Gut/Poly or Gut/Syn Hybrid

[TennisandRamen]

Hi All,

I'm hoping to get some feedback on two hybrid choices. I want to try out natural gut. Looking at some other posts it seems like a poly cross is most common when hybriding nat gut.

I was considering the playability of the strings. I was thinking about how much tension the poly crosses will lose compared to the durability of the gut. I'm not a heavy string breaker so if I string with gut/poly I would probably be restringing because I felt the poly has died. If I were to string a gut/syn I would probably keep it in my racquet for longer, until one of the strings eventually broke.

Looking at the string database I landed on:
(1) Head Hawk (top choice)
(2) Volkl syn gut
(3) Wilson Revolve
(4) Gosen OGSM (bottom choice)
I was mostly looking at stiffness, string-string coeff and tension loss as factors.

Cost isn't a huge factor for me, but I guess I would be saving about 10 bucks a pack using syn gut compared to Head Hawk.

Even if syn gut gets me longer playability, I'm wondering if it would still be too much power to rein in. Maybe it is better to have a poly in there, even after 10+,15+ hours.

I'm using a PS97. Any input or experience is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[PKorda]

If cost isn't a huge factor and you don't break strings much why not just use a full bead of natural gut.

 

[TennisandRamen]

I considered full bed, but I use a 16 x 19 string pattern and I was concerned that since gut has a much higher string friction it would break faster than using gut/poly or gut/syn.
Starting out I wanted to try a hybrid and see how many hours it takes for the mains to break or fizzle out. Depending on how long that lasts me I would consider full bed.

 

[ohniner]

Hi All,

I'm hoping to get some feedback on two hybrid choices. I want to try out natural gut. Looking at some other posts it seems like a poly cross is most common when hybriding nat gut.

I was considering the playability of the strings. I was thinking about how much tension the poly crosses will lose compared to the durability of the gut. I'm not a heavy string breaker so if I string with gut/poly I would probably be restringing because I felt the poly has died. If I were to string a gut/syn I would probably keep it in my racquet for longer, until one of the strings eventually broke.

Looking at the string database I landed on:
(1) Head Hawk (top choice)
(2) Volkl syn gut
(3) Wilson Revolve
(4) Gosen OGSM (bottom choice)
I was mostly looking at stiffness, string-string coeff and tension loss as factors.

Cost isn't a huge factor for me, but I guess I would be saving about 10 bucks a pack using syn gut compared to Head Hawk.

Even if syn gut gets me longer playability, I'm wondering if it would still be too much power to rein in. Maybe it is better to have a poly in there, even after 10+,15+ hours.

I'm using a PS97. Any input or experience is appreciated. Thanks.

I use Nat Gut in mains with Head Velocity crosses. Velocity is stiff for a multi, very durable and very slick so a good alternative to poly crosses. Full bed nat gut wears very quickly but the gut slides great on the Head Velocity crosses. I also get 6 to 8 weeks before restring.

 

[Nate7-5]

Babolat Tonic/ Gosen AK Pro CX (NatGut/SynGut)

Some people might have seen that I have been raving on about Gosen AK Pro CX in a few threads lately. It is an extremely good string and leagues above other SynGuts. Probably the closest thing to real Natural Gut I have ever tried (tried a lot of multifilaments and things like Zyex or Bab...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[TennisandRamen]

I use Nat Gut in mains with Head Velocity crosses. Velocity is stiff for a multi, very durable and very slick so a good alternative to poly crosses. Full bed nat gut wears very quickly but the gut slides great on the Head Velocity crosses. I also get 6 to 8 weeks before restring.

Thanks for the input. I hadn't considered Velocity as a cross. I am using right now as my main strings and do like it as a main. What usually causes you to restring? Do your mains or crosses break?

 

[ohniner]

Thanks for the input. I hadn't considered Velocity as a cross. I am using right now as my main strings and do like it as a main. What usually causes you to restring? Do your mains or crosses break?

I’m not a string breaker, play mostly doubles 10-12 hrs/week. At 6-8 weeks gut shows some fraying but doesn’t break (16 gage), velocity will have dropped enough tension compared to gut that I usually restring at 8 weeks.

 

[Dartagnan64]

I've used Gut/velocity but it doesn't work out like I want on clay where a poly cross is far better at maintaining slipperiness.

Good lasting poly crosses in my experience are Cream and Ghostwire if you want something softer and 4G and Max Power if you want something firmer.

 

[TennisandRamen]

I've used Gut/velocity but it doesn't work out like I want on clay where a poly cross is far better at maintaining slipperiness.

Good lasting poly crosses in my experience are Cream and Ghostwire if you want something softer and 4G and Max Power if you want something firmer.

Thanks, I've heard good things about cream and it's tension maintenance. At some point I'll give it a shot

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[Nate7-5]

TennisandRamen: 2 of my favorite things

 

[mctennis]

I did not like the Head Hawk. I ended up using YTex Quadro Twist as my cross for the gut mains I am using now. It lasts a long time compared to the others you mentioned. Just a suggestion to give a try.

 

[wangs78]

I use gut in the mains and 4G in the crosses. Love it and have stopped experimenting with other strings. I do play in a rainy climate so always keep a racquet with multi/poly for when there is a light drizzle or mist bc gut gets ruined with moisture.

 

[TennisandRamen]

I use gut in the mains and 4G in the crosses. Love it and have stopped experimenting with other strings. I do play in a rainy climate so always keep a racquet with multi/poly for when there is a light drizzle or mist bc gut gets ruined with moisture.

Thanks, seems like 4G is one of the best for tension maintenance. Yeah I'm also in a place where during the summer it will have random storms and it's always humid... Not the best for gut strings. I will just bag it and get some satchels of desiccant to keep it dry when I'm not using it. Maybe that is a bit overkill, but would rather take care of it.

 

[Dartagnan64]

Thanks, seems like 4G is one of the best for tension maintenance. Yeah I'm also in a place where during the summer it will have random storms and it's always humid... Not the best for gut strings. I will just bag it and get some satchels of desiccant to keep it dry when I'm not using it. Maybe that is a bit overkill, but would rather take care of it.

That's why I like coated Legend strings. I find they tolerate moist clay better than some other gut strings. Little stiffer than premium guts but still better than most multis.

 

[TennisandRamen]

That's why I like coated Legend strings. I find they tolerate moist clay better than some other gut strings. Little stiffer than premium guts but still better than most multis.

Just ordered a pack!

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[wangs78]

Thanks, seems like 4G is one of the best for tension maintenance. Yeah I'm also in a place where during the summer it will have random storms and it's always humid... Not the best for gut strings. I will just bag it and get some satchels of desiccant to keep it dry when I'm not using it. Maybe that is a bit overkill, but would rather take care of it.

Yeah, I think humidity is fine unless you're a pro who is sensitive to small changes in string tension. It's really rain or a soaked ball that just ruins the strings bc gut is a natural material that soaks up water.

I play my gut/poly setups until they break, which takes a while, so from a cost perspective it works out. Syngut is obviously much cheaper but when I was messing around with syngut I would always change them out after a few weeks or a month bc I would want to try something else. Once I started using gut/4G, I stopped doing that and that saves not only money but also time and allowed me to focus more on my game than finding the perfect string setup (because I've found it!).

 

[TennisandRamen]

Yeah, I think humidity is fine unless you're a pro who is sensitive to small changes in string tension. It's really rain or a soaked ball that just ruins the strings bc gut is a natural material that soaks up water.

I play my gut/poly setups until they break, which takes a while, so from a cost perspective it works out. Syngut is obviously much cheaper but when I was messing around with syngut I would always change them out after a few weeks or a month bc I would want to try something else. Once I started using gut/4G, I stopped doing that and that saves not only money but also time and allowed me to focus more on my game than finding the perfect string setup (because I've found it!).

Yes exactly! I'm basically changing out strings every month. Been buying different packs of poly/multi every few weeks. I got into obsessing about strings and wanting to try out different combinations. I feel a natural gut hybrid will be the one I just stick in my racquet and play til it breaks. Only thing I may tinker with is the cross strings. Hopefully I also get to a point where I find what I like and I won't obsess about it anymore. I'll have to put 4G on my list.

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