First time using NG/Hybrid

[Roforot]

I normally use Rzr code soft w/ either Toroline Snapper at 44# but as I've been playing more S&V, it was suggested to try Gut. I had used a full bed 5-6 years ago and wasn't too impressed then (can't remember the exact brand) but was willing to give it a shot using Snapper as a cross. Snapper is 8-sided and slick like most Toroline strings.

First frame got Klip Legend 17g mains at 52#. This was coated and it was very soft/nice feeling but definitely didn't give me a lot more pop. Spin was okay. Slices/underspin was better than my usual setup. Overall I wasn't wowed by this setup but I do have to note that I probably played 3 of my best tennis w this frame. In reading about it some people say this needs a few hours to settle in and plays better as it ages. When strings like x-1 compare themselves to Gut, they are pretty close if talking about Klip.

The second frame got Babolat VS 16g also at 52#. Babolat sells a pre-packaged hybrid using RPM blast which seems akin to my setup w/ Snapper. Now this gives the feeling of using a natural premium product. Even stringing, I was more nervous b/c there were small little imperfections compared to the Klip which was more homogenous. The biggest thing obviously was the feel. This definitely brings a nice touch of power and I wonder about using a higher tension actually. Although thicker at 16g, I felt it may have had more topspin than the Legend... Slices were great. No chance of mistaking it for X-1 or other multis.

I am curious to see how long I get out of these strings before they break or the poly becomes unplayable? As it is right now, I wouldn't switch to Klip Legend but if I had arm or wrist issues that would be a recommendation. Unfortunately they were out of 16g Legend and didn't have 17 g half sets of VS so I had to use different gauges.

BTW, where I need the topspin is on the kick serves but occasionally I do hit a few Forehands as well for passing shots. I actually prefer the feel of polys for these shots b/c it seems like the strings grip and cut through the ball whereas w/ Gut hybrids I see the topspin but don't get that same feeling. This is reversed w/ volleys/slices so it'll also see how I adjust and then which part of my game needs to have the best feeling. I am also curious about other brands like Wilson and Luxilon? I don't know if anyone has suggestions though it seems like they only sell full sets. The downside is working w/ the tangles to cut it in half not to mention the logistics of restring 2 frames each time. Stringing the gut was nerve wracking just b/c you think if it breaks you've lost $$$ but avoiding tangles and using good technique w/ the weaves makes it easy. I'm not up to using baby oil or waxing the strings yet but if I switch long term I'll consider that. I also kept mains/crosses the same to keep it simple.

 

[Rally]

For stringbed longevity you should use a round untextured poly as the cross instead of a shaped poly like Snapper or RPM Blast. Texture saws through the gut much faster. At my all court 4.0 level (eastern forehand, OHBH) and the moderate topspin I prefer, I get about 20 hours of court time out of my gut/round poly hybrids on dry hard courts. With a textured poly as the cross string I get less than half of that stringbed life. I'm confused why you say you have to restring two frames at a time. Why don't you just keep the leftover half set for later? I'd recommend experimenting with different string tensions too. In my Pro Staff 85 I use 48 lbs on the gut mains and 45 lbs on the poly crosses. In my Pro Staff 90 I use 50 lbs on the gut mains and 47 lbs on the poly crosses. In my RF97 I use 59 lbs on the gut mains and 56 lbs on the poly crosses.

 

[Roforot]

For stringbed longevity you should use a round untextured poly as the cross instead of a shaped poly like Snapper or RPM Blast. Texture saws through the gut much faster. At my all court 4.0 level (eastern forehand, OHBH) and the moderate topspin I prefer, I get about 20 hours of court time out of my gut/round poly hybrids on dry hard courts. With a textured poly as the cross string I get less than half of that stringbed life. I'm confused why you say you have to restring two frames at a time. Why don't you just keep the leftover half set for later? I'd recommend experimenting with different string tensions too. In my Pro Staff 85 I use 48 lbs on the gut mains and 45 lbs on the poly crosses. In my Pro Staff 90 I use 50 lbs on the gut mains and 47 lbs on the poly crosses. In my RF97 I use 59 lbs on the gut mains and 56 lbs on the poly crosses.

Got it; I have Enso Pro which is round so I can use that. 20 hrs would be excellent. So far I have about 3 hours on each frame.

I didn't realize you could leave gut in the package after you opened it. I thought that would cause it to dry out or lose playability. Ideally I would stagger a week or two so it wouldn't be sitting there forever.

Which Gut do you like?

 

[Rally]

Got it; I have Enso Pro which is round so I can use that. 20 hrs would be excellent. So far I have about 3 hours on each frame.

I didn't realize you could leave gut in the package after you opened it. I thought that would cause it to dry out or lose playability. Ideally I would stagger a week or two so it wouldn't be sitting there forever.

Which Gut do you like?

I like Babolat the best, but I typically went with Luxilon because it was $45. Now that Luxilon is $50, I might start using Babolat if I'm feeling rich or Wilson if I'm trying to pinch pennies. From what I remember about Wilson (back in 2017 or so when the new Wilson gut came out) it didn't hold tension as well as Luxilon, but I need to test it again since it's been over half a decade. VS Touch always feels great, but the price point is a little scary.

 

[einca13]

I used to use gut/poly hybrids exclusively before I moved away from it a few years ago to full poly.

A few suggestions:
1. use a round smooth poly as a cross. The gut mains will move better and not get destroyed from a shaped cross.
2. Use a control oriented poly as the cross to tame the power of the gut. It holds tension great, but with some tension loss can be a rocket launcher. My favorites are Lux 4G Soft, Yonex Poly Tour Fire, Tourna Black Zone and KB Max Power.
3. String the gut 3-4 pounds higher. My tension was 56/52 lbs.

As far as gut goes…

VS Gut - the industry standard. Expensive but has the best feel.
Luxilon - My favorite because it playa firmer and holds tension better than VS. Better suited for a Poly hybrid in my opinion.
Klip - on the firm side, plays pretty good and is can be had for a decent price.
Wilson - it used to be made by Babplat and was great, but I am not sure who makes it now. Haven’t played it in a long time.

 

[dufferok]

I've been playing tennis for 34 years and I have tried numerous different string setups including synthetic, multifilament, poly, hybrids, etc. Tonight I tried a natural gut/poly hybrid for the first time. I strung my VCore 98 with VS Touch NG in the mains at 54# and Yonex PolyTour Pro in the crosses at 52#. The feel was outstanding! I was absolutely shocked at how well I played. I finally understand what people mean when they hit with natural gut and say, "I feel connected with the ball". I felt like I could put the ball just about anywhere I wanted. We played 3 sets of doubles and two guys I have played with for over a decade said that was the best they have seen me play in a long time. They had no idea that I was trying out a new string setup. If you have been like me and experimenting with various full polys and hybrids, put it on your list to try a natural gut/poly hybrid with the gut in the mains. Kick'n myself in the butt for not trying this sooner, but the cost of natural gut kept me from trying it. Sooooo glad I finally did. Absolutely loved it!

 

[jmacdaununder2]

Sounds great!
Out of interest what tension do you normally use for full poly?

 

[aus89]

I used to use gut/poly hybrids exclusively before I moved away from it a few years ago to full poly.

A few suggestions:
1. use a round smooth poly as a cross. The gut mains will move better and not get destroyed from a shaped cross.
2. Use a control oriented poly as the cross to tame the power of the gut. It holds tension great, but with some tension loss can be a rocket launcher. My favorites are Lux 4G Soft, Yonex Poly Tour Fire, Tourna Black Zone and KB Max Power.
3. String the gut 3-4 pounds higher. My tension was 56/52 lbs.

As far as gut goes…

VS Gut - the industry standard. Expensive but has the best feel.
Luxilon - My favorite because it playa firmer and holds tension better than VS. Better suited for a Poly hybrid in my opinion.
Klip - on the firm side, plays pretty good and is can be had for a decent price.
Wilson - it used to be made by Babplat and was great, but I am not sure who makes it now. Haven’t played it in a long time.

Wilson would be made by Luxilon

 

[Roforot]

I've been playing tennis for 34 years and I have tried numerous different string setups including synthetic, multifilament, poly, hybrids, etc. Tonight I tried a natural gut/poly hybrid for the first time. I strung my VCore 98 with VS Touch NG in the mains at 54# and Yonex PolyTour Pro in the crosses at 52#. The feel was outstanding! I was absolutely shocked at how well I played. I finally understand what people mean when they hit with natural gut and say, "I feel connected with the ball". I felt like I could put the ball just about anywhere I wanted. We played 3 sets of doubles and two guys I have played with for over a decade said that was the best they have seen me play in a long time. They had no idea that I was trying out a new string setup. If you have been like me and experimenting with various full polys and hybrids, put it on your list to try a natural gut/poly hybrid with the gut in the mains. Kick'n myself in the butt for not trying this sooner, but the cost of natural gut kept me from trying it. Sooooo glad I finally did. Absolutely loved it!

Yes similar to my experience. I have lost a little spin which I note on my kick serve, but the flip is the flat serve has much better feel and power. Making the best volleys/half volleys and when I miss, it's clear/obvious why I missed. I have about 10 hours on my VS/Snapper hybrid now. Plays great w/ 8.5% tension loss. No signs of fraying yet. If I get 20 hours with this kind of playability, it's more than cost effective as I usually cut out poly after 10-12hrs.

 

[dufferok]

Sounds great!
Out of interest what tension do you normally use for full poly?

My recent full poly setup was Yonex PolyTour Rev in mains and Yonex Poly Tour Pro in the crosses, both strung at 48# (NOTE: I originally started at 52# but over time dropped to #48 to reduce the harshness). I didn't realize how "dead" that full poly setup was until I hit with the NG/poly hybrid. Unbelievable the feel I was missing out on. I had tried multi/poly setup prior but the NG/poly feel is amazing. The other benefit to NG/poly was a lower launch angle vs the full poly, which I didn't expect but gladly welcomed.

 

[Roforot]

Wilson would be made by Luxilon

Luxilon gut on sale so I bought 3 sets... and I had bought 3 from Wilson using the USTA code.
Since I'm using it for hybrids, I think I'm set for a year...
I'm at 19hrs with VS and it is playing great. The strings aren't notched and the gut looks great with mild fraying.
This is mostly doubles + some clinics.

The only downside is I haven't been able to test a different gut b/c I'm waiting for the gut to break or go bad...

The Klip legend is still in my backup frame; it has gotten better after a few hours but is not as plush at VS. At any rate, I don't see any Klip guts for sale on TW so it is probably good I'm going on the Lux/Wilson. If Babolat has a sale though I will probably buy it later though...

 

[jmacdaununder2]

My recent full poly setup was Yonex PolyTour Rev in mains and Yonex Poly Tour Pro in the crosses, both strung at 48# (NOTE: I originally started at 52# but over time dropped to #48 to reduce the harshness). I didn't realize how "dead" that full poly setup was until I hit with the NG/poly hybrid. Unbelievable the feel I was missing out on. I had tried multi/poly setup prior but the NG/poly feel is amazing. The other benefit to NG/poly was a lower launch angle vs the full poly, which I didn't expect but gladly welcomed.

Thanks for the information
(Sorry I didn’t see your reply earlier.)

 

[ichaseballs]