Mikeler's Polys

SpinToWin said:
This. Boy, if it plays like an RS Lyon at its price I’m sold. RS Lyon got even more expensive though and now it’s really not worth it :( (hence I’m using YPTP, but I miss a crisper feel)

Planning to test the Tier One strings in March... seriously annoying that I don’t have much time before then...
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If I get to them before then will definitely let you know on my thoughts. I'll be traveling next few months too, not much time for tennis :(
 
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I have a question on poly in general but more specifically tour bite. now I noticed that in very hot weather like 95-98 degrees outside, poly seem to go dead quicker. my Tourbite only had like 5 hours of play in it and I took It out for one more play in Hot weather and it felt dead already. power and control noticeably decreased at 6 hour mark in hot weather. Is this Normal for polys ?
 
Hop said:
I've used a reel of Weiss CANNON Scorpion 1.22/Genesis Thunder Blast 47/51 (electronic string machine) strung on my Tecnifibre Tfight 315 LTD 16/19. Now when it's almost finished I ordered several American strings.

I'll be receiving Tier One Firewire Boost Hybrid 17g (1.25mm/1.25mm), Tier One Black Knight 17g (1.23) and Ytex Square X 16L.

Please suggest what tension should I use for full bed of these poly strings. I'll also try the Black Knight in a hybrid with multi in the crosses.
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We suggest stringing our polys with the same tension as you would string other polys. For the hybrid setup we suggest to string the multi about 3-4 lbs higher than the poly.

Although black knight is a very soft poly it offers more control than FireWire.

In general we believe our polys perform best between 48-52 lbs.
 
Thanks for the advice. Since I think I'm a good player I'll go for 48/48 with both Black Knight and FireWire Boost Hybrid.

TierOneSportsOfficial said:
We suggest stringing our polys with the same tension as you would string other polys. For the hybrid setup we suggest to string the multi about 3-4 lbs higher than the poly.

Although black knight is a very soft poly it offers more control than FireWire.

In general we believe our polys perform best between 48-52 lbs.
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TierOneSportsOfficial said:
We suggest stringing our polys with the same tension as you would string other polys. For the hybrid setup we suggest to string the multi about 3-4 lbs higher than the poly.

Although black knight is a very soft poly it offers more control than FireWire.

In general we believe our polys perform best between 48-52 lbs.
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Kudos on Black Knight, amazing string, made the switch recently :)

Will hopefully have some time to write up my review soon.
 
Did a bit of research on the Tier One Firewire, particularly on the tension maintenance department, and it seems to be on par, if not better, than the 4G strings at least according to 2014 tennis industry mag website.

I'm currently playing with Genesis Typhoon which has been playing well for me, and after 6 hours I'm definitely starting to notice the tension drop so I imagine 7-9 hours would be the window where I'd cut it out.

So if we take something like Firewire which seem to have even better tension maintenance, how might that translate into real time hours? (and poly tension loss % in general if I'm comparing data) Let's say if a string looks to have roughly 5% less tension loss, in general how much extended playability time are we looking at with tension maintenance? An hour or two? Or more/less?
 
tomato123 said:
Did a bit of research on the Tier One Firewire, particularly on the tension maintenance department, and it seems to be on par, if not better, than the 4G strings at least according to 2014 tennis industry mag website.

I'm currently playing with Genesis Typhoon which has been playing well for me, and after 6 hours I'm definitely starting to notice the tension drop so I imagine 7-9 hours would be the window where I'd cut it out.

So if we take something like Firewire which seem to have even better tension maintenance, how might that translate into real time hours? (and poly tension loss % in general if I'm comparing data) Let's say if a string looks to have roughly 5% less tension loss, in general how much extended playability time are we looking at with tension maintenance? An hour or two? Or more/less?
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If it plays well for me over a wide tension range then I don't care about tension loss.
 
Have you guys noticed that Tourbite soft going dead and uncontrollable in very very hot weather like in 95 degrees with court temp around 102 ?? this happened to me now last 3 times I played in Hot weather. I am not sure why this is happening. Does all poly behave like this in hot weather ?
 
Nostradamus said:
Have you guys noticed that Tourbite soft going dead and uncontrollable in very very hot weather like in 95 degrees with court temp around 102 ?? this happened to me now last 3 times I played in Hot weather. I am not sure why this is happening. Does all poly behave like this in hot weather ?
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I played with that string twice in 95 degree weather. Both times I had no control over the ball so I cut it out.
 
mikeler said:
I played with that string twice in 95 degree weather. Both times I had no control over the ball so I cut it out.
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lol, I felt exactly same way, No control and dead feel in hot weather. but in cooler temp like in 60's or 70's, it is just fine. Does all Poly behave like this in hot weather ?? if not, what would be a good similar poly that isn't affected by hot weather ? Thanks
 
I wonder how Black Knight would be as a cross string to natural gut mains, I know it's a 6 sided poly but from what I'm reading about it, it is similar enough to a round poly that maybe it wouldn't shred the natural gut too badly? If so, the combination of relative softness, tension maintenance, and control seems like it could work out pretty well...
 
tomato123 said:
I wonder how Black Knight would be as a cross string to natural gut mains, I know it's a 6 sided poly but from what I'm reading about it, it is similar enough to a round poly that maybe it wouldn't shred the natural gut too badly? If so, the combination of relative softness, tension maintenance, and control seems like it could work out pretty well...
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I don't remember it being overly sharp but I could be wrong.
 
Had my first chance to try out Prince Vortex 17 tonight. I quite liked it. Full review may not be for another month or so. In short, it's a pain to unpackage and string but has a nice soft pocketing feeling with average spin. It puts those darn black marks on the balls that I hate. Stay tuned...

Thanks to TW for sending me a set to test out!
 
There is still no word on the Solinco confidential string.....very odd. does this mean Solinco messed up and this string is really no good ?
 
I tried the Vokle Cyclone the other day. Very impressed. This has to be by far the best poly in the category of low cost premium polys. Great spin potential, decent feel and modest power. One of the few polys that plays Better as time goes on into 2-3 hours string test. I might try the Cycle Tour next. tried the Torque string and didn't like that one.
 
Nostradamus said:
I tried the Vokle Cyclone the other day. Very impressed. This has to be by far the best poly in the category of low cost premium polys. Great spin potential, decent feel and modest power. One of the few polys that plays Better as time goes on into 2-3 hours string test. I might try the Cycle Tour next. tried the Torque string and didn't like that one.
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Torque felt like a different animal to me but was decent enough for my game. I strung it up with a smooth poly cross. Cyclone Tour is going to feel softer and a bit more powerful.
 
djNEiGht said:
Torque felt like a different animal to me but was decent enough for my game. I strung it up with a smooth poly cross. Cyclone Tour is going to feel softer and a bit more powerful.
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Yes, I really hated the Torque string, just felt out of touch and No spin potential which was odd. Does cyclone tour have more spin than Cyclone ?? I know it is supposed to be more powerful. from your experience ?
 
Nostradamus said:
Yes, I really hated the Torque string, just felt out of touch and No spin potential which was odd. Does cyclone tour have more spin than Cyclone ?? I know it is supposed to be more powerful. from your experience ?
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I used Torque in a smooth poly hybrid. I'd use it again if I have any in my inventory but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it again. What I liked about it was the way the texture was "cut" into the string.

I don't recall exactly how the two cyclones played. With the Tour being a bit more powerful I think I found myself hitting with a faster RHS to take advantage of the power but also get the spin to keep the ball in. I just appreciated the feel/feedback/and comfort of the string.

Do you have high RHS?
 
djNEiGht said:
I used Torque in a smooth poly hybrid. I'd use it again if I have any in my inventory but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it again. What I liked about it was the way the texture was "cut" into the string.

I don't recall exactly how the two cyclones played. With the Tour being a bit more powerful I think I found myself hitting with a faster RHS to take advantage of the power but also get the spin to keep the ball in. I just appreciated the feel/feedback/and comfort of the string.

Do you have high RHS?
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What is RHS ? does that have something to do with roger Federer ?
 
Hi Mikeler, I would like to ask for your recommendation please. I'm looking for a string that has great spin potential and very crisp feel to "de-mute" my Wilson Clash. The 2nd priority is playability duration. Comfort and power is not really a concern. What would you think is/are a good fit? Thanks!
 
ductrung3993 said:
Hi Mikeler, I would like to ask for your recommendation please. I'm looking for a string that has great spin potential and very crisp feel to "de-mute" my Wilson Clash. The 2nd priority is playability duration. Comfort and power is not really a concern. What would you think is/are a good fit? Thanks!
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See my signature
 
WOW,, Mike may have a new #1 poly from Volkl. This Volkl square is strung up amazing. I only hit 5 minutes so far and it is amazing. I will let Mikeler say more.
 
Hop said:
Thanks for the advice. Since I think I'm a good player I'll go for 48/48 with both Black Knight and FireWire Boost Hybrid.
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I have a somewhat similar racquet to your Tecnifibre Tfight 315 16x19 - so curious as to how these string went for you?
 
I strung my racquet at 22/22 kg. with BK. The first hitting sesions is somewhat different and after that I found the racquet playing very good. It was very hard for me to break the string and it kept his playing characteristics for a long time.

I went for the same tension (22/22) with FW Boost. It played good, with more spin, but I broke the strings faster on an off-center stroke.
Kenobi said:
I have a somewhat similar racquet to your Tecnifibre Tfight 315 16x19 - so curious as to how these string went for you?
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Hop said:
I strung my racquet at 22/22 kg. with BK. The first hitting sesions is somewhat different and after that I found the racquet playing very good. It was very hard for me to break the string and it kept his playing characteristics for a long time.

I went for the same tension (22/22) with FW Boost. It played good, with more spin, but I broke the strings faster on an off-center stroke.
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BK lasts forever, even in my 16 x 16 pattern. Firewire breaks for me if I hit an off center hit at the bottom corner of the frame. I don't think it likes the weird string angles that my frame forces it into through the grommets just outside the throat. I've dropped tension down to 56 and it happens a lot less than it used to.
 
I play with an Angell TC97 18x20 and currently use MSV Focus Hex 18g. I like it a lot, but want to see if the grass is greener. I also do not have access to regular stringing, so durability of playability is a premium for me. From a characteristic standpoint I value spin over power or comfort. So, is there a string recommendation for that? A string setup that maintains spin for a long time?

I'm open to anything, but the first strings I want to try are Tier 1 Black Knight and Firewire (/ Boost). Keeping the above criteria in mind, how much spin will I lose, but playability-extension will I gain from the 17 gauge vs the 18 gauge?
 
IMO you might gain with firewire. hybrid with ghost wire and the notching will slow. Another main string to try is volkl vSquare with ghost wire crosses
 
emhtennis said:
I play with an Angell TC97 18x20 and currently use MSV Focus Hex 18g. I like it a lot, but want to see if the grass is greener. I also do not have access to regular stringing, so durability of playability is a premium for me. From a characteristic standpoint I value spin over power or comfort. So, is there a string recommendation for that? A string setup that maintains spin for a long time?

I'm open to anything, but the first strings I want to try are Tier 1 Black Knight and Firewire (/ Boost). Keeping the above criteria in mind, how much spin will I lose, but playability-extension will I gain from the 17 gauge vs the 18 gauge?
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I can't use lower than 16g in my super open patterns These are great strings for me, I hope they work well for you too.
 
mikeler said:
Tier One Firewire Boost Hybrid 1.30mm

This is a poly/poly hybrid meant to have the very sharp Firewire in the mains with their Neos-2 smooth poly in the crosses.

Tension it is strung: 56# mains/60# crosses on a lockout
Your regular string set up: Volkl Cyclone 16 @ 60#
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 16 (Prince Tour 100T ESP)
Power (or lack there of): Medium powered
Feel: Between good and great
Tension maintenance: I forgot to use RacquetTune, sorry everyone.
Price: $8.95/set
Overall comments and feedback: See below

General: If you've followed this thread, you know I'm a fan of shaped polys. Awhile back, I tried a full bed of Firewire and really enjoyed it. Since I'm not a clean ball striker, it broke after only a few sets on a shank. So I was intrigued by this offering wondering if this may help the shank problem. Read on for the results...

Serve/Return of Serve: Serves have nasty spin with this setup. My first serve has been dialed in recently with Cyclone and this string so that comparison is a wash. I was able to be aggressive on returns and put a lot of balls back in the court. It was rare to miss a service return unless I was pulled way off to one side.

Strokes: I felt the most confident I've ever felt on court with this setup the last 2 matches I've played. It literally feels like its grabbing the ball and slinging it. Flattening out balls I had all the confidence in the world to take big cuts. If I missed taking a big cut, it usually hit the top of the tape so I didn't miss by much at all. Even my slice backhand which is average came alive with this setup. I'm a defensive grinder but this setup gives me the confidence to take control of the points when I have the opportunity.

Volleys: Good on regular volleys, terrific when hitting drop volleys probably with all the extra spin it provides.

Touch shots: My drop shots were pretty good with this setup.

Softness: This felt pretty soft on the arm. Definitely no arm issues.

Tension: 60# played great but I was getting some weird premature breakages. So I dropped the mains down to 56# and kept the crosses at 60# which solved the problem. I also tried a full setup at 52# but the magic was gone at the lower tension. I love the crisp sound of the ball on contact.

Durability: I've been using this on and off for months for a random set at a time because I didn't want to switch strings too often during league play. I don't really see much notching on the crosses, so I may be able to get quite a bit more life out of it. I didn't keep track of the hours but in a 16x16 pattern, I'm surprised how good it still looks for the number of hours I've logged with it. No shanking issues yet.

Movement: Some string movement but nothing too bad. I think the smooth cross poly allows the strings to slide mostly back even as they age. The OCD folks will like this one.

Color: The red and white color is pretty nice IMHO. Federer and Stan should consider this one. :)

Conclusion: I think I may be looking for a home for the rest of my Cyclone reel that I just opened. The spin with this setup is off the charts, the durability is outstanding and the price is reasonable. If you are looking at the sub $10 poly class, this may be better than Cyclone or Cyclone Tour if you are a fan of either of those strings. I think I'll be making the switch to this hybrid!
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what was the idea for leaving the cross string at 60, vs 56 on mains? Is the ghostwire string soft(er) than the firewire mains ? Thanks
 
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