Poly Polar in pure control.. need quick advice on tension!

[ebster]

Im stringing up my pure controls tomorrow, and im going to put poly 17 polar in them (full set-up). Currently i have a hybrid in them with pro hurricane tour 17 mains at 56 and wilson super spin 16 crosses at 58. this feels a little tight, so if i did a hybrid again i would do 54 mains and 56 crosses. what would the full poly equivelant be of doing a 54/56 hybrid? also, keep in mind that poly polar is a softer poly. i was thinking either 52 or 53.

please let me know your advice.. especially if you have used this string before.

thanks in advance!

-sean

 

[Ripper]

There's an active thread dealing with the subject already:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=131553

 

[ebster]

yah, i checked out that thread, but im just wondering if a 54/56 stiff hybrid (compared to other hybrids) is going to be similar in power to a full poly polar at 52 or 53.

thanks for posting the link to that thread though, i appreciate it.

-sean

 

[jonolau]

yah, i checked out that thread, but im just wondering if a 54/56 stiff hybrid (compared to other hybrids) is going to be similar in power to a full poly polar at 52 or 53.

thanks for posting the link to that thread though, i appreciate it.

-sean

I need to ask you some questions first:

How long have you been playing tennis?
Have you had any formal coaching to develop correct technique?
Are you able to generate your own power with your stroke?

Bear in mind that power comes mainly from technique and strings will only serve as a reinforcement and will reward good form and technique.

A full poly setup is most rewarding for those who can generate high racquet head speed and have developed correct strokes because having correct technique will prevent causing tennis elbow. For those who swing incorrectly, chances are that the stroke will morph to compensate for a stiffer full poly stringbed, thus causing or aggravating arm issues.

There are plenty of misconceptions on this board that anyone using poly or kevlar will have their elbows balloon and swell immediately after the game. So long as you have the correct technique, using a full poly or poly hybrid will be a hoot and provide great chuckles when seeing the opponent scramble for a big bomb laid by you!

 

[ebster]

jon,

disregard my response on your other thread; you basically just addressed my same question. to answer your questions, I am playing at quite a high level of tennis (5.5-ish) and i'm preparing myself for playing div. 1 college tennis in the fall. like most juniors at my level i have had a good amount of formal coaching to develop solid technique and strokes from the get-go. i totally undestand what you mean, and after reading your thoughts and discussing with others, im not afraid of the developing arm problems with a full poly. i know this kind of set-up will be what i am looking for and rather than trying to find a tension that will allow me to take my normal stroke and place the ball where i want deep in the court. my current set-up of pro hurricane tour 17 mains at 56 and wilson super spin 16 crosses at 58 feels good, but its forcing me to alter my grip and thus stroke to get the correct depth/speed. if i was going to hybrid again i would probably drop each tension by 2 pounds to allow me to take the swing and stroke im comfortable with using my semiwestern grip. instead of going that route, though, im going to put a full poly polar in, and im thinking to get that same sense i would go around 52 or 53. as a player, i do take big cuts at the ball as i try and set up my big lefty forehand to put away points, which makes me believe that poly is the way to go in regards to advice from you and others.

i hope this clarifies/makes some more sense of the situation.. thanks again for helpin me out here, i really appreciate it.

-sean

 

[jonolau]

Hi Sean,

From the sounds of things, you have answered many of your questions and you have a very good grasp of your abilities and equipment! Your summary is impressive and I'm very certain that you will find the most appropriate setup.

Experiment around with different setups to see which is suitable for you.

I sincerely wish you all the best with your tennis endeavours!

Jon

 

[ebster]

jon,

thanks again. you had suggested possibly trying a big ace and poly power soft hybrid, and i was thinking, if poly polar and power soft are similar, could a hybrid of big ace and poly polar be something worth trying? im just throwing ideas out there, i dont know if they make sense.

 

[jonolau]

jon,

thanks again. you had suggested possibly trying a big ace and poly power soft hybrid, and i was thinking, if poly polar and power soft are similar, could a hybrid of big ace and poly polar be something worth trying? im just throwing ideas out there, i dont know if they make sense.

Hi Sean,

Not too sure how that will work out. Poly power soft 1.15 has a stiffness of 216lb/in and loses as much as 19.69lb, thus settling in a nice lower tension with low stiffness. Whereas Polypolar 1.28 has a stiffness of 235lb/in and loses as much as 24.72lb. I know the gauges are not correct, but these are the strings in the USRSA database. However, even if the gauges are identical, I'd be inclined to say that poly power soft will still be a better option to achieve the desired effect.

Hope this helps.

Jon