Best 18g string to try?

B

Blahovic

Professional
I've never played with really thin strings before and, as I've settled on playing with a racquet with a dense string pattern (at the moment I'm using Pro Tour 2.0), I was thinking about trying 18g strings. I don't break strings easily as I hit pretty flat, and I would like to add a bit more lift and whippiness to my racquet.

I don't have a set string preference yet, I just came back to tennis a few months ago. ATM my Pro Tour 2.0 is strung with 17g Cyclone Tour at 55lb and that seemed to work fine.

Anyone got any recommendations? I've heard that going down to 18g often changes the property of strings a lot, so good reviews for 16g doesn't necessarily apply?
 
Solinco Tour Bite 18ga works well for me as a flat hitter. I string it at 60 in an 18x20 since I like that kind of feel. I tried it at my regular 57 with 17ga but went up a bit with 18ga to make it feel right to me. I feel like it bites the ball well so I might be getting 10 more rpm. Lol
 
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I like PolyFibre Black Venom 18, Prince Tour XT 18, ProSupex Big Ace Micro (19) -- all for their softness and feel. I hit with spin, so no idea if these are any good for flat hitting.
 
Good friend of mine says Volkl Cyclone 19. I think Kirschbaum Proline II 18 in 95" 18x20 52lbs feels and works well. Also Ghostwire 19 mains x 18g syn gut crosses is worth a look.
 
Hyper G and Diadem Solstice Power 1.15 are both great. Diadem evolution 1.25 is a great cross string that is very elastic and stretches down to close to a 18 gauge under tension.
 
if you have your own machine, why not go whole hog and try Hyper-G 20 ga.?
If you snap it too fast, drop down to 19, if that still snaps too fast drop to 18.

if you have a backup racket, do one at 20 and one at 17 and swap them back and forth.
 
stapletonj said:
if you have your own machine, why not go whole hog and try Hyper-G 20 ga.?
If you snap it too fast, drop down to 19, if that still snaps too fast drop to 18.

if you have a backup racket, do one at 20 and one at 17 and swap them back and forth.
Click to expand...
I don't have my own machine. Every string job is 12.50 euros.
 
Keep in mind most Solinco 18g strings are actually what most other manufacturers would call 19g

im used to 16 = 1.30 :: 17 = 1.25 :: 18 = 1.20
yet 18 gauge tour bite, hyper g, etc is 1.15.
 
Blahovic said:
I've never played with really thin strings before and, as I've settled on playing with a racquet with a dense string pattern (at the moment I'm using Pro Tour 2.0), I was thinking about trying 18g strings. I don't break strings easily as I hit pretty flat, and I would like to add a bit more lift and whippiness to my racquet.

I don't have a set string preference yet, I just came back to tennis a few months ago. ATM my Pro Tour 2.0 is strung with 17g Cyclone Tour at 55lb and that seemed to work fine.

Anyone got any recommendations? I've heard that going down to 18g often changes the property of strings a lot, so good reviews for 16g doesn't necessarily apply?
Click to expand...
alu power 1.20 is the best poly in that gauge ever created by mankind. just ask Opelka
 
If you are playing a lot and really getting into string, find a good used dropweight and try stringing your own.
It's not that expensive and kinda fun.
 
Second for hyper G 18. Best IMO if you can somehow make it last. No point in G soft if you can use 18 regular hyper g.
 
Blahovic said:
I've never played with really thin strings before and, as I've settled on playing with a racquet with a dense string pattern (at the moment I'm using Pro Tour 2.0), I was thinking about trying 18g strings. I don't break strings easily as I hit pretty flat, and I would like to add a bit more lift and whippiness to my racquet.

I don't have a set string preference yet, I just came back to tennis a few months ago. ATM my Pro Tour 2.0 is strung with 17g Cyclone Tour at 55lb and that seemed to work fine.

Anyone got any recommendations? I've heard that going down to 18g often changes the property of strings a lot, so good reviews for 16g doesn't necessarily apply?
Click to expand...
To get more whippy-ness (no idea how we're supposed to spell that), I'd say experiment with adding some weight to your racquet handle. The easy route I use is to place 1/2" lead tape on top of my replacement grip and then cover that with an overgrip. If you add enough handle weight to get 2-3 pts. of extra head-light balance in your layout, you ought to get more "whip" potential. And if it doesn't help your cause, it's not a big deal to peel it off and go back to your stock setup.
 
Happi said:
Currently playing the 1.15 version, and that is an amazing string too.
Click to expand...

Yes i was wondering about that 1.15 one. Thinking about trying it but i was bit afraid of the trampoline effect. when the string gets thinner, it has more trampoline effect and more diffiicult to control What did you think of the control on the poly ?
 
fuzz nation said:
To get more whippy-ness (no idea how we're supposed to spell that), I'd say experiment with adding some weight to your racquet handle. The easy route I use is to place 1/2" lead tape on top of my replacement grip and then cover that with an overgrip. If you add enough handle weight to get 2-3 pts. of extra head-light balance in your layout, you ought to get more "whip" potential. And if it doesn't help your cause, it's not a big deal to peel it off and go back to your stock setup.
Click to expand...
Add weight to the pommel, eh?
 
Curtennis said:
Keep in mind most Solinco 18g strings are actually what most other manufacturers would call 19g

im used to 16 = 1.30 :: 17 = 1.25 :: 18 = 1.20
yet 18 gauge tour bite, hyper g, etc is 1.15.
Click to expand...

There is no standard on gauge = mm so just use the actual thickness then there's no confusion.
 
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