Done with full bed gut. Way too harsh!

[E46luver]

Full bed nat gut at 50 lbs. was very stiff for me. Like hitting a board.
Very hard to generate power and spin, as well. Balls are very flat.
Also seems very unforgiving like there is almost no sweet spot.

I will go back to gut/poly at 50/47

For Poly, I will use Volkl Cyclone Tour 16
which is on the softer side of poly.
and will not saw thru as fast as 18 or 20 poly

 

[Tennease]

Maybe if you string the cross at lower tension than the main it will feel softer and have more bite on the ball for top spin ?

Or, string the main looser than the cross.

 

[scotus]

What brand of natural gut did you use?

 

[tonylg]

What brand of natural gut did you use?

Doesn't matter. There is no natural gut that feels like a board at 50lbs.

 

[E46luver]

What brand of natural gut did you use?

Klip

 

[Doubles]

I’ve strung 16 gauge gut in an 18x20 at 63 and thought it was soft after 30 minutes of hitting. Interesting to see how your perspective is so different than my own.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

Doesn't matter. There is no natural gut that feels like a board at 50lbs.

-i also found that freshly strung NG has a "hard", feel at first!!
-after a few hits/time, it starts to soften, like all strings
-the issue with me, is that it gets to a point where gut is "mushy" for me
-i kept nat.gut for 5 weeks (i dont break strings), i had to fight the urge to cut out the gut after 2-3 weeks, just because i payed so much to try it
-while i do acknowledge that there are people who like it, im not one of them
-im a low tension FB poly guy all the way now..
-to each their own..

 

[E46luver]

I have played about 5 hours on the gut. Still harsh.
What tension Poly do you use?

 

[Muppet]

I have played about 5 hours on the gut. Still harsh.
What tension Poly do you use?

Did you install it yourself? You can't keep the gut under tension for extra time. Once your tensioner beeps, get your clamp moving and clamp off so you can relieve the tension from the string.

PS: Also, it could be getting pre-stretched too much.

 

[shamaho]

Full bed nat gut at 50 lbs. was very stiff for me. Like hitting a board.
Very hard to generate power and spin, as well. Balls are very flat.
Also seems very unforgiving like there is almost no sweet spot.

I will go back to gut/poly at 50/47

For Poly, I will use Volkl Cyclone Tour 16
which is on the softer side of poly.
and will not saw thru as fast as 18 or 20 poly

Wait, don't rush, give it time to give in a little and settle...

 

[E46luver]

5 hours is too long to settle.
I simply don't like anything about it.
Spin is crap. Terrible harsh feel. Uneven response.
In my experience, gut is easily the most overhyped myth in tennis.
Really no idea why anyone would use this string
I would use ZX but it is way to delicate and snaps on any mishit or shank.

I might go back to a soft full bed poly (Cyclone or Tour Bite 20)
and use a very low tension (40 or 45) for arm safety.

 

[jim e]

I use gut,and so do a number of others I string for. Mine as well as many others are strung in low to mid 60 lbs range. Very soft and comfortable hit, along with decent control being strung at a relatively high tension. A while back, I even had one player that had me string his at 70 lbs and loved it. Personally I never went over 65 lbs. The resiliency and elasticity of gut sets it apart from any synthetic string on the market. Using a quality gut makes a difference, not the cheap off ball off brands. You get what you pay for

 

[E46luver]

I paid $30 for Klip.
What do you suggest I use.

I think the sweet spot for gut is the size of a golf ball
Feels like hitting a ball with a plank of wood

 

[scotus]

I paid $30 for Klip.
What do you suggest I use.

I think the sweet spot for gut is the size of a golf ball
Feels like hitting a ball with a plank of wood

Coated Klip Legend is on the stiffer side for gut. Some people like it precisely for that reason. They find it crisp. I have not tried their Armor Pro, and I don't even know if it is still manufactured.

Anyway, Klip isn't my favorite.

The gold standard of natural gut for me is Pre-BT7 Babolat VS.

 

[avocadoz]

Doesn't matter. There is no natural gut that feels like a board at 50lbs.

There is also no natural gut that is hard to generate power.

 

[blai212]

vct 16g / revolve 17g cross is the way to go


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Frankc]

Coated Klip Legend is on the stiffer side for gut. Some people like it precisely for that reason. They find it crisp. I have not tried their Armor Pro, and I don't even know if it is still manufactured.

Anyway, Klip isn't my favorite.

The gold standard of natural gut for me is Pre-BT7 Babolat VS.

Yes, for sure. Klip Legend at mid tension was just dead, stiff and no feeling for me in a 16X20 Prince. Whereas Pacific Classic at the same tension was very lively - almost too lively. That Klip was cut out after a month - very odd Natty G - have not tried Klip again...

 

[topspn]

Wow you might be the only person on the planet to complain that nat gut is uncomfortable. Unless something terribly wrong with what you purchased but nat gut is the very standard of comfort for strings

 

[Shaolin]

How can full bed gut be harsh? Full gut is like hitting with a feather pillow.

 

[haqq777]

OP is trolling as anyone who has played with gut knows the reality. Also posts sound very similar to another 'famous' poster with similarly ridiculous posts and who was banned I think. I wouldn't waste my time here.

 

[Shaolin]

OP is trolling as anyone who has played with gut knows the reality. Also posts sound very similar to another 'famous' poster with similarly ridiculous posts and who was banned I think. I wouldn't waste my time here.

I was going to guess either the OP is 130 years old or just trolling.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

I have played about 5 hours on the gut. Still harsh.
What tension Poly do you use?

-my racquet range is 50-60
-i string mine with 17g poly 49/46lbs
-ive tried every combo of string setup at least once (kevlar), just so i could see for myself what people are talking about
-i preffer softer feel on FB poly string beds

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Klip

Klip coated does play stiffer than its measurements would suggest. And it runs kinda thick. Also tension maintenance isn't great as it never really stabilizes, imho.

Upsides are durability, spin and price. A good prestretch can help reduce the negatives.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

How can full bed gut be harsh? Full gut is like hitting with a feather pillow.

-nat.gut when fresh/cold, it is a bid on the stiff side,, thats my experience anyway
-it does get more and more comfortable as time goes (in a very gradual manner,) hence the tension maintenance/longevity of nat.gut
-the longer you hit with it, the softer it gets
-again, just my impressions of it

 

[g4driver]

OP is trolling as anyone who has played with gut knows the reality. Also posts sound very similar to another 'famous' poster with similarly ridiculous posts and who was banned I think. I wouldn't waste my time here.

Took me reading three of the OP's post before he found his way to my ignore list. I have a short list but he earned a spot.

The ignore function works like a champ. Never having to see or read a troll's words is great.

 

[Deleted member 768841]

I use a 55/53 hybrid for my blade 18/20, feels less soft than other setups but I don’t like having a major ball pocket like the clash, I love my mid 50’s tension.

 

[E46luver]

Klip coated does play stiffer than its measurements would suggest. And it runs kinda thick. Also tension maintenance isn't great as it never really stabilizes, imho.

Upsides are durability, spin and price. A good prestretch can help reduce the negatives.

Yea, I'm using Kilp 15L. That might explain it.
I have only used Klip, which many agree is stiff for gut.

I ordered some Cyclone 16 with stiffness of 167.
I might try full poly again, but at a low tension like 40.
Maybe with Tour Bite 20

 

[bobleenov1963]

Yea, I'm using Kilp 15L. That might explain it. I have only used Klip, which many agree is stiff for gut.

Klip NG is stiff for Natural Gut when you compare it to other NGs like Wilson, Babolat, Pacific. Klip NG is still much softer when you compare it to Synthetic Gut, Multi, Polyester strings.

 

[Crazy Finn]

Yea, I'm using Kilp 15L. That might explain it.
I have only used Klip, which many agree is stiff for gut.

I ordered some Cyclone 16 with stiffness of 167.
I might try full poly again, but at a low tension like 40.
Maybe with Tour Bite 20

Volkl Cylone 16 has a stiffness of 197 on TW, not 167. To compare the highest NG I found was 109. Having played with Cylone, myself, I can say that it’s certainly stiffer than any multi or gut I’ve hit with.

Poly at 40 will certainly help negate some of that stiffness.

 

[speedysteve]

Yeah something isn't right with this thread!
OP knows better than top players[emoji23] who use gut hybrids and everyone here on the full bed of gut & gut poly threads. Full bed is gentler than anything else[emoji2962]

Look at the stiffness ratings for say Pacific Prime Bull Gut etc.

 

[mad dog1]

OP is trolling as anyone who has played with gut knows the reality. Also posts sound very similar to another 'famous' poster with similarly ridiculous posts and who was banned I think. I wouldn't waste my time here.

I was going to guess either the OP is 130 years old or just trolling.

Took me reading three of the OP's post before he found his way to my ignore list. I have a short list but he earned a spot.

The ignore function works like a champ. Never having to see or read a troll's words is great.

E46luver is Timetoplaysets

shortly after TTPS stopped posting aka got banned, E46luver joined and started posting.

can’t be a coincidence that TTPS was complaining about the fragile nature of ZX and E46luver mentions the same characteristics of ZX above.

 

[g4driver]

E46luver is Timetoplaysets

shortly after TTPS stopped posting aka got banned, E46luver joined and started posting.

can’t be a coincidence that TTPS was complaining about the fragile nature of ZX and E46luver mentions the same characteristics of ZX above.

TTPS is on my ignore list also. [emoji28]

 

[E46luver]

Volkl Cylone 16 has a stiffness of 197 on TW, not 167.

Cyclone TOUR is 167
Hopefully it will be softer than nat gut, which feels like a plywood board.

 

[Crazy Finn]

I ordered some Cyclone 16 with stiffness of 167.

Cyclone Tour is 167, but regular plain Cyclone is 197.

Babolat Tonic is a reasonably priced gut, as an alternative to Klip. VS is pretty much the gold standard gut, Tonic is the same with some diameter variance - essentially B-Stock VS.

 

[mad dog1]

OP is trolling as anyone who has played with gut knows the reality. Also posts sound very similar to another 'famous' poster with similarly ridiculous posts and who was banned I think. I wouldn't waste my time here.

There is something that is much softer than gut - yarn. It’s also incredibly inexpensive at Walmart. This might be the OP’s best bet.

 

[tonylg]

There is something that is much softer than gut - yarn. It’s also incredibly inexpensive at Walmart. This might be the OP’s best bet.

What's the spin like? Does it notch?

 

[Crazy Finn]

I'd imagine yarn has good ball pocketing.

 

[mad dog1]

I'd imagine yarn has good ball pocketing.

The best!

 

[mad dog1]

What's the spin like? Does it notch?

It’s so soft and resilient that it never notches! Also available in so many different colors, too.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Caron-Si...MI-dzt89rD6QIVzz2tBh3bRQuOEAQYAyABEgJKYPD_BwE

 

[speedysteve]

Why not just fit stretch springs to each grommet hole and string up with whatever[emoji846]
Pocketing would be insane[emoji48]

 

[E46luver]

Took 7 hours for the natGut to notch and break.
This was a new record. Normally, it snaps in under 5 hours.

It also lost all the tension, and I had to readjust strings between every point.
That is when you know your strings are spent.
This is why pros switch rackets within one hour.

Done with full bed natgut. Plays like crap, and lasts very short time.
Might try full poly at 40, for arm safe alternative

 

[Crazy Finn]

It also lost all the tension, and I had to readjust strings between every point.
That is when you know your strings are spent.

I'm not sure having to readjust your strings is a sign of tension loss, if that's what you're saying. It's more about loss of snapback and slickness. These are not really characteristic of natural gut, anyway.

 

[E46luver]

If you need to adjust, that means the ball displaced the strings with no snap back.
Basically like hitting into a wet noodle. This is never the case for a fresh string job unless using multi or synth gut

 

[Crazy Finn]

If you need to adjust, that means the ball displaced the strings with no snap back.
Basically like hitting into a wet noodle. This is never the case for a fresh string job unless using multi or synth gut

That's because most multifilaments and natural guts don't snap back like polys. They are made of different materials and have different characteristics. They're designed to be elastic and soft in their response. Multis are (usually) constructed of individual strands of synthetic fibers woven together much as natural gut is a sinew woven together. They're supposed to be soft and responsive.

A poly, by contrast is a firm string that is less elastic and snaps back to it's original position because of it's firm nature. Many also are slick and have low friction which also helps the string slide back into position.

Polys are designed to be firm, crisp, and snap back, and provide durability, spin, and control. Multis and natural gut are designed to provide comfort, touch, and (depending on tension) power.

Complaining about the lack of snapback on a full bed of natural gut or a multi is like buying a Buick and complaining about the lack of road-feel and handling.

 

[E46luver]

Well, whatever, the point is, nat Gut loses tension bigly after 7 hours, if it even lasts that long.

 

[Vanhalen]

Does anyone use gut anymore?

 

[Deleted member 768841]

Does anyone use gut anymore?

Yes. Hybrid, of course, but I would use it in a full bed around 57-62 depending on the racquet and string. VS touch is the GOAT.

 

[Mirko]

Yes. Hybrid, of course, but I would use it in a full bed around 57-62 depending on the racquet and string. VS touch is the GOAT.

Yes, have played with hybrit gut in the mains. Now i am switching to full gut and i am experimentig with the tennsion. At the moment i like the Lux gut 1.30 at low tennsion (54/48lbs) more then 60 lbs.

 

[kramer woodie]

I played with full bed natural gut in the 1960s using a 15 ounce Kramer Autograph. I strung Victor Blue Twist 16 gauge at 72-73 pounds of tension.
The longest main strings were only 10 and 7/8 inches long and the longest cross strings were only 7 and 7/8 inches before they entered the frame.

The first few times I would hit with a freshly strung racquet, it was like hitting with a board. It took about 2-3 days of practice 4 hours each day before the racquet played comfortable. Then the strings lasted a month to a month and a half, before the sixth main string in from the frame broke.
The string pattern was 18 mains 20 crosses.

The strings did not move around much and with a half week of play the gut would notch and lock the string bed. The natural gut always held tension, even as it unrivaled. If there was a string that unrivaled to where it looked like a piece of thread, the gut played the same. When that unrivaled string looked like a piece of thread, I would push an awl into the frame holes of that string, top and bottom.

Then take the racquet to the stringer and he would tie off the adjacent strings and replace only the unrivaled string. Thus, I would get a month and half of play, playing 3-4 hours per weekdays and up to 8 hours on a Sunday.

The Victor Natural Gut of the 1960s played beautifully and the only time it lost tension or played poorly was when it broke.

Shalom

 

[E46luver]

For me, no combination of NatGut lasts past 5-10 hours (full bed Gut, Hybrid, etc)
So, the poly 10 hour limit is a moot point. I'm restringing at 10 hours no matter what I use.

What is even softer is Tour Bite 20. The softest poly on the market.
For me, the ultimate Poly for arm safety may be Tour Bite 20 strung at 35 lbs.

Just came back from my first hit with 35 lbs poly. (Cyclone Tour 16)
This may be the compromise I've been looking for for arm safety

At 35, I could also feel a clear trampoline effect, so it plays soft
In fact, it feels softer than full bed Gut at 50lbs.

Control at 35 lbs.? Non-issue. I was swinging 100%
Balls were hitting great, some short, some perfect, some long, just like at any tension.

I had forgotten that old poly sound of TWACK!
I had more spin on both wings than locked up NatGut.
Balls were hitting nice and heavy. Felt great.

Poly is cheaper at $10 vs. $30
Poly lasts longer (10-12 hours vs. 5-10 hours)
Poly can play very softly at 35 lbs.
Poly gives more spin

I believe I have found my win/win setup.
No more NatGut for me.