TropicalFruit
Rookie
Is there a swing speed, for a given poly setup, above which you don't actually get a higher exit velocity (or it's greatly muted)?
That's my primary question, because of a curious experience I had with my recent stringbeds.
Main: RPM Blast 17g (50 lbs)
Cross: ReString Sync 17g (46 lbs)
This bed feels amazing. The contact is comfortable and solid, and the ball always goes exactly where I want it. When I attempt spin, it produces spin, and the ball dive-bombs the court. When I hit flat, the bounce is predictable, and I never spray.
But...
It feels like the string-bed tops out - at high swing speeds, the energy return % craters, and you don't get rewarded. My serve, for example, is so much worse. I swing fast, hit the ball in the center, it feels like a satisfying contact that should transfer action to the ball... and then nothing. It's just not that fast, and not that heavy. It's the same when I really crack a forehand. I swing very hard, I feel the contact in the center, all signs on my end point to an explosive shot, and then it just doesn't go nearly as fast as I feel like it should.
And in case you think I'm imagining it, I switched rackets mid-session, and immediately my opponent started missing returns. I could literally see the kick serve bouncing up over his shoulders again. Ostensibly the exact same service motion, and the difference between the other stringbed and the RPM/Sync was massive and tangible, both in results and on the scoreboard. Despite how great the contact felt off the strings, and despite how awesome the RPM/Sync performed for medium speed swings, like (my) rally groundstrokes, at the top end of swing speed - serves and floaters I want to crush - it just doesn't appear to return in exit velocity what I put in in swing velocity.
And it's so strange because I compare it to other string beds that feel worse off the contact, and give me less predictable ball flight and spin production, and yet my play is actually more effective with those other string beds. It's disconcerting. With other setups, it doesn't feel like the ball should explode out more than with RPM/Sync, and yet the actual result is a faster, heavier ball. It's a bit like the contact is gaslighting me, honestly. It's actually pretty frustrating not to be able to map the quality of my shot based on the feeling I get through my hand when the strike happens.
So yeah - am I imagining it? Result was pretty tangible. It's only at top-end, too: my rally groundstrokes had similar effects with both beds, it was just topping out on serves and flat shots I crushed. I am fairly certain I never experienced this topping out effect with OToro Tour 17, and I'm thinking it might be a property of ReString Sync.
Would love to know if you guys have experienced anything similar.
That's my primary question, because of a curious experience I had with my recent stringbeds.
Main: RPM Blast 17g (50 lbs)
Cross: ReString Sync 17g (46 lbs)
This bed feels amazing. The contact is comfortable and solid, and the ball always goes exactly where I want it. When I attempt spin, it produces spin, and the ball dive-bombs the court. When I hit flat, the bounce is predictable, and I never spray.
But...
It feels like the string-bed tops out - at high swing speeds, the energy return % craters, and you don't get rewarded. My serve, for example, is so much worse. I swing fast, hit the ball in the center, it feels like a satisfying contact that should transfer action to the ball... and then nothing. It's just not that fast, and not that heavy. It's the same when I really crack a forehand. I swing very hard, I feel the contact in the center, all signs on my end point to an explosive shot, and then it just doesn't go nearly as fast as I feel like it should.
And in case you think I'm imagining it, I switched rackets mid-session, and immediately my opponent started missing returns. I could literally see the kick serve bouncing up over his shoulders again. Ostensibly the exact same service motion, and the difference between the other stringbed and the RPM/Sync was massive and tangible, both in results and on the scoreboard. Despite how great the contact felt off the strings, and despite how awesome the RPM/Sync performed for medium speed swings, like (my) rally groundstrokes, at the top end of swing speed - serves and floaters I want to crush - it just doesn't appear to return in exit velocity what I put in in swing velocity.
And it's so strange because I compare it to other string beds that feel worse off the contact, and give me less predictable ball flight and spin production, and yet my play is actually more effective with those other string beds. It's disconcerting. With other setups, it doesn't feel like the ball should explode out more than with RPM/Sync, and yet the actual result is a faster, heavier ball. It's a bit like the contact is gaslighting me, honestly. It's actually pretty frustrating not to be able to map the quality of my shot based on the feeling I get through my hand when the strike happens.
So yeah - am I imagining it? Result was pretty tangible. It's only at top-end, too: my rally groundstrokes had similar effects with both beds, it was just topping out on serves and flat shots I crushed. I am fairly certain I never experienced this topping out effect with OToro Tour 17, and I'm thinking it might be a property of ReString Sync.
Would love to know if you guys have experienced anything similar.
