Is Babolat Pro Hurricane the Best Control String out there?

[Ron Insana]

Here are all the polys I have tried. It took me 5 months. They are in order of most to least favorite. All were tested using full setups at about 64lbs.

Kirschbaum Pro Line 2 17g
Genesis Black Magic 17g
Kirschbaum Spiky Shark 17g
Weisscannon Turbotwist 17g
MSV Focus Hex 17L
Topspin Cyberblue 17g
Pacific X Force 17g
Kirschbaum Touch Turbo 17g
Topspin Concept Pure 17g
Pro Supex Big Ace 17g
Tecnifibre Black Code 17g
Signum Hyperion 17g
Luxilon ALU Power, Fluoro

None of these compare to the very first poly I ever tried, Babolat Pro Hurricane 16g. This is not the best overall poly if you are looking to play with full poly. It has many shortcomings—numb, totally disconnected feel, useless on serves and volleys. Therefore I would only use it in a hybrid setup with gut or multi. However, I found it to be by far the best CONTROL string in the softer category. I’m sure many will say that Luxilon is the best control string in the stiff category but that is not my cup of tea. No other poly I have tried, can I literally hit out with abandon and keep everything in. The ball seems to stick like glue to the strings and it never flies off the stringbed out of control. My flailing 1 HBH has never been more consistent and my returns (the weakest part of my game) never hit with more aggression. I feel I have sampled the best of each brand out there, with the exception of Head and Prince, because their polys are not often mentioned here. My question is should I end my journey right now or is there something similar or better than Pro Hurricane that I should try?




Prince Ignite 95 – Babolat Tonic 15L/Babolat Pro Hurricane 16 at 60/58 with white Volkl Supergrip overgrip and Prince EXO3 dampener
Aggressive all-court 4.0 to 4.5, weak 1 HBH (mainly slice), heavy and powerful topspin forehand

 

[tsongaali]

Here are all the polys I have tried. It took me 5 months. They are in order of most to least favorite. All were tested using full setups at about 64lbs.

Kirschbaum Pro Line 2 17g
Genesis Black Magic 17g
Kirschbaum Spiky Shark 17g
Weisscannon Turbotwist 17g
MSV Focus Hex 17L
Topspin Cyberblue 17g
Pacific X Force 17g
Kirschbaum Touch Turbo 17g
Topspin Concept Pure 17g
Pro Supex Big Ace 17g
Tecnifibre Black Code 17g
Signum Hyperion 17g
Luxilon ALU Power, Fluoro

None of these compare to the very first poly I ever tried, Babolat Pro Hurricane 16g. This is not the best overall poly if you are looking to play with full poly. It has many shortcomings—numb, totally disconnected feel, useless on serves and volleys. Therefore I would only use it in a hybrid setup with gut or multi. However, I found it to be by far the best CONTROL string in the softer category. I’m sure many will say that Luxilon is the best control string in the stiff category but that is not my cup of tea. No other poly I have tried, can I literally hit out with abandon and keep everything in. The ball seems to stick like glue to the strings and it never flies off the stringbed out of control. My flailing 1 HBH has never been more consistent and my returns (the weakest part of my game) never hit with more aggression. I feel I have sampled the best of each brand out there, with the exception of Head and Prince, because their polys are not often mentioned here. My question is should I end my journey right now or is there something similar or better than Pro Hurricane that I should try?




Prince Ignite 95 – Babolat Tonic 15L/Babolat Pro Hurricane 16 at 60/58 with white Volkl Supergrip overgrip and Prince EXO3 dampener
Aggressive all-court 4.0 to 4.5, weak 1 HBH (mainly slice), heavy and powerful topspin forehand

Give one more poly a try: polystar energy. It is supposed to be a really good poly and I ordered a reel.

 

[pmacino]

Lux M2 Pro might be one to try too...I felt it had a nice pocket to it. The down side is that when "it goes", it goes...

 

[pvaudio]

I'd put one of my racquets on the line that if you string up the following, you'd have a new favorite: Weiss Cannon Silverstring. In my opinion, it is the best poly on the market by far, price no issue. You tell the stringbed where you want the ball to go, and it goes there.

 

[pvaudio]

Just read the reviews:
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/feedback-WCS120.html

 

[JT_2eighty]

Prince Ignite 95 – Babolat Tonic 15L/Babolat Pro Hurricane 16 at 60/58 with white Volkl Supergrip overgrip and Prince EXO3 dampener
Aggressive all-court 4.0 to 4.5, weak 1 HBH (mainly slice), heavy and powerful topspin forehand

If after all that testing you did, you found something that works, then I'd stick with it. Many may tell you that PH is "outdated" or whatever, but honestly if it works for your game, then so be it. My only question to you would be, since you are hybriding with natural gut, do you play this til breakage or find the PH to die after a certain amount of time?

 

[rlee7777]

I'd put one of my racquets on the line that if you string up the following, you'd have a new favorite: Weiss Cannon Silverstring. In my opinion, it is the best poly on the market by far, price no issue. You tell the stringbed where you want the ball to go, and it goes there.

Absolutely agree with this. WC SS 1.20mm is an amazing control string that does well as mains in a hybrid (try Forten Sweet or Gosen Micro OG as a cross) or as full bed.

 

[jsomrak]

I think your missing one: Pro Red Code. I don't use it anymore but it is a great control string. Decent power, lasts long time.

 

[downs_chris]

like you, i don't really like ALU -- but I actually LOVE the ridiculous bite of Big Banger Ace 18...try it with a soft multi cross (or you could go gut -- i've been using Gaucho Gut) -- that bite gives you great control (and feel)

 

[Ron Insana]

I'd put one of my racquets on the line that if you string up the following, you'd have a new favorite: Weiss Cannon Silverstring. In my opinion, it is the best poly on the market by far, price no issue. You tell the stringbed where you want the ball to go, and it goes there.

Thanks, I will definitely give it a try. I hope it is not stiff like Lux ALU Power cause I tried that one on the mains one time and my shoulder started hurting for the first time ever playing tennis. The one poly I did try from Weisscannon, Turbotwist, gave me very mixed results. For the first 4 hours, it was the best string I ever played with (natural gut included)--buttery soft, unreal height off the bounce on topspin shots. After that, the tension drop is worse than any string out there and then you are better off playing with wet spaghetti noodle.

If after all that testing you did, you found something that works, then I'd stick with it. Many may tell you that PH is "outdated" or whatever, but honestly if it works for your game, then so be it. My only question to you would be, since you are hybriding with natural gut, do you play this til breakage or find the PH to die after a certain amount of time?

Honestly, I am just trying out the gut/PH setup for the first time today. If the cross poly merely loses tension (a la BC, PH, Turbotwist, CP) as opposed to becoming stiff like Luxilon, I am thinking it will still be playable because of the dominant prescence of the natural gut on the mains. This is only conjecture ofcourse.

Good write up, Ron.
Pretty much agree with your list ordering, though I'm surprised you didn't like BlackCode.

I was very disappointed with Blackcode. It is the most plastic and cheap feeling poly I tried. There is a huge tension drop after 3 hours and then it becomes a slow lazy trampoline.

I think your missing one: Pro Red Code. I don't use it anymore but it is a great control string. Decent power, lasts long time.

If you believe this is a good control string, why are you not using it anymore? How does it compare to PH and PLII?

 

[Ron Insana]

What strings the pros use

Just glancing at the list of strings that the pros use again http://www.colinthestringer.com/pros-strings/ I notice there is nothing from Genesis, Topspin, Weisscannon, Signum Pro, MSV, Pro Supex, Head or Prince. Mainly dominated by Luxilon poly and Babolat gut with a few spinklings of Tecnifibre, Kirschbaum, Isospeed and ofcourse Davy's Polystar. I guess this really says something, that a lot of the highly rated polys mentioned here (MSV and the like) are essentially toy strings for the rest of us joes, not true performance strings that the pros require.

 

[GPB]

Like the OP, I'm a big fan of PH as well... just in the 18gauge setting. Use it as a cross with some Global Gut mains and you're all set!

 

[JT_2eighty]

Just glancing at the list of strings that the pros use again http://www.colinthestringer.com/pros-strings/ I notice there is nothing from Genesis, Topspin, Weisscannon, Signum Pro, MSV, Pro Supex, Head or Prince. Mainly dominated by Luxilon poly and Babolat gut with a few spinklings of Tecnifibre, Kirschbaum, Isospeed and ofcourse Davy's Polystar. I guess this really says something, that a lot of the highly rated polys mentioned here (MSV and the like) are essentially toy strings for the rest of us joes, not true performance strings that the pros require.

Yes and no. Realistically if you think about it, many people here also love lux but note it dies as fast if not faster than the other "non-pro" polys that us normal people use. Most of us prefer not to restring 3-6 sticks per match like the pros, again because they hit harder than all of us here.

Lux doesn't have to worry about making their strings playable for longer periods of time, while these other secondary companies do because they cater to a different market. $16 for a string that last up to 4 hours vs. $7-$10 for strings that last 6-15 hours.

There is a reason they are pros and we are not, the same reason why most of us should not gear up like them either.

 

[JT_2eighty]

double post

 

[JT_2eighty]

Like the OP, I'm a big fan of PH as well... just in the 18gauge setting. Use it as a cross with some Global Gut mains and you're all set!

I'll have to give that a try. Purchased a set of PH 18 a few months ago, never got around to it once I discovered this kevlar/gut hybrid... But I have my back-up back-up unstrung now, so, hmm. It's either that or do full PH 18 at 30lbs...

 

[Overheadsmash]

I use PH one Head Microgel Extreme Pro and Lux BB original on my Technifibre Tflash 315. I'd say I get a little more control with the PH, but it feels kind of like hitting a board. I get good spin with it too, especially on my backhand slice (I have a one-handed backhand).

The BB, on the other hand, feels great and works really well for my swing, which is a full, long, flowing swing with a big shoulder turn. I can't place it as accurately as I can with the PH, but it feels a lot better.

 

[pvaudio]

Just glancing at the list of strings that the pros use again http://www.colinthestringer.com/pros-strings/ I notice there is nothing from Genesis, Topspin, Weisscannon, Signum Pro, MSV, Pro Supex, Head or Prince. Mainly dominated by Luxilon poly and Babolat gut with a few spinklings of Tecnifibre, Kirschbaum, Isospeed and ofcourse Davy's Polystar. I guess this really says something, that a lot of the highly rated polys mentioned here (MSV and the like) are essentially toy strings for the rest of us joes, not true performance strings that the pros require.

Um, no, actually you're completely wrong. The reason why you don't see pros playing with the smaller branded strings is because the smaller branded strings more often than not sponsor the players that use them. You really think Federer is chucking out the money to have his Alu rough put in 16x a month? I think not. The companies that are mentioned on here are dedicated to making the best playing string possible for tennis players. Whether or not a pro decides to use it is incredibly irrelevant. It's more marketing than actual performance advantage than anything. Use what feels best to you, not what feels best to someone born on a tennis court and uses that string as a means to earn their life and living.

There are reasons why NRG2 is one of the top rated multifilaments of all time, and there are reasons why PSG is the best selling string in the world. The fact that few if any pros use either says absolutely nothing about the string.

 

[pvaudio]

And just FYI, Ron, Luxilon wouldn't exist if it were not for Weiss Cannon. Food for thought.

 

[JT_2eighty]

Whether or not a pro decides to use it is incredibly irrelevant. It's more marketing than actual performance advantage than anything. Use what feels best to you, not what feels best to someone born on a tennis court and uses that string as a means to earn their life and living.

There are reasons why NRG2 is one of the top rated multifilaments of all time, and there are reasons why PSG is the best selling string in the world. The fact that few if any pros use either says absolutely nothing about the string.

Well said. I'd also add that Wilson is the authorized Luxilon distributor, right? I'd wager most of the lux users are Wilson users. Then you get into the whole "paint job" debate: "is he REALLY using this string or racquet or is it a painted this or that?"

Just find a string and racquet that works for your game, and move on.

 

[Rycat0624]

Personally, ive found that Babolat Revenge 17 is a great control string. I put it on my MGPP's and I love it. I recommend it.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[MuscleWeave]

And just FYI, Ron, Luxilon wouldn't exist if it were not for Weiss Cannon. Food for thought.

How does that work? Not being wise; I'm really interested.