Crisp Round Poly Recommendations

[soulfree914]

Strings I've tried so far:

- Rpm blast 17: good spin and control, but a little too stiff and loses tension rapidly

- VS touch / Rpm blast: great comfort and playability but too expensive

- Luxilon natural gut / 4G - decent but pocketing was not at the level of VS touch, lack of spin

- Hyper G 17 - wicked spin on kick serves, comfortable for a spin/shaped string but a bit muted for my taste, higher launch angle a little difficult to adjust on groundstrokes

- Tour Bite Soft 17 - good ball bite and spin but control & feel was not as good as Hyper G

- Yonex Poly Tour Pro 17 - best experience so far; lower launch angle, good tension maintenance, better-than-expected spin, great control for a comfortable & thin poly


I'm looking for a round poly string similar to YPTP 120 (17) but with a crisper feel (less muted)

I'm looking at RS Lyon, Pro Line Evolution, and possibly Alu Power(less attractive due to poor tension maintenance). Are these good choices and do you have any other recommendations?

I currently play with a Prince TT 310 (and at times an Ezone DR98). I play doubles only and started to enjoy the consistency and lower launch angle of a round poly, but I still need above-average spin potential to be there.

Thanks!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[esgee48]

Durability and tension maintenance is a lot better with 16 Ga. DT is lower with same ref tension when using 16 vs 17. Hence feel is also the same or better.

You've already mentioned Evolution. Add X to the basket. Not a polyester setup, but Head IntelliTour is a crispy feeling string. Good control and adequate spin.

 

[Injured Again]

Currently have Evolution 1.25 as a full bed in an SW104 and it's a very nice string. It's got very nice tension stability and has that crisp feel you're looking for. Pretty darned good spin for a round string as well.

 

[apriliano]

Signum Pro X.perience

No doubt.

Test it.

 

[blai212]

Signum Pro X.perience

No doubt.

Test it.

+1 for xperience...for reference, I would say I’m about 4.25 NTRP (if thats possible) halfway between 4.0 and 4.5 but not quite 4.5 yet. I mainly use the new galaxy vcore98 but switch to ezone98 when my arm starts getting sore from strained bicep (I like to hit with power, used to use RF97 til my arm fell off) I’ve tried yonex PTP 17g but I jus cant seem to get the ball over the net with round poly due to low launch angle and my hitting style that employs hitting balls that jus clear the top of the net. I did enjoy the soft muted feel of YPTP though. Another string that I feel is similar to that is signum pro poly plasma. Terrific tension maintenance to go along with soft muted feel at a great price point that offers amazing value. I think Signum pro Xperience is like hyperG on steroids...it is hexagonal shape vs hyperG square shape so I believe more edges = more spin but not really sure about that. Also, Xperience is slightly softer and offers more power similar to dunlop black widow. I do Xperience 17L mains // SPPP 18g crosses at 52/50 which plays pretty well although my arm does get sore after a while from blasting balls but I think it could be a nagging residual bicep strain from when I used to use RF97 and arm the ball too much in an effort to create too much artificial power without good technique/body weight transfer into my shot to create the power. I am a firm believer in shaped poly because the spin generated from the bite is second to none. I did try volkl cyclone 17//SPPP 18 at 47/45 but cyclone was much too harsh and had to cut it out. Cyclone is similar to RPM blast except it has sharp edges instead...it is also low powered control type string similar to YPTP. Xperience//SPPP has relatively low tension loss/high playability duration but I can’t tell if it’s the xperience or the SPPP. As with any poly, there will be tension loss but it doesn’t become unplayable like RPM blast. These german manufactured strings are the real deal and I would highly suggest them. I have a reel of both as well as many other strings if interested in trade/deal for a set or two jus PM me. I also have signum pro firestorm which is supposed to be very similar to ALU but I don’t really use because I prefer shaped.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[soulfree914]

Nice color! What tension do you use for it?

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[soulfree914]

Currently have Evolution 1.25 as a full bed in an SW104 and it's a very nice string. It's got very nice tension stability and has that crisp feel you're looking for. Pretty darned good spin for a round string as well.

Nice color! What tension do you use for it?

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[soulfree914]

+1 for xperience...for reference, I would say I’m about 4.25 NTRP (if thats possible) halfway between 4.0 and 4.5 but not quite 4.5 yet. I mainly use the new galaxy vcore98 but switch to ezone98 when my arm starts getting sore from strained bicep (I like to hit with power, used to use RF97 til my arm fell off) I’ve tried yonex PTP 17g but I jus cant seem to get the ball over the net with round poly due to low launch angle and my hitting style that employs hitting balls that jus clear the top of the net. I did enjoy the soft muted feel of YPTP though. Another string that I feel is similar to that is signum pro poly plasma. Terrific tension maintenance to go along with soft muted feel at a great price point that offers amazing value. I think Signum pro Xperience is like hyperG on steroids...it is hexagonal shape vs hyperG square shape so I believe more edges = more spin but not really sure about that. Also, Xperience is slightly softer and offers more power similar to dunlop black widow. I do Xperience 17L mains // SPPP 18g crosses at 52/50 which plays pretty well although my arm does get sore after a while from blasting balls but I think it could be a nagging residual bicep strain from when I used to use RF97 and arm the ball too much in an effort to create too much artificial power without good technique/body weight transfer into my shot to create the power. I am a firm believer in shaped poly because the spin generated from the bite is second to none. I did try volkl cyclone 17//SPPP 18 at 47/45 but cyclone was much too harsh and had to cut it out. Cyclone is similar to RPM blast except it has sharp edges instead...it is also low powered control type string similar to YPTP. Xperience//SPPP has relatively low tension loss/high playability duration but I can’t tell if it’s the xperience or the SPPP. As with any poly, there will be tension loss but it doesn’t become unplayable like RPM blast. These german manufactured strings are the real deal and I would highly suggest them. I have a reel of both as well as many other strings if interested in trade/deal for a set or two jus PM me. I also have signum pro firestorm which is supposed to be very similar to ALU but I don’t really use because I prefer shaped.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I used to like hitting/arming the ball right over the net with topspin as well. I had a '19 Pure Aero that was great for that purpose before I started to experience bicep pain. I tried several soft poly string alternatives and natural gut hybrids, but my arm wouldn't allow me to play more than once per week at the level that I wanted to play.

After demoing a lot of racquets, I realized that the Pure Aero was too stiff for my arm (and mechanics) and switched to a Prince TT 310 which reduced much bicep pain, and allowed me to get back to a full bed of poly. I am also practicing to hit more through the ball with more leg drive and rotational force on long ralleys and mix it up with occasional arming of the ball to create shorter angles. Since I play mostly doubles, I have realized that the higher launch angle of shaped strings is not ideal when there is a volleyer up front on the opposing side with quick lateral movement. Also, as the sharp edges start to wear out, I have noticed a change in the trajectory that becomes somewhat unreliable such that even though the tension is still there, I want to cut it out early.

I still like the wicked spin from the shaped strings on my kick serve and low-ball sweeping shots, and that's where I am trying to find a consistent round poly that still has some decent ball grab (string-to-ball friction). I wonder if rough surfaced strings would suit my needs, but since the YPTP was great for me I want to explore the round poly realm first.

I haven't tried any Signum Pro strings but I'm sure I'll try them out at some point. Have you tried "Plasma HEXtreme Pure"? I read some good reviews about it and wonder how it compares to Xperience.





Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[blai212]

52/50 lbs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[blai212]

I used to like hitting/arming the ball right over the net with topspin as well. I had a '19 Pure Aero that was great for that purpose before I started to experience bicep pain. I tried several soft poly string alternatives and natural gut hybrids, but my arm wouldn't allow me to play more than once per week at the level that I wanted to play.

After demoing a lot of racquets, I realized that the Pure Aero was too stiff for my arm (and mechanics) and switched to a Prince TT 310 which reduced much bicep pain, and allowed me to get back to a full bed of poly. I am also practicing to hit more through the ball with more leg drive and rotational force on long ralleys and mix it up with occasional arming of the ball to create shorter angles. Since I play mostly doubles, I have realized that the higher launch angle of shaped strings is not ideal when there is a volleyer up front on the opposing side with quick lateral movement. Also, as the sharp edges start to wear out, I have noticed a change in the trajectory that becomes somewhat unreliable such that even though the tension is still there, I want to cut it out early.

I still like the wicked spin from the shaped strings on my kick serve and low-ball sweeping shots, and that's where I am trying to find a consistent round poly that still has some decent ball grab (string-to-ball friction). I wonder if rough surfaced strings would suit my needs, but since the YPTP was great for me I want to explore the round poly realm first.

I haven't tried any Signum Pro strings but I'm sure I'll try them out at some point. Have you tried "Plasma HEXtreme Pure"? I read some good reviews about it and wonder how it compares to Xperience.





Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

nope sorry havent been able to try hextreme pure but i heard the original orange color plays better. I’m pretty sure the hextreme is jus the shaped version of the poly plasma but i havent been able to try it...id expect a muted low powered feeling similar to YPTP though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Injured Again]

Nice color! What tension do you use for it?

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

My notes say I strung this up with 50 pounds in the center eight mains and 46 pounds in the center five crosses. I decrease tension towards the edges, with the outer mains at 36 pounds and the outer crosses at 32 pounds. Probably an equivalent overall stringbed stiffness would be about 42-44 pounds if all strings were tensioned equally.

From your last post about how you find a round string to be beneficial for your doubles but want to retain the ability to get lift and spin, I can definitely understand. Since switching racquets, I've been searching for a string that can consistently give me exactly that, without having too many downsides, and so I've been testing primarily highly shaped polys. When I became a playtester for Diadem Flash, I found that the round, medium grip string basically made me not try to hit with anything more than moderate spin and that did wonders for my doubles game by just keeping everything simple and straightforward and cutting down on errors. Since then, I think I've only used the Dunlop Explosive Red (where I was also a playtester) and Evolution round strings and of these the Evolution is pretty clearly the best at spin capability.

You might also try some of the lightly shaped poly strings. Tour Bite comes to mind as I have it and Evolution strung up at this moment and they're very similar from almost all aspects in back to back hitting, where Tour Bite has a bit more spin capability but also is a bit more harsh on mis-hits.

 

[hurworld]

My notes say I strung this up with 50 pounds in the center eight mains and 46 pounds in the center five crosses. I decrease tension towards the edges, with the outer mains at 36 pounds and the outer crosses at 32 pounds. Probably an equivalent overall stringbed stiffness would be about 42-44 pounds if all strings were tensioned equally.

Interesting. Is this to help enlarge sweet spot?

Have you also tried the reverse, i.e. lower centre main tensions and progressively higher outer main tensions?

 

[soulfree914]

My notes say I strung this up with 50 pounds in the center eight mains and 46 pounds in the center five crosses. I decrease tension towards the edges, with the outer mains at 36 pounds and the outer crosses at 32 pounds. Probably an equivalent overall stringbed stiffness would be about 42-44 pounds if all strings were tensioned equally.

From your last post about how you find a round string to be beneficial for your doubles but want to retain the ability to get lift and spin, I can definitely understand. Since switching racquets, I've been searching for a string that can consistently give me exactly that, without having too many downsides, and so I've been testing primarily highly shaped polys. When I became a playtester for Diadem Flash, I found that the round, medium grip string basically made me not try to hit with anything more than moderate spin and that did wonders for my doubles game by just keeping everything simple and straightforward and cutting down on errors. Since then, I think I've only used the Dunlop Explosive Red (where I was also a playtester) and Evolution round strings and of these the Evolution is pretty clearly the best at spin capability.

You might also try some of the lightly shaped poly strings. Tour Bite comes to mind as I have it and Evolution strung up at this moment and they're very similar from almost all aspects in back to back hitting, where Tour Bite has a bit more spin capability but also is a bit more harsh on mis-hits.

I am going to try Evolution and Tour Bite next on my two TT 310 racquets. I like trying a round poly on one and a shaped poly on the other to experiment.

Will try RS Lyon as well since it sounds like it is a crisp round poly that is low-powered, provides more spin than YPTP and plays as well as Alu Power with better comfort and tension maintenance.

Does anyone know if Head Hawk or Head Hawk Touch is a good string for a full bed? From StringForum's database, it looked like it provides more power than an average poly. If so, it is probably not for me, but just curious on what it plays like.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Sardines]

Tecnifibre Pro Red Code Wax is crisper and feels better than the YPTP. I use it as a cross with gut and poly (Cyclone 18L/19g). Very decent pocketing and the wax gives a bit more spin. You can control the launch angle by adjusting the main tension.

 

[soulfree914]

Tecnifibre Pro Red Code Wax is crisper and feels better than the YPTP. I use it as a cross with gut and poly (Cyclone 18L/19g). Very decent pocketing and the wax gives a bit more spin. You can control the launch angle by adjusting the main tension.

Which gauge do you recommend for Pro Red Code Wax?

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Sardines]

Which gauge do you recommend for Pro Red Code Wax?

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Depends on you. I like them as thin as possible, for feel and bite. But it's the mains that dictate crispness. I've never used PRCW full bed. Be warned it also does this occasionally:

This is after 4-5 hrs of hard play. Strings still snap back and I haven't really tested efficacy in the 4 hr mark via Playsight to verify drop in performance.
If you like Yonex, you may want to try Poly Tour Fire 1.2mm. It's crisper than PTP and tension maintenance is similar enough.

 

[Nostradamus]

Luxilon Alu power or alu power rough is by far the best quality. it doesn't get affected by the summer heat as much. Thing I noticed is that with cheaper polys, they perform great when fresh but after about 3-4 hours, it starts to go dead, still playable, but starts to deacrease in performance and this is Accelerated if it is exposed to hot weather outside.

 

[blai212]

Luxilon Alu power or alu power rough is by far the best quality. it doesn't get affected by the summer heat as much. Thing I noticed is that with cheaper polys, they perform great when fresh but after about 3-4 hours, it starts to go dead, still playable, but starts to deacrease in performance and this is Accelerated if it is exposed to hot weather outside.

does lux alu go dead the fastest?
from what i hear, everybody says it lasts 1-2 hours albeit it is the greatest string ever during those first few hours


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nostradamus]

does lux alu go dead the fastest?
from what i hear, everybody says it lasts 1-2 hours albeit it is the greatest string ever during those first few hours


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

NO NO NO. solinco goes dead in the heat in 2 hours

 

[Injured Again]

Interesting. Is this to help enlarge sweet spot?

Have you also tried the reverse, i.e. lower centre main tensions and progressively higher outer main tensions?

I don't think the sweet spot gets "enlarged" in that you still get relatively the same shock and twist when mis-hitting, but the looser strings definitely seem to give a little bit more ballspeed on those bad contacts. I also believe it helps give strings that pocketing feel that gives (maybe false) confidence that the strings will react linearly with the way the racquet is swung. Either way, I believe there's a shot or two every set which I can get back into play, even if it is a sitter, that I wouldn't otherwise if I just strung all the mains and crosses at the same tension.

I've never tried lower main tensions than the crosses other than if I used a hybrid and the crosses were much more elastic. I'm usually searching for higher launch angle and so prefer higher tension mains.

 

[tennistomcat]

Would like to share my experience with a few of these strings.
I like round polys for the same reason - seem to have a more consistent response and less loopy trajectory.
I like RPM Blast the best because of the consistent power, spin, and control. Although it is rated as a stiff string, I can really sense the ball-pocketing - it's got great spin and control. I find the tension loss to not be detrimental to the overall playability and can play with it for a long time.
Tecnifibre pro red code - like RPM blast good blend of power, spin, & ball-pocketing (I may go back to this again). Like RPM, this string has a high stiffness rating but it doesn't feel that stiff to me in actual play & has never given me elbow issues.
Luxilon Alu Power is the gold standard - good crisp feel, great control, and good spin. If not strung too tight, I can use it for a long time as well. Blast has more spin & pop for me. When strung too high, gave me elbow issues. As I'm getting older, I'm needing more lively strings but this was my go-to string when I was playing competitive league tennis and had way better endurance.


These other ones I didn't have as good experience with.
Tecnifibre pro red code wax: thought it was going to replace RPM but it was too stiff/harsh & not noticeably more spin; In comparing to RPM, had a dead feeling string & felt much lower-powered
Tour bite soft: felt like a softer version of tour bite but was a lil too mushy & less control; prefered regular tour bite over this
Hyper G - crazy good spin but felt too stiff & muted; low-powered
RS Lyon - felt like a less lively and more comfortable Lux Alu power; very low-powered - felt I had to work really hard; not as much easy spin as alu

If you supply your own power & like a dead string that lets you swing for the fences, then maybe the lower-powered ones will work out for you.
Hope this helps a little.

 

[blai212]

NO NO NO. solinco goes dead in the heat in 2 hours

i personally have not used lux in a while and dont plan on using it cuz i cant justify its price but solinco has pretty good tension maintenance/playability duration from what I recall...solinco is jus too low powered for me so I went looking elsewhere but I didn’t feel like the string died on me after prolonged use. You are the first ive come across to complain about solinco’s playability duration...strange


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[blai212]

Would like to share my experience with a few of these strings.
I like round polys for the same reason - seem to have a more consistent response and less loopy trajectory.
I like RPM Blast the best because of the consistent power, spin, and control. Although it is rated as a stiff string, I can really sense the ball-pocketing - it's got great spin and control. I find the tension loss to not be detrimental to the overall playability and can play with it for a long time.
Tecnifibre pro red code - like RPM blast good blend of power, spin, & ball-pocketing (I may go back to this again). Like RPM, this string has a high stiffness rating but it doesn't feel that stiff to me in actual play & has never given me elbow issues.
Luxilon Alu Power is the gold standard - good crisp feel, great control, and good spin. If not strung too tight, I can use it for a long time as well. Blast has more spin & pop for me. When strung too high, gave me elbow issues. As I'm getting older, I'm needing more lively strings but this was my go-to string when I was playing competitive league tennis and had way better endurance.


These other ones I didn't have as good experience with.
Tecnifibre pro red code wax: thought it was going to replace RPM but it was too stiff/harsh & not noticeably more spin; In comparing to RPM, had a dead feeling string & felt much lower-powered
Tour bite soft: felt like a softer version of tour bite but was a lil too mushy & less control; prefered regular tour bite over this
Hyper G - crazy good spin but felt too stiff & muted; low-powered
RS Lyon - felt like a less lively and more comfortable Lux Alu power; very low-powered - felt I had to work really hard; not as much easy spin as alu

If you supply your own power & like a dead string that lets you swing for the fences, then maybe the lower-powered ones will work out for you.
Hope this helps a little.

Can you comment on rpm blast playability duration? I feel like playability with string was great in beginning but there would be MASSIVE drop off after a few weeks...erratic ball spraying for no reason...found many people that agreed with me. I think there are definitely better strings out there for a fraction of the price...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nostradamus]

i personally have not used lux in a while and dont plan on using it cuz i cant justify its price but solinco has pretty good tension maintenance/playability duration from what I recall...solinco is jus too low powered for me so I went looking elsewhere but I didn’t feel like the string died on me after prolonged use. You are the first ive come across to complain about solinco’s playability duration...strange


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

so are you saying solinco has less power than luxilon alu power ? Also Solinco goes dead in the heat or hot weather with sun beating down on it. Solinco tourbite and tourbite soft is one of the strings that gets affected by the heat the most of any strings I have tested. Hot weather seem to kill the string more than any other string I know. It is odd, I am not sure what the reason is

 

[soulfree914]

Would like to share my experience with a few of these strings.
I like round polys for the same reason - seem to have a more consistent response and less loopy trajectory.
I like RPM Blast the best because of the consistent power, spin, and control. Although it is rated as a stiff string, I can really sense the ball-pocketing - it's got great spin and control. I find the tension loss to not be detrimental to the overall playability and can play with it for a long time.
Tecnifibre pro red code - like RPM blast good blend of power, spin, & ball-pocketing (I may go back to this again). Like RPM, this string has a high stiffness rating but it doesn't feel that stiff to me in actual play & has never given me elbow issues.
Luxilon Alu Power is the gold standard - good crisp feel, great control, and good spin. If not strung too tight, I can use it for a long time as well. Blast has more spin & pop for me. When strung too high, gave me elbow issues. As I'm getting older, I'm needing more lively strings but this was my go-to string when I was playing competitive league tennis and had way better endurance.


These other ones I didn't have as good experience with.
Tecnifibre pro red code wax: thought it was going to replace RPM but it was too stiff/harsh & not noticeably more spin; In comparing to RPM, had a dead feeling string & felt much lower-powered
Tour bite soft: felt like a softer version of tour bite but was a lil too mushy & less control; prefered regular tour bite over this
Hyper G - crazy good spin but felt too stiff & muted; low-powered
RS Lyon - felt like a less lively and more comfortable Lux Alu power; very low-powered - felt I had to work really hard; not as much easy spin as alu

If you supply your own power & like a dead string that lets you swing for the fences, then maybe the lower-powered ones will work out for you.
Hope this helps a little.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I do see polarizing opinions on RPM Blast and my friend who's the only certified stringer in town also tells me that whatever he tries out, it's not better than RPM Blast to him. I do want to try it out again as my skill level was not at a point where I can discern the characteristics of different strings when I tried RPM.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[SavvyStringer]

Proline is a good choice. Also consider supersmash and Red code.

 

[blai212]

so are you saying solinco has less power than luxilon alu power ? Also Solinco goes dead in the heat or hot weather with sun beating down on it. Solinco tourbite and tourbite soft is one of the strings that gets affected by the heat the most of any strings I have tested. Hot weather seem to kill the string more than any other string I know. It is odd, I am not sure what the reason is

lux alu = lots of power
solinco = low powered


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tennistomcat]

Can you comment on rpm blast playability duration? I feel like playability with string was great in beginning but there would be MASSIVE drop off after a few weeks...erratic ball spraying for no reason...found many people that agreed with me. I think there are definitely better strings out there for a fraction of the price...

Take my experience with a grain of salt because I've used 18X20 string pattern for the most part and have only recently found a few 16X19 frames that give me the level of control and feel that I am happy with. The tension drops in a closed pattern don't seem to affect me much at all - in fact I can play with pretty low tensions.
Play duration seems so subjective because each person is so different - what is playable to me may be complete trash for you.

According to TWU, RPM blast tension loss is most significant in the 16 gauge but the 17 & 18 gauge tension loss seems on par with most polys out there.
What sets blast apart from the others (besides the stiff price) is the excellent control, very good lively pop for a stiff rated string, and good spin without needing exaggerated effort.
It stays playable for me until I decide to cut it out. It's trial & error to find the right tension that works after taking into account the tension drop but this string is the best round poly that I've ever used. I've had access to a stringer for many years until recently & have been able to try out many strings without feeling remorse after cutting them out after only 1 hitting session if I did not like them.

Recently, I strung up my pure drive with 18 gauge Blast at my usual tension of 52 lbs for 17 gauge & found it way too loose for my liking. Since I don't have a stringer anymore, I am now hesitant to cut out $18 strings & placed wilson string savers in the sweet spot (6 spaced across 7 rows) & now find it playable to my liking.
I find that this helps me tighten up the string bed & gives me more control when tension drops too much to my liking.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I do see polarizing opinions on RPM Blast and my friend who's the only certified stringer in town also tells me that whatever he tries out, it's not better than RPM Blast to him. I do want to try it out again as my skill level was not at a point where I can discern the characteristics of different strings when I tried RPM.

I hppe the info in this post gives you further insight into RPM Blast. Since I'm not quite a big string breaker, the price hit doesn't hurt me as much unless I get a bad string job.

Another sleeper round crisp poly is Genesis black magic - it has good crisp feel, great control & tension maintenance but less spin potential but all at a great price.

 

[blai212]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I do see polarizing opinions on RPM Blast and my friend who's the only certified stringer in town also tells me that whatever he tries out, it's not better than RPM Blast to him. I do want to try it out again as my skill level was not at a point where I can discern the characteristics of different strings when I tried RPM.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

RPM blast is a great string when fresh but has massive drop off after 10-12 hours...im talking unplayable characteristics...ball will erratically spray for no reason and you’ll be left shaking your head. RPM blast is great when fresh but there are other better strings out there at a better price point. I also believe that if you want spin friendly shaped polys, strings with sharper edges provide better spin. Dunlop black widow and MSV cofocus hex, ytex quadro twist come to mind but after the sharp edges wear off, the spin is hard to generate. Diadem makes star shaped strings that has a star shaped profile that doesnt really wear off as fast. Signum Pro Xperience is also quite nice too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[blai212]

Take my experience with a grain of salt because I've used 18X20 string pattern for the most part and have only recently found a few 16X19 frames that give me the level of control and feel that I am happy with. The tension drops in a closed pattern don't seem to affect me much at all - in fact I can play with pretty low tensions.
Play duration seems so subjective because each person is so different - what is playable to me may be complete trash for you.

According to TWU, RPM blast tension loss is most significant in the 16 gauge but the 17 & 18 gauge tension loss seems on par with most polys out there.
What sets blast apart from the others (besides the stiff price) is the excellent control, very good lively pop for a stiff rated string, and good spin without needing exaggerated effort.
It stays playable for me until I decide to cut it out. It's trial & error to find the right tension that works after taking into account the tension drop but this string is the best round poly that I've ever used. I've had access to a stringer for many years until recently & have been able to try out many strings without feeling remorse after cutting them out after only 1 hitting session if I did not like them.

Recently, I strung up my pure drive with 18 gauge Blast at my usual tension of 52 lbs for 17 gauge & found it way too loose for my liking. Since I don't have a stringer anymore, I am now hesitant to cut out $18 strings & placed wilson string savers in the sweet spot (6 spaced across 7 rows) & now find it playable to my liking.
I find that this helps me tighten up the string bed & gives me more control when tension drops too much to my liking.

FYI if you go up in gauge, u need to go up in tension because higher gauge has more power and tension loss. Conversely, lower gauge should be strung up lower tension because less tension loss and it will feel stiffer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tennistomcat]

FYI if you go up in gauge, u need to go up in tension because higher gauge has more power and tension loss. Conversely, lower gauge should be strung up lower tension because less tension loss and it will feel stiffer.

Agree with this but was going from a normal stiff pure drive to a more flexible one and did not want to have too many variables going on at once. I was trying to make the racket more headlight as well.

Shaped strings can also loose their playability pretty quick when their edges get worn. The spin & trajectory drops can be erratic as well.
For this reason, I'm only using round polys after trying out so many shaped ones & becoming frustrated with control issues.

 

[blai212]

Agree with this but was going from a normal stiff pure drive to a more flexible one and did not want to have too many variables going on at once. I was trying to make the racket more headlight as well.

Shaped strings can also loose their playability pretty quick when their edges get worn. The spin & trajectory drops can be erratic as well.
For this reason, I'm only using round polys after trying out so many shaped ones & becoming frustrated with control issues.

Xperience and diadem solstice power hold their shape quite well. Personally, I use poly/poly hybrid with the shaped in the mains and soft smooth round low powered poly in crosses like yonex poly tour pro//signum pro poly plasma and it works quite nicely. SPPP is cheap and efficient as a cross...I love it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nostradamus]

Take my experience with a grain of salt because I've used 18X20 string pattern for the most part and have only recently found a few 16X19 frames that give me the level of control and feel that I am happy with. The tension drops in a closed pattern don't seem to affect me much at all - in fact I can play with pretty low tensions.
Play duration seems so subjective because each person is so different - what is playable to me may be complete trash for you.

According to TWU, RPM blast tension loss is most significant in the 16 gauge but the 17 & 18 gauge tension loss seems on par with most polys out there.
What sets blast apart from the others (besides the stiff price) is the excellent control, very good lively pop for a stiff rated string, and good spin without needing exaggerated effort.
It stays playable for me until I decide to cut it out. It's trial & error to find the right tension that works after taking into account the tension drop but this string is the best round poly that I've ever used. I've had access to a stringer for many years until recently & have been able to try out many strings without feeling remorse after cutting them out after only 1 hitting session if I did not like them.

Recently, I strung up my pure drive with 18 gauge Blast at my usual tension of 52 lbs for 17 gauge & found it way too loose for my liking. Since I don't have a stringer anymore, I am now hesitant to cut out $18 strings & placed wilson string savers in the sweet spot (6 spaced across 7 rows) & now find it playable to my liking.
I find that this helps me tighten up the string bed & gives me more control when tension drops too much to my liking.


I hppe the info in this post gives you further insight into RPM Blast. Since I'm not quite a big string breaker, the price hit doesn't hurt me as much unless I get a bad string job.

Another sleeper round crisp poly is Genesis black magic - it has good crisp feel, great control & tension maintenance but less spin potential but all at a great price.

Are you getting more power and spin out of 18 g RPM blast compared to 17 G ? what is your opinion on this ? Theoratically thinner string is supposed to give you more spin and power but oddly with RPM blast, I really didn't feel that much difference. I felt like power level even dropped little bit with 18 G on this string. am I imagining things ?

 

[tennistomcat]

Are you getting more power and spin out of 18 g RPM blast compared to 17 G ? what is your opinion on this ? Theoratically thinner string is supposed to give you more spin and power but oddly with RPM blast, I really didn't feel that much difference. I felt like power level even dropped little bit with 18 G on this string. am I imagining things ?

18 gauge is definitely more lively but I haven’t played enough to make a judgment on spin.
From what I can tell the spin seems mostly the same but I now have string savers in there which probably reduce spin potential to some degree.

I’d have to go higher in tension to tame the power & launch of the 18 gauge - from 52 lbs to probably 55 in a pure drive.
I think the 18 gauge is good for those looking for more power or trying to make their racket more headlight.

 

[soulfree914]

Take my experience with a grain of salt because I've used 18X20 string pattern for the most part and have only recently found a few 16X19 frames that give me the level of control and feel that I am happy with. The tension drops in a closed pattern don't seem to affect me much at all - in fact I can play with pretty low tensions.
Play duration seems so subjective because each person is so different - what is playable to me may be complete trash for you.

According to TWU, RPM blast tension loss is most significant in the 16 gauge but the 17 & 18 gauge tension loss seems on par with most polys out there.
What sets blast apart from the others (besides the stiff price) is the excellent control, very good lively pop for a stiff rated string, and good spin without needing exaggerated effort.
It stays playable for me until I decide to cut it out. It's trial & error to find the right tension that works after taking into account the tension drop but this string is the best round poly that I've ever used. I've had access to a stringer for many years until recently & have been able to try out many strings without feeling remorse after cutting them out after only 1 hitting session if I did not like them.

Recently, I strung up my pure drive with 18 gauge Blast at my usual tension of 52 lbs for 17 gauge & found it way too loose for my liking. Since I don't have a stringer anymore, I am now hesitant to cut out $18 strings & placed wilson string savers in the sweet spot (6 spaced across 7 rows) & now find it playable to my liking.
I find that this helps me tighten up the string bed & gives me more control when tension drops too much to my liking.


I hppe the info in this post gives you further insight into RPM Blast. Since I'm not quite a big string breaker, the price hit doesn't hurt me as much unless I get a bad string job.

Another sleeper round crisp poly is Genesis black magic - it has good crisp feel, great control & tension maintenance but less spin potential but all at a great price.

Since you mention TWU data, when I looked at it a while ago it was interesting to see that the tension drop data on RPM blast was not as bad as many say, and that is has below-average string-to-ball friction on the 17G and 18G for a supposedly gear-shaped string. I don't know how that all sums up, but I guess I'll just have to try it out again to see if it something for me.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[tennistomcat]

Since you mention TWU data, when I looked at it a while ago it was interesting to see that the tension drop data on RPM blast was not as bad as many say, and that is has below-average string-to-ball friction on the 17G and 18G for a supposedly gear-shaped string. I don't know how that all sums up, but I guess I'll just have to try it out again to see if it something for me.

Ever since I 1st began stringing & playing with blast, it seems weird for me to think of it as a gear-shaped string - it always felt like a round poly.

Even as I am feeling it strung in my racket right now, I really have to try hard to feel the edges.
If you had not mentioned it, I would have continued to consider it as a round poly.

Nonetheless, the ease at which it creates spin & pockets the ball is noticeable in comparison to a solid all-around string like Black Magic which it sadly makes feel like a very middle-of-the-road & maybe even a little underperforming.
But everyone has different tastes - you may try it out once again & remember why you did not stick with it.

RPM has become my new gold standard for comparison.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

round crisp feel polys:
1 head.hawk.touch (gray)
2 yonex.poly.tour.strike (gray), more so than yptp!! imo/ime

im currently running a side/side/side test on gray poly strings
topspin cyber flash // softest my favorite so far
luxilon alu power // med.soft
yonex poly tour strike //crispest, not uncomfortable like solinco.TB(original)

 

[Dean S]

POLY TOUR FIRE.

 

[mikeeeee]

Isospeed Cream is round and pretty crisp

Tourna Big Hitter Blue is also a firm round string

 

[Muppet]

Any feedback on this string. I made a thread today but no responses thus far.


Whats the benefit of using poly/poly hybrid??...i usually use full poly like kirschbaum competition 17 but never tried shaped poly/round poly will this player softer than a full set of shaped poly. Also whats x-perience like with sppp??. X-perience has very good reviews on string forum net.

Btw i play 18x20 pure strike. Gut/rpm was great ...low stifnness, feedback and power with plenty of spin but playing in the UK rains alot so gut snaps way too often hence not cost effective.

Realistically shaped/round should play a little softer than full shaped because there will be less edges pressing against each other. This will give less friction and maybe a little less tension. But what will happen when you put 2 particular strings together is your guess as well as mine.

 

[blai212]

Any feedback on this string. I made a thread today but no responses thus far.


Whats the benefit of using poly/poly hybrid??...i usually use full poly like kirschbaum competition 17 but never tried shaped poly/round poly will this player softer than a full set of shaped poly. Also whats x-perience like with sppp??. X-perience has very good reviews on string forum net.

Btw i play 18x20 pure strike. Gut/rpm was great ...low stifnness, feedback and power with plenty of spin but playing in the UK rains alot so gut snaps way too often hence not cost effective.

shaped poly mains will provide bite on the ball while the round poly crosses allow the mains to more easily slide promoting/facilitating snapback providing better spin potential...definitely much better than using full bed shaped poly imo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[blai212]

signum pro firestorm supposed to provide a nice crisp feel similar to alu power...ive tried it in hybrid but did not really care for it...might get around to testing it in full bed on one of my racquets if the strings snap...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[blai212]

I recently strung up genesis typhoon mains/firestorm crosses and it played pretty crisp


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JamesV]

Strings I've tried so far:

- Rpm blast 17: good spin and control, but a little too stiff and loses tension rapidly

- VS touch / Rpm blast: great comfort and playability but too expensive

- Luxilon natural gut / 4G - decent but pocketing was not at the level of VS touch, lack of spin

- Hyper G 17 - wicked spin on kick serves, comfortable for a spin/shaped string but a bit muted for my taste, higher launch angle a little difficult to adjust on groundstrokes

- Tour Bite Soft 17 - good ball bite and spin but control & feel was not as good as Hyper G

- Yonex Poly Tour Pro 17 - best experience so far; lower launch angle, good tension maintenance, better-than-expected spin, great control for a comfortable & thin poly


I'm looking for a round poly string similar to YPTP 120 (17) but with a crisper feel (less muted)

I'm looking at RS Lyon, Pro Line Evolution, and possibly Alu Power(less attractive due to poor tension maintenance). Are these good choices and do you have any other recommendations?

I currently play with a Prince TT 310 (and at times an Ezone DR98). I play doubles only and started to enjoy the consistency and lower launch angle of a round poly, but I still need above-average spin potential to be there.

Thanks!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Just try a set of Tourna Big Hitter Silver 16g (not the rough). Low cost, good tension maintenance, solid spin, crisp, but not stiff. Try it before others knock it.

 

[Holdfast44ID]

RPM Blast is not round, BTW...

 

[blai212]

RPM Blast is not round, BTW...

the edges of rpm blast are quite subtly...they definitely dont have as much bite as other strings with sharper, more pronounced edges


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Holdfast44ID]

the edges of rpm blast are quite subtly...they definitely dont have as much bite as other strings with sharper, more pronounced edges


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is true. I guess one could say they play like round strings.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

 

[CornOnTheCob]

Kirschbaum Pro Line X is currently my poly of choice. It's very budget friendly and plays very well. I've heard really good things about Kirschbaum Competition as well. I have hit Pro Line X in a full bed as well as a in a hybrid with Tourna Quasi Gut Armor. The hybrid was extremely comfortable with the quasi gut in both the mains as well as the crosses, and offered a pretty good amount of spin. I would recommend trying a different synthetic as a cross as if found that the Quasi Gut Armor broke pretty easily.

 

[gazz1]

Have tried almost every string mentioned on this thread with the exception of Head Hawk Touch, poly tour fire Kirschbaum competition and Xplosive speed.

I recently tried tried X-perience and it is currently my fav shaped poly.
Kirschbaum proline evo is grossly underrated and is still my fav round poly.

Add a couple of pounds tension for both as they are more lively than say AluPower Soft and RS lyon (also good options)

 

[408tennisguy]

Tier One sports Ghostwire is a round, crisp poly. It is my go to string as a cross to soften up the stringbed also.