Most playable strings for a High School 4.0 player?

Mxnh

Mxnh

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I'm a freshman in high school playing 3 singles for the team, playing with a Speed MP with either Dunlop or Prince Duraflex Syngut at around 52-53lb tension.
Recently, I've been breaking strings a lot more often - probably because we started practicing 2 hours a day 6 days a week - just broke my strings 2 weeks after getting them.
My strings also slide around a bunch like 3-4 hitting sessions after a fresh string job.
I play with heavy topspin, 80-90mph 1st serves, OHBH.

I'm looking for suggestions for new strings (I'm open to anything but natural gut - too expensive for me (you could maybe argue that in the long run, it's less expensive but idk)) or suggestions for new tensions.

Thanks!
 
Your current string setup is lasting about 24 hours. That’s not bad. My question is who does your stringing and who pays for the strings. Does your HS get anything from string companies?

Going to polyester ir copolymer strings may not be an ideal solution since the strings are suppose to be replaced after a certain number of hours.
 
@Mxnh Tour Hex is reasonablly priced, is easy on the arm, is an excellent performer, does not move around, and lasts a very long time. I would look into trying that (would start at 48 lbs) and seeing how it works for you. If it works well, a reel is sub $100 and should give you 16-17 string jobs putting you in the $5-$6 dollar range per job. As others have said, being a poly, if it lasts you without breaking, I would cut it out if you hit the 16-20 hour mark.

Mxnh said:
I'm a freshman in high school playing 3 singles for the team, playing with a Speed MP with either Dunlop or Prince Duraflex Syngut at around 52-53lb tension.
Recently, I've been breaking strings a lot more often - probably because we started practicing 2 hours a day 6 days a week - just broke my strings 2 weeks after getting them.
My strings also slide around a bunch like 3-4 hitting sessions after a fresh string job.
I play with heavy topspin, 80-90mph 1st serves, OHBH.

I'm looking for suggestions for new strings (I'm open to anything but natural gut - too expensive for me (you could maybe argue that in the long run, it's less expensive but idk)) or suggestions for new tensions.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
Assuming you snap one of the mains, I’d consider using a soft 1.25 or 1.30 round poly in the mains, and a 1.30 synthetic gut in the crosses.

Something like Wilson Revolve mains + SG cross would still play soft like SG but would be a nice first step into the world of poly.
 
I'm going to echo some others here. Hyper-G Soft, 18g @ <45lbs. Good price point and it's a good starting string for a first time poly user. It's one of the few polys I can play with these days with my tennis elbow issues.
 
Mxnh said:
I'm a freshman in high school playing 3 singles for the team, playing with a Speed MP with either Dunlop or Prince Duraflex Syngut at around 52-53lb tension.
Recently, I've been breaking strings a lot more often - probably because we started practicing 2 hours a day 6 days a week - just broke my strings 2 weeks after getting them.
My strings also slide around a bunch like 3-4 hitting sessions after a fresh string job.
I play with heavy topspin, 80-90mph 1st serves, OHBH.

I'm looking for suggestions for new strings (I'm open to anything but natural gut - too expensive for me (you could maybe argue that in the long run, it's less expensive but idk)) or suggestions for new tensions.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I've been coaching high school teams for a lot of years and also stringing for some of the kids I coach along the way. Syn. gut seems to be great for a lot of the troops, but you sound like you're right on that cusp where it's time to consider a poly. That stuff is generally more tough than syn. gut and it will probably give you the performance you want if you're ripping on the ball with bigger pace and spin.

Just keep in mind that poly isn't a miracle string with nothing but upside. I've been coaching long enough to see several sluggers just like yourself using poly setups who have run into serious issues like tennis/golfer's elbow, wrist tendonitis, etc. where their injuries were bad enough to put those players out of action for a while. Poly won't break as fast as perhaps a syn. gut of about the same gauge, but it is notorious for "going dead" before it physically snaps. That's where it can be especially rough on a player's arm.

That could mean that you may need to re-string a poly at about the same rate as you would if you stick with syn. gut that pops about every two weeks. Not trying to be all gloom-and-doom, but that's a possibility that's worth knowing. Should you try something like a poly hybrid? Probably yes. If you want to exhaust your options with syn. gut, I'd say try a higher tension - maybe 55-56 lbs. - to see if you get a more consistent response. One syn. gut that performs rather well and is also tougher than most (in my opinion) is Gosen OG Sheep Micro.

Everybody has their own favorites in the poly world - there's probably more than just one right answer in terms of what will click for you. That being said, I've kept reels of Isospeed Baseline on hand for several years and it's made many players very happy. It's a basic smooth poly that's apparently a bit softer than average. In recent years, locals have preferred this poly over some popular options including RPM Blast, Hyper-G, and Volkl Cyclone. More good news - TW sells if for $40 for a full reel.

I'd try Baseline 1.25mm in a hybrid with Gosen OGSM 16 crosses all tensioned no higher than where you've got your syn. gut right now. Even if that's too tight or too loose for you, it should give you a reference tension to work from. The reason that I'm a fan of hybrids is that they don't seem to turn dead as drastically as a full bed of poly might. The syn. gut crosses will retain some resilience until they break and the Gosen seems to also resist "locking up" better than other syn. guts.

If you get into some poly setups and your arm starts to get progressively more grumpy with wrist or forearm pain, get rid of the poly right away and re-string with either a moderately soft syn. gut or even a multifiber until everything is okay. Some multis are really expensive for what they do, but I've found great results with Prince Premier Control - they offer sets of this in durable 15L gauge, which I've used to help one or two heavy hitters who needed to cool out some significant golfer's elbow. Knowledge is power I guess.

And in case you don't have a backup racquet, I'd say it's time to get at least one now that you're a string breaker. Hope you have a decent season!!
 
Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for all the suggestions - I just have a question.
Would changing to a poly lower my serve speed by a lot? My serve is my biggest weapon, and I know that changing to a poly will probably benefit my kicker but my flat serve routinely aces players far better than myself 2-3 times a game. Just want to try to preserve my biggest weapon that has gotten me out of pickles time and time again :D
Otherwise, I'll try Iso Baseline, Hyper-G, and the Gosen and see which one I like best!
Once again, thanks so much!
 
Depends on the poly


Mxnh said:
Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for all the suggestions - I just have a question.
Would changing to a poly lower my serve speed by a lot? My serve is my biggest weapon, and I know that changing to a poly will probably benefit my kicker but my flat serve routinely aces players far better than myself 2-3 times a game. Just want to try to preserve my biggest weapon that has gotten me out of pickles time and time again :D
Otherwise, I'll try Iso Baseline, Hyper-G, and the Gosen and see which one I like best!
Once again, thanks so much!
Click to expand...
 
Mxnh said:
I'm a freshman in high school playing 3 singles for the team, playing with a Speed MP with either Dunlop or Prince Duraflex Syngut at around 52-53lb tension.
Recently, I've been breaking strings a lot more often - probably because we started practicing 2 hours a day 6 days a week - just broke my strings 2 weeks after getting them.
My strings also slide around a bunch like 3-4 hitting sessions after a fresh string job.
I play with heavy topspin, 80-90mph 1st serves, OHBH.

I'm looking for suggestions for new strings (I'm open to anything but natural gut - too expensive for me (you could maybe argue that in the long run, it's less expensive but idk)) or suggestions for new tensions.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I don't think poly is the answer quite yet; I'd wait another year or two. Poly generally should be cut out by the 12-hour mark (many even sooner), and you're currently getting 24 hours out of your setup, saying you want more life out of it.

Also, while 80-90 mph serves being your main weapon are great for a freshman in high school, that tells me that you probably aren't hitting hard enough/fast enough on a consistent basis to get the real benefit from poly; the spin potential.

I definitely get not wanting to break strings every other week though, so I'd recommend trying out Triax or HDMX from Tecnifibre. They are poly-multi fusion strings, so they're a little more durable than your current setup, but they don't carry all the negatives that poly has around it, like a short playability window and low power for someone at your age/level. They also come in 15L gauge, so they will be nice and thick to last longer. They're a little on the expensive side (nothing compared to natural gut thankfully), but I think they'll be worth it for you to not have to string as often and not have to deal with switching to poly, especially mid-season.

I would recommend trying poly either this or next off-season so you have time to adjust without harming your season.
 
Mxnh said:
Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for all the suggestions - I just have a question.
Would changing to a poly lower my serve speed by a lot? My serve is my biggest weapon, and I know that changing to a poly will probably benefit my kicker but my flat serve routinely aces players far better than myself 2-3 times a game. Just want to try to preserve my biggest weapon that has gotten me out of pickles time and time again :D
Otherwise, I'll try Iso Baseline, Hyper-G, and the Gosen and see which one I like best!
Once again, thanks so much!
Click to expand...
If you are acing players better than you 2-3 times a game, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Have your parents buy you a cheap drop weight stringer and a reel of synthetic gut and got to town keeping your racquets fresh.
 
Go hybrid with Isospeed Basline main and Kirschbaum Synthetic cross. Start at 50 lbs and adjust it from there. Your serve will be fine.
 
Last edited:
PRS said:
I don't think poly is the answer quite yet; I'd wait another year or two. Poly generally should be cut out by the 12-hour mark (many even sooner), and you're currently getting 24 hours out of your setup, saying you want more life out of it.

Also, while 80-90 mph serves being your main weapon are great for a freshman in high school, that tells me that you probably aren't hitting hard enough/fast enough on a consistent basis to get the real benefit from poly; the spin potential.

I definitely get not wanting to break strings every other week though, so I'd recommend trying out Triax or HDMX from Tecnifibre. They are poly-multi fusion strings, so they're a little more durable than your current setup, but they don't carry all the negatives that poly has around it, like a short playability window and low power for someone at your age/level. They also come in 15L gauge, so they will be nice and thick to last longer. They're a little on the expensive side (nothing compared to natural gut thankfully), but I think they'll be worth it for you to not have to string as often and not have to deal with switching to poly, especially mid-season.

I would recommend trying poly either this or next off-season so you have time to adjust without harming your season.
Click to expand...
This sounds like a reasonable thing to do - I have half a reel of syngut next so I'll probably string 2 rackets as usual but maybe up the tension by 3-4lbs as my balls have been flying around a foot past the baseline lately. I guess I'll try a hybrid of some sort with poly mains and syngut crosses with the 3rd. With the 4th I'll try some of your and other people's suggestions :D

I still think I hit pretty hard - just consistency and precision (I can aim to relative areas of the court (eighths of the court?) with high pace for approach shots and such but can't really fire off a baseline shot to a corner that would allow me to approach the net comfortably some of the time). On the other hand I can fire off the 1st serve 80% of the time and can essentially ensure my service game against anyone within 50% of my level.

Thanks!
 
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To everyone who told me to get a stringing machine - I'm moving this summer and will probably get one if the area doesn't have a good stringer (right now I have a friend who's dad is a stringer and he strings for me essentially for free (I just pay $10 per string job with syngut)).
 
Oh yeah, one more thing - I recently looked at the ProBlend from Prince - Kevlar mains and Syngut crosses - any thoughts on this for me? I heard from a friend's friend (who used it during his junior and senior years) that it holds tension for like 2-3 months of heavy hitting and just wanted to see if it'd fit.
I know Kevlar is really low-powered and tough on the arm, so I've just been reluctant to touch something that isn't widely used without some other opinions.
 
Mxnh said:
This sounds like a reasonable thing to do - I have half a reel of syngut next so I'll probably string 2 rackets as usual but maybe up the tension by 3-4lbs as my balls have been flying around a foot past the baseline lately. I guess I'll try a hybrid of some sort with poly mains and syngut crosses with the 3rd. With the 4th I'll try some of your and other people's suggestions :D

I still think I hit pretty hard - just consistency and precision (I can aim to relative areas of the court (eighths of the court?) with high pace for approach shots and such but can't really fire off a baseline shot to a corner that would allow me to approach the net comfortably some of the time). On the other hand I can fire off the 1st serve 80% of the time and can essentially ensure my service game against anyone within 50% of my level.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
If you have 4 sticks and a stringing machine, I’d consider gut/Poly as an option. I’m happy to to send you a 1/2 set of gut and poly.
 
What gauge duraflex are you using? I think that syn gut is lasting you just as long as a poly haveset-up would considering tension loss for poly strings. Maybe go down in gauge full bed or go down in gauge in the mains if you want more longevity. I use a mix of prince nylon on the mains and syn gut with kevlar (duraflex equivalent), natural gut with nylon or poly, and full bed syn gut with kevlar. Poly needs to be string 10% lower at least and tension loss is high generally. Pocketing is also inferior to nylon (syn guts) and certainly to natural gut. An optimal poly set up can give you huge spin but I find non-poly maybe 90% of the spin potential. But for me key is predictability of the string bed. I've hit with a poly set up that hits balls too short with too much spin so there is an optimal balance.

You should carry at least 3 frames and string them all 1 or 2 lbs apart for varying conditions.
 
Mxnh said:
Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for all the suggestions - I just have a question.
Would changing to a poly lower my serve speed by a lot? My serve is my biggest weapon, and I know that changing to a poly will probably benefit my kicker but my flat serve routinely aces players far better than myself 2-3 times a game. Just want to try to preserve my biggest weapon that has gotten me out of pickles time and time again :D
Otherwise, I'll try Iso Baseline, Hyper-G, and the Gosen and see which one I like best!
Once again, thanks so much!
Click to expand...
As long as you can generate higher racquet head speed (RHS), poly might even speed up your first serve as you can swing harder and the ball will stay in the box. It should definitely help your 2nd serve with extra spin, but again you have to make sure you swing with more RHS than you do now to take advantage of the extra control and spin.

If a player swings with poly using the same RHS as they do with softer strings, serves and all other shots will be at lower launch angle with less depth and will be perceived as less power. On the other hand, if a player can see that he has more control, balls don’t fly out when you swing fast and starts increasing his swing speed, he will end up hitting and serving harder than ever with more spin.

Poly is not good for players with abbreviated bunty swings with low RHS and bad serve technique where they can’t generate more RHS than what they do with soft strings - just like flexible, low power racquets won’t be liked by them.
 
Mxnh said:
Oh yeah, one more thing - I recently looked at the ProBlend from Prince - Kevlar mains and Syngut crosses - any thoughts on this for me? I heard from a friend's friend (who used it during his junior and senior years) that it holds tension for like 2-3 months of heavy hitting and just wanted to see if it'd fit.
I know Kevlar is really low-powered and tough on the arm, so I've just been reluctant to touch something that isn't widely used without some other opinions.
Click to expand...
I would stay away from kevlar. Yes, it holds tension, but that's because it doesn't really stretch at all. It is very stiff and boardy, and I wouldn't really recommend it for anyone. Poly has upsides once you are strong enough and hitting hard enough to utilize it properly (for reference, I didn't use it until after my senior year of high school and was hitting 100+ mph first serves easily with a strong kick second serve, but probably could've used it a little earlier), but kevlar doesn't have the same upsides. You're young, so you likely won't feel how stiff kevlar is, but over time, it can do a lot of damage to your body because it doesn't absorb any shock; all the force from hitting the ball will be directly translated to your arm. Yeah, it'll last, but it's not worth it. Definitely try poly before trying kevlar.
 
Luxilon ALU 125, Topspin CyberFlash 17, or Solinco Tour Bite 17 strung in the low to mid 40s.
 
Ditto on the stay away from kevlar advice

give gut in the mains/poly or syngut in the crosses a try..... If you go with Klip for example (as I do) the extra cost is negligible, especially when you consider that it will not go dead and have to be cut out like poly,
and it will almost surely last longer than syn gut.
 
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Mxnh said:
This sounds like a reasonable thing to do - I have half a reel of syngut next so I'll probably string 2 rackets as usual but maybe up the tension by 3-4lbs as my balls have been flying around a foot past the baseline lately. I guess I'll try a hybrid of some sort with poly mains and syngut crosses with the 3rd. With the 4th I'll try some of your and other people's suggestions :D

I still think I hit pretty hard - just consistency and precision (I can aim to relative areas of the court (eighths of the court?) with high pace for approach shots and such but can't really fire off a baseline shot to a corner that would allow me to approach the net comfortably some of the time). On the other hand I can fire off the 1st serve 80% of the time and can essentially ensure my service game against anyone within 50% of my level.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Two more thoughts...

I recommended 1.25mm Baseline for a hybrid, but that might be a rather drastic jump in terms of how your hybrid string bed performs. If you can get hold of one or two sets of an average poly in a ligher gauge - perhaps 1.20mm - for your first try with a hybrid, that could likely feel more familiar for you and bring just a little more control that you want with adding a poly to your layout. If a couple tries with that lighter gauge don't work - let's say it feels too soft or you eat through it in a hurry - then try 1.25mm.

I don't play with poly in my own frames, but I've sampled the 1.20mm in a hybrid and it felt like a snug bed of full syn. gut with a little more predictable response. I love that 1.20mm as a first option when anybody wants to try a poly hybrid. I can honestly say that I've been using the 1.20mm Baseline for several years and it's never brought arm troubles for anybody who uses me for stringing.

Your comments reminded me of something else that doesn't exactly relate to your strings and it's actually pretty common. It sounds like your ability to produce more power is really ramping up. As guys in your age bracket get stronger from one year to the next, you might feel like you're using the same level of effort to hit a decent shot, but that eventually becomes too much as you grow faster and stronger.

Maybe it was only last year that you felt like you needed to swing with 80% of your full effort to zip the ball through the court really well. Now that you're stronger though, it's easier to overpower the ball if you try to hit a forehand at 80%. You may only need to use what feels like only 65%-70% of your full effort to thump the ball well and keep it in the court. This is more of an issue with strokes than with serves. Keep it in mind as you dial in for your season.
 
fuzz nation said:
Two more thoughts...

I recommended 1.25mm Baseline for a hybrid, but that might be a rather drastic jump in terms of how your hybrid string bed performs. If you can get hold of one or two sets of an average poly in a ligher gauge - perhaps 1.20mm - for your first try with a hybrid, that could likely feel more familiar for you and bring just a little more control that you want with adding a poly to your layout. If a couple tries with that lighter gauge don't work - let's say it feels too soft or you eat through it in a hurry - then try 1.25mm.

I don't play with poly in my own frames, but I've sampled the 1.20mm in a hybrid and it felt like a snug bed of full syn. gut with a little more predictable response. I love that 1.20mm as a first option when anybody wants to try a poly hybrid. I can honestly say that I've been using the 1.20mm Baseline for several years and it's never brought arm troubles for anybody who uses me for stringing.

Your comments reminded me of something else that doesn't exactly relate to your strings and it's actually pretty common. It sounds like your ability to produce more power is really ramping up. As guys in your age bracket get stronger from one year to the next, you might feel like you're using the same level of effort to hit a decent shot, but that eventually becomes too much as you grow faster and stronger.

Maybe it was only last year that you felt like you needed to swing with 80% of your full effort to zip the ball through the court really well. Now that you're stronger though, it's easier to overpower the ball if you try to hit a forehand at 80%. You may only need to use what feels like only 65%-70% of your full effort to thump the ball well and keep it in the court. This is more of an issue with strokes than with serves. Keep it in mind as you dial in for your season.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I just went out and restrung with a hybrid poly-syngut setup with iso baseline today - gonna test it out tomorrow and keep you and everyone else posted.
 
Welp today I went out and playtested it!
It was nice, I was getting loads more spin and could actually swing through the ball
My serve was still about the same, but the kicker - damn, I was playing against a 6th grade girl who's like idk 5th or 6th in the nation and she literally couldn't reach it from her normal return position!
Anyhow, while I felt an improvement, I'll keep testing different setups every time I restring with a spare.
I also strung an Aero I had laying around with a bed of full poly to try to be Rafa and - well let's just say full poly isn't for me yet, at least on that frame at 51lbs. All my balls went right into the net - wayy too much spin for my liking haha
 
Mxnh said:
To everyone who told me to get a stringing machine - I'm moving this summer and will probably get one if the area doesn't have a good stringer (right now I have a friend who's dad is a stringer and he strings for me essentially for free (I just pay $10 per string job with syngut)).
Click to expand...
Keep an eye out for a cheap drop weight off your local classifieds. They do the job just fine and are feasible for cost and space.

If you’re getting into the poly world, try to string lower than you think you should. It will make the poly act better, and your comfort and confidence will be better off.

Learn to Control the poly, don’t let it control you!
 
njhmusicman said:
Try pros pro
Click to expand...
110% agree if you’re in high school and looking for major budget string with good enough performance. I would recommend a hybrid of Pros Pro Red Devil and synthetic gut 52/50 tension. If you’re breaking Prince synthetic gut in 2 weeks. This pros pro should last at least 4 weeks and a bit more
 
You couldn't argue that natural gut would be less expensive in the long run, because you would break them. It would only be less expensive if you weren't a string breaker.

You need a polyester string, especially since you use a lot of spin. I recommend Klip Hardcore. Its the best poly I've tried and it's good value especially if you buy a reel.
 
If you are concerned about breakage, a 15 gauge will help. You can order Klip (when you can find it) in 1/2 sets. (About $18 or so, last time I checked) add $5 for smooth round poly in the X and you have a $23 string job.
(plus labor) considering some of the more expensive polys (cough yonex -alu cough) are $20, that's a whopping $3 difference. IF you can get 2 weeks out of the 15 ga., you are within $3 ($6 a month) of the break even point.
And nobody will seriously argue that there is anything easier on your joints than gut.
 
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