String Help

[WesKalo]

I need some string advice. In college my coach just put strings in my racquets and I never paid attention to the difference. I only messed with tensions. Post college tennis I am way more into different strings and how it affects my playing style.

I have a Yonex Percept 97D, 18x20 string pattern. Looking for a better poly that’s great for volleys and touch at net. I currently play with Dunlop Black Widow 17. Strung 48-50 lbs. Love the spin but it can be really stiff and off center shots seem to die when I have a quick reflex volley, finesse shot, baseline defensive shot, etc. I had a Wilson NXT 17 in the demo I used and it seemed to have a lot more forgiveness all over stringbed. Just lacked a bit of easy spin but not a big deal. Im reading that maybe soft polys are way to go… not sure though. From others post it seems Black Widow is a soft poly but it plays like a board and it seems muted in feel. Do most black strings seem to play this way? I also read color can affect string performance but maybe that’s not accurate.

Are there any polys out there that give more forgiveness all over string bed with spin? The launch angle of my racquet is pretty low so rough strings or lower tension seem to help.

I play almost all doubles now and I want a consistent string I can depend on from baseline and at net.

Thank you all for any advice.
Weston

 

[Irvin]

Volkl Cyclone Tour 17. The 16 gauge is very good also. The string compare tool shows the 16 gauge string is softer but I don’t believe it.

EDIT: String compare tool

 

[austintennis2005]

Head hawk touch is very nice if you wanted to try a round poly. Try the 18 gauge

 

[1HBHfanatic]

-for college tennis, i would stay with polys
-but i would drop the tension
-for the 97D i would consider YPTP at 38-44lbs
-the combo of low poly and low tension is nice for this racquet
-this racquet is tight (18/20), so it need either thinner polys and/or lower tension, 4me anyway
-you could also try your D.black.widow string at 38-44lbs

 

[Chairman3]

Combine them:
Black widow mains
NXT crosses (probably a thicker guage for durability)

You will get the best of both worlds, I promise.
There is almost always a compromise if you go all poly.
You could do a poly/poly hybrid if you start breaking the NXT, but I think these are a little overrated and just trendy right now.

 

[WesKalo]

-for college tennis, i would stay with polys
-but i would drop the tension
-for the 97D i would consider YPTP at 38-44lbs
-the combo of low poly and low tension is nice for this racquet
-this racquet is tight (18/20), so it need either thinner polys and/or lower tension, 4me anyway
-you could also try your D.black.widow string at 38-44lbs

Appreciate all the tips. Would a 17g or 18g YPTP help enhance spin vs 16g?

 

[austintennis2005]

Appreciate all the tips. Would a 17g or 18g YPTP help enhance spin vs 16g?

In theory yes but the difference would be very subtle

 

[WesKalo]

Combine them:
Black widow mains
NXT crosses (probably a thicker guage for durability)

You will get the best of both worlds, I promise.
There is almost always a compromise if you go all poly.
You could do a poly/poly hybrid if you start breaking the NXT, but I think these are a little overrated and just trendy right now.

I’ll look into giving this a go. Never had to hybrid anything but sounds interesting to try. Appreciate it

 

[ryushen21]

I would go with Tourna Silver 7 Tour 17g @47/45. It's a nice crisp poly so you'll get some good feel and feedback. It's also shaped so it's going to give that spin you are looking for.

 

[WesKalo]

In theory yes but the difference would be very subtle

Ok thanks. Tried YPTP before but it was strung tight and launch angle was low. Lowering tension might help both of these things

 

[veelium]

I need some string advice. In college my coach just put strings in my racquets and I never paid attention to the difference. I only messed with tensions. Post college tennis I am way more into different strings and how it affects my playing style.

I have a Yonex Percept 97D, 18x20 string pattern. Looking for a better poly that’s great for volleys and touch at net. I currently play with Dunlop Black Widow 17. Strung 48-50 lbs. Love the spin but it can be really stiff and off center shots seem to die when I have a quick reflex volley, finesse shot, baseline defensive shot, etc. I had a Wilson NXT 17 in the demo I used and it seemed to have a lot more forgiveness all over stringbed. Just lacked a bit of easy spin but not a big deal. Im reading that maybe soft polys are way to go… not sure though. From others post it seems Black Widow is a soft poly but it plays like a board and it seems muted in feel. Do most black strings seem to play this way? I also read color can affect string performance but maybe that’s not accurate.

Are there any polys out there that give more forgiveness all over string bed with spin? The launch angle of my racquet is pretty low so rough strings or lower tension seem to help.

I play almost all doubles now and I want a consistent string I can depend on from baseline and at net.

Thank you all for any advice.
Weston

Try lower tension, it helps with forgiveness and makes it feel softer. With a dense string pattern you can very low, try maybe 40.

Alternatively hybrid NXT with poly.

 

[WesKalo]

Try lower tension, it helps with forgiveness and makes it feel softer. With a dense string pattern you can very low, try maybe 40.

Alternatively hybrid NXT with poly.

For hybrid, would you go lower tension too?

 

[WesKalo]

Combine them:
Black widow mains
NXT crosses (probably a thicker guage for durability)

You will get the best of both worlds, I promise.
There is almost always a compromise if you go all poly.
You could do a poly/poly hybrid if you start breaking the NXT, but I think these are a little overrated and just trendy right now.

Advice on tension?

 

[veelium]

For hybrid, would you go lower tension too?

What tension did you have with NXT?
And was that tension good? Not low powered/not too powerful.

 

[Chairman3]

Advice on tension?

Start with your normal, if it seems too powerful you may want to up the cross tension.
I don't do varied tensions, I just do the same for mains/cross, so can't speak much on that.
So a Percept D with BW/NXT, I'd start at 50lbs whole racquet
That's just me

 

[WesKalo]

What tension did you have with NXT?
And was that tension good? Not low powered/not too powerful.

I did 52. I know with this 97D a lot of people go lower though. I think I like my poly 46-48

 

[WesKalo]

-for college tennis, i would stay with polys
-but i would drop the tension
-for the 97D i would consider YPTP at 38-44lbs
-the combo of low poly and low tension is nice for this racquet
-this racquet is tight (18/20), so it need either thinner polys and/or lower tension, 4me anyway
-you could also try your D.black.widow string at 38-44lbs

Also would you say soft polys like YPTP is what I’m looking for to get that feel I want? And you need to string them loose for power? Multifilaments seem to be powerful at regular tension but you just don’t get spin. They are great for the feel

 

[veelium]

I did 52. I know with this 97D a lot of people go lower though. I think I like my poly 46-48

If NXT was good at 52 and poly 46-48 I'd start 50 for the hybrid. Maybe 50/48 if nxt mains poly crosses, 50/50 poly mains nxt crosses.

 

[WesKalo]

-for college tennis, i would stay with polys
-but i would drop the tension
-for the 97D i would consider YPTP at 38-44lbs
-the combo of low poly and low tension is nice for this racquet
-this racquet is tight (18/20), so it need either thinner polys and/or lower tension, 4me anyway
-you could also try your D.black.widow string at 38-44lbs

Question on this… I have been trying different strings since your post. Hyper G 17 1.20 and Hyper G 16L 1.25. HG 17 gives higher launch angle and great feel but not as stable or high plow through as the HG 16L. Would you say that is accurate?

Like you said thin strings or low tension is key for 97D. I did the HG 16L at 43 tension but style feeling like it’s a tight stringbed. The HG 17 strung at 47 feels a lot more open with easy spin and launch angle but I miss the stability up at net and the extra weight when taking on volleys or high paced ground strokes.

 

[Ryebread]

Go with Ytex Square X Sharp
It is 18g and sublime in an 18x20.
Insane spin, control, feel.

And it is a soft co poly. Arm friendly.

 

[WesKalo]

Go with Ytex Square X Sharp
It is 18g and sublime in an 18x20.
Insane spin, control, feel.

And it is a soft co poly. Arm friendly.

Sounds nice. Only issue is 18g won’t be as stable or have as much plow through as a 16g

 

[Ryebread]

Sounds nice. Only issue is 18g won’t be as stable or have as much plow through as a 16g

It plays like a 16l for some reason. Its bizarre.

 

[esgee48]

Ryebread, not that bizarre. A 1.18-1.20 mm side square string is circumscribed by an imaginary circle 1.24-1.26 mm in diameter. Just an FYI.

 

[WesKalo]

It plays like a 16l for some reason. Its

 

[WesKalo]

It plays like a 16l for some reason. Its bizarre.

Damn that’s crazy. I’ll check it out man. What racquet are you using it in?

 

[Ryebread]

Damn that’s crazy. I’ll check it out man. What racquet are you using it in?

Gravity pro auxetic (18m)
Tf40 305 18m

 

[Ryebread]

Ryebread, not that bizarre. A 1.18-1.20 mm side square string is circumscribed by an imaginary circle 1.24-1.26 mm in diameter. Just an FYI.

Such a good observation, thx
Cheers

 

[1HBHfanatic]

Question on this… I have been trying different strings since your post. Hyper G 17 1.20 and Hyper G 16L 1.25. HG 17 gives higher launch angle and great feel but not as stable or high plow through as the HG 16L. Would you say that is accurate?
...............................

-yes, thats correct!
-i also found there to be a "notable difference" in weight and/or feel at impact, when switching from 1.20, 1.25 to 1.30mm strings
-solinco labels the 16L as 1.25mm!?
-and solinco also labels the 17g as 1.20mm!? if im not mistaken
-IMO most 18g strings (which i consider to be 1.20mm) give good spin and launch angle, but they degrade fast
-thusly IMO 1.30mm have the longest durability, but lowest launch angle
-1.25mm is my goto string gauge, on most racquets, since it would be the best of both worlds
-but on the racquet in question (tight 18/20), i would rather give up a bit of string life, for better playability and/or spin
-so long as it does not snap too quickly for me!

 

[WesKalo]

-yes, thats correct!
-i also found there to be a "notable difference" in weight and/or feel at impact, when switching from 1.20, 1.25 to 1.30mm strings
-solinco labels the 16L as 1.25mm!?
-and solinco also labels the 17g as 1.20mm!? if im not mistaken
-IMO most 18g strings (which i consider to be 1.20mm) give good spin and launch angle, but they degrade fast
-thusly IMO 1.30mm have the longest durability, but lowest launch angle
-1.25mm is my goto string gauge, on most racquets, since it would be the best of both worlds
-but on the racquet in question (tight 18/20), i would rather give up a bit of string life, for better playability and/or spin
-so long as it does not snap too quickly for me!

Ok great that’s exactly what I’m feeling! Tough choice. I honestly think I hit a heavier ball with the 16L just with it feeling more stable and even on my serves. My issue is when balls are being hammered to me at the net I feel way more stable up there with the 16L. Lower twistweight. 17g feels a little flimsy in the hands at times and I can pushed around easier up net. The 17g gives me a higher launch angle when returning and more touch which is why I like it a lot.

 

[EggSalad]

A 1.25 poly main and 1.20 poly cross is a great set up to consider.

Or a 1.25 poly main and 1.25 synthetic cross.

Both soften the bed, improve touch, but you still get the more thumpy and control oriented 1.25 main feel.

 

[WesKalo]

A 1.25 poly main and 1.20 poly cross is a great set up to consider.

Or a 1.25 poly main and 1.25 synthetic cross.

Both soften the bed, improve touch, but you still get the more thumpy and control oriented 1.25 main feel.

Appreciate the advice man. I can do that with the same hyper g string at 16L and 17g. I’ve read that the hyper g could cut through a multi pretty fast but idk if that’s accurate.

 

[EggSalad]

Appreciate the advice man. I can do that with the same hyper g string at 16L and 17g. I’ve read that the hyper g could cut through a multi pretty fast but idk if that’s accurate.

There is a bit of overstating how shaped strings cut through a cross. My main problem with a multi cross is that it gets really mushy after the first hit. I greatly prefer synthetic gut in the cross as it stays more crisp.

I think that 16L/17 Hyper G set up could be really interesting.

 

[ryushen21]

Go with Ytex Square X Sharp
It is 18g and sublime in an 18x20.
Insane spin, control, feel.

And it is a soft co poly. Arm friendly.

Sounds nice. Only issue is 18g won’t be as stable or have as much plow through as a 16g

I'd actually disagree with that recommendation. Square X Sharp starts to round off around the 4-hour mark. Once that starts, you will lose spin production and the stringbed can become a little launchy. You can adjust but you won't get the same reaction from the ball as you did when the string was fresh.

Ytex Quadro Twist and Penta Power Twisted will offer a more consistent response from the stringbed over the full duration (12-16 hours) while still retaining a lot of the comfort aspects.

 

[Ryebread]

I'd actually disagree with that recommendation. Square X Sharp starts to round off around the 4-hour mark. Once that starts, you will lose spin production and the stringbed can become a little launchy. You can adjust but you won't get the same reaction from the ball as you did when the string was fresh.

Ytex Quadro Twist and Penta Power Twisted will offer a more consistent response from the stringbed over the full duration (12-16 hours) while still retaining a lot of the comfort aspects.

I'm curious, are you 4.5-5.0?
I am so confused why playability/control are not an issue for me after the 4 hour mark?
After 6-8 hours, I see snap back is still ok. And I still get awesome bite/spin/control. No launch issues.
Gravity Pro Auxetic and two other 18x20 in my bag.
I'm only a 4.0 though. Maybe I'm not hitting as hard as you.
Cheers

 

[WesKalo]

I'm curious, are you 4.5-5.0?
I am so confused why playability/control are not an issue for me after the 4 hour mark?
After 6-8 hours, I see snap back is still ok. And I still get awesome bite/spin/control. No launch issues.
Gravity Pro Auxetic and two other 18x20 in my bag.
I'm only a 4.0 though. Maybe I'm not hitting as hard as you.
Cheers

I honestly don’t think it matters the level of play. I play 4.5/5.0 and used to play in college. I am told I hit a heavy ball. I don’t break strings even with an heavy spin forehand. All players are different in my experience.

 

[ryushen21]

I'm curious, are you 4.5-5.0?
I am so confused why playability/control are not an issue for me after the 4 hour mark?
After 6-8 hours, I see snap back is still ok. And I still get awesome bite/spin/control. No launch issues.
Gravity Pro Auxetic and two other 18x20 in my bag.
I'm only a 4.0 though. Maybe I'm not hitting as hard as you.
Cheers

Couldn't tell ya as I haven't played competitively in years. I'm pretty much a socially these days. I can comfortably hit with 6-8UTR players but I do have a pretty aggressive topspin forehand.

I haven't played SXS in a while but that was my experience with it. Between 4-6 hours in, there was a decrease in spin production due to rounding. A couple of players I strung this up for, ranging from 5-8 UTR, reported similar results.

The snapback is fine, but the profile of the string is softer. So shots what would have dipped in ended up going long. That's why I said you could adjust and exaggerate the stroke a little more to get some of the spin back. It's not a bad string, just wouldn't be my first choice.

 

[Ryebread]

Couldn't tell ya as I haven't played competitively in years. I'm pretty much a socially these days. I can comfortably hit with 6-8UTR players but I do have a pretty aggressive topspin forehand.

I haven't played SXS in a while but that was my experience with it. Between 4-6 hours in, there was a decrease in spin production due to rounding. A couple of players I strung this up for, ranging from 5-8 UTR, reported similar results.

The snapback is fine, but the profile of the string is softer. So shots what would have dipped in ended up going long. That's why I said you could adjust and exaggerate the stroke a little more to get some of the spin back. It's not a bad string, just wouldn't be my first choice.

Thx for this feedback
any suggestions for other 17L or 18 that is a soft co poly
Super control oriented like Hexagon X or SXS.
The other two Ytex strings you suggested are only available in 16L

 

[ryushen21]

Thx for this feedback
any suggestions for other 17L or 18 that is a soft co poly
Super control oriented like Hexagon X or SXS.
The other two Ytex strings you suggested are only available in 16L

This is something I have mentioned to Ivor on several occasions. There's some definite bloat in the Ytex lineup that could be cut so they could offer gauge options for their better selling strings.

HX/PPT is a really good hybrid. PPT is also great in a full bed. I know they aren't your preferred gauge but they are worth a try.

 

[fuzz nation]

Ok great that’s exactly what I’m feeling! Tough choice. I honestly think I hit a heavier ball with the 16L just with it feeling more stable and even on my serves. My issue is when balls are being hammered to me at the net I feel way more stable up there with the 16L. Lower twistweight. 17g feels a little flimsy in the hands at times and I can pushed around easier up net. The 17g gives me a higher launch angle when returning and more touch which is why I like it a lot.

I'd say try adding just a few grams total to your hoop at 3/9 o'clock using 1/4" lead tape to give your rig some extra stability when you string it with the lighter gauge. I'm a syn. gut guy, but I also like a thinner gauge for better touch/feel and I also want to feel "enough" stability in my frame up at the net (and elsewhere) to hit with more consistency.

If you experiment with lead tape or something else to stabilize your racquet head, take small steps. A little goes a long way out there on the hoop. And if it doesn't help your cause after a couple of tweaks, it's easy enough to peel it off and go back to where you started in stock form.

 

[WesKalo]

I'd say try adding just a few grams total to your hoop at 3/9 o'clock using 1/4" lead tape to give your rig some extra stability when you string it with the lighter gauge. I'm a syn. gut guy, but I also like a thinner gauge for better touch/feel and I also want to feel "enough" stability in my frame up at the net (and elsewhere) to hit with more consistency.

If you experiment with lead tape or something else to stabilize your racquet head, take small steps. A little goes a long way out there on the hoop. And if it doesn't help your cause after a couple of tweaks, it's easy enough to peel it off and go back to where you started in stock form.

Good advice. I’m wondering if I would have liked 97H more now with a thin gauge string rather than having to add lead with 97D. I’m hoping a hybrid of 16G/17G might be best of both worlds but I’ll try that lead idea too.