travlerajm
Talk Tennis Guru
My regular string setup in my leaded up NXG OS frames is Kevlar hybrid (Ashaway Crossfire II) at 67 lbs.
I decided to experiment with Ashaway Kevlar mains and Polygut 16 crosses at 50 lbs. I was amazed to find that this setup improved every aspect of my game. I'm very impressed.
The stringbed is extemely stiff. This setup at 50 lbs feels slightly stiffer than my old setup at 67 lbs. The high stiffness really pays dividends on the volleys. The stiff stringbed feels like a paddle at the net - I got the type of directional accuracy that I had only experienced before with supertight stringbeds. The NXG is a frame that is good for spin, returns, and passing shots, but is normally a little too flexible to shine at the net. But this stiff stringbed makes it play more like a crisp leaded-up tweener at net.
Unlike a supertight stringbed, which cuts down on spin potential, the low tension Kevlar/Poly hybrid gave me excellent spin on groundies and serve - in fact, I had more bite than with any other string setup I have ever tried.
Power level was similar to the Kevlar/syn gut hybrid at 67 lbs that I was using before, but the increased bite gave more more control to harness the power.
My serve benefited from both the stiff stringbed (which improved directional accuracy) and the extra bite, which made my serves naturally dive downward into the box. Serving was never the NXG's stringpoint, but this stringbed really made me feel precise like I never had before with this frame.
This is not a complete review because I have only had one day of hitting. I'm hopeful that this string setup will maintain its playability for a while as I continue to play with it.
In short, if you are looking for a string that maximizes control, bite, and precision, and you are ok with the dead feel of Kevlar, this might be a good option. The fact that I use a heavily leaded frame (12.5 oz. and 365 SW) should be noted, as a stringbed this stiff might be too jarring and low powered to use in a lighter frame. This setup is a player's setup that benefits big hitters and serve-and-volleyers.
I wouldn't be surprised to see some ATP pros use this type of setup, because it really does give you an advantage - the spin benefit of low tension poly combined with the directional accuracy of a superstiff stringbed.
I decided to experiment with Ashaway Kevlar mains and Polygut 16 crosses at 50 lbs. I was amazed to find that this setup improved every aspect of my game. I'm very impressed.
The stringbed is extemely stiff. This setup at 50 lbs feels slightly stiffer than my old setup at 67 lbs. The high stiffness really pays dividends on the volleys. The stiff stringbed feels like a paddle at the net - I got the type of directional accuracy that I had only experienced before with supertight stringbeds. The NXG is a frame that is good for spin, returns, and passing shots, but is normally a little too flexible to shine at the net. But this stiff stringbed makes it play more like a crisp leaded-up tweener at net.
Unlike a supertight stringbed, which cuts down on spin potential, the low tension Kevlar/Poly hybrid gave me excellent spin on groundies and serve - in fact, I had more bite than with any other string setup I have ever tried.
Power level was similar to the Kevlar/syn gut hybrid at 67 lbs that I was using before, but the increased bite gave more more control to harness the power.
My serve benefited from both the stiff stringbed (which improved directional accuracy) and the extra bite, which made my serves naturally dive downward into the box. Serving was never the NXG's stringpoint, but this stringbed really made me feel precise like I never had before with this frame.
This is not a complete review because I have only had one day of hitting. I'm hopeful that this string setup will maintain its playability for a while as I continue to play with it.
In short, if you are looking for a string that maximizes control, bite, and precision, and you are ok with the dead feel of Kevlar, this might be a good option. The fact that I use a heavily leaded frame (12.5 oz. and 365 SW) should be noted, as a stringbed this stiff might be too jarring and low powered to use in a lighter frame. This setup is a player's setup that benefits big hitters and serve-and-volleyers.
I wouldn't be surprised to see some ATP pros use this type of setup, because it really does give you an advantage - the spin benefit of low tension poly combined with the directional accuracy of a superstiff stringbed.
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