i dont get this. how come stiffer polys are more powerful than soft polys??

[Tennisplaya10]

i saw some strings on a web site and the power ratings did not make sense to me. the strings that got a higher stiffness rating by the racquet sports industry are supposedly less powerful than the some of the softer polys.
i thought the stiffness of the string determines the power level too.
i guess the power ratings were the manufacturers ratings.

im trying to find the most powerful polys out there and i have been searching by the stiffness rating. is that wrong?
can some softer polys be soft and responsive and low powered at the same time?

 

[Tennisplaya10]

i mean how can the pro hurricane tour 1.35 get a power rating of 9?
pro hurricane strings have a stiffness rating between 250 and 270 !

 

[Tennisplaya10]

... and the kirchbaum touch classic 1.25 and 1.30 have a power rating of 6 even though their stiffness rating is 205

 

[lawlitssoo1n]

i think when manufactors put the power info on the string packages. they are comparing their power levels to their own strings
like for example
luxilon original
luxilon alu power
luxilon alu power rough

 

[winks]

i saw some strings on a web site and the power ratings did not make sense to me. the strings that got a higher stiffness rating by the racquet sports industry are supposedly less powerful than the some of the softer polys.
i thought the stiffness of the string determines the power level too.
i guess the power ratings were the manufacturers ratings.

im trying to find the most powerful polys out there and i have been searching by the stiffness rating. is that wrong?
can some softer polys be soft and responsive and low powered at the same time?

I don't think there really is any scientifically agreed upon way of measuring "power" in the string. In general, stiffer = less powerful. I'm a little unsure if that is what you expected/or just the opposite. On the other hand, as stiffness increases it allows the player to swing faster and keep the ball in court - adding more power to the shot.

Here is a great link I use trying to find new poly's to test. I generally start from a stiffness range similar to strings I've already like (see "Polyesters Sorted by Stiffness").

EDIT: Just noticed in the post title you didn't get "stiffer polys are more powerful". I don't get that either. What website is it? It might just be a marketing ploy where everything they sell give more power and more control and.....

 

[fuzz nation]

I've noticed something along the lines of what our pal "winks" is referring to in terms of power. I don't think it's a clear-cut issue either. If I try a string that has a lot more resilience, it may be empirically more powerful, but I can't control my shots with it because my racquet has become something like a rubber rocket launcher.

When I have extra control though, I can hit harder and still land my shots, much like what "winks" seems to be talking about. I like to refer to this aspect as controllable power. I'm not a fan of poly myself, but it makes sense that a player might enjoy a stiffer version of that string if it allows them to rip harder shots with accuracy. While it's not necessarily more powerful on its own, the stiffer stuff might yield more controllable power.

 

[Tennisplaya10]

well i cant link the competition here...
but i think it is a credible site.
yes its true that u can hit the ball harder with stiffer polys because u have more control but thats what the control rating states.
lawlitso is probably right. my guess is that the manufacturers compare the power level to their own strings + some marketing crap of course.
i came across the ashaway monogut string today. a synthetic gut that plays like a poly (teflon mix). was wondering y they dont come up with a string that plays like gut but has as much spin as polys. not sure if thats the case with monogut but i will find out.
just want a really springy string. natural gut is too expensive. even in a hybrid. anyone know if natural gut surface is as smooth as poly stings or is it gonna move like synthetic gut?