Favorite stings in 93" 18x20 12+oz?

[graycrait]

I would like to know what the aficionados of 18x20 "heavy" 93" rackets like for strings and tensions.

There seem to have been enough made for some opinions http://www.racquetfinder.com/?name=...=&bwMin=&bwMax=&mains=18&crosses=20&current=N

 

[Christian Olsson]

Well. My radical tour is 95” and close enough.

I like 1.15 mm Kirshbaum Proline 2 at 20 kg. Maybe 19 kg in a 93”. Stiffer poly at lower tensions works great for me. Balls don’t fly and it feels both accurate and plush. Hard to describe.

 

[fuzz nation]

Easy answer for me in this case is a 17 ga. syn. gut. I haven't found one to replace my preferred stuff from Kirschbaum, though it seems that TW is restocking the 16 ga. version of this string. Gosen OGSM 17 or Prince SG w/Duraflex both need lower tensions to work for me. Volkl Classic 17 is moderately soft, but the Gosen or PSGD is too tinny and harsh unless I install it at around 3-4 lbs. lower than most others.

I'm generally happy to make fun of Babolat's racquets, but I'm looking forward to trying their syn. guts next.

 

[Frankc]

Pretty consistent over three decades - thin natural gut - prestige pro, 18X20, for years - now in a 16X18 Premier Tour... Both close to 13 oz - but the PT is more deliciously soft...

 

[Deleted member 775108]

I would like to know what the aficionados of 18x20 "heavy" 93" rackets like for strings and tensions.

Ghostwire 19 gauge @ 48-50-52 lbs. Unlock some nice spin and power and open up the sweet spot. Arm friendly crisp string that has way better tension maintenance then expected. If you are a string breaker which is rare with 18x20 frames do 18g @ 46-48-50 lbs

 

[PrinceYonex]

I have 1.3 gut with 1.17 Ghostwire crosses in my head pro tour 2.0 (a 95 with a very dense 18/20 pattern). 52 lbs in the mains, 49 in the crosses. Extremely consistent feel off the string bed, a nice sense of power from the gut that combines very well with the low launch angle of the dense pattern.

 

[Winners or Errors]

Really liking Prince Lightning Pro 16 mains and Kirschbaum Proline X 1.25 crosses in my Becker London Tours at the moment. Crisp with predictable, good spin rates. Also seems pretty durable, though durability has never really been a problem for me in 18x20 patterns.

 

[tennisnoob1949]

Really liking Prince Lightning Pro 16 mains and Kirschbaum Proline X 1.25 crosses in my Becker London Tours at the moment. Crisp with predictable, good spin rates. Also seems pretty durable, though durability has never really been a problem for me in 18x20 patterns.

I have a TXP Pro (I know that’s not 93, it’s 89.5). I recently tried Toroline Wasabi in it (strung at 50/48 but likely a lot lower now) and am very pleasantly surprised. Decent power and arm friendliness with much better spin / bite than a synthetic gut.

 

[Dartagnan64]

Gut 17g mains at 50 lbs and 18g ghostwire crosses at 44 lbs.

 

[AceyMan]

Well,

To quote my avatar namesake, "I come with glad tidings ..."

It may sound boring, but in small headed dense patterns, a fresh full bed of Velocity 17 is a sweet ride; goldilocks for me is around 21-22kg (46~48lbs), depending on frame stiffness and whatnot.

It won't last long if you hit lots of spin (I don't) but while it's alive it's got just the right dynamic response (? "bounciness") that seems to gel with small hoops that have the mass to plow into the ball.

HTH,
/Acey

backing up my claims, right now I have a Dunlop Revo CX 2.0 Tour (a 'small' 95 in²) with yellow Velocity 17 and a vintage HEAD TX Edge (89.5 in²) with black V17. Yummy goodness.

 

[DrumWizOHBD]

I've got Head Sonic Pro 17 at 42lb in my Prestige Classic Mid, and it's pretty dope: soft, good pocketing, little bit of power, getting great spin with it. I played well with Tourna Silver 7 Tour at 44lb, but it was a little too firm. Regular old Lynx 17 was also nice, but I get more spin from the Sonic Pro. Tier One Ghost wire makes some very thin gauges at great prices. Ball gets in and out quickly with GW and it seems like a harder stringbed, but not uncomfortable. GhostWire is a unique string in that it seems very stiff and crispy while not feeling harsh at all, but has great control, and nice spin in thin gauge, it's a little pingy in sound. I also like Gosen AK Control 17 strung a little higher. I like Ice Code 18, too ( great spin), but its just a little too muted for the flexy Prestige Classic and I get a little more pop and pocketing from the Sonic Pro.

 

[graycrait]

@Christian Olsson , I strung my Babolat Pure Storm 95 LTD GT+ with Proline II 18g at 52/23.5 and had a great hit against a hard hitting 28yr old. Comfortable too even on mishits. This PS 95 is 27.5" 18x20 11.8oz 9pts HL, my all time favorite serving stick.

@gold325 , I did 19g Ghostwire mains x 18g Gamma Syn Gut at 50lbs in a Tour 10 93" 18x20 and it played crisp enough with comfort. Hard to pick a favorite between the above racket and stringcombo and this hybrid in the Volkl Tour 10.

It looks like I might need a reel each of Ghostwire 19 and Proline II 18. Then decide which 18g syn gut I need a reel of. I have 7 or 8 more packs of various 18g syn gut I am trying.

Now as a look back on the many rackets string experiments and I mean many, I am baffled and a little embarrassed that I stuck with 16g so much and just dabbled in 17g. At my age I think I will keep all the 15, 15L 16 strings I still have for stringing other people's rackets. I'll use 17g on open pattern rackets that I use and likely use 18/19 gauge on most of my daily players.

Thanks all for your suggestions.

 

[Deleted member 775108]

I did 19g Ghostwire mains x 18g Gamma Syn Gut at 50lbs in a Tour 10 93" 18x20 and it played crisp enough with comfort.

Thanks all for your suggestions.

That's exactly the combo I wanted to try with white gamma syn gut next time.... perfect sleeper hybrid. Let me know how long this combo lasts and if and when the string bed locks up!

 

[graycrait]

18g OGSM at 45lbs is really nice in "The Scalpel." Tour 10 Mid 93" 18x20.