Isospeed Axon Mono: impressive numbers

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Isospeed's new 'pre-stretched' poly was recently tested by TW Professor. http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/stringselector/stringselector.php The test numbers really jump out from the pack in the categories of energy return and tension loss, where Axon Mono is in the top 2% of all poly strings at all tensions.

Axon Mono is also pretty soft - not very stiff. If you look at the test numbers you'll see that poly strings with good energy return also tend to be very stiff. TW Professor recently explained that a string's 'power' is a combination of two characteristics: energy return and stiffness. For maximum power you want high energy return and low stiffness. This is what gut gives you. In the tests various guts are both the most resilient (high energy return) and the softest of any string; this is why gut is so powerful.

Most polyester strings are the opposite: they either have low energy return and low stiffness (example: Polyfibre TCS) or high energy return and high stiffness (example: Red Code). In both cases you get strings with average or low power compared to syngut or gut.

This Axon Mono is interesting as it is highest in class in energy return, even better than a couple of synguts, and below average in stiffness. Combined, these traits should make it one of, if not the, most powerful poly on the market.

For those people looking for a poly that will be powerful at super low tensions this string would be a good choice. It also holds tension as well as any other poly string. From the numbers, at 35 pounds Axon Mono would be as powerful as syngut at 55 pounds but would give wicked spin and hold its tension well until it breaks, which would be awhile as it's not a super-thin gauge.

Pro Hurricane 18 would provide similar performance in terms of power, based on the test data, but is thinner and less durable and loses tension quicker (but is still really good compared to most polys).

This is all based on the data - I haven't tried either string, so I'm curious to hear if anyone has tried Axon Mono, especially at super-low tensions, or Pro Hurricane 18 super-low. TW Professor has really added to our knowledge of strings with objective data previously unavailable. Stiffness has been measured for some time, but this is the first time that energy return data has become available.
 
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