jugheadfla
Semi-Pro
Lol... I just noticed that my toes are in there, oops. I think the camera angle makes it look worse, but yes Gel Resolution 8's for the win!
Playtest: Head Lynx Touch
- Thread starter TW Staff
- Start date
FoldingChair
Semi-Pro
https://www.head.com/en/lynx-touch-281042.html do my eyes deceive me? Are the strings white on the head page compared to the grey of the sample sets?
1HBHfanatic
Legend
-thats a good tension, IME, for this racquet and string
58lbs in my GP, we'll see how this goes!
-ive strung this combo racket/string at 60lbs, it was just outside my comfort zone
@FoldingChair - At what tension did you string up Lynx Touch in your Blade v8? This will be going into a Yonex VCore 95 for me (similar head size to most 97/98's). I usually play most softer poly's in the low to mid 50's, so curious as to your take.
@1HBHfanatic - What would you think of 56/54 or 57/55 lbs for a '21 VC95? 4.0/4.5-ish, OHBH, topsin on both wings. All-court'er.
@1HBHfanatic - What would you think of 56/54 or 57/55 lbs for a '21 VC95? 4.0/4.5-ish, OHBH, topsin on both wings. All-court'er.
FoldingChair
Semi-Pro
I had it done at 48 pounds all around.
@FoldingChair - Gotcha. Not sure how I missed that initially. Thanks!
FoldingChair
Semi-Pro
No problem, be forewarned if you haven't strung it already that this is a little bit more powerful than a run of the mill copoly/poly
I think this string makes the most sense at higher tensions. I strung max tension, like my hybrid and full-bed multis, and loved it. Seems like it'll be too powerful at low tension. If you need more string movement, I'd try a soft poly instead. I would maybe start with whatever you would normally string multis, and go from there.
OldManStan
Rookie
Placeholder for upcoming review.
Just strung up my Yonex DR98 @50lbs on the Wilson Baiardo. Overall it was fairly easy to string. Not much coil memory. There’s a black inner core and a gray translucent outer layer. Feels fairly soft for a copoly from just stringing it. Crosses glided over the mains without much resistance.
Just strung up my Yonex DR98 @50lbs on the Wilson Baiardo. Overall it was fairly easy to string. Not much coil memory. There’s a black inner core and a gray translucent outer layer. Feels fairly soft for a copoly from just stringing it. Crosses glided over the mains without much resistance.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I strung up the Lynx Touch tonight. Put it into an SW104 that had a fairly new 17 gauge Silver 7 Tour stringbed in it. The Lynx Touch added 1.4 grams of weight over the Silver 7 Tour.
My sample set was exactly 39 feet long. I cut a one foot section and pulled 50 pounds on a lockout machine and let it sit for one minute. Repulling tension required an additional five mm. Lynx Touch feels a moderate amount more elastic than an average poly when pulling tension. The surface is very slick and it makes weaving crosses easy. With some other poly strings, I can straighten the woven and untensioned cross and it will stay in position. Lynx Touch creeps away from the tension cross that is next to it until tension is pulled, and then it still creeps away from the adjacent cross a little bit, so the string to string friction is pretty low.
I've been stringing up 17 gauge Black7 at 46 for the center mains and 42 for the center crosses. I put Lynx Touch in at 50 for the center mains and 46 for the center crosses, so about 9% higher tension. Right off the stringer, RacquetTune using the default string factor (which is clearly not correct for 17 gauge Lynx Tour) says the tension is 43.5 pounds.
Will be hitting tomorrow afternoon.
My sample set was exactly 39 feet long. I cut a one foot section and pulled 50 pounds on a lockout machine and let it sit for one minute. Repulling tension required an additional five mm. Lynx Touch feels a moderate amount more elastic than an average poly when pulling tension. The surface is very slick and it makes weaving crosses easy. With some other poly strings, I can straighten the woven and untensioned cross and it will stay in position. Lynx Touch creeps away from the tension cross that is next to it until tension is pulled, and then it still creeps away from the adjacent cross a little bit, so the string to string friction is pretty low.
I've been stringing up 17 gauge Black7 at 46 for the center mains and 42 for the center crosses. I put Lynx Touch in at 50 for the center mains and 46 for the center crosses, so about 9% higher tension. Right off the stringer, RacquetTune using the default string factor (which is clearly not correct for 17 gauge Lynx Tour) says the tension is 43.5 pounds.
Will be hitting tomorrow afternoon.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Just thought I'd add a close-up picture of the string end from my test set.
1HBHfanatic
Legend
-either tension sounds good to me, thats the range i would string them at
-knowing the racquet and the string, i think either is fine for me
McLovin
Legend
I'm curious...did you find it to feel a tad on the thick side of the advertised '17g'? I realize 'gauge' has a range, and the lines can be blurred between 16L and 17 for some manufacturers, but on the Head site it says '1.25mm' (see here), and stringing it, it feels a bit thicker than my normal 1.25mm strings.Just thought I'd add a close-up picture of the string end from my test set.
OldManStan
Rookie
I measured it to be between 1.22-1.23mm. Slightly thicker than Hyper G 17g (1.20mm).
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Injured Again
Hall of Fame
It did add 1.4 grams over a 17 gauge S7T stringjob and just from the feel of it, Lynx Tour is chunkier. I just snapped a pic and both strings look the same diameter, but the S7T definitely feels smaller when I roll it between my fingers..
After sitting overnight, the Lynx Tour is now at 40.9 pounds according to RacquetTune. That's a drop of 2.6 pounds or a 6% drop. It pings a higher frequency than my Black7 strings which with the same string factor are at 39.6 pounds. I did a moderate pre-stretch before stringing and did a double-pull, making sure to straighten the string before the second pull. So some of the tension loss may have been removed from that process. I also strung it as usual, one-piece using a universal ATW pattern. Getting ready to go hit with it in 2 1/2 hours.
McLovin
Legend
Yeah, this is what I felt as compared to other strings, but...
It's hard to argue with actual science...
So, I guess it's all in my head, then.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Hit with Lynx Touch for an hour today, against my son. Most noticeable was the difference in launch angle. Lynx Touch has a pretty low launch angle and so any time I would try to hit the ball with topspin (and naturally closing the racquet face a bit), the balls would land very short or go into the net. Spin capability is not that great - I've tested a few round strings that grip the ball better.
After about ten minutes, I was able to compensate for the lower launch angle, but balls that got up higher went long. So I basically went to hitting the ball pretty flat. This is when Lynx Touch worked the best for my game. It has a different feel. It's almost like it's springy without giving a strong pocketing sensation. This helped when on defense, as long as I didn't try to hit much spin, topspin or underspin, when under pressure. The inherent power of Lynx Touch let me get those balls back deeper than I expected, even though they pretty much sat up and were pretty easy pickings. My son had an easier time putting away a deeper but more straightforward bouncing ball than one that landed shorter with either more topspin or underspin. He did comment that he thought the balls were kind of flat because they never bounced up like my normal shots do, but because they were flatter they skidded through the court a bit more so that challenged his timing more.
On my side, it felt like I had less margin for error. Flatter strokes usually produce a more consistent height clearance but the lack of spin capability seemed to decrease my margin of error more than my height consistency gained me. At one point for about five minutes, we slowed down our shot velocity by about 10% and tried to be as consistent as possible, and Lynx Touch worked much better with slower racquet head speeds. The string felt more crisp and length control improved a lot. Having a bit more time let me put a slightly greater amount of topspin that created better shape on the groundstrokes. The higher than average power levels allowed an easy, relaxed swing to drive the ball the length of the court. Harder swings, nearing the top end of what I can generate off the ground, still felt fairly controlled but didn't inspire a sense of confidence, I think due to the increasingly springy feel as I swung harder.
Volleys were point-and-shoot. Lynx Touch is pretty insensitive to incoming spin so I didn't have to compensate much if my son hit a heavy underspin passing shot. Meeting the ball squarely generated enough ball speed to need just a minimal swing into the contact point. I did have problems dumping short angled volleys. I tended to pop those up higher than I expected, possibly because I'm opening up the racquet face more and trying to impart just a bit more underspin than normal. This is most likely a technique issue on my part just learning how to hit these types of shots without a sharply shaped string to easily grip and manipulate the incoming spin.
I switched to my normal Black7 for the last 30 minutes. Lynx Tour and Black 7 are pretty close in power levels, with Lynx Tour being a bit more powerful, especially on easier strokes. Comfort also goes to Lynx Tour by a small margin. Spin capability, launch angle, and pocketing feel are all greater with Black7.
After the hour of hitting, there's denting at each of the string intersections. It feels like the strings are locked. The mains are difficult to move out of place and do so with a click. Once moved out of position, they don't slide back. However, during actual hitting, the strings don't move out of position.
RacquetTune now says the stringbed is at 39.9 pounds, a loss of 3.6 pounds or 8.3%. This is pretty minimal tension loss.
I'm hitting again tomorrow on the faster of our indoor courts.
After about ten minutes, I was able to compensate for the lower launch angle, but balls that got up higher went long. So I basically went to hitting the ball pretty flat. This is when Lynx Touch worked the best for my game. It has a different feel. It's almost like it's springy without giving a strong pocketing sensation. This helped when on defense, as long as I didn't try to hit much spin, topspin or underspin, when under pressure. The inherent power of Lynx Touch let me get those balls back deeper than I expected, even though they pretty much sat up and were pretty easy pickings. My son had an easier time putting away a deeper but more straightforward bouncing ball than one that landed shorter with either more topspin or underspin. He did comment that he thought the balls were kind of flat because they never bounced up like my normal shots do, but because they were flatter they skidded through the court a bit more so that challenged his timing more.
On my side, it felt like I had less margin for error. Flatter strokes usually produce a more consistent height clearance but the lack of spin capability seemed to decrease my margin of error more than my height consistency gained me. At one point for about five minutes, we slowed down our shot velocity by about 10% and tried to be as consistent as possible, and Lynx Touch worked much better with slower racquet head speeds. The string felt more crisp and length control improved a lot. Having a bit more time let me put a slightly greater amount of topspin that created better shape on the groundstrokes. The higher than average power levels allowed an easy, relaxed swing to drive the ball the length of the court. Harder swings, nearing the top end of what I can generate off the ground, still felt fairly controlled but didn't inspire a sense of confidence, I think due to the increasingly springy feel as I swung harder.
Volleys were point-and-shoot. Lynx Touch is pretty insensitive to incoming spin so I didn't have to compensate much if my son hit a heavy underspin passing shot. Meeting the ball squarely generated enough ball speed to need just a minimal swing into the contact point. I did have problems dumping short angled volleys. I tended to pop those up higher than I expected, possibly because I'm opening up the racquet face more and trying to impart just a bit more underspin than normal. This is most likely a technique issue on my part just learning how to hit these types of shots without a sharply shaped string to easily grip and manipulate the incoming spin.
I switched to my normal Black7 for the last 30 minutes. Lynx Tour and Black 7 are pretty close in power levels, with Lynx Tour being a bit more powerful, especially on easier strokes. Comfort also goes to Lynx Tour by a small margin. Spin capability, launch angle, and pocketing feel are all greater with Black7.
After the hour of hitting, there's denting at each of the string intersections. It feels like the strings are locked. The mains are difficult to move out of place and do so with a click. Once moved out of position, they don't slide back. However, during actual hitting, the strings don't move out of position.
RacquetTune now says the stringbed is at 39.9 pounds, a loss of 3.6 pounds or 8.3%. This is pretty minimal tension loss.
I'm hitting again tomorrow on the faster of our indoor courts.
McLovin
Legend
Yeah, I had a brief drill session w/ my normal doubles partner yesterday, and I switched between my normal setup (Laserfibre JB 100) and the Lynx Touch. Launch angle was the first thing I noticed. Kinda liked the feel, especially at the net. Can't really talk to spin as my strokes are fairly flat. Hitting again Tuesday, so hopefully i'll get some serves in as well.
Strung mine up and broke it in 30 minutes...dead center. Tough to really provide a full review. I found lots of power from the string - strung it at 54# based on feedback here and wish I had gone tighter. It's very soft, and it didn't grab the ball like I wanted it to. Seemed plenty slick, so I was a bit surprised here. The ball kinda just slipped off, and I was either over or under-spinning a lot of my shots. Feel was nice and cushiony, but it wasn't crisp enough for my taste. This all could have changed as it settled in and I adapted to it, but it just broke instead. Not sure if @TW Staff wants me to try to track down another set and provide a full review (I probably can) or what...I only hit groundies up the middle and cross court, so I didn't get to use it at the net or serving.
1HBHfanatic
Legend
-in comparison, how long would a fb of multis last you?
-would you says its more and/or about even in durability with multis?
Haven't used full bed multi except in demos or when my wrist is extra irritated. Never hitting against people my level either...usually just coaching kids.
Tough to say for sure when answering your question. Some of the gummy ones that don't slide around actually give me probably 1-2 hours of drilling with my students. Probably longer at lower tensions. Something like NXT I get about 45 minutes tops because it frays so quickly, and I shred right through it. This Lynx Touch notched straight through, but only like 1/4 of the way. Kind of like thin polys do where if you notch them just a little they're liable to go - any Solinco 18 or 19, Dunlop Black widow 18, ALU 115 and Ace when that was around did that for me. I tossed black widow 18 in an 18x20 in a pinch a few weeks ago and got 35-40 minutes before it went near the end of a doubles set. In contrast, I get 1-2 hours out of most 125 polys if I'm drilling. 2-4 hours if I'm playing points.
1HBHfanatic
Legend
-sounds like a def. wrong string/player match
-but it was a trial pack!, so it scratched the itch a bit i guess
-i think h.lynx.touch is more suited for early poly users, or non string breakers looking for a soft string
-have you tried h.lynx.tour?, a better fit for your game, maybe
-if your interested in a somewhat durable multi, check out h.fxp.tour
@Injured Again - Thanks for the insights on playability. How did it play the second time?
@colan5934 - Thanks for your feedback. What racquet did you play it in, and considering 54 felt too soft, what tension would you restring at?
I'm about to string mine up in an '18 or '21 VC95 and have a feeling I'm headed for the high 50's, minimum.
@colan5934 - Thanks for your feedback. What racquet did you play it in, and considering 54 felt too soft, what tension would you restring at?
I'm about to string mine up in an '18 or '21 VC95 and have a feeling I'm headed for the high 50's, minimum.
Yeah, just not a durable string, so tough to say about anything. Even 16 gauge poly, I get 4 hours max out of. I like lynx tour, yes. I've tried FXP Tour way back, and it's trash for me. Only using multi for comfort. Hybrids of it are almost always worse than a full bed IMO too.
Played it in the new Ezone 98. And I didn't say I found it too soft. I found it too powerful. I'd probably go up to 57 or 58. But, my standard setup for that racquet is ALU 130 at 46 which is dead as a doornail, and I love it.
Ooops, sorry colan. Too powerful, not too soft. Gotcha. Noted on the tension. Will probably do 58 myself. Thanks again.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Played about another 75 minutes with it on a faster, higher bouncing hardcourt. I'm getting used to the lower launch angle and have gone more back towards my normal swingpath. I'm still getting lower net clearance by maybe a foot even though I'm compensating for the lower launch angle but the balls are going about the same depth due to less spin. I clipped the net more than a dozen times on groundstrokes.
That being said, I'm much more comfortable at the net with Lynx Touch than at the baseline. I appreciate the lower sensitivity to incoming spin and that the feeling of point-and-shoot makes it seem easier to hit targets on volleys. I hit a few serves with it. There's a lot of pop on flat first serves but I couldn't get the lift I normally have on second serves so they tended to land short or not clear the net, and then the lower spin levels also make the ball sit up to be hit.
After about 135 minutes of hitting, there's light notching. After the first hour, the mains seemed to get stuck in a notch on the crosses (which is kind of unusual) and when I pulled it out of that notch, the main wouldn't slide back. Now after another 75 minute hit, the notch seems deeper but the mains slide back into position after I pull them off to the side. The notch seems deep enough, and it takes enough force to move a main with my fingers, that I'm not sure I could manage to actually dislodge the string during an actual stroke.
RacquetTune now says 39.2 pounds, so a drop of 9.9%. This is better than average tension maintenance for poly strings, and the stringbed as a whole still feels firm and has kept the moderate crispness it had when new. Control feels decent in that the ball goes where the swing puts it, without any surprises of the ball either flying deep or of any hot spot sensation where there's more power than expected.
So far, I think there are poly strings softer than Lynx Touch, and definitely strings that provide more spin capability. But with rec player levels of racquet head speed, it seems better suited for a flatter hitter, maybe someone who plays doubles, or potentially in a more open patterned, stiffer racquet where the mutedness of the string can help soften, dampen, and modulate a high RA racquet.
The softness was quite nice, honestly. Soft but not mushy. Still allowed for some feedback. Should handle higher tensions well.
joah310
Professional
I just got my set in today, and strung up my racket. Wasn't paying attention too well, and ended up stringing it 50/60 on my vcore pro 100. That being said, I was impressed upon my first outing with it. It was still comfortable and had good power for that tension. Mind, I have been using Isospeed baseline at 48# recently, and this felt fairly similar. Like Injured again said, it doesn't bite the ball as well as my other strings, but overall, i am pleased so far. My initial impressions is that this would be a good cross string to a stiffer and more spin friendly poly main.
ngoster
Semi-Pro
E
Agreed. The slickness would compliment a spiny poly. The only concern I would have is the durability of the outer layer. Rough mains would shred through it as easily as a multi.
Agreed. The slickness would compliment a spiny poly. The only concern I would have is the durability of the outer layer. Rough mains would shred through it as easily as a multi.
jugheadfla
Semi-Pro
Going to keep this short, got to play some 4.5 doubles last night for about 3 hours and like others above have stated the launch angle is very very low, especially in my GP. Its far too low in 17g to use in this racquet without having to drastically change my swing. Beyond that though I really liked the feel of this string. It had a very consistent response, and although not very spiny, had very good depth and control with plenty of pop. Now if they make this in a 1.20 or less 18g, I think the launch angle would be palatable. More detailed info once my playtest is complete.
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FoldingChair
Semi-Pro
Reading some of the prior reviews/comments, I might be in the minority in that I liked this string in a full bed.
- Tension(s) used for playtest: 48 pounds done as a two piece
- Regular string set up: Pre Lynx playtest: Tourna Black Zone 17 mains at 50 and Tourna Quasi Gut 16 cross at 48
- Racquet used for test: Wilson Blade 16x19 v8
- Control/Power: This string definitely had more power than i'm used to for a polyester, but it never felt overly powerful. It added a little bit more zip to my shots than what i'm used to. But I wasn't devoid of control at any point either. This string has a nice blend of both allowing easy access to put away power and nice directional control. I have a pretty control oriented racquet so I welcomed the extra power with open arms as I was still able to shoot some wicked angles just with more oomph. I'd rate power on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being least powerful to 5 being most) at a 3 and control on that same scale as an easy 4. It's no Luxilon in terms of directional control, but it's not bad at all.
- Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?): Extremely comfortable, moreso than my hybrid that I normally use in my opinion. I've been chasing a hybrid for a while now that doesn't exacerbate my aching joints given to me by the ezone 98 with full poly bed. In that pursuit i've found contenders that I considered switching to but I always missed the wicked spin and control of a full poly bed. This string gives me the comfort that i'm seeking whilst not taking away from my desired control. I've played a few hours so far on this string ripping heavy groundstrokes with confidence and no pain. Also, lots of touch and feel with these. I had great drop shot placement and consistency and my net play was very point and shoot with LT. I don't feel like it's "mushy" (a term so many people like to throw around), but I'm biased in that i've been seeking a super soft string bed anyways so it might just be mushy in the opinion of the general populace *insert shrug*. Personally I LOVE Lynx Touch comfort wise for a poly/copoly. On my one to five scale for comfort and feel, a 4,5 in my opinion... for a poly.
- Spin: Not the most spin i've ever produced from a polyester string but not the least amount either. Standard lynx 17 in green actually gets more spin than Lynx Touch in my honest opinion. My hitting partner told me that my spin serves were definitely biting more off the court so that was encouraging. It definitely gave me a few more revolutions than my hybrid i'm now formerly using and so for that alone, I'm scoring spin on my scale of 1 to 5 as a 3.5.
- Playability Duration (did it lose playability over time?): Now this is a little bit strange to me because I played with the string about an hour post stringing for its first outing and it played very nicely for me. Regular Lynx 17 held it's playability pretty well over time, as I recall, and this string did as well. This string held on to it's attributes but strangely felt better during my second outing with it onward. It didn't get stiff and dead and boardy and hurt my arm. It's almost like it settled into it's home and pitched a fire in the fireplace with a cup of joe in its hands. I was confused as I remember most polys starting to fall off a smidge after the first outing. So I kept going, still nailing my shots, no arm pain, still feeling good. What gives? It's still fine after hours of court time. It's starting to drop off a bit but it's not drastic as if I'm catapulting balls to the back fence. On my scale of 1 to 5, a 4... for a poly.
- Durability (did it notch? -get stuck out of position?): It's notching so I know our time is short which saddens me. It's definitely not as long term as I remember most full poly beds being (as in most of my hybrids I shear through the multi/syn first). But considering many people keep poly in their sticks too long anyways, I see this as a tolerable thing for me. It's been sub 10 hours and it's notching so for me durability on my scale of 1 to 5 gets a 2.5.
- Tension findings (would you string it at a different tension on your next try? Why?): For my next go around, which will be soon as I have a set from the Boom playtest sitting around, I will be going instead to 50 pounds just to try it. I have no indication at all of shoulder and/or elbow pain with this string. I feel as though the slight bump in tension may pay dividends for me in terms of just giving me a little bit more accuracy maybe(?). My typical poly tension of 48 was not bad though. I was still able to do everything that my fattening butt wanted to do. I don't feel like I need to change anything tension wise but I would like to experiment for sure.
- Additional comments (optional): This is a string I would consider a switch to when it comes out considering its price point won't be absurd. It played pretty great in my blade v8 and I had a ton of fun with it. If my hitting partners are telling me there's a noticeable difference (in a good way) with my game, then I'm happy. It does everything a standard poly should but it doesn't rip my joints apart. I like it. I do want to compare it to my prior tried and true, Lynx 17. In my racquet and playing my game, I will say that Lynx Touch is a 4/5.
@jugheadfla - Good info. If you had the chance again, would you have strung higher than 58lbs? I also wonder if a slight tension differential (higher main, lower cross) might coax out a bit more spin and slightly higher launch angle. I'm thinking I may try that in my VC95 and go 59/56 or 60/57.
@FoldingChair - Nice review. Besides considering it in a full bed, if you're looking for more spin/launch angle, you might consider LT as a cross in a poly/poly hybrid, with a main that is slick, shaped but not very sharp (so as to not shred LT too fast), and something that's still on the softer side, like YTEX Square-X or Quadro Twist. That might be an ultimate combo of softness plus control and spin for you.
@FoldingChair - Nice review. Besides considering it in a full bed, if you're looking for more spin/launch angle, you might consider LT as a cross in a poly/poly hybrid, with a main that is slick, shaped but not very sharp (so as to not shred LT too fast), and something that's still on the softer side, like YTEX Square-X or Quadro Twist. That might be an ultimate combo of softness plus control and spin for you.
I've hit with these strings for about 5 hours now.
The set feels pretty comfortable! While my first and second serves went in more, I did not feel discomfort hitting them.
I did notice that my slices went lower (big positive) as well as the rest of my shots.
Thanks TW! I have a full review coming.
The set feels pretty comfortable! While my first and second serves went in more, I did not feel discomfort hitting them.
I did notice that my slices went lower (big positive) as well as the rest of my shots.
Thanks TW! I have a full review coming.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I tried to play some singles sets this morning with the Lynx Touch but it just didn't work. The low launch angle was a problem as I tried to lift low and short balls on my forehand, and especially when I was on my way into the net. It also just felt like I didn't have the control that was there the first few hitting sessions with the string. After the warmup and a few games, and not knowing if I was just have an off or uncoordinated day, I swapped it out for my racquet with the Black7 and was able to pretty much resume my normal game.
I pulled out the Lynx Tour and hit for a few minutes right at the end. Something really seems to have changed in the string. It makes this unpleasant sounding, low frequency thud on impact that I hadn't noticed before. The stringbed is also more springy feeling compared to the Black7, with less of a pocketing feeling and also a lowering of the sensation of control. Even reverting back to a pretty flat swingpath, the Lynx Touch seems to have lost much of the crispness and liveliness that it had.
RacquetTune now says the stringbed is at 38.2 pounds, so a drop of one pound from my last measurement on Monday. However, I didn't play on Tuesday so this drop was just from sitting in my racquet bad at home in 70 degree F. temps plus about the 20 minutes of hitting today, which is pretty odd because the string tension dropped just 0.7 pounds after 75 minutes of pretty hard hitting on Monday. Notching is pretty minimal and the mains are still in position. I can move the mains out of position and the strings will slowly move back into position.
I'll try it again on Friday, which is when I'm next hitting with @onehandbh before he heads home.
I pulled out the Lynx Tour and hit for a few minutes right at the end. Something really seems to have changed in the string. It makes this unpleasant sounding, low frequency thud on impact that I hadn't noticed before. The stringbed is also more springy feeling compared to the Black7, with less of a pocketing feeling and also a lowering of the sensation of control. Even reverting back to a pretty flat swingpath, the Lynx Touch seems to have lost much of the crispness and liveliness that it had.
RacquetTune now says the stringbed is at 38.2 pounds, so a drop of one pound from my last measurement on Monday. However, I didn't play on Tuesday so this drop was just from sitting in my racquet bad at home in 70 degree F. temps plus about the 20 minutes of hitting today, which is pretty odd because the string tension dropped just 0.7 pounds after 75 minutes of pretty hard hitting on Monday. Notching is pretty minimal and the mains are still in position. I can move the mains out of position and the strings will slowly move back into position.
I'll try it again on Friday, which is when I'm next hitting with @onehandbh before he heads home.
McLovin
Legend
We seem to be having somewhat similar experiences w/ this string. After a few drill sessions with it, I used it last night during my weekly doubles. I used it in the 2nd set, and while my overall evening of play was 'meh', I felt the low launch angle was resulting in a bunch of my returns hitting the tape. I did serve well with it, though, but I did notice the 'low frequency thud' you're referring to on my serves and returns. It didn't bother me as much, though (I think a high 'ping' bothers me more).
I'm playing singles at some point this weekend, so I'll probably do the same as last night (play 1st set w/ my string, 2nd w/ the Lynx Touch).
It's not a bad string, and I could probably adjust to it over time, but it's not something that makes me say 'wow, I need to get more of this!', like the Silver 7 Tour did for me.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I hit about another 20 minutes with it this morning and there is definitely something that has changed with the string response. I felt a lot better with timing the ball today but still did not have the same results as the first couple of days, even when going back to a pretty flat swingpath. There's almost a rubbery feel to the string that has replaced the moderately crisp response that Lynx Touch provided at first.
RacquetTune says 37.9 pounds consistently, so a drop of 0.3 pounds from the last hit, which is basically nothing. Launch angle seems lower and that low frequency thud is definitely there, especially noticeable on slight mis-hits high on the stringbed. The strings aren't getting stuck out of place and the mains move back into place when I move them to the side. It's not loss of surface slickness/snapback, not loss of tension, and not notching causing a locked stringbed. The temps are the same and the balls are the same. So I'm pretty mystified. I'm not noticing any difference in play with my racquet that has about a six hour hold Black7 in it.
That being said, despite the rubbery impact feel, it's still got that point-and-shoot feel on volleys, especially against harder hit shots. I don't seem to notice that groundstroke velocity has decreased. And notching is still pretty minimal - it looks like I'm not more than 25% notched through.
@McLovin - how many hours do you have on your string set? And when did you notice a change from how it played when new?
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I think I may have discovered why the stringbed performance has changed. Under a high intensity light, the middle of my stringbed is dotted with these darker shadowy areas that look like it may be separation of the internal string from the external covering. A gap would absorb energy if these materials moved independently of each other, and might also be responsible for the pitch change on contact. These areas are present in the sweetspot area but not so much around the periphery. It's hard to capture it in a picture, but this is a decent shot of it.
It couldn't be the result of clamping during stringing since these are in the middle of the racquet. @McLovin - can you take a close look at your strings and see if you are experiencing the same thing?
It couldn't be the result of clamping during stringing since these are in the middle of the racquet. @McLovin - can you take a close look at your strings and see if you are experiencing the same thing?
McLovin
Legend
Sorry, not sure how I missed your tagging me. I’ve tried to get a close up shot of my strings, but can’t seem to get as clean of a shot. Did you use your phone for that photo?I think I may have discovered why the stringbed performance has changed. Under a high intensity light, the middle of my stringbed is dotted with these darker shadowy areas that look like it may be separation of the internal string from the external covering. A gap would absorb energy if these materials moved independently of each other, and might also be responsible for the pitch change on contact. These areas are present in the sweetspot area but not so much around the periphery. It's hard to capture it in a picture, but this is a decent shot of it.
It couldn't be the result of clamping during stringing since these are in the middle of the racquet. @McLovin - can you take a close look at your strings and see if you are experiencing the same thing?
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Yeah, and it's an old Note8. It works best if I press the strings against something with some texture, to give it a way to focus when at extreme magnification.
I hit with it yesterday and Lynx Touch has really lost a lot of its playability. Launch angle is lower, and it was low to start with, but kind of oddly spin capability seems to have increased. I'm having to deliberately aim quite a bit higher over the net but there were a few times when I got a ball trajectory that looked a lot like I would get from Black7, and a nice high ball bounce as well. But then most times the string just doesn't feel like it can bite into the felt. Also, it now feels like on my hardest groundstroke swings, I'm not getting the ballspeed I did when the string was new.
There's still that impact sound that makes it seem as though Lynx Touch has lost a lot of tension, but it hasn't. After another 20 minutes of hitting, RacquetTune says 37.6 pounds, a drop of 13.6%, so overall pretty low tension loss for a poly. It is interesting that in pinging the stringbed, there's no hint of that dull, thudding impact sound I get when I mis-hit slightly. If I tap the stringbed higher than the sweetspot, RacquetTune will record lower frequencies - the readings are consistently at 37.6 on the sweetspot, and around the 37 pound range high on the racquet. My other racquets do this also, but just not to the same degree - they will read 0.2 or 0.3 pounds looser but not 0.6 pounds less. In both cases, it's probably because I string the crosses looser towards the tip of the frame.
String wear is still pretty minimal. Notching looks to be around 25% of the way through and the surface that was pretty slick and shiny when new, is dulled around the sweetspot area. Volleys actually feel a bit more controlled. Power levels are a bit lower and it's more muted so it feels like I have easier access to short, angled volleys that I'm the least proficient at.
I'm undecided as to what to do. I could probably learn to adjust to the current playability of Lynx Touch but it isn't something I would prefer. But I'm curious to see if there is further physical breakdown of the string so I'll continue hitting with it.
McLovin
Legend
Yeah, I played my 5.0 friend yesterday morning in singles. First set I used my normal string (JB 100), and it was a combination of me being on fire and him being a little off. I won it fairly easily. For the second set I used the Lynx Touch, and the first couple of games I put most of my shots into the net. After I adjusted to the launch angle, my shots seemed to be landing short, and without as much bite/pace. Serves also felt as if they'd lost a little pop. Granted, he played much better, but I just lost all the confidence I had from my good start, and lost the 2nd set by the same score I won the 1st.
I then went back to my original string, and while it took me a few games to adjust back, things felt better overall. Unfortunately it was too late in the set to recover.
Bottom line: the string just isn't for me. Feel is maybe too muted for my racquet (2021 VCORE 98 +, which is already a muted frame).
mhkeuns
Hall of Fame
After about three hours of play, here are my initial thoughts:
Interesting string. While it is more comfortable than any poly strings I have used, I will have to string it so high that it loses the purpose of having better feel. It also doesn't have the control I'd expect from using poly strings.
Also, while it offers more spin than multi strings, it doesn't feel as nice or powerful.
It's kind of meh'ish for me right now. It feels like a nice rally string, but in matches when I went for the winners, I was hitting long.
I didn't notice the low launch angle perhaps because I was using the Pure Drive, which I strung at 54lbs but now wish that I strung it tighter at 58-60lbs.
Interesting string. While it is more comfortable than any poly strings I have used, I will have to string it so high that it loses the purpose of having better feel. It also doesn't have the control I'd expect from using poly strings.
Also, while it offers more spin than multi strings, it doesn't feel as nice or powerful.
It's kind of meh'ish for me right now. It feels like a nice rally string, but in matches when I went for the winners, I was hitting long.
I didn't notice the low launch angle perhaps because I was using the Pure Drive, which I strung at 54lbs but now wish that I strung it tighter at 58-60lbs.
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Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I tried hitting a bit more with it and we seem to have almost identical experiences. Power is down, low initial launch angle is even lower, and the impact feel just doesn't invoke a lot of confidence. I'm using this in an SW104, which is pretty muted and has Countervail in it to offset the ~68/69 RA. With a tight 18x19 pattern, Lynx Touch just doesn't seem like the right fit for this kind of racquet outside of someone who hits pretty flat and maybe preferentially plays doubles and aggressively closes in to the net.
Through some good fortune, I've gotten a hold of another set of Lynx Touch. I'm going to string it up in an entirely different racquet. I was a playtester for the Pure Aero VS some time ago and didn't gel with that racquet due to its stiff feeling nature and very point-and-shoot, short dwell time impact feel. It's also a pretty open 16x20 pattern better suited to the gauge of the Lynx Touch. I'll string it up today and hit with it tomorrow.
GummiiBear
Semi-Pro
Is it preferable to provide one's review in one post or in pieces as playtime duration goes up?
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I think typically people post impressions as the playtest progresses, to have the conversation about what is being experienced at that time. It's still necessary to post a final review at the end of the playtest.
