String M8 at 42, Alpha at 44, and Tour Mako at 48-40
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VanDerVaart23
Semi-Pro
I would do M8 @48 , Alpha @50 and mako @55
Tennis And Anime Lover
Rookie
I would say start at your reference tension at first to see the difference of each of how it plays at a tension you know best. Second time around you can do adjustments as you see fit.
Will 2nd this but I think that if they only have one set of each and doesn't want to spend more money then they should try to optimize the tension. If they have money and time to burn then yeah, do 3 rounds of testing- 1st at normal tension, 2nd at recommended tension, 3rd using feedback from the previous 2 tests to continue optimizing. However, a proper 3 round test of 3 strings would take at least a month and over $150.
Tennis And Anime Lover
Rookie
well yeah, the money you spend does play its part. The testing I do, is as such that every string I test, I order 2 of them. If after 2 rounds, the string doesn't 'fit' i drop it. Imo you dont have to make the string work for your game. A string that is right for you, plays pretty good at reference tension. The once's that dont, well they dont suit your game well drop those immediately. The onces that deserve a 2nd round, will play pretty good in round 1. You can make an adjustment based on experiences of round 1. Does it need a bit more control, or power? Go down or up 2-4 lbs max and go from there. If 2round is done, you still have doubts = drop the string.
Thats how i think and work concerning string testing in general
jimdontcare
Semi-Pro
I'd say try Alpha two pounds higher than your go to and M8 at least two pounds lower. I'm pretty confident most people with a reference tension would prefer Alpha higher and M8 lower that I wouldn't worry about never testing it at the reference.
Agreed! I wouldnt string M8 too low though. I like it at 52-54
@Grapplesnake USA Official Can you rate your strings for power and stiffness from lowest to highest?
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Grapplesnake USA Official
Professional
Liquid Neon Dust (softest) - Alpha - Tour Mako - Paradox Pro - Tour M8 - Irukandji - Game Changer - Tour Sniper - Cube - CES Neon Dust (firmest)
This is available in our website, String Summary section, for future reference. Thanks!
Grapplesnake USA Official
Professional
I like both Tour Sniper and Paradox Pro in the Gravity series. Being such a good feeling frame, I don't think any model would be "wrong". Paradox weighs a little more, and also the square models, but from there, shouldn't be a difference.
Grapplesnake USA Official
Professional
I would like to share something I posted in another thread here for those of you interested. It talks a bit about our status as Grapplesnake Strings in general, and availability in major retailers in particular, since I have been receiving a lot of questions regarding this. Thanks again for your support!
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
It reads:
"Hey, Fellas!
Great conversation here. Thanks for tagging me, @JK208. Without wanting to get into too many details out of respect for TW and their own forum platform here, I will say that they have tested our strings a long time ago, and they loved them (their words). We have even offered to provide the initial inventory as a test, for free. From there, a long long time of waiting for them to make a decision, which bring us to today. The interest from players is there, I mean just our very thread here is super active at around 130k views, 3k comments, and so much positive activity. Before being "Grapplesnake USA Official", I was just another forum member here, and never saw something like that.
Regarding wholesales, just clarify that we would definitely like to be available in TW and all major online retailers for sure. As much growth as we've had selling direct to consumer, and as positive as everything has been, being available for thousands and thousands of people to see our strings in these sites every day would be even more amazing and a major step forward. Especially in TW, such a cool organization.
Just to touch upon the second comment here, I am of course biased, but there are some key differences between some of those other brand examples mentioned, and us. We are somewhat of a rare case, because at around 6 years in the market, we are still somewhat "new", but we have shown nothing but growth since the beginning. It has actually been crazy, with 99% positive comments/feedback in our thread here, and an overall great atmosphere and creativity within our company, always wanting to innovate and never compromising on quality. This has shown in many professional tennis players switching to Grapplesnake. They are not at the very very top, because there, everything is about money, and not too much about the string itself, but there are so many players that could have signed contracts with literally any major brand, but chose us. This is unique, because we can't offer as much sponsorship money on top of supplying them with strings as the other big brands can, and they still chose Grapplesnake.
I am talking about Mina Hodzic, four times German champion, she was playing with ALU before. She came to us. Certainly not for the money. Max Houkes, one of the best current Dutch players, he is only 22 years old and ranked around 270, he could have any contract, and switched from RPM to our Tour Sniper, because he can play better with it. Federico Gomez, who played the US Open qualifying rounds this year, currently 140 ATP, could have any contract as well; playing with Grapplesnake. Julian Cash, top 40 in doubles, same story. He has a contract with Babolat for frames and gave up some of his benefits to play with Grapplesnake strings. Nicola Kuhn, top 5 junior years back and now one of the best German players, contracted with IMG, formerly playing with Confidential, now with Tour M8. Isabella Shinikova, great talent, 10 years with RPM Blast, now with Tour Sniper. And more, and more. These stories can't really be told by any other "small" brand, and I think sets us apart.
Lastly, we aren't that small today, let alone stuck in that position. We are currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Kazakhstan, USA, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. Players and retailers in these countries requested us, which is great. I do not see this freight train slowing down, and I am personally super happy to still be here in the forum engaging as much as possible and enjoying this crazy ride.
Thanks again for this!"
When Will TW Carry Grapplesnake Strings?
@TW Staff , when will you start carrying Grapplesnake Strings? I know they are a fan-favorite, and there has been a lot of interest in getting them sold by a major retailer. They have one of the most popular forum threads and I don't understand why they aren't being carried. Can I please have an...
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
It reads:
"Hey, Fellas!
Great conversation here. Thanks for tagging me, @JK208. Without wanting to get into too many details out of respect for TW and their own forum platform here, I will say that they have tested our strings a long time ago, and they loved them (their words). We have even offered to provide the initial inventory as a test, for free. From there, a long long time of waiting for them to make a decision, which bring us to today. The interest from players is there, I mean just our very thread here is super active at around 130k views, 3k comments, and so much positive activity. Before being "Grapplesnake USA Official", I was just another forum member here, and never saw something like that.
Regarding wholesales, just clarify that we would definitely like to be available in TW and all major online retailers for sure. As much growth as we've had selling direct to consumer, and as positive as everything has been, being available for thousands and thousands of people to see our strings in these sites every day would be even more amazing and a major step forward. Especially in TW, such a cool organization.
Just to touch upon the second comment here, I am of course biased, but there are some key differences between some of those other brand examples mentioned, and us. We are somewhat of a rare case, because at around 6 years in the market, we are still somewhat "new", but we have shown nothing but growth since the beginning. It has actually been crazy, with 99% positive comments/feedback in our thread here, and an overall great atmosphere and creativity within our company, always wanting to innovate and never compromising on quality. This has shown in many professional tennis players switching to Grapplesnake. They are not at the very very top, because there, everything is about money, and not too much about the string itself, but there are so many players that could have signed contracts with literally any major brand, but chose us. This is unique, because we can't offer as much sponsorship money on top of supplying them with strings as the other big brands can, and they still chose Grapplesnake.
I am talking about Mina Hodzic, four times German champion, she was playing with ALU before. She came to us. Certainly not for the money. Max Houkes, one of the best current Dutch players, he is only 22 years old and ranked around 270, he could have any contract, and switched from RPM to our Tour Sniper, because he can play better with it. Federico Gomez, who played the US Open qualifying rounds this year, currently 140 ATP, could have any contract as well; playing with Grapplesnake. Julian Cash, top 40 in doubles, same story. He has a contract with Babolat for frames and gave up some of his benefits to play with Grapplesnake strings. Nicola Kuhn, top 5 junior years back and now one of the best German players, contracted with IMG, formerly playing with Confidential, now with Tour M8. Isabella Shinikova, great talent, 10 years with RPM Blast, now with Tour Sniper. And more, and more. These stories can't really be told by any other "small" brand, and I think sets us apart.
Lastly, we aren't that small today, let alone stuck in that position. We are currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Kazakhstan, USA, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. Players and retailers in these countries requested us, which is great. I do not see this freight train slowing down, and I am personally super happy to still be here in the forum engaging as much as possible and enjoying this crazy ride.
Thanks again for this!"
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Thank you! Is the power level scale the same as the stiffness scale (i.e softest is most powerful and firmest the least powerful)?
Grapplesnake USA Official
Professional
Definitely, there’s a linear correlation, but sometimes the additives make a string feel a little different in terms of power. So it’s not exactly the same, but I would indeed use that ranking there to think of their power as well. Of course, nothing beats testing yourself.
eddi.spageddi.patero
New User
Hi Grapplesnake USA Official
thank you for updating this list - is this now the latest version of the impressions from the softness?
the last versions I got from you was quite a bit different:
Liquid* (softest) - Irukandji* - Irukandji 2.0* - Liquid Neon Dust* - Alpha - Paradox Pro - Tour M8 - Game Changer - Game Changer (silver) - Tour Sniper - Cube - Excellent Purple Plus - Estess Pro - Excellent Purple - CES Neon Dust* - Cube Extra Sharp* (firmest)
so can I delete this old rating?
thank you and friendly greetings from austria
... ESP
Grapplesnake USA Official
Professional
Correct. That is a list that includes models that we don’t really sell anymore, the one that I just posted is a little more simplified.Hi Grapplesnake USA Official
thank you for updating this list - is this now the latest version of the impressions from the softness?
the last versions I got from you was quite a bit different:
Liquid* (softest) - Irukandji* - Irukandji 2.0* - Liquid Neon Dust* - Alpha - Paradox Pro - Tour M8 - Game Changer - Game Changer (silver) - Tour Sniper - Cube - Excellent Purple Plus - Estess Pro - Excellent Purple - CES Neon Dust* - Cube Extra Sharp* (firmest)
so can I delete this old rating?
thank you and friendly greetings from austria
On your website, under the Our Sponsored Pros tab, pls consider adding the string and tension (if known) they're using.I would like to share something I posted in another thread here for those of you interested. It talks a bit about our status as Grapplesnake Strings in general, and availability in major retailers in particular, since I have been receiving a lot of questions regarding this. Thanks again for your support!
When Will TW Carry Grapplesnake Strings?
@TW Staff , when will you start carrying Grapplesnake Strings? I know they are a fan-favorite, and there has been a lot of interest in getting them sold by a major retailer. They have one of the most popular forum threads and I don't understand why they aren't being carried. Can I please have an...
It reads:
"Hey, Fellas!
Great conversation here. Thanks for tagging me, @JK208. Without wanting to get into too many details out of respect for TW and their own forum platform here, I will say that they have tested our strings a long time ago, and they loved them (their words). We have even offered to provide the initial inventory as a test, for free. From there, a long long time of waiting for them to make a decision, which bring us to today. The interest from players is there, I mean just our very thread here is super active at around 130k views, 3k comments, and so much positive activity. Before being "Grapplesnake USA Official", I was just another forum member here, and never saw something like that.
Regarding wholesales, just clarify that we would definitely like to be available in TW and all major online retailers for sure. As much growth as we've had selling direct to consumer, and as positive as everything has been, being available for thousands and thousands of people to see our strings in these sites every day would be even more amazing and a major step forward. Especially in TW, such a cool organization.
Just to touch upon the second comment here, I am of course biased, but there are some key differences between some of those other brand examples mentioned, and us. We are somewhat of a rare case, because at around 6 years in the market, we are still somewhat "new", but we have shown nothing but growth since the beginning. It has actually been crazy, with 99% positive comments/feedback in our thread here, and an overall great atmosphere and creativity within our company, always wanting to innovate and never compromising on quality. This has shown in many professional tennis players switching to Grapplesnake. They are not at the very very top, because there, everything is about money, and not too much about the string itself, but there are so many players that could have signed contracts with literally any major brand, but chose us. This is unique, because we can't offer as much sponsorship money on top of supplying them with strings as the other big brands can, and they still chose Grapplesnake.
I am talking about Mina Hodzic, four times German champion, she was playing with ALU before. She came to us. Certainly not for the money. Max Houkes, one of the best current Dutch players, he is only 22 years old and ranked around 270, he could have any contract, and switched from RPM to our Tour Sniper, because he can play better with it. Federico Gomez, who played the US Open qualifying rounds this year, currently 140 ATP, could have any contract as well; playing with Grapplesnake. Julian Cash, top 40 in doubles, same story. He has a contract with Babolat for frames and gave up some of his benefits to play with Grapplesnake strings. Nicola Kuhn, top 5 junior years back and now one of the best German players, contracted with IMG, formerly playing with Confidential, now with Tour M8. Isabella Shinikova, great talent, 10 years with RPM Blast, now with Tour Sniper. And more, and more. These stories can't really be told by any other "small" brand, and I think sets us apart.
Lastly, we aren't that small today, let alone stuck in that position. We are currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Kazakhstan, USA, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. Players and retailers in these countries requested us, which is great. I do not see this freight train slowing down, and I am personally super happy to still be here in the forum engaging as much as possible and enjoying this crazy ride.
Thanks again for this!"
I'm curious if any of them like to string it at a really low tension (<45 lbs) as well
jimdontcare
Semi-Pro
I think pros adjust tension under various conditions too much for this to be a fair request
smithie
Professional
Thank you - I've just ordered a set (although it seems there is no distributor in the UK - is that correct?). I'll get it strung up next week when it arrives and report back.
Grapplesnake USA Official
Professional
Excellent. We do have a new distributor there. Will DM you with his info.
got a chance to try Tour Mako briefly in the same stick that i use. very fascinating string. it feels quite dead with a super consistent, controlled response off the stringbed. quite different from tour sniper, alpha, and paradox pro, which were all quite lively. i would describe it as a combo of confidential and paradox pro, but only taking the best qualities. it has the dead and predictable response as confidential and the feel and comfort (for a poly) as pro paradox. if i were a better player, i think it'd be at the top of my list of strings to test further. it's just so predictable without being too dead or powerless. unfortunately, i need all the help i can get from tour sniper mains and alpha crosses.
another excellent offering from grapplesnake. also looks great in the ezone 98.
another excellent offering from grapplesnake. also looks great in the ezone 98.
EggSalad
Hall of Fame
Game
just wanted to say that Game Changer is fantastic in the EZ98. I was pleasantly surprised that I could also flatten the ball out with such a shaped string. I ordered the silver and string at 50lbs and it felt fantastic. Thank you for the rec.
HypnoticLasagna
Rookie
Sounds like its time to switch back to the PD.
the ezone with ts/alpha is working out quite nicely. Although i think i prefer the feel of the PD, but that's a frame issue
HypnoticLasagna
Rookie
I got a few sets per your previous reviews to give that combo a try, but havent gotten around to it just yet.
Do you have an opinion of FB Tour M8 vs a TS/Alpha hybrid? Just picked up a reel of M8 but would consider TS/Alpha as well.
I've enjoyed it quite a bit, but let me know what you think! you also have a lot more experience with different strings than i do
Sorry, havent tried M8 yet. TS/alpha is basically TS with a bit more pocketing and a little more liveliness.
Grapplesnake USA Official
Professional
Excellent!
I second this. M8 in new vc95 is truly amazing. Haven’t tried mako yet. I play with tour sniper in ez98 but preferred M8 better in vc95 when I was messing around with it.
Just saw this and couldn’t agree more. M8 is absolutely perfect match for vc95
VanDerVaart23
Semi-Pro
Tour Mako Mark's review. It's concerning the tension loss on this string. Something went really wrong with this string.
And sorry, I'm not trying to be negative, but it's just the way it is.
Beware and use the other grapplesnake options
Tennis And Anime Lover
Rookie
I'm not always in agreement with Mark's assesement, but in this case, i'm sorry to say but he's spot on. Despite all the qualities the string obviously has, those qualities lose purpose when tension maintenance is horrendous. At the price tag Mako is at, there is no reason to spend that much when you got 4 hours of decent playabilty at the most.
We all have different priorities when we test strings, but for the price range this is kinda unforgivable.
I do respect Grapplesnake tho, for not releasing the next convential string that plays like 25 others. I appreciate it for taking some risks. It is hit or miss, and it this particular case a miss, sadly enough
dr. godmode
Hall of Fame
This may be a bit elementary but I wonder if some testers did not string let Mako full stretch out before clamping off. There is a lot more stretch to this string than other poly's. It's like a nylon where you have to let the tension head pull the string all the way until its tension stabilizes. I got only a 3DT drop after 24h and a full hitting session with both Mako and M8. Reference tension was 52lbs, I do no bump up on my knots, both strung in two piece on a Pure Aero Rafa. Both had a DT of 32 fresh off the machine and dropped to 29DT.
Tennis And Anime Lover
Rookie
Yeah lets say that an former atp stringer doesn't know his job. Lets all agree upon mako having great tension maintenance 
but wont do you credibilty any good.
but wont do you credibilty any good.boulderchips
Rookie
I don't have hard numbers, but I second this. I don't have too many hitting hours logged yet (holding off on a full review), but I haven't experienced crazy tension loss. I strung Mako on the high side (55#) and on a dropweight machine (making sure to let stretch/tension stabilize). I agree that tension maintenance has felt comparable to Tour M8 so far, which isn't too bad by my standards. Interesting that results and impressions can vary so widely - I wonder if Mako is sensitive to frame, tension, or stringing technique. I sometimes feel that Paradox Pro requires a little extra care when stringing, too.
dr. godmode
Hall of Fame
i wasn't attacking you or anyone in particular, just sharing my observations, which also include data to back them up.Yeah lets say that an former atp stringer doesn't know his job. Lets all agree upon mako having great tension maintenance
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Tennis And Anime Lover
Rookie
I ain't attacking anyone either.
Just stating my own facts. Truth is, Mako for me was done after 2 play sessions. To be honest i always have been a believer of numbers tell the tale. But that doesn't hold up when discussing tennis strings, so sorry but there is no data to back you up, cause numbers in that case are deceiving.
We can juggle with numbers from ERT, TW database or Racketopedia all we want. If those would ever be as accurate as they pressume to be, selecting 'quality strings' are string that suite us perfectly, would be easy as pie wouldn't it?
You cant classify any string that way. Cause that would mean that tennis strings could be assessed objectively. Which isn't true. The truth in tennis strings doesn't come in numbers. Proof is in the pudding. As for me Mako didn't go well. Whatever the reason may have been. So agree to disagree on the tension maintenance
VanDerVaart23
Semi-Pro
Man I just take it to the local stringer. That's a lot of steps for a string. Even less points for Mako if a stringer needs to know all this about a random string.
Tennis And Anime Lover
Rookie
Long Story Short, don't buy into all the marketing mambo jambo from whatever brand.
The only tennis string assesment that does matter is the one we do ourselves. Everything else is kinda irrelevant.
Like every other string, it will have its fanbase. Good for them i'd say. For me Mako is a hard pass.
Sometimes we can have an pretty unpopular opinion. For instence Head LT has large fanbase, which for me is nothing more then 'meh'. Different tastes for different folks
jimdontcare
Semi-Pro
Man all he did was say what it takes to get the most out of an unusual stringYeah lets say that a former atp stringer doesn't know his job. Lets all agree upon mako having great tension maintenance
I do agree with this, a unique trait like this does make the string a little less accessible. Mileage will vary more depending on the stringing the player has access to.
dr. godmode
Hall of Fame
I mean it takes as much care as a nylon or a multi. It’s standard practice by any trained stringer to pull tension until the string stabilizes. Clamping too early would compromise any string. I wouldn’t say it’s even close to as finicky as natural gut, but less forgiving than a typical poly.
einca13
Rookie
I strung Mako the same as I string every other string on my electronic constant pull in which I let the string fully stabilize on each pull. There was alot of extra give on Mako so it took longer than usual.
This string bagged out on me in 3 hours with a 25% drop on my ERT. i usually get 6 or so out of M8, Black Knight etc… I would classify it as well below average on tension maintenance for my game. Mileage may differ for each player.
This string bagged out on me in 3 hours with a 25% drop on my ERT. i usually get 6 or so out of M8, Black Knight etc… I would classify it as well below average on tension maintenance for my game. Mileage may differ for each player.
Curtennis
Hall of Fame
MS is a total hack.Yeah lets say that a former atp stringer doesn't know his job. Lets all agree upon mako having great tension maintenance
jakefromstatefarm
New User
Anybody (including @Grapplesnake USA Official ) have any thoughts based on their experience with M8 1.25 vs M8 1.30?
1.25 has more power and spin- 1.30 has better tension maintenance. I’d go for 1.25. Theoretically the 1.30 should have better consistency and control, but the 1.25 is already so good in those areas there’s no real need to go to 1.30 unless you have a super open pattern that needs to be tamed.
out of curiosity, how much playability are folks getting out grapplesnake strings outside of Mako?
none of the GS strings that i've tried lasted that long, but the playability during that window was worth the trade off.
i don't get more than 2.5-3 hours out of my TS/alpha setup.
none of the GS strings that i've tried lasted that long, but the playability during that window was worth the trade off.
i don't get more than 2.5-3 hours out of my TS/alpha setup.
MSUspartans777
Rookie
@dr. godmode did provide numbers to back up his claims. He made an entire video discussing Mako's tension loss being comparable to M8. You went in hard with your first response. Mako has been great for me as a cross string in my Blade Pro 18x20 with Silver 7 Tour in the mains. Tons of pop and power
