RF97A---Best Poly/Tension

[Downtheline1]

Interested in some feedback.

Thinking of stringing the RF97A with a full bed of either: 4G, 4G soft, or alu power rough. What tension? I played the RF97A with a full bed of 4G, and really liked it. I was thinking of stringing one of these strings at say 50, but I want to make sure that I do not lose control. 4G has good tension maintenance. Has anyone tried any of these in the RF97A?

Thanks!

 

[shaysrebelII]

I think most of the folks around here who use the RF97 are using hybrids. For instance, right now I've got Pacific Tough Gut 16L mains crossed with Solinco Outlast 16 at 54/51 lbs. I'm at about 6 hours on it and I love it.

I understand that gut isn't for everyone though. The only full poly setup I've used in it is Solinco Tour Bite 16L, which was okay, but not as good as what I've got now.

Ultimately though, if you like what you've got now, why change it?

 

[Fuji]

I tried 4G @ 54lbs. I lucked out as that was a sweetspot tension wise. Really liked how it played off the bat and the drop was nice. I believe I used 16g.

Also tried goldenset powerchord at 55lbs (16g) with similar results. With round poly I think the 54 - 55lbs is a nice starting point.

-Fuji

 

[Blitzball]

I tried a fullbed of 4G in my RF97 and liked it but my wrist felt tender afterward. That goes for any poly that I use in this frame because it's so heavy and stiff. Pretty much any hybrid I use plays beautifully in the frame. So if you like 4G, go for it. Good string, just not for everyone. If you're looking for more pop and comfort, definitely try a hybrid. Invest in some natural gut in the mains, raise the tension, and get 4G in the crosses at a few lbs lower. Only if you're not satisfied with a fullbed of 4G.

 

[kaiser]

Low tension poly works very nicely in this frame. Had it strung with tourbite16 at 18x16 kg when I bought it, which played much better than the demo which I tried which I think was strung at 26 kg full poly. The low tension poly gives great spin and touch and provides good depth control by taming its power with topspin, but only if you commit hitting full out!

 

[ShahofTennis]

I've tried full Outlast 18, Revolve 17, and Black Fire 17.
Outlast 18: Good feel, comfort, power, and tension maintenance. Wasn't strong in the spin department like Revolve or Black Fire
Black Fire 17: Great for spin, and very soft on the arm. Basically it did everything better than Revolve, and only came up short against Outlast in tension maintenance.
Revolve 17: better than Outlast in most departments. Outlast beats it out in holding tension, and Black Fire 17 is the superior string compared to Revolve 17.

 

[NE-14-10S]

I strung my RFA with a full bed of Wilson Ripspin 17g @ 52/54 lbs. This was a great combination of control and comfort. I was going to go up a few pounds because I found that I was over-hitting some approach shots in the middle of the court due to the pure power of this racquet. Unfortunately, when I went to reorder this string, I found out that Wilson discontinued it . I just had the racquet strung with a full bed of Tourna Black Zone 17g @ 53/55 lbs. I am hitting with this set up on Sunday and will report my results.

 

[PeterFig]

Unfortunately, when I went to reorder this string, I found out that Wilson discontinued it

Ripspin has been replaced with Revolve. Similar to Ripspin but improved.

 

[Downtheline1]

Thanks everyone.

Looks like I'm going to have to try a gut/poly hybrid at some point given the replies.

For now, may try Tourna BHB7/BZ

 

[TennisManiac]

I just had the racquet strung with a full bed of Tourna Black Zone 17g @ 53/55 lbs. I am hitting with this set up on Sunday and will report my results.

Well? What were your results?

 

[smalahove]

I bought my RF97A with Tour Bite Soft (prob. 16 or 17, mid 50s), and that feels firm but prettycomfortable - and plays very nice. Loads of power and (still) good control. Would not go for a stiffer poly without going into the low 40s.

I'm getting a second RF97A with tough gut 16/Max Power 17 hybrid.

 

[-Bobo-]

I just played a pennant match with a full bed of Solinco outlast at 48, much better initial performance than YPTP.

YPTP is muted as is the RF97 so the combination didn't do too well around the net, and feel shots in general, but the control was great form the baseline, and i hit more aces than i ever have and had a very high first serve percentage, but the feel was really lacking and was costing me points on short balls.

Outlast has great feel for me, though i'm not sure if it's just in comparison to YPTP so I'll have to try something else in there.

Spin and comfort are great, i found outlast more comfortable than YPTP.

The only thing i noticed it outlast doesn't work as well in terms of gripping the ball, its more for those who hit through the ball rather than brush when generating spin, but when you do there's plenty of spin.

The only thing that was a bit off was the serve, but it was very windy and think i just need to string it a bit tighter as it felt a little more powerful than YPTP.

I'll update how the second hit goes.

After this I'll probably give revolution a go at 50 or thereabouts.

 

[Dominic]

I spent a fair amount of time playing with the RF97 during my quest for a new racket. The RF97 with a full bed of 4G @ 50lbs had the best combination of Control and Power (the RF97 has a lot of Power and I found you needed a stiff poly to control it..)
actually, I found it quite amazing, best I have ever played with
I found ALU Power and 4G Soft just too Powerful (pop) for this frame.

 

[kingcheetah]

In my experience, 4g 16l is the best string for this racquet, for both controlling the power and staying in the racquet (I've tried cheaper alternatives like savage, adrenaline and the Lux. tour playtest, and they all snap really quickly.)

My tension has gone up from 53 to 56, which I did last year with my Blade 104(from 55 to 58 ) when it got hotter out and I went outside, for whatever reason I do better with a higher tension outside in the summer.

 

[smalahove]

For those of you who have tried low tension polys in the RF97A:

I'm having my RF restrung with V-Star 16 Orange (spin friendly, low stiffness) which I really liked in another frame. I was thinking of going 56 lbs even though I am considering low tension, since the V-star 16 has a massive 21'sh lbs tension loss after a very short while acc. to the "string forum".

My question is then: what is the difference between two low tension polys, where one is strung low tension with little tension loss, and the other is strung mid range with great tension loss?

 

[Roddick85]

I used to have a full bed Alu Power Rough @50lbs with the BLX90, same setup on the RF97A and I totally hate it. Way too much power, not a fan.

 

[torpantennis]

I used to have a full bed Alu Power Rough @50lbs with the BLX90, same setup on the RF97A and I totally hate it. Way too much power, not a fan.

Of course it is. You should up the tension by about 6-10lbs to have ANY CHANCE in h*ll of having similar power levels and feels between 17.5mm/90sq.in and 21.5mm/97sq.in. Why don't people get these basic facts?

 

[iceman_dl6]

I used to have a full bed Alu Power Rough @50lbs with the BLX90, same setup on the RF97A and I totally hate it. Way too much power, not a fan.

Try 56-57 lbs, loved it at that tension when i used alu power rough

 

[-Bobo-]

Outlast* longer term report, played nice, but probably should have strung it in the low 50's vs the high 40's. Spin was pretty good as long as you didn't try to brush the ball too hard. Comfort and feel were excellent. Durability was reasonable. Lasted me about 15 hours.

Currently using max power rough, stringer strung at 44 instead of 54 and its actually playing quite nice. I think 54 would have been too high, but high 40's with this string could be the ticket. Great spins, control and feel. So far the best string i've used in the RF97. Surprisingly comfortable, not sure why considering the reported stiffness.

 

[TennisManiac]

Surprisingly comfortable, not sure why considering the reported stiffness.

Because your playing it in a very heavy and dampened frame. That's one of the great things about the RF97.

 

[smalahove]

After each hour long training session, I def feel muscle fatigue, esp. in my forearm. I can understand how some take this to be caused by the frame stiffness, however ime, it is not. The frame plays and feels plush, much more so than f.inst. the ig prestige mp/pp.

So, the sledgehammer might hammer the poles in with a plush feel, but at the end of the day, my muscles feel the work that has been done ;-)

Gut/poly was nice, but too powerful and not enough spin (tough gut 16/max power 17 @56/48). Tour bite soft 16l @56 was mediocre, and died quickly on me. V-star 16 orange @57 seems promising.

 

[-Bobo-]

Because your playing it in a very heavy and dampened frame. That's one of the great things about the RF97.

Yeah i knew that but i did actually notice some stiffness in the yonex poly which is reported to be super soft. Probably just muscle fatigue rather than inflammation etc as i haven't had anything since.

I also think the odd feel of yonex ptp actually gave me issues as i couldn't tell where the ball was connecting, havent had that with the other poly's.

Out of curiosity have you guys checked the specs on your sticks?

Mine is 362 grams, 345 sw, and 32cm balance (with an overgrip)

So a fair amount off of the advertised.

 

[Roddick85]

Try 56-57 lbs, loved it at that tension when i used alu power rough

I did up the tension to 56lbs during my last string job. Feels better, but tension loss is so quick that it doesn't last much longer than 3-4 hours max.

 

[smalahove]

Out of curiosity have you guys checked the specs on your sticks?

362g incl OG and dampener, strung with 17 g strings
367g incl OG and dampener, strung with 16/17 g strings

 

[-Bobo-]

362g incl OG and dampener, strung with 17 g strings
367g incl OG and dampener, strung with 16/17 g strings

Cool so not too bad considering wilsons reputation.

Any idea on balance and SW?

 

[oble]

Out of curiosity have you guys checked the specs on your sticks?

Mine is 362 grams, 345 sw, and 32cm balance (with an overgrip)

So a fair amount off of the advertised.

Your stick's static weight seems spot on, but much more head heavy - about 3 points head-heavier than the listed spec which explains the higher SW. That's probably the max range I'd consider for variation in balance because 3 points difference in balance is definitely detectable..

My stick's unstrung specs are 335 grams and 30.7cm balance, so 5 grams under spec and very slightly head-heavier than advertised.

Strung with 16g strings and overgripped with Yonex Supergrap makes it about 355 grams, 31.5cm balance. Estimated swingweight is between 336 and 340 using the TW manual method, because I'm not too confident with my balance being measured with the table-edge method, so it's +/- 1 or 2mm, I think.

 

[oble]

In terms of strings, Volkl Cyclone Tour at 48lbs either in full bed or crossed with Monogut ZX seems to does the trick for me. Wilson Ripspin was also pretty good (tension unknown), so I'm eagerly waiting to receive my Wilson Revolve to finally make my decision on either Cyclone Tour or Revolve.

 

[smalahove]

Cool so not too bad considering wilsons reputation.

Any idea on balance and SW?

Just checked both using the lounge table and a ruler, and they were pretty much both dead on 31 cm, strung with OG (and dampener on the poly one).

Compared to my other rackets I'd say the SW is in the neighbourhood of 335.

 

[Taveren]

Hi, long time lurker first time poster here. I have been using the RF97A with a full bed of Signum Pro Tornado at 55lbs. And I am satisfied with it but would like to try out other options. Kindly suggest which string among Signum, Weiscannon, Isospeed, MSV and Pro supex would have great synergy with RF97A? I am sticking to this brands as they are conveniently available. Thanks!

 

[topspn]

Signum pro plasma @48

 

[-Bobo-]

Signum pro plasma @48

Maybe in a thicker gage, i think it would break too quickly. I'm not generally a string breaker but have had some issues with SPP in that regard.

 

[Taveren]

Durability is not an issue for me, I couldnt even break an MSV hex 18g. I have tried the Signum Pro Plasma at 52lbs on an APD and did not like it much. So far I have requested my friend to string Blackfire mains and Scorpion cross at 55/52 to experiment a bit.

 

[topspn]

I used a SPP 16L at that tension for 3 weeks of 4 to 5 times a week of play. No breakage but cut it out for fresh string. Polys for me generally suffer to much loss of playability after 3 weeks. This one held up better then most. I totally agree, great strings don't always translate that way to different frames. On the RF97A, it was soft and a spin monster. I could rip heavy balls at will.

 

[Taveren]

I used a SPP 16L at that tension for 3 weeks of 4 to 5 times a week of play. No breakage but cut it out for fresh string. Polys for me generally suffer to much loss of playability after 3 weeks. This one held up better then most. I totally agree, great strings don't always translate that way to different frames. On the RF97A, it was soft and a spin monster. I could rip heavy balls at will.

Hmmm good point that strings may play differently on different frames, maybe I will it out on my next string job.

 

[Sardines]

I've tried it with VS gut 17g and Cyclone Tour 18g @ 55/50 and also just plain Cyclone Tour 18g@ 50/47. I prefer the full poly for the added spin. The racquet is a little anemic on power vs my older racquet but I love the punch at net.
Will try dropping the tension to 48/45 to see if I can get the launch angle a bit higher to match my old racquet.

 

[Taveren]

Durability is not an issue for me, I couldnt even break an MSV hex 18g. I have tried the Signum Pro Plasma at 52lbs on an APD and did not like it much. So far I have requested my friend to string Blackfire mains and Scorpion cross at 55/52 to experiment a bit.

Just an update, been using this string set up for around 30 hours now and I maybe can still squeeze another 10 hours or so. first 4 hours with it I was regretting the combo and tension but enjoyed the control I get with full swings. at the 6th hour the string bed softened up and everything just became perfect for me.

Now I am looking to trying a new string combination, can anyone recommend a poly/poly or full poly setup that prioritizes tension maintenance, spin potential, resist notching (for the crosses)

 

[Anton]

I usually don't like 4G but it works great in RF97A. I had 16g in the TWs RF demo and really liked it all the way until I popped it. Very comfy, lots of spin.

In my own RF I'm currently using Solinco Tour Bite 16 and after initial stiff stringed (I requested 52lbs but I didn't string it myself so that could mean just about anything) it has loosened up some and feels pretty ok now.

Getting my own stringer today and from here will try NGut Mains / Poly cross and some other full poly sets with lower tension.

 

[ThirdEye]

Any advice for someone with a tennis elbow history? I'd like to use a full bed of poly on my RFA (can't afford restringing it with a natural gut hybrid every 15 days and a multi would make it a cannon) but I need something not too stiff for my elbow. I currently use Genesis Black Magic 1.23 on my Tecnifibre 315 Ltd and it's a nice string, would it work well on the king's frame too? I'm open to suggestions.

 

[Taveren]

Any advice for someone with a tennis elbow history? I'd like to use a full bed of poly on my RFA (can't afford restringing it with a natural gut hybrid every 15 days and a multi would make it a cannon) but I need something not too stiff for my elbow. I currently use Genesis Black Magic 1.23 on my Tecnifibre 315 Ltd and it's a nice string, would it work well on the king's frame too? I'm open to suggestions.

You could try a multi like Signum Pro Micronite mains and poly like Isospeed Blackfire as a cross to tame the power. So far of all the Polys I have tried in a full bed, Signum Pro Tornado had the best comfort even at 55lbs. this is with an RF97 so YMMV.

 

[KenC]

Any advice for someone with a tennis elbow history? I'd like to use a full bed of poly on my RFA (can't afford restringing it with a natural gut hybrid every 15 days and a multi would make it a cannon) but I need something not too stiff for my elbow. I currently use Genesis Black Magic 1.23 on my Tecnifibre 315 Ltd and it's a nice string, would it work well on the king's frame too? I'm open to suggestions.

I think you can try any of the newer "soft" co-polys like Tour Bite Soft, Cyclone Tour, Big Hitter Black 7 and so on. I occasionally use the old Bab Pure Storm Tour (which plays a lot like the RF) and with Tour Bite Soft it doesn't bother my sensitive elbow. Just note that the soft multis lose tension rather quickly and after 8-10 hours you probably should cut them out if they haven't broken. They lose a lot of that softness afterwards.

 

[kingcheetah]

So I've tried 4 different strings in the RF97, all poly setups in the mid fifties:

Luxilon Savage, 24kg (roughly 53 lb): This one was the first string I tried in the RF97, good power and decent access to spin. Durability was shaky. I was snapping it consistently after 6 hours of drills/training.

Luxilon 4g 16l 24 kg (roughly 53 lb) to 56 lb: I tried this one next and the durability was improved. Reduction in power but a crisper sense of control. Spin was about the same. When I upped the tension I didn't lose much and the volleys were even better.

Volkl Cyclone 16, 56 lb: The spin was good, but the string felt a little mushy for my liking. Volleys weren't as nice with the 4g.

4g Soft 16l, 56 lb: This is the current setup I have and I really like it. I'm getting more spin than I did with regular 4g, but it's easier on the arm and retains the crisp-feeling volleys that make 4g fun to use in this racquet.

 

[brettatk]

How is tension loss with the 4g soft? It's stiffness rating is higher than others I am considering but I'm beginning to think tension loss on softer polys will be too great for my liking.

 

[Anton]

How is tension loss with the 4g soft? It's stiffness rating is higher than others I am considering but I'm beginning to think tension loss on softer polys will be too great for my liking.

For me RF97A plays just fine as the strings get loose, I feel like the higher the launch angle becomes the more spin I'm getting to bring it down.

 

[coloskier]

I'm playing with VS Touch Black 16 in the mains and Solinco Tour Bite Soft 16L in the crosses, all strung at 52#. Great spin, great control, playing almost every day and getting almost a month of usage before the TBS crosses break.

 

[kingcheetah]

How is tension loss with the 4g soft? It's stiffness rating is higher than others I am considering but I'm beginning to think tension loss on softer polys will be too great for my liking.

To me, the tension loss is much less severe than with most poly strings, about on par with original 4g. While it is a soft version of 4g, you are right, it's not really a "soft" string comparatively speaking.

 

[ThirdEye]

I'm playing with VS Touch Black 16 in the mains and Solinco Tour Bite Soft 16L in the crosses, all strung at 52#. Great spin, great control, playing almost every day and getting almost a month of usage before the TBS crosses break.

What do you do then? Replace both mains and crosses or just the poly?

 

[kingcheetah]

I currently have two racquets getting re-strung,so I figured I'd give lower tensions a shot-- I've got one of 4g soft going at my usual 56 and the other at 48. We'll see how it feels.

 

[achapa8807]

I currently have two racquets getting re-strung,so I figured I'd give lower tensions a shot-- I've got one of 4g soft going at my usual 56 and the other at 48. We'll see how it feels.

How did it go? Just got two RF97's strung with 4G Soft at 56 lbs and will be giving the new stick a go tomorrow morning.

 

[kingcheetah]

How did it go? Just got two RF97's strung with 4G Soft at 56 lbs and will be giving the new stick a go tomorrow morning.

I hit with it for about 2 hours of training, a one on one session and another hour hitting for fun. I like the ball pocketing- there's definitely more spin, but you absolutely have to trust it and swing fast or the ball flies. I think 48 is a little erratic for me, although I may keep adjusting. I imagine 50-52 would be the ideal combo... but I'll have to hit the 56 lb one again and see how much of a difference it is.

 

[achapa8807]

I was able to hit today for about a hour and a half and thought that 4G Soft played very nicely I this frame. This is the first time using this string and I really enjoyed it. Like you said, the ball pocketing is there and the level of power is high imho. The only time that I was able to use this frame, it had RPM Dual and it was fair. I would have to say I really enjoyed today's hitting session and the string worked very well for me. I'd agree that you have to trust your shot and commit because the ball can fly if you aren't careful, had it happen on a few slice returns I was coming in after.