Liking the string best when it's about to break - anyone???

[Kokopelli]

I don't know how many here have the same feeling as me. Probably, not many.

I just love hitting with the string when it's about to break (the last 30-60 minutes). In general, for me, full-multi lasted about 10 hrs, kevlar-hybrid & poly-hybrid about 20 hrs, full poly about 30+ hrs. The stringbed in the last hour before breakage, feels softer, provides more spins, greater controls, fewer errors, and has greater pocketing effects. I just love it (especially the greater pocketing effects), and this has happened without fail to ALL the strings and string types that I had played with.

FYI, here are some of the strings that I had tried with the ProKennex 5g PSE (13.4oz strung)

Ashaway (kevlar & synthetic) - low 40's
Forten (kevlar & synthetic) - low 40's
Pro Supex Maxim (multi) - low to mid 50's
Technifibre NRG2 (multi) - low 50's
Weiss Cannon Explosiv (multi) - high 50's
Wilson Super Spin (syn) - low 50's
Unique Big Hitter Blue (poly) - mid 40's
Genesis Black Magic (poly) - low 50's
Genesis Typhoon (poly) - mid 50's
Gosen Polylon Confort (poly) - low 50's
Big Ace (poly) - high 40's to low 50's
Hybrid Blue Gear (poly) with synthetic - high 40's to mid 50's
Hybrid CyberFlash (poly) with synthetic - high 40's to mid 50's
Some old Babolat poly - high 20's as I was inspired by a low tension thread here (I'm not a fan of this low tension as the racquet vibrated like mad and I got no power from it)

So as you can see, in the last couple of years, I had tried a lot of strings and string types with the tension range mostly between 45 to 55lbs. And without fail, the best feelings AND results I got from the stringbed is in the last hour before the string breaks.

Anyone has the same experience? Or reason(s) for why?

 

[!<-_->!]

I know it's true for a lot of people for natural gut because that's when the string is the thinnest. Thus it provides the most feel at that point.

 

[Jonny S&V]

Yes, I always feel my best towards the end (around 5 hours) of the string's life. Cyberflash is one in particular that behaves this way.

 

[kiteboard]

That's due to the thinner string. Try ace 18g sometime, at 1.10mm, for feel. The problem is, if too loose, it will go long on you.

 

[Kokopelli]

Great points from everyone!

!<-_->! (I really like your username)
One time, a while back, I tried natural gut, and it's the greatest feeling I got from hitting the ball. It is as if the "entire" string-bed is the sweet spot. It felt as if the ball "stays on" the string-bed a lot longer. And this is the feeling that I've been trying to replicate with man-made strings. The closest I got to this is in the last hour before the string brakes (most with full-multi).

Jonny
It's good to know that you (DII - higher level than me) also feel this way. Very often on this board, I saw people writing that they have to cut the string after 5-10 hours because it's "dead" and no longer good.

Kiteboard
I prefer 16-gauge string because I want the longest string life possible (economic reasons). I do notice that the string thins down as time goes on. The thinner the string, the softer the feel, the bigger the sweet spot, and the greater the pocketing effects - all the qualities that I like!

 

[mikeler]

I'm with the OP. Those last 30 minutes before a string snaps are pure heaven for me.

 

[nvottennis]

My OP, any multi I've tried so far, including X-1 and livewire. I love the spin and control I get from all the frayed strings. It might just be a mental thing, but it's good enough for me

 

[Sephiroth_FFVII]

I think you guys like strings best when they are about to break because by then they have lost significant tension and are at a much lower tension.

I would try and string lower, at least 5 pounts, and see how the same string feels when its relatively new. I myself will never string above 46 pounds as 40-46 is my range now.

 

[JediMindTrick]

IMHO this means that you should string lower.

 

[Kokopelli]

IMHO this means that you should string lower.

Thanks to everyone for your inputs. For those who think that I should string lower, I found this to be NOT the case from my experience. Here is why:

I started playing in the mid 1980's into the early 1990's when my racquets were strung in the 60's. This tension might sound high today, but back then, this was the norm, especially in my circle. I had the same experience, best before the nylon/synthetic/kevlar string broke.

I stopped playing for ten years, and came back earlier this decade for a couple of years. Mid to high 50's tension seemed to be the norm, so I did that. Same experience, best before the synthetic/multi/kevlar/poly string broke.

I then stopped playing for about five years, and came back about 3.5 years ago. Started stringing in the mid 50's, still found the best feeling to be just before the string broke. Then went low 50's, same experience as before. Now, I'm in the mid to high 40's, same experience, best in the last 30-60 minutes.

Let me clarify even more, I'd hit with the string until it breaks. So with poly, it took me 30 hours of rallying. You must imagine that if poly started out at 45lbs, after 30+ hours, it's way below 45lbs.

I even strung one racquet at 28lbs with poly (inspired by a thread here). Didn't like the feeling, not until the last hour before breakage.

So if you recommend that I string at lower tension, this won't work for me, based on my experience.

 

[Kokopelli]

I think I might have found a solution as to why I like the string so much in the last hour before breakage.

IMO, because the string (not necessarily the softest), but it is STRETCHIEST during the last hour before breakage!!!

While using softer poly and stringing it at lower tension, do provide a softer stringbed -> the string is still NOT stretchy enough UNTIL the end before it snaps.

This makes sense to me now, because I had hit with natural guts, strung in the low 60's, and absolutely loved it. This is because gut is very stretchy. So when the ball hits the stringbed, the gut string stretches out and pocket/absorb/hold on to the ball, thus giving me the sensation of the ball sticking to the stringbed for a longer period of time. This is the feeling I've been after with man-made string. And the closest I got with poly is in the last hour before breakage.

Case in point, right now, I'm hitting with PolyStar Energy. No doubt, it's a soft poly, and at 52lbs, it's a soft stringbed. However, the string doesn't seem to pocket, grab-on or absorb the ball because while it is soft, it is NOT stretchy enough.

So I guess what I'm after is a poly with high stretchiness/elasticity.

 

[jxs653]

I don't have much experience with strings, but I have different experience from the OP. Currently I have been strining my racquet with Pro Hurricane Tour (main) and Fibergel Spin (cross) and after certain hours of play I find the playability drops so fast. The string feels dull all of sudden after certain point and the change is so dramatic that I get puzzled if it is the same string. Obviously with my current string set-up, I like the feel the best when the string is the most fresh. So maybe isn't it dependent on which string you use?

 

[pvaudio]

NRG2 before it snaps is the greatest experience in the world:

 

[mikeler]

^^^

Wow, that is some serious fraying!

 

[pvaudio]

Yeah, and that's NRG on NRG. Put a textured poly main and it looks like pillow stuffing :lol:

 

[athiker]

In my Ki5 I still have some X-1 that has been in there quite a while...pretty frayed now...plays much better than early on. I've rotated over to a C10 Pro most days now, but just hit a bit with the Ki5 yesterday and still feels good.

 

[pvaudio]

In my Ki5 I still have some X-1 that has been in there quite a while...pretty frayed now...plays much better than early on. I've rotated over to a C10 Pro most days now, but just hit a bit with the Ki5 yesterday and still feels good.

Ohhhh man, even though I cannot stand X-1 (feels like a ****ed up version of NRG to me), because of its extra coating, you get even more fraying, so when you play it till breakage, it feels even better than NRG. Unfortunately, it's not worth putting in the racquet in the first place IMO :lol:

 

[athiker]

Yeah, I'll never string with it again. I hated it for quite a while after stringing it up...too long...before it became playable. I like it fine now, but wouldn't go through that again.

 

[Kokopelli]

NRG2 before it snaps is the greatest experience in the world:

NRG2 is my favorite string from the all the ones that I'd listed in my first post. I don't mind that it moves around or frays like crazy. Great stuff, but expensive and doesn't last long enough for me.

 

[BagelMe]

I think that the strings are best after you break them in a bit. I usually don't use my racket right after I string it. Instead I let it sit around for a day or two so that the string tension settles and stuff.

 

[ReopeningWed]

Yes, I always feel my best towards the end (around 5 hours) of the string's life. Cyberflash is one in particular that behaves this way.

I noticed this with Cyberflash too. There's so much ball pocketing, the only way I can describe how it feels is plush. Makes me wonder how anyone can ever have tennis elbow or arm problems with Cyberflash.

 

[downdaline]

Totally agree to this.

Many times I've been hitting with pure joy, and im thinking "Wow, this stick feels AWESOME toda-"

*SNAP*!!

 

[kcmiser]

Interesting topic.

My personal view is that racquets are subjective, but strings are super-subjective.

For polys or poly hybrids, I can't imagine preferring the old, trashed stringbed to a fresh one (minus the break-in time). I play a poly/syn' gut hybrid, and when the mains are moving around and the crosses are thin, it feels like the ball trampolines more, and I'm far less in control. With something fresh, I can go after it, and it rewards my good swings, when I really accelerate through the ball. An older string job just flies when I do the same.

I have to think that those who prefer the old stringbed just really like when the ball pockets on the strings. I would think that a newer stringbed at lower tension would give similar pocketing while increasing responsiveness. Reading the comments in this thread, this appears not to be the case.

I absolutely respect the opinions of those who prefer the heavily played stringjob. I wish I could give them a trashed stringjob of mine, and a fresh one, and ask them "you really like the old one better?" Maybe something about my stringjob versus their usual one just plays better fresh, and they wouldn't like a well played version of my stringjob any better than I do. I have no idea, but if I had to guess, I would think that it's not that certain people like playing old stringjobs, but that certain people like certain stringjobs that happen to play better after being hit quite a bit. That is, they like their stringjob after being hit for several hours, but they would agree that mine sucks after four or five times out.