Any BlackCode x BiPhase X-One hybrid fans in here :)

[ClubHoUno]

Just found this hybrid again. Did test it a year or so ago, but I need 2 of my 8 racquets strung with something else than VS Team mains and Alu Power crosses because of rain/wet weather play and also for when I just need another feel and for wall practice.

Then tried RPM Blast and BlackCode with X-One and found out I preferred BlackCode 18 mains and X-One 17 crosses. I really like this hybrid.
Excellent spin, power and good solid feel, which after 2 hours turn softer because of how X-One behaves (normal behavior for X-One)

Any other fans in here of this hybrid ?

 

[kiteboard]

Have not tried it, but tension loss of the x1 would last me about 1hr. Sounds like the feel and power/control would be great!

 

[ClubHoUno]

Have not tried it, but tension loss of the x1 would last me about 1hr. Sounds like the feel and power/control would be great!

Actually the X-One plays quite stiff for me the first 1-2 hours, and after that it starts to shine

I get 6-8 good playing hours out of my BlackCode 18 mains and X-One 17 crosses hybrid

 

[smooveken]

I will try this hybrid once my blackcode crossed with nrg2 dies on me. So far i'm not sure if anything will beat the feel of this one though...

 

[Jaewonnie]

I wouldve tried it if x-1 red came in half packs....black mains and red crosses would match my youtek prestige awesomely...

 

[kiteboard]

Tension loss on the blackcode is great! X1 not so good.

 

[g4driver]

I've been using this combo since Dec 09. Red X-One and Blackcode. I use it in my customized "Dunlop 4D 300+" racquets (modified to 27.5" long with all the extra weight added to the extended length handle since Dunlop doesn't make their grips very accommodating to those folks who use a 2HBH

12.5 Balance Pt -- 27.5 Inch Racquet -- 346 grams Static Weight (12.2 oz)

I tried 17g X-1 and 18g Blackcode, but the X-1 breaks too quickly. With the 16 gauge X-1, and 17g Blackcode, I get 18 to 22 hours out of a racquet.

 

[Visene77]

vs/alu to black code/ x-1??????????????????????

polar opposites?

 

[kiteboard]

Both cilic, joker, and murray were going back and forth vs/alu alu/vs. Murray stuck with alu/vs and the others vs/alu.

 

[ClubHoUno]

I've been using this combo since Dec 09. Red X-One and Blackcode. I use it in my customized "Dunlop 4D 300+" racquets (modified to 27.5" long with all the extra weight added to the extended length handle since Dunlop doesn't make their grips very accommodating to those folks who use a 2HBH

12.5 Balance Pt -- 27.5 Inch Racquet -- 346 grams Static Weight (12.2 oz)

I tried 17g X-1 and 18g Blackcode, but the X-1 breaks too quickly. With the 16 gauge X-1, and 17g Blackcode, I get 18 to 22 hours out of a racquet.

18-22 hours durability with the X-One 16 gauge :shock:

How many hours do you then get with the X-One 17 gauge - I would guess 12-14 hours, which should be more than enough

 

[ClubHoUno]

vs/alu to black code/ x-1??????????????????????

polar opposites?

Both cilic, joker, and murray were going back and forth vs/alu alu/vs. Murray stuck with alu/vs and the others vs/alu.

Listen to this guy !

Exactly, Kitebord is right.

Two of the old ATP pro's from my country get their racquets strung at the same place as I use for stringing, and at one time they constantly changed between VS Touch 16 mains/Alu Power crosses and Alu Power mains/VS Touch crosses.

As mentioned, several pro players experiment with gut mains/poly crosses and poly mains/gut crosses. The feel is different, but to call it polar opposites is just not correct in my view.

I talked a bit with Djokovics old stringer, who used to string for him. 2-3 years ago Djokovic had full X-one, then changed to Alu mains and VS crosses. But now he seems to be stuck at VS mains and Alu power crosses.

You also saw Djokovic change from a Head with 16x19 string pattern during one part of the season to a Head with 18x20 string pattern during the other half of the season.

One could say that his results as of lately have sucked, but he still is a VERY solid Top 5 player all year round, and he does change the gear he uses quite often for a pro player

I will probably go with X-One mains/BlackCode crosses in the colder part of the outdoor season and indoor season and then change to BlackCode mains and X-One crosses during the hotter summer season.

I have my 6 mains racquets strung with VS Team 17 mains and Alu Power crosses at the moment (dumped RPM Blast - found I still preferred Alu Power and Silverstring 1.20).

But I need 2 extra racquets for wet weather/rainy conditions and also for wall practice (need something less powerful for wall practice than nat gut mains) and found the BlackCode mains and X-One crosses excellent for that.
I also do some experimenting with full poly BlackCode 1.18 mains and Silverstring 1.20 crosses at very low tension - 16-18 kg/36-38 lbs.

Trying out new string combos is part of why I play tennis and why I find it fun to go to the courts........

 

[g4driver]

18-22 hours durability with the X-One 16 gauge :shock:

How many hours do you then get with the X-One 17 gauge - I would guess 12-14 hours, which should be more than enough

12-14 hours is probably right, but I don't have a lot of free time. I normally only hit on Saturdays, and twice on Mondays, morning and evening. I'm out of town Tues-Fri and eveer Sunday is spent on the water. I hit for normally 2.5 to 4 hours when I do hit.

18 to 22 hours gets me six to seven hitting sessions with one racquet which means I restring the racquet ever two weeks. I'm happy with 16 gauge X-One, string my own racquets starting about two months ago, and didn't notice a loss in my performance going from 18g Blackcode with 17 g X-One, to 17g Blackcode & 16g X-One.

You mostly likely hit much harder than me. I hit with 4.0s for the most part.

 

[GameSetMatch]

Tension loss is very pronounced with X1 and that doesn't slow or settle with time. If anything, it tends to get worse. Control goes out of the window as it loses tension. It's also crazily overpriced for what it is.

BlackCode is the opposite. Maintains tension very well for poly and still performs well in a suitable hybrid even when its gone 'dead'. There are better perfomance polys out there - particularly in terms of giving you access to spin - but it plays pretty well if you're after a slightly more comfortable poly.

BlackCode 1.18 with prestretched Xcel 1.25 would be a better combination as they have more complimentary characteristics.

 

[ClubHoUno]

Tension loss is very pronounced with X1 and that doesn't slow or settle with time. If anything, it tends to get worse. Control goes out of the window as it loses tension. It's also crazily overpriced for what it is.

BlackCode is the opposite. Maintains tension very well for poly and still performs well in a suitable hybrid even when its gone 'dead'. There are better perfomance polys out there - particularly in terms of giving you access to spin - but it plays pretty well if you're after a slightly more comfortable poly.

BlackCode 1.18 with prestretched Xcel 1.25 would be a better combination as they have more complimentary characteristics.

So you're not a fan, yet you write in a fan thread

I don't think X-One has bad tension maintenance for a multi - it starts out stiff, then turns softer and play nicely up until the 10 hour mark, where I usually break it in 17 gauge.

I find BlackCode complements it nicely in both regards to tension maintenance and durability.

 

[GameSetMatch]

So you're not a fan, yet you write in a fan thread

It's pointless having a thread that doesn't evaluate the string accurately. That just leads to misinformation being perpetuated. X1 is well known for being poor at retaining tension and turning into a trampoline with a consequential loss of control. In that sense, it's noticeably inferior to Xcel 1.25 which seems to be the sweetspot for mutlifilament performance in a hybrid.

 

[ClubHoUno]

It's pointless having a thread that doesn't evaluate the string accurately. That just leads to misinformation being perpetuated. X1 is well known for being poor at retaining tension and turning into a trampoline with a consequential loss of control. In that sense, it's noticeably inferior to Xcel 1.25 which seems to be the sweetspot for mutlifilament performance in a hybrid.

I have tested Xcel and had a 200 meter reel of Xcel Power and liked both multis, but for me the tension retention of the X-one seems to be on par with that of Xcel Power - I wouldn't have dumped the Xcel Power for the X-one if I didn't feel that way.

I just prefer X-one slightly over Xcel as my favorite multi at the moment.

 

[GameSetMatch]

What tension are you stringing the X1 at, and do you pre-stretch?

 

[ClubHoUno]

What tension are you stringing the X1 at, and do you pre-stretch?

I don't string them myself.

I ask my stringer to prestretch the X-One mildly.

I use 26 kg for the X-One I currently play with.

 

[kiteboard]

Listen to this guy !

Exactly, Kitebord is right.

Two of the old ATP pro's from my country get their racquets strung at the same place as I use for stringing, and at one time they constantly changed between VS Touch 16 mains/Alu Power crosses and Alu Power mains/VS Touch crosses.

As mentioned, several pro players experiment with gut mains/poly crosses and poly mains/gut crosses. The feel is different, but to call it polar opposites is just not correct in my view.

I talked a bit with Djokovics old stringer, who used to string for him. 2-3 years ago Djokovic had full X-one, then changed to Alu mains and VS crosses. But now he seems to be stuck at VS mains and Alu power crosses.

You also saw Djokovic change from a Head with 16x19 string pattern during one part of the season to a Head with 18x20 string pattern during the other half of the season.

One could say that his results as of lately have sucked, but he still is a VERY solid Top 5 player all year round, and he does change the gear he uses quite often for a pro player

I will probably go with X-One mains/BlackCode crosses in the colder part of the outdoor season and indoor season and then change to BlackCode mains and X-One crosses during the hotter summer season.

I have my 6 mains racquets strung with VS Team 17 mains and Alu Power crosses at the moment (dumped RPM Blast - found I still preferred Alu Power and Silverstring 1.20).

But I need 2 extra racquets for wet weather/rainy conditions and also for wall practice (need something less powerful for wall practice than nat gut mains) and found the BlackCode mains and X-One crosses excellent for that.
I also do some experimenting with full poly BlackCode 1.18 mains and Silverstring 1.20 crosses at very low tension - 16-18 kg/36-38 lbs.

Trying out new string combos is part of why I play tennis and why I find it fun to go to the courts........

Hey, somebody with a brain! If so many of the top five pros are going back and forth, experimenting, there must be a reason for it. The feel is not oppos., as I've tried it myself! Alu mains are for guys who like the clay court game, bashing and grinding a game of attrition from the line. Vs mains are for the all court guys who have a great need to be connected to the strings more intimately, for volleys/serves/touch. The feel of the alu mains is more stiff, more treble, higher freq. return off the bed, and vs mains is just more of everything, if that makes sense! If x1 holds for you, it would be a good hybrid!
Soft, multi, with good control until it goes long on you!

Bc has great tension maint. for guys who hit hard and want that spin potential, with its pentagonal shape. Club knows what he is talking about. Try it for yourself!