Playtest: Babolat RPM Blast 16g VS Solinco Tour Bite 16g VS Dunlop Black Widow 16g

[Murrayalmagrofan]

Racquet: Slazenger Pro Braided 95

All racquets were freshly strung yesterday afternoon and allowed to sit for 24 hours before I played with them this evening. Set-ups were as follows:

A: Dunlop Black Widow 16g @ 60lbs

B: Solinco Tour Bite 16g @ 52lbs

C: Babolat RPM Blast 16g @ 55lbs

For a little background, see this thread: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=434398

RPM Blast has been my "go to" set-up over the last 3+ months and after playing around with tensions, I found it performed best at 55lbs. The tensions of the other set-ups were arrived at based reviews I've read on the strings as well as from the input by members of this forum.

After a solid 2 hour hitting session with groundstrokes, volleys and serves, my initial thoughts are as follows:


RPM Blast
This was my control for the test and felt like an old friend. Great access to topspin, solid power and decent feel. No surprises here. I always enjoy playing with a fresh set of these strings, but I've found the durability and tension maintenance to be lacking. I'd rate this string a 8.5/10

Dunlop Black Widow
Solid topspin! With the higher string tension, control felt exceptional, however, I felt the power was down a notch or two compared to the RPM Blast (sweetspot felt smaller). I couldn't really get the pop I wanted on my groundstrokes or serves. The string felt 'softer' on the arm compared to the RPM Blast, but I found the feel suffered as a result. I've been told this string has an initial dip in tension and then stabilizes. I'll see how it performs as the strings loosen up (hopefully the power level will go up). I found my groundstrokes tended to land a bit shorter in the court due to extra topspin and slightly weaker pace (compared to the RPM Blast). I'd rate this string initially at 7.5/10

Solinco Tour Bite
Wow! This could be my new string of choice. Topspin is unreal. My inside-out-forehand was downright lethal! Control and feel were as good as the RPM Blast. Power felt like it was up a notch over the RPM - almost as if my racquet had a slightly larger sweetspot. 1st serve had as much pace as the RPM Blast. My hitting partner (5.0 player) felt my kick serves were getting up another 6-12" and he was having a little more difficulty returning them. He also remarked that my shots were closer to the baseline and felt 'heavier' compared to the other two set-ups. I'd rate this string initially at a 9.0-9.5/10

I'll update my thoughts on these three different string set-ups as I play with them some more this week...

 

[The Meat]

Never tried Black Widow, thanks for the playtest!

You should definitely include Black Code into the playtest, fits the spin oriented string category.

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

Never tried Black Widow, thanks for the playtest!

You should definitely include Black Code into the playtest, fits the spin oriented string category.

Interesting suggestion...

The new strings I'm trying against my "go to" RPM Blast are found near the very top of this list on TWU:

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

They do not list a spin potential value for the Tecnifibre Black Code 16g, but it is listed as 4.6 for the 18g and 4.2 for the 17g.

The RPM Blast 16g has a spin potential of 4.8, while the Tour Bite 16g is 6.7 and the Black Widow 16g is 6.2.

It may also be worth mentioning that I can't play with a gauge smaller than 16g due to the power of my game. 17g strings typically last just 3-4 hrs of playing time, while I can pop 18g string in just 3-4 service games.

 

[Torres]

You've skewed your own review because you've strung BW at an absurdly high tension compared to the others.

 

[sansaephanh]

You've skewed your own review because you've strung BW at an absurdly high tension compared to the others.

agreed. Tension needs to be constant in all three rackets for a more accurate comparison. All three are polys and polys are notorious for sucking at higher tensions.

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

You've skewed your own review because you've strung BW at an absurdly high tension compared to the others.

I was advised to string BW tighter than the others b/c it had a significant initial drop in tension, and then stabilized. I'll seee how it performs as the strings loosen up.

agreed. Tension needs to be constant in all three rackets for a more accurate comparison. All three are polys and polys are notorious for sucking at higher tensions.

Good to know. If the BW continues to feel underpowered, I may just have to restring it at a lower tension. However, I was repeatedly advised to string it in the 60-62lb range, and I went with the lower tension. :?

 

[ChadW]

Great Thread

Thanks for the playtest. I'm eager to see how you ultimately rate each string.

I'm a big fan of RPM Blast, but am searching around for cheaper alternatives. I've got Solinco Tour Bite in a hybrid now, and I'm not crazy about it. I may try it in a full bed.

I also have some Tourna Big Hitter Black 7 and Blue Rough to try out. Wonder what others' opinions are of these two in comparison.

 

[Bartelby]

It may be right to string these as you did, but once you made the tension different you were no longer in a position to do a comparative review.

I was advised to string BW tighter than the others b/c it had a significant initial drop in tension, and then stabilized. I'll seee how it performs as the strings loosen up.

Good to know. If the BW continues to feel underpowered, I may just have to restring it at a lower tension. However, I was repeatedly advised to string it in the 60-62lb range, and I went with the lower tension. :?

 

[sundaypunch]

Those Pro Braided's are one of my favorite paint jobs of all time......

 

[Torres]

However, I was repeatedly advised to string it in the 60-62lb range, and I went with the lower tension.

It doesn't necessarily follow that simply because a poly is one of the softer co-polys that they should be strung in the stratosphere.

Some polys simply work best at a certain tension, and increasing the tension beyond a certain point just makes them worse.

That seems to be borne out by your playtest comments - small sweetspot (too high a tension), lack of pop (too high a tension) and short balls (too high a tension, or racquet / player related) - because those are comments you wouldn't normally associate with Black Widow.

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

It may be right to string these as you did, but once you made the tension different you were no longer in a position to do a comparative review.

My goal was to test each string within its 'optimal' tension range. For example, stringing all three racquets at 55lbs tension, may have yielded comments like - you strung the TB too stiff or the BW too loose.

I guess you can't please everyone. I was only looking to share my thoughts with the members here. YMMV...

Those Pro Braided's are one of my favorite paint jobs of all time......

Thanks. I'm loving my three sticks!!!

It doesn't necessarily follow that simply because a poly is one of the softer co-polys that they should be strung in the stratosphere.

Some polys simply work best at a certain tension, and increasing the tension beyond a certain point just makes them worse.

That seems to be borne out by your playtest comments - small sweetspot (too high a tension), lack of pop (too high a tension) and short balls (too high a tension, or racquet / player related) - because those are comments you wouldn't normally associate with Black Widow.

I agree with your comments. Do you have experience with Black Widow? If so, what tension range has worked best for you?

 

[mikeler]

Obviously, reducing the number of variables is desirable when comparing strings. On the other hand, your information is still useful to the TTW community so thanks for sharing.

 

[Torres]

It may be right to string these as you did, but once you made the tension different you were no longer in a position to do a comparative review.

Given how different the strings are, he's right to string them at different tensions even for a comparative review, but the tension differentials are a bit too much on this occasion. In the case of BW16 at least, 60lbs isn't the optimum tension.

 

[sansaephanh]

optimum is subjective imo(within reason of course). Some guys string poly at 60+ and swear its the best thing in the world. If a lowly 3.0-4.0 like me can feel the difference in 2lbs of tension then having BW at 60 seems to be the reason you found bw to have a small sweetspot and for it to feel boardy.

Either way, your reviews are aligned with what many others feel with these strings so we at least know, that you know what you're feeling lol.

 

[Torres]

Do you have experience with Black Widow? If so, what tension range has worked best for you?

I've only played with 17, but I know from playing with various strings across different gauges that they can perform quite differently even if they're of the same type. Personally I would start BW at the same tension as RPM and then adjust upwards as necessary.

 

[cluckcluck]

I was advised to string BW tighter than the others b/c it had a significant initial drop in tension, and then stabilized. I'll seee how it performs as the strings loosen up.

That's interesting, Dunlop told me that BW should be strung at least 4 pounds lower than normal.

 

[Muppet]

There's about a 5 lb. difference between constant pull and lock out machines. Is this making any difference here?

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

I've only played with 17, but I know from playing with various strings across different gauges that they can perform quite differently even if they're of the same type. Personally I would start BW at the same tension as RPM and then adjust upwards as necessary.

Gotcha. If I give BW another try, I'll try a starting tension of 55lbs. I must say, as I play with it more and more, it's feeling better (more like RPM). After my hit tonight, I'd probably revise my rating to 8.0/10.

However, TB is just in a class by itself at the moment for me. I'm beating up on my 5.0 hitting partner with these strings. Those low balls that land in the middle of the court that can be tricky to hit are absolutely effortless with TB. Even my slice backhand seems to be better. I'm getting really close to pulling the trigger on a reel of this stuff...

That's interesting, Dunlop told me that BW should be strung at least 4 pounds lower than normal.

For your typical club/league player, that could very well be good advice. But I followed the advice of some heavy hitters (like myself) who suggested a higher starting tension, and this could prove to be a perfect suggestion as the strings drop in tension and come into their optimal tension range.

I have an 8.5 combo league match tomorrow and I'll have to see which string set-up I go with. Part of me says go with the TB, the other part says go with the RPM as I know what to expect at all times. We'll see...maybe I'll reach for the BW as it's being playing better and better...

 

[ewberner]

Go for the BW. It will keep getting better the more you hit with it.

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

Go for the BW. It will keep getting better the more you hit with it.

It's playing like RPM the more I hit with it. The TB is in another class...

 

[Jay_The_Nomad]

Can you elaborate on the differences between rpm blast and tour bite in terms of its current fresh playing characteristics?

Particularly stiffness/softness, power and spin.

I have tried RPM blast before so a comparison would be useful for me to gauge how tour bite plays since I have never played with it before. I'm still trying a few 3 other strings and would probably buy a pack of tour bite to try after that.

Gotcha. If I give BW another try, I'll try a starting tension of 55lbs. I must say, as I play with it more and more, it's feeling better (more like RPM). After my hit tonight, I'd probably revise my rating to 8.0/10.

However, TB is just in a class by itself at the moment for me. I'm beating up on my 5.0 hitting partner with these strings. Those low balls that land in the middle of the court that can be tricky to hit are absolutely effortless with TB. Even my slice backhand seems to be better. I'm getting really close to pulling the trigger on a reel of this stuff...

For your typical club/league player, that could very well be good advice. But I followed the advice of some heavy hitters (like myself) who suggested a higher starting tension, and this could prove to be a perfect suggestion as the strings drop in tension and come into their optimal tension range.

I have an 8.5 combo league match tomorrow and I'll have to see which string set-up I go with. Part of me says go with the TB, the other part says go with the RPM as I know what to expect at all times. We'll see...maybe I'll reach for the BW as it's being playing better and better...

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

If you click on this link that takes you to TWU: http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/stringfinder/stringfinder.php

Select Solinco Tour Bite 16 (tied for 2nd in the Spin Potential category), then use the drop down box to compare it directly to RPM Blast 16.

According to TWU, TB is 15% softer than RPM Blast, but I can honestly say that I can't tell the difference in stiffness between the two strings when I'm hitting. I don't have arm issues, but after 2+ hours of hard hitting & serving, my arm feels 'fresher' with the TB than it did with the RPM.

Power is even between the two strings according to TWU, but, b/c TB has an optimum tension of 52lbs (as opposed to 55lbs for RPM), the sweetspot of my racquet feels slightly bigger with TB. I also get an awesome 'pop' sound when I connect groundstrokes/serves to the sweetspot of the racquet (sounds a lot like Luxilon BB). One other benefit I notice, is that I have as much control with the TB at 52lbs as I do with the RPM at 55lbs.

Spin is great with the RPM, and I never had a problem generating copious amounts of topspin. However, my slice shots were always a little lacking. With the TB, my topspin shots arc even more sharply, and my slice shots are lethal again. I feel like the strings are 'pocketing' the ball better and allowing me to do what I want with it.

Best part, TB is only $11.50 on TW (compared to $16.95 for RPM and $12.95 for BW). So independent of price, TB is better for my game than RPM and BW. When price is factored in...it becomes a no-brainer.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask me anything else...

-Chike

Can you elaborate on the differences between rpm blast and tour bite in terms of its current fresh playing characteristics?

Particularly stiffness/softness, power and spin.

I have tried RPM blast before so a comparison would be useful for me to gauge how tour bite plays since I have never played with it before. I'm still trying a few 3 other strings and would probably buy a pack of tour bite to try after that.

 

[RetroSpin]

I think if you dropped the TB tension down into the low 40's, you would be amazed. Have you tried BHBR?

 

[ACDC]

Worst is RPM! Tour Bite is the best between the 3, also in hybrid.

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

I think if you dropped the TB tension down into the low 40's, you would be amazed. Have you tried BHBR?

Isn't that only available in 17g?

 

[Federerkblade]

it would be really useful if somone could advise on playing with tour bite 16 1.30 in the 40s i currently have it at 49/47.

has anyone played with it lower and does it get better lower and if so how ?

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

it would be really useful if somone could advise on playing with tour bite 16 1.30 in the 40s i currently have it at 49/47.

has anyone played with it lower and does it get better lower and if so how ?

Agreed.

I've never tried playing with any string at this low of a tension. Perhaps TB will be the first...

 

[mrmo1115]

Jeezus I wish my racquets could look as new as yours. And superb gripping job I might add! Question are those the Luxilon O Damps you got there?

 

[ewberner]

Jeezus I wish my racquets could look as new as yours. And superb gripping job I might add! Question are those the Luxilon O Damps you got there?

They look like the Tourna O damps.

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

Jeezus I wish my racquets could look as new as yours. And superb gripping job I might add! Question are those the Luxilon O Damps you got there?

Thanks! x2

They look like the Tourna O damps.

Ding! ding! You are correct. They're the Pete Sampras Tourna O dampeners.

My OCD requires me to set-up my racquets identically - down to the color of the O damps. LOL!

 

[ewberner]

You should get the white ones!

 

[jjs891]

it would be really useful if somone could advise on playing with tour bite 16 1.30 in the 40s i currently have it at 49/47.

has anyone played with it lower and does it get better lower and if so how ?

I have my n95 16x18 strung with TB at 40 lbs, crank machine.

Pocketing is amazing and pretty soft feeling for poly at that tension. Launch angle is higher which I like since I tend to hit more line drive topspin with N95.

I don't think I lost much control either so if my arm holds up, it's a great set-up.

So far so good.

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

You should get the white ones!

I have black, red and white ones. I prefered the look of black ones.

I have my n95 16x18 strung with TB at 40 lbs, crank machine.

Pocketing is amazing and pretty soft feeling for poly at that tension. Launch angle is higher which I like since I tend to hit more line drive topspin with N95.

I don't think I lost much control either so if my arm holds up, it's a great set-up.

So far so good.

Is this a full bed of TB at 40lbs?

I might try going down a bit on my next string job. 52lbs feels great, but I could always string one racquet at 45lbs and adjust from there...

 

[jxrojas]

I subscribe to the 40-ish tension recommendation. I currently use TB 17 @ 44/42 on my BLX PS Six.One 90 and feels amazing!! Not looking back to any other string now!

 

[jjs891]

I have black, red and white ones. I prefered the look of black ones.

Is this a full bed of TB at 40lbs?

I might try going down a bit on my next string job. 52lbs feels great, but I could always string one racquet at 45lbs and adjust from there...

yes sorry i missed that on previous post

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

Final Assessment...

I've now logged several hours playing with each string set-up. My test culminated with a doubles practice this morning where I played 1 set of doubles with each string set-up.

The order in which I played with the string set-ups today: Dunlop Black Widow -> Babolat RPM Blast -> Solinco Tour Bite

#3: Babolat RPM Blast
This has been my set-up for the last 3+ months. I enjoyed playing with it a lot at the start of this playtest, but it was up against some stiff competition. This was the only set-up that I couldn't finish playing the set. About mid-way through I put it back in my bag. Power is good, spin is good, but the others are just better.
Final Rating: 8/10

#2: Dunlop Black Widow
This set-up got better and better as the week went on and the tension loosened up. My kick second serve was lethal with this stick. Power felt similar to the RPM Blast, but the spin was so much more. This is a great string, but I found one that was just better in every department for my game...
Final Rating: 9/10

#1: Solinco Tour Bite
This string set-up has just been unreal. The pace on my 1st serve and groundstrokes is noticeably harder. The kick on my second serve is equal to the Black Widow. I also seem to impart more underspin on my slice shots. This was the set-up I pulled out of my bag when the RPM Blast was frustrating me. I kept hitting return of serves about 6-12" long with the RPM, and instantly after switching to the TB, they were landing 6-12" inside the baseline.
Final Rating: 10/10

I found my new string - possibly my 'holy grail'...now it's time for me to start playing around with tension.

 

[Federerkblade]

please update us with the tour bite 1.30 as you lower the tension pls

#1: Solinco Tour Bite
This string set-up has just been unreal. The pace on my 1st serve and groundstrokes is noticeably harder. The kick on my second serve is equal to the Black Widow. I also seem to impart more underspin on my slice shots. This was the set-up I pulled out of my bag when the RPM Blast was frustrating me. I kept hitting return of serves about 6-12" long with the RPM, and instantly after switching to the TB, they were landing 6-12" inside the baseline.
Final Rating: 10/10

I found my new string - possibly my 'holy grail'...now it's time for me to start playing around with tension. [/QUOTE]

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

please update us with the tour bite 1.30 as you lower the tension pls

Will do!

The durability of the TB is also impressing me. After many, many serves all week in the 110-120mph range, they are no deep grooves forming in the strings. The RPM already has several, while the Black Widow is somewhere in the middle.

 

[flume]

Power is even between the two strings according to TWU, but, b/c TB has an optimum tension of 52lbs (as opposed to 55lbs for RPM), the sweetspot of my racquet feels slightly bigger with TB.

Just curious, where are you getting this optimum tension number from in TWU?

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

Just curious, where are you getting this optimum tension number from in TWU?

What I was saying is that according to the TWU string finder tool, power is even between the RPM and the TB. My 'optimum' starting tensions came from reviews I read on TW and advice given to me by Talk Tennis members in my other thread before I ordered these strings.

Sorry for any confusion.

 

[Murrayalmagrofan]

Update....

I now have almost 3 solid weeks (playing 5-6 days/wk) of playing experience with the Solinco Tour Bite 16g. After numerous matches, training sessions with my coach and hitting partners, the original set of strings are still going strong, w/o the "boardy" feel the RPM Blast would get when the strings got old. No deep grooves are forming in the strings either, so I feel these could last another 2-3 weeks if I wanted.

I came across the following on the TW Blog posted by TW playtester Chris:

Chris went another route with the Slazenger Pro Braided. He said, “I like the Pro Braided because it is maneuverable yet feels solid and crisp at contact. I have customized three of them with leather grips for additional feel and to tail weight them slightly.”

If you’re looking for a classic, this is it. With a light and fast feel, this racquet’s 95 sq in. headsize is paired with an 11.5 ounce strung weight. It allows players to rip big, heavy balls from all areas of the court. It also has a crisp and powerful response – perfect for Chris. Light and mobile, this racquet encourages offensive play and aggressive hitting (Click HERE to see the rest of the racquets stats). But what did Chris like about it the most? “The Pro Braided offers excellent access to spin on groundstrokes and serves. I can whip it through contact to generate lots of pace and the directional control I get is excellent. At net I like the maneuverability and the crisp response. I can snap volleys away with it, yet find all the control needed for touch shots. It is a very, very versatile racquet, and that’s why I enjoy playing with it.”

String setup? “I have been using it a lot for string playtesting so have been hitting it with a ton of different set ups — mostly polys (his favorite go-to string of all time, in any racquet, is Volkl Cyclone 16). Right now, my favorite string in the Slazenger has been Solinco Tour Bite 17.” At a tension of 52lbs, it offers great control and spin — a perfect combination with the Pro Braided for Chris.

Link: http://blog.tenniswarehouse.com/category/tennis-string-reviews/

As I'm playing on 3 USTA League teams currently and have a NTRP tournament coming up in less than 2 weeks, I'm not going to mess with tension at the moment. A starting tension of 52lbs is working great for me, and I'm playing some of my best tennis ever with this string set-up. My groundstrokes are getting ridiculously accurate with this string set-up, and I don't want to mess with a good thing.

Possibly around late October/early November I'll have a break in my schedule to try-out some lower tensions...