Isospeed Baseline Speed - Stiffness? Reviews?

F

fuzz nation

G.O.A.T.
GrilledBurgers said:
Has anyone used this string (or its other gauges)? What has your experience been? How would you compare the stiffness of the string compared to other strings? TWU doesn't have any info on this string it seems like.

ISOSPEED Baseline Speed 16L/1.25 String Reel - 660' | Tennis Warehouse

www.tennis-warehouse.com www.tennis-warehouse.com
Click to expand...

I'm not a poly player - my arm can't tolerate it, but I'm happy with full beds of syn. gut. But I string of a lot of local players and also for one of the small clubs near me in the summers. I keep a reel of each gauge of Isospeed Baseline that's available through TW on hand for any basic layouts that folks want, but the two lighter gauges are the ones I use all the time.

The 17L (1.20mm) has been a great option for half decent players who want to sample a poly layout. I'll typically use it as the main in a hybrid with a syn. gut cross and that's been very well received. It brings a measure of poly performance to a string bed without as much potential stiffness or harshness that can be typical with a full poly bed in a heavier gauge.

The more serious sluggers who generally play with full beds of poly usually like the 16L (1.25mm) Baseline. A couple of twenty-something college sluggers who live here in the summers were using full beds of RPM Blast, but switched into this poly after getting a big boost in feel and comfort with the Baseline. It's durability seems to be average and while it's not as soft as something like Isospeed Cream, these lighter gauges of Baseline seem to be relatively soft among basic polys out there.
 
Happi

Happi

Hall of Fame
G

GrilledBurgers

Rookie
fuzz nation said:
I'm not a poly player - my arm can't tolerate it, but I'm happy with full beds of syn. gut. But I string of a lot of local players and also for one of the small clubs near me in the summers. I keep a reel of each gauge of Isospeed Baseline that's available through TW on hand for any basic layouts that folks want, but the two lighter gauges are the ones I use all the time.

The 17L (1.20mm) has been a great option for half decent players who want to sample a poly layout. I'll typically use it as the main in a hybrid with a syn. gut cross and that's been very well received. It brings a measure of poly performance to a string bed without as much potential stiffness or harshness that can be typical with a full poly bed in a heavier gauge.

The more serious sluggers who generally play with full beds of poly usually like the 16L (1.25mm) Baseline. A couple of twenty-something college sluggers who live here in the summers were using full beds of RPM Blast, but switched into this poly after getting a big boost in feel and comfort with the Baseline. It's durability seems to be average and while it's not as soft as something like Isospeed Cream, these lighter gauges of Baseline seem to be relatively soft among basic polys out there.
Click to expand...
This is a great response! I am actually thinking about buying a reel. I've heard it has similar playability to RPM with more comfort. Have you heard anything more in regards to how it compares with RPM? I normally play with a full bed of RPM 17 and loved that other than it being slightly stiff, I'm not sure whether to go up to the 17L or down to the 16L.
 
F

fuzz nation

G.O.A.T.
GrilledBurgers said:
This is a great response! I am actually thinking about buying a reel. I've heard it has similar playability to RPM with more comfort. Have you heard anything more in regards to how it compares with RPM? I normally play with a full bed of RPM 17 and loved that other than it being slightly stiff, I'm not sure whether to go up to the 17L or down to the 16L.
Click to expand...

RPM 17 is listed as a 1.25mm string, so I'd say go with the same 1.25mm Baseline, which they call 16L ga. By the way, make sure you keep an eye out for that as you look over different strings. One company's 17 ga. might be 16L for another, but you'll get it right if you check the actual measured width of the string. The individual pages for different products at TW typically include both numbers.

The Baseline 17L is rather skinny at 1.20mm, but there's apparently much less harshness among polys that are lighter gauges like this one. I'd only recommend using Baseline 17L in a hybrid, just because it probably wouldn't have very good service life in a full bed. Even if it doesn't snap on you in a hurry, it would probably be prone to "going dead" rather drastically. But when combined with a syn. gut or a multifiber cross in a hybrid, that layout can retain more resilience for more hours before it needs to be replaced.

While Isospeed Baseline isn't terribly exotic stuff in the poly world, it has delivered extremely good bang for the buck among the locals players I know who use it. I've also seen RPM as a factor in so many locals of all levels who have run into arm troubles that I'm convinced that this string is overpriced garbage.
 
1HBHfanatic

1HBHfanatic

Legend
GrilledBurgers said:
......, I'm not sure whether to go up to the 17L or down to the 16L.
Click to expand...
-look closer at the "mm" sizes
-i wanted 1.25mm and got that one, i believe isospeed call it 16L (baseline long life)??!! hate it when companies do that
-anyway, as others have said, it is a comfort shaped poly, a bit roundish like babo.rpm
-in regards to comfort, as others have said its in betten isospeed cream and babolat.rpm
-good stuff for its price!!
 
esgee48

esgee48

G.O.A.T.
@fuzz nation, RPM Blast and Lux ALU are in that category of 'good for a max of 4 hours.' After that span, they really suck as feel and control goes on vacation. 17 Ga 1.25mm leaves even earlier.
 
1HBHfanatic

1HBHfanatic

Legend
Happi said:
Isospeed Baseline is a round poly just like Head Sonic Pro
Click to expand...
-yeah i think you are right on this one, i just took another closer look at it :oops:
-it does look and feel round; i stand corrected!! :giggle:
-and yes also (as pointed above), it does look very, very , very close to h.sonic.pro (black) :unsure:
-good catch!!, i like this string
-it was a pleasant surprise when i finally got to try it this year
 
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euchoulis

euchoulis

New User
Its a soft polyester with long lasting characteristics. 1.25 mm played well at 22kg on a prince warrior for more than 12 hours till it broke . Really good value for money for good string .
I used to play with sonic pro and I believe that the isospeed is a bit softer.
 
I

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
GrilledBurgers said:
Has anyone used this string (or its other gauges)? What has your experience been? How would you compare the stiffness of the string compared to other strings? TWU doesn't have any info on this string it seems like.

ISOSPEED Baseline Speed 16L/1.25 String Reel - 660' | Tennis Warehouse

www.tennis-warehouse.com www.tennis-warehouse.com
Click to expand...

I bought a reel of Baseline Spin (17 gauge/1.20) for use as a budget poly primarily to string up in vintage racquets that I would still occasionally use. I also did try it once in my regular racquet around the time I was testing 1.15 PolyTour Pro. Baseline spin is a relatively soft poly that seems to have moderate to slightly greater than moderate tension loss, but it's a low launch angle, low spin capability string compared to other higher end round poly strings.

In the vintage racquets I've strung up, which include an Arthur Ashe Comp 1, a Graphite Edge, and a Kramer woodie, all strung in the 30's, it provides fairly similar feedback to a tight set of synthetic gut but with more grip on the ball so it's an easier transition for a poly player with a modern racquet.
 
BlueB

BlueB

Legend
Yes, but not too much. Spin becomes a bit less and launch angle goes a bit higher. Enough for few balls to go long.
But it's cheap enough, just resting when you don't like it anymore.
 
D

diegoeste

Rookie
BlueB said:
Yes, but not too much. Spin becomes a bit less and launch angle goes a bit higher. Enough for few balls to go long.
But it's cheap enough, just resting when you don't like it anymore.
Click to expand...
Thanks! good to know, I like Cyclone but when goes dead is umplayable, balls really fly everywhere and this seems to be a good value option.
 
Tennisist

Tennisist

Professional
Isospeed Baseline is a soft poly, with all the consequences that follow: it is springy, it launches the ball, it loses tension fast. As it ages, it becomes looser/softer, it moves, and it is also not durable.
As a main string, I would not recommend it.
However, it has its purpose: it is one of the best strings to use as a cross. In the crosses, it provides the stiffness just above a multi or syn gut, but it lasts 5-10x longer than those. All other polys tend to stiffen up the string bed quite a bit. Multis provide a great feel but wear out way too fast for me (2 days). Isospeed is a great middle ground.

RPM Blast is on the opposite end of the spectrum: it is a stiff string, it has one of the strongest "bites" on the ball among polys. The spin it generates is not comparable to Isospeed. Not sure that the guy in the video is trying to convey. I suspect the PRM he got was fake, and so it played identical to Isospeed for him.

Gosen Polylon is also a firm string. Not quite as stiff a RPM, but not soft either. It is quite a distance away from Isospeed Baseline.
There are varieties like Polylon Comfort and Polylon SP, which are soft, but those are hard to find. Regular Polylon is firm.
 
D

diegoeste

Rookie
Tennisist said:
Isospeed Baseline is a soft poly, with all the consequences that follow: it is springy, it launches the ball, it loses tension fast. As it ages, it becomes looser/softer, it moves, and it is also not durable.
As a main string, I would not recommend it.
However, it has its purpose: it is one of the best strings to use as a cross. In the crosses, it provides the stiffness just above a multi or syn gut, but it lasts 5-10x longer than those. All other polys tend to stiffen up the string bed quite a bit. Multis provide a great feel but wear out way too fast for me (2 days). Isospeed is a great middle ground.

RPM Blast is on the opposite end of the spectrum: it is a stiff string, it has one of the strongest "bites" on the ball among polys. The spin it generates is not comparable to Isospeed. Not sure that the guy in the video is trying to convey. I suspect the PRM he got was fake, and so it played identical to Isospeed for him.

Gosen Polylon is also a firm string. Not quite as stiff a RPM, but not soft either. It is quite a distance away from Isospeed Baseline.
There are varieties like Polylon Comfort and Polylon SP, which are soft, but those are hard to find. Regular Polylon is firm.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your feedback!!! Seems that a good quality option would be Gosen Poly Professional if I want to go full poly but $25 more for a reel vs Baseline or other cheap options.
 
I

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
TennisLogic said:
Is this real? RPM Blast has the same characteristics as isospeed baseline?
Click to expand...

Nah. Baseline Spin feels and reacts like a budget poly. I wrote about it here.

Isospeed Baseline Speed - Stiffness? Reviews?

Has anyone used this string (or its other gauges)? What has your experience been? How would you compare the stiffness of the string compared to other strings? TWU doesn't have any info on this string it seems like...
tt.tennis-warehouse.com tt.tennis-warehouse.com
 
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