Kevlar/Syn--same tension?

[Steve Huff]

For those of you who use or have tried using a Kevlar/Syn hybrid (like Pro Blend), did you string your crosses (synthetic) at the same tension you strung your mains (kevlar)?

 

[esgee48]

My notes say the clients asked for same tension. None asked for a differential. However, I did pull the Kevlar with prestretch and let it pull for at least 10 seconds. The SG cross was pulled with no prestretch. I no longer have any clients that use this setup as they have all moved away or moved to different setups such as FB poly.

 

[Steve Huff]

A guy gave me a Pure Drive. I had strung Volkl Cyclone 15L (as he wanted more durability). He gave me his racket with the instructions, "I still need more durability, but need some spin too. These (Cyclone) seem too slippery". It was strung at 55#. I have decided on trying Ashaway Kevlar 16/Gosen OGM 16 at 48/50# cp. I may try the prestretch mode for the Kevlar. Don't want to hurt his arm though.

 

[Trip]

@Steve Huff - i don't think you'll hurt his arm with a setup like that. Not even close. Remember, Ashaway Kevlar is not your dad's arm-killing kevlar from the 90's. It's textile-grade (instead of industrial grade) and french-braided without bonding, so it will string up seemingly tight, then slack out to a safe comfort margin, often before the first hitting session, but definitely by the end of it. I know this may seem extreme, but I and many other TT'ers have routinely strung up Ash Kev at 70+ (with ZX crosses around 60) and had it feel just about as comfy as a bed of snug syn gut. And syn gut itself, of course, typically won't harm anyone even at 60 pounds, let alone 50.

All of that said, I think the main challenge will be the longevity of the syn gut; I forsee the kevlar sawing through it perhaps even faster than it's taking Cyclone 15L to snap or die. If you didn't mind the manual prestretching and delicate handling, you might take a look at the Ashaway Kev 16 / MonoGut ZX hybrid -- very durable yet comforfable, and if it's properly pre-stretched enough, it can remain quite playable well north of 50 hours (if the kevlar doesn't saw in half on the Zyex first).

 

[graycrait]

@Steve Huff , I've been stringing Ash Kev for some time and have strung it for a D1 female player for a season using Ash Kev x ZX and for a 5.0 USTA player. The 5.0 18 yr old uses Pure Drives as well. He knew I strung rackets occasionally and came by one day after work to discuss his "string" problem. He was going through 16g poly so fast he said it was killing his wallet and he played averaging 4x/week. He said he tried 15L poly once but hated it. I strung one of his PDs with Ash Kev x ZX on my NEOS with Wise using the prestretch function at 62/58. I didn't see him for quite some time. He contacted me and said it took him about an hour to really get used to it but after a few sessions he was amazed and that it held tension so well after breaking in. He brought over a couple more PDs to be strung, picked them up and then got reassigned to a new military base. End of story.

I did have a friend who cannot play tennis any longer, too many injuries from military parachute jumping, who loved Ash Kev x Syn Gut because it locked up. I tried to get him to try ZX crosses but he liked the locked string bed on his weighted up Ti6s. Ash Kev x ZX never locks up.

I cannot play Ash Kev in the mains strung up less than my normal ref tensions of: 98-100" 62/59, 101-107" 65/59 and 110+ 68/59. I'm pretty sure 24hrs off the stringer and about 2 hrs on the court and the string settles into its long haul till the Ash Kev breaks against the ZX at somewhere around 50lbs. I tried to make sense out of the apps Tennis Tension and Racquet Tune but Ash Kev doesn't really ping like other strings. I also think Ash Kev absorbs vibrations, but some think Ash Kev x ZX makes a funky sound which I agree with so I use a rubber band dampener. I cut the ends off the knotted rubber band because the "floppy" ends bug me.

 

[Steve Huff]

Thanks guys. I'm going to stay low in tension this 1st time, see how he likes it. If he has control problems, but likes the feel, I'll string it again tighter, maybe even order some ZX to put in the crosses, although I think that would get him out of his price zone. Maybe some soft poly in the crosses like Sonic Pro. Thanks again.

 

[graycrait]

@Steve Huff , TW sells half sets of Ash Kev. Otherwise you have to buy a short or full reel.

https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/se...&opt_perpage=20&opt_sort=relevance&opt_page=1

 

[Steve Huff]

@Steve Huff , TW sells half sets of Ash Kev. Otherwise you have to buy a short or full reel.

https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/search-tennis.html?searchtext=1/2 sets&opt_perpage=20&opt_sort=relevance&opt_page=1

I already have a couple of reels. I used it to string a "spaghetti" string job for a guy a while back. It was a Zus racket. Turned out great. If I knew how to post pictures, I would.