Has Luxilon gone "soft"? Alu Soft vs Alu Power:::: 4g Soft vs 4g

danbrenner

danbrenner

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Has Luxilon gone "soft"? Alu Soft vs Alu Power:::: 4g Soft vs 4g

Ok so Lux has come out with two real contenders here. Firstly the Alu soft has a spin TW spin rating of 6.9 which is almost unbelievable. literally, considering its a round poly. Secondly, it has unparalleled tension retension. With Chris saying that after 3 weeks of use, he still had a few weeks left with it. If all these things are true, then we might have stumbled upon the "Holy Grail".
I have just ordered a set, and will comment next week after i have had some time with it. I ordered the Alu soft, not the 4g soft.
So please all you string mongers chime in, and give us the skinny.
Like the title of this thread suggests, i think we would all love to put Alu soft against the stalwart Alu power. And 4g soft against the standard 4g. I have omitted the rough versions of each to make things more simple and straightforward. Thank you all for your input. Dan.
 
I was able to playtest this string from Luxilon themself. I have to agree what Chris and Brittany said. It really has good tension maintence. I was able to play with it over the 3 week period and yet still kept it. It was worth the playtest and will keep it until it breaks.
 
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Thanks for that DL. So we have your confirmation as far as tension goes. And spin? can you attest to the rather wild TW rating of 6.9? Just to put it into context.. Tour Bite has less of a spin rating. And its got razor blades as edges. lol. ?
 
but hey im not discounting anything or anyones opinion. It could be that this round poly has such good snap back properties, that enable it to out spin even polys with edges. ?
 
i wouldnt say its a spin based string, but its has a constant spin potential wouldnt drop because it isnt shaped compared to other shape shape that wears out after many hitting sessions.
 
Am very interested to try this string and just checked the price on TW Europe... holy f#$% 23 Euro a set!!! That's $26. No way am I paying that, especially when so many good polys sell for around 7 Euro eg Cyclone. Luxilon are taking the p@#$ with the pricing on this

Update - I've just found it on a UK site at a much saner price. The same price as regular Alu Power. I notice on the US site its also the same price as Alu. It's baffling why TWE are charging so much for it
 
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Roland G said:
Am very interested to try this string and just checked the price on TW Europe... holy f#$% 23 Euro a set!!! That's $26. No way am I paying that, especially when so many good polys sell for around 7 Euro eg Cyclone. Luxilon are taking the p@#$ with the pricing on this

Update - I've just found it on a UK site at a much saner price. The same price as regular Alu Power. I notice on the US site its also the same price as Alu. It's baffling why TWE are charging so much for it
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Same thing with Head Hawk and Head Lynx really… Sometimes their prices make me wonder… Their prices on natural gut are great though (especially from Pacific).

I'd be interested in trying Alu Soft in the crosses if its playability miraculously holds unlike the regular version.
 
Hey Spin 2 W. What do u make of the TW lab giving the Alu soft a 6.9 spin rating? Possible? Bear in mind Tour Bite gets about a six ?
 
danbrenner said:
Hey Spin 2 W. What do u make of the TW lab giving the Alu soft a 6.9 spin rating? Possible? Bear in mind Tour Bite gets about a six ?
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You have to see it like this:

Spin potential is a combined measure of ball to string friction and string to string friction (former should be high and latter should be low). Shaped strings do not actually improve ball to string friction (even though that may seem logical). Supposedly, the shape is supposed to make it easier for the strings to slide along each other and thus produce spin. However, knowing this, it is possible that a round string has a better combined spin potential, perhaps because it is more sleek and/or because its surface grabs the ball more.

I belong to the people who say that shaped strings add barely any spin, but that they make a somewhat unpredictable response, which impedes your ability to swing as fast as you can and thus produce as much spin as you can.
 
SpinToWin said:
You have to see it like this:

Spin potential is a combined measure of ball to string friction and string to string friction (former should be high and latter should be low). Shaped strings do not actually improve ball to string friction (even though that may seem logical). Supposedly, the shape is supposed to make it easier for the strings to slide along each other and thus produce spin. However, knowing this, it is possible that a round string has a better combined spin potential, perhaps because it is more sleek and/or because its surface grabs the ball more.

I belong to the people who say that shaped strings add barely any spin, but that they make a somewhat unpredictable response, which impedes your ability to swing as fast as you can and thus produce as much spin as you can.
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Can't agree more.
Isn't it interesting though how the tension loss for ALU soft is better than alu power?
Also, I'm really happy about 4g soft, because even though it has more tension loss, and less energy return, it's still very good in those regards and has almost twice the spin potential of 4g (I was hoping the soft version would have a higher spin potential, but never thought it would get this high). It's also interesting how much softer it is than the standard 4g. Great release, and I will try it for sure!
 
El_Yotamo said:
Can't agree more.
Isn't it interesting though how the tension loss for ALU soft is better than alu power?
Also, I'm really happy about 4g soft, because even though it has more tension loss, and less energy return, it's still very good in those regards and has almost twice the spin potential of 4g (I was hoping the soft version would have a higher spin potential, but never thought it would get this high). It's also interesting how much softer it is than the standard 4g. Great release, and I will try it for sure!
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The thing I fear is that 4G Soft will notch very easily just like the regular version (and that Alu Soft will lose its playability quickly like the regular version)… We'll see.
 
Ive just ordered a set of Alu Power Soft and am going to try it as a hybrid with a syn gut cross. This will keep the cost down a bit. Am I right to assume the characteristics of the poly mains will be dominant? I expect the syn gut to just add a bit of power and comfort and perhaps increase longevity. Am i wrong???
 
Hey Roland! Why don't u try a full bed to start with. If the tens maintenance is as good as they say, you may be shooting yourself in the foot by using a multi cross. They typically loosen pretty quickly. If you were to use gut as a cross or main that would be a different story as it doesn't lose tension. That's my two cents.
 
to Spin 2 Win

Hey Spin. Good analogy. I agree with most of it but not all. I still say that a sharp edged poly is unmatched as far as ball bite and grab, and yes although more inconsistent, has more spin potential. If you look at the history of the TW university spin charts, it has always been that way. The round polys like Alu have always scored in beteen the 4.0 mark to about 5.0. And the shaped from 4.5 - 7.5 . So why is soft any different? I honestly think its a mistake or they are succumbing to hype. One of the two. 6.9 is off the charts, like a Spiky Shark Black or something. ?
 
EasternRocks said:
Check my thread for my comments on ALU Soft. Awesome, awesome string.
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Im looking forward to hitting with it. Im thinking it will be my new string of choice. But I do find it rather comical that it got a 6.9 spin rating on the TW u charts. It is a round poly after all? what are your thoughts? and bear in tour bite gets like a 6. . ? Other than that please update us on how this string has played out for you. pun intended
 
Roland G said:
Ive just ordered a set of Alu Power Soft and am going to try it as a hybrid with a syn gut cross. This will keep the cost down a bit. Am I right to assume the characteristics of the poly mains will be dominant? I expect the syn gut to just add a bit of power and comfort and perhaps increase longevity. Am i wrong???
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Why would you want to hybrid?
 
danbrenner said:
Im looking forward to hitting with it. Im thinking it will be my new string of choice. But I do find it rather comical that it got a 6.9 spin rating on the TW u charts. It is a round poly after all? what are your thoughts? and bear in tour bite gets like a 6. . ? Other than that please update us on how this string has played out for you. pun intended
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Round poly yes. Above average spin, so I buy it. Maybe not as much as BHB7, but it appears that this spin will be more consistent and it won't drop off like a shaped poly. Tour Bite has great spin potential but it's a bit deader feeling and it isn't that comfortable.

The only update I have are the comments I've made on my own thread.
 
danbrenner said:
Hey Spin. Good analogy. I agree with most of it but not all. I still say that a sharp edged poly is unmatched as far as ball bite and grab, and yes although more inconsistent, has more spin potential. If you look at the history of the TW university spin charts, it has always been that way. The round polys like Alu have always scored in beteen the 4.0 mark to about 5.0. And the shaped from 4.5 - 7.5 . So why is soft any different? I honestly think its a mistake or they are succumbing to hype. One of the two. 6.9 is off the charts, like a Spiky Shark Black or something. ?
Click to expand...

Check out Head Lynx and Solinco Outlast. Two other round polys with very high spin potential.
 
danbrenner said:
Hey Roland! Why don't u try a full bed to start with. If the tens maintenance is as good as they say, you may be shooting yourself in the foot by using a multi cross. They typically loosen pretty quickly. If you were to use gut as a cross or main that would be a different story as it doesn't lose tension. That's my two cents.
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Reluctant to try a full bed due to the high cost. Was thinking a syn gut cross would hold up for a decent amount of time. Would a syn gut lose tension as fast as a multi cross?
 
to Roland

Hi Roland. Yes multi's and Syn gut are not typically good at holding tension. And the ones that do like Tecnifibre x one are the same price as Alu soft to begin with. SO take my advice and just go full bed. Unless you use gut. But that is even more expensive.
 
Ok danbrenner, since you put it so succinctly, I WILL take your advice! One full bed of Alu Power Soft coming up
 
Will be trying Alu Power Soft in a full bed this week and will report back. Softness isn't a selling point for me, but tension maintenance and longevity is. With regular Alu Power, I start noticing a loss of liveliness after about 5 hours. Since I don't have my own stringer, this is a major pain having to drop it off at my stringer every week. If I can get 10 hours of life in Alu Soft and have it play 90% as good as regular Alu Power, I'm all in.

Regarding longevity - I do like 4G but only as a cross with gut mains. Not enough feel for me in a full bed.
 
SpinToWin said:
Ehmmm... Not sure how to put this, but syn gut and multis lose less tension than poly....
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Spin, do you mind if I ask you how do you think Alu Soft would hold up with a syn gut cross?
I usually prefer not to spend a huge amount on a string job and like a bit of pop with my poly strings.

I'm not a huge string breaker and have just broken multi and syn guts when they have been in too long.

Do you think the poly would outlast the softer crosses here?
 
Roland G said:
Spin, do you mind if I ask you how do you think Alu Soft would hold up with a syn gut cross?
I usually prefer not to spend a huge amount on a string job and like a bit of pop with my poly strings.

I'm not a huge string breaker and have just broken multi and syn guts when they have been in too long.

Do you think the poly would outlast the softer crosses here?
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I am not a fan of poly mains personally. The syn gut crosses are bad for string movement so you'll have the poly mains stuck all over the place. For those reasons I usually recommend a full bed of poly (or poly in the crosses). If you want more pop just drop the tension of the full bed of poly. If you like syn gut crosses however, go for it.

In terms of durability I think the syn gut crosses will break first, as they'll thin out a lot with the poly main moving along them. In comparison to a full bed, durability won't be a big difference IMO.
 
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Full bed it is so. I'm not a fan of syn gut crosses, just being a bit of a cheap- *** trying to save some $$$$

Thanks for you help spin
 
EasternRocks said:
Round poly yes. Above average spin, so I buy it. Maybe not as much as BHB7, but it appears that this spin will be more consistent and it won't drop off like a shaped poly. Tour Bite has great spin potential but it's a bit deader feeling and it isn't that comfortable.

The only update I have are the comments I've made on my own thread.
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Hey ER. So its been a little bit since you have played with the Alu soft. I know you are craz;y about them based on comments you have made on your thread. But its been over a week now. Can you comment some more please? Thanks. I will be testing my set this week.
 
danbrenner said:
Hey ER. So its been a little bit since you have played with the Alu soft. I know you are craz;y about them based on comments you have made on your thread. But its been over a week now. Can you comment some more please? Thanks. I will be testing my set this week.
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Haven't played too much with it since. I got out there today and still thought it performed pretty well. I don't have much to add so if you want me to answer any specific questions I can try and do so. Overall, I do think it will be my string for these next few months.
 
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EasternRocks said:
Haven't played too much with it since. I got out there today and still thought it performed pretty well. I don't have much to add so if you want me to answer any specific questions I can try and do so. Overall, I do think it will be my string for these next few months.
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cool. so yeah, please compare it to reg Alu power? then to reg 4g 125?
Alu power was always a little bit harsh for me.. but i still love it. and 4g i love as well, but maybe the grabbing feeling wasnt there, and it is super low powered. can u compare that as well? thanks in advance.
 
danbrenner said:
cool. so yeah, please compare it to reg Alu power? then to reg 4g 125?
Alu power was always a little bit harsh for me.. but i still love it. and 4g i love as well, but maybe the grabbing feeling wasnt there, and it is super low powered. can u compare that as well? thanks in advance.
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Never played 4G. I honestly haven't ever played with reg ALU for too long because it's always been a tiny bit uncomfortable, metallic feeling, and a tad bit harsh for my liking. I think the string is so predictable though and it has good spin potential as long as you're able to swing at a fast enough speed. I had it strung up at around 50-51 when I tested it and I think if I were to switch to ALU, which would have been a possibility had I not tried Soft, I would be stringing it at like 48 to get more comfort. No opinion on playability duration because I've never hit one set of Luxilon for over 5 hours. I think the string has a good power-control ratio as well.

The Soft shares a lot of similar characteristics with the regular ALU. The power-control ratio is around the same. I think Luxilon did a good job of maintaining the feel of regular Lux. Another good move was softening it up just a tad bit, not a lot like what other companies have done like Volkl with Cyclone Tour and Solinco with Tour Bite Soft. Those 2 strings play completely different from the originals. Overall, the Soft isn't radically different from the regular ALU. I think it's a tiny bit softer, that's it. With regards to the increase in the spin potential #from the regular and the Soft, I don't really notice that huge of a difference on the court. I'm a little curious as well as to how the Soft got a 7 and the regular is like a 4. something.

From the TW Data and my past experience using 4G in a hybrid, I can confirm that it has low spin potential. It was a dead feeling, low powered string. Was absolutely not a fan.
 
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Hey that's a great breakdown. I really appreciate that. But I do have another burning question for you. I know you are a big fan of sonic pro edge. How do u put Alu soft against that one. And finally is Alu soft the best string you have tried yet? Will u be settling on it?
 
danbrenner said:
Hey that's a great breakdown. I really appreciate that. But I do have another burning question for you. I know you are a big fan of sonic pro edge. How do u put Alu soft against that one. And finally is Alu soft the best string you have tried yet? Will u be settling on it?
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I would say SPE has more inherent power to it. It's livelier for sure. Spin comparison is tough because I feel like I can get a lot of it from the SPE, but right now I am also satisfied with the spin I'm getting from Soft. The one thing that SPE doesn't have that Soft has is ball pocketing/dwell time/consistency in the string bed. First off, the Soft does a good job of maintaining a feel in which you always know where the ball will go. I think the SPE sometimes can get a little inconsistent because of how lively it is. As far as ball pocketing/dwell time, I don't think SPE does a good job in this department because the ball comes off the string bed so quickly that I sometimes don't get to "feel" the ball. The split millisecond makes a difference. I go on TWU to check the dwell time and SPE does have a lower one than a lot of other strings. If I wanted to be extremely nitpicky, I guess I would like Soft to have a bit more spring/elasticity to it, but I think it's one of those things where you can't have the perfect string. One similarity I can point out which is why I like both strings is that they are in that medium stiff (~high 180's-~low 200's) and crisp category. Unfortunately, they aren't that many strings in the current market that check those 2 boxes.

I can't claim that it's the best string I've tried yet because I'm still under 10 hours with the string, but it's definitely vaulted itself into my top 3 already. I am 99% sure I will be switching to it. I have already 5 sets here and will probably string those up at #52 lbs.

Edit: I went ahead and looked at the TWU database to see which poly's do fit in that stiffness/crisp criteria. I honestly can't find many others besides Soft and SPE. They have Big Hitter Silver 17 at 186...so I'm guessing the 16 would be in that 190 range which would be definitely in my range. I don't know if the string plays crisp though...have you played with it? The only other string I could see working out for me would be Cyclone 16...it is at 197. The 17g played too plush for me and the crisp feeling did not last very long. Perhaps the 16g would have that crisp feel for a bit longer. If I was still playtesting strings, I would give those 2 a shot.
 
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Thanks for your reply. No I have not played with it.
I agree with you about SPE. It's a great string but maybe lacks a little bit of control. I have played extensively with Cyclone. 16 and 17. Great string but feels cheap like most of the plastic polys. I actually enjoyed the v Tourque just as much if not better due to the razor sharp edges. But again plastic feel. That's why I always seem to come back to Lux. It doesn't feel like plastic. It feels like a carbon fiber/metal fiber mix that is almost indescribable. I'm a big fan of the predictable feel off the stringed. So I will put a set of soft on this week and see how it goes.
 
danbrenner said:
Thanks for your reply. No I have not played with it.
I agree with you about SPE. It's a great string but maybe lacks a little bit of control. I have played extensively with Cyclone. 16 and 17. Great string but feels cheap like most of the plastic polys. I actually enjoyed the v Tourque just as much if not better due to the razor sharp edges. But again plastic feel. That's why I always seem to come back to Lux. It doesn't feel like plastic. It feels like a carbon fiber/metal fiber mix that is almost indescribable. I'm a big fan of the predictable feel off the stringed. So I will put a set of soft on this week and see how it goes.
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You wouldn't say the feel of Cyclone is that different between 16 and 17 right? If I found 17 to be a feel I didn't enjoy (too plush, not crisp for long enough), I won't find any sort of miraculous change in the 16? What I do know is that if I went to the 16 there will be a little less liveliness/less elasticity and perhaps a little less spin.

Yes, report back on what you think.
 
no i wouldnt say the difference between 16 and 17 is mind blowing. Just the 16 is rather stiff, and snap back is worse with the 16.. LIke many plastic polys the snap back is stiff and lethargic. Ironically the best snap back out of all the plastic polys i have ever tried is RPM blast. ITs very elastic and has similar snap back to lux strings. Otherwise all these other polys including SPE have stiff lethargic snap back. What i mean by that is lets say i pull the strings on lux to the side, they have an elastic feel and they snap back perfectly. same with blast. all these other polys including cyclone dont have that clean snap back property. If you can relate to what im saying.
 
the reason i like SPE so much, is that is just never dies. I mean literally. I had it strung at 55 in my ExMP for over 6 weeks, and i just never bagged out. Unbelievable for a poly. Luxilon Alu Power baggs out for me in about 5 hours of play. 4g seems to get stiffer with time as crazy as that sounds.
 
danbrenner said:
no i wouldnt say the difference between 16 and 17 is mind blowing. Just the 16 is rather stiff, and snap back is worse with the 16.. LIke many plastic polys the snap back is stiff and lethargic. Ironically the best snap back out of all the plastic polys i have ever tried is RPM blast. ITs very elastic and has similar snap back to lux strings. Otherwise all these other polys including SPE have stiff lethargic snap back. What i mean by that is lets say i pull the strings on lux to the side, they have an elastic feel and they snap back perfectly. same with blast. all these other polys including cyclone dont have that clean snap back property. If you can relate to what im saying.
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Makes sense. If I didn't have the ALU Soft, I would have maybe tried Cyclone in the thicker gauge just to see what it'd be like.
 
Has anyone else on the boards played with it yet? (ALU Soft) As far as any updates with the string, I think I'll be dropping the tension down a lb to 52. I like to think of increments of 3 when I compare it to other strings that are either stiffer or softer than it by just a tad. I would say regular ALU is a tad stiffer than Soft, and I would look to string it at 49 pounds or so if I were to play with it. 50-51 regular ALU could still use a bit of extra comfort.
 
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Ok. So today was The first time that I got to use the string. And the last time. This spin potential just is not even close to shaped polyesters. The tennis warehouse laboratory is a waste of timeand or simply completely wrong. They gave this string a spin potential score of 6.9 when in reality it should score a 4.0. I cut it out after one use what a complete waste of money. Volkl V Tourque in comparison makes this string seem like and feel like a multi
 
danbrenner said:
Ok. So today was The first time that I got to use the string. And the last time. This spin potential just is not even close to shaped polyesters. The tennis warehouse laboratory is a waste of timeand or simply completely wrong. They gave this string a spin potential score of 6.9 when in reality it should score a 4.0. I cut it out after one use what a complete waste of money. Volkl V Tourque in comparison makes this string seem like and feel like a multi
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Wow. I did not anticipate you to dislike it so much! The spin is definitely not out of this world and its not as good as BHB7 when it's fresh IMO, but it's definitely above average. It shines when you swing your hardest and at my level round poly's can still give me adequate spin.

V-Torque from what I know isn't a very popular Volkl poly. I'll check up on the data and see if it's one that fits into my usual preferences.

Edit: Read TW's review and looked at some TWU #'s. Right off the bat I noticed a 38 score for power. Easily way too low for my preference. Lower powered than Cyclone? No thank you. It's also a 182 in stiffness which by comparison to the other polys I've hit, would play a little too soft. Anyway, V-Torque is not for me I'm positive.

Do you mind posting what your level is and game style?
 
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no problem. I am a 4.0.. baseliner. whippy spinny forehand, Western grip, two handed backhand. I play 3x week all year long. On another note I do like to experiment with equipment. I just ordered a Tecni tfight 300. im looking forward to that one. I use an ExMP 2.0 ig.
 
but again. I wouldn't take the TWU numbers too seriously. They are sooooo off on this one its not even funny. A complete fumble on this one. The spin simply is a non starter.
 
danbrenner said:
but again. I wouldn't take the TWU numbers too seriously. They are sooooo off on this one its not even funny. A complete fumble on this one. The spin simply is a non starter.
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You actually have to consider this: On their spin potential ratings it's done according to a "Fast" swing, note that if you go to the TWU Database they will ask you if you want the data based on a Slow, Medium, or Fast swing. Additionally, the stiffness varies with your answer to that question. Not trying to claim that this is definitely true, but you have to swing really quick to feel the spin out of this string. Shaped polyesters do better for players who are not that advanced yet or cannot swing at a really high racquet head speed. The spin is probably not as high for you or it doesn't feel that high because you are not able to swing as fast as me (again not trying to attack your level of play, but it is noticeably lower than mine as I'm a current collegiate player). You have to put that into consideration.

They are not as off as you think. The spin on this string is quite good.

Edit: To clarify what I mean, think about the term snapback. With higher advanced level players, snapback is the way in which they get spin. Lower level players cannot swing fast enough with round polys to get that same amount of spin they get from a shaped poly, which inherently increases the ball to string friction, which is one way of getting spin. However, shaped polys do not snapback as easily as round polys do because string to string friction is greater with them. Hope this makes some sense. This is why all the pro's are using round polys as opposed to shaped.
 
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If you are Collegiate then yes there is no question. However I can rip the felt off the ball with my forehand. There is no question in my mind that using this string on the mains is a joke as far as bite in comparison to a V Tourque. or a sharp edged poly.
 
danbrenner said:
If you are Collegiate then yes there is no question. However I can rip the felt off the ball with my forehand. There is no question in my mind that using this string on the mains is a joke as far as bite in comparison to a V Tourque. or a sharp edged poly.
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I think a good example of my point would be how some players don't think they can get good spin with RPM Blast and how certain shaped strings give them way more bite. Again, because it has a slick coating outside the edges, you need a really fast swing to get the spin going from this string. If you can swing fast enough, you'll reap the benefits.

I would make the guess that you don't like RPM. Have you tried it and if so am I right?
 
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