Comfortable poly for mainly flat hitting...
- Thread starter Arvid
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graycrait
Legend
58 y old "kid" I know here in town decided to get a back up racket finally. He calls me up to discuss strings after I had gotten on to him last Monday when I asked when was the last time he restrung that poly. It was a year ago he said, maybe a bit longer than that. He couldn't fathom that because his string wasn't broke that it was no good. I told him his game is pretty darn good if he can play with "zombie" string, imagine what it would be like if he had decent strings? I run into more folks than I would have guessed who started playing tennis before poly, some like me with wood rackets, who seem to think all tennis strings are good until broken. A $35.00 string job every 10-12 hrs of play doesn't seem reasonable to many of these "older" players. Wanting to experiment with string is what drove me to get my NEOS 1000 stringing machine. Because I don't keep an inventory of string I just tell these folks when I run across them that I will string their rackets for the cost of the string or they provide me the string and there won't be labor costs. I try to steer them to multis or at least to poly/syn gut hybrid. A few intrepid daredevils have gone to Ashaway Kevlar x Zyex for a fire and forget till broken stringbed.
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good value choices are weiss cannon silverstring and yonex ptp
I’m also curious. If it’s not for spin then are you looking for control? Knowing that might help you get more specific options. If there are other intangible reasons you are specifically looking for a poly or if you are looking to just try it out - that’s cool also since experimenting is fun. But if it is for control, I would say string a firm multi at higher tension - like x-one biphase @ 55-60#. Might give you more play time and playability.
Reason why i want a poly is yes control of course. I really like a full bed of poly and have played with som textured polys before that i liked. Solinco tourbite and tourbite soft are my favourites. As i do hit flatter now then before i figured that maybe i should try something else...
J
joohan
Guest
I would throw Kirschbaum Pro Line 2, WeissCannon Scorpion and RS Lyon to the mix. No-nonsense round poly strings, all of them (Lyon being maybe a little pricier).
How is element on durability?
RS Lyon is one of the strings ive thought about sence ive heard good things about it...
dak95_00
Hall of Fame
I’m a flat hitter and don’t reap many benefits from poly if any. I find that synthetic gut strung 3-5 pounds higher is better for my arm and just the same on the game.
If I play poly, I like Head Hawk Touch 17 in my Head Gravity S at 48. I like synthetic gut at 53 for reference sake.
If I play poly, I like Head Hawk Touch 17 in my Head Gravity S at 48. I like synthetic gut at 53 for reference sake.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
guilhermefdc
Semi-Pro
Playable for about the same as Alu Power (4-5h for me), but breaks earlier (nearly immediately after dying - Alu will stay there for a few more hours if I insist). Flat hitters should get quite a few more hours, though.
(Element is a great string - not sure why it doesn’t get more love over here)
If you hit flat are you even breaking strings? Poly will drop tension pretty quickly. So you have to cut it out. Think you would be better off with a good multi, or even gut if you do not break strings.
Peter
1HBHfanatic
Legend
-head.hawk.touch, is a crisp feeling round poly, but then it settles pretty well, imo
-head.hawk, is a more muted string, than H.H.touch
-head.lynx, is more powerful, a better option for 18/20 racquets that need the extra pop
-head.hawk, is a more muted string, than H.H.touch
-head.lynx, is more powerful, a better option for 18/20 racquets that need the extra pop
VacationTennis
Semi-Pro
Poly Tour Pro is such a great round round string. Spingy and pockety, and comfortable at lower tensions. Just be ready to restring often.
Side question, does a flat hitter have more impact transfer into their body due to more direct contact compared to a whippy, glancing, top hitter?
Side question, does a flat hitter have more impact transfer into their body due to more direct contact compared to a whippy, glancing, top hitter?
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
In my experience, yes. The reason for this is that a glancing hit causes the mains to deflect off to the side. This absorbs energy, and then forces the crosses to absorb more of the impact force, which they do by stretching more. Both effects reduce the impact forces transmitted to the racquet. I believe this is also why, when poly strings notch and the stringbed locks, that people feel the stringbed as a whole gets harsher.
In reality, to maintain the same ball velocity with a more glancing hit, the racquet head speed has to be faster, which means the impact forces will also be greater. This negates a substantial part of the softening of the impact with a glancing trajectory.
Logically, this also leads to that strings which are pretty elastic or with low inter-string friction (allowing the mains to move out from underneath the ball on a glancing impact) should feel even softer when hitting heavy spin. I think in general that's true, though I'm also pretty certain I don't have the sensitivity to really feel the difference if I didn't know that it should be there.
VacationTennis
Semi-Pro
Not to derail the thread but always curious about the forces with different strokes. Also a good point about the locking of the bed causing harshness
1HBHfanatic
Legend
@Injured Again @VacationTennis
-agree ^^, but that's also why a "flat-hitter", favors a more static heavier racquet! (to offset the impact), and usually a bigger grip size as well
-a light weight racquet would buckle/twist more from the flat hit
-agree ^^, but that's also why a "flat-hitter", favors a more static heavier racquet! (to offset the impact), and usually a bigger grip size as well
-a light weight racquet would buckle/twist more from the flat hit
Years ago when i tested alu power i really thought it dropped tension and playability much faster then solinco tourbite thats why i was sort of wondering if element is the same as alu power in that department? I dont really break strings but its a good thing if they last for a while...
Kirschbaum ProLine X if you must do this. You get ZERO benefit from a poly if you hit flat. For PLX be sure to string way down— 50 if you normally string syn gut at 58. I also always have my frames strung 2-piece with poly since the string bed seems more consistent that way.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Element does lose tension but it seems to stabilize after the first couple of hitting sessions. From there until a couple of hours until it notches through, it seems to play consistently and without really going dead according to those I know who use it. The ball tends to fly right before the string breaks on a main at a notch. I've never seen a shear break with Element due to a bad mis-hit.
It's definitely worth a try even though it is priced high like other Luxilon strings.
I think im gone go for element. It seems to have the traits im looking for, and i also think its gone look awesome in my radical bumblebee!! Il post some pics later...
BBender716
Professional
I've absolutely loved RS Lyon. Great feel and tension maintenance for a poly and I've mainly used it as a nice cross.
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Deleted member 503267
Guest
If you want an inexpensive string try pros pros black out. I have been stringing it at 45 pounds but I switched to 65 pounds and it feels great. I am old school, eastern forehand and I hit flat.
