Soft main/poly cross vs poly main/soft cross

[VacationTennis]

I got into a debate with my wife and I'm looking for clarification on why you would use a poly main with a soft cross.

Me: I'm a big gut main/poly cross guy because of the hybrid spin potential, comfort, and low friction. I've run many of these combos but never the reverse of this.

Her: She didn't understand this because she worked in a pro shop and strung thousands of rackets. She said almost all hybrids requested were a poly main with a softer cross. She argued that my setup wouldn't last long at all because it would saw right through the main. I argued that her setup would actually cause more friction and less spin and saw through quicker than my setup.

Can someone comment on this and what the benefits of poly main/soft cross and which one wears quicker than the other? How is the string to string friction different when these setups are reversed? I personally haven't tried a a poly main/soft cross for the record.

 

[El_Yotamo]

Poly main usually lasts longer since the poly is more durable as a main. Less durability than fb poly due to the friction you mentioned but still more durability than gut/poly. Many people use poly/gut because they get the control from the poly and some more feel and power and comfort from the gut on the crosses without sacrificing too much control. It is true though that gut/poly provides much more spin potential than poly/gut and people also use it because it lasts longer than fb gut and provides much more spin and control and improved durability without sacrificing a lot of power and comfort. Hope that helped.

 

[travlerajm]

Kvzx

 

[VacationTennis]

Poly main usually lasts longer since the poly is more durable as a main. Less durability than fb poly due to the friction you mentioned but still more durability than gut/poly. Many people use poly/gut because they get the control from the poly and some more feel and power and comfort from the gut on the crosses without sacrificing too much control. It is true though that gut/poly provides much more spin potential than poly/gut and people also use it because it lasts longer than fb gut and provides much more spin and control and improved durability without sacrificing a lot of power and comfort. Hope that helped.

Thanks that helps, it's all a compromise.

 

[El_Yotamo]

it's all a compromise.

Yes, when it comes to tennis equipment, virtually everything is. That's why I always tell people that things are 100% subjective when I give advice and it's for the same reason that for the most part there are no good or bad racquets/strings, but different-playing ones which some will prefer and others will not.

 

[Shroud]

I got into a debate with my wife and I'm looking for clarification on why you would use a poly main with a soft cross.

Me: I'm a big gut main/poly cross guy because of the hybrid spin potential, comfort, and low friction. I've run many of these combos but never the reverse of this.

Her: She didn't understand this because she worked in a pro shop and strung thousands of rackets. She said almost all hybrids requested were a poly main with a softer cross. She argued that my setup wouldn't last long at all because it would saw right through the main. I argued that her setup would actually cause more friction and less spin and saw through quicker than my setup.

Can someone comment on this and what the benefits of poly main/soft cross and which one wears quicker than the other? How is the string to string friction different when these setups are reversed? I personally haven't tried a a poly main/soft cross for the record.

You are right about spin. She is right about durability.

The poly cross allows the gut mains to move and saw. The friction is too high on the poly main/soft cross to allow the mains to saw and creates a locked stringbed.

 

[VacationTennis]

Is a locked string bed only when the crosses develop a notch preventing the mains from sliding? And what if you have a full bed, which notches first given the material is the same?

Just trying to wrap my head around friction of a sliding string vs the stationary string friction - seems to me the string to string friction is equal on a full bed.

 

[Shroud]

Is a locked string bed only when the crosses develop a notch preventing the mains from sliding? And what if you have a full bed, which notches first given the material is the same?

Just trying to wrap my head around friction of a sliding string vs the stationary string friction - seems to me the string to string friction is equal on a full bed.

Locked is when the strings are crooked it has enough friction where the strings dont always snapback into place. Poly crosses allow snapback and pretty much all others dont st least not after a few minutes

Full syngut is locked
Full poly snaps back