co-poly mains / NG cross hybrid advice

[paul_j]

quick details:

• 16x19 v7 blades, 330 and 331 sw with 17g poly
• 4.0 player, playing 2x/week after 20 year layoff
• long strokes, reasonable top, mediocre footwork
• love Solinco Tour Bite Soft 17g #50 but some forearm discomfort
• please help me with my next string

Sorry for yet another blade stringing question post, but after some initial experimentation, I settled on TBS 50#. I love the consistent stringbed and (for me) crazy spin. Deep balls that I think are going out magically dip right before the baseline, and hitting passing shots has never been more fun. Tension decline seems reasonably linear (until it's not), and I've been getting 17 or 18 hours before cutting them out. I have no idea how long it would take me to break them, but I wouldn't want to find out.

Our story would end here, but in the first half of the year I was experiencing tightness at the top of my forearm after playing. Not really pain, more like the soreness after hitting the gym. I assumed it was all part of building back tennis strength, and that could still be true. But, to test that theory I strung a frame with VS 16g mid-August and my forearm issues went away. This too could be the end of the story but I didn't enjoy playing with the natural gut.

VS felt wonderful overall, especially for volleys where it was amazing. It also gave my backhand a bit more pop, but the spin drop-off on the forehand side was really big. Distance control was a challenge too, but that was my mistake for stringing at 55# instead of ~60#. I also snapped the 5th string after 14 hours, and the 4th, 12th and 13th were literally hanging on by threads. The cross strings were like new with no significant wear.

TBS - nearly perfect but concerned about injury over time
VS NG - luxurious but $$$ and not enough spin (for me)

So, I seek the wisdom of the forum where I've learned so much (and still have so much to learn). I think the best options are:

1) try a full bed of multi. I assume it would last 10-15 hours and have similar comfort to NG. Possibly better spin but less tension maintenance. If I decide to try multi, should I string ~54# or stay closer to 50#?

2) try a full bed of softer, more elastic poly like Yonex Poly Tour Air. Nothing about TBS is harsh. I guess I'd describe it as solid or muted. With YPTA, I assume I'll get less bite than TBS but more spin than NG. I'm also curious about Smart or Element but don't know if they are soft enough.

3) try a co-poly main / NG cross hybrid. Based on my full bed NG experience, I imagine that the NG crosses will maintain tension much longer than co-poly mains. I also would not expect the crosses to break assuming the mains are smooth, so the stringing job should last as long as the co-poly is playable (15-20 hours?).

Option 3 should offer the best performance, but my first effort could either be genius or a disaster depending on the choice of mains and the tension differential. It also seems like option 3 could require a lot of iterations to get right.

What would you do? Thanks!

 

[Papa Mango]

1) Don't bother. It's the worst choice over all. Depending on how much spin you hit you'll snap it in anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours. If you hit flat then it might work but from your description it does not seem like you are a flat hitter.
2) yes there are a bunch of softer polys to try. Old school like cyberflash/ cyber blue cream etc. But IMHO once you have elbow issues with a poly a fb will probably not work.
3) Yes NG cross will maintain tension way better tha your mains. No you'll probably break the cross even with a round poly. Again depending on how much spin you hit But IME will probably not be 15-20 hours. For tension keep the poly tension and string the NG cross at 55/56.

4th option is to go NG main and smooth poly cross. More spin than full NG. The poly will die before the mains break but depending on the poly you choose the set up might still be playable ( won't recommend if you are having elbow issues) or if you string your own than just restring your crosses. you can try VS/Cream or even TBS as the cross. Check out the plethora of threads here on gut/poly hybrid.

 

[paul_j]

Papa Mango, thanks. I really appreciate the response.

I've read a lot of threads on NG hybrids; there is almost too much information. Two points of clarification. First, I wouldn't describe the soreness I had as an elbow injury per se, it was more top of the arm and different from TE or GE symptoms, but I do think better safe than sorry is sage advice. And second, it did take me 14 hours to break the VS 16g, so while I do hit with a decent degree of spin (almost all of the wear was 3rd, 4th and 5th mains) I might not hit the hardest ball (as much as I try). That is why I was thinking that a round poly and NG cross would last longer (and provide more spin) than reverse.

 

[Papa Mango]

Sure go for it. I personally think gut is a waste in the crosses, but you can also try a 16L/17 soft synthetic gut in the cross and see if it works similar or close to gut in the crosses.
Definitely will be cheaper.

 

[Injured Again]

I strung up a pair of Clash 100 Pros for a 70+ competitive age group player, with 1.25 Alu Power in the mains at 50 and 16 gauge VS in the crosses at 55 pounds. He was coming off elbow issues and loves the setup. He rotates the two racquets and has about 20 hours on each and says he feels no dropoff in performance and no loss of control.

 

[BlueB]

3) try a co-poly main / NG cross hybrid. Based on my full bed NG experience, I imagine that the NG crosses will maintain tension much longer than co-poly mains. I also would not expect the crosses to break assuming the mains are smooth, so the stringing job should last as long as the co-poly is playable (15-20 hours?).

What would you do? Thanks!

Switch the hybrid around and you've got the setup.

 

[socallefty]

If you like TB Soft and the only issue is some soreness, the first thing to try is stringing it fullbed at 44 or 42 lbs. Most polys play pretty well strung in the low forties.

Otherwise, I would echo PapaMango and advise using gut in the mains if you use poly crosses. Pretty much any poly will go dead and start feeling harsh in feel (leading to soreness) after 15 hours and with most round polys, this likely happens within 10 hours. While a gut hybrid may buy you a few more hours before you feel it is too harsh, the poly will likely go dead before you break the gut and so, it is a waste for a 4.0 to put gut in the crosses. You might as well use the gut in the mains and use poly crosses.

I am still looking for a round poly cross that doesn’t go dead and feel harsh within 10 hours. I loved ALU Power for about 5 hours as a cross and an experienced stringer on TTW has suggested that I try Tier One Ghostwire. I’m currently playing with VS mains/HyperG crosses and I break it in about 12-15 hours playing a mix of singles and doubles - if I play only doubles, I can make it last another 5 hours and it doesn‘t go dead before that. I used Tour Bite soft as a cross, but like HyperG much better - more spin/bite and crisper feel. I string at 48/44 on a Pure Strike Tour.

My stringer wants me to try Toroline Caviar as a cross as he said that some other 4.5+ players find it more comfortable than HyperG and it plays very similar otherwise. I’m planning to try that soon.

 

[Hansen]

4th option is to go NG main and smooth poly cross

best option

 

[paul_j]

Papa Mango, Injured Again, BlueB, socallefty and Hansen, thank you!

Conclusions so far seem to be:

a) no real point in trying a multi. I'll likely be disappointed by spin and durability
b) might be worth experimenting with full poly at a lower tension. could stick with TBS (or maybe Smart?)
c) a hybrid with gut crosses probably doesn't make sense. the consensus seems to be if you are using gut, use it in the mains

As I am thinking about hybrids, I imagine NG main / poly cross is more comfortable than poly main / SG cross, but does it also spin more? Also, how should I think about tension for a NG / poly hybrid. Left to my own devices I'd say 55/50 based on my full bed of NG. But socallefty has found nirvana at 48/44. Does the poly cross provide the control that I could find with full VS at 55#?

Thanks again!

 

[BlueB]

I play gut/poly at 60/50 in a 100sqin frame. I used to be at 60/40, which is more comfortable, but wanted more controll and lower launch angle.

 

[Injured Again]

Papa Mango, Injured Again, BlueB, socallefty and Hansen, thank you!

Conclusions so far seem to be:

a) no real point in trying a multi. I'll likely be disappointed by spin and durability
b) might be worth experimenting with full poly at a lower tension. could stick with TBS (or maybe Smart?)
c) a hybrid with gut crosses probably doesn't make sense. the consensus seems to be if you are using gut, use it in the mains

As I am thinking about hybrids, I imagine NG main / poly cross is more comfortable than poly main / SG cross, but does it also spin more? Also, how should I think about tension for a NG / poly hybrid. Left to my own devices I'd say 55/50 based on my full bed of NG. But socallefty has found nirvana at 48/44. Does the poly cross provide the control that I could find with full VS at 55#?

Thanks again!

Regarding point B, don't try Smart. It's a terrible string.

As far as point C, the gentleman I strung up with poly mains and gut crosses valued control more than power. I've also recently strung up gut mains and Alu crosses for another similar player who ended up cutting it out because the stringbed was too powerful. So if an all poly stringbed is a 1 and an all gut stringbed is a 10, gut crosses are probably a 3 and poly crosses are probably an 8.

 

[Hansen]

Left to my own devices I'd say 55/50 based on my full bed of NG

4-5 lb differential is ok

 

[USPTARF97]

57/54 Gut/poly works well in that frame. If you like a string bed with more of a poly response but more comfort and power, poly/gut.

 

[Papa Mango]

Papa Mango, Injured Again, BlueB, socallefty and Hansen, thank you!

Conclusions so far seem to be:

a) no real point in trying a multi. I'll likely be disappointed by spin and durability
b) might be worth experimenting with full poly at a lower tension. could stick with TBS (or maybe Smart?)
c) a hybrid with gut crosses probably doesn't make sense. the consensus seems to be if you are using gut, use it in the mains

As I am thinking about hybrids, I imagine NG main / poly cross is more comfortable than poly main / SG cross, but does it also spin more? Also, how should I think about tension for a NG / poly hybrid. Left to my own devices I'd say 55/50 based on my full bed of NG. But socallefty has found nirvana at 48/44. Does the poly cross provide the control that I could find with full VS at 55#?

Thanks again!

Poly main will provide more spin than any other main (fb or otherwise).
55/50 is a good start or you can go higher on the gut mains keeping TBS at 50 since you already like that. I usually string my gut mains in the mid 50s too but personally could not find enough control on a blade 16X19 (modded) so had to up the tension. I was stringing gut (Lux)/poly at 64/54 when I was playing with the blade. But I am of the thinking keep your tension as low as possible that you can control.

 

[paul_j]

Thanks again, everyone, for helping me learn. I think I drew some wrong conclusions about spin from my fb NG experiment. I had assumed that gut's spin potential (at least for me) was low. The mains were moving a lot but (after the first two hours or so) weren't snapping back. Had I started with a hybrid with slick crosses, the gut main would have generated more spin because it would have moved more freely for longer.

 

[PaulC]

Thanks again, everyone, for helping me learn. I think I drew some wrong conclusions about spin from my fb NG experiment. I had assumed that gut's spin potential (at least for me) was low. The mains were moving a lot but (after the first two hours or so) weren't snapping back. Had I started with a hybrid with slick crosses, the gut main would have generated more spin because it would have moved more freely for longer.

You are NOT totally wrong about gut's lower spin potential, or else NADAL will be playing with Gut/Poly.

As for Fed, he has to put it string savers to reduce the excessive movement of the gut... would you like that too?

How come nobody mention *shaped* and soft poly mains like TB soft + *round* and soft poly cross such as ISO Speed Cream / Tier One Ghost etc? (Tension should be much lower than your usual sets)

Give it a try!

 

[jdub486]

Gut mains (I like Babolat tonic ball feel) with cream (soft), ice code (medium), or red code wax (firm) crosses. I would try 55 lbs main with a 10% pre stretch and drop 3 lbs on the crosses with no pre stretch.

 

[BlueB]

Prestretch the poly crosses to reduce the tension loss.

 

[Papa Mango]

You are NOT totally wrong about gut's lower spin potential, or else NADAL will be playing with Gut/Poly.

As for Fed, he has to put it string savers to reduce the excessive movement of the gut... would you like that too?

How come nobody mention *shaped* and soft poly mains like TB soft + *round* and soft poly cross such as ISO Speed Cream / Tier One Ghost etc? (Tension should be much lower than your usual sets)

Give it a try!

IIRC Fed said he uses string savers and the power pads more for nostalgia than anything else.
Not sure what you mean by excessive movement of gut, the strings do have to move (and snapback) to generate spin. If you mean them not snapping back into place, that only happens once the poly is dead.
Even then the string bed is more playable than any other dead string multi or full poly.

 

[Humbi_HTX]

I like to use the poli on the mains because is the string that generates the spin and snaps back to keep consistency and control on the shots, while the softer string I like to use as a cross because it provides comfort and power. In regards to durability of the string bed, the mains are usually the ones that break because all the sliding and friction is happening in a small section of the string, while the cross is being worn across a longer section of itself, so If you want to extend the playability of the string bed, you want to have the weaker string to be on the cross and prolong its life.

If you want to try hyrbid, try first the poli crossed with s.gut instead of n.gut, it will be much cheaper and will still give you control and spin from the mains, while providing comfort and power. I have strung a Blades CV-spin for a friend a few times, the last one was with ProlineII 18L and OGSM 17 crossed, I liked it better than the previous string job with 18g Rough it had as mains, better touch and better feel (I am not a fan of texturized strings, I rather used a shaped string instead) but it felt great, he is an older guy that used to have elbow issues but has been pain free for the last year since I have been stringing his frames.

 

[USPTARF97]

I like to use the poli on the mains because is the string that generates the spin and snaps back to keep consistency and control on the shots, while the softer string I like to use as a cross because it provides comfort and power. In regards to durability of the string bed, the mains are usually the ones that break because all the sliding and friction is happening in a small section of the string, while the cross is being worn across a longer section of itself, so If you want to extend the playability of the string bed, you want to have the weaker string to be on the cross and prolong its life.

If you want to try hyrbid, try first the poli crossed with s.gut instead of n.gut, it will be much cheaper and will still give you control and spin from the mains, while providing comfort and power. I have strung a Blades CV-spin for a friend a few times, the last one was with ProlineII 18L and OGSM 17 crossed, I liked it better than the previous string job with 18g Rough it had as mains, better touch and better feel (I am not a fan of texturized strings, I rather used a shaped string instead) but it felt great, he is an older guy that used to have elbow issues but has been pain free for the last year since I have been stringing his frames.

What tension you stringing? I always ask that to get ideas about stringing certain frames at different tensions but also looking at the string bed..it could be 40 or 70.

 

[PaulC]

IIRC Fed said he uses string savers and the power pads more for nostalgia than anything else.
Not sure what you mean by excessive movement of gut, the strings do have to move (and snapback) to generate spin. If you mean them not snapping back into place, that only happens once the poly is dead.
Even then the string bed is more playable than any other dead string multi or full poly.

Yes, I am referring to gut mains move out of place.

Different folks, different strokes, I guess I am a Nadal wannabe (FH only) since my POG mid days, so gut mains don't stand a chance

But I don't have this problem with shaped poly mains + soft round poly cross ever.

(In fact, I got a frame with already trampolined poly/poly hybrid that had not been restrung for probably 3 yrs, took it out on a whim to hit and the mains still slides back to place after crazy-brushing topspin shots!!!)

-- which led me to try out the extremely-low-tension route (low 30lbs) as described by Chris of TW, and stick to it now.

You can also see Fed constantly moving the main guts back to place during matches since his PS 90s days to his recent PS 97RF times.

Probably not a big deal to many people, but I rather the mains slide-back so completely as if it never moved out of place during topspin shots.

 

[Humbi_HTX]

What tension you stringing? I always ask that to get ideas about stringing certain frames at different tensions but also looking at the string bed..it could be 40 or 70.

It depends on the frame, the strings and the intention. I have gone as high 58lbs trying to tame down one of those Head rocket launchers with a huge string bed, and as low as 52lbs on some of my old frames that are very low powered.

Personally I have found 52~54lbs is the range I like the most in terms of how the string bed feels and pockets the ball or rebounds, and I prefer thin strings because I am not a string breaker and durability is not an issue, I like the feel of 17/18g rather than 15L/16g.

I think now that I have found a tension I like htting, I try different strings on the mains to get a feel for how the frame hits with it. If I am re-stringing my old tweener frame PStorm Team 16x20 (305g sw) I have come to like mains that tame some of the power and allow me to swing thru a little faster with this frame, but if I am putting strings on the c10pro 16x19 (340g sw) I like strings that are more elastic and give me some power back, otherwise the frame is too demanding for my recreational level.

 

[USPTARF97]

It depends on the frame, the strings and the intention. I have gone as high 58lbs trying to tame down one of those Head rocket launchers with a huge string bed, and as low as 52lbs on some of my old frames that are very low powered.

Personally I have found 52~54lbs is the range I like the most in terms of how the string bed feels and pockets the ball or rebounds, and I prefer thin strings because I am not a string breaker and durability is not an issue, I like the feel of 17/18g rather than 15L/16g.

I think now that I have found a tension I like htting, I try different strings on the mains to get a feel for how the frame hits with it. If I am re-stringing my old tweener frame PStorm Team 16x20 (305g sw) I have come to like mains that tame some of the power and allow me to swing thru a little faster with this frame, but if I am putting strings on the c10pro 16x19 (340g sw) I like strings that are more elastic and give me some power back, otherwise the frame is too demanding for my recreational level.

What is the tension in the Blade?

 

[Humbi_HTX]

What is the tension in the Blade?

54lbs both main and crosses.

 

[USPTARF97]

54lbs both main and crosses.

Right on, that is what I ended up doing with the PS97.

 

[paul_j]

a quick update. based on what my stringer had in stock, I went with:

VS 16 mains at 55# with a 10% prestretch
Head Hawk crosses at 52#

The Hawk is slick and I didn't mind it when I was demoing racquets. Hope this gets me both comfort and should-be-illegal spin Will let you know mid-week. Thanks again for all of the guidance and suggestions.

 

[USPTARF97]

a quick update. based on what my stringer had in stock, I went with:

VS 16 mains at 55# with a 10% prestretch
Head Hawk crosses at 52#

The Hawk is slick and I didn't mind it when I was demoing racquets. Hope this gets me both comfort and should-be-illegal spin Will let you know mid-week. Thanks again for all of the guidance and suggestions.

Nice!

 

[FIRETennis]

Problem with gut in the crosses is that your mains will still die in 6-8h (especially ALU more like 3-4h) so you might have perfectly good gut, with dead poly which you can't replace. If you use gut mains, poly crosses, at least you could restring the crosses several times until the gut breaks.
If you do like the feeling of poly mains, I would say either try a very low tension full bed poly like 40lbs and see if you can control it.
Another option is to use a soft slick multi cross. I've had a very good experience with Head Velocity. I tried Isospeed Classic and Professional as a cross a few times and that was just uncontrollable for me and was lacking spin after 30'.
Velocity in the cross lasted about 6-7h, as much as the ALU mains and it's a fraction of the price of gut as a cross.
I haven't tried a syn gut as a cross but I imagine the snapback won't be as good after a couple hours.

 

[paul_j]

a further update. I've played twice and so far I'm happy with the VS / Head Hawk hybrid. Compared to a full bed of VS at 55# (no pre stretch), the VS at 55# with 10% pre-stretch crossed with the Hawk at 52# has a more consistent stringbed with less power, more control and similar comfort.

Pros:
Spin approaching a full bed of TBS
Addictive feel (and pop) on volleys and serves
Comfort approaching full bed of gut
Really seems like I can swing out from the baseline

Cons:
Less "bite" compared to full bed of TBS as mains aren't shaped
Probably cost, but TBD on durability.

We will see how long it takes for snap-back to decrease and then for the mains to break, but 3 hours in it is checking all the boxes.

 

[FIRETennis]

a further update. I've played twice and so far I'm happy with the VS / Head Hawk hybrid. Compared to a full bed of VS at 55# (no pre stretch), the VS at 55# with 10% pre-stretch crossed with the Hawk at 52# has a more consistent stringbed with less power, more control and similar comfort.

Pros:
Spin approaching a full bed of TBS
Addictive feel (and pop) on volleys and serves
Comfort approaching full bed of gut
Really seems like I can swing out from the baseline

Cons:
Less "bite" compared to full bed of TBS as mains aren't shaped
Probably cost, but TBD on durability.

We will see how long it takes for snap-back to decrease and then for the mains to break, but 3 hours in it is checking all the boxes.

Spot on.

Try hitting side by side to a trusted partner, some balls with the VS/Hawk and some with the TBS and ask him/her how the incoming feels?
I bet they will say the shots are harder and heavier.
Gut/poly produces heavy balls due to spin and penetration whereas shaped poly I find send a loftier ball, with more topspin, but less weight/penetration.

 

[Papa Mango]

a further update. I've played twice and so far I'm happy with the VS / Head Hawk hybrid. Compared to a full bed of VS at 55# (no pre stretch), the VS at 55# with 10% pre-stretch crossed with the Hawk at 52# has a more consistent stringbed with less power, more control and similar comfort.

Pros:
Spin approaching a full bed of TBS
Addictive feel (and pop) on volleys and serves
Comfort approaching full bed of gut
Really seems like I can swing out from the baseline

Cons:
Less "bite" compared to full bed of TBS as mains aren't shaped
Probably cost, but TBD on durability.

We will see how long it takes for snap-back to decrease and then for the mains to break, but 3 hours in it is checking all the boxes.

Good to hear. If you want more comfort, you can probably go down on the crosses some more.
The poly will prob go dead around the 8-10 hour mark.
If you string for yourself you can always restring just the crosses (go up a lb or 2 on the restring) opposite of the original stringing and get some additional time from the string bed.

 

[paul_j]

One more update, confirming that papa mango is a prophet. Through 10 hours, the VS/hawk hybrid was faultless. Spin, max comfort, power on blocked returns, feel at the net. Truly an amazing setup. After 10 hours, though, things started to go downhill.

By the 11 hour mark launch angle increased noticeably and control became harder. Intellectually I knew that I needed to maintain RHS and, if anything, spin more. But, it is hard to fight the loss in confidence that comes with balls unexpectedly sailing long. Should have switched frames at this point; pressed on in the name of science.

At 13 hours the VS mains still look great; minimal fraying and notching. However, the Hawk has lost a lot of tension. Comfort is still there; racquet plays like a trampoline though. If I did my own stringing I'd cut out the crosses but, as I don't, I'm not sure what to do. Will likely see if things stabilize and use the alt frame for anything important, as I feel bad about restringing perfectly serviceable gut.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone for the great advice. For anyone reading this thread thinking about a nat gut hybrid, do it! Just don't follow the suggestion in the title. NG mains and poly crosses are the only way to go. So much better than a full bed of NG.

 

[Dartagnan64]

One more update, confirming that papa mango is a prophet. Through 10 hours, the VS/hawk hybrid was faultless. Spin, max comfort, power on blocked returns, feel at the net. Truly an amazing setup. After 10 hours, though, things started to go downhill.

By the 11 hour mark launch angle increased noticeably and control became harder. Intellectually I knew that I needed to maintain RHS and, if anything, spin more. But, it is hard to fight the loss in confidence that comes with balls unexpectedly sailing long. Should have switched frames at this point; pressed on in the name of science.

At 13 hours the VS mains still look great; minimal fraying and notching. However, the Hawk has lost a lot of tension. Comfort is still there; racquet plays like a trampoline though. If I did my own stringing I'd cut out the crosses but, as I don't, I'm not sure what to do. Will likely see if things stabilize and use the alt frame for anything important, as I feel bad about restringing perfectly serviceable gut.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone for the great advice. For anyone reading this thread thinking about a nat gut hybrid, do it! Just don't follow the suggestion in the title. NG mains and poly crosses are the only way to go. So much better than a full bed of NG.

The secret is always finding a poly cross that loses its playability right about the time the gut is going to break. You might get a better outcome from 4G as a cross as it maintains its tension longer in my experience. Bit firmer than Hawk but stays firm throughout the life of the gut.

And since the poly adds only 20% to the feel of the string bed, maybe stringing the gut a bit higher tension will keep the trampoline effect away longer.

 

[Papa Mango]

The secret is always finding a poly cross that loses its playability right about the time the gut is going to break. You might get a better outcome from 4G as a cross as it maintains its tension longer in my experience. Bit firmer than Hawk but stays firm throughout the life of the gut.

And since the poly adds only 20% to the feel of the string bed, maybe stringing the gut a bit higher tension will keep the trampoline effect away longer.

You know steel wire doesn't drop any tension either
I don't think any poly will maintain playability as long as the gut.. best/cheapest (long term arm health wise as well) option is to buy a cheap drop weight stringer and just re-do crosses.
Other option is to put in a shaped poly with good tension maintenance in the cross that way the gut will snap close to the poly becoming unplayable.
I am loving the gut/hyper-g set up I am play testing right now, but from the condition of the gut durability is halved.

 

[paul_j]

Dartagnan and Papa Mango, continued thanks. I'll likely try both of your suggestions, and string Tour Bite Soft 17 as a cross in 1 frame and 4G as a cross in the other. I know that 4G is generally regarded as excellent for keeping tension, and in my experience with TBS I've gotten 17 or 18 solid hours from a full bed. Being shaped I assume TBS will abuse the VS much faster, but at least I'll feel better restringing when the gut snaps

 

[FIRETennis]

Poly is unlikely to last as long as the gut.
Multis as a cross won't give the same snapback and spin as poly.

Your options are:
- continue playing with dead, lower tensioned, flattened poly crosses and you will feel it too
- restring every 8-10h while shedding a tear for the immaculate gut $35+ string job you just cut out
- cut out the crosses and restring them on the other side of the gut every 8-10h, the most sensible option imo

 

[Papa Mango]

Dartagnan and Papa Mango, continued thanks. I'll likely try both of your suggestions, and string Tour Bite Soft 17 as a cross in 1 frame and 4G as a cross in the other. I know that 4G is generally regarded as excellent for keeping tension, and in my experience with TBS I've gotten 17 or 18 solid hours from a full bed. Being shaped I assume TBS will abuse the VS much faster, but at least I'll feel better restringing when the gut snaps

As a reference I am on hour 6 of my Lux/Hyper-G demo and I am not sure I am going to get to 8 before the gut snaps, but then again I am using 18 gauge Hyper G, might be able to eke out another hour or 2 if go lower gauge.
FYI strong recommendation as @FIRETennis said is to buy a cheap drop weight (or an expensive one) and string for yourself. Way cheaper after a year or 2 if you are going with the Natural gut route.

 

[FIRETennis]

As a reference I am on hour 6 of my Lux/Hyper-G demo and I am not sure I am going to get to 8 before the gut snaps, but then again I am using 18 gauge Hyper G, might be able to eke out another hour or 2 if go lower gauge.
FYI strong recommendation as @FIRETennis said is to buy a cheap drop weight (or an expensive one) and string for yourself. Way cheaper after a year or 2 if you are going with the Natural gut route.

One of the best tennis decisions was to learn to string and buy a stringing machine.
I also enjoyed Hyper-G as a cross but I couldn't justify the short life of the gut with it unfortunately. I was using Tonic mains at the time and with the Lux gut the price per hour for the strings will be more than the court

 

[Injured Again]

Saw this thread so I thought I would post. I strung up Alu 1.25 mains at 50 pounds and 1.25 Wilson gut crosses at 55 pounds for a 70+ age group competitor. He used this for a couple of months and is ready to have it restrung. He tried it the other way and had too much power and not quite the control he wanted with gut mains and poly crosses.