Best Poly for Natural Gut Mains?

TripleB

Hall of Fame
I'm getting ready to try a natural gut mains/poly crosses hybrid in my Wilson Six.One Team BLX.

I've pretty much decided to go with Pacific Classic 1.30 for my natural gut but am having a harder time deciding on my poly cross. I've used textured polys for so long now I'm not familiar with how good the various smooth polys play or which ones might match up well with the natural but mains.

Some strings that players have seemed to have success with as a cross with a natural gut main are:

- MSV Co-Focus 1.18
- Luxilon Big Banger Ace 1.12
- Solinco Revolution 1.20 (or 1.15)
- Topspin Cyber Blue 1.20
- Babolat Pro Hurricane 1.20

Can anyone comment on using any of the above five as a cross with natural gut mains?

Are there any other smooth polys I should consider?

Thanks for your help!!!

TripleB
 

Cobra Tennis

Professional
I really like the feel of prince beast in a hybrid setup.

How is your life outside of the TT Warrior?

I must say I am guilty of falling in love with the APD. so much more pop than the warrior and a easier experience.
 

Shaun

Rookie
Luxilon ALU power plays nice and if you want something close to that but for cheaper try Genesis Typhoon
 

TripleB

Hall of Fame
How is your life outside of the TT Warrior?

Fantastic! So much more control and maneuverability from my Six.One Team BLX. My doubles game is much improved and I have a lot more confidence now. If I can just get this set-up to help my arm and bump the power a little everything will be perfect!!!

Luxilon ALU power plays nice and if you want something close to that but for cheaper try Genesis Typhoon

I was wanting to try a get a poly around 1.20mm but I've read where many people (including TW) suggest this as a cross. I'll definitely put it on my list.

TripleB
 

Cobra Tennis

Professional
Fantastic! So much more control and maneuverability from my Six.One Team BLX. My doubles game is much improved and I have a lot more confidence now. If I can just get this set-up to help my arm and bump the power a little everything will be perfect!!!





TripleB



It's funny that I love the Warrior, but it is just SO underpowered that it is hard to finish off points. I sometimes used to swing as fast as I could and just couldn't put a winner on my opp. At the net it is a great stick, but from the baseline it is crazy.

Funny that you say the 6.1 is more maneuverable. I too think the APD is more maneuverable than the warrior.

Really loving the APD right now.
 

BLX_Andy

Professional
Try Luxilon 4G. Tension Maintenance is great with poly mains.

+1 According to TW University, 4G holds tension the most, but it's severely underpowered for me. So drop a few pounds when stringing. More than you would with a regular polyester.
 

NLBwell

Legend
Signum Pro Poly Plasma Pure 17 (SPPPP). Lasts a long time before it goes dead. Is very comfortable. Gives good spin and control with a very nice feel to the stringbed. Like it better as a cross than other polys I prefer as a main.
 

JT_2eighty

Hall of Fame
It depends what you want.

When you say "match up well with natural gut mains", are you looking to maximize feel, power, longevity or control?

My answer would vary depending on which characteristic of gut (or poly) that you like the most:


Control: ALU or something similarly stiff. ALU adds great control but you pay for that with a big chunk of feel and power. It will be playable a little longer than it normally does in a full bed, but you lose the nice "gut" feel after a while. Great choice if you are worried about gut being too powerful and are coming from full poly.

Comfort/power: MSV Cofocus. Very slippery and soft, and great selection of gauges to fit your needs. Overall, good all-round string with great spin potential, the only downside is continued softening, and loss of control. Unlike other polys, it never really gets "dead" in a low power sense; instead it gets soft and springy over time. Good comfort choice. So-so for tension stability.

Feel/Longevity: WC Mosquito Bite. Only comes in 1.16mm, but this string is the best match for natural gut's feel. Other really thin polys fall into this category, but most fall short to MB when it comes to tension stability. This would be the choice for those that prefer the overall feel and playability of gut, looking for a little extra control, as opposed to those who like ALU that prefer the overall playability of poly, that use gut mains for the added touch and power.


Everything else I've tried falls somewhere in the middle of these three. Stiffer polys trend towards ALU, softer ones towards Cofocus. Based on the 4G reviews, that would be the "Control/longevity" choice, on the opposite end of WC MB. It's one I've yet to try.

All in all the differences among polys are subtle when used as a cross. It just depends which part of the gut you want to amplify and which to mute.
 

ricki

Hall of Fame
With gut i tried only "mosquito bite" and it plays superb - string realign and spin/control is top notch
 

TripleB

Hall of Fame
It depends what you want.

Control: ALU or something similarly stiff. A great choice if you are worried about gut being too powerful and are coming from full poly.

Comfort/power: MSV Cofocus. Overall, good all-round string with great spin potential.

Feel/Longevity: WC Mosquito Bite. Looking for a little extra control.

To be honest it looks like I want a mix of all three of the strings you mention :)

My top two concerns are: 1) SPIN: my game relies heavily on using heavy spins (top, slice, side, kick, etc) to either give my opponents a ball they have a tough time handling or to get extreme angles from all over the court (I'm coming from a full poly so this is the area I'm most concerned about); and 2) CONTROL: this goes along with spin but I really need to be able to put the ball exactly where I'm wanting it to go to make sure I don't make a point easy for my opponents or get my partner killed at the net (I play strictly doubles)

My secondary needs, and why I am going to this natural gut/poly hybrid from my all poly set up, are: A) MORE POP (from my Six.One Team BLX): I'm not needing Pure Drive power, but my 1st serve is too slow and I need more put away power up at the net; and B) BETTER TOUCH/FEEL: I'm needing both of these, especially at the net but also on those dropshots

So, I guess these are the four areas I'm really needing help with...would like for the set up to be durable but the other four areas are my main concerns.

Right now my four choices are: Luxilon ALU Power 1.25, MSV Co-Focus 1.18, Solinco Outlast 1.20, and WC Mosquito Bite 1.16. If I had to rule out one of the four I guess it would be the Luxilon...just for the price standpoint.

I appreciate all the input from everyone.

TripleB
 
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JT_2eighty

Hall of Fame
^

RE: Spin- I find most smooth polys are going to be great for spin with gut mains. I haven't really found one that 'hurts' the natural spin you get with gut/poly. Typically the thinner crosses seem to aid spin the best, for me.

RE: Control - A big part of control is going to be finding your preferred tension. Coming from full poly, you'll want to up the tension on your gut mains, while keeping your usually poly tension on the crosses. Best place to start is add 3-5 lbs from what your poly tension was for your gut mains, and then use the same poly tension in crosses. Adjust as needed.

RE: "More pop" - MB and Cofocus will give you ample controlled power. The difference is, over time, Cofocus will become more powerful, and control will trail off slightly (some are able to adjust to it over time, as the spin potential can slightly increase over the same time). WC MB will remain more predictable over time.

RE: Touch/Feel: WC MB for sure. Especially if you play strictly doubles, I feel confident you will love Gut/MB. I would also add a couple pounds to this and Cofocus from your reference poly, as they are both on the softer side.
 

TripleB

Hall of Fame
^

RE: Spin- I find most smooth polys are going to be great for spin with gut mains. I haven't really found one that 'hurts' the natural spin you get with gut/poly. Typically the thinner crosses seem to aid spin the best, for me.

RE: Control - A big part of control is going to be finding your preferred tension. Coming from full poly, you'll want to up the tension on your gut mains, while keeping your usually poly tension on the crosses. Best place to start is add 3-5 lbs from what your poly tension was for your gut mains, and then use the same poly tension in crosses. Adjust as needed.

RE: "More pop" - MB and Cofocus will give you ample controlled power. The difference is, over time, Cofocus will become more powerful, and control will trail off slightly (some are able to adjust to it over time, as the spin potential can slightly increase over the same time). WC MB will remain more predictable over time.

RE: Touch/Feel: WC MB for sure. Especially if you play strictly doubles, I feel confident you will love Gut/MB. I would also add a couple pounds to this and Cofocus from your reference poly, as they are both on the softer side.

Thank you!!!

From your descriptions I thought that my choice would come down to Mosquito Bite or CoFocus.

A question on the tension. I currently play with a Tour Bite 1.20/Tour Bite Soft 1.20 hybrid at 43/46. I'm afraid that if I only go up to 47 pounds on the gut mains that the ball will be flying. I was thinking of going 56/52 the first time...my thinking is that I would prefer to have the natural gut too tight to start with than to have it too loose. Usually if a start out with a new string too loose I give up on it because the control is so awful.

What do you think about the 56/52 starting point with Pacific Classic 1.30 natural gut mains and the MB or MSV crosses?

Thanks again for all your help.

TripleB
 

TripleB

Hall of Fame
Thanks for everyone's input and advice.

In the end I decided to order my newest Wilson Six.One Team BLX with Pacific Classic Natural Gut 1.30 mains at 56 pounds and MSV Co-Focus 1.18 crosses at 52 pounds.

I also ordered an extra set of the Pacific Classic Natural Gut 1.30 and a set of the WeissCannon Mosquito 1.16 black strings. I figure that will give me four string set-ups to try...two with the MSV and two with the WC and I can adjust the tension for each set up as needed.

Again, I appreciate all your help!!!

TripleB
 

JT_2eighty

Hall of Fame
Perfect call. Yes, I wasn't sure what poly or tension you were coming from, so that is a great place to start! Since you are using a lower tension on poly, then my "add 3-5 pounds for gut" doesn't really apply. You did the right thing.

For me, I'm using Tour Bite 17 at 38/35, and I came from ToughGut 16L / WC MB at 56/53. I've also played Gut/poly between 52/49, to 60/57. Gut plays its best the closer to 60 you get, IMO. Poly, for me, I prefer under 45; but gut/poly at 60/45 is not good (yes, I tried that once too). So, in essence you did the right thing, which I forgot to mention, that with a soft poly cross, the added benefit is you can keep gut where it "should be" (above 50lbs), and then can string the poly at a reasonable tension (no less than 5 lbs from the main tension). Thus, 56/52! Perfect!

SO many options and possibilities though, and everyone will have a different preference. Hope you like it!
 

7zero

Semi-Pro
Perfect call. Yes, I wasn't sure what poly or tension you were coming from, so that is a great place to start! Since you are using a lower tension on poly, then my "add 3-5 pounds for gut" doesn't really apply. You did the right thing.

For me, I'm using Tour Bite 17 at 38/35, and I came from ToughGut 16L / WC MB at 56/53. I've also played Gut/poly between 52/49, to 60/57. Gut plays its best the closer to 60 you get, IMO. Poly, for me, I prefer under 45; but gut/poly at 60/45 is not good (yes, I tried that once too). So, in essence you did the right thing, which I forgot to mention, that with a soft poly cross, the added benefit is you can keep gut where it "should be" (above 50lbs), and then can string the poly at a reasonable tension (no less than 5 lbs from the main tension). Thus, 56/52! Perfect!

SO many options and possibilities though, and everyone will have a different preference. Hope you like it!

I will print this out and try it too. Thanks for sharing experience
 

tomseek

New User
Hi JT,

Question for you. I am using Pac Classic and CoFo at 57/52. I want to try MB. Which is more comfortable, CoFo or MB? And to get the same power, what should I string Pac Classic and MB at?

Tom
 
Obviously an after thought here, but maybe you'll consider next time:

- The best "poly" I've ever used with Classic Gut is Pacific XForce 17 (1.24). It's actually the best set-up I've ever tried, out of thousands of different combinations. I've tried the hybrid both ways, but usually prefer the traditional setup, poly mains, gut crosses. The feel of these two Pacific strings together is unexplainably good. More importantly, when selecting a poly for a hybrid setup with expensive natural gut, it's imperative to select a poly with above average tension stability characteristics. The gut will play amazingly until the day it breaks, but your poly could go dead long before that day, thus wasting your ripe gut. For shame! This is where Pacific X Force stands alone. XForce 18 (1.19) has amazing tension stability for an 18g string, but the 17g and 16L versions are unrivaled across the industry. Here are the best poly choices for a hybrid with natural gut:

1. Pacific XForce 17 (1.24), 16L (1.29)
2. Luxilon 4G 125, 4G 130
3. Klip Optic Nerve 16 (1.30)
4. Babolat Pro Hurricane 16 (1.30)
5. Signum Pro Poly Plasma 1.33
6. Babolat Pro Hurricane Feel 16 (1.30)
7. Signum Pro Poly Megaforce 1.24, Poly Megaforce 1.29
8. Wilson Enduro Pro 16 (1.30)
9. Tecnifibre Pro Red Code 16 (1.30)
10. Ytex Pro Feel 1.27
 

McLovin

Legend
Stevo...now ya tell me :)

TripleB

Well, again, it really comes down to what you like. I've used many of the poly crosses on Stevo's list and would rank them differently, starting w/ SPPP being in front of the Pacific.

I also gave Mosquito Bite a try and in all honesty couldn't tell much of a difference between it & Co. Focus 18g.

So, yes it can be an expensive journey, but once you get there it will be much better than before, at least that is what I found.
 

maxpotapov

Hall of Fame
Mosquito Bite, the thinner the better
I have yet to break my Tough Gut / Mosquito Bite setup, after almost a year of occasional hitting with Prestige Mid. 40 hours at least and counting...
 

JT_2eighty

Hall of Fame
More importantly, when selecting a poly for a hybrid setup with expensive natural gut, it's imperative to select a poly with above average tension stability characteristics. The gut will play amazingly until the day it breaks, but your poly could go dead long before that day, thus wasting your ripe gut. For shame!

+2 Agreed. another reason why I like the WC MB. It was one of few that remained predictable over time. CoFocus felt similar, but softened up too much for me over time. Luxilon strings obviously have their own track record of not so great tension hold, aside from 4G.

I will have to try the Pacific Xforce poly now! Thanks... just what I need is more strings to test... heh. I do love Pacific guts so you are probably on to something there.

In all, the key is definitely to find a great tension stability poly. Anything from WC and SP is going to be top-notch as well. MB gets my vote due to its exceptional feel in addition to its tension hold.
 
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7zero

Semi-Pro
+2 Agreed. another reason why I like the WC MB. It was one of few that remained predictable over time. CoFocus felt similar, but softened up too much for me over time. Luxilon strings obviously have their own track record of not so great tension hold, aside from 4G.

I will have to try the Pacific Xforce poly now! Thanks... just what I need is more strings to test... heh. I do love Pacific guts so you are probably on to something there.

In all, the key is definitely to find a great tension stability poly. Anything from WC and SP is going to be top-notch as well. MB gets my vote due to its exception feel in addition.

I am sold, but what gauge will do the longevity job better? 1,16 or 1,19? I found them both in TW shop. Thanks for advise
 

Dimcorner

Professional
What about Yonex Poly Tour 120? Those seem to have very good tension hold.

I'm going to buy a 1/2 set of gut to try out on my next order from TW.
 
What about Yonex Poly Tour 120? Those seem to have very good tension hold.

I'm going to buy a 1/2 set of gut to try out on my next order from TW.

Yonex Poly Tour is a nice playing and soft poly, but hardly known for tension stability. It goes dead rather quickly.
 
Well, again, it really comes down to what you like. I've used many of the poly crosses on Stevo's list and would rank them differently, starting w/ SPPP being in front of the Pacific.

I also gave Mosquito Bite a try and in all honesty couldn't tell much of a difference between it & Co. Focus 18g.

So, yes it can be an expensive journey, but once you get there it will be much better than before, at least that is what I found.

McL, always respect your insider knowledge, but the USRSA String Test says different. Though I've used every string on my list, a few times over, those rankings were objective, yet. Signum Pro's Poly Megaforce has better average tension stability across the various gauges, than SPPP. The differences between the strings on the list as far as tension retention goes, are too subtle to notice, until around #6 or so. They're all great strings though.
 
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