Breaking strings in 2h - advice needed from stringers

[Hansen]

the maximum spin setup is a shaped poly on the mains and a „stiffer“ slick poly on the crosses, so that the mains can slide on the crosses. so the ptp and fire setup makes sense. comfort and feel on the mains and a stiffer and slick backbone for control and spin. and your experience is in line with these principles.
ptp isn‘t that slick and softer than the rpm, so despite that rpm is stiffer than fire and you even used it as a main, you had less control than in the other setup, which also made sense.
since you have good experiences with ptp in the mains, pleeeaaassseee just stay with it. so the missing piece is just a control oriented, slick and affordable poly. black widow isn‘t that.
i would recommend string, stiffness, tension loss
tourna black zone 1.25 186 31.5
tourna black zone 1.30 197 29.5
(ptfire 1.25 194 35)
tourna bz is cheap and has great numbers and my personel experience was also great

 

[happyandbob]

the maximum spin setup is a shaped poly on the mains and a „stiffer“ slick poly on the crosses, so that the mains can slide on the crosses. so the ptp and fire setup makes sense. comfort and feel on the mains and a stiffer and slick backbone for control and spin. and your experience is in line with these principles.
ptp isn‘t that slick and softer than the rpm, so despite that rpm is stiffer than fire and you even used it as a main, you had less control than in the other setup, which also made sense.
since you have good experiences with ptp in the mains, pleeeaaassseee just stay with it. so the missing piece is just a control oriented, slick and affordable poly. black widow isn‘t that.
i would recommend string, stiffness, tension loss
tourna black zone 1.25 186 31.5
tourna black zone 1.30 197 29.5
(ptfire 1.25 194 35)
tourna bz is cheap and has great numbers and my personel experience was also great

PTP blue is considerably slicker than the other colors and works well as a cross

 

[Psi7]

the maximum spin setup is a shaped poly on the mains and a „stiffer“ slick poly on the crosses, so that the mains can slide on the crosses. so the ptp and fire setup makes sense. comfort and feel on the mains and a stiffer and slick backbone for control and spin. and your experience is in line with these principles.
ptp isn‘t that slick and softer than the rpm, so despite that rpm is stiffer than fire and you even used it as a main, you had less control than in the other setup, which also made sense.
since you have good experiences with ptp in the mains, pleeeaaassseee just stay with it. so the missing piece is just a control oriented, slick and affordable poly. black widow isn‘t that.
i would recommend string, stiffness, tension loss
tourna black zone 1.25 186 31.5
tourna black zone 1.30 197 29.5
(ptfire 1.25 194 35)
tourna bz is cheap and has great numbers and my personel experience was also great

Think you are completely right and i should stay with 1.3 ptp mains and just find right crosses. Great reply, thx. Will definitely check that Tourna Black Zone. Are there any more similar options but black/graphite ones or i should cut it to either this in 1.25/1.3 or this yonex fire 1.25?

PTP blue is considerably slicker than the other colors and works well as a cross

This blue would be as bed on my frame as green Hyper-G With Neon Yellow on mains, black/graphite crosses will be best and i will be happy with close to 3.5-4 hours on 1.3+1.3 or 1.3+1.25

 

[Hansen]

Are there any more similar options but black/graphite ones or i should cut it to either this in 1.25/1.3 or this yonex fire 1.25?

there is no other string that i know without research that fits the bill in terms of: cheap, slippery, tension stability, low powered but still not too stiff and round.

 

[Hansen]

it could be helpful to look at the gut poly thread, since the search criteria is the same for the poly part: slippery, tension stability etc..

 

[Hansen]

have another one
isospeed black fire 1.25 204 39

 

[Psi7]

there is no other string that i know without research that fits the bill in terms of: cheap, slippery, tension stability, low powered but still not too stiff and round.

it could be helpful to look at the gut poly thread, since the search criteria is the same for the poly part: slippery, tension stability etc..

Will do, already reading a lot. Probably overthinking it by now...

So i will definitely check this Tourna Black Zone, but before that i will give a go for PTP Mains and Rough crosses as i still have half of Rough. What is your call on that based on what you said in today's response?

 

[Psi7]

Also lets take in mind that moving from 2 hours to 3.5-4 is enough for me to be happy. More durable setups wouldnt make sense anyway as poly would be dead for me by then and would have to cut it anyway.

 

[Hansen]

What is your call on that based on what you said in today's response?

sure, give it a try, no risk in making a case study

 

[blai212]

tier1 black knight 15/16g…very similar to RPM but more spin, longer playability, more economical

 

[Automatix]

Blackfire is very slick in my experience. But springy as h***.

 

[Psi7]

tier1 black knight 15/16g…very similar to RPM but more spin, longer playability, more economical

Cant even find it anywhere hehe so will have to pass on this one. No shop in my country got it and its not available on TW E either so think its a no. Just noticed its similar with this Black Zone as well...

RPM Rough reel is at the good price now, lower than Yonex Fire so i am even more interested in checking this combo now. Just hoping it wont cut PTP too quickly, but based on what i read in other topics it could be interesting.

Saw many pro's also using alu power rough on crosses actually so its not a stupid idea, in most cases with natural gut on mains, not PTP hehe(and i know they can cut it in minutes and get new ones) but hey, maybe this is it

This 1.3 PTP + 1.3 Rough on crosses could be steroid version of 1.3 PTP + 1.25 Fire. In theory it fits all the boxes right? Just this durability and cutting mains are the concern but it should play well

 

[Jouke]

I can confirm MSV Swift is a pretty awesome string (We have used it as a cross)

I have never heard of msv swift. Can someone elaborate? What does it compare to? How did you like this string?

 

[TennisJrDad]

@Jouke MSV Swift is a relatively new string which plays very nicely. It has a good blend of control, tensions maintenance, and comfort. Here is is compared to YPTP and YPTF:

 

[Humbi_HTX]

@Psi7 do you have pictures? If not, start taking pics every time it breaks to keep track of where it breaks and how it happened. With these hybrids you have tried, are you breaking the mains or crosses?

 

[Psi7]

Always mains. Here you have ptp 1.25, Ptp 1.3 +1.25 and PTP 1.3 + 1.25 Fire

 

[graycrait]

@Psi7 , do you string your own, you should. If you don't and the cost is not a factor then what is the issue. Breaking strings before they die is a good thing if you can afford it.

 

[AndI]

The HomeDepot sells steel wire. It should work.

 

[blai212]

time to go 15L gauge.

 

[nov]

I really cant understand this struggle. Such a player need 18x20 racquet, and would be better tight 18x20.

 

[CornelMc]

@Psi7 - Here's the comparison for RPM Rough 1.3, Poly Tour Pro 1.3, Black Widow 1.31 and MSV Swift 1.3 (they don't have GT3 1.28 in their database yet):

Obviously, these "ratings" are only lab measurements; performance in your specific frame is going to deviate a bit. For example, they measurement RPM Blast Rough 1.30 and PTP 1.30 to be the same in Comfort, when I think most of us would agree that, more than likely, PTP is going to be slightly more comfortable when you're actually playing it. Nevertheless, these comparisons do give you an idea of where the relative strengths of each string will be. Especially for as a cross, Swift looks to be very promising.

As a side note, I think RacketPedia's string database is really worth paying for if you're a true tennis nerd (like most of us!). €39,90/year is really not that bad for such a resource.

Hi! Could you help me with the same comparison for the following strings please: Tourna Black Zone 1.25, MSV Swift 1.25, MSV Co Focus 1.18, Isospeed Cream 1.28, Gosen G Tour 3 1.23 (or any available from this list)? I can't find much info about these strings. Much appreciated!

 

[jindra]

If breakage is the issue, OP needs to be looking into strings available in 1.35.

 

[TennisJrDad]

@CornelMc

Hi! Could you help me with the same comparison for the following strings please: Tourna Black Zone 1.25, MSV Swift 1.25, MSV Co Focus 1.18, Isospeed Cream 1.28, Gosen G Tour 3 1.23 (or any available from this list)? I can't find much info about these strings. Much appreciated!

 

[Psi7]

I really cant understand this struggle. Such a player need 18x20 racquet, and would be better tight 18x20.

Yes, as mentioned i probably should have gone with Pro version, but i wanted to stick with sth i played best so 16x19. I got new 3 racquets so i dont want to start a route for a change again

the maximum spin setup is a shaped poly on the mains and a „stiffer“ slick poly on the crosses, so that the mains can slide on the crosses. so the ptp and fire setup makes sense. comfort and feel on the mains and a stiffer and slick backbone for control and spin. and your experience is in line with these principles.
ptp isn‘t that slick and softer than the rpm, so despite that rpm is stiffer than fire and you even used it as a main, you had less control than in the other setup, which also made sense.
since you have good experiences with ptp in the mains, pleeeaaassseee just stay with it. so the missing piece is just a control oriented, slick and affordable poly. black widow isn‘t that.
i would recommend string, stiffness, tension loss
tourna black zone 1.25 186 31.5
tourna black zone 1.30 197 29.5
(ptfire 1.25 194 35)
tourna bz is cheap and has great numbers and my personel experience was also great

After today PTP 1.3 + Fire 1.25 is no longer an option. Think mains broke now in 2h about gain so same as with ptp 1.25 somehow . So just because i have another half of rough i am getting 1.3 PTP + 1.3 RPM Rough on crosses this time and will be hoping it plays superb and will somehow last 3h+. If i break it within 2 hours i will have to say no to PTP even though i really like it. Also one more option is for full PTP 1.3 too. I havent tried it. Probably last 2 options for PTP, cant figure anything more.

I played another 2 hours game today after 2h practice yesterday and my elbow/arm really seems fine. At litle bit overloaded a bit, but no discomfort or pain during game and basically i should be able to play without issues tomorrow if i wanted to. 3 days in a row before racquet/strings switch wouldnt be possible, but i cant break strings in just 2 hours

I also dont hit that hard really, also today played with opponent who didint hit nowhere close to last sessions i had with Jr's for example. And my setup lasted just 1 hour(after about 1h yesterday - had 2 hours but was mixing it up all the time with rough+ptp)

What sucks is that when i play with Rough+PTP i think i can clearly feel that its a different string on the mains comparing to PTP. Maybe just fake feeling, but think that after full 2 hours i wouldnt feel with elbow/arm as good as i do lately when PTP is mains.

So... PTP 1.3 Mains + 1.3 Rough and pray its ideal hybrid for me that will last 3 hours+ and will close this topic, if not i can give one more to to full PTP 1.3. If both end up as a No then i will have to look for alternative to PTP, so same with the comfort and touch i am getting but just more durable. Still hoping rough somehow will do the job on crosses.

Maybe i can string it more heavy on mains/crosses. I am going full 23kg right now, both mains and crosses.

Also as i broke string way too early today than expected i had to start testing during match 3rd setup with PTP 1.3 Mains and 1.25 Spin. It also felt nice, very similar to Fire option, but obviously i can assume it wont make a big difference and i am trying this setup only because i had half of spin left.

s://ibb.co/6gCsVQr]

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[esgee48]

re image above, are all the central mains notched or just the one with the broken string? Are you willing to use elastocross string savers up there?

As @g4driver and I suggest, it may be time for Kevlar/ZX. You could also try FB 1.35mm 4G in the 40’s. I had several 4.5+ level clients using 1.30 4G in spin effect frames and getting 12-16 hours before breaking.

 

[blai212]

yep that stick is a string eater…fantastic power and spin but open pattern will destroy the strings fast. Sounds like you need at least full bed 1.30 if not 1.35/1.30 hybrid since 1.25 breaks in 2h.

 

[Psi7]

re image above, are all the central mains notched or just the one with the broken string? Are you willing to use elastocross string savers up there?

As @g4driver and I suggest, it may be time for Kevlar/ZX. You could also try FB 1.35mm 4G in the 40’s.

havent used string savers before so really no idea. I really dont hit as hard and i can practice with good players but if i break it with 2 hours, itf level should break it with 30 mins so sth is not right i think as they dont do it that quickly.

i dont have racquet anymore but made this photo. Its just not the broken one as there are more notched ones ready to break.

Call me crazy but i also felt like 2x few days ago and once today “burning smell” after a hit. Thought its crazy the first time but had it again today. Maybe its this fire string on crosses as i have no idea how a hit could make this smell that had to come from the strings right?

 

[Psi7]

yep that stick is a string eater…fantastic power and spin but open pattern will destroy the strings fast. Sounds like you need at least full bed 1.30 if not 1.35/1.30 hybrid since 1.25 breaks in 2h.

it was 1.3 mains 1.25 crosses. Will check 1.3 + 1.3 now, but dont have high hopes that 1.3 on crosses will extend 1.3 on mains if mains were breaking in 1.3 + 1.25

 

[esgee48]

If you smell smoke odor, you are putting enough pressure on strings to cause friction burn. HAD few clients that did that. Went away when they changed to closed pattern frames. Also PTPF is shaped.

 

[EggSalad]

yep that stick is a string eater…fantastic power and spin but open pattern will destroy the strings fast. Sounds like you need at least full bed 1.30 if not 1.35/1.30 hybrid since 1.25 breaks in 2h.

Yup. Speed MP is a string eater. Even my wife regularly breaks her mains playing with that racquet (although she’s not using poly)

 

[Humbi_HTX]

@Psi7 when 2 strings have a similar resistance to abrasion, the main will break, that is because it is the string that is being moved back and forth over a small section of itself.

If the cross string is less resistant to abrasion, meaning it will wear out against the main, it will get real thin over a longer section of itself, and eventually will break.

If you want to extend the lifetime of the stringbed, you should experiment with different crosses until you find one that does not cut thru the mains.

How 2 different strings interact with each other is not something you can know from how stiff the string is, this has to do with which string is inherently more durable against the friction caused by them grinding on each other.

I also think a thicker gage in the cross will give a longer lifespam.

 

[blai212]

thinner cross will promote snapback action resulting in a more elastic feeling string bed producing more power, spin, comfort, ball pocketing at the expense of durability. Thicker cross will increase durability at the cost of snapback, power, spin, comfort (thicker cross means that it is harder for main to slide back and forth).

 

[Psi7]

As @g4driver and I suggest, it may be time for Kevlar/ZX. You could also try FB 1.35mm 4G in the 40’s. I had several 4.5+ level clients using 1.30 4G in spin effect frames and getting 12-16 hours before breaking.

If you smell smoke odor, you are putting enough pressure on strings to cause friction burn. HAD few clients that did that. Went away when they changed to closed pattern frames. Also PTPF is shaped.

Can you say more about Kevlar/ZX you mentioned? I think it can be hard for me to find it but yeah if nothing else works i will have to give it a go.
Luxilon 4G on TW univ page has stiffness of 287, highest number i've seen. I think it wont be a good for my elbow/arm that is really good once i switched to Speed MP and PTP mains. I even stopped using blast and i have like 120m in reel still and in comparison to 4g it looks soft So it kind of limits me here, but i am willing to sacrifice a bit, just need to get to 3-4 hours and i think its perfect compromise.

Good to hear, so this smoke odor wasnt sth i imagined. Not sure about this on the previous session, today for sure it happened with Poly FIre as crosses, but its quite possible i had also this setup that broke shortly after few days ago when i smelled it.

@Psi7 when 2 strings have a similar resistance to abrasion, the main will break, that is because it is the string that is being moved back and forth over a small section of itself.

If the cross string is less resistant to abrasion, meaning it will wear out against the main, it will get real thin over a longer section of itself, and eventually will break.

If you want to extend the lifetime of the stringbed, you should experiment with different crosses until you find one that does not cut thru the mains.

How 2 different strings interact with each other is not something you can know from how stiff the string is, this has to do with which string is inherently more durable against the friction caused by them grinding on each other.

I also think a thicker gage in the cross will give a longer lifespam.

This is interesting, thx, my next racquet is ready with RPM Rough 1.3 on the crosses so that will be first 1.3 option with 1.3 PTP as previous ones were always 1.25 . I know its shaped and in theory it should cut mains, but do you think it can work based on what you said or i shouldnt give much hopes to it? @blai212 tagging you here too as i saw you replied about it

So i will check how 1.3 PTP + 1.25 Yonex Spin plays out as it felt good today(i just had one ready so will finish it) and i still have one ready that i tested for 1h few days ago which is Rough 1.3 mains + 1.3 PTP(but think PTP on crosses is not best for me, but will also see how long this one will last) then my next one is the mentioned one, the one that i am giving big hopes for so 1.3 ptp + 1.3 rough and after it assuming this test fails, i will also try full bed of 1.3 Rough and full bed of 1.3 PTP(maybe this?).

Maybe will give a trial to full black widow 1.31 as some of you mentioned. In theory it looks fine and maybe more durable than PTP. In back up also this ZX/Kevlar that i dont fully understand.

-1.3 PTP + Rough 1.3
-1.3 PTP
-1.3 Rough
-1.31 Black Widow

BTW, is there any reason to check Head Lynx as well? I've never tried it because in numbers it looks exactly same as PTP, but maybe it could work better here?

 

[Hansen]

lynx has way more power and is softer than ptp imo

 

[esgee48]

Stiffness is a function of ref tension, so dropping tension by 5-8# will take care of stiffness issue. 4G also plays more elastically than you may think. A lot of my poly string breakers use 4G 1.30 between 44-48#.

 

[Humbi_HTX]

@Psi7 Try T1 Ghostwire 16g as a cross, keep the mains RPM or YPTP since you are familiar with, I think the cross will break instead of the mains and will give you a longer lifespan in the stringbed.

 

[blai212]

RPM rough is textured, not shaped…very big difference. Shaped usually means sharp edges while textured has dimples that actually decrease friction allowing better snapback. I would not try kevlar because poly generates much better spin. 4G and lynx tour are definitely worth a try, just remember to drop tension by about 5-8 lbs so the stiffness doesn’t destroy your arm. Low tension is great for providing lots of free power, you just have to provide the control. Hence, you want to go as low as you can while still being able to control the power. Another setup that might be worth a try is poly tour spin mains, ptp cross (casper ruud’s setup)

 

[ryohazuki222]

RPM rough is textured, not shaped…very big difference.

Rpm rough is both textured AND shaped (octagonal)

 

[blai212]

i would argue that RPM behaves more like a round string than a shaped string since the ’edges’ are rounded off

 

[TRU PRO Official]

Cant even find it anywhere hehe so will have to pass on this one. No shop in my country got it and its not available on TW E either so think its a no.

May I ask which from country you are trying to purchase?

 

[K1Y]

Can you say more about Kevlar/ZX you mentioned? I think it can be hard for me to find it but yeah if nothing else works i will have to give it a go.
Luxilon 4G on TW univ page has stiffness of 287, highest number i've seen. I think it wont be a good for my elbow/arm that is really good once i switched to Speed MP and PTP mains. I even stopped using blast and i have like 120m in reel still and in comparison to 4g it looks soft So it kind of limits me here, but i am willing to sacrifice a bit, just need to get to 3-4 hours and i think its perfect compromise.

Good to hear, so this smoke odor wasnt sth i imagined. Not sure about this on the previous session, today for sure it happened with Poly FIre as crosses, but its quite possible i had also this setup that broke shortly after few days ago when i smelled it.



This is interesting, thx, my next racquet is ready with RPM Rough 1.3 on the crosses so that will be first 1.3 option with 1.3 PTP as previous ones were always 1.25 . I know its shaped and in theory it should cut mains, but do you think it can work based on what you said or i shouldnt give much hopes to it? @blai212 tagging you here too as i saw you replied about it

So i will check how 1.3 PTP + 1.25 Yonex Spin plays out as it felt good today(i just had one ready so will finish it) and i still have one ready that i tested for 1h few days ago which is Rough 1.3 mains + 1.3 PTP(but think PTP on crosses is not best for me, but will also see how long this one will last) then my next one is the mentioned one, the one that i am giving big hopes for so 1.3 ptp + 1.3 rough and after it assuming this test fails, i will also try full bed of 1.3 Rough and full bed of 1.3 PTP(maybe this?).

Maybe will give a trial to full black widow 1.31 as some of you mentioned. In theory it looks fine and maybe more durable than PTP. In back up also this ZX/Kevlar that i dont fully understand.

-1.3 PTP + Rough 1.3
-1.3 PTP
-1.3 Rough
-1.31 Black Widow

BTW, is there any reason to check Head Lynx as well? I've never tried it because in numbers it looks exactly same as PTP, but maybe it could work better here?

really curious to see you try head lynx. Could be good. Some itf players from my area use it. they get sponsored by head.

 

[Psi7]

really curious to see you try head lynx. Could be good. Some itf players from my area use it. they get sponsored by head.

Will do. I am out for few days not so will come back to testing during 2nd half of next week, but my order is this. Will wear out my PTP 1.3 + 1.25 Spin and in meantime will start checking PTP 1.3 + Rough 1.3 crosses that i have ready now. Will also give it a go most likely on the 2nd practice to that Rough + Ptp both 1.3 that i also have now, just to wear it out and see if its fine having rough on mains for me(just to see if its even worth checking rough 1.3 FB). If so will give it a go and for sure i will also check 1.3 PTP FB as somehow i havent tried it yet. Then Lynx FB just to compare durability to PTP FB. And if nothing works out of this then Black Widow 1.31 FB and other options will include more stiff strings so Head Lynx Tour, maybe that 4g etc.

I have high hopes for PTP 1.3 + Rough 1.3 on crosses. Thats my new starting point and will think about future decision based on feedback on this. If its good, 2nd test, it play feel sucks then Full 1.3 PTP. If fine but durability not enough than 1.3 Lynx + Rough crosses.

I have few options for the next tests so i will come back after testing, most likely end of the next week

 

[ryohazuki222]

i would argue that RPM behaves more like a round string than a shaped string since the ’edges’ are rounded off

I wouldn’t disagree with that. Put me in the camp that is ok with the theory that octagonal doesn’t really count as “shaped” as a general rule. That said, it’s not a universally agreed on concept. Fact is that technically rpm rough is shaped.

 

[Humbi_HTX]

@Psi7 other options for cross strings you should try is Cream 16g and YPTAir 17g.

 

[ryohazuki222]

I was poking around the twu string database and now I’m more confused why you don’t seem to have 1.35 rough on your list?

looking at stiffness numbers, 1.35 is more similar to 1.25 than 1.30. Add that it’s fatter so it would last longer.

I struggle to believe you’ll double durability by just going up to 1.30.

 

[Psi7]

I was poking around the twu string database and now I’m more confused why you don’t seem to have 1.35 rough on your list?

looking at stiffness numbers, 1.35 is more similar to 1.25 than 1.30. Add that it’s fatter so it would last longer.

I struggle to believe you’ll double durability by just going up to 1.30.

Well i think i prefer PTP on mains rather than Rough. Now i have to racquets ready with both combinations so will test it during next 3 days. Wasnt sure how ticker string on the crosses increase durability. If 1.35 rough on crosses will hold PTP mains better than 1.3 then sure, i can give it a go. But at this moment i am not sure even about 1.3 as with Poly Tour Fire 1.25 on crosses i was still breaking mains anyway.

Will see tomorrow how Rough plays on the crosses first and how it feels vs rough on mains

 

[ryohazuki222]

OH. ya. That makes sense. Even if you put 1.35 on the crosses I’d expect the mains to still break first.

 

[Anni.Angel]

@Jouke MSV Swift is a relatively new string which plays very nicely. It has a good blend of control, tensions maintenance, and comfort. Here is is compared to YPTP and YPTF:

Where do you get these?

 

[blai212]

having thicker crosses will make the string bed feel boardy/stiff (great for control on flat shots)
If you want that PTP feel then perhaps you should try poly tour rev (similar roundish shaped 5 sided poly)

 

[KYHacker]

Since you obviously like high launch, I'm not so sure you'll like 1.30 strings at all, without extra lead on the racquets. 1.30 are preferred by good players who also like spin but don't want high launch, they prefer punching through the court, not looping the ball.

Most durable strings are PT Strike and Rev, string them low. Lynx Tour will also last, and will actually break on the crosses, they'll just get so thin and used from the constant sliding of the mains. LT also isn't super expensive so give it a try. However, most spin strings are actually made for spin but with a low launch angle, see above, so don't let that confuse you, if you like your balls to fly 2m above the net..

This. Lynx Tour is the most durable poly that I have played with other than possibly BBO Rough. Haven't been able to break either of those in 16g before the playability dropped to where I cut them out.