Best black poly/copoly string

[Underdog]

Hello, everyone.
I'm trying to find the best black poly string for my game. I like black strings because the look cool (silly, I know). So I was wondering what are your thoughts on the available options and how they compare. I'm looking for something on the lower side of power, that has best possible control, spin, playing durability. I don't mind stifness or comfort as of now.
Some options I've been considering are Confidential, Black Code 4S, RPM Blast, Lynx Tour...

 

[Addxyz]

Black Knight?

 

[Hawks9451]

4S is like if the edges on RPM didn't wear off. It has the same soft, dead feeling as RPM. I like that string.

If you like round strings and want a similar feeling, try Poly Tour Strike in dark gray.

If you don't hit hard, Head Sonic Pro.

 

[Chairman3]

Head Hawk 16, superb
Tough to use consistently if you aren't a decently high level though

 

[Underdog]

4S is like if the edges on RPM didn't wear off. It has the same soft, dead feeling as RPM. I like that string.

If you like round strings and want a similar feeling, try Poly Tour Strike in dark gray.

If you don't hit hard, Head Sonic Pro.

Why exactly do you recommend the Sonic Pro for non hard hitters? How do you think it fares as a cross along a shaped main?

 

[jimmy8]

Polytour pro has so much control, good durability, decent spin

 

[SlowTiger]

Solstice black

 

[Hawks9451]

1. Why exactly do you recommend the Sonic Pro for non hard hitters?

2. How do you think it fares as a cross along a shaped main?

Long one. Sorry.
1.
You can swing less hard and still get a nice sensation from Sonic Pro. It's a softer string. Some d3-level friends who are female, avg. height prefer it to other poly strings because it's a little more elastic, a bit more powerful than harder poly strings.

2.
Sonic Pro hybrids well with non-poly strings like syn gut or multi. My sister used to hit Gamma multi mains Sonic Pro cross in high school. Worked for her. Nice soft feel and some free control. Lively and a little rubbery feeling. I'd hit with RPM Blast or Sonic interchangeably.

Not sure about crossing Sonic Pro with shaped poly. If you want durability and more spin, conventional wisdom says you want a hard, slick cross string. Sonic is soft. For softening up a string bed, Sonic Pro would be a good choice if you hate gut or multi. It's about as durable as Element if that helps. Maybe less.

If you don't break Alu within 4-8 hours, but you need the control from poly, you owe it to yourself to at least try Sonic Pro, regular Lynx, and Element. These strings feel great if you don't swing hard enough to get the right sensation from hard strings like Alu Power, Tour Bite, or Black Knight. Those harder strings shine when you swing hard, and the ball is coming in hard.

Could probably get a similar playability to Sonic/Element/Lynx by lowering tension with a harder string. I'm a bigger fan of softer strings at approx. 55lbs. It's a feel thing. Preferences. Depends on the racquet and your hands. But in my opinion the older strings with "subpar tension maintenance" (like Element, Sonic Pro, and even RPM Blast in a different way) are "softer" feeling in a way that's superior to the newer generation of Soft strings like Alu Soft or Tour Bite Soft. Those dedicated soft strings feel like mush to me, whereas a broken in set of old school black poly works great until it breaks.

 

[Underdog]

Long one. Sorry.
1.
You can swing less hard and still get a nice sensation from Sonic Pro. It's a softer string. Some d3-level friends who are female, avg. height prefer it to other poly strings because it's a little more elastic, a bit more powerful than harder poly strings.

2.
Sonic Pro hybrids well with non-poly strings like syn gut or multi. My sister used to hit Gamma multi mains Sonic Pro cross in high school. Worked for her. Nice soft feel and some free control. Lively and a little rubbery feeling. I'd hit with RPM Blast or Sonic interchangeably.

Not sure about crossing Sonic Pro with shaped poly. If you want durability and more spin, conventional wisdom says you want a hard, slick cross string. Sonic is soft. For softening up a string bed, Sonic Pro would be a good choice if you hate gut or multi. It's about as durable as Element if that helps. Maybe less.

If you don't break Alu within 4-8 hours, but you need the control from poly, you owe it to yourself to at least try Sonic Pro, regular Lynx, and Element. These strings feel great if you don't swing hard enough to get the right sensation from hard strings like Alu Power, Tour Bite, or Black Knight. Those harder strings shine when you swing hard, and the ball is coming in hard.

Could probably get a similar playability to Sonic/Element/Lynx by lowering tension with a harder string. I'm a bigger fan of softer strings at approx. 55lbs. It's a feel thing. Preferences. Depends on the racquet and your hands. But in my opinion the older strings with "subpar tension maintenance" (like Element, Sonic Pro, and even RPM Blast in a different way) are "softer" feeling in a way that's superior to the newer generation of Soft strings like Alu Soft or Tour Bite Soft. Those dedicated soft strings feel like mush to me, whereas a broken in set of old school black poly works great until it breaks.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I’ll take it into consideration!

 

[einca13]

I just did an extensive black poly test. I was a Hyper G Soft user that hated the color. The only difference for me was I am avoiding super stiff strings and wasn’t that concerned about tension maintenance as I restring very frequently.

Of all the black poly strings I tried, Tourna Black Zone was my favorite. Black Knight and Big Hitter Black 7 were close seconds.

Here is the thread.

Black Poly Help

For the last 2 years have been using Hyper G Soft 1.25/Ghostwire 1.22 at 45/43 in weighted up blacked out Extreme Tours. Plays good, no arm issues and inexpensive ($99 for each reel when on sale). I know string color is of little importance overall, but I can’t stand the green. Actually I...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[fuzz nation]

Hello, everyone.
I'm trying to find the best black poly string for my game. I like black strings because the look cool (silly, I know). So I was wondering what are your thoughts on the available options and how they compare. I'm looking for something on the lower side of power, that has best possible control, spin, playing durability. I don't mind stifness or comfort as of now.
Some options I've been considering are Confidential, Black Code 4S, RPM Blast, Lynx Tour...

RPM Blast has earned a reputation (in my view) as being overpriced garbage.

Tourna Big Hitter Black 7 has been much enjoyed by a few local players through recent years, but it doesn't seem to hold firm for as many hours as a few other polys. Very smooth until it turns dead.

Not hard to live with Isospeed Baseline at $40 per reel through TW. At that price, it's not a financial nuisance to swap in a fresh set on a regular basis.

 

[Underdog]

I just did an extensive black poly test. I was a Hyper G Soft user that hated the color. The only difference for me was I am avoiding super stiff strings and wasn’t that concerned about tension maintenance as I restring very frequently.

Of all the black poly strings I tried, Tourna Black Zone was my favorite. Black Knight and Big Hitter Black 7 were close seconds.

Here is the thread.

Black Poly Help

For the last 2 years have been using Hyper G Soft 1.25/Ghostwire 1.22 at 45/43 in weighted up blacked out Extreme Tours. Plays good, no arm issues and inexpensive ($99 for each reel when on sale). I know string color is of little importance overall, but I can’t stand the green. Actually I...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

Thanks! I don’t restring often, so playability duration is important to me

 

[einca13]

Thanks! I don’t restring often, so playability duration is important to me

Understood. I still would recommend giving Black Zone a try. Holds tension really well with excellent control and is on the lower end of the power spectrum. I am a convert as it is a solid string.

 

[netlets]

Ytex Quadra Twist and Square X are two black strings that are similar to Hyper G soft, which I was using for two years before switching over to Square X. It was a very easy transition- just went down a couple of pounds. It also costs less! I’m trying Quadro Twist for the first time, but it feels similar to Square X - just a bit more power and a tiny bit less spin than Square X, and also a bit softer.

 

[PURETENNISsense]

Tecnifibre Black Code

 

[am1899]

If you want a round, slick black string Black Zone is a great all around value.

If you want a shaped string, for me Black Knight is the best value going. Holds really well and actually plays better as it loosens up a bit. My go to string the last several years.

 

[Casper777]

Head hawk touch

 

[badmice2]

RPM Blast has earned a reputation (in my view) as being overpriced garbage.

Tourna Big Hitter Black 7 has been much enjoyed by a few local players through recent years, but it doesn't seem to hold firm for as many hours as a few other polys. Very smooth until it turns dead.

Not hard to live with Isospeed Baseline at $40 per reel through TW. At that price, it's not a financial nuisance to swap in a fresh set on a regular basis.

I second Isospeed baseline. It’s an absolute robbery of a string at that price and performs extremely well. It’s cheap enough to cut if you want to experiment different tension. It’s my go-to cross string when stringing gut main.