Experimenting with Wilson Champion's Choice: What tension?

[TurkeySandwichOnRye]

I am getting one of my Wilson PSBLX95 racquets strung with Wilson Champion's Choice hybrid string today (Wilson Natural Gut in the main and Luxilon ALU Power Rough in the crosses) because: a) I want to see what all the fuss is about, b) I am beginning to experience forearm pain and heard gut helps, and c) I feel my poly strings lose their pop after a while...

I currently string with Volkl Cyclone 17 mains and Gamma Glide 16 crosses at 50 pounds.

What should I be stringing the Champion's Choice at? I am looking for arm-friendliness, similar spin as what I get now, but with a string that may retain its play longer. I have read to go 4 pounds lower in the crosses than mains, so I am thinking maybe 52 mains and 48 crosses? (due to the natural gut having more power).

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Muppet]

Gut/poly is a very low friction hybrid. This allows the strings to slide against each other very freely and gives you more power. So you would want to string higher than 52/48. By itself, I'd say string gut/poly @58/54.

ALU is a very stiff string and will have more friction than other strings after the teflon coating wears off, so you would want to string it lower. Taking this into account, I'd say to go two or three lbs. lower.

So 55/51 or 56/52. Since your used to Cyclone, which is a little softer than ALU, go with 55/51.

 

[Aretium]

don't use alu rough, it dies really quick, and your left with 20$ of gut in your racket.

 

[TurkeySandwichOnRye]

don't use alu rough, it dies really quick, and your left with 20$ of gut in your racket.

What is an alternative?
Also, if this is the case, why would Wilson brand this as a combination?

 

[JBH]

If you are using Champion's Choice, there obviously isn't an alternative, since the poly is Alu Rough.

The Alu range is known for quick tension loss, but for retaining its playability at the lower tension / stretched condition. IMO this characteristic isn't a good reason for choosing or not choosing CC.

While Alu Rough doesn't have a Teflon coating, My limited use of CC supports Mr. Muppet's 55/51 solution. The gut is very high powered, and stringing it loose will either provide too much power, or allow the ALU to control the string bed, at least initially.

IMO the key to longevity is to use string savers. They'll radically reduce the gut's fraying.

Good luck with it.

 

[EasternRocks]

Way tighter than 52/48.

 

[Aretium]

What is an alternative?
Also, if this is the case, why would Wilson brand this as a combination?

Federer uses it.

I'd recommend a slick round poly in the crosses. Look at the Gut/Poly thread for ideas. I've used Solinco outlast and head hawk, both are excellent with the hawk being slightly better but a lore more expensive.

 

[TurkeySandwichOnRye]

Just dropped off the racquet. They ran out of Champions Choice but had Alu Power Rough so I went with Babolat VS gut in mains at 55 and Alu Power Rough 16L in crosses at 51. The stringer there said he had never heard of gut in the mains in a hybrid string job, only in crosses. I literally had to convince him to do it.

Looking forward to trying this combo.

 

[Franklin_B]

What is an alternative?
Also, if this is the case, why would Wilson brand this as a combination?

Federer uses that combination and it doesn't matter to him if ALU has bad tension maintenance.

I like Solinco Outlast, Isospeed black fire and am keen to try Wilson Revolve when I've used up my current sets of string.

 

[TurkeySandwichOnRye]

Update:

So far, so good. I am loving the natural gut main / poly cross hybrid. However, I think I am going to go even lower in tension next time. I will drop to 50lb mains and 47lb crosses.

 

[reds17]

Federer uses that combination and it doesn't matter to him if ALU has bad tension maintenance.

I like Solinco Outlast, Isospeed black fire and am keen to try Wilson Revolve when I've used up my current sets of string.

Federer also has the luxury of changing his racquet every 8 games or so. I'm out of it for the next few weeks at least with pretty bad TE, but researching what type of gut layup to use when I start playing again.

 

[The Big Kahuna]

Roger Federer | Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph
Wilson Natural Gut/Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough 48.5/45lbs

Novak Djokovic | Head Graphene 360 Speed Pro
Babolat VS Team Natural Gut / Luxilon ALU Power Rough 59/56lbs

James Duckworth | Babolat Pure Drive Plus - Blue/Black
Babolat VS Touch Natural Gut/Luxilon Alu Power Rough 125 43/41lbs

Jack Sock | Babolat Aero Storm VS Tour
Babolat VS Touch 1.30mm @ 36lbs / RPM Rough 1.25mm @ 34lbs /
alternatively a Full bed of LXN ALU Power Rough at 35lbs

ATP Pro Racquet and String Specs:
http://www.youaretennis.com/atp-pro-specs.html

 

[socallefty]

The stringer there said he had never heard of gut in the mains in a hybrid string job, only in crosses. I literally had to convince him to do it.

Looks like you need to start looking for a more experienced stringer.

 

[muttu34]

Just dropped off the racquet. They ran out of Champions Choice but had Alu Power Rough so I went with Babolat VS gut in mains at 55 and Alu Power Rough 16L in crosses at 51. The stringer there said he had never heard of gut in the mains in a hybrid string job, only in crosses. I literally had to convince him to do it.

Looking forward to trying this combo.

I don't string and I'm aware that you'd put Gut on mains. Logically speaking, why would u spend so much money on gut only to have it on the cross when the majority of the feel and the hit comes from the mains? Doesn't sound like a good investment. But then again, I'm a rookie here.

 

[jmacdaununder2]

Hopefully he didn't tie the poly crosses to the gut mains.