Pre-stretching for the Volkl Cyclone Tour?

[noalac]

Hi, recently I have restrung my racquet with the Volkl Cyclone Tour. It is the first time I try this string and I always heard people complaining about its tension maintenance.
I am wondering whether the tension loss could be fixed by the pre-stretching process for this string. Here is something interesting I observed during stringing:

I am using a drop weight klippermate for the stringing work.
Every time I pulled tension (56lbs) on this string. After the weight is lying perfectly flat, I could observe that the weight will then slowly and gradually go down a little bit.
This movement is quite slow but occurs for every string. Just like the string needs streching before holding the correct tension. If you string fast, you may not even notice it at all.
I have checked the clamp and confirmed that no movement happens after the weight lying flat, and I never saw this behavior on other strings like the normal Cyclone, Head Hawk, Prince Tour XP...

It seems that this soft poly string somehow requires pre-streching like gut or syn-gut strings. If so, it probably needs quite a lot of tension (maybe 55lbs) to pre-stretch it effectively.
Will you pre-stretch Volkl Cyclone Tour before stringing? How much tension will you use and will it help for the tension maintenance?

 

[Binatang]

I don't prestretch I just massage the string when it's being tensioned. Once the weight stops dropping I will re-pull & string 1 ahead before clamping.

 

[esgee48]

I would not do it unless you build a jig or device to assure you do the same amount of prestretch every time you use CT. If you do this to CT, you will kill its 'feel' because the remaining plasticity contributes to comfort. Prestretched polys are stiffer and lose less tension because their plasticity has been removed by the factory. If you want to use a prestreched poly, get a factory prestretched poly.

What I would do, though it will slow you down, is to get the bar to stop above horizontal and then wait for the bar to inch down. You may end up dropping your ref tension by a few lbs when you do this because you are removing plasticity at a known tension, your ref tension. IOW, you may end up liking a rev ref tension of 53# vs your orig 56#.

 

[LOBALOT]

I have used this string quite a bit. The whole reason to use the string is it is soft/pockets the ball very well for a Poly and has very good playing characteristics (i.e. spin). Thus for someone like me who has had past arm issues it allows me to play with a full bed of poly without issue. When it dies after 6 hours or so I cut it out and restring. I think it is a fantastic string.

However, if you are pre-stretching the string all you are doing is altering what makes it unique which is it's softness/pocketing and making it more dead/stiff. If you do that you might as well just use Cyclone or some other textured poly.

 

[noalac]

I would not do it unless you build a jig or device to assure you do the same amount of prestretch every time you use CT. If you do this to CT, you will kill its 'feel' because the remaining plasticity contributes to comfort. Prestretched polys are stiffer and lose less tension because their plasticity has been removed by the factory. If you want to use a prestreched poly, get a factory prestretched poly.

What I would do, though it will slow you down, is to get the bar to stop above horizontal and then wait for the bar to inch down. You may end up dropping your ref tension by a few lbs when you do this because you are removing plasticity at a known tension, your ref tension. IOW, you may end up liking a rev ref tension of 53# vs your orig 56#.

Thanks, that is a great idea. I don't mind to slow down the stringing speed (it is actually helpful and less likely to make mistake).
I will try that next time when I need to restring.

 

[noalac]

I have used this string quite a bit. The whole reason to use the string is it is soft/pockets the ball very well for a Poly and has very good playing characteristics (i.e. spin). Thus for someone like me who has had past arm issues it allows me to play with a full bed of poly without issue. When it dies after 6 hours or so I cut it out and restring. I think it is a fantastic string.

However, if you are pre-stretching the string all you are doing is altering what makes it unique which is it's softness/pocketing and making it more dead/stiff. If you do that you might as well just use Cyclone or some other textured poly.

When the string is freshly strung on my racquet, it really feels amazing. Nice ball-pocketing feel and controllable power. However, after played 4~5 times (2 hrs each time), I could tell why people complaining about the tension loss. The whole string bed gains more power and my ball often sails longer than normal.
Next time I will try to string it at slightly higher tension, maybe 58~60 lbs.

 

[travlerajm]

I prestretch every string that goes in my racquets. It’s especially important for poly.

Prestretching greatly improved tension stability and (contrary to popular myth) actually makes poly play more lively as long as the reference tension is lowered appropriately. Reduce the reference tension by 5-10 lbs to compensate for the fact that the tension will come out much tighter without the initial tension loss.

 

[noalac]

I prestretch every string that goes in my racquets. It’s especially important for poly.

Prestretching greatly improved tension stability and (contrary to popular myth) actually makes poly play more lively as long as the reference tension is lowered appropriately. Reduce the reference tension by 5-10 lbs to compensate for the fact that the tension will come out much tighter without the initial tension loss.

Thanks for your reply. That's very interesting, because previously I thought only the guts or syn-guts need pre-stretching (just my own impression, I am not professional).
What tension will you use to pre-stretch the poly? Normally I would use around 40 lbs for non-poly strings.
Thanks

 

[travlerajm]

Thanks for your reply. That's very interesting, because previously I thought only the guts or syn-guts need pre-stretching (just my own impression, I am not professional).
What tension will you use to pre-stretch the poly? Normally I would use around 40 lbs for non-poly strings.
Thanks

A 20-foot segment of poly will typically stretch to about 7.5” longer of permanent relaxed length (3% permanent stretch). Once you get to this point, it won’t want to lengthen further, and your done. The string will now behave much more elastically (without plasticity). It takes a minute or two of pulling. I use the “doorknob” method. Tie one end to the fixed anchor (such as s doorknob). Tie the other end around the handle of a racquet to use as a handle. Lean into it with your body weight with pulsed pulls (keeping a leg extended behind you for safety in case the string breaks due to a defect or something). Tie triple hitch knots to prevent possibility of knots coming loose.

Mark the starting length on the ground with an object. That way you can know how much extra length you are getting.

 

[LOBALOT]

When the string is freshly strung on my racquet, it really feels amazing. Nice ball-pocketing feel and controllable power. However, after played 4~5 times (2 hrs each time), I could tell why people complaining about the tension loss. The whole string bed gains more power and my ball often sails longer than normal.
Next time I will try to string it at slightly higher tension, maybe 58~60 lbs.

Yes, that is the downside. After a few hours it works great for targets on the other side of the back fence.

I string my own racquets so for me it doesn't mater and I restring it.

Unless a friend asks specifically for it I don't put it in their racquets for that reason.