Are people still using Zyex/zx monogut and Kevlar?

[NewFoolsPlease]

I've found loads of older threads saying how great a keV/zx hybrid is, and having recently strung it up in my Dunlop sx 300, however only managed a quick serving session until the weather here got bad.

Has anybody been using this hybrid for a while? After all the rave reviews a few years ago I'm surprised everyone isn't on it given how much people raved about it.

Anyway, a couple of questions that I couldn't find an answer to:

- is the Kevlar okay if it gets wet? It has a fabric like texture that could absorb moisture?

- did many people end up trying monogut Zyex mains with a poly cross as a kind of gut/poly imitator? Would this be even more comfortable than the Kevlar/zx hybrid? My elbow can get sensitive so I quite like a super comfy string setup ready to use in my bag.

 

[jm1972]

Cc: @travlerajm @Shroud

 

[travlerajm]

I've found loads of older threads saying how great a keV/zx hybrid is, and having recently strung it up in my Dunlop sx 300, however only managed a quick serving session until the weather here got bad.

Has anybody been using this hybrid for a while? After all the rave reviews a few years ago I'm surprised everyone isn't on it given how much people raved about it.

Anyway, a couple of questions that I couldn't find an answer to:

- is the Kevlar okay if it gets wet? It has a fabric like texture that could absorb moisture?

- did many people end up trying monogut Zyex mains with a poly cross as a kind of gut/poly imitator? Would this be even more comfortable than the Kevlar/zx hybrid? My elbow can get sensitive so I quite like a super comfy string setup ready to use in my bag.

The kevlar’s properties change a bit when it gets wet. They might not slide as well against the crosses. But this effect is reversible and they slide better after drying out for a couple days following a wet court hit. If you have elbow sensitivity, then you might notice the impact getting a bit more harsh when the kevlar is wetter and stickier.

That said, I still rate damp kevlar/zx as more comfortable than full poly at comparable stringbed stiffness.

I think it would be hard to find a combo more comfy than kev/zx for someone that wants a poly-like grabby feel, because the super slipperiness of the interaction between the kevlar and the zx is the key to its comfort.

 

[Shroud]

@jm1972 thanks for the heads up. To the op’s questions, I would say as a general rule, don’t let any string get wet. So I don’t really have any wet kev exp. Except I did oil it a few times with no ill effects.

Never tried zx as a main. I dig the stiff feeling so kev mains is about all I play with. Or poly mains.

Anyhow I did play with gut/zx. Has to be the goat for comfort and spin. But i quit because the gut got shredded. And went to kev zx. But I ditched that for kev/poly because my swing weight went up and I needed more tension and well zx taps out over 60lbs.

Now if durability isnt a big deal and you want a soft string bed but not the hassle of gut, i would do an ashaway multi, the black one and zx crosses.

Ashaway Dynamite Tough 16/1.30 String | Tennis Warehouse

www.tennis-warehouse.com

Super plush.

Or just a nylon/ zx would be comfy and spinny.

Zx though eats everything eventually even kevlar.

 

[NewFoolsPlease]

Thanks for the replies!

Avoiding wet is tricky in the UK this time of year - not as in playing in a deluge but it's common to book a court a few hours after rain is forecast to stop only to find the courts aren't quite dry but you play anyway as you don't want to waste the booking. Some strings definitely feel more susceptible to moisture than others - gut being the obvious example, and I'm confident most polys are fine if a bit damp.

I'll give a few of those hybrids a go - though soft mains and zx crosses sounds like it wouldn't last more than a couple of sets!

 

[Shroud]

Thanks for the replies!

Avoiding wet is tricky in the UK this time of year - not as in playing in a deluge but it's common to book a court a few hours after rain is forecast to stop only to find the courts aren't quite dry but you play anyway as you don't want to waste the booking. Some strings definitely feel more susceptible to moisture than others - gut being the obvious example, and I'm confident most polys are fine if a bit damp.

I'll give a few of those hybrids a go - though soft mains and zx crosses sounds like it wouldn't last more than a couple of sets!

Babolat electrocrosses will help.

 

[ey039524]

My son and I used to get 2-3 months out of gut/zx w babolat elastocrosses.

 

[NewFoolsPlease]

My son and I used to get 2-3 months out of gut/zx w babolat elastocrosses.

What pattern do you use for the elastocrosses??

 

[ey039524]

What pattern do you use for the elastocrosses??

Diamond pattern in the hitting zone. I posted a pic a few years ago. No idea which thread, though.