Softest String other than Natural Gut?

[TripleB]

I'm looking for the softest non-natural gut 16g string possible to use as my crosses in a POG mid with Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power 16L mains (trying to soften the feel as much as possible without giving up much durability).

What is the softest 16g string that you've found that is not natural gut?

TripleB

 

[robkat]

I've found the softest string I have used to be, Tecnifibre TF 515

 

[dennis1188]

Ektelon powerplay 16g is a good deal and plays well/soft.

 

[bcaz]

TF NRG2 is a soft string, as is Wilson NXT Tour.

 

[Loud]

I second the 515

 

[jun]

I thought wilson sensation and ashway dynamite were pretty soft

 

[Steve Huff]

I'd go with the TF 515 too.

 

[topspin]

Lots of good choices here. I would go with the Ashaway Dynamite, it feels a lot like gut and has a lot of the same properties.

 

[MonicaSelesRulez]

515

 

[Gaines Hillix]

Prince More Feel is very soft for a synthetic string.

 

[alleycat]

Babolat excel and Wilson Sensation are the softest strings I have used.

 

[Kick Serve]

Yeah, TF 515 and Ashaway Dynamite. Make sure you string the Ashaway Dynamite at least 10% lower though for it to feel soft and resilient.

Also, TF E-Matrix is really soft and cheap! Unfortunately, E-Matrix isn't very durable. Nice string for the money, if you don't mind restringing often.

 

[StringBreaker]

NXT Tour is pretty soft too.

 

[fastdunn]

Is it just me? Although 515 is one fine soft string, I found it
a bit crisp.....

 

[K!ck5w3rvE]

Supersense.

 

[mctennis]

Ashaway Dynamite 17g is the closest string to being as soft as gut. I've used it for years and it is great. The 16g is stiffer to me and looks entirely different. Try it and you'll like be surprised at how it plays too after the break in period.

 

[TripleB]

Thanks for the info gents...I found some 17g Touch Turbo in the closet two days ago. Took two of my POG mid racquets today to have them strung:

One with Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power 16L mains (59 pounds) and Prince Synthetic Gut 16g w/duraflex crosses (56 pounds).

The other with Kirschbaum Touch Turbo 17g mains (59 pounds) and Prince Synthetic Gut 16g w/duraflex crosses (56 pounds).

I figure I'll give these two a try to end this season out and then to start next season I'll throw some higher end multifilament (probably Tecnifibre) for my crosses with either one of the above polys or maybe Kirschbaum Competition.

Thanks again for all your help.

TripleB

 

[Rackethead]

another vote for TF 515

 

[Koz]

No polyester strings will come close to being as soft as the multi strings mentioned in this thread. I've never tried the TF 515, but have heard good things about it as well. The Prince more feel is a loosy goosy soft string, and their new Premier softflex should be as well. I have a set of Ashaway dynamite sitting around waiting to be strung; I had no idea it was so soft. Perhaps I'll string it up today

 

[plum]

I say Weiss Cannon Explosive for the softest string...

 

[KenC]

In my experience Mantis Comfort Synthetic is the softest I ever tried. MCS in a prokennex frame is like hitting with a down pillow.

 

[Irvin]

Ashway Monogut ZX 16

http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/reporter2.php

 

[graycrait]

I find it fascinating that if you "Google" "zyex string" all you come up with is orchestral string sets on the first page of results. Which leads me to wonder if their is some correlation between Zyex and Gut, obviously for the music industry, but maybe also for the tennis industry. However, in my limited experience when you mention Zyex to the average tennis enthusiast they have no clue as to what you are talking about. Is it tradition that rules tennis or is it performance? I guess if Zyex was so darn good as a tennis string pros and collegiate players would be using it. I'll have to try it again as a full bed and as a cross for something else other than Kevlar.

 

[gmorera]

isospeed control 16

 

[vantageboy]

Ashway Monogut ZX 16

http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/reporter2.php

2nd that

 

[Muppet]

Either Hexy Fiber 16 (1.36mm) or Gutex Ultra 1.35. For a wide open pattern like the POS Mid, a thick string is a good choice. I used both of these strings with Cyberflash 1.25 mains and they worked great, except that the Cyberflash stiffened up badly on high paced block volleys. It excelled for everything else.

 

[LiquidWhip]

Pros Pro Kingut is without doubt the softest string I've played with next to gut (and I've experimented with a few). It's unbelievably soft!

 

[rectoralex]

Technifibre X-one Biphase would get my vote. I've never used it as a cross, though.

 

[bdinpgh]

Head FXP Tour 16. I have hit a fair amount of hybrid setups with gut in the main and poly in the crosses. Head FXP Tour 16 comes as close to gut in a hybrid setup with a poly in the crosses as I have found. Ashaway MonogutZX 16 is also very soft, but I have a hard time getting the tension correct on my lock out stringing machine.

 

[mctennis]

Head FXP Tour 16. I have hit a fair amount of hybrid setups with gut in the main and poly in the crosses. Head FXP Tour 16 comes as close to gut in a hybrid setup with a poly in the crosses as I have found. Ashaway MonogutZX 16 is also very soft, but I have a hard time getting the tension correct on my lock out stringing machine.

I just put a set in a newly purchased used racquet. I will be anxious to see how these play seeing your review.

 

[prestigeww]

I also use this racket, and I couldn't make the switch from a full bed of poly to a poly/multi cross. As far as the softness question, my top three would be monogut zx, gamma professional, and technifibre x-one bi-phase.

I settled on using isospeed baseline 16l as a full set bc its a soft poly and really cheap. I can't afford alu power 16l like i usually use, especially since I graduated and don't get free string anymore.

 

[Roland G]

Weiss Cannon Explosiv is extremely soft

 

[meltedsteam]

2nd that

3rdsies

 

[Imago]

PP Sphere is the softest multi I have tried so far. Similar in construction to PP Kingut and Element. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold tension.

 

[bdinpgh]

I just put a set in a newly purchased used racquet. I will be anxious to see how these play seeing your review.

Hey mctennis - I was referring to hybrid setups with FXP tour in the main and a poly in the crosses. Full bed of FXP tour is OK, but I like it better as a main in a hybrid setup. So with that said, did you do a full bed or a hybrid and how did it work out for you??

 

[Shroud]

Head FXP Tour 16. I have hit a fair amount of hybrid setups with gut in the main and poly in the crosses. Head FXP Tour 16 comes as close to gut in a hybrid setup with a poly in the crosses as I have found. Ashaway MonogutZX 16 is also very soft, but I have a hard time getting the tension correct on my lock out stringing machine.

Zx is soft like gut but smooth like a poly. So you get snap back, softness and durability

It's super stretchy and will lose tension initially because of how stretchy it is. For a lock out you have to prestretch it. Tie one end to a doorknob and the other to a dowel or old racket handle and lean with your body

You should get at least a Foot of permanent elongation if not more. That's why the tension isn't right. If you don't prestretch tension drops fast. Once it drops though it is super constant. Zx done right will not only last for months but will play consistently for months

 

[Frankc]

Alpha Sphere - recommended by a TW member who knows "his stuff"...

 

[coloskier]

I can't believe no one has offered Head Rip Control. But you'll notice almost every string is a multi.

 

[mctennis]

Hey mctennis - I was referring to hybrid setups with FXP tour in the main and a poly in the crosses. Full bed of FXP tour is OK, but I like it better as a main in a hybrid setup. So with that said, did you do a full bed or a hybrid and how did it work out for you??

I wanted to try a full bed at first to see how well it plays before I tinker around with it as a hybrid.

 

[bdinpgh]

Zx is soft like gut but smooth like a poly. So you get snap back, softness and durability

It's super stretchy and will lose tension initially because of how stretchy it is. For a lock out you have to prestretch it. Tie one end to a doorknob and the other to a dowel or old racket handle and lean with your body

You should get at least a Foot of permanent elongation if not more. That's why the tension isn't right. If you don't prestretch tension drops fast. Once it drops though it is super constant. Zx done right will not only last for months but will play consistently for months

Thanks Shroud - I'll give that a try.

 

[Karma Tennis]

In my experience Mantis Comfort Synthetic is the softest I ever tried.

Mantis CS is very soft and very natural gut like especially in a full bed in the first couple of hours of use. But it is not very durable when crossed to a Poly especially in racquets with open string patterns. And it also tends to move around quite a bit after a couple of hours.

I think NXT Tour would probably be a good reasonably durable cross string. In my experience, quite soft, and tension maintenance is good enough to out last many Poly mains.

 

[joe sch]

Thanks for the info gents...I found some 17g Touch Turbo in the closet two days ago. Took two of my POG mid racquets today to have them strung:

One with Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power 16L mains (59 pounds) and Prince Synthetic Gut 16g w/duraflex crosses (56 pounds).

The other with Kirschbaum Touch Turbo 17g mains (59 pounds) and Prince Synthetic Gut 16g w/duraflex crosses (56 pounds).

I figure I'll give these two a try to end this season out and then to start next season I'll throw some higher end multifilament (probably Tecnifibre) for my crosses with either one of the above polys or maybe Kirschbaum Competition.

Thanks again for all your help.

TripleB

Have you tried dropping tension rather than changing strings ?
IMO a low tension (45pd) copoly is much better (softer) than a 59pd PSG.

 

[hoodjem]

I'm looking for the softest non-natural gut 16g string possible to use as my crosses in a POG mid with Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power 16L mains (trying to soften the feel as much as possible without giving up much durability).

What is the softest 16g string that you've found that is not natural gut?

TripleB

To see scientific measurements, go here:
http://www.tennisindustrymag.com/articles/2015/01/string_selector_2015.html

Ashaway Power Kill Pro 16g is rated at 131 stiffness. Getting pretty close to nat gut.

 

[Shroud]

Go here:
http://www.tennisindustrymag.com/articles/2015/01/string_selector_2015.html

Ashaway Power Kill Pro 16g is rated at 131 stiffness. Getting pretty close to nat gut.

Pretty sure that string is long gone. Though mono gut zx is in the same ball park

 

[fortun8son]

I believe that Power Kill is a racquetball string. You could check those sources. Racquetball players like soft, powerful strings.
For less power you could go with the Mantis Comfort or Pro's Pro Hi-Tec Multifibre which is similar.
Caution. Rball sets come in 38 ft lengths. You should be fine if you are just stringing Xs

 

[lulzprime]

Softest I've ever used is the Dunlop Max Comfort 17. It's an ancient string and Dunlop doesn't even make them (or remember them) anymore. Strung it with an ancient Prince Ace Face 90 racquet too, so... yeah, miss that string.

 

[Irvin]

Ashaway makes several soft strings. Use the TWU String Performance Database to get a list of string sorted by stiffness. The softness non-gut tennis string is Monogut ZX.

Tecnifibre 515 has been replaced by Tecnifibre TGV. Although TGV is a soft string it is way down the list @ 165 lb/in.

 

[franks]

The softest that I have ever used was Weisscannon Explosiv and Babolat XCel