Looking for 18/17L gauge spin friendly poly to be strung in the 60's

[Sander001]

...and which has a lengthy playability life!
Hi everybody
I've recently gone on a string bender and looking for insight to what strings would be good for me. I am a hard hitter who's always looking for more spin and must have thin 18ish gauge strings for the feel. I like a tight stringbed and so I don't know if a lot of the researching I've done is useful because most people are string much looser these days.
My usual string is Kirschbaum Competition 1.20 but 5yrs is a long time and I am very curious as to what else is out there, especially in the shaped string dept.

On the way are:

Pacific X Force 18 String
Kirschbaum Spiky Shark 17(1.25)
Signum Pro Tornado 18(1.17)
KLIP K-Boom 18 String
Gosen Polymaster II 16
Kirschbaum Helix 18(1.20)
Tourna Poly Big Hitter Black 7 17
Volkl Cyclone 18
Solinco Tour Bite 17(1.20)
Solinco Tour Bite 18(1.15)
Kirschbaum Pro Line II 17L(1.20)
Tecnifibre Black Code 18
Gamma Zo Black Ice 18

So what can I expect? Which ones will I love? Hate? Anything string that should've been added to the list?
Besides spin, what's the difference between regular strings and shaped?
Thanks anybody

 

[GarryClarke]

should have read the thread title first oooooops

 

[seekay]

That's a pretty good list to start with (BHB7 and Tour Bite are my favorites, and you've already got them).

I did want to add that a lot of the softer polys that are in vogue right now come with manufacturer recommendations not to string them above 52 or 53 pounds. A lower tension might be worth trying, especially with the strings that specifically recommend it.

I personally like stringing the RDS-001 (90) right at 50lb with poly, but to each his own.

 

[kiteboard]

tour bite 18g mains and cyclone 18g crosses.

 

[cluckcluck]

You should look at either L-Tec 3S or 5S, both incredibly soft and have a better lifespan than a lot of strings on the market.

 

[Sander001]

^I'll look into them, may order them when/if I order some Weiscannon spin strings. They seem very expensive, nearly $20 for a set? I'll go for them if they're worth it.

tour bite 18g mains and cyclone 18g crosses.

I don't know?

I did want to add that a lot of the softer polys that are in vogue right now come with manufacturer recommendations not to string them above 52 or 53 pounds. A lower tension might be worth trying, especially with the strings that specifically recommend it.

Yeah, that's my worry. I see all these glowing opinions but they're always string loosely so I might really dislike them when I string tightly. I may try low tension again, which strings recommend it? Does it say on the package?

 

[Danstevens]

I haven't played with all of the strings on your list but I would definitely rule Spiky Shark out. I would argue that it's too stiff for you to be stringing that tight and getting optimal performance out of it. I don't think it really does that well in the longevity stakes either. It's a good string but probably not for you.

Tour Bite is another string I enjoyed using (although not quite enough to make the switch). It has the spin and feel you're looking for but I don't consider it to have a particularly long lifespan either. How long are you hoping they'll last before breaking/dying?

 

[Jonny S&V]

Why 60+ lbs?

 

[Sander001]

60lbs is just what I'm used to. I need that solid feel and I just don't like too much give on my stringbed. But maybe I'll try some lower tensions since I'm getting these strings.

I haven't played with all of the strings on your list but I would definitely rule Spiky Shark out. I would argue that it's too stiff for you to be stringing that tight and getting optimal performance out of it. I don't think it really does that well in the longevity stakes either. It's a good string but probably not for you.

Tour Bite is another string I enjoyed using (although not quite enough to make the switch). It has the spin and feel you're looking for but I don't consider it to have a particularly long lifespan either. How long are you hoping they'll last before breaking/dying?

Yeah I was afraid of the Sharky, it's a bit thicker than I like and its stiffness rating is deathly high but I read some reviews and have to see it for myself. I might put it in my 002Tour or try a really low tension to see what happens.

I'm thinking about adding more to the list such as Yonex Poly Tour Pro 16L 125, some Weiscannon shaped strings, and MSV Focus Hex 17L(heard the soft version is good too).

Can anybody else suggest any more hybrids I might try?