Blackout vs Hyper G vs Alu Soft

[ls206]

TLDR;
Control: Alu Soft = Blackout > HyperG
Power: HyperG > Blackout > Alu Soft
Spin: HyperG > Alu Soft > Blackout
Comfort: HyperG > Blackout > Alu Soft

General notes:
Strung at 21.5/20kg in Tec 315 ltd 16m
Current string is Blackout 1.28mm

Both Blackout and Alu Soft felt very low powered, I think Alu Soft slightly more so. They both had a consistent response and good control, I would give the edge to Alu Soft. Hyper G had the greatest launch angle and was at times a little unpredictable because of this.

At first I didn't notice any difference in spin between Blackout and HyperG but after playing with the Hyper G more it’s clear that this string is a spin machine. You’re rewarded for taking big swings with a heavy jumpy topspin. Switching to Blackout or Alu Soft and the lack of dip on the ball was noticeable. I was able to kick my serve into the side fence with Hyper G and Alu Soft, it was harder to do with Blackout although I didn’t find the spin on groundstrokes to be as lacking.

Hyper G felt like it had good ball pocketing and the impact while it was still firm was not harsh and the string felt softer than Blackout. Alu Soft on the other hand felt like it had the most pocketing but felt crisp at the same time. While I found the impact to feel soft it did start to hurt my arm after a short while.


In summary, I will be switching to Hyper G as my main string. I was looking for a string with a bit more power to help me out a little and I think Hyper G fits the bill. It also allows for more aggressive topspin all while being a bit more comfortable on the arm. A cheeky bonus.

I was disappointed with the Alu Soft given the reputation of Luxilon, I would actually rank it at the bottom of the list (albeit a short list), and that’s not even considering the price!

 

[Karma Tennis]

Great review.

Have you tried Black Out 1.24mm. You may find it gives you a lot more spin potential than 1.28mm. However, it may come at the cost of reduced durability and tension maintenance.

 

[ls206]

I have tried the 1.24. I found the control to be a lot lower and didn't notice extra spin. I do string quite low though and it stretched a lot more when stringing so I likely needed to raise the tension more than I did.

 

[Karma Tennis]

I have tried the 1.24. I found the control to be a lot lower and didn't notice extra spin. I do string quite low though and it stretched a lot more when stringing so I likely needed to raise the tension more than I did.

I agree with you here. Found the same thing at low tensions in a 16x19 pattern. I think 1.24 works best strung b/w 52 and 58 depending on the conditions.

Also, moving from a 1.30mm Poly to a 1.24mm Poly does require adding a little extra weight to the hoop to compensate for the weight difference b/w the two strings. This helps the control potential a bit.

 

[Amp1]

I have two rackets 98. One strung with Alu soft and another with hyper g. I actually prefer the Alu power soft much more. It has more control and I feel more accuracy. Hyper g has more power and isn't bad either. Alu power sounds much better on impact and I feel more connected to the ball.