Most club players using poly

[princemidplus]

I've noticed that almost everyone at my club uses poly strings. Very few use syngut and even fewer hybrid strings.

The ones who do use syngut are normally the ones who buy a racquet with syngut in it prestrunf. And never break the strings.

Everyone who gets a racquet strung puts poly in it regardless of the way they play or the level they play at. This means they end up with poly strings many months if not several years old as they only bunt the ball back and forth across the net or hit with some slice only. Because they cannot break the strings they never restring them.

I have tried on multiple occasions to get some members to switch to syngut or multi as a better option for the style of play, comfort and playability. I'm not even sure they would break syngut to be honest and if they are not using topspin what benefit do they get from poly?

 

[TheIntrovert]

Cheaper. I’ve asked and that seems to be the most common opinion around social players

 

[GeoffHYL]

I am a rec player and play primarily with syn gut. I have tried poly, natural gut, multi, and syn gut. Natural gut is my favorite, but isn't durable enough for the cost.

Most of the people I play with do use poly. I think they haven't experimented with other strings, so they just use whatever the stringer recommends, which is poly. Most of them don't really need poly, and might do better with a good syn gut, but never get around to trying something different from poly.

 

[esm]

Strung up an OS Wilson for a mate of mine recently because he wanted some comfort. He had some sort of poly on it and I put Syn Gut at the suggested mid tension. He said he loved it and about 6 weeks later he told me some weird thing happened to the string but he couldn’t explain why.
when I saw it a week later - its the string movement he is not used to... lol

 

[lucieisland]

for me there are two culprits. see three.

the first culprit is the young (or less young corder who have poly (often first prizes) to earn money! it is more profitable having a pro's pro or a similar tring to $ 2 per set and charge a club player $ 10, than buy the same inexpensive multi at $ 5 a set and charge $ 10.

the second culprit is the club player. we can explain to him that we must cut the poly after 8 hours, he will say that it is still good, not worn, so we do not cut !. in addition, the club player will always want the nadal, federer or better string like his favorite champion.

the third culprit is the seller in large shops, he will always want to sell rpm, aluminum power, or premium ropes, which cost a fortune. best string for more money!

when we understand all that, I think the problem is also that very often, the tennis teacher does not know much about it! for him, which is 5.0 to 6.0, he plays with luxilon or rpm. at 24kg, it's like that, and not otherwise! he will necessarily advise players to play the same! (even the 16 year old!)

and it all comes together !. the club player who will pay a string for $ 20 or $ 30 strung will not understand why it will have to be changed after 8 hours, since it is still good, it is not broken! and he will understand even less why the overpriced multifilament will last only 12 or 20 hours! ... he pays, and wants it to last! .. a racket at $ 100, it lasts at least 4 years! impossible to admit that a rope that costs 1/4 of the price of the racket lasts only 3 weeks !.

 

[Ronaldo]

Strung up an OS Wilson for a mate of mine recently because he wanted some comfort. He had some sort of poly on it and I put Syn Gut at the suggested mid tension. He said he loved it and about 6 weeks later he told me some weird thing happened to the string but he couldn’t explain why.
when I saw it a week later - its the string movement he is not used to... lol

Splain that poly moves more than SG, splay it to prove your point.

 

[longtimelurker]

Poly is changing for the better, more softer options now, some play like multis... gone are the days of it being all stiff like lux 4g...

 

[princemidplus]

Splain that poly moves more than SG, splay it to prove your point.

But poly doesn't move

 

[princemidplus]

for me there are two culprits. see three.

the first culprit is the young (or less young corder who have poly (often first prizes) to earn money! it is more profitable having a pro's pro or a similar tring to $ 2 per set and charge a club player $ 10, than buy the same inexpensive multi at $ 5 a set and charge $ 10.

the second culprit is the club player. we can explain to him that we must cut the poly after 8 hours, he will say that it is still good, not worn, so we do not cut !. in addition, the club player will always want the nadal, federer or better string like his favorite champion.

the third culprit is the seller in large shops, he will always want to sell rpm, aluminum power, or premium ropes, which cost a fortune. best string for more money!

when we understand all that, I think the problem is also that very often, the tennis teacher does not know much about it! for him, which is 5.0 to 6.0, he plays with luxilon or rpm. at 24kg, it's like that, and not otherwise! he will necessarily advise players to play the same! (even the 16 year old!)

and it all comes together !. the club player who will pay a string for $ 20 or $ 30 strung will not understand why it will have to be changed after 8 hours, since it is still good, it is not broken! and he will understand even less why the overpriced multifilament will last only 12 or 20 hours! ... he pays, and wants it to last! .. a racket at $ 100, it lasts at least 4 years! impossible to admit that a rope that costs 1/4 of the price of the racket lasts only 3 weeks !.

I guess you are describing what happens at my club too. The local coach started stringing and has a lot to learn. Only does poly and stringing technique has much to be improved (double pulling on mains and crosses). But he is the coach so club players feel he knows best and don't listen to others who have strung for years and learnt much in the process but now only string for the self and a few friends mainly.

To others, string is string and it's better if it never breaks.

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

See a lot of poly/syn around my neck of the woods.

Ppl play it for like 60 hours until the crosses break.

See lots of elbow straps as well.

 

[Muppet]

If they want a comfortable string with decent spin but don't want to pay for gut. sell them Monogut ZX/multi hybrid with a -4 differential. If they are putting their premium on spin, use a slippery poly in the crosses with a -6 differential. The crosses don't have to be expensive and this greatly reduces the price. Only use ZX crosses with ZX mains or kevlar mains.

 

[Ronaldo]

But poly doesn't move

Specially after a yr or two.......................................lock it up, lock it in, let me begin, I came to win, all without spin

 

[princemidplus]

See a lot of poly/syn around my neck of the woods.

Ppl play it for like 60 hours until the crosses break.

See lots of elbow straps as well.

Yup. Lots of elbow straps round where I play too. But of course it's the evow that's the problem. Not my strings or poor ball striking technique

 

[lucieisland]

club player imagine when using premium poly like alu power, and can't play with it, and don't understand why with the same racquet, the same poly, they can's play like the champions...

they are lot of answers... first, champions .. it's their job!. their frames are not you can buy in shop (except maybe RF97?), and they change string every 30 minutes!...
i think there is just one string (or type of string) club player can use like pro players... natural gut..

 

[Rabbit]

90% of the old farts I play with use synthetic gut or natural gut.

 

[toby55555]

I keep reading poly needs to be cut out after 8hours or less. I’m new to poly having used multi for years due to arm issues.
I find my Yonex Pro Tour Poly not only very arm friendly but still playable long after said time limit.
Is it that I string very low, 40lbs? Loving the angles I can get v multi.

 

[Irvin]

I keep reading poly needs to be cut out after 8hours or less. I’m new to poly having used multi for years due to arm issues.
I find my Yonex Pro Tour Poly not only very arm friendly but still playable long after said time limit.
Is it that I string very low, 40lbs? Loving the angles I can get v multi.

The Definitive Guide to Stringing Polys and Co-polys | GGT Extra

 

[BBender716]

I'm a 3.5 player using poly, responsibly. I cut it out as I can start feeling them go dead. I used Alu Power before knowing anything about poly and played it too long and ended up with TE. Read up, healed up, and now love playing polys in the mid 40s and change them when appropriate.

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[lucieisland]

Read up, healed up, and now love playing polys in the mid 40s and change them when appropriate.

it's always appropriate to change poly every 8-10 hours!..

 

[Moses85]

it's always appropriate to change poly every 8-10 hours!..

And if you hybrid them with nat. gut in the mains?

 

[3virgul14]

And if you hybrid them with nat. gut in the mains?

Huh. How do you like 'em apples guys?

 

[lucieisland]

because in my experience, and my two brothers, all having played at a level between 5.5 and 6.0 approximately in France, I think that it is necessary to determine the poly, they are not all equal in the face of what is called playability, elasticity, which I like to call tension stability.

the three of us tried so many poly, co-poly of any generation to realize that there are so many options (of full bed) to realize that there is what we feel, what 'we seem to feel, and what it is.

some of these strings feel like they are still performing, but are slowly destroying your arm. some are much less efficient, but manage to keep their properties much longer than others often sold two to three times more expensive.

to use with a gut we often tend unfortunately to want to copy the champions, who use in this case extremely efficient co-poly, but not necessarily durable (in playability), and we are fooled, because we have the impression (thanks to the gut) that the co-poly is still good, but it is not. (for example, a gut-alu has often died since the 4-5-6 th hour.

by dint of tests, comparisons, I think (it only engages me), and this is what I have used for a long time, with my brothers, that there are some co-poly who manage to maintain their playability , or tension stability, or elasticity, for much longer than some last generation references.

without trying to advise this or that brand or reference, I would say: at weiss: scorpio, turbotwist, silverstring, at signum: plasma, hyperion firestorm, megaforce, at kirschbaum, pro line, plx, p2, max power, at topspin, cyberflash , and the others general, at tecnifibre, red code wax, at pro's pro cyberpower, especially white is not to be overlooked, there are many others, but to finish, my favorites, at genesis black magic and white magic. and special mention for yonex poly tour pro, and tough. (I find that fire and strike are a bit expensive compared to pro and tough with the same technologies). for hybrids with gut, I like the red code wax and the yonex poly all tough, which have a slippery coating which avoids damaging the gut. at least slows down this wear.

I still use on my hybrids (as well as my brothers when they play gut), stringsaver turned.

in the case of these co-poly (surprisingly almost all below $ 7-8, the playability (with gut) is often beyond 2 p.m. I have already been forced to play a poly tour pro gut more than 15- 4:00 p.m., but after that, I no longer want to risk the injury.

in full bed, my brothers manage to play more than 12 hours with the co-poly mentioned above. (note that some premium co-poly costing up to $ 17-22 died after 3-4-5 hours.

 

[PBODY99]

I have had several players "do their homework" and try to use poly when multis last them four months during the summer. After they recover, they stay away. The younger players break poly in a reasonable amount of time. Player

 

[FIRETennis]

without trying to advise this or that brand or reference, I would say: at weiss: scorpio, turbotwist, silverstring, at signum: plasma, hyperion firestorm, megaforce, at kirschbaum, pro line, plx, p2, max power, at topspin, cyberflash , and the others general, at tecnifibre, red code wax, at pro's pro cyberpower, especially white is not to be overlooked, there are many others, but to finish, my favorites, at genesis black magic and white magic. and special mention for yonex poly tour pro, and tough. (I find that fire and strike are a bit expensive compared to pro and tough with the same technologies). for hybrids with gut, I like the red code wax and the yonex poly all tough, which have a slippery coating which avoids damaging the gut. at least slows down this wear.

Interesting advice. Most of those strings are manufactured in Germany (or Japan in Yonex' case). Do you find that there are better characteristics to the polys made in EU vs. the mass produced, mass marketed Taiwanese strings?

 

[lucieisland]

Interesting advice. Most of those strings are manufactured in Germany (or Japan in Yonex' case). Do you find that there are better characteristics to the polys made in EU vs. the mass produced, mass marketed Taiwanese strings?

pro's pro for example, is manufactured on two country.. in germany (strings from germany are signigfied like this (red devil, blackout and many other poly), and when it's from japan it is so. (in memory, the new RX-500, revoltec, cyber spin, cyber power nano, intense heat, nano vandeta, maybe cyberpower original.) (or from thailand!..)

but for me, i don't talk about best or better thing.. just for me, a good player who have a stringmachine, it's difficult to found better than these strings.

i have a friend who was on top 500 ATP there is 10-15 years. he try many co-poly, and for him it's difficult to make any difference between for example a signum plasma and a plus power on same gauge, when string is cutting after 5 hours. it's difficult to make any diffrence (for him!) between an alu power lux and cyberpower pro's pro (for him, cyberpower is la litlle durable (because tension stability es better).. he can play with cyberpower after 5-6 hours, when alu power is dead (for him) after 3 hours.

on this conditions, for him, it's not very smart to using string over 15$ when a other one cost under 3$ is the same at 90%... but, it's just his conclusions.

 

[princemidplus]

90% of the old farts I play with use synthetic gut or natural gut.

That's a good idea. 90% of the old farts I play with use poly. Not a good idea. Poly in a TiS6 with very short strokes. Equals lots of short balls. Although a few of the old farts lob well with this setup

 

[USPTARF97]

Club players is all of us unless you have some 5.5+ collegiate or professional players posting on here. Playing with BHS7T at 52# in a modified PS97. String two frames a month and hit a few hours a week. Cost is $6.50 a frame. They remain playing great and I don’t wait for play to drop off or strings to break. Arm is happy.

 

[Rabbit]

That's a good idea. 90% of the old farts I play with use poly. Not a good idea. Poly in a TiS6 with very short strokes. Equals lots of short balls. Although a few of the old farts lob well with this setup

I had a few guys (60+ like me) request poly. They wanted to be like Nadal or Federer wanted to see what all the fuss about poly was. I explained to them that poly really required a big swing. The reason being poly was an "anti-performance" string. I went on to explain (to more than a couple of guys) that poly was really used to lessen power. Since their strokes were short to begin with, they would find themselves not getting anything on the ball off the ground or more importantly on their serves. They'd lose what they had. Add to that the potential for arm problems and they -- to a man -- said "What should I use?". I started them all on synthetic and said we can go up in price if you don't like that. Most all have stayed with synthetic, especially when I mentioned the price part.

I corrected my post a little above.

 

[FIRETennis]

I think what it really comes down to is string breakage and how often someone plays and if they hit with lots of spin or not.
One should start with synthetic gut (or gut if they can afford it) and go up to maybe a multi.
If those strings start to break annoyingly quick, then it's time to go to a thin poly or maybe a hybrid.

 

[USPTARF97]

I had a few guys (60+ like me) request poly. They wanted to be like Nadal or Federer wanted to see what all the fuss about poly was. I explained to them that poly really required a big swing. The reason being poly was an "anti-performance" string. I went on to explain (to more than a couple of guys) that poly was really used to lessen power. Since their strokes were short to begin with, they would find themselves not getting anything on the ball off the ground or more importantly on their serves. They'd lose what they had. Add to that the potential for arm problems and they -- to a man -- said "What should I use?". I started them all on synthetic and said we can go up in price if you don't like that. Most all have stayed with synthetic, especially when I mentioned the price part.

I corrected my post a little above.

60+ 3.0-3.5 male players have no reason to be playing with full poly. The guys this age and level at our club play with Synthetic Gut and Multi. All of the women 2.5-3.5 are using SG and Multi as well.

 

[USPTARF97]

Age, level, and style of play determine what is best for most players. The wrong string set up will reveal itself with a player fairly quickly regardless of string type.

 

[princemidplus]

I had a few guys (60+ like me) request poly. They wanted to be like Nadal or Federer wanted to see what all the fuss about poly was. I explained to them that poly really required a big swing. The reason being poly was an "anti-performance" string. I went on to explain (to more than a couple of guys) that poly was really used to lessen power. Since their strokes were short to begin with, they would find themselves not getting anything on the ball off the ground or more importantly on their serves. They'd lose what they had. Add to that the potential for arm problems and they -- to a man -- said "What should I use?". I started them all on synthetic and said we can go up in price if you don't like that. Most all have stayed with synthetic, especially when I mentioned the price part.

I corrected my post a little above.

I think the guys at your club are open to change. The guys at my club think I'm talking rubbish generally as if it's the stuff the pros use then that's what they should use. Obviously they don't see that they don't use the pros racquets as well.

They believe that poly makes it all better and gives them extra spin. It is what the local stringing shop sells mostly so it must be good stuff. They also think syngut is too cheap and must be rubbish.

And yes. I did offer them syngut at a premium price to see what they thought but was still rejected.

 

[PrinceMoron]

To be honest I am more fussy about the balls than the strings

Just hate playing with most and with all of them for more than a few sets. Never used to be so fussy.

I can cope with dead poly playing against all but really strong players. Have used full beds of blast that is months old. The only sense in it is that a new string job is going to go dead in a few sets and you can get used to anything


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[princemidplus]

I hear

To be honest I am more fussy about the balls than the strings

Just hate playing with most and with all of them for more than a few sets. Never used to be so fussy.

I can cope with dead poly playing against all but really strong players. Have used full beds of blast that is months old. The only sense in it is that a new string job is going to go dead in a few sets and you can get used to anything


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I hear you about the balls. When I am the dust on the courts chews through the felt in a matter of games at times. One time we barely got through a set of doubles before the balls became like little bullets with no spin. And old flat balls are the pits too although they do make playing against the wall a bit easier/slower.

 

[FIRETennis]

To be honest I am more fussy about the balls than the strings

Just hate playing with most and with all of them for more than a few sets. Never used to be so fussy.

I can cope with dead poly playing against all but really strong players. Have used full beds of blast that is months old. The only sense in it is that a new string job is going to go dead in a few sets and you can get used to anything


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Playing with used balls it horrible.
They don't bounce as high.
They are 25%+ slower.
They collapse more and shoot more erratically from the string bed.
I even feel they might cause some odd arm discomfort.

 

[Muppet]

Playing with used balls it horrible.
They don't bounce as high.
They are 25%+ slower.
They collapse more and shoot more erratically from the string bed.
I even feel they might cause some odd arm discomfort.

I find that I consistently hit my serve 1 to 2 feet long with worn balls. Maybe I'm compensating, or maybe a fresh ball makes the strings deflect better and gives more accuracy.

 

[Shroud]

Poly is changing for the better, more softer options now, some play like multis... gone are the days of it being all stiff like lux 4g...

hey, I just bought 10 packs of 4g! keep it stiff.

FWIW do you know some of the still stiff oldschool polys? Pretty sure 4g is the stiffest but if you know a stiffer poly please let me know.

 

[mctennis]

See a lot of poly/syn around my neck of the woods.

Ppl play it for like 60 hours until the crosses break.

See lots of elbow straps as well.

That mixed with stiff Babolat racquets. LOTS of TE straps.

 

[longtimelurker]

hey, I just bought 10 packs of 4g! keep it stiff.

FWIW do you know some of the still stiff oldschool polys? Pretty sure 4g is the stiffest but if you know a stiffer poly please let me know.

http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/stringstiffnesstool.php

 

[princemidplus]

hey, I just bought 10 packs of 4g! keep it stiff.

FWIW do you know some of the still stiff oldschool polys? Pretty sure 4g is the stiffest but if you know a stiffer poly please let me know.

Stiffest string I've had was the apollo competition 1.3mm poly. Gold in colour. Like a piece of wire and a PITA to string up. Kept impaling my fingertips when doing crosses as it would not bend

 

[Shroud]

http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/stringstiffnesstool.php

Thanks. I have used that a ton. Its a great tool. I wish they still made 4g 15 but they dont seem to anymore. So lux is still the stiffest. Wish there was an option to sort by strings that can be strung over 70lbs...

 

[mtt66]

IMHO most club players under 4.0 don't have enough racquet head speed or mechanics to use poly. Makes me cringe when I see this. There are way too many great multi's out there that will do the job very nicely.

 

[Trinity110]

I had a few guys (60+ like me) request poly. They wanted to be like Nadal or Federer wanted to see what all the fuss about poly was. I explained to them that poly really required a big swing. The reason being poly was an "anti-performance" string. I went on to explain (to more than a couple of guys) that poly was really used to lessen power. Since their strokes were short to begin with, they would find themselves not getting anything on the ball off the ground or more importantly on their serves. They'd lose what they had. Add to that the potential for arm problems and they -- to a man -- said "What should I use?". I started them all on synthetic and said we can go up in price if you don't like that. Most all have stayed with synthetic, especially when I mentioned the price part.

I corrected my post a little above.

I love the ethics behind your advice. Before I strung for myself I was fortunate that the local shop saw my age, then asked me about my game, put in 17g. syn gut, and it played fine. "We can go up in price" is a beautiful way to put it! They too saw no reason to snow me into string that does me no good.

When I got my (first) stringer, I went to 16 g. because it can last a month. I have then experimented with tension, and I am happy with my setup. I was recently gifted several reels of unwanted Live Wire, and I can make it play about the same, but it feels a bit "softer," and I feel doesn't last as long. But it is free, and I like to string.

 

[Trinity110]

Playing with used balls it horrible.
They don't bounce as high.
They are 25%+ slower.
They collapse more and shoot more erratically from the string bed.
I even feel they might cause some odd arm discomfort.

The guys I play against aren't super powerful, and my main weapon is speed and defense, so I am always whipping out new balls. I talk it up like it is my treat, but really, if it makes their ball bounce a bit higher, then there is nothing I don't get to! New balls=secret weapon!