MarioRich
Rookie
Inspired by other reviewers and because im a stringaholic im posting some string reviews. I actually try out strings because of other users reviews and TW opinions.
Im a 40 year old male 4.0 baseliner player with a one handed backhand. All strings tested strung AT LEAST 2 times and played more than 8 hours with each of them. Here are my 2 cents:
**Last string review in blue letters***
1)Tecnifibre Black Code 4S 17 1.25 (Raquet: Head Speed Graphene MP 19X16 Tension:50lbs)
My fav shaped poly. Awesome spin, low tension drop, great bite and surprisingly comfy. Only knock on this string is average durability. It popped really fast after 10 hours of use. Surprised this string does not get much love in other forum considering it has so much bite ans spin. Love playing with this string.
2)Head Hawk 17 Silver 1.25 (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:52lbs) .
My fav round poly. Great control, firm but comfy, durable and good spin. Excellent directional placement. Above average spin for a straight poly. I feel secure hitting my shots with this string. Probably my go to poly for a tournament.
3)Wilson Revolve 17 1.25 Orange (Raquet Prince Tour Pro 100 ESP 16X16 Tension:55lbs)
Surprised by this one. Snapback is notorious. Different feel than other polys but really liked it. Awesome spin, great power and durability. One of my fav round Polys and neon orange color makes it a looker.
4)Ytex Pro Tour 16L 1.25 Blue (Raquet: Head Speed Graphene MP 16X19 Tension:50lbs)
Another great straight poly. Great control, low tension drop and good amount of spin. It has great feel too. Blue color looks pretty nice even on a dull Head black and white Speed Graphene.
5)Solinco Hyper-G 16L 1.25 (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:52lbs)
Really powerful and awesome spin. It is also supremely durable. You need a couple of hits with this string to get into it. Have patience with this one. This string is a looker. Looks amazing on any raquet.
6)Vokl Cyclone Black 17 1.25 (Raquet Prince Tour Pro 100 ESP 16X16 Tension:55lbs)
Third favorite shaped poly. Great bite, good ball pocketing and control. Looses tension faster than other sided polys but in general its a keeper. The price is pretty good too. Surprised by so many negative comments on this one. Maybe too hyped up??
7)Head Sonic Pro 17 1.25 White (Raquet: Head Speed Graphene MP 19X16 Tension:50lbs)
Pleasantly surprised by this one. I really digged this string. Only bought it because my local tennis shop had it really cheap. It is very comfy and high powered. It has good spin and great feel. It popped quickly though. If at a good price would buy again. It looked awesome on my Head Speed Graphene with a white overgrip.
8)Tecnifibre Razor Code 18 1.20 Blue (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:52lbs).
Very durable, low tension drop, excellent directional control, great spin but it vibrates!!! It did not bother my arm or anything it just felt weird. Everything else is above average. Too bad it is so pricey.
9)YTEX Poly Power Red 1.30(Raquet:Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:51lbs)
Lowered my usual tension 1 pound considering I always hit with 1.26 gauge or less. I was pleasantly surprised with this affordable string. It has great control and unusual feel for a 16 gauge poly. It worked well with my open string pattern rauquet. Spin was ok not great, but more than enough. I felt in command with my shots with above average directional control and would compare this string to Kirshbaum Pro Line II but this one is much better. It popped after 4 days of heavy use. It has above average durability but it is a 16 gauge, that is what I expected. It is also soft on the arm considering most red strings tend to be stiff. For the price I would highly recommend this string.
10)Signum Pro Poly Plasma Orange 17L 1.18(Raquet: Babolat Aero Pro Drive 2013 16X19 Tension:57lbs)
My fav thin poly. It has great feel, awesome spin and above average durability for a thin poly. It is also very powerful. For such a thin string it did not break fast and had above average tension maintainance.
11)Dunlop Black Widow 17 1.26 (Raquet: Dunlop 400 Tour 16X19 Tension:54lbs)
Also Liked this multi sided poly. Much better than Hexonic in spin and ball bite, but very pricey. Somewhat harsh on the arm but does last long. Great bite and control. If it wasn't for the price I would put it higher on my list.
12)YTEX Octotwist 16 Green 1.28 (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff UL 97 18X16 Tension: 53 lbs)
This is a low powered textured poly with good but not great spin. Not a bad string, just not excellent spin or ball grapling. It has decent longevity, good ball control, decent trajectory and holds tension well. Overall a good experience but not worth the 12.25$ asking price. There are better options for spin than the octotwist. If at a discount I may consider this string again.
13)Genesis Typhoon 16L 1.26 Blue (Raquet:Wilson Pro Staff UL 18X16 Tension 52lbs)
Thought I was getting a shaped poly like a Cyclone, RPM or a Black Code but was somewhat surprised I got a textured type poly like an Octo Twist or Rough version of other polys. It held tension well but for a poly marketed for spin, it did not do the job. It had decent spin and decent ball grapling but nothing outstanding. It was also ok on the arm. I did not experience any shoulder or arm discomfort. Typhoon did not have any feel and it popped fast (3 days of heavy use). Im basically not much of a fan of textured polys. Feel is different from rounded and shaped polys. I feel Genesis makes quality strings for the price, but the specs on this one not my cup of tea. Overall an average string but for a good price give it a shot. Might work better in a tighter string pattern.
14)Prince Tour XC 15L Black 1.35 (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:52lbs)
Bought this one because it had a ood price and was pleasantly surprised by it's playability. Gave me lots of directional control, had good feel and ok pop. Only knock on this one gave my shoulder some troubles after 5 to 6 hours of use. Overall highly recomend this 15L string for open string pattern raquets.
15)Genesis Hexonic 16L 1.27 Black (Raquet: Head Speed Graphene MP 19X16 Tension:50lbs) .
It is an Ok sided poly. Good at everything but nothing exceptional. Fellt plasticky and weird. Lost tension quickly after 4 hours of use. On the plus side it does have a good price. Would not consider again and that's saying something cause im a cheapo.
16)Kirschbaum Pro Line II Red 17 1.25(Raquet Babolat Aero Pro Drive 2013 16X19 Tension:57lbs and Wilson Pro Staff LS Tension 52lbs).
Good tension maintanance, durable but somewhat rough on the arm. Spin is ok but not wow. Feel wasn't there. A poly that did not wow me in any sense. Tried it in two different types of raquets to make sure my feelings weren't a fluke and did not like these strings in any of them,
17)Isospeed Baseline Speed 16L 1.25 (Raquet: Dunlop 400 Tour 16X19 Tension:54lbs)
High on the list because of the price, everything else is just blah....poor tension maintainance, avg spin and gets mushy fast. It is really cheap though.
18)Gosen Polylon 17 1.24 Yellow (Raquet: Dunlop 400 Tour 16X19 Tension:54lbs)
Durable, normal tension maintainance but destroyed my arm. Control is there, feel is not. On the plus side it is really cheap.
19)Luxilon Adrenaline Silver 16L 1.25 (Raquet: Dunlop 400 Tour 16X19 Tension:54lbs)
Blech!!! I wanted to try a Luxi string because of their reputation. This string has no feel, rough on the arm and just average at everything. At 10 bucks a pop I felt ripped off.
20)Kirshbaum Super Smash 16L 1.28 Orange (Raquet Babolat Aero Pro Drive 2013 16X19 Tension:57lbs).
Super durable but that is it. Mushy after a couple of hours, hard on the arm and no power and feel. Spin is ok.
21)Head Hawk Touch 18 1.20 (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:52lbs, Dunlop 400 Tour 16X19 Tension:54lbs and Head Graphene Touch Pro 18X20 Tension:51).
Because I love the normal Hawk I tried this one 3 times in 3 different raquets. So disappointed considering the price. Super mushy, no feel, tension loss is awful. Cut it after a couple of hits on all 3 raquets. Proper adjective for this one is FLIMSY.
Im a 40 year old male 4.0 baseliner player with a one handed backhand. All strings tested strung AT LEAST 2 times and played more than 8 hours with each of them. Here are my 2 cents:
**Last string review in blue letters***
1)Tecnifibre Black Code 4S 17 1.25 (Raquet: Head Speed Graphene MP 19X16 Tension:50lbs)
My fav shaped poly. Awesome spin, low tension drop, great bite and surprisingly comfy. Only knock on this string is average durability. It popped really fast after 10 hours of use. Surprised this string does not get much love in other forum considering it has so much bite ans spin. Love playing with this string.
2)Head Hawk 17 Silver 1.25 (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:52lbs) .
My fav round poly. Great control, firm but comfy, durable and good spin. Excellent directional placement. Above average spin for a straight poly. I feel secure hitting my shots with this string. Probably my go to poly for a tournament.
3)Wilson Revolve 17 1.25 Orange (Raquet Prince Tour Pro 100 ESP 16X16 Tension:55lbs)
Surprised by this one. Snapback is notorious. Different feel than other polys but really liked it. Awesome spin, great power and durability. One of my fav round Polys and neon orange color makes it a looker.
4)Ytex Pro Tour 16L 1.25 Blue (Raquet: Head Speed Graphene MP 16X19 Tension:50lbs)
Another great straight poly. Great control, low tension drop and good amount of spin. It has great feel too. Blue color looks pretty nice even on a dull Head black and white Speed Graphene.
5)Solinco Hyper-G 16L 1.25 (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:52lbs)
Really powerful and awesome spin. It is also supremely durable. You need a couple of hits with this string to get into it. Have patience with this one. This string is a looker. Looks amazing on any raquet.
6)Vokl Cyclone Black 17 1.25 (Raquet Prince Tour Pro 100 ESP 16X16 Tension:55lbs)
Third favorite shaped poly. Great bite, good ball pocketing and control. Looses tension faster than other sided polys but in general its a keeper. The price is pretty good too. Surprised by so many negative comments on this one. Maybe too hyped up??
7)Head Sonic Pro 17 1.25 White (Raquet: Head Speed Graphene MP 19X16 Tension:50lbs)
Pleasantly surprised by this one. I really digged this string. Only bought it because my local tennis shop had it really cheap. It is very comfy and high powered. It has good spin and great feel. It popped quickly though. If at a good price would buy again. It looked awesome on my Head Speed Graphene with a white overgrip.
8)Tecnifibre Razor Code 18 1.20 Blue (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:52lbs).
Very durable, low tension drop, excellent directional control, great spin but it vibrates!!! It did not bother my arm or anything it just felt weird. Everything else is above average. Too bad it is so pricey.
9)YTEX Poly Power Red 1.30(Raquet:Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:51lbs)
Lowered my usual tension 1 pound considering I always hit with 1.26 gauge or less. I was pleasantly surprised with this affordable string. It has great control and unusual feel for a 16 gauge poly. It worked well with my open string pattern rauquet. Spin was ok not great, but more than enough. I felt in command with my shots with above average directional control and would compare this string to Kirshbaum Pro Line II but this one is much better. It popped after 4 days of heavy use. It has above average durability but it is a 16 gauge, that is what I expected. It is also soft on the arm considering most red strings tend to be stiff. For the price I would highly recommend this string.
10)Signum Pro Poly Plasma Orange 17L 1.18(Raquet: Babolat Aero Pro Drive 2013 16X19 Tension:57lbs)
My fav thin poly. It has great feel, awesome spin and above average durability for a thin poly. It is also very powerful. For such a thin string it did not break fast and had above average tension maintainance.
11)Dunlop Black Widow 17 1.26 (Raquet: Dunlop 400 Tour 16X19 Tension:54lbs)
Also Liked this multi sided poly. Much better than Hexonic in spin and ball bite, but very pricey. Somewhat harsh on the arm but does last long. Great bite and control. If it wasn't for the price I would put it higher on my list.
12)YTEX Octotwist 16 Green 1.28 (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff UL 97 18X16 Tension: 53 lbs)
This is a low powered textured poly with good but not great spin. Not a bad string, just not excellent spin or ball grapling. It has decent longevity, good ball control, decent trajectory and holds tension well. Overall a good experience but not worth the 12.25$ asking price. There are better options for spin than the octotwist. If at a discount I may consider this string again.
13)Genesis Typhoon 16L 1.26 Blue (Raquet:Wilson Pro Staff UL 18X16 Tension 52lbs)
Thought I was getting a shaped poly like a Cyclone, RPM or a Black Code but was somewhat surprised I got a textured type poly like an Octo Twist or Rough version of other polys. It held tension well but for a poly marketed for spin, it did not do the job. It had decent spin and decent ball grapling but nothing outstanding. It was also ok on the arm. I did not experience any shoulder or arm discomfort. Typhoon did not have any feel and it popped fast (3 days of heavy use). Im basically not much of a fan of textured polys. Feel is different from rounded and shaped polys. I feel Genesis makes quality strings for the price, but the specs on this one not my cup of tea. Overall an average string but for a good price give it a shot. Might work better in a tighter string pattern.
14)Prince Tour XC 15L Black 1.35 (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:52lbs)
Bought this one because it had a ood price and was pleasantly surprised by it's playability. Gave me lots of directional control, had good feel and ok pop. Only knock on this one gave my shoulder some troubles after 5 to 6 hours of use. Overall highly recomend this 15L string for open string pattern raquets.
15)Genesis Hexonic 16L 1.27 Black (Raquet: Head Speed Graphene MP 19X16 Tension:50lbs) .
It is an Ok sided poly. Good at everything but nothing exceptional. Fellt plasticky and weird. Lost tension quickly after 4 hours of use. On the plus side it does have a good price. Would not consider again and that's saying something cause im a cheapo.
16)Kirschbaum Pro Line II Red 17 1.25(Raquet Babolat Aero Pro Drive 2013 16X19 Tension:57lbs and Wilson Pro Staff LS Tension 52lbs).
Good tension maintanance, durable but somewhat rough on the arm. Spin is ok but not wow. Feel wasn't there. A poly that did not wow me in any sense. Tried it in two different types of raquets to make sure my feelings weren't a fluke and did not like these strings in any of them,
17)Isospeed Baseline Speed 16L 1.25 (Raquet: Dunlop 400 Tour 16X19 Tension:54lbs)
High on the list because of the price, everything else is just blah....poor tension maintainance, avg spin and gets mushy fast. It is really cheap though.
18)Gosen Polylon 17 1.24 Yellow (Raquet: Dunlop 400 Tour 16X19 Tension:54lbs)
Durable, normal tension maintainance but destroyed my arm. Control is there, feel is not. On the plus side it is really cheap.
19)Luxilon Adrenaline Silver 16L 1.25 (Raquet: Dunlop 400 Tour 16X19 Tension:54lbs)
Blech!!! I wanted to try a Luxi string because of their reputation. This string has no feel, rough on the arm and just average at everything. At 10 bucks a pop I felt ripped off.
20)Kirshbaum Super Smash 16L 1.28 Orange (Raquet Babolat Aero Pro Drive 2013 16X19 Tension:57lbs).
Super durable but that is it. Mushy after a couple of hours, hard on the arm and no power and feel. Spin is ok.
21)Head Hawk Touch 18 1.20 (Raquet: Wilson Pro Staff LS 18X16 Tension:52lbs, Dunlop 400 Tour 16X19 Tension:54lbs and Head Graphene Touch Pro 18X20 Tension:51).
Because I love the normal Hawk I tried this one 3 times in 3 different raquets. So disappointed considering the price. Super mushy, no feel, tension loss is awful. Cut it after a couple of hits on all 3 raquets. Proper adjective for this one is FLIMSY.
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