Prince Premier LT string

[bleek56]

okay so this string is supposedly #1 synthetic string and scored above good across the board on tests. Anyone specifically played with this string??? im deciding whether to sting a full job of either RPM blast 17g or Premier 17g. thoughts please

REVIEW BY RSI
http://www.racquetsportsindustry.com/articles/2009/03/10_prince_premier_lt.html

 

[jim e]

okay so this string is supposedly #1 synthetic string and scored above good across the board on tests. Anyone specifically played with this string??? im deciding whether to sting a full job of either RPM blast 17g or Premier 17g. thoughts please

REVIEW BY RSI
http://www.racquetsportsindustry.com/articles/2009/03/10_prince_premier_lt.html

I have hit with it.It was one of the free string samples from the USRSA last year. I did like the string, but keep in mind that my string of choice is nat. gut full job. I strung the Prince Premier as full job, and for a synthetic it hit real well, and was very comfortable, and good feel, but not as much zip as nat. gut. A quality multi. string if you like multi. strings. Do not compare it to a poly string, as a poly is a different characteristic string, so you really cannot compare LT to RPM, as each is a different type of string. If you like a poly, then go with the RPM, but if you like the playability of a multi. then the LT is a nice string(except it does wear fast, so not very durable, and I am not a string breaker, as I hit a flat ball).

 

[tlm]

I am a string junkie + have played with a lot of strings.The premier lt is a very good multi.
This string has great feel, control,comfort+spin.It also plays good for pretty long.

I would use laserfibre prostock which is the best string you can use, but it is no longer available.The premier is the next best string.

 

[bleek56]

I have hit with it. I did like the string, but keep in mind that my string of choice is nat. gut full job. I strung the Prince Premier as full job, and for a synthetic it hit real well, and was very comfortable, and good feel, but not as much zip as nat. gut. A quality multi. string if you like multi. strings. Do not compare it to a poly string, as a poly is a different characteristic string, so you really cannot compare LT to RPM, as each is a different type of string. If you like a poly, then go with the RPM, but if you like the playability of a multi. then the LT is a nice string(except it does wear fast, so not very durable, and I am not a string breaker, as I hit a flat ball).

I actually never hit with poly :x but ordered RPM to string it when i need a new job n see how it is. I've always hit with multi so i ordered the premier to see what this baby can do. And about durability, i hit lots of topspin, howlong you think the 17g will last?

 

[jim e]

I actually never hit with poly :x but ordered RPM to string it when i need a new job n see how it is. I've always hit with multi so i ordered the premier to see what this baby can do. And about durability, i hit lots of topspin, howlong you think the 17g will last?

If you always hit with a multi. then you will most likely like the LT string, as it really is a good multi. As far as durability goes, thats different for everybody. Take me for instance, my normal set up is all VS gut 16g. and is very durable for me, as I typically do not break strings, (flat ball hitter),as they wear down and fray for a long while before it breaks, where as others here break that string fast. The LT I used was a 17g. so after a while it wore down and snapped way before my normal nat. gut would have, but you may get more with it, only way to know is to try it out..

 

[Valjean]

I did not like this string when I playtested it.

One of the more dubious results in USRSA playtests, unfortunately, is the tension retention category because there is no instrument--ERT, Stringmeter, etc.--requirement. And when the USRSA subjected Premier LT to their own, the result was quite the opposite of the high rating it received.

Here is the result from the playtest itself; recall the test string, which is Prince's Original Synthetic Gut, loses but 9%:

"After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed stiffness measured 64 RDC units, representing a 14 percent tension loss."

Under USRSA lab testing the drop was even higher (see the result here): http://www.racquetsportsindustry.com/articles/2010/01/string_selector_2010.html. This tracks with durability problems it has had (see for it the indifferent rating it received for string movement in its playtest).

Personally, I found the Premier LT had little feel too.

In this regard it is comparable to me to Wilson's Hollow Core, another bust IMO.

If you just happen to like its overall performance for some unknown reason, consider Klip's Excellerator as a better equivalent at the same price point.

For someone just caught up in comparing polyester with nylon somehow, try out Tecnifibre's MultiFeel first. Better yet, go with Babolat's Addiction and/or N.vy synthetic gut.

To me Premier LT's lone recommendation, when compared to other choices, is that it is out in an 18 gauge.

Prince's worse fear ought to be that it will give their Premier with Softflex--to me the better string by far, though designed far differently--a bad name by mistake.

 

[GameSetMatch]

I'm not completely convinced by some of those playtest comments because when does any multi offer 'amazing spin'? It's also not clear what strings those playtesters have used in the past and experiences they're assessing it against. As for '#1 Synthetic', that's that's pure marketing and hyperbole. However, having said all of that, Premier LT is a good string and does it plays well.

• Has a smooth, consistent response.
• Offers a slightly stiffer more resiliant feel than other multis.
• Lowered powered compared to similarly constructed multis such as Xcel or X-1 Biphase.
• Works particularly well as a cross in poly hybrid.
• Doesn't quite have the touch or feel of Xcel (which in 1.25 is probably still the best overall multi IMO)
• Doesn't have the (somewhat excessive) elastic spring of X-1 Biphase, which IMO, is an advantage.
• LT is much better string in terms of the conistency of its response than the blunter feeling Addiction, or cruder, budget orientated N.Vy. It simply isn't a string that competes in the same market as those.

Ultimately, it's really a matter of an individual player's personal preference as to how they like their string to feel and respond when they hit the ball, what their intended string application is, and what they're prepared to pay in terms of price performance.

I for one, do not like a soft stringbed. Fine for comfort or if you're coming back from injury, but I prefer a little more resiliance and 'bite' from my stringbed. I have to say that I didn't find tension maintenance to be problem. If people are intending to keep their strings for 3 or 4 months or even longer, I can understand why tension maintenance would be an issue. But with pre-stretching and using it in a poly hybrid, I don't see why there should be a problem, because the multi will get cut out along with the poly.

The biggest 'problem' with Premier LT (at least in Europe) is that its very overpriced. For example, in the UK, its £14 a set (that's over $20 to you US folk), and buying a reel is actually more expensive than buying individual sets which is crazy. If Prince sorted out their European distribution, sold it around the £10 mark, they'd have a potential sales winner on their hands.

Finally, going to back to the original question as to a full bed of RPM Blast or Premier LT, I have to say that doesn't really make sense because you're contemplating two very different feeling and performing stringbeds. Wouldn't it be better to first work out what you're trying to achieve, how often you restring, what you're performance level is, and what your budget is going to be first (all with regard to the racquet that you have) before contemplating string choices?

 

[parasailing]

I am a string junkie + have played with a lot of strings.The premier lt is a very good multi.
This string has great feel, control,comfort+spin.It also plays good for pretty long.

I would use laserfibre prostock which is the best string you can use, but it is no longer available.The premier is the next best string.

It is a good string but for me durability was not there for me. It lasted about 8 hours for me before they broke.

 

[tlm]

When i am practicing with the ball machine the lt does not last very well.But when playing it seem the durability is fine.

But for me i am not interested how long a string lasts, as long as it is not ridiculous.

I will only play a match or two with a new set of strings+then that racket is for practice.Then it is time for a new string job.This string plays fantastic brand new.

 

[parasailing]

I actually feel it plays best after a few hours of hitting.

 

[Valjean]

....[*]LT is a much better string in terms of the conistency of its response than the blunter feeling Addiction, or cruder, budget orientated N.Vy. It simply isn't a string that competes in the same market as those.....

....[G]oing to back to the original question as to a full bed of RPM Blast or Premier LT, I have to say that doesn't really make sense because you're contemplating two very different feeling and performing stringbeds.....

I don't think you're aware of an emerging market niche Addiction and N.vy in particular are being directed at. There are those players indicating now how they want nylon with the feel of polyester, like the *OP* seemed to say. Premier LT, like Hollow Core, is just about half the way home.

For someone on that particular fence and leaning more toward better feel and responsiveness than polyester has, in addition to Klip's Excellerator, which I've already suggested above, I feel even Babolat's venerable (and now, less costly) FiberTour, still available on TW at the present time, would prove a better substitute.

 

[GameSetMatch]

I don't think you're aware of an emerging market niche Addiction and N.vy in particular are being directed at. There are those players indicating now how they want nylon with the feel of polyester, like the *OP* seemed to say. Premier LT, like Hollow Core, is just about half the way home.

Addiction plays nothing like poly. Addiction feels nothing like poly. Same with Nvy - it feels and plays in way that is consisent with exactly what it is - a cheap synthetic gut. It is nothing like poly. LT is nothing like poly either - its not even 'half way house' towards a poly

 

[Donny0627]

im deciding whether to sting a full job of either RPM blast 17g or Premier 17g. thoughts please

You do know that these 2 strings could not be more different. A poly or Multi?...

 

[Valjean]

Addiction plays nothing like poly. Addiction feels nothing like poly. Same with Nvy - it feels and plays in way that is consisent with exactly what it is - a cheap synthetic gut. It is nothing like poly. LT is nothing like poly either - its not even 'half way house' towards a poly

Sorry, but what is missing in polys/co-polys is touch, and that's what your LT can even be said to lack. Addiction and N.vy share that too, but in addition have the poly/co-poly's more muted feel at impact. It is this combination of traits that does make them, in this man's opinion, more of a bridge to polyester than we previously thought might come out. I can't imagine what purpose is served for you by denying this bridging is intended, given polyester's popularity and the frequent references to it in various media now.

For its part, LT's approach isn't *that* new, even. In your discussion, though you mention comfort (Xcel) and power (X-1), that doesn't exhaust multi history: you omit the "control" multi, something with its own trait that in these days goes back to Head's RIP Control and has included in the past, for example, Babolat's Syntronic Brio. If there's a distinction in there among those, its that in previous incarnations mainly control and *stiffness*--to the point of brittleness in some--went hand-in-hand, and there wasn't much consistency to go with it. Frankly, though, LT's consistency--and you praise it--is hard to find if you know Xcel's, and if you were around when Gosen's Jim Courier string was still prevalent. The consistent way these two strings have measured throughout their coils and when strung up still puts them at the head of their respective classes where string is concerned.

Incidentally, here are the USRSA tension loss figures for LT's various flavors which in fact approach those of some polys/co-polys:

LT 16: 16.82
LT 17: 16.96
LT 18: 17.37

And for Xcel and X-One 16 gauge:

Xcel 9.66
X-One Biphase: 10.08

 

[GameSetMatch]

Sorry

I think you're quite right to apologise given your rambling incoherent post!

 

[karophiteblu]

how would this string compare to the tecnifibre x-1 biphase?

 

[GameSetMatch]

how would this string compare to the tecnifibre x-1 biphase?

X1 is very elastic and powerful. Far too elastic and powerful for my liking. LT, in comparison, is more 'restrained' in terms of elasticity and power, which is something that I prefer.

It depends on the application which you're intending to use it for and what sort of player you are, but X1 wouldn't be my choice in a hybrid because you're forced to increase the tension of the poly as a consequence, which gives you less adjustability over tension and control of your stringbed. If you have a full swing, a heavier racquet and / or can generate much of your own power, it turns the racquet too much into a rocket launcher for my liking as it begins to lose tension. Even as a cross, it gradually begins to dominate the poly as it loses tension.

X1 would probably work better as a full bed at a higher tension but even then, its window of performance is still relatively small before tension loss starts becoming a problem. It's a string for people who don't generate much of their own power IMO. It's also expensive (but then again, so is LT). If you're going to spend that amount of money on a full bed multi, you're almost better buying some gut, for its vastly superior tension maintenance.

 

[Valjean]

how would this string compare to the tecnifibre x-1 biphase?

I think X-One's "crispness" (for lack of a better term for now) and its relatively precise feel, rather than any power it has, should stand out then.

 

[bleek56]

You do know that these 2 strings could not be more different. A poly or Multi?...

yea but i never hit with a poly and i ordered a set of each so idk which 1 to choose. continue my multi setup or try RPM.

 

[themitchmann]

The tension loss posted by RSI refers to a measurement taken 24 hours after stringing with no play. However, all strings lose tension to some degree, and some more than others. This number does not indicate tension loss through the life of the stringjob. That is why the USRSA includes a "tension maintanence" section on their playtest forms.

A good pre-stretch will help counter this significant loss of tension during the 24 hour period. I always pre-stretch both versions of Premier.

 

[Valjean]

The tension loss posted by RSI refers to a measurement taken 24 hours after stringing with no play. However, all strings lose tension to some degree, and some more than others. This number does not indicate tension loss through the life of the stringjob. That is why the USRSA includes a "tension maintanence" section on their playtest forms.

A good pre-stretch will help counter this significant loss of tension during the 24 hour period. I always pre-stretch both versions of Premier.

There are *two* distinct measurements being given out, though. The first accompanying any USRSA playtest is given as a percentage loss and compared to that of a control string, Prince's Original Synthetic Gut, for a similar 24-hour period, with no stringbed action involved. This is the one you meant

The second string test is a lab result published periodically through RSI where the stringbed is struck several times to simulate the effect on stringbed tension of five hard serves. This result is tabled and compared then with all other tested strings of the same construction material. This list allows someone to compare the strings' relative stiffness as well.

Tension maintenance for USRSA playtests is not defined anywhere on the forms they give out; it's pretty subjective then.

Both test methods are helpful and can provide a pretty good overall first picture to go by for selecting a string. In the case of LT, it's interesting to see that the two results are mutually reinforcing. I'm not surprised to hear someone is pre-stretching Premier LT; I am, though, regarding Premier with Softflex. I don't suppose you have measured the difference pre-stretching has made, though????

 

[themitchmann]

I'm sorry. I thought you were only referencing the 24 hr tension loss stats.

I have no means if making any precise measures regarding stringbed stiffness, so I can't comment on any exact numbers after pre-stretching.

I do believe the pre-stretch will help with both the initial tension loss and the second test you just mentioned. I pre-stretch almost all of the multis I use.

 

[GameSetMatch]

Both test methods are helpful and can provide a pretty good overall first picture to go by for selecting a string.

But the point is, they don't provide a good overall picture. You assume that measuring tension loss based on leaving it for 24 hours or hitting 5 balls at the stringbed is indicative of subsequent tension loss. But it isn't because different strings lose tension in different ways and respond and play differently after they've been put under stress of hitting hundreds of balls.

NXT for example, is pretty good after stringing if you play a match. But then you drill for a few hours, and play a game a day or two later, and you can feel that the string is more comfortable but also significantly looser and you find that you have less control and are having to adjust yoru game already. Exactly the same player, same racquet, same court, same conditions.

X1 is another example. Plays well for the first few hours, depending on how much stress you put the string under, but then you can feel its trampolining characteristics starting to come to the fore. In comparison, a string like Xcel seems to resist tension loss pretty well - it remains playable for a longer period of time IMO. Different strings simply react differently after they've been put under stress.

With pre-stretching and allowing the string to settle after stringing, I have to say that I didn't notice the supposed extreme tension loss that you suggest for LT. Tennis isn't about string spreadsheets with numbers on them. What's more important is how the string feels and performs during its lifetime and how much confidence it gives you to hit your shots. In that regard, a 24hr stringometer reading and 5 balls hit at the stringbed isn't very helpful.

 

[Valjean]

But the point is, they don't provide a good overall picture. You assume that measuring tension loss based on leaving it for 24 hours or hitting 5 balls at the stringbed is indicative of subsequent tension loss. But it isn't because different strings lose tension in different ways and respond and play differently after they've been put under stress of hitting hundreds of balls.

NXT for example, is pretty good after stringing if you play a match. But then you drill for a few hours, and play a game a day or two later, and you can feel that the string is more comfortable but also significantly looser and you find that you have less control and are having to adjust yoru game already. Exactly the same player, same racquet, same court, same conditions.

X1 is another example. Plays well for the first few hours, depending on how much stress you put the string under, but then you can feel its trampolining characteristics starting to come to the fore. In comparison, a string like Xcel seems to resist tension loss pretty well - it remains playable for a longer period of time IMO. Different strings simply react differently after they've been put under stress.

With pre-stretching and allowing the string to settle after stringing, I have to say that I didn't notice the supposed extreme tension loss that you suggest for LT. Tennis isn't about string spreadsheets with numbers on them. What's more important is how the string feels and performs during its lifetime and how much confidence it gives you to hit your shots. In that regard, a 24hr stringometer reading and 5 balls hit at the stringbed isn't very helpful.

This is how I said these two tests offer but a first picture. Subsequent tension loss is obviously going to be based on the use of the string; all you likely can achieve through tests like these, then, is an initial benchmark for a string's rate of tension loss.

I wonder how you can assume there is less significant tension loss over time than tests would indicate when you have nothing apparent to go by?

If it were that easy to tell by feel alone, don't you think the USRSA would forego having its testers indicate by equipment and skill set just who they are, so you can go by these?

And, surely, you can't mean there should be no test result merely because such a result isn't the comprehensive answer to the string's hitability you were looking for?

 

[GameSetMatch]

Can you say that again, this time in English? Listening to you talk about strings is like listening to white noise.

 

[Valjean]

Nice chatting with you, again, too... Is it any wonder..