Gut Main, Poly Cross Question??
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JT_2eighty
Hall of Fame
"Might" be tolerable, but still not advisable. Even the softest polys can be bad for any case of GE/TE.
If you 'must' give it a try, the softest polys out there come from Polyfibre. While they lose a lot of tension, this also translates into very soft feel.
Another option would be Ashaway monogut ZX. Softer than poly but gut/zx still gives a similar playability of gut/poly.
I agree with those that just string them both the same tension, all the differential stuff can be too 'out there', and in the end, the stringbed stabilizes just fine. I've tried high crosses, low crosses, equal crosses, etc. Too many options, and you end up overthinking it. Equal tensions plays about the same as all the high/low stuff.
gut main 55 lbs, then poly cross 50 - 52 for me. I drop the poly cross 3-5 lbs. I currently am using 4 lbs drop on poly cross but have use 3 and 5 in the past. You want the gut to slide, and you want to feel the gut and not have the stiff poly dominate the feel.
Some on TT have used 10 or more lbs .
As far as gauge, I would use 17G gut and 17G poly unless you break the gut too fast, then I would use 16G gut and 17G/16L poly. 18g poly doesn't hold tension as well as 17G or 16G poly so I would not use 18G poly with gut.
Some on TT have used 10 or more lbs .
As far as gauge, I would use 17G gut and 17G poly unless you break the gut too fast, then I would use 16G gut and 17G/16L poly. 18g poly doesn't hold tension as well as 17G or 16G poly so I would not use 18G poly with gut.
joshthefisher
Rookie
I currently have 16g ng in mains @ 57# and focus hex17L in the crosses at 53#.
Most everyone else seems to be 2-4 lb lower any particular reason.
Most everyone else seems to be 2-4 lb lower any particular reason.
this shortened my frame about 1/8 inch or so.
Yes the polylon 16 seemed to hurt. After one session I cut it out and restrung mains only with Co Focus 17L at 54#.
After One doubles match, noticeably less pain than the polylon (I think, hard to quantify).
Just got some co focus 1.18 to try, I'll keep that in mind.
I was worried about restringing crosses only (I don't care for this practice and racket was already barely short) but it went fine and I slowly worked some of the shortness back out as I restrung the crosses, double pulling each string (prestretch) as I had done before.
Gonna try the NG/CoFocus again today, maybe try some other sticks for comparison purposes (full multi, full NG).
Why do you think that a question about string tension would prevent the OP from playing tennis?
For how long do you stop playing tennis after asking a tennis-related question? Why do you stop playing tennis after asking a tennis-related question?
Seems really strange that you would do that but to each his own.
McLovin
Legend
I believe his message was essentially "stop worrying about little stuff. just play." And to be honest, he's got a point.
Many of us here worry about the strangest things (me included), but if we'd just go out & hit the darn ball, not worry about all the other crap, we'd probably be happier. Additionally, if we took all the money we've spent on equipment and put it into lessons, we' probably be better as well...
That raises an interesting business question about Drakulie.
Since he clearly thinks that selecting tension is "little stuff" does he treat customers at work that way? 52 pounds? 54 pounds? What's the difference? Close enough for government work as they say. Does he routinely dismiss customer requests for specific tensions and string at whatever he feels like?
I wonder if his bosses and, more importantly, his customers, know that he feels that way about his work.
Furthermore, you just did the same thing that he did. You presume, without any evidence, that the OP has stopped "hitting the courts" because he asked this question. I see no evidence that this is true. He's just some bloke asking a question on a forum dedicated to, wait for it, questions about tennis gear. For all any of us knows he hits as much as anyone else here. Asking a question is not mutually exclusive with court time.
I know that breezily dismissing such questions is popular with Forumnistas. I guess it makes some people feel superior. But the guy had an honest question. It's disrespectful, arrogant, and presumptuous (literally) to treat another TT member in that manner.
BTW, it's also really bad advice. As many respectful and informative TT members have pointed out, tension differential in a hybrid can help or hinder key benefits of a hybrid. You can string a hybrid so close and so high that you lock up the string bed. You can string it so different and so low that control might suffer. The "correct" answer depends on the strings in question, the frame, and the player and it can provide a superior or inferior playing experience.
Which might point to a reason for his answer. Perhaps Drakulie simply lacks first hand experience with using a variety of hybrids under match conditions and he's simply unable to answer the question in an informed manner.
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
He has strung at professional ATP tournaments and has hung out with the guys at P1 if I'm not mistaken. There are some people on this forum that have much more knowledge and authority in such matters than your average joe, you might want to pay attention to who that is before wildly throwing around accusations.
Smasher08
Legend
This. Someone's now tilting at windmills, especially when claiming that someone who strings with P1 at MS1000 tournaments "lacks first hand experience".
Yeah, perhaps.....
Thought I'd drop by and give an update to this thread. Currently at the Sony Miami working again with the boys from P1. Great to be chatting away with Nate (and as always learning),,,,, Ron is currently on his afternoon jog, and Glynn is on site picking up/dropping off racquets.
Photo from last years Cincy tourney.
Enjoy! I'll try to give an update at tournaments end.
....perhaps you might want to check yourself.
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Yeah, I already knew who he was. Doesn't mean that he has first hand experience hitting with a variety of hybrids.
And he was arrogant towards the OP and snarky by implying that the OP wasn't spending time on court simply because he asked a question. That makes no sense and is terribly insulting.
OTOH, if he strings for Fed and doesn't care about tension accuracy, well, that could explain some things for poor old Roger.
Maybe Roger needs a stringer who pays attention to these things.
Smasher08
Legend
Yeah, I already knew who he was. Doesn't mean that he has first hand experience hitting with a variety of hybrids.
And he was arrogant towards the OP and snarky by implying that the OP wasn't spending time on court simply because he asked a question. That makes no sense and is terribly insulting.
OTOH, if he strings for Fed and doesn't care about tension accuracy, well, that could explain some things for poor old Roger.
Oh FFS, don't turn into another BreakPoint.
Keep tilting at windmills all you want, but you'd be better off putting on your big boy pants, pronto.
Smasher08
Legend
Yeah, I already knew who he was. Doesn't mean that he has first hand experience hitting with a variety of hybrids.
And he was arrogant towards the OP and snarky by implying that the OP wasn't spending time on court simply because he asked a question. That makes no sense and is terribly insulting.
OTOH, if he strings for Fed and doesn't care about tension accuracy, well, that could explain some things for poor old Roger.
You know what, smart guy?
Instead of bravely railing against him beneath the cloak of anonymity on the internet, show you've got the courage of your convictions and contact P1 directly about your legitimate concerns, under your real name.
I'm sure they'll take your views with the utmost deference that they deserve.
Roger himself may thank you.
Joonas
Semi-Pro
I second this. Poly loses tension anyway initially very fast whereas gut doesn't. So it will come around. Devil is in the details yes but you can only go so far...
Why so agitated? Perhaps it is you who needs to calm down and put on his pull ups. If Drakulie wants to give snarky answers I'm certain he's also willing to put up with others noting his snarky answer. He knew what he was doing when he implied that the OP isn't playing tennis simply because he asked a question.
As for your dragging P1 into this, if the management at P1 wants to employ stringers who think tension choice doesn't matter and who insult players seeking very reasonable technical stringing advice on tension choice, that's their choice, not mine. The OP asked a reasoable question. No reason for guys like Dakulie to insult him.
I wonder if P1 even knows that one of their stringers is so dismissive of tension choice. That would be an interesting marketing approach for a racquet customization business: "At P1 we employ only those who understand stringing choices don't matter. Rest assured, we'll treat YOUR customization and stringing requests accordingly: we'll dismiss them as meaningless and assume that since you're making the request you're not hitting the courts...and we'll tell you so."
McLovin
Legend
Hmm, maybe I wasn't clear in my explanation. I did not mean to imply that he 'stopped hitting the courts'. The statement "stop worrying about little stuff. just play" was meant as "when you are there, work more on technique and strategy, rather than worrying whether you have the tension correct within a lb or two".
In essence, enjoy your time on the courts.
Ok, but can you point to anything the OP wrote that would indicate he was worried about getting the correct tension within a lb or two while playing on court? Below is his quote. I see nothing to indicate that or that his question in any way diminished his focus on his technique and strategy. And who the heck are you to tell the OP that he's NOT enjoying his time on the courts? How do you know whether or not he's personally happy on the courts based on the content of his post? That fact is, you have no freakin' idea.
This is a common problem on Talk Tennis and one that is making the forum a nightmare. A TT member has an honest question or comment and the Forumnistas jump all over him by attributing intentions and comments that were never part of the member's post.
In this particular example you have now explicitly stated that the OP's question has distracted him from focusing on technique and strategy. Where is your evidence for that?
There is not ONE indication in his post that this is true. He asked a very focused question on a detailed technical issue and both you and Drakulie have jumped to the conclusion that he OP is not putting time in on the courts or not focusing on technique or strategy.
On what basis do you make that assertion? Are you both spying on him? Do you both know his real name and have a network of informants telling you that he's cowering in his room, fearful of "hitting the courts" until the question is resolved? Have you personally seen him on the courts cursing his strings and being distracted from focusing on his "technique and strategy"? That conclusion is just bizarre.
It's a freakin' tennis gear forum and the OP is being told that by asking a rational, detailed, technical question he's not focused on his game when there is ZERO evidence that that is the case. For all you or Drakulie know he could be a better player than either of you and spend more time on court too.
Here's a proposal: TT members should simply answer technical questions as they're presented and without being smarmy by insulting another member's skill, practice routine, or dedication to technique improvement, especially when TT members have zero freakin' evidence to the contrary. But I doubt that will happen. The desire to get into a p*ssing contest by dismissing technical questions on a tennis gear forum is too strong. What's ironic is that those who attack members for asking such questions reveal not their superiority, but their small-mindedness, rudeness, and, perhaps in the case of Drakulie, their ignorance on some issues.
Take another look at the OP's question and from a technical perspective you'll see it's a good one but incomplete. For example, he cites specific gauges and string pattern. All he's missing is SW and head size. If you string a 16x20 gut/poly with 17g at a very low tension (below 40#), with a high differential between mains and crosses, the SW is high (above 330), the frame is heavy (above 12 ounces), and the head is large (over 100") you're going to have a tough time controlling your shots. You're playing experience WILL be unpleasant if you're playing 4.0+ and even at lower levels ball control will be difficult. OTOH, if you're playing with a 90" head with low SW and string both mains and crosses over 60# with 16g or 15L and both at the same tension then you're probably killing the hybrid's main feature: the ability of the mains to slide over the crosses. And even with gut mains, if the poly cross is extremely stiff then that small head, high tension setup is going to play dead and powerless.
Heck, the OP's question reveals someone who has actually thought about the issue and, despite his lack of knowledge, is clearly homing in on the important factors. Drakulie's response was not only nonsensical (how does he know how much time the OP spends on court?) it also may reveal a lack of personal playing experience with hybrids since the factors I cite above would produce wildly different (and sub-optimal) playing experiences.
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Most people seem to string the gut mains higher than the poly crosses, generally 2-4 pounds difference. If you're stringing tighter (mid to high 50s and higher) or have a smaller head or denser pattern then a bigger difference is not only ok, it may be preferable. As you string looser then a smaller difference is better for control.
Depends. In a smaller head with a moderate SW that could work. But 55/51 in a large head and with a high SW that could be too low. String choice matters too. Some thin, springy poly crosses demand a higher tension while some very stiff, low energy poly crosses should be strung lower.
For a 16x20 in the typical MP head (98-100") I've found 16g or 15L mains and 17g crosses work well. I've tried thicker crosses but they seem to inhibit the mains' ability to slide over the crosses too much which destroys a key feature of the gut/poly hybrid. Thinner, 17g mains in such an open pattern may undermine control, especially as SW increases (balls can trampoline more in that setup). The thicker mains also seem to improve control in an open pattern but, as we're talking gut, tension is a bigger factor here as is the stiffness of the poly cross. Higher tension (55 or higher) pre-stretched gut is almost required for decent control if your SW is 320+ and mass above 11 ounces. At that point poly cross tension depends on the poly but 3-4 pounds should work.
As head size decreases you might be able to (or want to) use thinner gauge string while also lowering tension to account for the denser pattern. For example, in the PSLGT which is 95" and 18x20 I found that mains and crosses under 50# and both 17g worked great. Thicker gauges and higher tensions limited spin potential. But tension lower than 50# with 17g in a high SW, 100" 16x18 wouldn't be fun as control would be difficult.
The best answer to your question depends on the frame's string pattern, head size, SW/weight, stiffness (to a lesser degree), and level of play (if you're playing 5.0+ men's singles and getting pummeled by high pace shots then string bed stiffness in a larger, high SW head needs to be higher for control. If at 2.5 you're just dinking shots in mixed doubles then it doesn't matter as much.)
You really need to experiment to find what works for you but a good point of departure would be 56/52 with the gut mains slightly pre-stretched. Some say that a modern co-poly should be strung no higher than 52# while a gut needs to be strung higher for better control in an open pattern MP. A slightly pre-stretch firms up the gut without killing it and that differential will allow the mains to slide freely over the crosses without loss of control, at least in a moderate SW frame. Test that and if you feel shots sailing long then increase tension or find a stiffer poly cross. If it feels dead then drop tension two pounds on the next string job. IMO it's best to use a stiffer poly cross than to increase tension as higher tension increases main/cross string friction while a stiffer poly cross at lower tension provides both control and lowers main/cross friction.
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McLovin
Legend
Dude, you need a drink. Seriously.
Nah.
But I would like to hear how you figured out that the OP wasn't focused on his technique and strategy due to his interest in gut/poly hybrid tension differential.
How did you do that? Telepathy? Do you know him? Did his family members turn him in?
Or, maybe you have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to his focus and you're simply trying to feel superior to him by dismissing his question and belittling his game (about which you know nothing). Then the question becomes, why do you feel the need to do that? What is it about your own life that leads to make completely unsupported assertions about the OP's tennis game? That's pretty weird.
McLovin
Legend
Seriously, you have a problem. I'd go get that checked out before you end up on CNN with quotes under your name like "he was such a quiet kid" and "always kept to himself. never had any indication of any problems"...
Smasher08
Legend
Well said.
Now you're hurling personal insults because I had the temerity to point out that you're making completely asinine, unsupported assertions about another member's game that are completely off-topic.
You claimed that the OP's question meant that he wasn't focused on his "technique and strategy" when there was nothing in his post to indicate that.
How about you stick to the forum's topics and stop insulting other members.
Smasher08
Legend
Smasher08
Legend
Words to live by.
if he strings for Fed and doesn't care about tension accuracy, well, that could explain some things for poor old Roger.
Or not.
JT_2eighty
Hall of Fame
Good advice. Simple, easy and effective. Takes the guesswork and second-guessing out of the picture.
I didn't read it as an insult to the OP, because if you read the first page of replies leading up to the quote above, the following tension differences were offered: "2 lbs, 3.3 lbs, 4 lbs, 5 lbs, 7, 8 & 10 lbs"; as well as 10% and someone asking about 30 lbs, as well as me recounting a story about 20 lbs differential.
Drakulie made a simple remark to all in the thread to step back and just string them equally, so as to not over-think whether you should drop tension a few pounds or not, and just string main and cross at the same tension, as opposed to spending hours and hours trying to tweak it just right. (i.e. the guessing game/tail chasing of "should I drop by 1 or 3 or 5 or 10 or 30 lbs?")
He never dismissed finding the right tension, nor did he say tension or string choice doesn't matter (someone put those words in others' mouths), but clearly said main and cross can be strung at same, equal tension.
That was all. Simple, clear and concise.
I tend to agree because poly will drop a bit more tension over time than gut, so the net result is going to be your 2, 3, 5, etc lbs anyway. I've tried 4-5 starting off differential, only to have the poly crosses way too low over a few matches and had to cut the strings.
As far as the remark, "go hit the courts" (in my opinion) seemed like a laid-back way to say, "give it a try and you might like it. If not, there are a handful of others in here that like their crosses a few pounds lower than the mains. That is cool too!" The whole interpretation that there was an "insinuation" that the OP 'wasn't playing tennis' or whatever, was frankly a very strange way to read the above quote.
It's like if I say, "I'm going to go jump in the shower"... I actually do not jump. It's called an expression, lol. "Hit the courts" is a pretty docile way to say, "enjoy my simple suggestion, it may work out for you. If not, then try dropping a couple pounds like the other people said."
I tend to agree. I've spent many hours, money, strings and time, testing all the various setups, differentials and tensions. In the end, the stringbed will settle into a good spot if you string them the same. I was able to rally and volley and serve with all the setups I tried. None of them made me 'that much' better or worse. Just different feels. And with all the various other ideas in the thread, the OP had a lot of good info to work with.
I now string mine with crosses at +1 lbs, to account for the tension loss in the crosses and it works for me. Other people like the idea of dropping a few pounds or percentage, and that seems standard practice. But, stringing them both the same, and even string crosses higher, all yield playable results. The quote above seemed like a nice way to say, "don't overthink it, everyone in the thread that gave a wide range of options, and just try them the same tension first. If it works, then you may be saved from the headaches that others have had in trying a multitude of differences that all played similarly anyway."
That's what I learned anyway.
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JT_2eighty
Hall of Fame
That was a weird way to interpret a post. The thread was doing just fine (most people ignored/glossed over drak's remark), until you made this weird reply and then went off the deep end.
Here's the summary:
Most people recommended dropping poly cross tension by 2-5 lbs.
Some people said just keep them the same tension and it will settle ok.
A few others recommended dropping by percentage, from 5-10%.
In the end, all of these are fine recommendations, and the conversation was cool and calm and people kept discussing ideas. In the meantime, I doubt anyone "stopped playing tennis" waiting for answers to questions.
Let's all be a couple fonzies here and just be cool.
D
Deleted member 120290
Guest
This is what happens when overqualified stringers/players post on our forum. TW should ban all > 4.5 players. 5.0 by invitation only. How dare these pros/highly advanced amateurs take away our numerous excuses for losing/not playing well.
OP never said anything about tension differential causing him to lose.
And, here again, we have a TT Forumnista putting words in the OP's mouth.
The question is, why would TenFanLA lie about the OP? What does he have against him? And why would others also deliberately distort the OP's post by attributing comments to the OP that he never made (e.g. that he he's not spending enough time on court and not focused on his technique or strategy)?
I'm just really curious as to why people like drak and smasher insist on attributing comments and/or motivations to the OP that are completely unsupported by anything in the original post. And the reason I'm curious is that they do this thing so often on TT (THAT'S what's weird).
Standard routine is that a TT member asks a question or makes an observation about string choice, frame choice, tennis gear, etc. And soon enough you have a bunch of people like drak calling into question the guy's skill, dedication to improvement, focus on development, and time on court.
What makes it especially weird is that this is a forum dedicated to tennis gear, the guys who insult and attack other TT members for asking questions typically post all sorts of observations and comments on tennis gear themselves, and even though they are dismissive of such questions they spend their time complaining that others are posting questions about tennis gear on a tennis gear forum. It's no different than walking into a church and complaining that people are engaged in religion in a church and then bloviating about one's own religious beliefs. It's freakin' nuts.
If people like drak and smasher really don't enjoy discussing tennis gear and see no value in discussing tennis gear, then WTF are they doing posting on a tennis gear forum? And why do they insist on making nonsensical s**t up about other members?
...
Hey Smasher08,
Why do you have over 3,000 posts on a tennis gear forum when you dislike questions about tennis gear?
Why do you go to tennis shops and scream obscenities at people for asking shop owners about tennis string choice and tension?
Why do you ridicule people at your local tennis shop for demo'ing different frames?
Have they ever called the police on you?
Hey Smasher08,
Why do you have over 3,000 posts on a tennis gear forum when you dislike questions about tennis gear?
Why do you go to tennis shops and scream obscenities at people for asking shop owners about tennis string choice and tension?
Why do you ridicule people at your local tennis shop for demo'ing different frames?
Have they ever called the police on you?
McLovin
Legend
C'mon, man! That's just ridiculous. Look at his photo id! He's a friggin' Mounty:
Those guys are squeaky clean...
D
Deleted member 120290
Guest
??? WHAT ???
I think the only one "attributing comments... that he never made" is you. Not sure if you are being serious or just flaming. You sound like a lawyer who is trying to argue in front of Supreme Court that his client should have access to birth control pills not realizing his client is a guy.
JT_2eighty
Hall of Fame
Huh, I'm just perplexed on what you are talking about??
Drak made two simple and constructive posts in the thread:
1) string both at same tension and it will be a good thing
2) suggested not to use poly if you have TE/GE
Also, smasher made a constructive post about string gauge early on.
It wasn't until you mis-read drak's first post that things got really weird.
Please just relax dude. You are reading things into the comments that aren't there.
JT_2eighty
Hall of Fame
I suggest you read, very carefully, and in order, the first 2.5 pages of the thread, up to post #56.
Everything was just fine and dandy until about 57 or so...
/thread
Everything was just fine and dandy until about 57 or so...
/thread
Me too. Much to the chagrin of T.O.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
this has been asked before.
But is it really Worth doing the 52/54 or 56/58 tension difference stringing. Poly would be loose and multi would be tighter, of course. Someone said this makes sweet spot bigger and you are supposed to this when hybrid
But is it really Worth doing the 52/54 or 56/58 tension difference stringing. Poly would be loose and multi would be tighter, of course. Someone said this makes sweet spot bigger and you are supposed to this when hybrid
Anubis
im interested to see how the 54-54 compares to the 54-50.. as for the mains snap back ..
does the differential having the crosses looser help snap back or make no difference..
the last 4 restrings i have done with the crosses looser and so far it "seems" that the mains are staying straighter as i havent had to straighten a main very often .
the last gut/poly racket i had as in the sig, 55/50
im interested to see how the 54-54 compares to the 54-50.. as for the mains snap back ..
does the differential having the crosses looser help snap back or make no difference..
the last 4 restrings i have done with the crosses looser and so far it "seems" that the mains are staying straighter as i havent had to straighten a main very often .
the last gut/poly racket i had as in the sig, 55/50
JT_2eighty
Hall of Fame
I've tried all three, and probably the most extreme examples helped me to see what is happening. I'll try to be brief.
#1) typical lower poly cross setup: 56/53, 60/57, 52/49, and also 61/54. In these tests, the initial playability was great. Spin was easy, and 'snapback' was good. Over time, snapback was not as, well, "snappy", as using my fingers to slide the mains over (when fresh), the mains did *click* back into place. After a few matches, the *quick click back* was replaced by a "gradual slide back". Control gradually falls as the poly continues losing tension. Some are ok with this because the feel improves, others do not like the loss of control.
#2) unorthodox (to some), higher crosses: 60/61, 59/60, 52/57, and 51/59. Didn't really notice a difference in playability, and spin was just as easy as when crosses were looser. Perhaps a slightly more crisp feel, but in all, same ol gut/poly. I tried it on a whim because my flexy frame was starting to warp over time when I started with lower crosses and the poly lost a ton of tension. The higher crosses had a slightly longer break-in, but only to get to the starting point of #1. After a few trials, I liked this one fresh as well. Control was much better in the long run, slightly similar to the full poly setups I currently prefer for ultimate control.
In the 51/59, the *quick click back* persisted for many more matches. This one felt a little more crisp overall, but spin was still easy peasy, and perhaps a slight loss of power due to tighter mains. But, as someone who likes low power setups, I was really digging the 51/59 racquet.
If comfort is your main priority, you probably won't want to do this, but if you want your snapback to be longer lasting and "snappy", you may want to try adding a few pounds to your crosses.
#3) same tension 53/53, 59/59, etc.
Best of both worlds; snapback lasts well, feel is good, etc etc etc.
If you want pure softness, power and comfort, with no break-in, then lower crosses are fine.
If you want longevity, control and crispness, then higher crosses do work.
If you want the best of both worlds, then hit the courts with equal tensions. :mrgreen:
#1) typical lower poly cross setup: 56/53, 60/57, 52/49, and also 61/54. In these tests, the initial playability was great. Spin was easy, and 'snapback' was good. Over time, snapback was not as, well, "snappy", as using my fingers to slide the mains over (when fresh), the mains did *click* back into place. After a few matches, the *quick click back* was replaced by a "gradual slide back". Control gradually falls as the poly continues losing tension. Some are ok with this because the feel improves, others do not like the loss of control.
#2) unorthodox (to some), higher crosses: 60/61, 59/60, 52/57, and 51/59. Didn't really notice a difference in playability, and spin was just as easy as when crosses were looser. Perhaps a slightly more crisp feel, but in all, same ol gut/poly. I tried it on a whim because my flexy frame was starting to warp over time when I started with lower crosses and the poly lost a ton of tension. The higher crosses had a slightly longer break-in, but only to get to the starting point of #1. After a few trials, I liked this one fresh as well. Control was much better in the long run, slightly similar to the full poly setups I currently prefer for ultimate control.
In the 51/59, the *quick click back* persisted for many more matches. This one felt a little more crisp overall, but spin was still easy peasy, and perhaps a slight loss of power due to tighter mains. But, as someone who likes low power setups, I was really digging the 51/59 racquet.
If comfort is your main priority, you probably won't want to do this, but if you want your snapback to be longer lasting and "snappy", you may want to try adding a few pounds to your crosses.
#3) same tension 53/53, 59/59, etc.
Best of both worlds; snapback lasts well, feel is good, etc etc etc.
If you want pure softness, power and comfort, with no break-in, then lower crosses are fine.
If you want longevity, control and crispness, then higher crosses do work.
If you want the best of both worlds, then hit the courts with equal tensions. :mrgreen:
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