SCRAP IRON
Professional
Hey big guy- I have a few sets of the black Iontec strings that I have not used yet. Would you describe them as medium powered? I would imagine that they have less spin potential than let's say "Black Widow."
Mikeler's Polys
- Thread starter mikeler
- Start date
mikeler
Moderator
I would say they are medium powered in general but have more pop than most other polys. I've tried Black Widow as a main string a few rackets ago and the spin was too good, everything was dropping short.
mikeler
Moderator
Signum Pro Poly Plasma 1.33mm
This was not a fun one to string. It had a lot of coil memory and wanted to kink a lot. The string always seemed to find something on my machine to wrap around.
Tension it is strung: 50# on a lockout
Your regular string set up: Discho Iontec 16 @ 60#
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 16 (Prince Tour 100T ESP)
Power (or lack there of): Medium powered
Feel: Not great but it is full poly
Tension maintenance: It dropped almost 20% after about 4 hours of play.
Price: $8.95/set
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: This is a classic poly that was just pretty average. I read about it being prone to shear shanks so I tried a lower tension than I normally use.
Serve/Return of Serve: Nothing special. This is not a bad string but just seems rather average in almost all respects.
Strokes: Really average here, nothing stood out.
Volleys: Nothing special here either. Sorry, I want to say more.
Touch shots: My drop shots are not very effective with most full poly setups and again this string is not an exception to the rule.
Softness: I thought it would be nice and soft at 50# but I did find some minor soreness after 1 hitting session.
Tension: 50# was too low. I should have risked the shear shank and stayed up at 60#.
Durability: I was about 4 sets of singles in when I decided that this string did not excite me enough to play with it anymore. The worst worn areas were only halfway notched so I bet I could have gotten another 4 hours out of it. The lower tension definitely helps with durability.
Movement: Lots of string movement. This frame seems to be heavily dependent on snap back for spin. The higher tensioned polys stay in place much better.
Color: I really wanted this one to work. The orange string looked wonderful in the Plushy Pumpkin.
Conclusion: This string has been around a while and definitely has a following. I installed it at the wrong tension but I'm not sure it would have been a whole lot better except maybe the spin had I strung it higher. It's just not for me.
This was not a fun one to string. It had a lot of coil memory and wanted to kink a lot. The string always seemed to find something on my machine to wrap around.
Tension it is strung: 50# on a lockout
Your regular string set up: Discho Iontec 16 @ 60#
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 16 (Prince Tour 100T ESP)
Power (or lack there of): Medium powered
Feel: Not great but it is full poly
Tension maintenance: It dropped almost 20% after about 4 hours of play.
Price: $8.95/set
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: This is a classic poly that was just pretty average. I read about it being prone to shear shanks so I tried a lower tension than I normally use.
Serve/Return of Serve: Nothing special. This is not a bad string but just seems rather average in almost all respects.
Strokes: Really average here, nothing stood out.
Volleys: Nothing special here either. Sorry, I want to say more.
Touch shots: My drop shots are not very effective with most full poly setups and again this string is not an exception to the rule.
Softness: I thought it would be nice and soft at 50# but I did find some minor soreness after 1 hitting session.
Tension: 50# was too low. I should have risked the shear shank and stayed up at 60#.
Durability: I was about 4 sets of singles in when I decided that this string did not excite me enough to play with it anymore. The worst worn areas were only halfway notched so I bet I could have gotten another 4 hours out of it. The lower tension definitely helps with durability.
Movement: Lots of string movement. This frame seems to be heavily dependent on snap back for spin. The higher tensioned polys stay in place much better.
Color: I really wanted this one to work. The orange string looked wonderful in the Plushy Pumpkin.
Conclusion: This string has been around a while and definitely has a following. I installed it at the wrong tension but I'm not sure it would have been a whole lot better except maybe the spin had I strung it higher. It's just not for me.
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As you noticed 50lbs is way too much low for testing on the 100t ESP. Snap back could be much higher on 60lbs.
mikeler
Moderator
I know but I thought I'd give it another try. I've got some tubing in the mail that will be here tomorrow. I'll try that with the Iontec to see if I can keep it from breaking at the top of the frame.
bad_call
Legend
^posted review of Prince Tour XC hybrid.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showpost.php?p=8134113&postcount=29
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showpost.php?p=8134113&postcount=29
mikeler
Moderator
Volkl Cyclone 1.30mm
This one is a textured poly and was easy to install with the exception of weaving the crosses which is never fun with a shaped poly.
Tension it is strung: 60# on a lockout
Your regular string set up: Discho Iontec 16 @ 60#
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 16 (Prince Tour 100T ESP)
Power (or lack there of): Medium powered
Feel: Better than most polys
Tension maintenance: I had 1 measurement after playing 5 sets and it dropped 16%.
Price: $8.99/set
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: This string reminds me of a thicker version of Weiss Cannon Black 5 Edge which is a good thing.
Serve/Return of Serve: Serves had good pop and pretty good spin. I was able to be aggressive on returns and put a lot of balls back in the court.
Strokes: I felt very confident hitting out on the ball with this setup. Definitely one of my favorite polys.
Volleys: About average.
Touch shots: My drop shots were decent, better than most polys but nothing spectacular.
Softness: This felt pretty soft on the arm.
Tension: 60# played great.
Durability: I broke it after about 5 sets of singles. These shaped strings really bite into each other in this frame. I tried it again in September 2015 which is still summer in Florida. The durability was twice as long in the warmer weather.
Movement: Some string movement but nothing too bad.
Color: This is another in a long line of black strings that bleed lines onto the ball.
Conclusion: This is one of my favorite polys and the price is reasonable. If you are looking at the sub $10 poly class, this one is right there at the top. It does not have quite the spin of Discho Iontec which is why I'm still giving my top spot to Iontec.
This one is a textured poly and was easy to install with the exception of weaving the crosses which is never fun with a shaped poly.
Tension it is strung: 60# on a lockout
Your regular string set up: Discho Iontec 16 @ 60#
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 16 (Prince Tour 100T ESP)
Power (or lack there of): Medium powered
Feel: Better than most polys
Tension maintenance: I had 1 measurement after playing 5 sets and it dropped 16%.
Price: $8.99/set
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: This string reminds me of a thicker version of Weiss Cannon Black 5 Edge which is a good thing.
Serve/Return of Serve: Serves had good pop and pretty good spin. I was able to be aggressive on returns and put a lot of balls back in the court.
Strokes: I felt very confident hitting out on the ball with this setup. Definitely one of my favorite polys.
Volleys: About average.
Touch shots: My drop shots were decent, better than most polys but nothing spectacular.
Softness: This felt pretty soft on the arm.
Tension: 60# played great.
Durability: I broke it after about 5 sets of singles. These shaped strings really bite into each other in this frame. I tried it again in September 2015 which is still summer in Florida. The durability was twice as long in the warmer weather.
Movement: Some string movement but nothing too bad.
Color: This is another in a long line of black strings that bleed lines onto the ball.
Conclusion: This is one of my favorite polys and the price is reasonable. If you are looking at the sub $10 poly class, this one is right there at the top. It does not have quite the spin of Discho Iontec which is why I'm still giving my top spot to Iontec.
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SCRAP IRON
Professional
If I am understanding you correctly Mikeler, you are stating that the round Discho Iontec poly generates more spin than the shaped Cyclone poly?
Thanks as always for your input.
Thanks as always for your input.
djNEiGht
Legend
I would venture that in Mikelers current frame it might be the case. Very open pattern.
bad_call
Legend
which could also be contributing to string breakage.
mikeler
Moderator
If you trust RacquetTune, tension maintenance was pretty good but the string broke in a much shorter period than is acceptable for most players in my frame.
Correct. This is the only frame where spin production is better with round slippery strings. Some of the spin serves I hit with the Discho get that nice oblong shape before they hit and really jump off the court.
I think it is probably the case for all open patterns because the strings have such a large distance to snap back.
The open pattern definitely contributes to string breakage. Fortunately, I like stringing and playing with fresh strings.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Wrong thread but did you try the Tour 98 ESP?
bad_call
Legend
mikeler
Moderator
I tried that one and the Warrior ESP for about 5 minutes each. The Tour 98 is weighted just like the Rebel 98 and I don't care for the weight distribution. It seems too sluggish for the weight. The Warrior ESP is very light. Sure you could add weight but with 14 main strings, I might be restringing after each match!
Cyclone in the mains with Iontec crosses could be interesting. Not saying I'll try it...but I'm not saying I won't either.
Only 1 guy sells it in the USA and the price for the reel has not changed for a long time so I'm not quite sure what you are talking about.
I did string up the Iontec tonight with Teflon tubing where I broke the last 2 setups. I've got to be more careful next time not blocking the top cross holes and the main tie-off holes. Once that tubing is there it is tough to get a string by it.
bad_call
Legend
ad shows markdown from $12.49 to $6.99 for single set, $124.99 to $69.99 for reel. the markdown could be a marketing gimmick if it's been there a good while.
hope tubing does the trick...couldn't hurt.
mikeler
Moderator
Mikeler, no plan to try pro's pro intense heat?if it got positive review on a 105 16x15, lasting 10 hours (!!) it should work like a charm on our 100 16x16.
I'm considering of buying a reel, but I have just bought 5 reels of discho, so...
I just broke into my Iontec reel so I'm not buying any other strings for awhile...I think.
The tubing worked great today at the top of the frame. This time it broke at the bottom of the frame in the 2nd set. ARGH! Just restrung it 10 pounds lower. Will hopefully get another shot with it tomorrow if the rain holds off.
DrewRafter8
Professional
I've used Black Shark 17. It was great the first hitting session although it was stiff. Spin and control were great, but it did not play well for very long. Tension drop was drastic and it was unplayable after hitting with it twice.
DrewRafter8
Professional
Full black shark.
mikeler
Moderator
Check post #1 of this thread for a link to my review of black shark.
Thank you, but I'm mainly looking for hybrid information. I have a prestige classic, and I'm trying to obtain more spin (I've been using full spiky shark 17). Right now someone is stringing it with CoF 18 in the crosses and spiky shark in the mains. I'm trying to resist going to the gut/poly setup, but if I can't get more spin out of some non-gut combination then I'll have to... or, god forbid, change racquets. I'm currently stringing around 48 main 46 cross; if Spiky Shark and CoF don't work then I'll start lowering tension too.
PS I'm also skeptical of trying ESP; after all, the recommended tension range is just 10 pounds.
PS I'm also skeptical of trying ESP; after all, the recommended tension range is just 10 pounds.
BlueB
Legend
Hi Mikeler, try the X-code with a smooth monofilament poly crosses at much lower tension. I like it with Prince Tournament Poly or Tourna BHS. You'll get more spin, more controll and more life span.
mikeler
Moderator
I don't put much stock into recommended tension ranges.
If I can't get full bed Iontec to stop breaking at the frame then I'll use it as a cross string and choose another main string.
Tried hybrid tour bite 16 mains / iontec 1.30 crosses at 60/64lbs. Better than full iontec for me, less mushy feeling, after 3hours of play the mains are half notched.it will break in a few hours. I still prefer full bed of tour bite 16, but this hybrid let me string for 3.90€ instead of 6€ ;-) and when you restring every 4 hours, even small quantities matter ;-) my objective is to reach 1eur/hour of string cost.
I've strung crosses with 4lbs more than mains just because iontec lose so much tension just after stringing, while tour bite seems to lose really little tension at all.
next time I'll lower both by 2lbs
I've strung crosses with 4lbs more than mains just because iontec lose so much tension just after stringing, while tour bite seems to lose really little tension at all.
next time I'll lower both by 2lbs
mikeler
Moderator
I'm just hoping I don't have to do every main string. If it is just the outer ones with grommets then that is not too bad.
IceNineTX
Semi-Pro
1st hit with Iontec tonight at 55#. It hit really well, but one backhand mishit off a hard return and...
I'll be sticking with xForce 18, I think.
1st hit with Iontec tonight at 55#. It hit really well, but one backhand mishit off a hard return and...
I'll be sticking with xForce 18, I think.
I don't understand why I'm the only one that use that string on that frame and not breaking it. And I still hit the ball on the upper side, shanking like any other amateur player, and I string it at 65lbs!
Maybe I have just been lucky.
Edit: from the pic it seems you have broken it inside the o-port curve. maybe it was already damaged by a sharp piece of plastic there?
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
had a feeling 50# in a super open pattern would be too low.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
quite plausible because one of my hitting partners used to shear strings a lot on frame shanks until i replaced the grommet strips on both his racquets. the inside of the old grommet strips didn't look worn when i inspected them but i replaced them because the bumpers were cracked and worn. after i replaced them, he has not yet snapped a string (iontec included) on a frame shank.
mikeler
Moderator
1st hit with Iontec tonight at 55#. It hit really well, but one backhand mishit off a hard return and...
I'll be sticking with xForce 18, I think.
That's not encouraging for me!
I forget, you are using both the 1.30mm and 1.35mm right? If you are only using the 1.35mm, then maybe that is the reason.
I'll give it one more shot tonight.
IceNineTX
Semi-Pro
I don't see anything sharp. I rarely break on mishits and I am no stranger to them. It may be a coincidence. This is 1.20mm. I always play 18g string if possible and can usually get quite a few hours of normal tennis out of them before I break a main in the middle. This broke within 30 minutes of hard rallying with a teaching pro while I was switching between the salmon, black, and my normal xforce setup.
I did like how it felt. It was not quite as good as xforce, but the price is appealing.
mikeler
Moderator
I'm going to start out just tubing the grommets and leaving the O-ports naked.
Wait wait wait. Did you just broke iontec 1.20mm on prince ESP?
If so, that's the problem. it is just impossible for a 1.20mm string on a 16x16 pattern to survive more than few minutes!
It is like playing with a 1.00mm string on a 16x19 frame...
The ball impact on a normal pattern frame is distributed over some string area. On a 16x16 pattern the string that get the impact have much lower area. The actual effect is that the single string, for example one main, receive much more force and much more damage per hit. That's why just after few hits the main strings are notched on ESP, and that's why the 1.20mm broke so easily.
Tour bite 16L, namely 1.25mm but 1.28mm in real, lasted 30 minutes to me when I tried it.
Tour bite 16, namely 1.30mm, 1.34mm real, last 6 hours (but retain good playability for 4 hours).
You should think about strings on that frame like being 2 gauge/0.20mm less than real. I mean, 1.30mm on 16x16 pattern is like 1.10mm on 16x19. 1.40mm is like 1.20, and so on, based on the evidence about durability and tension maintenance; tour bite 16 on tour 100t ESP had to me very similar durability&life than tour bite 18 on exo3 tour MP 16x18.
For Mikeler: even if I had 300meters of 1.35mm iontec, I've stopped using it just to fully experiment with 1.30.To understand if 1.30 is playable for me. So, I got 4 hours of playing with fullbed 1.30 iontec,at 65lbs, with no breaks!
And finally I found my tension nirvana for iontec, 65lbs(tried 60,too much mushy, and 70, too much harsh/low powered), but with really slow, slow, SLOW pulling with the dropweight machine. I had to remove a lot of stretch from this string, or even at 65lbs it will fast lose tension just after stringing. It is like a sort of gentle prestrech, let the string sit 15 second for each pull.
I tried even manual prestrech on iontec 1.30. It felt dead and it played really bad.
Another little advice: when I tried 1.35 (two times) it really seemed very similar to 1.30, as power, softness, tension stability. I think I will string it just 1 lb lower than 1.30, no more.
IceNineTX
Semi-Pro
It's the exo 16x18. Like I said, I am comparing this to other 18g. My go to string is xforce 18 which is 1.19. It has never done that.
If I hit on a ball machine, I'll get two or three hours normally. Regular play is maybe 8. The iontec snap may have been a fluke. I'll see how the black lasts.
Matchball
Semi-Pro
IceNineTX how does Xforce play? Which frames have you tried it on?
IceNineTX
Semi-Pro
Now, my wife uses the ESP with xforce and breaks it every 8-10 hours. That is a huge leap for her, switching from head instinct. She hits really hard though with lots of spin.
Thank goodness I string.
IceNineTX
Semi-Pro
I love it. For me, it's the spinniest poly(like) string with the crispy feel of a syn gut. We've tried it on the original head mg extreme, exo3 100, head instinct mp, tour 100t esp.
It's great on prince frames.
The only reason I tried iontec is that I'm at the end of a reel and seeing what's out there before buying another reel.
Mikeler, you should try it. I'm curious what you will think.
Matchball
Semi-Pro
Xforce is a low power string, right? I like the idea of something non-textured and low powered. I have ordered a set in 1.24 gauge for my new Yonex frames (whenever I get them)
IceNineTX
Semi-Pro
I suppose it's low powered compared to a multi. I find it pretty snappy though compared to say alu rough. But honestly, I don't know. I just know I like it.
Sorry, my bad!
From your and mikeler tests it seems that iontec is really fragile. maybe that's because it is so soft and not poly-like.
