Babolat RPM Blast Rough; Best cross string for a hybrid setup?

F

Farbio

Rookie
I am a 4.0-4.5 player combatting some elbow issues and looking for the best cross string to make the Babolat Rough 17g more arm and spin friendly playing with a Yonex Ezone 100. I love the spin, grip and bite I get from BRough after trying every shaped and rough poly but have come to accept I can’t do a full bed of it anymore as I get older.

I have tried:

Gamma Professional 18g: Very arm friendly, lacking spin potential and control
Gama Ocho XP 17g: Arm friendly, spin friendly, decent durability
Gosen AK Control 17g: TBD (Chose this based on TW’s Spin potential rating)

Any thoughts and suggestions that will make it more arm and spin friendly without giving up too much control would be greatly appreciated!
 
You've listed 1 multifilament, 1 poly and 1 fancy synthetic gut. What are you looking for really? There's such a difference. Which did you like best?
 
Hi Steve,

Thanks so much for your response and please excuse my newbie status, lol. I really love the grip/bite/spin of the babolat rough but on its own hurts my arm. Ideally looking for a cross that can soften up the babolat rough but compliments all of the proprieties its has. I know that this string saws through most everything but I am not a string breaker and am open to the premium options even if you suggest natural gut.

Thanks again!
 
Farbio said:
Hi Steve,

Thanks so much for your response and please excuse my newbie status, lol. I really love the grip/bite/spin of the babolat rough but on its own hurts my arm. Ideally looking for a cross that can soften up the babolat rough but compliments all of the proprieties its has. I know that this string saws through most everything but I am not a string breaker and am open to the premium options even if you suggest natural gut.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
How long do you play with the RPM Blast Rough in terms of playing hours? Doesn’t it go dead within 10 hours where you get erratic control and maybe wrist/elbow/arm discomfort? That was my experience with regular RPM Blast where I felt it played good for less than 8 hours.

If that is the case for you also, then you could try it with natural gut mains as most likely the RPM Blast might go dead even before you break the gut and you’ll need to restring soon anyway.
 
I didn’t really experience it going dead in fact it felt pretty good until the multi crosses broke at around 12-14 hours of play. I have been hearing people say that going with something like VS Gut in the mains and Shaped poly in the crossed is the way to go, but my concern would be that the gut would give it too much power and lose the spin/bite property of the BRough.
 
RPMR already has an excellent slippery coating, but it doesn't last very long. You could try going to a thinner gauge of RPMR in the cross, or try the super slick coated smooth copolys like Isospeed Cream, or Gosen G-Tour 3, which as a better coating and holds tension better than Cream for me. GW is soft but not silicone coated so you won't get that slick on slick interface you like on the RPMR.
 
Sardines said:
RPMR already has an excellent slippery coating, but it doesn't last very long. You could try going to a thinner gauge of RPMR in the cross, or try the super slick coated smooth copolys like Isospeed Cream, or Gosen G-Tour 3, which as a better coating and holds tension better than Cream for me. GW is soft but not silicone coated so you won't get that slick on slick interface you like on the RPMR.
Click to expand...
Black Gosen ogsm is slick but it seems the whole string is black n not just coating...how does it compare to g tour3?
 
Farbio said:
I am a 4.0-4.5 player combatting some elbow issues and looking for the best cross string to make the Babolat Rough 17g more arm and spin friendly playing with a Yonex Ezone 100. I love the spin, grip and bite I get from BRough after trying every shaped and rough poly but have come to accept I can’t do a full bed of it anymore as I get older.

I have tried:

Gamma Professional 18g: Very arm friendly, lacking spin potential and control
Gama Ocho XP 17g: Arm friendly, spin friendly, decent durability
Gosen AK Control 17g: TBD (Chose this based on TW’s Spin potential rating)

Any thoughts and suggestions that will make it more arm and spin friendly without giving up too much control would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Just to set the record straight, there is RPM Blast and RPM Rough, but no RPM Blast rough. I have recently started using RIP Control 16 black mains with ALU Power Rough 125 crosses and like it a lot. I have a reel of RIP Control 17 white on order and I’m going to use Ice Code 17 as a cross.
 
@Irvin How do does the spin compare when using the multi in the mains and the rough poly in the cross vs the other way around? And what do you usually string them both at?
 
Farbio said:
@Irvin How do does the spin compare when using the multi in the mains and the rough poly in the cross vs the other way around? And what do you usually string them both at?
Click to expand...
I’m not a big spin player except for a topspin lob and slice shots. I’d say the spin it better compared to other setups I’ve used. I have played poly mains and gut/SG/multi crosses but I like the poly crosses more basically for feel. I strung my RIPC/ALUR at 48/45 but next time I will bump the tension up at least 2 lbs on mains and cross maintaining a 3 lb differential in man’s and crosses.
 
Farbio said:
@Irvin How do does the spin compare when using the multi in the mains and the rough poly in the cross vs the other way around? And what do you usually string them both at?
Click to expand...
I got the idea of using RIP control mains because I was looking for a string similar to NXT 17. The similar string tool show RIP Control 16 is very similar to NXT 17. I’ve always liked ALU Power Rough as a cross. I noticed RIP Control 17 is similar to X-One 18 and that caused me to order RIP Control. I like Brighter string over black because darker string tend to feel dead to me. I don’t like 18 gauge string because the tend to move too much for my liking. RIP Control tends to stay in place more.
 
Farbio said:
Thanks @Sardines. What tension would you go with? I have been doing RPMR in the mains at 49 and tried various multi/syn at 52.
Click to expand...
Have you tried RPMR about 3lbs lower to give your arm a break? Or restringing more often?

Farbio said:
Thanks that very helpful, have you ever tried RPMR how does it compare to the ALUR?
Click to expand...
Alu Power Rough is 90s tech and loses tension after 30 mins of hitting. Pros switch out every 7-9 games, but recreationals would be wise to avoid if cost is an issue.
Irvin said:
Just to set the record straight, there is RPM Blast and RPM Rough, but no RPM Blast rough. I have recently started using RIP Control 16 black mains with ALU Power Rough 125 crosses and like it a lot. I have a reel of RIP Control 17 white on order and I’m going to use Ice Code 17 as a cross.
Click to expand...
There was RPMBR, they just rebranded it to RPMR. FYI
 
The lowest I have tried a poly (Hyper G, Tour bite, Black Widow) was at 48 in full beds and they all hurt my arm. Since I have been hybriding it with the multi/syn (Gamma ocho xp 17, gamma professional 18, and X natural 17) its been a lot better, nut not 100% gone. I was trying 48/52, and had settled in on 49/52 with RPMR. There are just so many combos to try and so many brands etc, it’s getting overwhelming to try and find the perfect combo that is truly arm friendly while complimenting/accentuating RPMR’s spin/grip/bite properties. I am wondering if bucking up and just going with a natural gut as the cross maybe just the best way to go
 
Farbio said:
The lowest I have tried a poly (Hyper G, Tour bite, Black Widow) was at 48 in full beds and they all hurt my arm. Since I have been hybriding it with the multi/syn (Gamma ocho xp 17, gamma professional 18, and X natural 17) its been a lot better, nut not 100% gone. I was trying 48/52, and had settled in on 49/52 with RPMR. There are just so many combos to try and so many brands etc, it’s getting overwhelming to try and find the perfect combo that is truly arm friendly while complimenting/accentuating RPMR’s spin/grip/bite properties. I am wondering if bucking up and just going with a natural gut as the cross maybe just the best way to go
Click to expand...
RIP Control / ALU Rough is very easy on the arm. Most of the feel and arm shock will come from whatever string you have in the mains. Try moving the poly to the cross string and keep the poly at a lower tension.
 
Farbio said:
The lowest I have tried a poly (Hyper G, Tour bite, Black Widow) was at 48 in full beds and they all hurt my arm. Since I have been hybriding it with the multi/syn (Gamma ocho xp 17, gamma professional 18, and X natural 17) its been a lot better, nut not 100% gone. I was trying 48/52, and had settled in on 49/52 with RPMR. There are just so many combos to try and so many brands etc, it’s getting overwhelming to try and find the perfect combo that is truly arm friendly while complimenting/accentuating RPMR’s spin/grip/bite properties. I am wondering if bucking up and just going with a natural gut as the cross maybe just the best way to go
Click to expand...
You def can go lower, I play tour bite 17 at 44, it works well
 
@Irvin and using the poly in the crosses will still allow you to access and utilize the properties of the rough string as opposed to be dominated by the multi main?
 
Irvin said:
Just to set the record straight, there is RPM Blast and RPM Rough, but no RPM Blast rough. I have recently started using RIP Control 16 black mains with ALU Power Rough 125 crosses and like it a lot. I have a reel of RIP Control 17 white on order and I’m going to use Ice Code 17 as a cross.
Click to expand...

RPM Rough was originally sold as RPM Blast Rough. They changed/simplified the name to RPM Rough only in the last year or two.
 
What’s everyone’s favorite shaped rough poly? I have tried the one’s below based on TW’s library for spin potential with so far liking RPMR the best.

Hyper G 17,18g and 18g soft
Cyclone 19g
Cyclone Tour 18g
Tour bite Soft 18g
Tour bite Diamond Rough 17g
Black Widow 18

Looking to try Weiss Ultra Cable, Volkl V square and T1 Firewire
 
Irvin said:
I have a reel of RPM Rough and it is over 2 years old. Fact is RPM Blast Rough is not available. RPM Rough was reviewed by TW in 2017 so that’s 6 years ago.

Tennis Warehouse - Babolat RPM Rough String Review

www.tennis-warehouse.com www.tennis-warehouse.com
Click to expand...

Irvin, did you bother to click on the link and actually watch it? The video title is RPM Blast Rough.

I bought a reel of RPM Blast Rough on 10/1/2020. It was still listed as blast rough on the website.
 
happyandbob said:
Irvin, did you bother to click on the link and actually watch it? The video title is RPM Blast Rough.

I bought a reel of RPM Blast Rough on 10/1/2020. It was still listed as blast rough on the website.
Click to expand...
I once tried to order a reel of RPM Blast Rough because all Blast reels had a 20% discount. I soon learned RPM Rough is not a Blast reel. The video title says Blast and the narrator says RPM Blast Rough but the string cover says RPM Rough in the top right hand cover. As far as I’m concerned it does not matter to me what you want to call it, there is no RPM Blast Rough. Whether there was or wasn’t at some point in time doesn’t mater. If you order RPM Blast Rough and you get something it may be RPM Blast or it may be RPM Rough but it won’t be RPM Blast Rough.
 
Irvin said:
I once tried to order a reel of RPM Blast Rough because all Blast reels had a 20% discount. I soon learned RPM Rough is not a Blast reel. The video title says Blast and the narrator says RPM Blast Rough but the string cover says RPM Rough in the top right hand cover. As far as I’m concerned it does not matter to me what you want to call it, there is no RPM Blast Rough. Whether there was or wasn’t at some point in time doesn’t mater. If you order RPM Blast Rough and you get something it may be RPM Blast or it may be RPM Rough but it won’t be RPM Blast Rough.
Click to expand...

Irvin, this is why people get frustrated with you. You don't know what you're talking about on this issue. Why dig in?
 
From my experience, using gut as a cross gives the stringbed a bit more power, and the response is somewhat more muted. Durability is also affected by the mains cutting into the gut fibers. I use natural gut/slippery smooth co poly hybrid on match days, because it's got the best feel, and not that much less spin.
A soft slippery cross will soften the string bed, but there aren't too many out there. Personally I don't think RPMR has great grip on the ball, and it's the combination of average power (for a poly) and string movement from the silicone coating you like.
Since you still have arm pain, maybe just stop for 3 weeks, hit the Theraband Flexbar if you have epicondylitis, or get a real diagnosis from a PT/Orthopedic first. Then lower the tension by 4-5 lbs and work on adjusting. I solved my arm pain came from bad positioning of the mouse, and a track pad solved it. I had to stop for 3 weeks, so I went to the Maldives with the wife and went diving. No mouse, no tennis, arm issues resolved!
Farbio said:
The lowest I have tried a poly (Hyper G, Tour bite, Black Widow) was at 48 in full beds and they all hurt my arm. Since I have been hybriding it with the multi/syn (Gamma ocho xp 17, gamma professional 18, and X natural 17) its been a lot better, nut not 100% gone. I was trying 48/52, and had settled in on 49/52 with RPMR. There are just so many combos to try and so many brands etc, it’s getting overwhelming to try and find the perfect combo that is truly arm friendly while complimenting/accentuating RPMR’s spin/grip/bite properties. I am wondering if bucking up and just going with a natural gut as the cross maybe just the best way to go
Click to expand...


@Irvin , not to be pedantic , but this is a press release from Babolat, makers of said RPM Blast Rough, later called Rough. This is fact. Someone referred to the previous name, once.

www.babolat.com

RPM Blast Rough: spin, power, and comfort

Innovation is at the heart of Babolat’s strategy, and string does not deviate from this rule. RPM BLAST ROUGH is the perfect example, with a unique structure, it offers more spin with incomparable comfort.
www.babolat.com www.babolat.com
 
Thank you so much for information @Sardines and I will definitely have to schedule that much needed trip to the Maldives, asap! Is there another string you recommend over RPMR that will accomplish what I am looking for with similar properties?
 
Similar properties? None that I can't think of, but I didn't like RPMR much as a full bed or main. My primary interests were bite and silicone coating. I like the bite of Volkl Cyclone 18L/19g, and switch with the very grippy and better feeling V-Square 17/18g as mains depending on my mood, who I play against, and conditions. And of course 16g natural gut (VS or Klip). All use PolyTour Fire or Gosen G-Tour 3 as a cross, depending on what stiffness I want. All break within 3-6 hrs with singles play, and hit the 10-12 hrs with dubs.
I tend to stick with what I know, test when I feel like it and go back to ol'faithful. V-Square with PTF for me, on a good string job, just that great sensation of bite that I hardly get with other co-polys. It only happens 70% of the time, usually about an hour before breakage. Not much help I'm sure! Haha Sorry.
 
Thanks again @Sardines and everyone else for their input. Going to try your "old faithful" next of V-Square and PTF or G-Tour. Lastly, what tension did you string the main and crosses at?
 
Has anyone tried Gosen Ak control as a cross (highest spin potential rating for a non-poly) and/or Ashway Monogut ZX Pro (lowest stiffness for a non poly) and/or Yonex Rexis Speed (2nd lowest stiffness and higher spin potential than Ashway monogut ZX pro)?
 
Farbio said:
Has anyone tried Gosen Ak control as a cross (highest spin potential rating for a non-poly) and/or Ashway Monogut ZX Pro (lowest stiffness for a non poly) and/or Yonex Rexis Speed (2nd lowest stiffness and higher spin potential than Ashway monogut ZX pro)?
Click to expand...
I think there's a misconception about the spin you can get using natural gut. One of the 4.5 players I string for used to use a poly/gut hybrid. I convinced him to change it around to a gut/poly hybrid (gut mains). He said he got more spin this way, and hasn't changed back. He used Volkl Cyclone for the poly. One of the 4.0 women I string for uses the gut/Lux Rough poly hybrid and likes it a lot. It's been lasting her a good 15-20 hrs playing on clay.
 
Sardines said:
From my experience, using gut as a cross gives the stringbed a bit more power, and the response is somewhat more muted. Durability is also affected by the mains cutting into the gut fibers. I use natural gut/slippery smooth co poly hybrid on match days, because it's got the best feel, and not that much less spin.
A soft slippery cross will soften the string bed, but there aren't too many out there. Personally I don't think RPMR has great grip on the ball, and it's the combination of average power (for a poly) and string movement from the silicone coating you like.
Since you still have arm pain, maybe just stop for 3 weeks, hit the Theraband Flexbar if you have epicondylitis, or get a real diagnosis from a PT/Orthopedic first. Then lower the tension by 4-5 lbs and work on adjusting. I solved my arm pain came from bad positioning of the mouse, and a track pad solved it. I had to stop for 3 weeks, so I went to the Maldives with the wife and went diving. No mouse, no tennis, arm issues resolved!



@Irvin , not to be pedantic , but this is a press release from Babolat, makers of said RPM Blast Rough, later called Rough. This is fact. Someone referred to the previous name, once.

www.babolat.com

RPM Blast Rough: spin, power, and comfort

Innovation is at the heart of Babolat’s strategy, and string does not deviate from this rule. RPM BLAST ROUGH is the perfect example, with a unique structure, it offers more spin with incomparable comfort.
www.babolat.com www.babolat.com
Click to expand...
Or move the mouse to the other hand, worked for me. Takes only a few days to adjust
 
Farbio said:
Hi Steve,

Thanks so much for your response and please excuse my newbie status, lol. I really love the grip/bite/spin of the babolat rough but on its own hurts my arm. Ideally looking for a cross that can soften up the babolat rough but compliments all of the proprieties its has. I know that this string saws through most everything but I am not a string breaker and am open to the premium options even if you suggest natural gut.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Did you try the hybrid with natural gut yet? That's the most comfortable option for a hybrid with RPM.
If that's not comfortable enough you probably need to stop using RPM.

Irvin said:
I got the idea of using RIP control mains because I was looking for a string similar to NXT 17. The similar string tool show RIP Control 16 is very similar to NXT 17. I’ve always liked ALU Power Rough as a cross. I noticed RIP Control 17 is similar to X-One 18 and that caused me to order RIP Control. I like Brighter string over black because darker string tend to feel dead to me. I don’t like 18 gauge string because the tend to move too much for my liking. RIP Control tends to stay in place more.
Click to expand...
I found X-One to be a lot more powerful than RIP Control.
 
veelium said:
Did you try the hybrid with natural gut yet? That's the most comfortable option for a hybrid with RPM.
I found X-One to be a lot more powerful than RIP Control.
Click to expand...
True but I am hybriding with an ALU Rough cross and I doubt X-Obe will not last as long. I like Tec Multi very much but not in poly hybrids.
 
Yeah X-One breaks quite quickly like that.

The isospeed multis (I think Rip control is produced by them?) all work quite well in hybrids imo.
 
Farbio said:
Has anyone tried Gosen Ak control as a cross (highest spin potential rating for a non-poly) and/or Ashway Monogut ZX Pro (lowest stiffness for a non poly) and/or Yonex Rexis Speed (2nd lowest stiffness and higher spin potential than Ashway monogut ZX pro)?
Click to expand...

AK Control - super slick for like an hour. when the coating wears off it gets very sticky
Monogut ZX - really interesting string, definitely worth a try. these two threads and have lot of good info on using ZX as a cross

In praise of Kevlar/ZX hybrid!!!

I'm 4 sessions (approx 8 hours) into my experiment with this string combo. Strung kevlar mains at 60 and Zyex crosses at 40 Lbs (in my Angell 95). Wow!!! Easy spin, with proper technique. Extreme control. Absolutely 0 discomfort. I can't recommend this combo highly enough. There were a few...
tt.tennis-warehouse.com tt.tennis-warehouse.com

How to pre-stretch Ashaway Monogut ZX or ZX Pro

While there are multiple ways to do this, here is a step-by-step on how I pre-stretch this string. You should aim for about 10% stretch with ZX/ZXP (e.g. 22-24" out of a 20' run). If using Kevlar mains, I also recommend pre-stretching (you can get 2-3” out of 20 ft pretty easily). Hope you...
tt.tennis-warehouse.com tt.tennis-warehouse.com
 
Thanks @happyandbob, will definitely take a look at the Ashway Monogut ZX next as a cross. Currently I am playing with BBR mains at 49 with the Gosen Ak control in the cross at 52 and have been ready liking it so far as it definitely makes it more arm friendly and is slick and is allowing the snap back too for great spin. Have you tried any of the other Gosen strings or the Yonex Rexis Speed or Comfort as a cross?
 
Farbio said:
Thanks @happyandbob, will definitely take a look at the Ashway Monogut ZX next as a cross. Currently I am playing with BBR mains at 49 with the Gosen Ak control in the cross at 52 and have been ready liking it so far as it definitely makes it more arm friendly and is slick and is allowing the snap back too for great spin. Have you tried any of the other Gosen strings or the Yonex Rexis Speed or Comfort as a cross?
Click to expand...
Gosen ogsm black is slick and firmer then multis
 
Head Velocity Natural 1.30 - slightly thicker sheath than other multis for a slightly firmer, more crisp feel that results in better control. Great comfort, durability, consistency, quality. Good price. Slick coating for good slide and spin. Natural feels less firm than the other colors.
 
jimmy8 said:
Head Velocity Natural 1.30 - slightly thicker sheath than other multis for a slightly firmer, more crisp feel that results in better control. Great comfort, durability, consistency, quality. Good price. Slick coating for good slide and spin. Natural feels less firm than the other colors.
Click to expand...
Yellow feel more lively n snapback?
 
Farbio said:
What’s everyone’s favorite shaped rough poly? I have tried the one’s below based on TW’s library for spin potential with so far liking RPMR the best.

Hyper G 17,18g and 18g soft
Cyclone 19g
Cyclone Tour 18g
Tour bite Soft 18g
Tour bite Diamond Rough 17g
Black Widow 18

Looking to try Weiss Ultra Cable, Volkl V square and T1 Firewire
Click to expand...

YMMV, but IME you have to use the TWU string database metrics as a starting point because it doesn't factor in things like how long strings stay slick (e.g AK Control is high on their spin potential metric but the slick coating does not last more than 1-2 hours)

Someone else mentioned above, but if you're happy with how a full bed of RPMR plays I would consider a softer poly cross before expanding to different materials. Poly crosses will play closer to what you're used to.

StringMaterialGaugeStiffnessTension Loss Pct
Babolat RPM Blast Rough 16Polyester1.3209.729.5
Wilson Revolve 16 (1.30)Polyester1.318445.2
IsoSpeed Cream 17 (1.28)Polyester1.28177.728.1
TierOne Ghost Wire 16Polyester1.2718831.9

Revolve, Cream, and Ghost Wire are more comfortable than RPM Rough and are all slick round polys that work well as crosses and should give you some more comfort. The Ghost Wire numbers aren't apples to apples because they come from a different database, but they are probably close enough to the TWU numbers to provide directional info.

It's long, but there is a lot of great information here: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/kobayashi-maru-string-scenario.677507/
 
Thanks @happyandbob, I went with the 17 gauge in the RPM rough so it was a bit softer, Ideally I wish there was a softer rough poly, but yes I am assuming a softer slick poly in a full bed or cross is the way to go. That being said, I think a poly/poly hybrid for me will still hurt my arm. Where did you find the specs on the Tier One Ghost Wire? I didnt see it in the TWU database. Do you have the specs for the T1 FireWire? I hear that is a great shaped poly.
 
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