Aussie-pro
Rookie
Looking for a round or shaped poly with great playability duration and feel... please provide recommendations....
Anything superior to Max Power?
Anything superior to Max Power?
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Round poly with long playability duration
- Thread starter Aussie-pro
- Start date
JustTennis76
Hall of Fame
You are going to get different answers from different people because they think their string is superior because it works for them. Having said that, my 2 favorites are Volkl Cyclone 18(shaped) and Prince Tour XP 17(round).
dr. godmode
Hall of Fame
Check out Ice Code
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
Alu Power
For about 4 to 6 hours nothing on the planet can beat it. After that... it bags out and turns to crap.
For about 4 to 6 hours nothing on the planet can beat it. After that... it bags out and turns to crap.
ionelneica
New User
]i like to use shaped mains signum pro xperience/diadem solstice power with smooth round crosses like signum pro poly plasma/yonex poly tour pro...never had a problem with drop off in playability that RPM blast is notorious for
Mine idea tooo.
Mine idea tooo.
OldschoolKIaus
Hall of Fame
And even quite cheap: Pro's Pro Concept.
thatguyoverthere440
Rookie
Yonex poly tour pro comes to mind. If there is a drop in playability it happens gradually and over a longer period of time. You won't notice it immediately like ALU and RPM Blast.
Edit: if money and comfort are't as big a concern, I hear 4G is good as well.
Edit: if money and comfort are't as big a concern, I hear 4G is good as well.
CiscoPC600
Hall of Fame
I'm about to try 4G soft and Solinco Outlast. I too am looking for a round poly with great playability. I love ALU Power soft but it goes dead and its playability changes dramatically after 6+ hours. I just want a string that plays nearly the same for the entire 2 weeks it's strung. Is that too much to ask for?
stay away from lux/babolat and your wallet will thank you later....yonex/signum pro/solinco seem to have great playability duration until breakage
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thatguyoverthere440
Rookie
Sadly it is.
Let us know your thoughts on both. I always wanted to try 4G/Soft but was hesitant on the price and supposedly stiff feel.
CiscoPC600
Hall of Fame
I haven't tried SPPP yet but have read a ton about it on here. Yonex has great strings and I haven't tried Poly Tour Pro, which is next on my list. Poly Tour Strike was great for 8-10 hours then went dead and stiff. Hyper G was okay but nothing special. We will see how Outlast does.
Too many to try, hoping to one day find one that is best then end all debate on TW.
I haven't tried SPPP yet but have read a ton about it on here. Yonex has great strings and I haven't tried Poly Tour Pro, which is next on my list. Poly Tour Strike was great for 8-10 hours then went dead and stiff. Hyper G was okay but nothing special. We will see how Outlast does.
Too many to try, hoping to one day find one that is best then end all debate on TW.
the best is very subjective...it all boils down to what is ‘the best’ for YOU...first step is to determine whether you want shaped or round poly, then decide if you want power, control, spin, comfort, playability duration and prioritize which attributes are best. In my experience, solinco strings are too low powered for me so I tend to stay away cuz I like to hit hard and it gets quite tiring providing your own power. Personally, I like shaped poly in mains like diadem solstice power or Xperience with a round poly cross like SPPP/poly tour pro. When I seek comfort, I use natural gut mains with same crosses. Round poly as a cross is best cuz they allow mains to move quite easily promoting the snapback phenomenon. SPPP’s value jus cant be beat. However I cant use full bed round poly because I find that I don’t get enough spin/bite and my launch angle suffers resulting in a lot of my shots -> net.
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CiscoPC600
Hall of Fame
The best at playability seems like it would be the least subjective. Obviously we all hit differently but there's gotta be a consensus on which string maintains its characteristics the longest.
Aussie-pro
Rookie
+ 1 to the above
ALU power is the consensus #1 in playability. Sadly, it only lasts about an hour or so. Personally, I like shaped poly for better bite so your best may be different than mine. Also, while some may prefer crispness in their strings, I enjoy the soft muted feel of RPM blast but dont enjoy the massive dropoff in playability after a couple weeks. There’s always going to be tradeoffs in comfort power spin playability duration/tension maintenance so it’s about figuring out what YOU think is the best for YOU. If there was truly a ‘best’ string, wouldnt everybody on the pro tour be using same string?
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CiscoPC600
Hall of Fame
Hold on. You seem to be defining playability differently than what I believe OP and I are (and the general definition used here). Playability is whether a string can maintain whatever its characteristics are throughout the majority of its lifespan. Your first sentence therefore conflicts with the second. ALU power is only good for a short period then plays differently i.e., short playability window. For example, tension maintenance is often a good factor of a string with long playability but not always the sole case. A string with great tension maintenance might not have good playability if it stiffens up dramatically and the sweet spot gets smaller.
As to your last question, that is irrelevant. We cannot compare to pros. They simply look for the string that fits their game the best, they don't have to worry about playability because they have rackets re-strung everyday.
there’s overall playability (how it performs) and playability duration (how well it stands up to the test of time)
lux ALU performs AMAZING for one hour while signum pro/solinco/yonex strings maintain consistent playability over the lifespan of the strings but have less overall playability than ALU or RPM blast. If you’ve read enough reviews of ALU/RPM, most ppl say it’s among the best when fresh but there’s massive dropoff...ALU moreso than RPM. Hence, many pros have no problem using ALU/RPM cuz they usually only play with it for 7-8 games (until ball change) so it’s all about finding a balanced string that has decent playability with whatever characteristics you seek (comfort/power/spin/tension maintenance). For example, solinco strings have terrific playability duration but I jus dont enjoy how low powered they are so I choose signum pro instead. It’s impossible to quantify a particular string as the ‘best’ in much the same way a car/beer/wine is the ‘best’.
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CiscoPC600
Hall of Fame
Ahh, while I still am not sure why you want to use playability that way, I agree playability duration is what OP and I are looking for. If you think about, duration is rather redundant and can conflict with a different category all together: durability.
So far, it's safe to assume the best playability strings or the ones most often mentioned are:
- Signum Pro Poly Plasma
- Weisscannon Silverstring
- Luxilon 4G/4G soft
- Yonex Poly Tour Pro
- Kirschbaum Max Power
- Kirschbaum Pro Line Evolution
This my list based on TW feedback, TW compare strings tool, and StringForum's ratings database. I haven't tested Solinco Outlast yet but will do soon. I don't include Hyper G because while tension maintenance is great it goes dead quickly.
playability = how well it plays
playability duration = how well it plays over time
durability = how long the string actually lasts
I never had much experience with hyperG but i didnt think it died quickly like ALU/RPM.
Signum pro Xperience is softer, more powerful version of hyperG that maintains playability til breakage. Diadem solstice power has great overall playability/playability duration but durability is not great because of the sharp edges of its star shaped string makes it break fast but i have not found it to die before it breaks. It gets great spin but at the cost of durability.
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Power Player
Bionic Poster
Rs lyon. I go between that and kirschbaum max power rough. Rs lyon lasts the longest and has the most playability and max power has more spin.
Aussie-pro
Rookie
What are your thoughts on Luxilon element? Playing it now, feels awesome and has remained playable thus far (around 10 hours)
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I havent used it actually. Maybe i should. Good spin?
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Element is the string of choice for a lot of the retired guys (though all 4.5 or higher) that I play with and string for. I tried it once. It's a very cushioned, powerful string without the bite on the ball of a shaped poly. Launch angles were noticeably lower and the ball flew if I just slapped at it.
Compared to some of the other round strings I've recently used, like Diadem Flash or ProLine Evo, it's springier and more powerful, with less of the pocketing sensation. I think it works well for players who may not have the racquet head speed to fully utilize a shaped poly but still want to occasionally hit a bit ball, and have sensitive or aged joints that need a soft impact response.
Compared to some of the other round strings I've recently used, like Diadem Flash or ProLine Evo, it's springier and more powerful, with less of the pocketing sensation. I think it works well for players who may not have the racquet head speed to fully utilize a shaped poly but still want to occasionally hit a bit ball, and have sensitive or aged joints that need a soft impact response.
Aussie-pro
Rookie
Yeah, I'm a fan. Give it a go, full bed at low tensions, low 40's
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Hey, Power Player, I forgot to say that if you try Element and like it but want more spin, there's an Element Rough version also available that was very favorably rated by the TW testers for spin generation. I have no first or secondhand experience with it though.
Aussie-pro
Rookie
Update; Luxilon element snapped today (in my 93p), got approximately 10-11 hours out of it, remained playable for the entire duration. IMO Excellent string with the only downside being short durability
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CiscoPC600
Hall of Fame
Dude. I just realized you're in the same boat as me with two completely different rackets: Head 360 Extreme Pro and VCORE 95. Do you use MSV Hex Ultra for both? What tension for each?
graycrait
Legend
How many hours on the racket from the first to last moment?
VacationTennis
Semi-Pro
What tension are you playing with? TB, Hyper G should have good power but depends on tension. If you want big power TB Soft, low tension, 18 gauge. That's power and comfort right there
smalahove
Hall of Fame
What are the odds of that?
I’m on vacatation, so I haven’t gotten round to getting the Pro restrung, but when I do, I’m first trying out a soft poly, like PTP og hex soft. If I had no arm issues, I’d try the Hex ultra at 46 lbs. My VCore 95s are strung with V-Star 18 and PTP 17 at 46 lbs. Neither impress me; the v-star is too soft and the ptp a bit lackluster, neither this nor that. The Strike impressed me, but it’S too expensive
smalahove
Hall of Fame
Hard to give you an exact number as I rotate rackets now and then, bit somewhere between 15 and 30 hrs before it broke
i usually use 52/50 as my ceiling for tension since i destroyed my arm with RF97. I now use diadem solstice power/SPPP hybrid or signum pro Xperience full bed or hybrid with SPPP at 52/50 and feels quite nice. I have played with hyperG on a used racquet that I purchased so it was quite loose but I still did not like it and dont get why it’s so popular but maybe it’s just a personal preference. I need comfort and power but control as well so if i string at too low of a tension, I jus cant keep the ball in the court
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joaovitorss
New User
Kirschbaum Pro Line Evolution 17
NastyWinners
Hall of Fame
Yonex Poly Tour Fire and Yonex Poly Tour Pro are really nice to play with.
D
dblsplayer
Guest
Like others, I favor Poly Tour Pro, and similarly Kirschbaum II.
Frans Bleker
Professional
Poly Tour Strike or Poly Tour Pro
ron schaap
Hall of Fame
Well the regular Hex 1.27 has a long playability too, but i dont like its playability that much because it does not posses enough pockability. Maybe i should try stringing lower at 20kg? The soft version of Hex 1.25 is durable too but fee
naturallight
Semi-Pro
Yonex Poly Tour Strike scores really well on the TWU tension maintenance scores. Nice and soft too.
CiscoPC600
Hall of Fame
Strike goes dead and stiffens up after 6-8 hours. Not good playability.
scott_home
New User
4G 17 gauge also goes dead after 6-8 hours and loses its bounce. I tried a full bed of poly on two subsequent string jobs. Same result
CiscoPC600
Hall of Fame
4G 17 gauge also goes dead after 6-8 hours and loses its bounce. I tried a full bed of poly on two subsequent string jobs. Same result
Goes dead but does it stiffen up aka cause discomfort?
