Need input (TW staff too): Kirschbaum Pro Line X 17 vs Volkl Cyclone 17

[burrowthebird]

I'm currently using Dunlop's Black Widow 17 in my Volkl Powerbridge 10 Mid, strung at 55 pounds. Enjoying it but I want to try out either the Pro Line X 17 or Cyclone 17. How would each of those 2 strings compare to each other at around 55 or so pounds? Power, spin, tension maintanence/playability duration?

Thanks!

 

[TW Staff]

Hi burrowthebird,

Check out our handy Tennis Warehouse String Tool.

It will allow you to research the comfort, spin and power of these strings. There is no category for tension maintenance, but our playtesters were particularly impressed with the playability duration of Pro Line X.

Hope this is useful,
Jon

 

[Overdrive]

Jon,

Are you a new member of Tennis Warehouse? Welcome to the family!

Question: Is there any data on the Boris Becker hero gut?

 

[burrowthebird]

Hey Jon,

Thanks for your input. I have played around with the tool rather extensively already. However, after having tested quite a wide range of polys, I realized that sometimes numbers don't equate to how it really plays and feels (in my own opinion). That is why I am hoping to get feedback from players who have already tried either or both strings.

Cheers!

 

[Galdust]

Hi! I've started to playtest these two strings myself. Have played with the Cyclone for 3 hours and the Pro Line X for only 1 hour, so I'm not that familiar with the strings yet. I also strung the Cyclone at 55 lbs and the Pro Line X at 51 lbs.

Feel: They are both pretty soft for polys, but Cyclone feels more crisp, while PLX feels more muted.
Power: Pretty equal. Both are medium powered polys I'd say.
Spin: I noticed more spin with Cyclone
Control: Depends on your strokes I guess. PLX felt very nice for flat shots while you get that extra margin on topspin strokes due to Cyclone's spin potential.

As for how long they hold playability, 1 and 3 hours of course isn't enough to tell you anything about that, but it seems like PLX gets a lot of praise for it's ability to hold tension fairly well.

This is just my own view after having just started to test the strings Bear in mind the tension difference I strung them at.

 

[burrowthebird]

Great stuff I appreciate it. I guess then the PLX should be less powerful than Cyclone since you strung it 4lbs lower but noticed same the power level. The feel might also change when strung at equal tension.

More comments please!

 

[phanker]

I thinking of hybriding the 2 actually with the PLX in the crosses. I love the spin I get with the Cyclone but it stiffen up too quickly. It could be a good combo if I account for that and string the main Cyclone a bit lower than the cross PLX.

 

[Backhanded Compliment]

I have been using Cyclone 17 in the mains and Super smash orange in the crosses. Its good and not too different from what you propose. It looks great too.

Cyclone is very spinny and every once and a while it produces a ball that is just uncommanly spinny. It a is perhaps the best return string I have ever used. Cyclone 18 is even better.

 

[burrowthebird]

Cool. So is Cyclone really that stiff? I'm more geared towards a softer poly. Not super soft, more of somewhere around medium stiffness. I string my racquets a full bed of poly (I do not enjoy syn gut or multis due to my stroke and playstyle), hence the love for softer polys.

 

[Galdust]

If you want a softer version of Cyclone, you could check out Tourna BHB7:

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Reviews/UBHBK17/UBHBK17Review.html

"Andy - "I feel like I say this a lot, but it felt a lot like Volkl Cyclone, which is also a black, shaped string. I found this string to be much softer than Cyclone, though, so I strung it a few pounds tighter than I would with Cyclone. However, the excellent ball pocketing, great feel and excellent spin potential were very similar to Cyclone."

 

[Backhanded Compliment]

Yes, Id say Cyclone is stiff, but it is also more comfortable that that stiffness would suggest. It also lasts a really long time with fantastic dwell time (explaining the spin and excellence on returns).

 

[jonestim]

If you want a softer version of Cyclone, you could check out Tourna BHB7:

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Reviews/UBHBK17/UBHBK17Review.html

"Andy - "I feel like I say this a lot, but it felt a lot like Volkl Cyclone, which is also a black, shaped string. I found this string to be much softer than Cyclone, though, so I strung it a few pounds tighter than I would with Cyclone. However, the excellent ball pocketing, great feel and excellent spin potential were very similar to Cyclone."

BHB7 is a great string, but a bit of a mayfly. When I first put it in a racquet it is amazing for me - soft (for a poly), gallons of spin. After a couple outings it seems to just be average. After 6-8 hours it is meh. Ideally I would be restringing this every 6 hrs. When I string up fresh BHB7 I think "yep, going to buy a reel of this," but then after a few days I rethink it because I don't want to restring that often.

Pro Line X isn't as nice out of gate, but I probably have 12 hours on it and it is still playing great. It is the longest lasting poly I have tried and I am considering getting a reel.