antony's string journey (looking for a string to buy a reel of)

[antony]

I recently strung Klip Legend 16g mains and Kirschbaum Max Power 17g crosses @ 58/54 lbs because of sore elbow and can recommend this setup. Comfortable and plush. I am able to generate pace and spin by generating more RHS.

I threw a set of Max Power Rough 17g in my tennis bag last night with some other polys to try different gut/poly configurations. Would be great to see it play like ALU Power but better.
Update on ALU Power: still spraying everywhere. Not going to fight it and try to wait and break a string and I will have it cut out soon

Also have been working with the pro shop to start matching and tuning my racquets. Interesting experience and I recommend at least measuring your racquets if you haven’t already. Two of my same racquets were off from the other two of the same racquets by like ten grams in static and swing weights, and off up to 3 points in balance

 

[esgee48]

I hope you are getting your frames measured while unstrung, no overgrip; then with OG; then strung. Doing it only while strung is a waste of time IMO unless you can also get SW on your own.

 

[antony]

I hope you are getting your frames measured while unstrung, no overgrip; then with OG; then strung. Doing it only while strung is a waste of time IMO unless you can also get SW on your own.

what do you mean by “get SW on my own”? I don’t myself have a RDC but the racquet club has one and we’re already going into this like it will be a continuous process

 

[blai212]

ive had really great success with mayami tour hex as a cross string at low tension…great tension maintenance, soft feel, plush but not mushy. Strung HGS 1.25/tour hex 1.23 at 37/34 in my blade and absolutely loved it. Like @ChrisG said in previous post, if you think 4G is unwieldy at 52 lbs in dense 95” 18x20 pattern then the problem might not be the strings but rather your technique. I suspect you probably like to hit hard but super flat which causes the ball to go out. Modern technique with proper brushing mechanics goes a long way to keep the ball in. I’m not a fan of 18x20 because the power + spin production is just not there for me.

 

[antony]

ive had really great success with mayami tour hex as a cross string at low tension…great tension maintenance, soft feel, plush but not mushy. Strung HGS 1.25/tour hex 1.23 at 37/34 in my blade and absolutely loved it. Like @ChrisG said in previous post, if you think 4G is unwieldy at 52 lbs in dense 95” 18x20 pattern then the problem might not be the strings but rather your technique. I suspect you probably like to hit hard but super flat which causes the ball to go out. Modern technique with proper brushing mechanics goes a long way to keep the ball in. I’m not a fan of 18x20 because the power + spin production is just not there for me.

No that racquet got unwieldy at 52 lbs on TennisTension from 59lbs reference after like three weeks of heavy playing compared to a freshly strung racquet of 4G soft. It was a little like me currently with a ALU Power / NG string job after 10 hours versus my freshly strung 4G Rough / NG. I can tell an obvious difference.

I did just buy a reel of tour hex. Also a reel of hit pro. And a mini reel of ALU Power. Maybe a reel of some sort of 4G will be good lol

 

[antony]

I recently strung Klip Legend 16g mains and Kirschbaum Max Power 17g crosses @ 58/54 lbs because of sore elbow and can recommend this setup. Comfortable and plush. I am able to generate pace and spin by generating more RHS.

So I've tried a bunch of different string set ups since.

Lux NG x Kirsch Max Power Rough 17g: It's fine. Fresh ALU Power Rough is better but I think old Max Power Rough is better than old ALU Power Rough. I didn't think Max Power Rough had great feel and maybe it's prestretched deadened characteristics had something to do with it. Otherwise good but not it.

ALU Power Rough 1.25 x Lux NG 1.30, Lux NG 1.30 x ALU Power Rough: Good. Getting good spin with this. I think this poly in main has more spin, IIRC. Favorite so far, probably
Lux 4G 1.30 x Lux NG 1.30 and vice versa: Good. Not as spinny as ALU Power Rough hybrid but it's consistent and lasts long
Lynx Touch 17G: Fine, but not too remarkable. Not as spinny as some other strings, ALU Power Rough being an example, but it had enough to work with. Fun to grip it and rip it with this string. Feels similarly soft as a NG hybrid
Toroline Caviar 1.24 x Wilson NG 17G: Not my favorite hybrid setup so far but not bad--at least, nothing that made me go: "this is it". I need more time testing this setup.

 

[Diablo XP]

Wow. Reading this thread from the beginning is something else. Can I ask what your ultimate goal is? You are doing what appears to be changing string types, gauges, and tensions almost constantly. I do read that you play a lot, but also read that you are self rated 3.0-3.5? My suggestion would be to stick with a string/string combo. that you kind of like and work diligently on your strokes, serves. and game. Like for a year without trying a different string? Until you are at a higher level imo, the attributes of various strings and tensions, don't really mean anything until you are competent and confident in your abilities. Yes it is hella fun to try new stuff. Seriously. I understand. But until you are confident in your abilities strings aren't that important.

 

[antony]

Wow. Reading this thread from the beginning is something else. Can I ask what your ultimate goal is? You are doing what appears to be changing string types, gauges, and tensions almost constantly. I do read that you play a lot, but also read that you are self rated 3.0-3.5? My suggestion would be to stick with a string/string combo. that you kind of like and work diligently on your strokes, serves. and game. Like for a year without trying a different string? Until you are at a higher level imo, the attributes of various strings and tensions, don't really mean anything until you are competent and confident in your abilities. Yes it is hella fun to try new stuff. Seriously. I understand. But until you are confident in your abilities strings aren't that important.

i’m just trying to find a string combo to stick with

 

[Diablo XP]

i’m just trying to find a string combo to stick with

I hear you. How long are you playing with each combo and what attributes are you looking for?

 

[blai212]

yeah strings don’t really matter that much for 3.0-3.5 level except for feel maybe. Synthetic gut is probably the most economical while having the longevity that you seek so you don’t have to deal with ’unwieldy’ poly strings losing tension. Could also try syn gut/poly hybrid with 4G or max power so it stays good for a while. Unless you dont mind changing strings all the time.

 

[antony]

I hear you. How long are you playing with each combo and what attributes are you looking for?

i have been playing with strings for as long as i enjoy them. If I don’t think it’s a string that I’d want to stick with, it may get cut out within 2-3 hitting sessions, as was the case with fullbed Mayami Absolute Perfection. Some I can still like past the 20+ hours mark (4G, Caviar). ALU Power definitely less. I have not gotten arm/elbow pain playing with FB polys like some do but my arm started to feel uncomfortable continuing to hit with older ALU Power even when in a NG hybrid. I’ve been playing with this Lynx Touch for probably 10 hours now, and I will do some more testing later to make sure but I feel like it is starting to degrade in playability.

Feedback is important for me. I like to feel when I hit a ball and know how I hit it. Oftentimes I know a ball is going out just based on the feel of the strike before it goes out. I like control and consistency, which I feel 4G is good for, and I liked some (but not all) strings that help with spin (ALU Power Rough, Caviar). Tension maintenance is nice to have. I like the feel of NG and its tension maintenance, but I have to be more mindful of the added power. I wonder if ALU Power Rough x 4G will be a good combination, or maybe even Caviar x 4G. All these strings in the paragraph are good and pretty playable and I’ve gotten a better idea of how they behave, so experimenting hasn’t really thrown off my game or anything.

Don’t worry, i am constantly taking lessons and working on my strokes and game too. they’re noticeably better now than the beginning of this string journey (which was also pretty much the beginning of my tennis journey). I think my observations earlier are still pretty valid.

 

[antony]

yeah strings don’t really matter that much for 3.0-3.5 level except for feel maybe. Synthetic gut is probably the most economical while having the longevity that you seek so you don’t have to deal with ’unwieldy’ poly strings losing tension. Could also try syn gut/poly hybrid with 4G or max power so it stays good for a while. Unless you dont mind changing strings all the time.

I’ve really only tried Prince Beast syngut. It was fine for a few hits, nothing remarkable. However, the strings moved a lot on that racquet, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of the quality of the string job, or the string itself. Any you recommend? Mayami sent me a sample of their synthetic gut but I haven’t tried it yet.

 

[blai212]

yeah syn gut moves a lot, that’s the nature of non poly strings. Gosen OGSM has a crisp feel if you’re into that but most of them are quite similar, just a cheap no frills type string that provides consistent feel til breakage.
FYI: 3.0-3.5 players using gut/poly is like a teenager driving around a porsche haha, it’s actually a great learning experience to develop with syn gut much the same way a teenage driver should learn to drive using a beat up car so that they can learn to appreciate a luxury car. Just my 2 cents.

 

[antony]

I think ideally I want a string like ALU Power Rough but with more lifetime in playability

 

[blai212]

and i want a poly that plays as soft as natural gut

 

[antony]

and i want a poly that plays as soft as natural gut

Lynx Touch is kind of soft like a NG hybrid. Haven’t tried FB NG. Supposedly the outer layer is to help with power and touch at slower swing speeds, and at higher swing speeds, the inner layer is supposed to help with spin and control.

it does have all those attributes. I don’t recall loving drop volleys because I’d often pop it out. The grip it and rip it comment made earlier seems to be accurate wrt the inner layer’s attributes.

 

[bryce2nice]

i’m just trying to find a string combo to stick with

Hey, curious to what you ended up going with. Did you find something that you stuck with?

Just ordered some Toroline Caviar, did you ever try the 1.20mm gauge?

 

[antony]

Hey, curious to what you ended up going with. Did you find something that you stuck with?

Just ordered some Toroline Caviar, did you ever try the 1.20mm gauge?

Hi!
I have been using fullbed 4G the most recently, because it’s consistent. I might do some more experimentation hybriding 4G. Natural gut cross with 4G mains is really nice.
I did enjoy caviar 1.24 mains x natural gut a few stringings ago until the notching got really bad. Great power, feel, spin, and control until notching.

 

[born_hard]

Firestorm 1.25 is a nice mains with a good mid-range multi in the crosses; I've been using Sensation Control 16 for that role with success and have that installed in two or three of my frames atm.

Good luck,
/Acey

Acey,

wgat are the advantages of this combination? Poly in mains and multi in crosses? Never tried this yet. Need an arm friendly setup and have Firestorm(1.25mm) and Velocity (1.3mm) at home and i`m very curious to try this combination. Lately i had Velocity in mains (23kg) and Polytour Pro (21kg) in crosses which was quite good combination. Good feel, enough power and spin. The comfort on arm was also good. Is the Firestorm/Velocity (or Sensation Control) also arm friendly? Which gauge and tension do you use? I have a 16x20 Pro Kennex XL Banana (2021 model) https://www.tenniswarehouse-europe....flr4tcJYHMsoK866s6TfcYk-D2L68omBoCEeYQAvD_BwE

 

[antony]

ALU Power Rough 125 x 4G 130
55/52lbs
Great. Good spin and control. Playability length remains to be seen but I’m sure it’ll be way better than ALU by itself. Went with a tension differential because on my previous strings I suffered mains notching which was no good.

Lux Smart 125
48/48
Pretty great. Mains notched up but prior to then soft shots were very soft and I suppose I had good control and spin on heavy shots until my mains started notching and the crosses couldn’t freely move. This happened after 1 big session. If I tried again I’d do this at 48/44 or ng x smart

4g 130 x VS tonic NG 135
55
Consistent throughout its life. Played for a month; so probably excess of 40 hours before the gut cross broke.

Lux NG 130 x 4G 130
55
Still playable after 10 months of mostly sitting in my bag. Better SnapBack and string movement than gut cross. Incredible how well it plays still. This might be it.

Toroline bulletproof x tilt
52/50
Nice hybrid. Long lasting, feels good, good all around characteristics for full poly.

 

[Trip]

I tried Explosive speed as a cross but felt too stiff for me.

Bumping this to ask @blai212 -- or anyone else -- about Dunlop Explosive Speed, as there's very little feedback on it at TT. From what you can remember, how was the slickness and power level?

I ask because I'm considering it as a cross in poly/poly hybrid where I'd like a cross with the least amount of dwell/pocketing, low-ish power and lowest string-to-string friction. My current incumbent string for this is Head Hawk. I know there's 4G and the like, but the surface finish isn't slick enough. So I'm hoping DES is everything Hawk is, but even more slick and maybe even a bit lower-powered/more controlled, if possible. Thanks in advance for any insights.

 

[antony]

Bumping this to ask @blai212 -- or anyone else -- about Dunlop Explosive Speed, as there's very little feedback on it at TT. From what you can remember, how was the slickness and power level?

I ask because I'm considering it as a cross in poly/poly hybrid where I'd like a cross with the least amount of dwell/pocketing, low-ish power and lowest string-to-string friction. My current incumbent string for this is Head Hawk. I know there's 4G and the like, but the surface finish isn't slick enough. So I'm hoping DES is everything Hawk is, but even more slick and maybe even a bit lower-powered/more controlled, if possible. Thanks in advance for any insights.

FWIW I just tried Yonex Poly Tour Strike 1.25 which has a silicon coating apparently and is noticeably slick. Nice string but I think once the coating wears away it's not the same and worse. Power was on par with 4G IMO



playing with toroline Super Toro 1.23 x Caviar 1.16 at the moment and that has been nice. Also Caviar 1.24 x 1.16 was nice too.

 

[blai212]

Bumping this to ask @blai212 -- or anyone else -- about Dunlop Explosive Speed, as there's very little feedback on it at TT. From what you can remember, how was the slickness and power level?

I ask because I'm considering it as a cross in poly/poly hybrid where I'd like a cross with the least amount of dwell/pocketing, low-ish power and lowest string-to-string friction. My current incumbent string for this is Head Hawk. I know there's 4G and the like, but the surface finish isn't slick enough. So I'm hoping DES is everything Hawk is, but even more slick and maybe even a bit lower-powered/more controlled, if possible. Thanks in advance for any insights.

It is slick but low powered and stiff. I do not use poly anymore.

 

[Trip]

Thanks @blai212.