How much of a difference will a hybrid setup make?

[HighStepper]

Hey there and thanks in advance for any guidance! I've been demoing racquets for a while and have finally narrowed it down to the Yonex EZONE 98 and Head Gravity MP. Pretty different racquets, I know.

Anyway, the demos I've been playing with both have multifilament strings on them. I have some minor arm issues, so I know that I definitely want multis at least on the crosses, but I'm feeling like I'm missing the level of spin and control I'm seeking (vs what I've seen in other demos with poly strings), so I'm planning on going with a hybrid setup with poly for the mains. I apologize if these questions have been answered elsewhere on the forum.

I have three questions:
1. How much "arm friendliness" will I lose by going from all multi to a hybrid setup with poly for the mains and multi for the crosses?
2. How much spin potential and control will I gain by going with this hybrid setup?
3. How much power will I lose by going with this hybrid setup?

The biggest difference I'm noticing between these two racquets, aside from the weight, head size and balance, is power. The Gravity MP feels like an appropriate level of power for me (but less stable), while the Ezone 98 might be slightly overpowered (but more stable). My thought was that with the hybrid setup, the Gravity might end up being underpowered, and the Yonex just right, while also providing solid stability...

Thanks again for any guidance!

 

[SinneGOAT]

I think if you have arm problems I would use multi mains, specifically technifibre triax or head velocity for better spin and less string adjustments. I would put the poly in the cross, which will still give spin but will be more comfortable. Others can get more specific, as I am not a heavy hybrid user, other than a few times with gut.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

@HighStepper

I have three questions:
1. How much "arm friendliness" will I lose by going from all multi to a hybrid setup with poly for the mains and multi for the crosses? NOTISABLE, night/day stiff feel
2. How much spin potential and control will I gain by going with this hybrid setup? more spin, more ball grab with stiffer strings
3. How much power will I lose by going with this hybrid setup? depends on tension, lower tensions with polys can give you some comfort and power back

-as an example: when i get a racquet with 58/58lbs (multi/multi), i try/sugest 52/52lbs (poly.mains/soft.crosses) to get started
-a 5-6 lb difference is more than enough to feel a difference in this scenario
-as i said though, this is just a starting point; after trying, you can modify tension up/down based on your needs (for next time)

 

[HighStepper]

@HighStepper

I have three questions:
1. How much "arm friendliness" will I lose by going from all multi to a hybrid setup with poly for the mains and multi for the crosses? NOTISABLE, night/day stiff feel
2. How much spin potential and control will I gain by going with this hybrid setup? more spin, more ball grab with stiffer strings
3. How much power will I lose by going with this hybrid setup? depends on tension, lower tensions with polys can give you some comfort and power back

-as an example: when i get a racquet with 58/58lbs (multi/multi), i try/sugest 52/52lbs (poly.mains/soft.crosses) to get started
-a 5-6 lb difference is more than enough to feel a difference in this scenario
-as i said though, this is just a starting point; after trying, you can modify tension up/down based on your needs (for next time)

Awesome - thank you for such a thorough response! I'm disappointed to hear that the racquet will play significantly stiffer with poly in the mains, but I guess that makes sense. For what it's worth, it's not tennis elbow that's my issue - it's biceps tendinitis near the elbow. The other consideration is that I've felt like I need to substantially force spin on the ball with the multi strings, so if I don't feel that way with a hybrid setup, the impact on my elbow may be reduced. I guess I'll just need to try it out.

 

[PKorda]

I kinda like the multi main and poly cross idea. For the poly there are softer polys to use as crosses. There are recent threads on that topic. Also dropping tension a bit will help. I think you can do that on the hybrid and you will not notice as much of a difference.

 

[Diablo XP]

You don't necessarily need arm friendly multi as part of your hybrid arm pain solution. I used to play full poly for obvious attributes but switched to gut mains/poly crosses. TE symptoms have almost completely vanished. Ball pockets well, feel is great, spin is fantastic. Perfect tension for me (to get some power back) has been 48/44. It's pricey as I don't know how to string and the gut breaks after 3-4 matches, but totally worth it. No better combo for me.

 

[phanamous]

VS nat gut 15 / Head Hawk Touch 17 (Gut should be 8lbs higher in tension to not allow the poly cross to dominate feel)

This setup will give you spin and arm comfort.
Though it's more expensive upfront, it'll end up being cheaper overall as playability lasts for quite a long while. Some 30 hrs for me. Sometime much longer even by restringing just the poly cross once they lose tension.

 

[HighStepper]

I think if you have arm problems I would use multi mains, specifically technifibre triax or head velocity for better spin and less string adjustments. I would put the poly in the cross, which will still give spin but will be more comfortable. Others can get more specific, as I am not a heavy hybrid user, other than a few times with gut.

Sorry for the delay. Just realized I never responded to this. Thanks for the idea! I hadn't thought to use polys in the crosses instead of the mains, because I had been assuming that I wouldn't get much spin benefit, which is what I'm going for. Would poly in the crosses really help that much with top spin and slice?I just can't see how it would, but if you've done it, I'll take your word for it.

I'm actually thinking about ordering both the Ezone 98 and Gravity MP. I've been playing with both as demos with full multi setups, and my biggest complaint with both is the level of spin, but I'm a bit concerned about losing too much power from the Gravity.

 

[SinneGOAT]

Sorry for the delay. Just realized I never responded to this. Thanks for the idea! I hadn't thought to use polys in the crosses instead of the mains, because I had been assuming that I wouldn't get much spin benefit, which is what I'm going for. Would poly in the crosses really help that much with top spin and slice?I just can't see how it would, but if you've done it, I'll take your word for it.

I'm actually thinking about ordering both the Ezone 98 and Gravity MP. I've been playing with both as demos with full multi setups, and my biggest complaint with both is the level of spin, but I'm a bit concerned about losing too much power from the Gravity.

Poly crosses still add quite a bit spin, you just gotta put it at a lower tension than the multi mains. For example, if I’m doing multi mains poly crosses, I do multis at 54-55 regularly, and poly around 47. The lower tension poly cross helps the poly get better spin.

 

[HighStepper]

Poly crosses still add quite a bit spin, you just gotta put it at a lower tension than the multi mains. For example, if I’m doing multi mains poly crosses, I do multis at 54-55 regularly, and poly around 47. The lower tension poly cross helps the poly get better spin.

Very interesting! I'll certainly keep this in mind. A TW racquet expert suggested Xcel 16 in the crosses and RPM power 17 in the mains for the Ezone 98. I ordered it with that setup, but will play around with it in the future for sure. Thanks again!

 

[topspin2000]

Very interesting! I'll certainly keep this in mind. A TW racquet expert suggested Xcel 16 in the crosses and RPM power 17 in the mains for the Ezone 98. I ordered it with that setup, but will play around with it in the future for sure. Thanks again!

If you have any kind of arm/wrist issue, why not try gut? Use natural guts in the mains, and poly cross at a lower tension for control. I've switched to gut/poly hybrid at 52/50 and it's the right combination for my elbow and wrist health. I get plenty of comfort, spin, power, but most of all, feel.

 

[Rosstour]

1. Lots
2. Lots
3. Lots

 

[HighStepper]

If you have any kind of arm/wrist issue, why not try gut? Use natural guts in the mains, and poly cross at a lower tension for control. I've switched to gut/poly hybrid at 52/50 and it's the right combination for my elbow and wrist health. I get plenty of comfort, spin, power, but most of all, feel.

Interesting. How does the feel/power/spin compare to multi in the mains and poly in the crosses? Also, how long does that last for you? Phanamous above mentioned 30+ hours, which would be great.

My arm issues are pretty minor. Partial shoulder dislocation 2 months ago (fully recovered and zero pain), biceps tendinitis flare up at the elbow from overuse with stiff demo racquets (hasn't hurt while playing in about a month). No wrist issues at all. So I'm more focused on preventing flare ups and less in need of immediate comfort. Playing with full multis on the Ezone 98 and Gravity MP has been no problem whatsoever, so I figure it's worth a shot to see how I do with poly mains and multi crosses first, because I'm really missing the level of spin that everyone talks about with the Ezone. If that creates issues, then I'll probably try out something like you're suggesting.

These are ideas I hadn't even thought of and I really appreciate everybody's insight!

 

[Johnny505]

Only you will know the answer and what is right when you try out different string set up and tension, everyone plays differently and have their own personal preference.
For me it took half a dozen string jobs to get to the right combo that I now have settled with as my ref set up.

 

[HighStepper]

Only you will know the answer and what is right when you try out different string set up and tension, everyone plays differently and have their own personal preference.
For me it took half a dozen string jobs to get to the right combo that I now have settled with as my ref set up.

That's fair. Well I've REALLY liked the feel of all multi. I'd love to find something that feels like that with more grip on the ball.

 

[topspin2000]

Interesting. How does the feel/power/spin compare to multi in the mains and poly in the crosses? Also, how long does that last for you? Phanamous above mentioned 30+ hours, which would be great.

My arm issues are pretty minor. Partial shoulder dislocation 2 months ago (fully recovered and zero pain), biceps tendinitis flare up at the elbow from overuse with stiff demo racquets (hasn't hurt while playing in about a month). No wrist issues at all. So I'm more focused on preventing flare ups and less in need of immediate comfort. Playing with full multis on the Ezone 98 and Gravity MP has been no problem whatsoever, so I figure it's worth a shot to see how I do with poly mains and multi crosses first, because I'm really missing the level of spin that everyone talks about with the Ezone. If that creates issues, then I'll probably try out something like you're suggesting.

These are ideas I hadn't even thought of and I really appreciate everybody's insight!

There is NOTHING that feels like gut. And I've tried them all, except Kevlar. When that ball hits that sweetspot, the sound it makes, and the way it feels, is unlike anything else. It's literally love at first hit. Gut also lasts way longer for me before it snaps. My gut/poly hybrid lasted 4 months before the gut snapped. If I used multi/poly, usually I snap it within 3-4 weeks. So it actually saves me money going with gut hybrid. Playability lasts pretty much until it snaps, with just slight fraying after a couple of months. With poly, I have to cut it out after 3 weeks because it becomes too boardy feeling. As for spin, I think it has more to do with your technique. I would look at your swing path and speed and acceleration before looking to racquet or strings to give you extra spin.

 

[socallefty]

I'm actually thinking about ordering both the Ezone 98 and Gravity MP. I've been playing with both as demos with full multi setups, and my biggest complaint with both is the level of spin, but I'm a bit concerned about losing too much power from the Gravity.

What racquet and strings were you playing with previously that gave you more spin that the demo Ezone and Gravity? What was the problem with the previous racquet/string combo that made you demo and buy new racquets? Knowing those answers will allow posters to give you better recommendations.

 

[HighStepper]

There is NOTHING that feels like gut. And I've tried them all, except Kevlar. When that ball hits that sweetspot, the sound it makes, and the way it feels, is unlike anything else. It's literally love at first hit. Gut also lasts way longer for me before it snaps. My gut/poly hybrid lasted 4 months before the gut snapped. If I used multi/poly, usually I snap it within 3-4 weeks. So it actually saves me money going with gut hybrid. Playability lasts pretty much until it snaps, with just slight fraying after a couple of months. With poly, I have to cut it out after 3 weeks because it becomes too boardy feeling. As for spin, I think it has more to do with your technique. I would look at your swing path and speed and acceleration before looking to racquet or strings to give you extra spin.

I've demoed a ton of racquets in the last 2 months. When I play with poly strings, my balls drop in at the baseline much more consistently. With multi, it's just much less consistent. I just discovered Technifibre's new "Triax" string, and after talking to a Racquet Expert at TW, I'm leaning in that direction for now. But I'll bring up the gut/poly hybrid option when I call in to order it and ask what they think as well.

 

[HighStepper]

What racquet and strings were you playing with previously that gave you more spin that the demo Ezone and Gravity? What was the problem with the previous racquet/string combo that made you demo and buy new racquets? Knowing those answers will allow posters to give you better recommendations.

I had demoed a Gravity MP earlier in the summer with poly strings, and got a lot more spin than I've been getting with the full-multi setup. I also demoed the Pure Drive VS, Ezone 100, Pure Aero VS, Extreme Tour, Prestige pro, Clash 100, Gravity Pro and a few others. I learned that I strongly prefer a stiff racquet, but that my biceps tendon by my elbow does not! So I tried the Gravity MP again with full multi, as well as the Ezone 98 with full multi. My arm loves both racquets, and I've had literally zero pain in about a month.

The one consistency with the other racquets I demoed is that when they had poly mains, the ball dropped in by the baseline much more consistently. I was also able to hit much better drop shots and slices - a dramatically noticeable amount of spin difference on those shots.

I played Tennis for about 13 years going up, and have since been off and on so never felt the need to buy a new racquet until playing more regularly in the last 5 months (at least twice a week). The wife (she plays too) and I have courts next to our condo and during the pandemic we, along with a group of my friends who played growing up as well, decided to pick tennis back up. Honestly, I fell back in love with it. It helps that all of us are in the 3.0-4.0 range, so we've had some really good matches and there's a lot of parity and competition. We're all going to join and indoor club and continue into the winter. The only racquet I own is a Head Ti.S2 (one of the originals made in Austria). That might have made sense for me in middle/high school, but it's way too lightweight and too stiff for me now, and is just not as control-oriented as I would like, hence this barrage of demos and looking for a new racquet. The Ti.S2 was honestly probably never the right racquet for me.

 

[socallefty]

Poly dies within 5-15 hours and becomes very low in comfort after that. Demo racquets are likely to have dead strings and so, it is possible that your bicep discomfort is just from that. If you are buying both racquets, string them both with a soft poly at 50 lbs and see which one you like better. Sell the one you don’t like and then you can start experimenting with hybrids, soft strings or poly at lower tensions on the racquet you decide to keep. If you can’t decide between the two racquets after a demo, you need to compare them with the same fresh strings and tensions and see which one you like better.

I would recommend Volkl Cyclone Tour, Solinco Tour Bite Soft or Solinco HyperG in either 16g or 17g as the poly to try on your new racquets. If you like poly, note that you have to restring every 15 hours or so - they are not really meant to be used longer than that.

If you don’t want to restring that often, then I recommend just getting a good multi string - I’m a fan of the Technifibre multis. On the other hand if you don’t usually break strings, a less expensive gut like Klip will be better than the best multis as it will have maximum playability for much longer and will have much more spin and feel - it is worth the extra dollars and might be a better deal than premium multis as it might last twice as long without losing too much tension. I know 4.0 players who play with natural gut for more than 40-50 hours without much tension loss.

 

[HighStepper]

Poly dies within 5-15 hours and becomes very low in comfort after that. Demo racquets are likely to have dead strings and so, it is possible that your bicep discomfort is just from that. If you are buying both racquets, string them both with a soft poly at 50 lbs and see which one you like better. Sell the one you don’t like and then you can start experimenting with hybrids, soft strings or poly at lower tensions on the racquet you decide to keep. If you can’t decide between the two racquets after a demo, you need to compare them with the same fresh strings and tensions and see which one you like better.

I would recommend Volkl Cyclone Tour, Solinco Tour Bite Soft or Solinco HyperG in either 16g or 17g as the poly to try on your new racquets. If you like poly, note that you have to restring every 15 hours or so - they are not really meant to be used longer than that.

If you don’t want to restring that often, then I recommend just getting a good multi string - I’m a fan of the Technifibre multis. On the other hand if you don’t usually break strings, a less expensive gut like Klip will be better than the best multis as it will have maximum playability for much longer and will have much more spin and feel - it is worth the extra dollars and might be a better deal than premium multis as it might last twice as long without losing too much tension. I know 4.0 players who play with natural gut for more than 40-50 hours without much tension loss.

This is very helpful. I went ahead and ordered the Gravity MP with Technifibre's new Triax string in 16. Seems like it'll offer me the best of both worlds while also being a bit more durable than most multis. And that's a great point about the poly strings. I had demoed a bunch of racquets from my local tennis shop and found out that some of them hadn't been restrung in over 8 months... Totally unacceptable.

 

[socallefty]

I had demoed a bunch of racquets from my local tennis shop and found out that some of them hadn't been restrung in over 8 months... Totally unacceptable.

Unless the local pro shop is willing to restring demos regularly or just before you demo, this is a common problem with demo racquets. The poly is usually dead and the multis are old and would have lost a lot of tension. So, the power and control can feel totally different from demoing with a fresh set of strings. I demo mostly to get a sense of a racquet’s maneuverability and feel - if I really am serious about changing to a racquet, I just have to buy it and string with my favored strings. If I don’t like it after trying different strings, I can always sell it and move on.

The good news is that once you figure out what head size, swingweight, beam width and stiffness range you like, you can pretty much fine-tune any racquet that falls in that range to your liking with the right strings, tension and possibly some lead tape. Racquet performance changes immensely based on the strings and tension - more than most people would think. That’s part of why you get such widely varying opinions about the same racquet.

 

[BillKid]

Never tried using poly cross + multi main, because I tend to break strings quickly.
I have just a bit experimented the multi cross + poly main option ; my experience is limited but I m not convinced that this combination provides a better feel than a full bed poly. Maybe if it’s a stiff poly I don’t know. What works the best for me is a full bed of soft poly at low tension. Would be interested to hear more feedback from heavy string breakers using hybrids.

 

[HighStepper]

Unless the local pro shop is willing to restring demos regularly or just before you demo, this is a common problem with demo racquets. The poly is usually dead and the multis are old and would have lost a lot of tension. So, the power and control can feel totally different from demoing with a fresh set of strings. I demo mostly to get a sense of a racquet’s maneuverability and feel - if I really am serious about changing to a racquet, I just have to buy it and string with my favored strings. If I don’t like it after trying different strings, I can always sell it and move on.

The good news is that once you figure out what head size, swingweight, beam width and stiffness range you like, you can pretty much fine-tune any racquet that falls in that range to your liking with the right strings, tension and possibly some lead tape. Racquet performance changes immensely based on the strings and tension - more than most people would think. That’s part of why you get such widely varying opinions about the same racquet.

Yeah, I've noticed a huge difference in the strings from TW demos vs elsewhere. TW almost always sends me brand new strings. ************** sent me a racquet with multis that were already frayed, and my local shop was definitely dead, notched poly - I just hadn't realized that dead poly was so much harsher on the arm.

 

[topspin2000]

I've demoed a ton of racquets in the last 2 months. When I play with poly strings, my balls drop in at the baseline much more consistently. With multi, it's just much less consistent. I just discovered Technifibre's new "Triax" string, and after talking to a Racquet Expert at TW, I'm leaning in that direction for now. But I'll bring up the gut/poly hybrid option when I call in to order it and ask what they think as well.

As a lot of guys already chimed in, gut actually is the best option for me as it lasts and lasts until it snaps. I cannot stand full bed of poly after about 2 weeks, even strung low in the mid 40s. With gut at least in the mains, I can play with it for a few months before it frays and snaps. I don't hit with a ton of topspin, but I break multis within 2-3 weeks.

 

[socallefty]

I just hadn't realized that dead poly was so much harsher on the arm.

It’s quite common to find players saying that a particular racquet gave them tennis elbow on this forum and on the local courts. If you question them more, you find out that they are playing with stiff polys like ALU Power or RPM Blast which are both popular with pros and have not restrung for many months - in fact, they say the poly is very ‘durable‘ as it doesn’t break and that‘s why they like it. The reality is that those strings ‘went dead‘ and lost their resilience/elasticity within 10 hours and since then have been contributing to a lot of vibration shock to the arm/elbow/wrist. Stiff polys should come with a warning to restring within 10 hours and soft polys should come with a warning for 15 hours. If you already have a sensitive elbow, these limits might be true even with gut/poly or multi/poly hybrids.

 

[BlueB]

Multi mains, tight tension, poly crosses, much lower tension.
But, you might just as well go for gut mains, for the real deal.

Multi is kinda wasted in the crosses. You can go for any cheap natgut.

 

[HighStepper]

So I've played now with the Gravity MP and Ezone 98 with Technifibre's new Triax string in 16 gauge at 53 lbs.

The drop in power from all-multi was definitely more noticeable in the Gravity than the Ezone, but I felt more controlled and the increased amount of spin was clearly noticeable with both racquets, yet not quite poly-level. The decrease in comfort level with the Gravity (vs all-multi), is more noticeable than with the Ezone. The Ezone honestly feels VERY similar with both string setups, just a bit more control and spin with the Triax.

I guess the way I'd describe the Triax is that it's kind of a firmer string bed than multi, but with a gummy/grippy feeling. My arm feels great after playing twice this week, but time will tell on that front. Haven't felt any jarring impacts while playing though, which is great. That being said, I'm really curious about how gut will feel in the gravity, and I think it lacks a bit of power so that will be my next move with that racquet.

Considering that the Ezone really seems to negate what should have been additional discomfort from the string change, I'm thinking it might be worth trying a soft poly in it next. Solinco Tour Bite Soft has been recommended to me, but we'll see.