First impression with Natural Gut..and some questions

[aaron_h27]

Hey everyone, so I've been playing tennis for 12 years ( currently 5.0 level ) and never really cared about strings I just played with whatever was the cheapest string, usually a synthetic gut for $2.99 or whatever, however lately I figured why not try some different strings? I researched and saw that most pros use natural gut...I saw it was pricey but i figured why not just experience it once? And there has to be some reason the pros are using it. Anyways I recently bought 3 RF 97s (upgraded from the 85) and got one strung with wilson natural gut 16 at 60 lbs, one with babolat vs mains 55 lbs and rpm blast cross 52 lbs, and one with luxilon 4G at 50 lbs.

I got my rackets on sunday...so of course i was most excited to try the full natural gut after hearing everyone rave about the playability, touch, feel, etc...the first thing i noticed was the loud ping sound off the racket. I don't use dampeners but man that ping sound almost made me want to! I played with it for about 2 hours but for some reason I found most of my balls landing short with little to no spin. I was confused because everyone had said how powerful natural gut was. I had to really hit the ball to make it land deep, after a 2 hour session my arm was hurting slightly. I was really upset because I wasn't experiencing what everyone else was!

Second day I tried the full gut job again thinking maybe I just needed to get used to it, nope same thing. So I switched over to the hybrid and at first the ball was launching off my racket at a extremely high angle and flying out the back of the court because the set up had so much power, but eventually after 30-60 minutes it seemed to calm down and actually provide me with lots of spin but also feel. My arm didn't hurt with this set-up because i didn't have to do a lot of work to make the ball go deep with spin. I'm thinking ok cool so the hybrid is best for my game I hit with the hybrid the next 2-3 days only using the gut when warming up.

Today (5th day) I received a wilson stencil just for kicks and giggles and because i think they look cool in a racket I put the ink on all my rackets. Anyways I normally hit with this 16 year old girl a couple times a week for some extra money and I heard that hybrid set ups go bad fairly quickly so i was like ok let me just use the natural gut for practicing/hitting and save my hybrid for matches. So i start hitting with my full bed of gut and all of a sudden my balls are jumping and landing deep in the court (similar to hybrid set-up) without much effort, so im like ok maybe its just a fluke, but i played a set against this girl and it was one of the best sets I ever played. I won 6-2, but i normally struggle beating her or she beats me in a close set like 7-5 or something. For some reason the gut picked up in RPMs greatly and was no longer hard on my arm. I'm thinking that a full bed might be a good set up for me anyways i will report back but i just had a couple questions...

1. Does gut get better the more you hit with it? Someone at the courts said it could be the ink thats making the gut slicker giving me more spin but that sounds kind of far-fetched. I'm thinking the tension probably went down slightly making it better for the RF 97.

2. Is there a big difference in 16 gauge gut vs 17 gauge gut regarding spin potential, and durability? I know a lot of hybrid set-ups use 16 gauge but is 17 better in a full bed?

3. Should i string the crosses 3-4 lbs lower than the mains in a full bed of gut? I know you do it in a hybrid but i was wondering if the same would give the gut more movement for extra spin

4. How do you properly take care of gut? Should I be rubbing oil on them after or before playing?

5. What are you guys' favorite poly's to pair with Wilson NG ? I hear Alu Power Rough is good, I want something that plays good with good playability duration but more importantly something that plays good, i want to enjoy my time on court and play at my maximum potential even if it costs a little bit more.

6. Lets say I string two rackets with full NG and use one as a hybrid for situations where i would need more spin, if i let the hybrid sit in my bag without using it does it still lose playability?

That's all i have for now, I know this is a long post but I think these strings could be a game changer for me, I want a set-up where I know I can play my best tennis. I like the idea of having strings that get better with time that just seems cool and makes me want to play more IMO. I will report back to you guys here after playing some more!

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

Is that girl top 10 nationally ranked or playing the ITF junior circuit?

Did you just blind test gut with the RF 97? You might not even know what was wrong, the racket or the string.

Past the initial 24 hours or so after stringing, gut doesn't lose that much tension. So it's probably not tension loss. It's probably you getting used to the racket.

There's a big difference with regard to gauges if it isn't gut. And the picky Sampras used thinner gauges. Make of that what you will.

Personal choice, and no not really. It's more so to have the mains and crosses feel more similar since the crosses are shorter. It's done in hybrids because polys are stiffer and you should string them lower to match what you normally use.

Doesn't really get more expensive than ALU Power Rough...

Yes, but it's less noticeable because you have gut in the mains. Poly always dies. Always.

 

[ricki]

1) people have no idea, that actually what they think is "power" is actually a worse shot with higher launch angle and less spin...
2) pure natural gut sucks - it has no spins - just as any multi
3) no extra care for gut - just avoid playing in rain
4) "rough" is nonsense - any smooth poly in crosses will be good
5) no reason to use thinner gut strings

 

[2HBH-DTL]

1. Does gut get better the more you hit with it? Someone at the courts said it could be the ink thats making the gut slicker giving me more spin but that sounds kind of far-fetched. I'm thinking the tension probably went down slightly making it better for the RF 97. Gut will lose tension over time like anything else and it'll become more like a trampoline in a full bed but to me, gut feels great right out of the box so to speak. i string my gut in the mains around 57-58 lbs. 60 is almost too much.

2. Is there a big difference in 16 gauge gut vs 17 gauge gut regarding spin potential, and durability? I know a lot of hybrid set-ups use 16 gauge but is 17 better in a full bed? i would only stick to 16g for gut. going 17 you'll lose some durability and you don't want to risk breaking it early because it's so expensive. stick with 16 only.

3. Should i string the crosses 3-4 lbs lower than the mains in a full bed of gut? I know you do it in a hybrid but i was wondering if the same would give the gut more movement for extra spin. i would probably string a full bed of gut at the same tension. like 57 lbs full bed would be good i think.

4. How do you properly take care of gut? Should I be rubbing oil on them after or before playing? you don't have to do any maintenance on them. i don't on mind.

5. What are you guys' favorite poly's to pair with Wilson NG ? I hear Alu Power Rough is good, I want something that plays good with good playability duration but more importantly something that plays good, i want to enjoy my time on court and play at my maximum potential even if it costs a little bit more. i use YPTP 17g in my crosses as it's a round smooth poly. it's softer that most polys but it still has great tension maintenance. they won't eat at your gut strings or fray them.

6. Lets say I string two rackets with full NG and use one as a hybrid for situations where i would need more spin, if i let the hybrid sit in my bag without using it does it still lose playability? not really providing it's not sitting in a car all the time being subjected to the elements. like hot sun.

That's all i have for now, I know this is a long post but I think these strings could be a game changer for me, I want a set-up where I know I can play my best tennis. I like the idea of having strings that get better with time that just seems cool and makes me want to play more IMO. I will report back to you guys here after playing some more!

 

[aaron_h27]

Is that girl top 10 nationally ranked or playing the ITF junior circuit?

Did you just blind test gut with the RF 97? You might not even know what was wrong, the racket or the string.

Past the initial 24 hours or so after stringing, gut doesn't lose that much tension. So it's probably not tension loss. It's probably you getting used to the racket.

There's a big difference with regard to gauges if it isn't gut. And the picky Sampras used thinner gauges. Make of that what you will.

Personal choice, and no not really. It's more so to have the mains and crosses feel more similar since the crosses are shorter. It's done in hybrids because polys are stiffer and you should string them lower to match what you normally use.

Doesn't really get more expensive than ALU Power Rough...

Yes, but it's less noticeable because you have gut in the mains. Poly always dies. Always.

No, the girl is ranked top 10 in georgia in her age divison, im not sure what her national ranking is. Why would she need to be nationally top 10 to challenge a 5.0 male player? I don't play tournaments or hit the gym like she does as im purely playing for fun now. She plays a lot of matches. She beats me maybe 20-30% of the time.

Yeah I demoed the RF 97 which just had a cheap syn gut in it, and i honestly didn't really like it because the strings had too much power and little spin (ball was flying out every other shot with normal stroke) but i was honestly tired of trying out rackets and since I used the PS 85 I figured the 97 is the closest thing to it with a bigger sweet spot. I took a chance and assumed I would like it with better strings since I like the PS 85. So far so good!

Ok that makes sense, ill just string the gut mains and crosses the same! thanks

1) people have no idea, that actually what they think is "power" is actually a worse shot with higher launch angle and less spin...
2) pure natural gut sucks - it has no spins - just as any multi
3) no extra care for gut - just avoid playing in rain
4) "rough" is nonsense - any smooth poly in crosses will be good
5) no reason to use thinner gut strings

I found myself getting a lot of spin after breaking in the gut with a RF 97 16x19 so it does have some spin...it has less than the hybrid but if it has longer playability i would prefer that if the difference in spin isn't too big. Is regular ALU Power a smooth poly? How does that work with the NG?

 

[aaron_h27]

Thanks! I'll see how long I can get out of the 16 gut job and that will determine if i try the 17 or not. I think I will try gut next time around 55-57 lbs instead of 60. I assumed it would be super powerful based on the reviews, but the RF 97 is a low powered racket.

 

[2HBH-DTL]

right. with low powered frames like the RF97 and anything with a dense pattern benefits with lower tensions with gut like mid to upper 50s. i think 55 - 57 would be a good starting point in the RF97.

 

[aaron_h27]

right. with low powered frames like the RF97 and anything with a dense pattern benefits with lower tensions with gut like mid to upper 50s. i think 55 - 57 would be a good starting point in the RF97.

Sounds good, I will definitely try that next time and report back here

I'm kind of angry no one told me to stop using cheap strings LOL. Man what a difference! Wish I had these when I played in college.

 

[2HBH-DTL]

strings make a huge difference. i played cheap polys in high school but at that time i couldn't afford natural gut. really can't afford it now as it is but it's actually worth it to me. plus the string jobs typically last longer if you have a round poly in there for the crosses. haven't broke the setup yet.

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

No, the girl is ranked top 10 in georgia in her age divison, im not sure what her national ranking is. Why would she need to be nationally top 10 to challenge a 5.0 male player? I don't play tournaments or hit the gym like she does as im purely playing for fun now. She plays a lot of matches. She beats me maybe 20-30% of the time.

Yeah I demoed the RF 97 which just had a cheap syn gut in it, and i honestly didn't really like it because the strings had too much power and little spin (ball was flying out every other shot with normal stroke) but i was honestly tired of trying out rackets and since I used the PS 85 I figured the 97 is the closest thing to it with a bigger sweet spot. I took a chance and assumed I would like it with better strings since I like the PS 85. So far so good!

Ok that makes sense, ill just string the gut mains and crosses the same! thanks

Because for a female to have a reasonably close match with a male at that level, they'd have to be roughly a 6.0. 150 nationally ranked 18s is about 5.5.

And I don't know, the RF97 is pretty far off from the PS85. More power, yes. But it's also a lot clunkier. I feel like any of the old 95s was a lot closer. The PS97 with added weight in the right spots might also be closer. But nobody's going to do that on a demo racket.

 

[comeback]

Use Ashaway ZX ..It's by far the best cross for NG and won't go dead like poly..Also gives great spin
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/reviews/AMGZX16/AMGZX16review.html

 

[aaron_h27]

Because for a female to have a reasonably close match with a male at that level, they'd have to be roughly a 6.0. 150 nationally ranked 18s is about 5.5.

And I don't know, the RF97 is pretty far off from the PS85. More power, yes. But it's also a lot clunkier. I feel like any of the old 95s was a lot closer. The PS97 with added weight in the right spots might also be closer. But nobody's going to do that on a demo racket.

Whatever man if you wanna make broad generalizations like that, that's your prerogative. There are many factors that go into why a match could be close due to match-ups and stuff but you seem like one of those people who is stuck on ratings. I played tennis at a D2 school in Georgia and I play 6.0- ultimate tennis in Atlanta. My rating is 5.0-6.0 depending on the league/and or city, I just said 5.0 because I wanted you guys to know i was an advanced player with technique so that you could make suggestions based on that. If its different in your city well then, ok. In Atlanta I am considered a 5.5-6.0 based on the leagues I play (and yes im winning matches otherwise u get moved down in ultimate)

 

[aaron_h27]

Also saying that a woman needs to be a 6.0 to win games off a 5.0 guy is kind of sexist and just plain wrong. There are so many different types of players to just make a blanket statement like that is crazy.

 

[aaron_h27]

Update, ok im starting to see why people say gut is powerful cause now the ball is really flying off the racket! You really don't have to do much to keep the ball deep which is nice! The strings have a little bit of fraying but they don't look close to breaking. I've played around 12 hours (6 days of hitting) with the full gut racket strung at 60 Lbs with Wilson NG 16. I'm thinking a hybrid would probably be best for me for the extra spin, lower power and cost. I'm gonna keep playing with the full gut until it breaks and see if i can learn to tame the power, i would like to try a full bed of 17 gauge before I completely give up on the full bed and see if that makes any difference.

 

[Fintft]

Clean it to remove the chips that might cause fraying according to TW (no need to wax it anymore, but I "clean" it with a wax stick).

 

[2HBH-DTL]

Update, ok im starting to see why people say gut is powerful cause now the ball is really flying off the racket! You really don't have to do much to keep the ball deep which is nice! The strings have a little bit of fraying but they don't look close to breaking. I've played around 12 hours (6 days of hitting) with the full gut racket strung at 60 Lbs with Wilson NG 16. I'm thinking a hybrid would probably be best for me for the extra spin, lower power and cost. I'm gonna keep playing with the full gut until it breaks and see if i can learn to tame the power, i would like to try a full bed of 17 gauge before I completely give up on the full bed and see if that makes any difference.

i would stray away from a full bed of nat gut. that's just me though. gut/smooth poly is the best

better playability, cheaper, more spin, more durable.

 

[aaron_h27]

18 hours of play so far and still going strong, every now and then I hit a ball that fly's off the racket because im not used to the power but for the most part my unforced errors have reduced because of how consistent the gut plays I like that I can take consistent swings at the ball. and it may be placebo but for some reason when playing with a full bed I feel more confident coming forward to the net and finishing off points. The gut really shines on half volleys, dropshots, and backhand slices. I tried out the full bed of 4G for about 1 hour the other day and i honestly didn't really like it you get a crazy amount of spin and arc over the net but to me it wasn't a consistent ball and i couldn't really get into a groove like i can with the NG. I really hope I can get 30-40 hours out of this NG then it will definitely be a keeper.

 

[aaron_h27]

Also being that I don't own a stringer I need something I can keep in my racket for a long time but still play good. I've never really been a string breaker, because I don't hit with a crazy amount of spin. My game is more of an all-court/counterpunching style think Steve Darcis, Olivier Rochus, Henin, Mauresmo type...I'm a short guy (5'8) so I try to model my game after those players and I think they all use gut if i am correct.

 

[2HBH-DTL]

most of them probably use gut as a main and something else hybrid in. but glad to hear you're enjoying the full bed and have gotten a lot of hours out of it so far. will definately provide the most power and feel.

 

[aaron_h27]

most of them probably use gut as a main and something else hybrid in. but glad to hear you're enjoying the full bed and have gotten a lot of hours out of it so far. will definately provide the most power and feel.

I'm not sure what Darcis uses currently or Rochus when he played on tour, but Mauresmo and Henin both used full natural gut when they played (retired in 2010-11)

 

[fjcamry]

i would stray away from a full bed of nat gut. that's just me though. gut/smooth poly is the best

better playability, cheaper, more spin, more durable.

I play with a syngut mains - round poly crosses . I feel this is even cheaper and closest to the best setup for my racquet.


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[aaron_h27]

December 3 2017

Ok I didn't play much tennis july-october due to a new job, however I have quit recently and have had more time to play. I got my RF 97 strung up with Wilson Natural Gut 17 (old $55 version) in the mains and Alu Power Rough in the crosses. I figured why not try the Fed set-up. I got one racket strung at 48/45 and the other at 54/50 based on what I read Fed's tension was.

Maan I was spraying balls everywhere with the 48/45 racket I thought it was maybe due to me having not played much, but it was really waay too powerful. The 54/50 was a little better but still a bit too powerful. Luckily somehow I managed to win 3 league matches with the 54/50. I am not one for wasting money so I used the 54/50 until it broke. The 48/45 was unusable as it was just too loose to have any confidence with so when the 54/50 broke I got both re-strung. After doing more research I realized that Fed does not play with 48/45 tension anymore and got his updated tension which is around 59/56.

After realizing I had the tension way too low I gave Fed's set up (Gut mains/Alu rough cross) another shot. This time I used VS Touch 16 gut because the nearest tennis shop doesn't carry the new wilson gut, and I don't want to get used to the $55 gut seeing as it is not being made anymore. I will continue to use VS Touch from here on out.

Got one racket strung up at 59/56 and one a little bit looser at 56/53.

Ok MUCH better than the 48/45! LOL! I've been playing with both rackets for about 2 weeks now and honestly I can't really tell a difference in the tension, they both seem to play the same for me. Initially for about the first 4-5 hours the rackets played very well and consistent however a couple of days later I seemed to be lose consistency a bit (balls flying long) I'm still getting wicked spin however every now and then I send a ball out towards the back fence when it barely feels like I hit the damn thing. I'm guessing its due to the power of the gut and the tension loss of the poly giving it a much higher launch angle. I will say that I am undefeated with this set up so far. I've played 4 league matches at 6.0- level and have won all of them. I've also found it hard to hit precise drop shots, like they end up landing too far in the court, which is something I don't normally have trouble with. Serve is great with this set up. I get a lot of spin on my second serve.

The playability is still there...I get a ton of spin and the alu rough crosses hasn't caused any problems on my arm. I am going to use them until they break. It's been about 16 days since my last re-stringing. I have trouble at times controlling my forehand from going long and really just dropshots. The amount of spin you get with this set-up is crazy.

I really don't want to give on up on this set-up, my next plan of attack is to go up a bit in tension. The 2015 RF 97 Autograph is an extremely powerful racket with an 16x19 open pattern. I am going to go up 5 lbs and string one racket at 64/60 and the other at 59/56. I hope this will solve my issues with the occasional forehand going towards the back fence. You want to have that extra confidence in a match for sure. The only thing I am worried about is the poly being too harsh as I go up in tension. Hopefully the gut can tame a bit of the harshness from the poly, and as you all know the RF Autograph is an extremely stiff racket.

If going up in tension doesn't solve my problem my next hybrids I will try are

- Alu Power Smooth
- Alu Power Soft
- Max Power
- 4G

I know for 4G and Max Power I will have to lower the tensions a bit as they are low-powered poly's. I will provide an update on my next re-stringing!

I pray I find a poly that works for me otherwise I may re-consider just going full-gut. My pockets won't like that though.

 

[fjcamry]

I use the multifilament mains and proline ll crosses at 57/52 lbs in my youtek speed pro 18x20. The max power is similar to proline ll and you’ll be fine at 52lbs .


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[aaron_h27]

Also if anyone can comment if there is a big difference between Tonic 16 and Touch 16 cause If I can save $7 I will definitely do that. LOL

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Tonic is the exact same as Touch except it may have slight fluctuations in gauge. I have never noticed any difference. I've played both, but I have been buying Tonic exclusively for the last 2-3 years.

 

[fjcamry]

Also if you’re going to try max power ,you could also try the touch multi by Kirschbaum as it’s by the same manufacturer.


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[aaron_h27]

Ok after much consideration I figured a hybrid isn't the way to go for me. Yeah its cheaper, but to me it feels like a waste of gut, because the poly gets loose, and the control is pretty much gone. The spin is great, but the control is just terrible. Even at 59/56 with Gut/Alu Rough I was having trouble controlling my shots after the maybe 10-12 hours of play. It's a dramatic loss of control to the point where you lose confidence in your shots. Also I can feel the harshness even with the gut in the mains.

I figured I could try other poly's but there's just too many to try, too many variables. I figured I will just use a full bed of gut because it will last until it breaks and i dont own a stringer. Plus my game is reliant on dropshots, volleys, control & feel. It costs a little bit more but to me it's worth it.

I'm on my 3rd stringing of full natural gut. The first two I used Babolat VS touch BT7 at 62 lbs. The first full gut set up lasted about a week, maybe 12 hours. The second one lasted a bit longer...I think around 20 hours. But its weird that they both snapped in the same spot. I was expecting more durability from Vs Touch with BT7 based on babolat saying it was more durable due to the extra coating, but then again I am using a 16x19 frame.

For the 3rd stringing (the one I'm on now) I finally got a hold of the $55 wilson gut (pre BT7). I have never used pre BT7 gut so i was excited based on people's reviews. I strung it at 62 lbs to compare it to the BT7 gut. I did notice it was a bit softer, but that's really it I can't tell a huge difference right now being that I only played with it for an hour today, but I'm hoping durability wise it lasts longer than the BT7 stuff, but to be honest I thought they played more or less the same. But i have been playing with natural gut the past 6 weeks here are the pros and cons I have noticed

Pros:
Tension Maintenance
Feel
Softer on the arm
Good power on serve
Improvement in volleys, dropshots, serve & half-court pickups

Cons:
15-20% less spin than poly
Expensive
Durability (depending on frame and how much spin you use)


I think natural gut is really helping my game, you can really feel the difference on volleys, dropshots and the serve. All of those have improved since switching over to Natural Gut and as a result I have been more confident coming to net and mixing up play, rather than just baseline slugging. The only thing is you lose a bit of spin, but spin does not equal control in my opinion. To me natural gut is providing me with more control than poly because of the tension maintenance. The consistent tension maintenance allows you to really hone in on your strokes and not have to change your swing because your strings have lost tension. I love having that peace of mind knowing my string will pretty much play the same until it breaks. I feel like this is the perfect string for the rec player. I hope i can get 25-30 hours out of this wilson $55 gut. Lol. I'll report back if i notice anymore differences between the Bt7 and non-BT7 gut.

 

[aaron_h27]

I will say that at 62 lbs in an RF 97 is a bit tight for both BT7 and non BT7 initially but it seems to ease up after 3-5 hours of play. I may try stringing lower around 55-58 lbs and see how that feels. The RF 97 is soo freakin stiff!!

I hope lowering the tension will help with durability a bit. Lol

 

[MC London]

Ok after much consideration I figured a hybrid isn't the way to go for me. Yeah its cheaper, but to me it feels like a waste of gut, because the poly gets loose, and the control is pretty much gone. The spin is great, but the control is just terrible. Even at 59/56 with Gut/Alu Rough I was having trouble controlling my shots after the maybe 10-12 hours of play. It's a dramatic loss of control to the point where you lose confidence in your shots. Also I can feel the harshness even with the gut in the mains.

I figured I could try other poly's but there's just too many to try, too many variables. I figured I will just use a full bed of gut because it will last until it breaks and i dont own a stringer. Plus my game is reliant on dropshots, volleys, control & feel. It costs a little bit more but to me it's worth it.

I'm on my 3rd stringing of full natural gut. The first two I used Babolat VS touch BT7 at 62 lbs. The first full gut set up lasted about a week, maybe 12 hours. The second one lasted a bit longer...I think around 20 hours. But its weird that they both snapped in the same spot. I was expecting more durability from Vs Touch with BT7 based on babolat saying it was more durable due to the extra coating, but then again I am using a 16x19 frame.

For the 3rd stringing (the one I'm on now) I finally got a hold of the $55 wilson gut (pre BT7). I have never used pre BT7 gut so i was excited based on people's reviews. I strung it at 62 lbs to compare it to the BT7 gut. I did notice it was a bit softer, but that's really it I can't tell a huge difference right now being that I only played with it for an hour today, but I'm hoping durability wise it lasts longer than the BT7 stuff, but to be honest I thought they played more or less the same. But i have been playing with natural gut the past 6 weeks here are the pros and cons I have noticed

Pros:
Tension Maintenance
Feel
Softer on the arm
Good power on serve
Improvement in volleys, dropshots, serve & half-court pickups

Cons:
15-20% less spin than poly
Expensive
Durability (depending on frame and how much spin you use)


I think natural gut is really helping my game, you can really feel the difference on volleys, dropshots and the serve. All of those have improved since switching over to Natural Gut and as a result I have been more confident coming to net and mixing up play, rather than just baseline slugging. The only thing is you lose a bit of spin, but spin does not equal control in my opinion. To me natural gut is providing me with more control than poly because of the tension maintenance. The consistent tension maintenance allows you to really hone in on your strokes and not have to change your swing because your strings have lost tension. I love having that peace of mind knowing my string will pretty much play the same until it breaks. I feel like this is the perfect string for the rec player. I hope i can get 25-30 hours out of this wilson $55 gut. Lol. I'll report back if i notice anymore differences between the Bt7 and non-BT7 gut.

 

[MC London]

Thanks for all the updates interesting to read.

I have been playing with a full bed of natural gut for nearly 20 years. I have used most brands over the years, my favourite was probably Bow Brand but this has been discontinued a few years ago. I have my own stringing machine so a bit more cost effective, plus wishing to protect my arm as much as possible was the reason for playing and staying with a full bed of natural gut. I have mostly been using Babolat, Pacific and sometimes Klip for the last few years but most recently have started using Luxilon since the end of last year. I am astonished at how long this gut lasts. Typically all the other guts would last me 10-15 hours. I have not specifically logged at how long the Luxilon lasts but the 3-4 sets I have gone through so far must be at least 2 probably 3 times longer. Luxilon natural gut has been criticised by some for lacking power. Perhaps this is the case or I am just getting that bit older so I am going to purchase a few sets of Babolat Touch and purposefully alternate between the two to see. I read somewhere that the Luxilon natural gut is made from 9 strands compared to 7 hence the longevity.

I agree with you on the tension, 52 lbs is about right for me, I tried 45 but found this a bit too loose and inconsistent.

 

[pfrischmann]

Hi Aaron,
Just my own observations. 60+ lbs is pretty high/stiff even for gut. I've found Babolat VS to feel a little softer than Wilson. Gut/poly will give you much more spin potential than gut/gut. Some believe the right combo of gut/poly is better for spin than Gut/Gut. I've found Gut/poly to be almost as good as a full bed of tourbite and have way better touch. It's also much better on my arm. Tennis warehouse has a study somewhere and they compare the friction of different string types. IIRC, the Gut/poly was the most slippery.

The RF97 can be a pretty harsh racquet. At 5.0 you probably center the ball more often than I do. So it may not be as much of an issue but even Federer doesn't string as high as you do. It also depends if you put gut or poly in the crosses. I really liked gut in the mains at 55 and poly at 3-5 lbs less in the crosses.

Wilson Champoins choice is cool but the poly in there dies really quickly. Alu rough is very slick but it goes "trampoline" really quickly. I've been using 4g in the crosses and I've been very happy with the longevity. It holds tension for a really long time.

I feel poly in the mains could provide more spin but you lose a lot of the feel that makes gut so special. I'm thinking of trying tourbite in the mains and gut in the crosses to soften up the string bed but get me grip on the ball...I haven't figured out the tension yet.

 

[aaron_h27]

Thanks for all the updates interesting to read.

I have been playing with a full bed of natural gut for nearly 20 years. I have used most brands over the years, my favourite was probably Bow Brand but this has been discontinued a few years ago. I have my own stringing machine so a bit more cost effective, plus wishing to protect my arm as much as possible was the reason for playing and staying with a full bed of natural gut. I have mostly been using Babolat, Pacific and sometimes Klip for the last few years but most recently have started using Luxilon since the end of last year. I am astonished at how long this gut lasts. Typically all the other guts would last me 10-15 hours. I have not specifically logged at how long the Luxilon lasts but the 3-4 sets I have gone through so far must be at least 2 probably 3 times longer. Luxilon natural gut has been criticised by some for lacking power. Perhaps this is the case or I am just getting that bit older so I am going to purchase a few sets of Babolat Touch and purposefully alternate between the two to see. I read somewhere that the Luxilon natural gut is made from 9 strands compared to 7 hence the longevity.

I agree with you on the tension, 52 lbs is about right for me, I tried 45 but found this a bit too loose and inconsistent.

I have been hearing great things about Luxilon gut. I will definitely try it. I hear its low powered and a bit stiff so I will try it in the 50-54 lbs range one of these days. Have you tried the New Wilson gut made by luxilon? How does that play? I remember one poster on here was saying that he liked the luxilon gut more than pre BT7. I was sold after that. Lol

Hi Aaron,
Just my own observations. 60+ lbs is pretty high/stiff even for gut. I've found Babolat VS to feel a little softer than Wilson. Gut/poly will give you much more spin potential than gut/gut. Some believe the right combo of gut/poly is better for spin than Gut/Gut. I've found Gut/poly to be almost as good as a full bed of tourbite and have way better touch. It's also much better on my arm. Tennis warehouse has a study somewhere and they compare the friction of different string types. IIRC, the Gut/poly was the most slippery.

The RF97 can be a pretty harsh racquet. At 5.0 you probably center the ball more often than I do. So it may not be as much of an issue but even Federer doesn't string as high as you do. It also depends if you put gut or poly in the crosses. I really liked gut in the mains at 55 and poly at 3-5 lbs less in the crosses.

Wilson Champoins choice is cool but the poly in there dies really quickly. Alu rough is very slick but it goes "trampoline" really quickly. I've been using 4g in the crosses and I've been very happy with the longevity. It holds tension for a really long time.

I feel poly in the mains could provide more spin but you lose a lot of the feel that makes gut so special. I'm thinking of trying tourbite in the mains and gut in the crosses to soften up the string bed but get me grip on the ball...I haven't figured out the tension yet.

Yeah 62 lbs is a bit high for the RF 97, esp with the guts being low-powered now. I still have 5-6 more sets of the old $55 wilson gut so i will try stringing at 57 lbs next time. I know everyone has said the Luxilon is super stiff so I will try that at 50-54 lbs once i get around to trying that. Wilson's champion choice does die very quickly and for me it wasn't playable after the poly died. Spin is fine but the ball just trampolines too much.

 

[IowaGuy]

I think natural gut is really helping my game, you can really feel the difference on volleys, dropshots and the serve.

Yup, the greatest volleyers/touch players of all time used nat gut!

 

[pfrischmann]

I have been hearing great things about Luxilon gut. I will definitely try it. I hear its low powered and a bit stiff so I will try it in the 50-54 lbs range one of these days. Have you tried the New Wilson gut made by luxilon? How does that play? I remember one poster on here was saying that he liked the luxilon gut more than pre BT7. I was sold after that. Lol



Yeah 62 lbs is a bit high for the RF 97, esp with the guts being low-powered now. I still have 5-6 more sets of the old $55 wilson gut so i will try stringing at 57 lbs next time. I know everyone has said the Luxilon is super stiff so I will try that at 50-54 lbs once i get around to trying that. Wilson's champion choice does die very quickly and for me it wasn't playable after the poly died. Spin is fine but the ball just trampolines too much.

FWIW,
I can't remember if I mentioned this. I am really impressed with 4g in the crosses. I'm not a fan otherwise but it holds tension extremely well. Far better than alu rough.

 

[PMChambers]

Read most,
If it was me I'd do poly at 58lb and syth /gut at about 62-64lb.
I use full co-poly at 58lb. If I cut it every session I'd lower it 56lb. But low tension poly to me is not nice feel. 58lb is starting to feel boardy but will drop quickly. 60lb+ locks the string bed up and feels harsh.
I haven't used syth or gut in the RF97 but generally for me requires 6lb higher tension for similar control.
BTW I usually use 18x20 so maybe the difference but RF97 eats into poly quickly. I don't break strings often, but RF97 knotches fast and binds the string bed. This becomes obvious through reduced spin but becareful the arm will feel it so check regularly and cut out more often than usual else you will get sore.
So if your going with a gut hybrid, which I've never tried due to cost and availability, it might start costing big dollars. Multi will fray fast. Not a string guy just warning that many find the RF97 knotch strings quickly which is ok if string breaker as they will break fast but if not will hurt.

 

[aaron_h27]

Hey guys I have about 6 hours of playing time with the pre bt7 (old wilson 16 gauge) gut at 62 lbs and to be honest I really haven't noticed much difference in playability vs BT7. I will say that there is more fraying with the pre bt7 but its more spread out evenly across the string bed where as with BT7 it would just fray in certain spots on the racket.

Like I said before, I think 62 lbs is too tight, esp for the RF 97 and the way i play (im a counterpuncher/all courter with a one hand backhand). I will probably drop the tension to the 55-58 range and switch over to thinner 17 gauge gut because the RF 97 is extremely heavy and also I would like access to a bit more spin/feel. I'm hoping durability wont take too much of a hit, but i believe lowering the tension can improve durability slightly. We shall see in the upcoming trials. If 17 gauge can give me slightly more spin with all the benefits of 16 gauge then I will definitely have found my holy grail string.

Once my $55 wilson is gone I will probably just use BT7 vs team, because if it goes on sale again at $28 a pack it really can't be beat in terms of price/performance. Otherwise I will use Luxilon.

 

[aaron_h27]

FWIW,
I can't remember if I mentioned this. I am really impressed with 4g in the crosses. I'm not a fan otherwise but it holds tension extremely well. Far better than alu rough.

I will have to try a Gut/4G set up one of these days.

 

[IowaGuy]

i believe lowering the tension can improve durability slightly.

What's the theory behind lower gut tension = higher durability?

 

[aaron_h27]

What's the theory behind lower gut tension = higher durability?

I think it applies for any string, the more tension applied = more likely to snap.

 

[IowaGuy]

I think it applies for any string, the more tension applied = more likely to snap.

But is lower tension = more likely for strings to move = more notching/sawing off of strings?

 

[Fintft]

Like I said before, I think 62 lbs is too tight, esp for the RF 97 and the way i play (im a counterpuncher/all courter with a one hand backhand). I will probably drop the tension to the 55-58 range and switch over to thinner 17 gauge gut because the RF 97 is extremely heavy and also I would like access to a bit more spin/feel.

Exactly as confirmed by my sig

 

[aaron_h27]

But is lower tension = more likely for strings to move = more notching/sawing off of strings?

I don't know honestly, I've just been hearing on here that lower tension = more durability because higher tension puts more stress on the strings. I don't know if its a big durability difference though going from 62 lbs to 55 or w/e.

Exactly as confirmed by my sig

Why do you string the crosses 2 lbs looser if you dont mind me asking? How long have you been using your set-up?

 

[Yoneyama]

I will have to try a Gut/4G set up one of these days.

I have done much the same experimenting as you. Gut/ALU Rough loses playability really quick.

Gut/4G is still basically the same for me after 30 hours of play, however it WILL cause pain if you do not have very well conditioned arm muscles. I cut my Gut/4G out yesterday as I can't even last 30 minutes without horrible wrist pain. The 4G is just brutal. I have no idea how pro's use this string in full beds. I have never encountered a string like it. Great for durability and tension maintenance though.

 

[Fintft]

I don't know honestly, I've just been hearing on here that lower tension = more durability because higher tension puts more stress on the strings. I don't know if its a big durability difference though going from 62 lbs to 55 or w/e.



Why do you string the crosses 2 lbs looser if you dont mind me asking? How long have you been using your set-up?

It limits movement (according to my stringer) and for about five years.

 

[aaron_h27]

I have done much the same experimenting as you. Gut/ALU Rough loses playability really quick.

Gut/4G is still basically the same for me after 30 hours of play, however it WILL cause pain if you do not have very well conditioned arm muscles. I cut my Gut/4G out yesterday as I can't even last 30 minutes without horrible wrist pain. The 4G is just brutal. I have no idea how pro's use this string in full beds. I have never encountered a string like it. Great for durability and tension maintenance though.

Wow! Sorry to hear about your wrist pain. What tension do you string Gut/4G at?

It limits movement (according to my stringer) and for about five years.

Gotcha.

 

[Yoneyama]

Wow! Sorry to hear about your wrist pain. What tension do you string Gut/4G at?



Gotcha.

Only 56 mains gut / 54 cross 4G ... so nothing too high.

First few matches I was fine with it but I noticed as matches went on and the hours piled up that pain would come quicker and quicker with the Gut/4G setup.

 

[Addxyz]

My coach told me to get FB Gut prestretched. Should I ask the stringer to do 10% prestretch or something?

 

[aaron_h27]

10 hours in with old wilson $55 gut (pre BT7) at 62 lbs, 16 gauge. Much more spin compared to when first strung up. I really like how gut plays when it's broken in. I was getting some wicked kick on my second serves. I don't understand why people say this stuff has no spin, it has a bunch of spin to me! Could be the 16x19 pattern of the RF97A? Not sure. I will see how long this lasts and then decide if i want to go to the 17 gauge which is more spin friendly. I love this stuff!

 

[IowaGuy]

I don't understand why people say this stuff has no spin, it has a bunch of spin to me!

Sampras 2nd serve clocked at nearly 5,000 RPM, using natural gut.

 

[Fintft]

My coach told me to get FB Gut prestretched. Should I ask the stringer to do 10% prestretch or something?

My stringer does a manual pre stretching (he pulls from one end, while someone just holds firm the other end) and it's not always the same: sometimes it's a foot, sometimes it's less depending of how elastic/fresh that batch is. Same string for the last couple of years, as per my sig.