Hawk Touch - Poly Tour Strike comparisons

RF_PRO_STAFF

RF_PRO_STAFF

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Hey guys, who has played with both Head Hawk Touch and Yonex Poly Tour Strike? I'm interested in your experiences. Looking to try one of those in one of my VCORE 95's.

I've looked them up in the TW string comparison tool and they seem very similar. Please include comparisons for comfort if you can.
 
They are very similar. Poly tour strike has more of a robust, firm feel. Hawk touch feels a little softer, little more "connected". Tension maintenance is better with the poly tour strike. They are both good feeling control strings. I liked both but felt they were a touch underpowered for my playing style.
 
Was leaning a bit more towards trying Hawk Touch first, your comment makes me lean a bit more. I (but mostly my arm) generally like softer polyester strings. Since my arm is getting better, I'd like to try a string that has a bit crisper feeling than the ones I usually use. Hawk Touch seems like a great option.
 
RF_PRO_STAFF said:
Was leaning a bit more towards trying Hawk Touch first, your comment makes me lean a bit more. I (but mostly my arm) generally like softer polyester strings. Since my arm is getting better, I'd like to try a string that has a bit crisper feeling than the ones I usually use. Hawk Touch seems like a great option.
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Dug up this old thread rearching hawk touch… what did you make of hawk touch @RF_PRO_STAFF?
 
ClownCar96 said:
Whoa, high praise! You go full bed or hybrid it? Which gauge you like best, tension/frame? How’s comfort? Sorry for the million questions!
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I usually go full bed, 1.20 is truly special to me but I use 1.25 too when a string pattern is too open for 1.20. Hybrid with gut is spectacular too. I've also used it with Element 1.25 as a cross. I play with tons of frames but I like Hawk Touch in pretty much any frame. I'm usually stringing between 20 and 22 kg depending on the frame. Comfort is way better than regular Hawk but I wouldn't call it 'soft' really. The most addicting thing to this string is the insane pocketing (at low tensions most noticeable obviously). Feel is also much better than most poly strings to me.
 
RF_PRO_STAFF said:
I usually go full bed, 1.20 is truly special to me but I use 1.25 too when a string pattern is too open for 1.20. Hybrid with gut is spectacular too. I've also used it with Element 1.25 as a cross. I play with tons of frames but I like Hawk Touch in pretty much any frame. I'm usually stringing between 20 and 22 kg depending on the frame. Comfort is way better than regular Hawk but I wouldn't call it 'soft' really. The most addicting thing to this string is the insane pocketing (at low tensions most noticeable obviously). Feel is also much better than most poly strings to me.
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You are giving me goosebumps. I bought several different sizes, initially was going to use as a cross with 1.15 tour bite in a UP 18x20. But definitely will mess around with some full bed in UP and Vc95 ez98
 
RF_PRO_STAFF said:
I usually go full bed, 1.20 is truly special to me but I use 1.25 too when a string pattern is too open for 1.20. Hybrid with gut is spectacular too. I've also used it with Element 1.25 as a cross. I play with tons of frames but I like Hawk Touch in pretty much any frame. I'm usually stringing between 20 and 22 kg depending on the frame. Comfort is way better than regular Hawk but I wouldn't call it 'soft' really. The most addicting thing to this string is the insane pocketing (at low tensions most noticeable obviously). Feel is also much better than most poly strings to me.
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Can confirm the pocketing is insane at low tension. Never played with anything like it. That's actually not for me tho, I need a firmer/more responsive feeling string bed. Couldn't figure out the tension with hawk touch. 24 kg felt stiff but also lively. 21 kg pocketing was insane. Might have to buy a set again to try something like 22/24 or something.
 
K1Y said:
Can confirm the pocketing is insane at low tension. Never played with anything like it. That's actually not for me tho, I need a firmer/more responsive feeling string bed. Couldn't figure out the tension with hawk touch. 24 kg felt stiff but also lively. 21 kg pocketing was insane. Might have to buy a set again to try something like 22/24 or something.
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I think I’m going to go tour bite 1.15/Hawk touch 1.15 at 44/44 (20kg/20kg) in Ultra pro 18x20 in my first experiment
 
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ClownCar96 said:
I think I’m going to go tour bite 1.15/Hawk touch 1.15 at 44/44 (20kg/20kg) in Ultra pro 18x20 in my first experiment
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I currently string my Touch Prestige MP 18X20 95 with Hawk Touch Red 1.15 at 36lbs. In summer go up to 42lbs but the feel and pocketing at 36lbs is superb. The Prestige defiantly requires this low tention withs its ectremly dense pattern and 95in head size ,Hawk Touch low tension suits the racquet perfectly. The pocketing with an addictive grab, hold and throw feel is real.
 
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I like Hawk Touch. I used to hate it. Not sure what changed. It's my favorite non Alu gray string.
 
tegg96 said:
I currently string my Touch Prestige MP 18X20 95 with Hawk Touch Red 1.15 at 36lbs. In summer go up to 42lbs but the feel and pocketing at 36lbs is superb. The Prestige defiantly requires this low tention withs its ectremly dense pattern and 95in head size ,Hawk Touch low tension suits the racquet perfectly. The pocketing with an addictive grab, hold and throw feel is real.
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glad to see you post again, I love your posts about Head strings. Sorry for going off topic but I have to ask what string setup you would suggest for a 4.0 with a speed mp auxetic all court game? Hawk touch, regular lynx or lynx tour?
 
StefanosWillSaveTheWorld said:
They are very similar. Poly tour strike has more of a robust, firm feel. Hawk touch feels a little softer, little more "connected". Tension maintenance is better with the poly tour strike. They are both good feeling control strings. I liked both but felt they were a touch underpowered for my playing style.
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Huh my problem with polytour strike was way too much depth and launchy past the baseline bad control
 
K1Y said:
glad to see you post again, I love your posts about Head strings. Sorry for going off topic but I have to ask what string setup you would suggest for a 4.0 with a speed mp auxetic all court game? Hawk touch, regular lynx or lynx tour?
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In the Speed MP I like regular Lynx 17G yellow at 47lbs. Good comfort and power level. Lynx Tour plays a bit stiff and adds a bit to much swing weight for my liking in this racquet. For a heavy hitting youngster Lynx Tour is brilliant though and performs better than regular Lynx. For intermediate player Lynx might be preferable.
 
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K1Y said:
How long did it take for you to like it? and what tension?
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I ran through 5 sets of it before I started liking it. I don't know what changed. Plays good at 53. Bad at 57. Alu feels nicer at higher tensions.

Edit: I want to fix this. Actually Hawk Touch sucks.
 
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K1Y said:
glad to see you post again, I love your posts about Head strings. Sorry for going off topic but I have to ask what string setup you would suggest for a 4.0 with a speed mp auxetic all court game? Hawk touch, regular lynx or lynx tour?
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I really enjoy a hybrid of Lynx Tour mains and Hawk Touch crosses in my VCore 95s
 
Hawks9451 said:
I ran through 5 sets of it before I started liking it. I don't know what changed. Plays good at 53. Bad at 57. Alu feels nicer at higher tensions.

Edit: I want to fix this. Actually Hawk Touch sucks.
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wait what? Hawk touch sucks? how so?
 
K1Y said:
wait what? Hawk touch sucks? how so?
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Honestly, my opinion of this string keeps seesawing. I don't hate it anymore. I could never run for office like this. I'm not trolling, just undisciplined with my judgments.
 
Hawks9451 said:
Honestly, my opinion of this string keeps seesawing. I don't hate it anymore. I could never run for office like this. I'm not trolling, just undisciplined with my judgments.
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lmao thats hilarious. I bought a mini reel and gonna test it more extensively because I want to like it so bad. What makes you not like one day it and what makes you like it the other?

I for instance have either had it string too high one time (too stiff) and too low (too much power) one time.@
 
K1Y said:
lmao thats hilarious. I bought a mini reel and gonna test it more extensively because I want to like it so bad. What makes you not like one day it and what makes you like it the other?

I for instance have either had it string too high one time (too stiff) and too low (too much power) one time.@
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It's the same thing as you. String is sensitive to tension, fickle.
 
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Hawk touch is not a soft string, its def stiffer than Yonex strike. You're comparing 18g vs 17g in TWU comparison, 2 different gauges. Strike is softer than hawk touch but maintains tension better than hawk touch, so they end up at similar string bed stiffness after a day or two. If you're looking for a string setup for a dense stringbed (Yonex frames), I highly recommend trying Strike in the mains and PTP in the cross. This was my goto setup after many trials. Good pocketing feel, power and decent tension maintenance.
 
HeavyHitter said:
Hawk touch is not a soft string, its def stiffer than Yonex strike. You're comparing 18g vs 17g in TWU comparison, 2 different gauges. Strike is softer than hawk touch but maintains tension better than hawk touch, so they end up at similar string bed stiffness after a day or two. If you're looking for a string setup for a dense stringbed (Yonex frames), I highly recommend trying Strike in the mains and PTP in the cross. This was my goto setup after many trials. Good pocketing feel, power and decent tension maintenance.
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Have you tried strike mains and hawk touch crosses?
 
HeavyHitter said:
I highly recommend trying Strike in the mains and PTP in the cross. This was my goto setup after many trials. Good pocketing feel, power and decent tension maintenance.
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I second this, this combo is my fav setup for Yonex frames so far. You got everything, very balanced.
 
does anyone here happen to have a racket pedia subscription and is able to share some insights about how they compare? i can see on racket pedia they have both poly tour strike and head hawk touch in 1.25 gauge.

i've tried using the tennis warehouse racket comparison tool but unfortunately they do not have these strings in the same gauge when you click from the available strings. i have also read the various existing threads on this forum about them and have seen varying comments from people, some say poly tour strike is softer, others say hawk touch is softer.

personally i have used head hawk touch and poly tour strike, but not in the same racket. so i am not sure whether what i am experiencing is due to the racket or the string. i'd like to get other people's thoughts before i purchase more sets of each string to try.

thank you
 
Hawk Touch is a pocketing string that generates spin and allows you to take cuts on the ball. PT Strike doesn't create as much spin, but it is a nice control string for heavy hitters. Neither one is especially soft, I think Strike is easier on the arm by a smidgen.
 
dmtree said:
Hawk Touch is a pocketing string that generates spin and allows you to take cuts on the ball. PT Strike doesn't create as much spin, but it is a nice control string for heavy hitters. Neither one is especially soft, I think Strike is easier on the arm by a smidgen.
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This is pretty much what I felt from using both. Strike is softer, pockets more, and spins less. Better tension maintenance as well

Hawk touch is firmer, more spin, worse tension maintenance.

Both have great control and feel great just slightly different
 
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