Grapplesnake/Tru Pro/Solinco

[SupahMan5000]

Here we have the 3 most talked about shaped poly brands in that $10-15 per set range

But what is the true distinction between each. For example what are the defining characteristics for Tour M8/Durafluxx/Tour Bite

I am only familiar with the Solinco lineup so im wondering what makes each brand distinct from the other? as a string insensitive person I could use Tour Bite/ Confidential / Hyper G in my rackets and not really have a performance issue or any true complaints. so before I go down the rabbit hole wonder what I could be benefitting from if I were to try a different brand of poly

 

[chrisbc]

I’ve used hyper G in the past but hated the tension drop off that came with it so eventually switched to Grapplesnake tour sniper and currently playing with Trupro tour status with the intention of testing a hybrid of status mains and sniper crosses. I like both better than hyper g and confidential, the only two of Solinco’s offerings I’ve tried.

Grapplesnake tour sniper: comfortable low powered control poly that feels round even though it’s sided. Really consistent response with a low launch angle. Incredible tension maintenance. Ball feel is really good. Only complaint in an 18x20 is that it’s lacking a bit of oomph.

Tru pro tour status: 8 sided but very sharp to the touch (visually you can easily see how sharp the edges are) resulting in great bite on the ball and a higher launch angle but not overwhelmingly so like other shaped polys. Good tension maintenance so far and feels very powerful to me relative to the above strung at the same reference tension (48-50) in a good way. Stiffer than tour sniper but incredibly comfy as well and feels remarkably soft for its stiffness rating.

No experience with the three you’ve mentioned, sorry.

 

[Trip]

High-level descriptions of each:

Solinco - More or less the pioneer of a cheaper, better co-poly, with longer-lasting playability and grip/spin assistance geared specifically toward the junior and scholastic level. They beat the big, slow OEMs to the punch, and many still haven't caught up even after all these years. And huge props for also leading the way with gauge range -- most of their strings are made at every gauge from 1.15 to 1.30 (some at 1.10 and even 1.05!), which speaks volume about their confidence (and financial capability). I don't see Solinco or their mainstay strings disappearing any time soon.

Tru Pro (formely Tier One Sports) - A micro-variation of Solinco, minus the market presence, and a certain inevitable amount of "me too" in the product, with a somewhat-plasticky feel (typical of most stuff coming out of Taiwan), but with some actual innovation in certain ways. Black Knight was their first real splash, but DuraFluxx, Firewire, Tour Status and now Atomos (made by a new OEM in Germany -- good move) have certain merits. Similar to Solinco, they also have to be praised for offering at least 3 gauges, often 4, in all strings. IMHO, the re-brand has been the biggest setback to what little momentum they were able to build in what is now a very saturated market, but we'll see how they get on. I see them making it, but never having the recognition of Solinco, much less the big OEMs.

Grapplesnake - Their main value is their chemistry: co-poly formulations that feel like the "next evolution", starting with Tour Sniper, really accelerating with Tour M8 (a string that is totally unique in its feel) and I'd have no doubt again with Paradox Pro. They're actually doing something different in the R&D lab, and you can feel it in the string bed. That being said, they're a bit light on gauge range, and they lack a go-to smooth, round poly in the line, but I see them remedying that, partially with Paradox Pro, and I'm sure with more soon to follow. Above all else, though, they're certainly not just another me-too product, and for that, I salute them.

As for what's worth trying if you're wondering how different can the strings really be, I would go straight to Tour M8 for starters (probably 1.25 for your WhiteOut 18x20 XTD), then Game Changer (brace yourself for the bite), then try Atomos (string it low-ish to avoid the seemingly necessary "break in" session). Between those three, you're bound to have a "woah!" moment, compared to what you're used to with TB/Conf/H-G.

Hope that helps give some perspective.

 

[SupahMan5000]

High-level descriptions of each:

Solinco - More or less the pioneer of a cheaper, better co-poly, with longer-lasting playability and grip/spin assistance geared specifically toward the junior and scholastic level. They beat the big, slow OEMs to the punch, and many still haven't caught up even after all these years. And huge props for also leading the way with gauge range -- most of their strings are made at every gauge from 1.15 to 1.30 (some at 1.10 and even 1.05!), which speaks volume about their confidence (and financial capability). I don't see Solinco or their mainstay strings disappearing any time soon.

Tru Pro (formely Tier One Sports) - A micro-variation of Solinco, minus the market presence. A certain amount of "me too" product, with a somewhat-plasticky feel (typical of most stuff coming out of Taiwan), but with some actual innovation in certain ways. Black Knight was their first real splash, but DuraFluxx, Firewire, Tour Status and now Atomos (made by a new OEM in Germany -- good move) have certain merits. Similar to Solinco, they also have to be praised for offering at least 3 gauges, often 4, in all strings. IMHO, the re-brand has been the biggest setback to what little momentum they were able to build in what is now a very saturated market, but we'll see how they get on. I see them making it, but never having the recognition of Solinco, much less the big OEMs.

Grapplesnake - Their main value is their chemistry: co-poly formulations that feel like the "next evolution", starting with Tour Sniper, really accelerating with Tour M8 (a string that is totally unique in its feel) and I'd have no doubt again with Paradox Pro. They're actually doing something different in the R&D lab, and you can feel it in the string bed. That being said, they're a bit light on gauge range, and they lack a go-to smooth, round poly in the line, but I see them remedying that, partially with Paradox Pro, and I'm sure with more soon to follow. Above all else, though, they're certainly not just another me-too product, and for that, I salute them.

As for what's worth trying if you're wondering how different can the strings really be, I would go straight to Tour M8 for starters (probably 1.25 for your WhiteOut 18x20 XTD), then Game Changer (brace yourself for the bite), then try Atomos (string it low-ish to avoid the seemingly necessary "break in" session). Between those three, you're bound to have a "woah!" moment, compared to what you're used to with TB/Conf/H-G.

Hope that helps give some perspective.

awesome breakdown thanks as always for your super clear and descriptive explanations.

Grapplesnake definitely seems to be focused on getting as god as a product as they can hence lack of gauge variations. I can only assume they want to make sure even the same string in a different gauge is played to perfection

Durafluxx and Ghostwire seems to be the one i see most and most recommended

Toroline is also on the horizon and a friend is giving me some to try. TRU PRO follows me on instagram so I just reached out. Grapplesnake is a bit pricey so Im hesitant to give it a go but happy to try at some point when my solinco supply dwindles a little more. sitting on 9 reels

 

[SupahMan5000]

I’ve used hyper G in the past but hated the tension drop off that came with it so eventually switched to Grapplesnake tour sniper and currently playing with Trupro tour status with the intention of testing a hybrid of status mains and sniper crosses. I like both better than hyper g and confidential, the only two of Solinco’s offerings I’ve tried.

Grapplesnake tour sniper: comfortable low powered control poly that feels round even though it’s sided. Really consistent response with a low launch angle. Incredible tension maintenance. Ball feel is really good. Only complaint in an 18x20 is that it’s lacking a bit of oomph.

Tru pro tour status: 8 sided but very sharp to the touch (visually you can easily see how sharp the edges are) resulting in great bite on the ball and a higher launch angle but not overwhelmingly so like other shaped polys. Good tension maintenance so far and feels very powerful to me relative to the above strung at the same reference tension (48-50) in a good way. Stiffer than tour sniper but incredibly comfy as well and feels remarkably soft for its stiffness rating.

No experience with the three you’ve mentioned, sorry.

I understand people not liking Hyper G and Confidential as they both lack some feel. But I like that Confidential has that dead thuddy feel but with the firmness and spin potential to let me hit through and take big cuts

curious to try Tour Sniper, Tour M8, Tour Status, Ghostwire, and Durafluxx

good to know about Tour Sniper/Status

 

[chrisbc]

Grapplesnake - Their main value is their chemistry: co-poly formulations that feel like the "next evolution", starting with Tour Sniper, really accelerating with Tour M8 (a string that is totally unique in its feel) and I'd have no doubt again with Paradox Pro. They're actually doing something different in the R&D lab, and you can feel it in the string bed. That being said, they're a bit light on gauge range, and they lack a go-to smooth, round poly in the line, but I see them remedying that, partially with Paradox Pro, and I'm sure with more soon to follow. Above all else, though, they're certainly not just another me-too product, and for that, I salute them.

You hit the nail on the head with grapplesnake, their strings feel unlike anything else available in the market, even when comparing similar strings the differences are stark. Love that they are attempting to innovate rather than mimic.

 

[Trip]

I understand people not liking Hyper G and Confidential as they both lack some feel. But I like that Confidential has that dead thuddy feel but with the firmness and spin potential to let me hit through and take big cuts

DuraFluxx is like Confidential in that it's similarly low-powered, but is noticeably more buttery, with very similar spin potential. Excellent string, and I agree, it's more or less Tru Pro's best to date, or at least the most universally playable in the most amount/types of frames, more so than Black Knight or Tour Status. The jury is still out on Atomos...

I often play DF in frames that are mid-60's RA or more stiff, where I want something shaped with as much feel as possible, low-powered but with less thuddy-ness on impact. It's quite possibly best-in-class for that. Along those same lines, I have a buddy, who I helped migrate into a '22 EZ98, try strings in the form of TP DuraFluxx and Black Knight, GS Tour Sniper and Mayami Tour Hex, and he far-and-away preferred DuraFluxx, which he now plays full-bed in 1.23 gauge, in the upper 40's, and he really has played well with it.

You hit the nail on the head with grapplesnake, their strings feel unlike anything else available in the market, even when comparing similar strings the differences are stark. Love that they are attempting to innovate rather than mimic.

Thank you, and indeed. @SupahMan5000's first stop on the G-train should be Tour M8. Just otherworldly-feeling. Creates the most solid, unified string bed I've ever experienced. It's supple on contact, firm and explosive in its rebound, but also moderately low-powered at the same time. A true enigma when coming from other polys.

 

[SupahMan5000]

just put out a trade request for Grapplesnake and Tru Pro hahah hopefully i get some Tour Biters

 

[dr. godmode]

I understand people not liking Hyper G and Confidential as they both lack some feel. But I like that Confidential has that dead thuddy feel but with the firmness and spin potential to let me hit through and take big cuts

curious to try Tour Sniper, Tour M8, Tour Status, Ghostwire, and Durafluxx

good to know about Tour Sniper/Status

I have extensive experience with Sniper and have hit Status in the 130 gauge twice. Status is my prefer string from Tru Pro (have not tried Durafluxx) but IMO Status doesn't hold a candle to Sniper. It's a fine string, but feel pretty generic and not super memorable. It's a great choice if you can leverage a good sale price, but I'm taking Confidential, or even RPM Blast, every day of the week from a playability standpoint.

RE Toroline, which I also think should be included among the boutique string manufacturers, my preferred is Wasabi, though I've only tried Wasabi, Wasabi Pro Hybrid and Caviar. To me Wasabi feels like a marriage of RPM Blast a Hyper G. Its got a slick snapback feel and launch angle of RPM, but the general feel and ball bite is more Hyper-G like. I'm finding plenty of control with these down at 48lbs in both the Aero 98 and 100 which speaks volumes about their consistency.

Caviar was less interesting to me because it has this really weird higher pitched crisp sound on contact. It's almost like you have a crisp, fall-time leaves on your strings. It played fine but I found the noise to just be unpleasant, even in the more muted Aero 98 with a dampener.

 

[SupahMan5000]

I have extensive experience with Sniper and have hit Status in the 130 gauge twice. Status is my prefer string from Tru Pro (have not tried Durafluxx) but IMO Status doesn't hold a candle to Sniper. It's a fine string, but feel pretty generic and not super memorable. It's a great choice if you can leverage a good sale price, but I'm taking Confidential, or even RPM Blast, every day of the week from a playability standpoint.

RE Toroline, which I also think should be included among the boutique string manufacturers, my preferred is Wasabi, though I've only tried Wasabi, Wasabi Pro Hybrid and Caviar. To me Wasabi feels like a marriage of RPM Blast a Hyper G. Its got a slick snapback feel and launch angle of RPM, but the general feel and ball bite is more Hyper-G like. I'm finding plenty of control with these down at 48lbs in both the Aero 98 and 100 which speaks volumes about their consistency.

Caviar was less interesting to me because it has this really weird higher pitched crisp sound on contact. It's almost like you have a crisp, fall-time leaves on your strings. It played fine but I found the noise to just be unpleasant, even in the more muted Aero 98 with a dampener.

sweet thanks for the lowdown on some of the strings im curious about!!

 

[FrankyRelax]

If you wanna dabble in poly poly hybrids you could check out Mayami. Among the same cost as these others and have some solid offerings. Just ordered some hit pro and have used tour Hex (pretty popular recommendation on these boards)

 

[JOSHL]

Would also throw Mayami in the mix! Hit pro is my fav string from them.

 

[billsedd]

I understand people not liking Hyper G and Confidential as they both lack some feel. But I like that Confidential has that dead thuddy feel but with the firmness and spin potential to let me hit through and take big cuts

curious to try Tour Sniper, Tour M8, Tour Status, Ghostwire, and Durafluxx

good to know about Tour Sniper/Status

Ghostwire works great a slick cross and it’s one of the most comfortable poly strings I have used. One of the few I can use in a hybrid. Good tension maintenance for me as well. I think the consensus is that most people don’t like it as much as a full bed or as a main. FireWire boost may be more appealing to you

 

[SupahMan5000]

Tru Pro is sending me:

Ghost Wire
Black Knight
ATOMOS
Firewire BOOST
Durafluxx

 

[ClownCar96]

Tru Pro is sending me:

Ghost Wire
Black Knight
ATOMOS
Firewire BOOST
Durafluxx

Mighty kind of them! Curious about DF in ez98…

 

[ClownCar96]

upper 40's,

Hopefully not the dreaded 48lbs!!!

DuraFluxx is like Confidential

Is it dead/muted like confidential?

How would describe M8?

I just discovered this amazing new string called Tour Bite! After trying ~100 string combos and chasing all these boutique brands around boring old TB has unlocked my game like no other so far. 18g

 

[SupahMan5000]

Mighty kind of them! Curious about DF in ez98…

got an Ezone 98 coming maybe ill use that as my test frame

 

[faded_lines]

I have a pack of DF that I might try in my EZ98 next. Currently have Mayami Tour Hex 1.23 @ 48 lbs, and it plays soft and smooth. For people who has play both DF and Tour Hex, how do they compare in power and spin?

 

[Trip]

Is [DuraFluxx] dead/muted like confidential?

It's maybe 80% as dead, but only, say, 50-75% as muted. It definitely leans Confidential's way, but IMHO has better feel, with almost the same level of predictability.

How would describe M8?

I'll just link my post in the Grapplesnake thread:

Introducing Grapplesnake USA!!!

Please explain. Certainly. Overall, M8 is a workhorse with well-balanced properties to it, even confusingly so in some regards. First, the overall string bed is creates is very solid; it unifies the frame and string in a way I haven't yet felt in any other string (poly or otherwise), but does...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

got an Ezone 98 coming maybe ill use that as my test frame

I have a pack of DF that I might try in my EZ98 next.

For people who has play both DF and Tour Hex, how do they compare in power and spin?

At equivalent gauge and tension, I thought DF had slightly more power. Spin is very close, with perhaps DF having ever-so-slightly more, but it's probably a wash. Suppleness/give on contact is also very close. Both strings behave more similar than they do different I would say. Hope that helps. I also like the fact that you can get DF in 1.18 gauge, which helps open up dense string patterns a bit better than TH 1.23.

 

[Power Player]

I think a lot has been covered here but Durafluxx is a really great string. I think Grapplesnake indeed makes more unique feeling strings, while Tru Pro is giving more familiar feel. Durafluxx just works in a ton of racquets and is really a go to for me. Tier One/Tru Pro makes some strings that are not exactly a huge leap from Solinco, but they are indeed their own thing. Black Knight is a string I have never enjoyed but it is somewhat unique with its dead feel and heavy spin. I could compare it to Confidential in some ways, but maybe Tour Status is closer. Regardless I am not a huge fan of those releases and tend to stick with Durafluxx.

Durafluxx plays great in the Ezone 98, I liked it a lot in that racquet. It is pretty good in the Whiteout and spectacular in the Blade Pro. The only frame I did not really like it in is the Pure Aero 23.

Also agree that adding Miyami Hit Pro to the mix could be a good idea. I will let you know how I like it in the WO. What I noticed with it in the past was the tension drop is sharp initially, so prepare for a loss of 10 pounds. But after that it will hold steady for you. So I string it a couple pounds tighter usually. Whats cool about Hit is that it is a round poly so you get better feel, plus it is a poly that is focused on giving you good feel, so the result of that combo makes it a quite viable string for anyone who is willing to sacrifice a little spin for comfort and feel in a poly bed.

Grapplesnake M8 is pretty fantastic. I think I like that more than Tour Sniper, which is a really damn good string. It's like a more comfortable version of Luxilon ALU or Max Power Rough.

My favorite strings from these manufacturers - Tour Bite, M8, Hit Pro and Durafluxx.

 

[EggSalad]

I have a pack of DF that I might try in my EZ98 next. Currently have Mayami Tour Hex 1.23 @ 48 lbs, and it plays soft and smooth. For people who has play both DF and Tour Hex, how do they compare in power and spin?

They are more similar than different. The biggest difference IMO is DF having that more crisp direct silver string feeling with TH having a little more pocketing. But not a large difference.

 

[chrisbc]

I think a lot has been covered here but Durafluxx is a really great string. I think Grapplesnake indeed makes more unique feeling strings, while Tru Pro is giving more familiar feel. Durafluxx just works in a ton of racquets and is really a go to for me. Tier One/Tru Pro makes some strings that are not exactly a huge leap from Solinco, but they are indeed their own thing. Black Knight is a string I have never enjoyed but it is somewhat unique with its dead feel and heavy spin. I could compare it to Confidential in some ways, but maybe Tour Status is closer. Regardless I am not a huge fan of those releases and tend to stick with Durafluxx.

Durafluxx plays great in the Ezone 98, I liked it a lot in that racquet. It is pretty good in the Whiteout and spectacular in the Blade Pro. The only frame I did not really like it in is the Pure Aero 23.

Also agree that adding Miyami Hit Pro to the mix could be a good idea. I will let you know how I like it in the WO. What I noticed with it in the past was the tension drop is sharp initially, so prepare for a loss of 10 pounds. But after that it will hold steady for you. So I string it a couple pounds tighter usually. Whats cool about Hit is that it is a round poly so you get better feel, plus it is a poly that is focused on giving you good feel, so the result of that combo makes it a quite viable string for anyone who is willing to sacrifice a little spin for comfort and feel in a poly bed.

Grapplesnake M8 is pretty fantastic. I think I like that more than Tour Sniper, which is a really damn good string. It's like a more comfortable version of Luxilon ALU or Max Power Rough.

My favorite strings from these manufacturers - Tour Bite, M8, Hit Pro and Durafluxx.

How does DF play? Spin, launch angle, power? Do you go with relatively the same tension as TS and BK? I've got a couple packs of DF to test out.

 

[y0035215]

Tru Pro is sending me:

Ghost Wire
Black Knight
ATOMOS
Firewire BOOST
Durafluxx

Have you already been able to gather valuable insights?

 

[thecatch33]

I will respectfully disagree with @Trip here on his assessment of Tru Pro as a "me too" copy of Solinco.

Whenever I play with a new string, the two most important considerations for me are comfort (I partially tore my rotator cuff years ago and still experience soreness today) and tension maintenance. Unfortunately, these two things are typically inversely correlated, i.e. softer/comfortable polys generally have poor tension maintenance and good tension maintenance polys generally are stiffer and less comfortable.

Solinco is no exception to this correlation. Hyper-G had okay comfort for me but had awful tension maintenance. Hyper-G Soft tension maintenance, unsurprisingly, was even worse. Confidential had better tension maintenance, but was just too stiff for me.

Tru Pro's Firewire Boost and Black Knight were both revelations to me in that regard, with good comfort that doesn't aggravate my shoulder while still having excellent tension maintenance. The initial tension drop is modest, and after that I can easily play both for over 10 hours without experiencing a major change thereafter. Although both are very comfortable, my preference is for FW Boost between the two, as IME it has better spin potential and I prefer its more lively feel than BK's signature "dead as wood" feel.

Despite many dalliances, I have not been able to find another string that offers that rare combination of comfort and tension maintenance that FW Boost has. The glowing reviews of Grapplesnake and also Mayami strings do tempt me, however, so I will probably give them a try at some point. But the price of Tru Pro is hard to pass up, especially if you stock up as I did during the Labor Day sale when it was $6.25 per set.

 

[SupahMan5000]

Have you already been able to gather valuable insights?

Unfortunately not yet. Not as much tennis on my end and have a lot of things to get through for testing

 

[y0035215]

RE Toroline, which I also think should be included among the boutique string manufacturers, my preferred is Wasabi, though I've only tried Wasabi, Wasabi Pro Hybrid and Caviar. To me Wasabi feels like a marriage of RPM Blast a Hyper G. Its got a slick snapback feel and launch angle of RPM, but the general feel and ball bite is more Hyper-G like. I'm finding plenty of control with these down at 48lbs in both the Aero 98 and 100 which speaks volumes about their consistency.

So you prefere Wasabi full bed over Wasabi Pro Hybrid?

 

[dyslexical-scope]

Wedged between all these offerings, would you ever go Volkl Cyclone?
Or is it game over for the legend of cheap shaped strings?

 

[LOBALOT]

I made the mistake of waking up last night and not getting back to sleep and saw this thread which made me curious. I don't see Grapplesnake or a lot of Tier One strings in the TWU DBs.

My son plays with Hyper G and one thing that has always bugged me is how it drops a lot tension quickly. Which of these strings is closest to Hyper G (In shape and performance) but holds tension better as I could not find them in the comparison tools?

It would be great to try them out.

 

[dr. godmode]

So you prefere Wasabi full bed over Wasabi Pro Hybrid?

Tbh I can’t tell a huge difference and have hit them back to back to confirm. I like the red colour better than the blue/green which is a factor for me

 

[Roketz]

DuraFluxx is like Confidential in that it's similarly low-powered, but is noticeably more buttery, with very similar spin potential. Excellent string, and I agree, it's more or less Tru Pro's best to date, or at least the most universally playable in the most amount/types of frames, more so than Black Knight or Tour Status. The jury is still out on Atomos...

I often play DF in frames that are mid-60's RA or more stiff, where I want something shaped with as much feel as possible, low-powered but with less thuddy-ness on impact. It's quite possibly best-in-class for that. Along those same lines, I have a buddy, who I helped migrate into a '22 EZ98, try strings in the form of TP DuraFluxx and Black Knight, GS Tour Sniper and Mayami Tour Hex, and he far-and-away preferred DuraFluxx, which he now plays full-bed in 1.23 gauge, in the upper 40's, and he really has played well with it.


Thank you, and indeed. @SupahMan5000's first stop on the G-train should be Tour M8. Just otherworldly-feeling. Creates the most solid, unified string bed I've ever experienced. It's supple on contact, firm and explosive in its rebound, but also moderately low-powered at the same time. A true enigma when coming from other polys.

@Trip what is the playability duration for both Durafluxx and Black Knight on your experience?

 

[Trip]

@Trip what is the playability duration for both Durafluxx and Black Knight on your experience?

@Roketz - DF 1.28 (crossed with Head Hawk 1.30, which is usually how I use it most of the time) is usually good for 15-20 hours of fairly hard 4.0-4.5 hitting, in my experience. Black Knight I tend to play more full bed, usually either in 1.23 or 1.28 gage, and both usually tend to last 20-25 hours -- very Solinco-like. Clearly, I'm not breaking the poly, but rather playing it until it's dead, typically notched about a third to half way through. So that's pushing the limits a bit, for sure. But apart from how I play/use it, both are excellent strings in the overall grand scheme of things. Hope that helps.

 

[einca13]

@Roketz - DF 1.28 (crossed with Head Hawk 1.30, which is usually how I use it most of the time) is usually good for 15-20 hours of fairly hard 4.0-4.5 hitting, in my experience. Black Knight I tend to play more full bed, usually either in 1.23 or 1.28 gage, and both usually tend to last 20-25 hours -- very Solinco-like. Clearly, I'm not breaking the poly, but rather playing it until it's dead, typically notched about a third to half way through. So that's pushing the limits a bit, for sure. But apart from how I play/use it, both are excellent strings in the overall grand scheme of things. Hope that helps.

As a long time user of Black Knight, I find it dies around 6-8 hour mark... actually most poly’s die around there if not sooner. How in the world are you getting 20+ hours?

 

[Trip]

As a long time user of Black Knight, I find it dies around 6-8 hour mark... actually most poly’s die around there if not sooner. How in the world are you getting 20+ hours?

Quite simply, I probably just don't hit anywhere near as hard/violently as you do, nor with as much swipe. That alone can double, sometimes triple, the string bed life. I also tend to only put BK lately in a 2019 Prince TT100P (100" 18x20, classically drilled), which has a bit more of a static, mutually-supported string bed mesh than the Blade v8 16x19 you play with, so that tilts life span in my favor a tiny bit more as well.

 

[einca13]

Quite simply, I probably just don't hit anywhere near as hard/violently as you do, nor with as much swipe. That alone can double, sometimes triple, the string bed life. I also tend to only put BK lately in a 2019 Prince TT100P (100" 18x20, classically drilled), which has a bit more of a static, mutually-supported string bed mesh than the Blade v8 16x19 you play with, so that tilts life span in my favor a tiny bit more as well.

Understood and yes the 18x20 will get you a little more life, but you are certainly playing with dead poly for a portion of the string life. IMO if you are not breaking the poly after 10-11 hours or so, you really aren’t hitting heavy enough to even get the full benefits of poly strings. But I also believe people should play with what they like and enjoy it, so I am glad you are enjoying your setups.

 

[Honza]

Yeah surprise

Polys die after different duration depending on players style and level.


I am going into my 3rd hour today with Black Knight and still cant decided between MSV Hex Focus and TruPro Black Knight.
All I can say so far is, that BK is a really good string.

 

[Trip]

Understood and yes the 18x20 will get you a little more life, but you are certainly playing with dead poly for a portion of the string life. IMO if you are not breaking the poly after 10-11 hours or so, you really aren’t hitting heavy enough to even get the full benefits of poly strings. But I also believe people should play with what they like and enjoy it, so I am glad you are enjoying your setups.

Indeed. As another data point, I was playing BK 1.28 in a Pure Aero 2023 and could definitely feel is going south by about 10-12 hours in, with sweet spot notching somewhere in the 30-40% range, so I'm willing to bet I'm on the cusp, if anything. I do know that I definitely get levels of command and bludgeoning power with full bed poly than I just don't tend to get with any hybrid and/or higher-tension fullbed non-poly, save for maybe Ashaway Kevlar / MonoGut ZX hybrid at higher tension, but that has its own set of downsides (namely tension loss over time if you don't pre-stretch the bejesus out of the ZX, but if you do, you zap much of its suppleness, so you're kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't with that string combo). Anyways, everything is always a trade-off, and yes, there are probably way too many rec players, potentially myself included, playing full-bed poly, or any amount of poly, who probably shouldn't, but the results on the court are just too addictive for many of us to stop now!

 

[einca13]

Yeah surprise

Polys die after different duration depending on players style and level.


I am going into my 3rd hour today with Black Knight and still cant decided between MSV Hex Focus and TruPro Black Knight.
All I can say so far is, that BK is a really good string.

I like Focus Hex and Focus Hex soft too, they are great values.

BK was my string for a long time, but I now cross it with Ghostwire. A little firm for the first 30 minutes and then it plays phenomenal at 48/46 for me for about 6 hours and then they are done. Quality setup from TruPro. Tour Status and Atomos were decent, but for me not as good as BK.

 

[cks]

Quite simply, I probably just don't hit anywhere near as hard/violently as you do, nor with as much swipe.

I'm in the same camp. I'm currently enjoying a full bed of tour sniper, and I cut it out around 2 to 3 weeks. Sometimes I will pop the mains before I cut it out.

I'm still a fan of tour sniper (grapplesnake) and tour status (tru pro).