schenkelini
Semi-Pro
I have tried many of their strings and keep coming back to Blackout.
Pro's Pro Strings!?
- Thread starter Jura-SB
- Start date
Buford T Justice
Semi-Pro
Ive tested (if tested isn't too strong a word) Intense Heat vs. Wilson Revolve as far as tension loss as reported by Racquetune, and they are both nearly the same. Both of them seem to plateau (in other words settle out) ~15% lower than what they pinged at right off the stringer. Unfortunately, in an open patterned racquet like mine, they break pretty close to when they plateau.
I was hoping that IH would be an uber-cheap Revolve substitute, but Im finding it is not. Ive used Revolve (and the previous Ripspin) countless times, and IH does not play the same. It is slick like Revolve, but does not have the same resilient feeling upon ball impact. Its a much more "plasticky" feeling. On the stringer, it also does not elongate at all similarly to Revolve. Revolve of course isn't super stretchy, but its noticeably more so than IH.
But, IH is ~$35/reel and Revolve is ~$150 (and the life of any of them is very short in my racquets) so I am trying to learn to like IH!
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
IH is better at lower tensions I find. The spin the string produces then becomes rather obscene
Buford T Justice
Semi-Pro
Ive tried it anywhere from 30 to 70!
30 was a "loose cannon" and 70 was too firm (although my regular string/tension is Revolve at 67-68 and its my go to setup).
At 60, IH was OK, but I wasn't convinced enough to switch from Revolve (although I can tell you that ~$2/frame vs. $9/frame can make me overlook a lot of flaws).
Im trying 60/50 differential with the mains and crosses next to see if things improve. If not, Ill probably either try another Pros Pro string (a softer more resilent one....maybe Red Devil or Vendetta?), or just suck it up and pay for the Revolve. The only reason Im even fooling around with these other strings is because my frames (16x16) and my stupid western grip eat strings (3-4 hrs and they pop).
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
Have you tried it between 40 and 50? Not sure about S string patterns, but that's where I liked it in my PS 95 back in the day.
Buford T Justice
Semi-Pro
I'd be curious as to the answer to this question as well.
Buford T Justice
Semi-Pro
I haven't tried that range yet, but hey, at about two bucks a string job maybe I'll throw some in there
Ben42
Semi-Pro
I've never played IH or Revolve, but I've been playing with Red Devil for a while now. It plays softer for me than the multis I used to play (albeit at 50lbs rather than 60). It stretches like a syn gut on my drop weight stringer.
Buford T Justice
Semi-Pro
I see that you are using the Tour 100T....I have switched to the older Tour 100T ESP.
Do you get reasonable life out of RD in your frame?
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
Feels like plastic and produces multi level spin though IMO
Buford T Justice
Semi-Pro
Terrible! I am just not a fan of this string.
tennisBIEST
Professional
I'm moving away from the 1:24 + gauges into the thinner gauges and I picked up PPPP 1.18. I gave a hitting lesson to a junior 4.0 level player and got to give this a try. I was impressed with the good ball pocketing and comfort. I've in the past only played with shaped polys and I was quite surprised at the amount of spin I was generating with this round poly. I'm assuming due to the thinner gauge I was able to get a better ball bite. The better power, comfort, control and similar spin to Black Out may end up making this my new string. Question still remaining is durability and length of playability.
Ben42
Semi-Pro
Not too bad. I get 7-9 hours out of a set and then balls start sailing a little long and I feel like cutting it out. I've never broken it.
Muppet
Legend
I liked Red Devil 1.19 a lot better than the 1.24. Very good performance for the price.
tennisBIEST
Professional
Been testing some thinner polys lately and played a few ground stroke games and a set with newer Strategem 8 1.20 (4th generation) the other day. First off the the strings have sharp edges like a Solinco Hyper-G or Rev which I really like. The spin was better than any other poly I've tried from PP. In comparison to Black Out(my go to) S8 has more power and spin. These aren't touchy feely strings like gut or multis! These were made for one thing....bashing from the baseline!! Not that you can't bash from baseline with gut or multis but just don't look for a ton of feel out of these. I believe that's why I like playing with stiffer racquets because I get the feedback from even dead strings. BO has better control and I'd give BO the nod in the comfort department. S8 and BO both have very little give on the stringer as compared to the soft PP strings like Red Devil or Black Force. Another little thing I like about S8 is how shiny the black strings are! I'm assuming that's due to the silicone coating on the strings. Next up I'll drop the tension couple lbs. in S8 and see if I can't get a similar comfort level like I get in BO. Peace from the BIEST!
WhETHANs
Rookie
How was the tension maintenance and durability for you?
Karma Tennis
Legend
@tennisBIEST, Please keep us posted re: your experience with Strategem 8 1.20. Also do you have any further comments about the 1.18 PPPP?
At the end of the day, if you were playing an important match, which of the 3 strings are you most likely to use? It would take something really huge to move us away from 1.24mm BO but anything is possible esp. if there is another decent value option available from PP.
At the end of the day, if you were playing an important match, which of the 3 strings are you most likely to use? It would take something really huge to move us away from 1.24mm BO but anything is possible esp. if there is another decent value option available from PP.
tennisBIEST
Professional
Hey Karma! I'm so flaky! Yeah PPPP 1.18 was a nice all around string but not enough spin for me. So I went out and played today with a long time hitting partner and had both S8 and BO freshly strung up. S8 just doesn't stand up to BO. But in all fairness to S8 I really really love BO!! The control is so good for me and with that dead old school poly you can really go for your shots and not have to worry about the ball shooting off. BO has just the right about of ball grip. You can feel confident going flat or spinning a sharp angle or deep roller. Of course I'll hit balls long but it's not the strings. I can't say that about some other polys I've tried where the tension drops and they turn into rubber bands! So if my nightmare ever materializes and Black Out disappeared from the planet I come see myself getting along just fine with S8 but let's hope that never ever happens!!
Lukhas
Legend
If the spin wasn't mediocre for a co-poly, I would've switched to Red Devil. After a decent number of hours I played a match on clay with it... and it just died on the spot. The clay prevented it from snapping back. I've bee eyeing on Black Out (as well as a completely different animal in Max Power Rough) but never bit the bullet.
Ben42
Semi-Pro
My racquet has a pretty open pattern so generating spin hasn't been an issue for me. I liked BO too, but the comfort and control were better with RD and it lasted a little longer for me.
Cerps
Professional
I'll get a set next week and can compare those two, I've been a user of SPPP now for some time. Suspect they are the same thing
Muppet
Legend
I haven't tried SPPP yet, but Plus Power drops tension pretty fast. SPPP is known for holding tension well.
o0lunatik
Professional
Tension maintenance is not anywhere near SPPP. Plus Power definitely has more power than SPPP and a tad more pop than SPPP. Plus Power and a little softer as well. But for the price of a reel, it's worth to give it a go.
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WhETHANs
Rookie
Hmmm I've never tried a twisted poly with a smooth poly before. In my opinion, twisted polys don't snap back all that well in general. Give it a try tho. Also, another good set up could be strategem 8 in the mains bc it's pretty slick and pros pros concept in the crosses, also pretty slick and keeps tension well. It may be a bit firmer than the lethal 5/red devil combo tho. Instead of strategem 8, you could use strategem 10. Anyone try that one yet?
kevonian
Rookie
I heard from a sales rep that Lethal 5 is being phased out and will be discontinued soon
tennisBIEST
Professional
Experimenting again...Devil Spin/Black Force!!!
...Devil Spin/Black Force!!!
4-string
Professional
Pro's Pro sales rep? Do they really exist?
kevonian
Rookie
Haha I don't know. I asked the UK racquetdepot website, and that's what they told me.
tennisBIEST
Professional
Black Devil Spin Force! Hahaha! So this is my second week of hitting with this setup and I've reported on this thread how I really like Devil Spin before. I use to run with my Dos Diablos setup (Devil Spin/ Red Devil). I remember I went back to BlackOut due to my frustration with stringing Devil Spin. The dark blue really bird nests off the reel and it was a pain dealing with it. I decided to try the black version of the DS and to my delight it doesn't get tangled. DS with Black Force in the crosses is a very nice setup.I generally don't like doing poly/poly hybrids because I always feel the smooth crosses take some of the "grab" away from the full bed of shaped poly. Devil spin with its extreme shaped profile has plenty of "grab!" Black Force is very similar to Red Devil with its stretchy nature and rubbery feel but it is much slicker than RD. Now I've been playing a fair bit lately so take this with a grain of salt BUT I've never ever served better in my life! Just bombing first and second serves and putting them where I want them. I'm hesitant to say this because of my long time run with BlackOut but Devil Spin/Black Force will be my new go to for the spring. It has better power, spin, comfort and control. Only knock is the tension maintenance but I was restringing BlackOut every 2 hits due to it short playability. So in the end I'm enjoying the extra power/spin on serves and groundies.
Karma Tennis
Legend
OH NO!
I'm down to my final reel of Black Out and wondering whether to stick with what we know, or to try something different. And now I hear this from the BIEST!
@tennisBIEST, are you stringing crosses lower than mains with this hybrid?
Please let us know how it works out for you. I've got a few weeks left before I have to order my next few rolls of string.
tennisBIEST
Professional
Karma I was thinking of YOU when I wrote that!! I always string my crosses 2 lbs. lower than my mains. I play with the Graphene Extreme MP and i find it opens up the sweet spot. I'm stringing the Devil Spin/Black Force @54/52. I use to have to string BO lower to get the ball pocket and power I like. But I prefer to string mid 50's which DS/BF allows. I'll keep Black Out nearby just in case
boris_graf
New User
I have heard that some of the PP strings should be clones from more expensive brand strings. For example, Black out = Tecnifibre Black Code, Red Devil = Tecnifibre Red Code. Could that be? Anf if so, what are other clones?
Ee Borise. I thought the same last year, but I don't think so anymore. Anyway, here's the list:
Black out ~ Tecnifibre Black Code, WeissCANNON Black5Edge
Claycourt plus ~ Tecnifibre X-One Biphase, Signum Pro Micronite
Colorline ~ Gosen OG-Sheep Micro JC (Jim Courier)
Concept ~ WeissCANNON Scorpion
Cyber Power ~ Luxilon Big Banger ALU Flouro, Babolat Pro Hurricane
Cyclone ~ Gosen Powermaster
Gutex Ultra ~ Wilson NXT
Hexaspin ~ Solinco Revolution, Signum Pro Plasma HEXtreme
Hexaspin twist ~ Solinco Barb Wire
Hexmulti ~ Dunlop Hexy Fiber
Hitec Multifiber ~ WeissCANNON Explosiv!, Mantis Comfort Synthetic
Ichiban Spin ~ Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour, WeissCANNON TurboTwist
Intense Heat ~ MSV Co.-Focus
Interceptor ~ Yonex Poly Tour Pro
Ku De Ta ~ Luxilon ALU Power Soft
Lethal 5 ~ Solinco Tour Bite
Lethal 8 ~ Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power Rough, Signum Pro Tornado
Nano Cyber Power ~ Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power, WeissCANNON Silverstring
Plus Power ~ Signum Pro Poly Plasma
Poly Spin ~ Kirschbaum Spiky Shark, PolyStar Turbo
Pure Aramid ~ Forten Aramid
Red Devil ~ Tecnifibre Pro Red Code
Spinox ~ Luxilon 4G Rough
Spiral X ~ Prince Lightning XX
Strategem 8 ~ Babolat RPM Blast
Synthetic ~ Gosen OG Sheep Micro
SYnthetic Power ~ Forten Sweet
Top Spin ~ Prince Topspin
Ultimate Fiber ~ Head FXP
some are correct but some are definitely not, for instance:
claycourt plus - tecnifibre x-one biphase
hexaspin twist - solinco barbwire
ichiban spin - babolat pro hurricane tour
intense heat - msv cofocus
lethal 5 - solinco tour bite
lethal 8 - alu power rough
the dynapower syngut is quite close to og sheep micro for instance, not the regular synthetic. there are quite a few i haven't played so can't comment.
Poslano z mojega HUAWEI VNS-L21 z uporabo Tapatalk
Karma Tennis
Legend
Like everything on any of these forums, the only way to know for sure is to test things out for yourself. The idea that one can get something similar for much lower cost is appealing but always should be put to the test and confirmed personally.
Nah, but they are still very good strings. i am using Ichiban spin 1.31 and it is just "like" pro hurricane tour, but it actually lasts much longer.
To be honest, most polys are the same to me now anyway aside the general feel and slickness. Even though I have the money i still choose pp.
boris_graf
New User
Yes and no. I am not able to test everything by myself so the forum helps me to prioritize and identify the most promising options. I do not have to compare the PP strings against the supposed original if others have done so already and thed did not match
@majstore: Thanks for the list. Have you tested any of the PP / original brands pairs ? Can you confirm anything from the list?
@majstore: Thanks for the list. Have you tested any of the PP / original brands pairs ? Can you confirm anything from the list?
Can't confirm, but playing with RPM Blast was a different world. I'll try a few more expensive strings mentioned in my other topic and get a reel of it. Trying different strings all the time is pretty pointless. I'll buy one and stick with this one.
*The only PP string I'll definitely try will be Cyber Spin.
Karma Tennis
Legend
I understand your position. If you have the time and money to do so, more power to you.
You probably don't need to test everything though. What are you looking for in a string? What is your current racquet spec? What is your playing style? What string tension do you prefer? Are you looking for mainly spin potential, depth potential, control potential, or a combination? Do you prefer crisp or muted feel? Do you prefer Poly, Multi or SG? Do you prefer stiff or soft strings? Do you prefer thick or thin gauge strings? Do you prefer round or shaped strings? Do you want playability or durability? How many playing hours do you want before a restring?
If you answer those questions, you will be able to narrow down the PP offerings to two or three pretty quickly. And then test from there, either full bed or hybrid.
boris_graf
New User
Good point. I am currently playing a Babolat Pure Aero strung with a Isospeed Black Fire in 23/22 kg. Since the racquet is already stiff itself, the string should be not too stiff itself. I rarely break strings so durability is not an issue but tension maintenance is as I do not want to restring too often. Regarding the playing characteristics like spin, control, power etc. I am looking for a good balance
WhETHANs
Rookie
Pros pro concept from my experience has the best combo of tension maintenance, control, and power. Spin is above average for a smooth poly. Not overly stiff; has nice solid feel to it. I tried the 1.22 mm. I'd give the 1.25 or 1.28 in your pure aero
boris_graf
New User
Thank you. Unfortunatelly Pro's Pro only sells concept in reels, not single sets. :-( Bad for testing.
tennisitis
New User
Thank you all for sharing your experience with Pro's Pro strings. I've read through the 20 pages and there's a general consensus about the dramatic initial tension drop with PP poly strings. Unfortunately, only a few members briefly mentioned about trying any prestretching (machine or manual) to minimize this drop. I'd appreciate it if anyone can share additional experience regarding poly prestretching.
Because of the glowing feedback, I have ordered a reel of Black Out 1.24mm. I will also likely order a reel of Black Force 1.24mm to use as cross string with BO mains, as some have done here. I'm hoping this combination will work with my Wilson Burn 95 (non CV) and fit my first-strike, heavy topspin, blow-'em-off-the-court game. My current string setup is Volkl Cyclone 17@52lbs mains and Volkl V-Pro 17@50lbs crosses. After so many years playing tennis, I just bought a Klippermate stringer and I can't wait to try out some PP shaped polys.
Because of the glowing feedback, I have ordered a reel of Black Out 1.24mm. I will also likely order a reel of Black Force 1.24mm to use as cross string with BO mains, as some have done here. I'm hoping this combination will work with my Wilson Burn 95 (non CV) and fit my first-strike, heavy topspin, blow-'em-off-the-court game. My current string setup is Volkl Cyclone 17@52lbs mains and Volkl V-Pro 17@50lbs crosses. After so many years playing tennis, I just bought a Klippermate stringer and I can't wait to try out some PP shaped polys.
