Full Poly to Poly/Multi Setup

I've started playing a tennis again after a long while. Started off with Babolat Pure Drive Lite with RPM Blast @57lbs. From a previous post seems like that wasn't a good idea and now I can see why. I never had the means to really test out what type of racquets and strings I like. Realized it's time for new strings for the Babolat, long overdue at almost 3 years... I was getting tennis elbow from the setup and wasn't very confident in my strokes, which lead to more pain. I bought a Diadem Elevate 98 Lite and strung it with Genesis Champions Blend (Hexonic Power poly in the mains @51lbs and Xplosion multi in the crosses @50lbs). (Let me know if I should have strung them differently.)

I finally got a much better feel for the Diadem while playing yesterday and I'm still in shock how much better I felt hitting with it.

First question:
I'm still very much a novice/intermediate player. I read that higher tension is better in the control area and lower tension in the power area. But when hitting with the Babolat why do I have so many balls soaring out? I want to say that I was hitting the same strokes with the diadem, even at times harder, and the ball would still land in nicely.

Second question:
With the hybrid setup I was hitting some insane pocket shots in the corner, something that I've never really been able to do. Is this the work of the multi string?

Third question:
Back when I played high school tennis, my serves was the best thing about my game. I never got the chance to clock it, though I'm not talking about them being extremely fast, but well above for a high school player. They were more of a flat serve and I was extremely consistent with my first serves (but a weak second serve haha). My service is not consistent anymore and since using the Babolat have adapted to kick and slice serves. I love the service pop from the RPM Blast, but I don't get much of it from the Hybrid, is that due to the multi's softer feel? During play with the Diadem, I was finding it troublesome to get my kick serves to land in. Is there a reason why that is so? The hybrid setup is almost like forcing me to go back to the flat serves I use to do, which did perform a lot better during play. I want to say that I used to string my sturdy cheap wilson racquet with full wilson nxt or full babolat pro hurricane. If I was to flip the hybrid to multi on mains and poly on crosses (which I'm interested in testing), do I expect my kick/slice serves to be even more difficult?

Fourth question:
I still want to keep the Babolat as a doubles racquet. What setup should I try out to soften it? Also at what tension is best?

I was extremely surprised that after hitting with the Diadem, which is about 0.7 oz heavier than the Babolat, and having been 2 weeks since I last played, my arm did not hurt.
 

veelium

Hall of Fame
Third question:
Back when I played high school tennis, my serves was the best thing about my game. I never got the chance to clock it, though I'm not talking about them being extremely fast, but well above for a high school player. They were more of a flat serve and I was extremely consistent with my first serves (but a weak second serve haha). My service is not consistent anymore and since using the Babolat have adapted to kick and slice serves. I love the service pop from the RPM Blast, but I don't get much of it from the Hybrid, is that due to the multi's softer feel? During play with the Diadem, I was finding it troublesome to get my kick serves to land in. Is there a reason why that is so?
Poly/multi usually has a harder time to generate spin and a lower launch angle than full poly so that makes sense.
With regards to power that depends on the poly & multi (dont know the ones you are using), could be more, could be less.
If I was to flip the hybrid to multi on mains and poly on crosses (which I'm interested in testing), do I expect my kick/slice serves to be even more difficult?
Depends on the multi but likely easier for slice/kick.

Fourth question:
I still want to keep the Babolat as a doubles racquet. What setup should I try out to soften it? Also at what tension is best?
Maybe try the same setup for a proper comparison?

I was extremely surprised that after hitting with the Diadem, which is about 0.7 oz heavier than the Babolat, and having been 2 weeks since I last played, my arm did not hurt.
I'd pick the one that doesnt hurt the arm.
 

ddonk

New User
Realized it's time for new strings for the Babolat, long overdue at almost 3 years...

Old polyester strings suck, they’re not meant to last long. If you can’t restring frequently use multi.

I wouldn’t spend much time comparing a 3 yr old string to anything if I were you.
 

socallefty

G.O.A.T.
Your experience playing with dead poly that is 3 years old and undoubtedly at very low tension doesn’t say anything about the string, the tension or the racquet. Restring and try comparing again. Dead poly causes pain and loss of control.

If you really want to compare two racquets, you have to string them identically. If you want to compare two strings, you have to string them identically on the same racquet one after another and compare. Otherwise you don’t know what effects you are feeling from the racquet and from the stringjob.
 
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