First 1 Hour with the string
About Me / Hitting Conditions
I would say I'm a 4.5+ all court player who likes to swing hard and take big cuts at the ball. My current "go-to" setup has been TopSpin Cyber Flash 1.20mm, so when I saw the Babolat 1.30mm string, I kind of cringed a little. I really not not enjoy putting a 16 gauge string in my Babolat Pure Storm Ltd GT 18x20 -- just the tight string pattern makes it a) difficult to string, and b) not that enjoyable to play with. I've tried Luxilon ALU Rough in it before, and just didn't like it that frame -- I mean, ALU rough is "only" 1.25mm -- so yeah, 1.30mm -- ugh?
Initial View
The first thing I noticed (besides it being black), was how the string just seemed to "pop" out after opening the packaging. The string is kind of more twisted -- if you've strung up Signum Pro Tornado, you'd know what I'm talking about. But yeah, you know how most luxilon strings kind of stayed coiled -- this string does not. It just kind of comes unraveled -- which is fine -- makes it easier to deal with! I strung it up at 52 lbs, and honestly -- even though it was a "fat" poly, things went very smoothly. It was easy to weave, and just overall a pleasant string to deal with. I think this Babolat string is supposed to be textured, but honestly, at quick glance / touch, it seems semi-smooth (maybe it has slight ridges it in?).
First 1 hour with the String
I got to hit with the string for about an hour today. The conditions were cool (upper 40s to low 50s) and damp. My partner was a few minutes late, so I decided to start out against the wall -- just a side note -- haha, this wall had a slight tilt upwards, which is actually pretty awesome! Maybe some of you have hit on a wall like that, but the tilt actually made the ball come back to you at a slight upward angle -- which is nice! Normally if you hit a low ball at wall, it comes dribbling back at your feet. Ok -- back to the review!
Usually I find 16 gauge strings to just have little comfort and feel -- but this string proved me wrong. Even in the cool / damp weather, I found the poly to be comfortable on my joints. Which is a good thing, considering I've had some left wrist issues (from my 2-handed backhand) -- no pain today -- woohoo! So yeah, after I was warmed up against the wall I started to hit some live balls with my partner. The string did not disappoint! The thing you really notice is the potential for spin -- which is amazing! I actually forgot I was hitting with 1.30mm string! Lately, I've definitely noticed that my Cyber Flash has started to feel a little harsh -- even with the thin 1.20mm setup I use. This Babolat string did not have that same "harshness" -- which is a warm welcome!
So yeah -- in terms of power, I felt like it wasn't the world's most powerful string (which is a good thing for me), but it definitely didn't lack any pop either. After getting in the groove of things, you really start to notice the bite on the ball! I mean, my groundstrokes were kicking up higher than normal -- my slices felt great and were staying low -- the net game felt good (not that a string should help my volleys haha). I mean, all the conditions were perfect for me to hate this string -- the weather was bad, the gauge was thicker than I normally like -- yet, I really seemed to enjoy this string (unlike my first few shots with Adrenaline, which I felt was very underwhelming). After 1 hour, I'm impressed. I hope they offer a 1.25mm (or thinner option), but honestly -- I would hit with this version.
I'll continue to update my progress as I hit more with this string (didn't hit any sort of overheads or serves today). Also, too early to comment on tension maintenance. But yeah, I think this is the real deal.
![[d]ragon](/data/avatars/m/26/26312.jpg?1574364787){kind=avatar}
