Need help choosing strings for this summer

[FiReFTW]

Current setup

Racquet:

RF97CV with added lead at 12, 9, 3, 350g heavy with 335SW

Strings:

MAINS: Volkl V torque tour 16g @54 lbs
CROSSES: Wilson Revolve 17g @52 lbs


I like how they play, I enjoy the strings, but being full poly stringbed if I tend to play alot for 2-3 days i start to tend to get some sore shoulder or forearm or so.

And since im going to be starting to play competitive league and tournaments this summer and basically play more than ever before I dont want to risk injuries.

So im looking for a more arm friendly setup while hopefuly maintaining the spin and durability somewhat.

I guess the first idea that came to mind was using a natural gut main with the slick wilson cross, that should provide great spin and very soft stringbed, but I think natural gut would be too expensive since i tend to break poly fairly fast and also play on clay and in humid conditions.

So maybe a better alternative would be to keep the volkl main and perhaps string the crosses with a similar slick string similar to revolve but much softer like a multi or syn gut.

But since I dont know that much about this topic I hope you can give me better advice of what would be the best way to go amd maybe some pros and cons and even some string suggestions.

Thanks

 

[fjcamry]

I had similar issues when using 16g full poly . I got myself a stringer , 18L proline ll, 17L proline X, regular kirschbaum 17g syngut and tried different configurations and tensions . I found that I play best with 16G kirschbaum syngut multifilament mains and proline ll 18L cross at 58/52 and will try 58/53 for summer and possibly up to 58/55 depending on how well 53 or 54 plays.

I think for you need to try a cheap reel of kirschbaum plain syngut 17G or 16G in crosses to first see the way that configuration plays. It costs $35 and I still keep the leftover for other my son’s racquet


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[hurworld]

First off, welcome back! Hope all is well at home.

A few non-poly options you can explore and hybrid your V-torque tour with:

Head Velocity cross
Ashaway ZX Pro cross (with thorough pre-stretch)
Softer poly like Isospeed Cream or Tier One Ghostwire cross

Other options:

Velocity full bed
Velocity/OGSM

Lastly, since you have a lot of tournaments coming up, best to stick with one string set-up and keep variability to a minimum.

 

[FiReFTW]

First off, welcome back! Hope all is well at home.

A few non-poly options you can explore and hybrid your V-torque tour with:

Head Velocity cross
Ashaway ZX Pro cross (with thorough pre-stretch)
Softer poly like Isospeed Cream or Tier One Ghostwire cross

Other options:

Velocity full bed
Velocity/OGSM

Lastly, since you have a lot of tournaments coming up, best to stick with one string set-up and keep variability to a minimum.

Cool, lots of info!

Do you recommend changing the tension when trying out ashway and head compared to now when i was using wilson revolve?

 

[hurworld]

Cool, lots of info!

Do you recommend changing the tension when trying out ashway and head compared to now when i was using wilson revolve?

Start with the same tensions as you used before, so that you can compare. Then adjust in subsequent string jobs if required.

 

[IowaGuy]

Careful with poly, TE or GE can be very difficult to get rid of and can affect the rest of your tennis "career."

I play with full bed gut, to not risk injury.

Hoping to still be playing tennis when I'm in my 80's

 

[FiReFTW]

Start with the same tensions as you used before, so that you can compare. Then adjust in subsequent string jobs if required.

I noticed there are two versions, ZX pro and normal ZX, normal is a bit thicker so more durability, wouldnt you rather recommend that, or do you find pro better?

 

[soulfree914]

I can't speak from experience as I only tried combinations of natural gut - poly hybrid, but I remember seeing recommendations on TW website that you could use Wilson Sensation 17 as a budget cross string alternative to natural gut. Babolat Addiction 17 was also mentioned if you need more control.

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[TypeRx]

I noticed there are two versions, ZX pro and normal ZX, normal is a bit thicker so more durability, wouldnt you rather recommend that, or do you find pro better?

I've only used ZX Pro (17 g) so cannot provide a real world eval on durability vs. ZX (16 g). However, I can say with confidence that even the 17g, once you get through the hurdle of stringing it up, has great durability. I get 15+ hours on it in full bed, and 30+ hours on it as a hybrid with a very hearty main (Kevlar 16 or 17g). I have used ZX Pro as a cross for a couple different polys and they simply cannot hold up against the ZXP. With this combo I break strings in 4-6 hours, whereas with full poly I'll get 8-12 hours.

 

[FiReFTW]

I've only used ZX Pro (17 g) so cannot provide a real world eval on durability vs. ZX (16 g). However, I can say with confidence that even the 17g, once you get through the hurdle of stringing it up, has great durability. I get 15+ hours on it in full bed, and 30+ hours on it as a hybrid with a very hearty main (Kevlar 16 or 17g). I have used ZX Pro as a cross for a couple different polys and they simply cannot hold up against the ZXP. With this combo I break strings in 4-6 hours, whereas with full poly I'll get 8-12 hours.

You seem to like it alot then! How would you describe the string? Did you also try head velocity?
Whats ur level and stroke type?

 

[TypeRx]

You seem to like it alot then! How would you describe the string? Did you also try head velocity?
Whats ur level and stroke type?

Well, Ashaway ZXP is certainly not a perfect string. It benefits a lot (tension maintenance) from pre-stretching, is temperamental during stringing (keep under 60 lbs, avoid nicking or tight bends/twists, and hand tie knots), and generates an characteristic sound. It may be to powerful/re-boundy for some, especially if you are used to a stiff poly. Also, I find that the black version performs better than the natural one. Finally, since it is a finicky string I think it is better for the home stringer unless your stringer has experience with this string or is really willing to follow your directions.

But, I do like it, especially when used as a hybrid cross with Kevlar mains. Since there is a lot of discussion about this setup in another thread ("in praise of Kev/ZX"), I won't pollute this thread with much info on that combo. It sounds unorthodox but I find it extremely comfortable, has massive spin potential, and has 30+ hour durability potential. I have also used Ashaway ZXP in a full bed and loved it much of the time but performance/feel was not always consistent stringing to stringing. This may have been due to my pre-stretch or some other factor, I dunno. But, I do think everyone that wants a comfortable string and is okay with some inherent power built-in should try this string.

Ashaway US has a buy one get one free promotion I believe. Email sales@ashawayusa.com to confirm they still have this promo and for other details.

I have tried Head Velocity only once and as a cross for Ashaway ZXP mains. From my notes I strung it up May 2018 and cut it out 3 weeks later but I was rotating between 3 rackets at the time so I don't know how many hours I played with it. I strung it at ZXP 54 lbs and Velocity 56 lbs. I wasn't a fan of the feel of Velocity and it had too much power even at 56 lbs for me. It also began to fray after a couple matches. That is my recollection at least. I never tried it after that, but I must have a 1/2 set sitting in my bin of strings.

I am in a transition between 4.0-4.5 and have a heavy topspin forehand and light topspin or flat 2HBH. I don't dink or push -- a relatively hard hitter. I am an all-courter.

 

[TforTommy]

Had no idea rf97 came with cv,

Anyway soreness/TE or any type of injury caused by your racquet setup should not be taken lightly imo. TE is absolutely something you shouldn't "play on" with

Natural gut is actually very durable, and unless you're a string breaker it's worth it as it keeps its playability duration. It lasted over a month when I first used it in my rf97A

As for crosses I'd recommend yonex poly tour pro and luxilon alu power (smooth). For a cross you'd want to go with something softer and something round as well as a string that holds tension well

If you're not too keen on paying the big amount at first i'd suggest looking into strings such as excel and putting it in a hybrid. Soft but also good control from when I tried it today.

 

[FiReFTW]

Had no idea rf97 came with cv,

Anyway soreness/TE or any type of injury caused by your racquet setup should not be taken lightly imo. TE is absolutely something you shouldn't "play on" with

Natural gut is actually very durable, and unless you're a string breaker it's worth it as it keeps its playability duration. It lasted over a month when I first used it in my rf97A

As for crosses I'd recommend yonex poly tour pro and luxilon alu power (smooth). For a cross you'd want to go with something softer and something round as well as a string that holds tension well

If you're not too keen on paying the big amount at first i'd suggest looking into strings such as excel and putting it in a hybrid. Soft but also good control from when I tried it today.

Thanks, honestly I would love to use gut/poly hybrid, but since I play in humid conditions and on clay in the summer, the gut would probably break in like 2-3 hours of play.

 

[TforTommy]

Thanks, honestly I would love to use gut/poly hybrid, but since I play in humid conditions and on clay in the summer, the gut would probably break in like 2-3 hours of play.

Hey man, if you've got a stinger that can string gut/poly for you at a decent price it can well be worth it.

I'd say give it a go, with a round poly i've found that it is surprisingly durable. especially with string savers like elastacross. I was playing 4 times a day and it still lasted over a month-6 weeks

The gut and coating on gut (especially on wilson natural gut from my experience) is really good and it help up extremely well on clay.

I'd give it a try

 

[Hansen]

But since I dont know that much about this topic I hope you can give me better advice of what would be the best way to go amd maybe some pros and cons and even some string suggestions.

gut/poly would be much more powerful than your current setup. so you would have to raise the tension and use a relatively stiff poly cross to keep the power in check, which counteracts the goal of comfort.
poly/multi is more armfriendly than full poly, but you still have a poly in the mains (which dominate the stringbed) and that is not a good thing if you have armtrouble.

my suggestion would be a low powered multi (in a big diameter) like head velocity or prince premier control in the mains and a soft poly like isospeed cream, tier one ghostwire etc or monogut zyex (presteched !!!! like TypeRX mentioned) in the crosses.

 

[FiReFTW]

gut/poly would be much more powerful than your current setup. so you would have to raise the tension and use a relatively stiff poly cross to keep the power in check, which counteracts the goal of comfort.
poly/multi is more armfriendly than full poly, but you still have a poly in the mains (which dominate the stringbed) and that is not a good thing if you have armtrouble.

my suggestion would be a low powered multi (in a big diameter) like head velocity or prince premier control in the mains and a soft poly like isospeed cream, tier one ghostwire etc or monogut zyex (presteched !!!! like TypeRX mentioned) in the crosses.

Volkl v torque tour is fairly soft for a poly tho, its not that stiff.

Will need to try and see.

I played with much firmer poly strings for longer and had no issues, its just lately that when I play alot i get some issues but its also that I started climbing (bouldering) quite alot, which is contributing to it, need to ease up a bit.

 

[Hansen]

Volkl v torque tour is fairly soft for a poly tho, its not that stiff.

i know, but a poly is a poly.

I started climbing (bouldering) quite alot, which is contributing to it, need to ease up a bit.

https://rockandice.com/climbing-injury-prevention/dodgy-elbows-revisited/

 

[spun_out]

Current setup

Racquet:

RF97CV with added lead at 12, 9, 3, 350g heavy with 335SW

Strings:

MAINS: Volkl V torque tour 16g @54 lbs
CROSSES: Wilson Revolve 17g @52 lbs

Thanks

i would lower the tension first to the 40s; perhaps change to softer poly like cream or ghostwire for the cross. if that doesn't work, i would change the racquet. but before changing the racquet, i would work on my shoulder, massages and exercises. it seems to me that if you want results, this is not the time to change strings. you are going into a season of competition. this is when you want your best setup. maybe you can use softer setup for practice, but for matches, you don't want a setup for comfort. yes, you might injure your arm and may have to deal with long term effects, but you may also roll an ankle or twist your knee. of course, this is if you are on the decline like most high-level players are on this forum. if you have a future, then you should figure out what you can play with even if it means that you are not at your best this season.

 

[Muppet]

Since we're in a season (temperature) change, I would string one racquet softer and keep the racquet in question how it is. The coming warmth may soften your racquet for you.

 

[USPTARF97]

Current setup

Racquet:

RF97CV with added lead at 12, 9, 3, 350g heavy with 335SW

Strings:

MAINS: Volkl V torque tour 16g @54 lbs
CROSSES: Wilson Revolve 17g @52 lbs


I like how they play, I enjoy the strings, but being full poly stringbed if I tend to play alot for 2-3 days i start to tend to get some sore shoulder or forearm or so.

And since im going to be starting to play competitive league and tournaments this summer and basically play more than ever before I dont want to risk injuries.

So im looking for a more arm friendly setup while hopefuly maintaining the spin and durability somewhat.

I guess the first idea that came to mind was using a natural gut main with the slick wilson cross, that should provide great spin and very soft stringbed, but I think natural gut would be too expensive since i tend to break poly fairly fast and also play on clay and in humid conditions.

So maybe a better alternative would be to keep the volkl main and perhaps string the crosses with a similar slick string similar to revolve but much softer like a multi or syn gut.

But since I dont know that much about this topic I hope you can give me better advice of what would be the best way to go amd maybe some pros and cons and even some string suggestions.

Thanks

Cant beat Gut/poly in the RF97. RF97 is a string sensitive frame which seems designed for Gut mains. Not that it matters but they don’t make a RF97 countervail.

 

[FiReFTW]

Cant beat Gut/poly in the RF97. RF97 is a string sensitive frame which seems designed for Gut mains. Not that it matters but they don’t make a RF97 countervail.

Pro Staff 97 CV

https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Wilson_Pro_Staff_97_Countervail_Black/descpageRCWILSON-PS97CV.html

Anyway, as mentioned before, I play in humid conditions and on clay, I break full poly in 8-10 hours of hitting, so I would surely be breaking natural gut few times per week, which is not sustainable financialy, way too much for strings.

 

[USPTARF97]

Pro Staff 97 CV

https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Wilson_Pro_Staff_97_Countervail_Black/descpageRCWILSON-PS97CV.html

Anyway, as mentioned before, I play in humid conditions and on clay, I break full poly in 8-10 hours of hitting, so I would surely be breaking natural gut few times per week, which is not sustainable financialy, way too much for strings.

Good deal, that’s not an RF97. Big difference in string recommendations with that frame. Full poly at 49-50 is hard to beat. Tried poly/syn gut and poly/multi in that frame without CV and it didn’t last long and playability was nothing special. Gut/poly didn’t care for it in the PS97 as much as the RF97.

 

[FiReFTW]

After few weeks of experimentations im back at square 1.

Poly/Multi doesnt work, at start its good but the multi gets notched up very fast and then the stringbed loses spin potential and it also lasts 3-5h before breaking

Poly/Poly i tried the soft polys like tier one etc but the stringbed is still too stiff and harsh when you play for hours

So im not sure now what to do but at least i figured out these few setups dont particularly work.

Im wondering would poly/syngut work? Any smooth slick syngut? Or does it also notch fast like multi?

Really trying to figure out how to make the setup more comfortable but not losing much spin, the shaped poly/smooth poly has great spin but like I said its harsh when playing a ton..

 

[IowaGuy]

After few weeks of experimentations im back at square 1.

Poly/Multi doesnt work, at start its good but the multi gets notched up very fast and then the stringbed loses spin potential and it also lasts 3-5h before breaking

Poly/Poly i tried the soft polys like tier one etc but the stringbed is still too stiff and harsh when you play for hours

So im not sure now what to do but at least i figured out these few setups dont particularly work.

Im wondering would poly/syngut work? Any smooth slick syngut? Or does it also notch fast like multi?

Really trying to figure out how to make the setup more comfortable but not losing much spin, the shaped poly/smooth poly has great spin but like I said its harsh when playing a ton..

Gut/poly is nice but expensive, you might get 10-15 hours with 16g gut mains...

It can be a good compromise between spin and comfort...

 

[IowaGuy]

When you get old like me you can start thinking about full bed gut for ultimate comfort and touch

 

[FiReFTW]

Gut/poly is nice but expensive, you might get 10-15 hours with 16g gut mains...

It can be a good compromise between spin and comfort...

Yes but considering my full bed poly breaks in 7-9hours im quite afraid about gut, specialy on clay and humid conditions.
Im afraid i wont get 4 hours out of it before breaking lol.

 

[blai212]

i like signum pro poly plasma 18g as a cross...very soft low powered copoly that maintains tension well. As for the main, you could try soft shaped copoly at low tension if you’re seeking durability, if you want comfort, head velocity is a multi that provides snapback similar to a poly with the feel of a multi...might not last that long tho. I tried velocity in the crosses and the paint shredded off the string because the mains were grinding against the crosses. I have plenty of SPPP 18g, velocity 17g black if you’re interested in trade/deal, jus PM me
B


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[IowaGuy]

Yes but considering my full bed poly breaks in 7-9hours im quite afraid about gut, specialy on clay and humid conditions.
Im afraid i wont get 4 hours out of it before breaking lol.

Clay can definitely be rough on gut.

But, if your arm is feeling it a little, and depending how much of an issue $$$ is, it might be worth trying gut/poly...

Especially a gut with a good protective coating like Tough Gut.

 

[esgee48]

Have you tried a set of Ashaway Crossfire? The one with Kevlar mains and ZX Pro crosses? That combo is very durable. But your stringer has to be careful installing the ZXP. @graycrait has used this combo without high differentials for himself and several D1 'customers', so maybe he will chime in.

If you are looking for a slippery cross, ZX or Bab SpiralTek [SG] are both very slippery. ST is also soft for an SG.

 

[FiReFTW]

Have you tried a set of Ashaway Crossfire? The one with Kevlar mains and ZX Pro crosses? That combo is very durable. But your stringer has to be careful installing the ZXP. @graycrait has used this combo without high differentials for himself and several D1 'customers', so maybe he will chime in.

If you are looking for a slippery cross, ZX or Bab SpiralTek [SG] are both very slippery. ST is also soft for an SG.

Is the syntetic gut more durable than multifilament strings? The multi tends to notch extremely fast for me, after 1-2 hours its all busted and torn all over, but its true that my main string is a shaped poly so that might accelerate things.

 

[hurworld]

Is the syntetic gut more durable than multifilament strings? The multi tends to notch extremely fast for me, after 1-2 hours its all busted and torn all over, but its true that my main string is a shaped poly so that might accelerate things.

If you want to keep using shaped poly main, try Monogut ZX cross. Just be sure to pre-stretch the ZX string thoroughly.

If you want to move away from poly main, give Kevlar/ZX hybrid a try, as @esgee48 pointed out. I started trying first with Ashaway's Crossfire ZX hybrid pack first and like it a lot, and strung my APD2013 subequently with this hybrid.

 

[graycrait]

@esgee48 and @FiReFTW , The local Wilson dealer offered me a PS97 to use for a while but after 10 minutes I gave it back. The racket itself was doing something to my arm I didn't like. I had previously had issues with Blades 18x20s for some reason so stay away from all non-Prince rackets now. I gave my DR Yonex away to a friend. I so wanted a "cool" modern players racket I am 64 and have had several arm incidents, some tennis related some not. I essentially have given up on nearly all tennis string other than Ashaway Kevlar x Zyex. I string a couple of buddies rackets with poly when they ask but they don't have the racket head speed to really use poly to its advantage. I tell them but it is like talking to the wall. Ash Kev x Zyex gives me some poly like attributes but with durability and playability throughout the stringbed's life. It settles in to a very comfortable stringbed in an hr or 2 of hitting. I hit 250 serves day before yesterday using a 28" 14x18 Michael Chang Ti 95" Longbody strung with Ash Kev x Zyex at 65/55 reference tension with no arm issue. People freak out when you mention Ashaway Kevlar at 65lbs. Within 24 hrs and about an hour's worth of playing I estimate the Ash Kev has dropped to the low 50s and hovers at that point till it breaks. Ashaway Kevlar is not manufactured like any other aramid/kevlar tennis string and its behavior in the racket is quite different from other kevlar strings. I have tried many strings in combination with Ashaway Kevlar and think Zyex is the best cross. Heck, I have a couple of Princes strung full bed Zyex and they play fine but lack some control I apparently need and get from Ash Kev x Zyex.

 

[fuzz nation]

Is the syntetic gut more durable than multifilament strings? The multi tends to notch extremely fast for me, after 1-2 hours its all busted and torn all over, but its true that my main string is a shaped poly so that might accelerate things.

I don't play polys or hybrids myself, but I've had great luck with using Gosen OGSM 16 as a cross when I do basic poly hybrids for some locals. It's only mildly more firm than a typical multifiber, but seems to age much better than a multi when combined with a poly main.

I don't generally recommend poly or poly hybrids for locals unless they're blowing out multi or syn. gut beds in a big hurry. But the layout that I offer for anybody getting into the poly realm of strings is a hybrid of Isospeed Baseline 1.20mm mains and Gosen OGSM 16 crosses. The light gauge poly is definitely less harsh than heavier options and the skinny poly doesn't turn as drastically dead in a hybrid as it might in a full bed. If you can't resist the poly, I'd say try a few hybrids with really light gauge mains - they seem to play about as firm as a snug full bed of 16 ga. syn. gut.

If you want to go for a layout that's softer than those hybrids which include a poly main, you might want to reverse the hybrid so that you have softer mains and then support them with something a little more firm. The guy I work with in the summer where I teach uses NXT multi mains and Luxilon Element crosses. A layout like that would be a little pricey for me, but I already get plenty of comfort with full beds of syn. gut.

A more affordable layout could be something like Forten Sweet 16 mains and a "soft poly" cross like Isospeed Cream. I try to keep Forten Sweet 16 handy because it's the softest syn. gut I know. It can often work as a decent (and affordable) alternative to a more expensive multifiber.

I was also thinking about suggesting a kevlar hybrid, but our pals above have more insight with those than I do. I haven't put kevlar in a anybody's racquet in a long time, but I found a half reel of 17 ga. Ashaway hiding in a box of old stuff, so I may have an experiment on the way.

 

[FiReFTW]

I don't play polys or hybrids myself, but I've had great luck with using Gosen OGSM 16 as a cross when I do basic poly hybrids for some locals. It's only mildly more firm than a typical multifiber, but seems to age much better than a multi when combined with a poly main.

I don't generally recommend poly or poly hybrids for locals unless they're blowing out multi or syn. gut beds in a big hurry. But the layout that I offer for anybody getting into the poly realm of strings is a hybrid of Isospeed Baseline 1.20mm mains and Gosen OGSM 16 crosses. The light gauge poly is definitely less harsh than heavier options and the skinny poly doesn't turn as drastically dead in a hybrid as it might in a full bed. If you can't resist the poly, I'd say try a few hybrids with really light gauge mains - they seem to play about as firm as a snug full bed of 16 ga. syn. gut.

If you want to go for a layout that's softer than those hybrids which include a poly main, you might want to reverse the hybrid so that you have softer mains and then support them with something a little more firm. The guy I work with in the summer where I teach uses NXT multi mains and Luxilon Element crosses. A layout like that would be a little pricey for me, but I already get plenty of comfort with full beds of syn. gut.

A more affordable layout could be something like Forten Sweet 16 mains and a "soft poly" cross like Isospeed Cream. I try to keep Forten Sweet 16 handy because it's the softest syn. gut I know. It can often work as a decent (and affordable) alternative to a more expensive multifiber.

I was also thinking about suggesting a kevlar hybrid, but our pals above have more insight with those than I do. I haven't put kevlar in a anybody's racquet in a long time, but I found a half reel of 17 ga. Ashaway hiding in a box of old stuff, so I may have an experiment on the way.

1.20mm poly won't work, I use 1.30mm, even 1.25mm breaks too fast.

I think im gonna try monogut zx pro for a cross with my poly mains and see how that goes... hopefully its muct softer and comfortable than wilson revolve cross im using now and that I will like it better overall.

 

[FiReFTW]

poly/poly hybrid is not bad when I play an average amount, but last weekend when I had alot of friends tell me they wanna play and I ended up playing 7-8 hours that weekend my shoulder and forearm muscles were quite sore for a couple days, and im gonna play alot now in the summer so yeah, its not the best idea, I need to look at the long term and not destroy my body now when im still young.

I really wish i could use gut/poly combo but its just too expensive, it would cost like 40€ (45$ I think) for stringing it up, and I have a feeling it wouldn't last more than 3-5hours before breaking, which means I would be stringing 2-3 times per week, so thats like 600$ per month total haha.

So yeah I think im gonna try monogut zx pro for crosses instead of wilson revolve now, and I hope it softens up the stringbed enough... if not maybe il try some syngut like that babolat spiraltek or something..

 

[fuzz nation]

poly/poly hybrid is not bad when I play an average amount, but last weekend when I had alot of friends tell me they wanna play and I ended up playing 7-8 hours that weekend my shoulder and forearm muscles were quite sore for a couple days, and im gonna play alot now in the summer so yeah, its not the best idea, I need to look at the long term and not destroy my body now when im still young.

I really wish i could use gut/poly combo but its just too expensive, it would cost like 40€ (45$ I think) for stringing it up, and I have a feeling it wouldn't last more than 3-5hours before breaking, which means I would be stringing 2-3 times per week, so thats like 600$ per month total haha.

So yeah I think im gonna try monogut zx pro for crosses instead of wilson revolve now, and I hope it softens up the stringbed enough... if not maybe il try some syngut like that babolat spiraltek or something..

I like a rather heavy racquet myself, but I know that my forearm can fatigue rather quickly if I don't have a comfortable degree of head-light balance with that sort of frame. If you haven't experimented with that, you might want to add a little weight to your handle to see how you do with another point or two of HL balance.

Actually you've got weight added to your hoop - that racquet sounds like it's begging for a little counterbalancing. Lighter frames can get too twitchy and unpredictable with too much HL balance (for me), but my regular players (two models) are tuned up to 12.5 and 12.7 oz. including about 11 pts. HL balance. One more consideration.

 

[FiReFTW]

A few non-poly options you can explore and hybrid your V-torque tour with:


Ashaway ZX Pro cross (with thorough pre-stretch)

At last got my zx pro 12m set, and strung it with v torque.

Stringer broke the first try, but 2nd was successful... I need to replace those little grommets, they are quite used up and sharp.

Went 2lbs up on mains and crosses since zx is supposed to be powerful.

Only went to hit against a wall today and practice some serves, so still have no feedback during play but..

First impressions:

1.Holy cow this is as comfortable setup as ive ever had, wow, a HUGE difference from Torque/Revolve, it feels SO SOFT, it feels great.
2.I really like the feel, I seem to feel the ball better, better touch and feel
3.It has a pingy sound unless you spin the ball alot then it has the characteristic brush sound or hit the ball very hard so it has a pop sound, but I don't mind the ping sound at all.
4.Feels great serving, holy moly it certainly has more pop than torque/revolve, I can feel it, the serves were huge like a cannon, I would honestly be extremely suprized if I didn't hit most serves quite well over 100mph

Im quite excited to see how it works out during play

 

[SavvyStringer]

Current setup

Racquet:

RF97CV with added lead at 12, 9, 3, 350g heavy with 335SW

Strings:

MAINS: Volkl V torque tour 16g @54 lbs
CROSSES: Wilson Revolve 17g @52 lbs


I like how they play, I enjoy the strings, but being full poly stringbed if I tend to play alot for 2-3 days i start to tend to get some sore shoulder or forearm or so.

And since im going to be starting to play competitive league and tournaments this summer and basically play more than ever before I dont want to risk injuries.

So im looking for a more arm friendly setup while hopefuly maintaining the spin and durability somewhat.

I guess the first idea that came to mind was using a natural gut main with the slick wilson cross, that should provide great spin and very soft stringbed, but I think natural gut would be too expensive since i tend to break poly fairly fast and also play on clay and in humid conditions.

So maybe a better alternative would be to keep the volkl main and perhaps string the crosses with a similar slick string similar to revolve but much softer like a multi or syn gut.

But since I dont know that much about this topic I hope you can give me better advice of what would be the best way to go amd maybe some pros and cons and even some string suggestions.

Thanks

Switch the cross to Gamma TNT2. You'll snap mains before the cross goes but it'll still soften the string bed.

 

[hurworld]

At last got my zx pro 12m set, and strung it with v torque.

Stringer broke the first try, but 2nd was successful... I need to replace those little grommets, they are quite used up and sharp.

Went 2lbs up on mains and crosses since zx is supposed to be powerful.

Only went to hit against a wall today and practice some serves, so still have no feedback during play but..

First impressions:

1.Holy cow this is as comfortable setup as ive ever had, wow, a HUGE difference from Torque/Revolve, it feels SO SOFT, it feels great.
2.I really like the feel, I seem to feel the ball better, better touch and feel
3.It has a pingy sound unless you spin the ball alot then it has the characteristic brush sound or hit the ball very hard so it has a pop sound, but I don't mind the ping sound at all.
4.Feels great serving, holy moly it certainly has more pop than torque/revolve, I can feel it, the serves were huge like a cannon, I would honestly be extremely suprized if I didn't hit most serves quite well over 100mph

Im quite excited to see how it works out during play

I didn't like the ping sound when I first tried it using Crossfire ZX pack. Ended up putting in a dampener to silence it. After a while, however, the stringbed seemed to have settled down and I could remove the dampener and play without the distracting ping sound.

Glad you liked ZX as cross! It really is under-appreciated.

 

[FiReFTW]

I didn't like the ping sound when I first tried it using Crossfire ZX pack. Ended up putting in a dampener to silence it. After a while, however, the stringbed seemed to have settled down and I could remove the dampener and play without the distracting ping sound.

Glad you liked ZX as cross! It really is under-appreciated.

Tried playing today, I really like the setup, nice spin, extremely comfortable on the arm, good power.. the only question mark now is durability, if it lasts long enough its a gold mine!

I need to replace my grommets tho, they are quite used up and stringer had some problems since it cuts through the string when making a knot.

 

[hurworld]

Tried playing today, I really like the setup, nice spin, extremely comfortable on the arm, good power.. the only question mark now is durability, if it lasts long enough its a gold mine!

I need to replace my grommets tho, they are quite used up and stringer had some problems since it cuts through the string when making a knot.

Bet you good money ZX is gonna out-last your V-Torque.

Yeah replacing your grommets is not a bad idea, since they have already damaged your ZX string once already.

 

[TypeRx]

Tried playing today, I really like the setup, nice spin, extremely comfortable on the arm, good power.. the only question mark now is durability, if it lasts long enough its a gold mine!

I need to replace my grommets tho, they are quite used up and stringer had some problems since it cuts through the string when making a knot.

ZX/ZXP is very sensitive to sharp bends or any uneven surface in the grommets that can snag it. Fresh grommets are never a bad idea or at least tube on the ones that are iffy.

I could get ~15 hours on full-bed ZXP before breaking. Poly (main)/ZX (cross) only lasted a 3-4 hours as the poly breaks quickly. ZX mains will also quickly saw through just about any cross string.