to try prestretching poly crosses with kevlar mains and see if the tension stays constant and it is not too boardy.

 

[corners]

I've been using Kevlar/Poly for a while - low power, but great control and great spin. Every time I venture away to other combos, I come back to my trusty Kevlar.

However, I'm getting frustrated with my current setup because the poly crosses keep losing tension over time.

Now that I have possession of a nice and stiff 100" headize frame with a denser pattern, I'm ready to do some experimenting with string.

Looking for "alternative setups" that give good spin without the unstable tension maintenance issue of extruded poly strings.

For example, Prince Recoil has a Teflon coating to make it more slippery. I tried it as a cross with Kevlar mains, but the Teflon coating wasn't as slippery as a poly, and it was too easy to strip off while stringing.

Ideally, I'd like to find a cross string that has a hard and slippery surface (like many poly strings do), but without the creep. Maybe a nylon-based string with a slippery shell?

Any suggestions? There must be something out there that might fill the bill?

Yeah, the Recoil isn't as slippery as the best polys. I think it's due to the raised ridges where the wraps overlap. Those ridges also seem to cut gut rather quickly.

For a poly, you might want to try the fairly new Babolat Hurricane Feel. It's advertised as soft, but it tests out close to Tourney Poly for stiffness. 16g also ranks #1 in tension loss for a poly and # 1 for sliding and sliding friction in TWU's tests. It's also got pretty good energy return for a poly. It's pricy though.

 

[kiteboard]

I use bhbr/bb orig. rough, strung at 80lbs in an h22. I drop the crosses by 5lbs or so, and it still feels soft in a striff frame, at a high tension, unlike Ash. kev. would. I had three reels of ash, and sold/gave them away. I also drop the last 8 crosses down to 58lbs, so the tens. "creeps" up and the loss equalizes. The power, spin and control of this method and combo is extreme.

 

[user92626]

OP,

Give gosen polylon ice 17 a try. I was told it's a gen poly. I used kevlar17/polylon17 combo for 4 months and was amazed that everything was as stiff as the day. The polylon especially kept its form like nothing happened, and its so cheap, too. In the end it was to much for my shoulder, and I wanted to try new strings, so I cut it out.

 

[CDestroyer]

I use Gosen OG 17 gauge in the crosses with my 18 gauge kevlar mains. Excellent control, spin, feel, and tension maintenance. As a matter of fact it plays best right before it pops.

 

[Up&comer]

I use bhbr/bb orig. rough, strung at 80lbs in an h22. I drop the crosses by 5lbs or so, and it still feels soft in a striff frame, at a high tension, unlike Ash. kev. would. I had three reels of ash, and sold/gave them away. I also drop the last 8 crosses down to 58lbs, so the tens. "creeps" up and the loss equalizes. The power, spin and control of this method and combo is extreme.

Owwwwwwwwwwww

 

[kiteboard]

No pain at all, due to the bhbr softness, and bb orig. is soft also.

 

[scotus]

What kevlar do you use?

Do you use a smooth kevlar (if there is one)?

Ashaway has a rough coating on it.

 

[Up&comer]

No pain at all, due to the bhbr softness, and bb orig. is soft also.

Uhhh no. Bb original is one of the only strings that gave me some arm discomfort.

 

[kiteboard]

It has a 266 stiffness scale, compared to the softest strings' 102: vs gut, and the stiffest: ash. kev.: 764

 

[Up&comer]

It has a 266 stiffness scale, compared to the softest strings' 102: vs gut, and the stiffest: ash. kev.: 764

First off, the ratings are not always conclusive in the real world. It says pro hurricane 18 is softer than a lot of synthetics. Not even close.

Bbo is a very stiff poly. And it's not the strings but the fact it was full poly at 80 pounds that made me say ow. Not to mention that has to put a lot of strain on your nice little pro stock.

 

[kiteboard]

I hit very hard with it, and my elbow is ok now, after falling off a 26' ht. on a ladder, last year, destroyed my elbow. The bhbr is soft, as is the bbo, paradoxically, relative to a lot of other stiffer strings. That frame is very stiff as well. 80lbs bhbr is like 50 with a lot of other strings.

 

[travlerajm]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I played for years with Problend, and later with the Crossfire blend, and never issues, I actually liked the way those strings played in the last few weeks of life. So I might try the OG micro idea.

Also might look into polyon ice suggestion.

I think part of my problem is that I've been playing with the O3 Red for the last year, and the extremely open pattern is a real tension killer, especially since I need to string at around 70 lbs with Kevlar/Poly to make the stringbed crisp enough. I ventured into some syn gut / poly combos on my Red and hated it on court and really missed the controlled bite of Kevlar mains.

I'm back to experimenting with my Diablo mids (which feel great with Kevlar/poly in the 40s). And I'm going to also get my Prostaff 4.7 EB Stretch 115 strung up, balanced, and gripped again too. And I still haven't given up on my new Gamma T-5 either (which still hasn't tasted Kevlar yet).