Is Luxilon ALU real bad on your arm?

[gplracer]

I play with Wilson 6.1 HPS rackets. I am a 4.5 player and have played for over 20 years. My inner forearm hurts real bad right now for some reason. I have Luxilon in my racket strung at 56lbs. Is that string known to be hard on your arm? What would a good alternative be and would it be better to use a hybrid. If I use a hybrid should the crosses be the ALU? Also what is a good string for a hybrid? Thanks!!!

 

[Jerry Seinfeld]

I have seen posts here where users claim that Lux is too stiff and causes arm pain. Recommended alternatives include Babolat Hurricane, Klip K-Boom and Poly Polar. (Listed from firmest to softest...all softer than ALU) They are used in hybrid with a soft solid core cross string for those suffering elbow sensation (Multis are not recommended because they are not as durable).

For the cross, many here vouch for the Gosen OG Sheep Micro, though I'd also suggest Laserfibre Syn Gut. Feels a lot like a clone of the no longer manufactured Prince Soft Gut.

LF has also just come out with a rough coated version of their popular LaserTour string called Rough Gut. It makes a great cross because it helps the strings bite the ball and was specifically designed to be used in hybrid with the slick, smooth polys. Downside...still new and hard to find and it is a pain to install.

 

[prince]

i dont know how similar it is to kirshbaum competition but i strung my tour 90 for the first time with the kirsc comp at 58 lbs on a MS200TT and i started having pain on my lateral forearm near the elbow.

i used to string my tour 90 racquets with prince lightning xx at 54 lbs with no arm problems at all.

 

[Rabbit]

ALU is arm friendly IF you don't over tension it. I would drop tension on the first string job by about 5 pounds and work your way back up. It probably has the best combined characteristics of all the Luxilons that I've tried. I'm fixing to string up some Original and give it a whirl.

 

[jgong]

I had strung my HPS at 58.5 with ALU mains, and Gosen micro 17ga at 60, and I liked the feel and power. I previously used a gut hybrid; Pacific tough gut 16ga, and Gosen micro 17 at 61. I liked it alot, but it was lasting me about 12 hours. I felt that the ALU hybrid was almost similar to the feel as the gut hybrid but lasted longer - 20. I decided to try an all ALU job at 55. It was noticeably heavier, and harsher and I felt I was a bit slow in getting around on the racket. My elbow also started to hurt. I decided to take out the crosses and hybrid it with Gosen micro 17ga, at 60. My elbow is happier now....(although the gut hybrid is still more comfortable.)

 

[lenosucks]

I used to play with Luxilon Alu, and actually still have it strung in one of my rackets. My arm really started hurting after playing with it for just half an hour, especially while serving, so I started playing with gut instead. If I have absolutely no control on a given day, i'll switch to the racket strung with Luxilon, since it doesn't have the pocketing of gut and therefore I can swing out without having to worry as much about sending the ball long.

 

[tarheelbornjohn]

You do need to listen to the manufacturer and drop the tension. However, I have a hard time blaming a string after only 30 minutes of play. I would think that you may be trying to put more pace on the ball with the new string that has greater control allowing you to really hit the ball. Which feels better, crushing a ball and having the control to keep it in or a nice soft feel to the racquet. That will help you make the choice. Everyone has a subjective answer to that. I would drop it down to 52-54 range and see if it "feels" better. I would also think about strength training, especially the wrist and forarm (although I recommend that for everyone that plays tennis). I have had shoulder surgery and tendonosis (different from tendonitis) in my inner forearm from baseball and still use Lux without any more problems than other strings. It is how hard you hit the ball more than the string in my opinion.

 

[30 - 15 is my ad]

ALU is not tough on the arm, but in my experience, plays a bit stiff for about the first 60 - 90 minutes. I have strung this for many of my customers, and if they are unhappy, I ask them to finish 2 sets and see what they think. So far, the only unhappy users have all been 3.0 players (and I think they convinced themselves out of liking it)!

 

[tarheelbornjohn]

I would agree that I do not find it tough on my arm or shoulder. It does seem to play best after the first match with it. I can see how a 3.0 player may not like it. You don't get that little power pop with easy hit balls. You really feel the beauty of the string with well hit (hard) shots. I played a slice placement artist that never did anything but poked the ball back and ran like a deer last week and found it very hard to get the most out of the poly. Two days later played the club pro and we were out there crushing the ball back and forth and it was a thing of beauty.

 

[borisboris]

It's all relative- it's more arm friendly than Kirsch Super Smash -it's less arm friendly than a multi. I consider the ALU arm friendly - I use Kirsch SS & TT and have problems w/ SS yet love the power. I didn't have a post arm pain after using ALU for it's duration = 7 sets.

 

[jelichek]

ya, but it depends on stick.

 

[arosen]

ALU tough on arm?

IMHO the beaty of BB ALU comes out with a hard hit shot. TiMO makes me feel like a superman because it practically pulls the ball in regardless of how hard I hit it and boy, I love to put some pace on that thing, tons of topspin. But I can see how flat hitters would rather go with ALU, there is more bang to it than bite...and god forbid stringing tight a close pattern racquet, sure the vibe will go straight to arm. But then again, if the stick is light, stringing won't save the arm anyway. HEAVY FRAME should be on the menu instead... With large loopy swing on the side!

 

[lindamoggio]

ALU is arm friendly IF you don't over tension it. I would drop tension on the first string job by about 5 pounds and work your way back up. It probably has the best combined characteristics of all the Luxilons that I've tried. I'm fixing to string up some Original and give it a whirl.

I have been using Luxilon Alu big banger 123 for years. I have never had a sore arm and I find that the string has a soft responsive feel superior to any other string that I've used.
Two players players that I know have been told by their pros that Luxilon is too hard on the arm. Where is this concept coming from???

 

[Rabbit]

I have been using Luxilon Alu big banger 123 for years. I have never had a sore arm and I find that the string has a soft responsive feel superior to any other string that I've used.
Two players players that I know have been told by their pros that Luxilon is too hard on the arm. Where is this concept coming from???

Talk about resurrecting the dead!

The concept is coming from a mass of players who do have arm problems using poly. These boards are littered with threads about players looking for alternatives to poly due to arm pain. Count yourself as lucky that you haven't been the victim of this. What tension do you string it at? Are you a string breaker? What level do you play and are you a string breaker? Personally, I've moved back to either synthetic gut or a good multi. I don't find any real advantage to poly and my arm has thanked me repeatedly for the move.

 

[travelbuddha]

I was a never-poly guy for a long time, but when I got my 25th Anniversary 6.1's, they sent some ALU Power Soft as a promo. I wasn't going to use it, but decided to give it a try in the 3rd frame, with the other 2 being all NXT, and the 3rd being NXT Main/Lux cross. I was mostly using the NXT frames when I got golfer's elbow out of nowhere. It's brutal. After taking some time off, I've started playing again, and for some reason, the racket with the Luxilon crosses is much more comfortable. Definitely not what I was expecting.

 

[USPTARF97]

String it around 50 and things seem to go ok for people. 18x20 in the mid 40's. Takes a bit to get accustomed to the lower tension. Easier on the arm and allot more shape on the ball. Can go softer polys but the high tension is what seems to cause the most problems.

 

[CosmosMpower]

Should be an insta ban for resurrecting a 13 year old thread