Strings for 3.0 player

[Shock]

I need some expert help. I'll "try" not to be too wordy. Keep in mind I don't know much about string terminology. I get the basics like solid core vs multifilament, but some strings being referred to by their material while others referred to by their construction confuses me.

I get my racquets strung at the local tennis pro shop. ($73 for a pair, labor+strings)

I'm a 3.0 player, male, mid-30s, small guy (5'5").

When I first got back into tennis, after several demo racquets, I bought a Wilson Steam 105S 16x15 with X-one Biphase 16 at about 60 lbs. I absolutely loved the feel of it, but I was breaking strings in 2 hours or less. At that point my shoulder was in terrible shape so a soft string was required.

I'm currently using a pair of Wilson Steam 99S (16x15) strung with Luxilon ALU Big Banger Power Spin in the mains and RPM Blast in the crosses (both at 59lbs, I think). I've strung this combo the last three times in my pair of racquets.

What I like about my current setup:
-I'm getting an astonishing 30+ hours (each racquet) before they feel dead.
-I've never broken this string combo.
-I never have to straighten them--always snap right back in place. (I'm not sure they move much.)
-During a serve (flat, moderate pace), I prefer this firm feel over the X-one Biphase.
-When I hit with decent technique (on occasion), there is certainly top spin.

What I don't like:
-I'm having a lot of trouble keeping the ball in contact with the racquet long enough during groundstrokes.
-My shoulder is still hurting, though that might be something that just can't be fixed with strings.

I'd love to find a string and tension configuration that feels a bit softer but doesn't annihilate the best attributes of my current setup. And while money isn't really a big deal, it's too wasteful to be using strings that cost $36 per stringing and last only a couple of hours--at least until my sponsorship from Wilson is finalized.

I'm also willing to change racquets but I really never have found a racquet I thought was more comfortable.

If I could find a string that was relatively cheap that could give me a relatively consistent 12+ hours, I'd even be willing to invest in a stringer and learn to string them myself.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Muppet]

Use strings that are lower powered so you can string them at a lower tension. That might help your shoulder, although it's probably bio-mechanical. I'd recommend Tourna Big Hitter Silver mains/Isospeed Baseline crosses. The Baseline only comes in reels, but it's very cheap. You could really use any smooth or slick poly cross that gives you the elasticity and the stiffness that you want.

 

[ZirkusAffe]

30 hrs seems long for RPM (it can last but your poor arm), and 59 lbs is on the high side as well (but the pattern is so dense so maybe that's fine?).
I wouldn't adjust too much but I would be concerned that you either go completely different or change the duration you re-string and maybe lower your starting max tension.
I had arm issues and went only synth until it cleared up, when it did I went synth crosses / Poly mains (RPM blast or BHB7) those were soft enough to keep my arm/shoulder from hurting (OG sheep micro 17g, RPM 17g 53/55lbs). You might have to play around with some different setups but a lot of people on here could definitely help. I know I was easily getting 12+ on the OGSM / RPM or BHB7 setups, I still use them as my default so one racquet in my bag usually has that setup.

 

[gvsbdisco]

try Prince Premier COntrol 15 gauge. Buy a reel at 69$

 

[chrisb]

I need some expert help. I'll "try" not to be too wordy. Keep in mind I don't know much about string terminology. I get the basics like solid core vs multifilament, but some strings being referred to by their material while others referred to by their construction confuses me.

I get my racquets strung at the local tennis pro shop. ($73 for a pair, labor+strings)

I'm a 3.0 player, male, mid-30s, small guy (5'5").

When I first got back into tennis, after several demo racquets, I bought a Wilson Steam 105S 16x15 with X-one Biphase 16 at about 60 lbs. I absolutely loved the feel of it, but I was breaking strings in 2 hours or less. At that point my shoulder was in terrible shape so a soft string was required.

I'm currently using a pair of Wilson Steam 99S (16x15) strung with Luxilon ALU Big Banger Power Spin in the mains and RPM Blast in the crosses (both at 59lbs, I think). I've strung this combo the last three times in my pair of racquets.

What I like about my current setup:
-I'm getting an astonishing 30+ hours (each racquet) before they feel dead.
-I've never broken this string combo.
-I never have to straighten them--always snap right back in place. (I'm not sure they move much.)
-During a serve (flat, moderate pace), I prefer this firm feel over the X-one Biphase.
-When I hit with decent technique (on occasion), there is certainly top spin.

What I don't like:
-I'm having a lot of trouble keeping the ball in contact with the racquet long enough during groundstrokes.
-My shoulder is still hurting, though that might be something that just can't be fixed with strings.

I'd love to find a string and tension configuration that feels a bit softer but doesn't annihilate the best attributes of my current setup. And while money isn't really a big deal, it's too wasteful to be using strings that cost $36 per stringing and last only a couple of hours--at least until my sponsorship from Wilson is finalized.

I'm also willing to change racquets but I really never have found a racquet I thought was more comfortable.

If I could find a string that was relatively cheap that could give me a relatively consistent 12+ hours, I'd even be willing to invest in a stringer and learn to string them myself.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[chrisb]

If you are a 3 player you do not need polys. String with a reasonable nylon string at mid tension and deviate 3lbs+ - if need be. Looser strings give you more depth (higher angle of release from strings) and tighter strings less depth. You can adjust based on your results with mid tension

 

[Shock]

Thanks for the input so fast.

 

[jonestim]

Normally I would say that 3.0 does not need poly. HOWEVER ..... you are using a Steam 99s, which pretty much requires poly to play like is intended. It is very open and requires the snapback of poly to deliver the spin. 59 lbs would be too high in most 100 sq inch racquets, but not necessarily in a 16x15. Your racquet is very unique and an outlier and much of the advice may not be taking that into consideration. I may drop as low as 55 in that racquet - but not lower. I string as low as 40 in some racquets - but not that one.

Anyone tried V-Torque in that racquet? I have in others and it seems like it may be a good fit for that one. I found it to be quite low powered.

 

[Dartagnan64]

Normally I would say that 3.0 does not need poly. HOWEVER ..... you are using a Steam 99s, which pretty much requires poly to play like is intended. It is very open and requires the snapback of poly to deliver the spin. 59 lbs would be too high in most 100 sq inch racquets, but not necessarily in a 16x15. Your racquet is very unique and an outlier and much of the advice may not be taking that into consideration. I may drop as low as 55 in that racquet - but not lower. I string as low as 40 in some racquets - but not that one.

Anyone tried V-Torque in that racquet? I have in others and it seems like it may be a good fit for that one. I found it to be quite low powered.

Doesn't an open string bed allow you to get away without poly? You'd have less string-string friction in an open string bed leading to more movement and therefore snapback. Snapback is not an inherent feature of polyester strings. It's just more effective with poly due to the low string-string friction. An open stringbed will only enhance that. But the worst snapback will be an 18x20 string bed with multis in it. An open string bed with polys will be the highest. An open string bed with mutlis would be intermediate.

My advice for anyone where they are getting arm problems: toss the poly. If you are 3.0 then use syn gut or a soft multi like Sensation, Xcel or NXT. Some people will tell you that low tension poly's are fine but I wouldn't risk it at that level of tennis. You won't appreciate a significant performance drop off with any string, so pick a soft one.

 

[chrisb]

Doesn't an open string bed allow you to get away without poly? You'd have less string-string friction in an open string bed leading to more movement and therefore snapback. Snapback is not an inherent feature of polyester strings. It's just more effective with poly due to the low string-string friction. An open stringbed will only enhance that. But the worst snapback will be an 18x20 string bed with multis in it. An open string bed with polys will be the highest. An open string bed with mutlis would be intermediate.

My advice for anyone where they are getting arm problems: toss the poly. If you are 3.0 then use syn gut or a soft multi like Sensation, Xcel or NXT. Some people will tell you that low tension poly's are fine but I wouldn't risk it at that level of tennis. You won't appreciate a significant performance drop off with any string, so pick a soft one.

Problem with open strings they move and by the third shot you might be contacting with 1 main. The poly snaps back to original position much better then any other string. The better question might be should a 3 player really use an open string pattern

 

[Traffic]

I need some expert help. I'll "try" not to be too wordy. Keep in mind I don't know much about string terminology. I get the basics like solid core vs multifilament, but some strings being referred to by their material while others referred to by their construction confuses me.

I get my racquets strung at the local tennis pro shop. ($73 for a pair, labor+strings)

I'm a 3.0 player, male, mid-30s, small guy (5'5").

When I first got back into tennis, after several demo racquets, I bought a Wilson Steam 105S 16x15 with X-one Biphase 16 at about 60 lbs. I absolutely loved the feel of it, but I was breaking strings in 2 hours or less. At that point my shoulder was in terrible shape so a soft string was required.

I'm currently using a pair of Wilson Steam 99S (16x15) strung with Luxilon ALU Big Banger Power Spin in the mains and RPM Blast in the crosses (both at 59lbs, I think). I've strung this combo the last three times in my pair of racquets.

What I like about my current setup:
-I'm getting an astonishing 30+ hours (each racquet) before they feel dead.
-I've never broken this string combo.
-I never have to straighten them--always snap right back in place. (I'm not sure they move much.)
-During a serve (flat, moderate pace), I prefer this firm feel over the X-one Biphase.
-When I hit with decent technique (on occasion), there is certainly top spin.

What I don't like:
-I'm having a lot of trouble keeping the ball in contact with the racquet long enough during groundstrokes.
-My shoulder is still hurting, though that might be something that just can't be fixed with strings.

I'd love to find a string and tension configuration that feels a bit softer but doesn't annihilate the best attributes of my current setup. And while money isn't really a big deal, it's too wasteful to be using strings that cost $36 per stringing and last only a couple of hours--at least until my sponsorship from Wilson is finalized.

I'm also willing to change racquets but I really never have found a racquet I thought was more comfortable.

If I could find a string that was relatively cheap that could give me a relatively consistent 12+ hours, I'd even be willing to invest in a stringer and learn to string them myself.

Thanks for any advice.

Well, coming from another 3.0 player, 30+hrs on poly is ridiculous. I have a 18x16 racquet which isn't as open as yours and I felt poly go dead after 15hrs and started hurting my arm. Me thinks your strings were dead long before you felt they were dead.

You might look into a hybrid of poly/s-gut. That's the direction I went and eventually went further to a very soft (or is it elastic) "poly"/sgut hybrid using Ashaway Monogut ZX. It plays similar to S-gut but with more control, good power, more spin and don't have to realign the strings after every rally. I've got 6hrs on my stringing so far and it feels really good. I don't quite get the spin as full poly or shaped poly hybrid, but I make up for it with predictable shots with enough spin when I want it. I have hardly any notching so far. But then again, I've backed off from swinging for the fences with a bunch of topspin. So I might get quite a bit of mileage out of this.

At the same time, I'm researching a more traditional racquet. 100sq", 11oz, 16x19, arm friendly. But with the right string combo, my arm isn't bothering me.

 

[Zavist]

-When I hit with decent technique (on occasion), there is certainly top spin.

What I don't like:
-I'm having a lot of trouble keeping the ball in contact with the racquet long enough during groundstrokes.
-My shoulder is still hurting, though that might be something that just can't be fixed with strings.

I'm also willing to change racquets but I really never have found a racquet I thought was more comfortable.

After hitting with both the Steam's from time to time I agree with the TW summary at the end of their playtest concerning the 105S: "Best suited to 4.0+ players looking for easy power and more spin than you thought possible."

First, work on getting your shoulder healthy. After that get some help with your technique and demo, demo, demo. IMHO you've chosen the wrong racquet. When I was coming back I choose a very similar racket and got results like yours.

 

[kailash]

I need some expert help. I'll "try" not to be too wordy. Keep in mind I don't know much about string terminology. I get the basics like solid core vs multifilament, but some strings being referred to by their material while others referred to by their construction confuses me.

....

I'm also willing to change racquets but I really never have found a racquet I thought was more comfortable.

There are so many comfortable and arm friendly racquets out there. Steam 99S (69 RA with 330g+ swing weight) with a poly is a recipe for arm problems.

Have you tried ProKennex or Volkl racquets? I would recommend demoing those especially the following:
- ProKennex Q5, QTour (previous or the current Q+ versions)
- ProKennex 5G, 7G
- Volkl Super G 10 295, V1 Pro, V1 MP
- Yonex DR 98
- Head Speed MP or Instinct MP
- Prince Textreme Tour 100P, Warrior 100
- Babolat Pure Strike or Control (previous versions; still on sale)

Any of the above with a hybrid string (poly/syn.gut/multi) would be arm friendly, with longer string life.

 

[Steve Huff]

If you're having shoulder problems, your racket is probably too heavy for your ability (elbow problems would suggest too light of a racket). I would start looking for a lighter, standard length racket with a normal 16 x 19 string pattern. I suggest the standard string pattern so that you can use a softer string. You probably won't get quite as much spin as you're used to, but your arm will stay healthier, and you'll be able to play longer. Unfortunately, everything has a trade-off. Stiffness gives you power at the expense of comfort and control. As you've found out, stiff, durable strings are required in a racket with a really open string pattern--one for control and also to get any life out of the strings. Look at a Pro Kennex 5g 295. Volkl, Yonex also make some more flexible frames in lighter weights.

 

[Traffic]

I'd love to find a string and tension configuration that feels a bit softer but doesn't annihilate the best attributes of my current setup. And while money isn't really a big deal, it's too wasteful to be using strings that cost $36 per stringing and last only a couple of hours--at least until my sponsorship from Wilson is finalized.

I'm also willing to change racquets but I really never have found a racquet I thought was more comfortable.

If I could find a string that was relatively cheap that could give me a relatively consistent 12+ hours, I'd even be willing to invest in a stringer and learn to string them myself.

Thanks for any advice.

Again, sounds like I've been down the same road as you (fairly recently at that). Getting back into tennis. Had some experience in HS. Maybe never got solid mechanics down but enough technique and timing to return the ball fairly consistently if you don't try to over hit.

Tried a modern racquet equipped with poly and was amazed at how much power, spin and control was available. Never mind some of the mishits...we won't count those...

Might have had some time away from tennis here and there. But found an opportunity to play more consistently. Arm is hurting. Let me add, I tried keeping up with my son and that didn't help me any either.

Just a very humble observation on what I went through. The spinny racquet with poly helps put a ton of spin on the ball. Then I realize, I can swing a little harder, and the added spin keeps the ball in play. Then I see ball speeds not typical of what I remember in my younger days. Impressive! Next thing I know, I'm wearing a fore arm brace and icing my arm after each time I play tennis.

Well, the pain, plus playing in an organized match play has really helped me understand what I want to do with my tennis and what steps I need to take.

First off, I cut out my (stiff) poly hybrid that someone suggested and did research on softer poly(s). Right now I'm hitting with Ashaway monogut ZX hybrid with Gosen S-gut. And it's as comfortable as hitting with full bed of S-gut but I get a little more power and spin. I realize now that many of the poly(s) require me to swing too hard for my anatomy and ability. But if I'm taking full swings, I don't get the same performance. This was especially true for my playing with Cyclone Tour/OGSM hybrid. I tested it because CT was supposed to be softer poly. And it was. But it was like trying to drive precisely with a turbo-charged engine. The performance would change whether on boost or not and often times I'm caught somewhere between no boost and full boost. If I hit perfectly, it would be a thing of beauty. But a slight miss timed hit and it would hit the back curtain. If I didn't take a full cut on a topspin shot, the ball would fall very short.

With the ZX/OGSM hybrid, I feel like it's more consistent and predicable. Pretty much what I put in is what I get out and it's very linear. And it's comfortable. This has allowed me to play pain free.

Now signing up for the doubles match play has shown me what's important (vs playing singles). Consistency, consistency, consistency. I didn't need to hit baseline winners to get the point. On the contrary, I needed to just keep the ball in play. Improve net play. That's the key. So especially as I'm trying to work on the basics, the poly has got nothing for me. On the contrary, something like full bed multi or this ZX/Sgut hybrid would work better. And since my arm doesn't hurt, I'm not running out to the nearest racquet stores gobbling up demos. <---that will come in due time.

I do have my own stringer. That makes trying new strings easy. I was changing strings every week for a while. But I've had my ZX/OGSM going on 3 weeks now with almost 10hrs. This is my favorite setup so far. I have a Nat Gut and Cream ready to try out next. But the ZX/OGSM is still going strong so it'll have to wait. I'm in no hurry at the moment.

 

[Shock]

I've taken away a few good points from this discussion.

I suppose I shouldn't play with strings that long, period. I will try going away from poly, especially if I'm really not going to get that many hours out of poly anyway.

You guys probably aren't wrong about me not being in the best racquet, but I really got fatigued in shopping for one. I tried probably 20 demos based on expert advice (and paying attention to the stiffness/arm-friendliness) and I always went right back to the Wilson 105S (and later switched to the 99S). Of the racquets I thought were runner-ups, they were always Wilsons. Maybe with better technique I would have a different experience.

I might need to qualify that my shoulder problems are not the result of tennis at all. As far as tennis goes, only the overheads and serves seem to have any real effect towards aggravating my shoulder these days. My gym routine, which is designed by a physical therapist to address strengthening the supporting structures around my shoulder, bothers my shoulder a gazillion times more than tennis. I would say groundstrokes bother my shoulder almost zero. With the current condition of my shoulder (which is really decent) I think focusing on arm-friendly is not very necessary. When I jumped back in a few years ago, it was a completely different story, and that's why I was replacing multifilament strings every few hours of play, ignoring the cost and hassle.

I'm starting lessons next week with a tennis pro. I think he also teaches people to string racquets too. I'll have a talk with him about that.

 

[Traffic]

I'm sure you picked that racquet because it spoke to you or your style of play. I found with the right strings setup, the performance can be tuned to be more balanced; trade a bit of spin for control and comfort. And it will work fine as more focus is directed towards improvement in technique.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

If you are a 3 player you do not need polys. String with a reasonable nylon string at mid tension and deviate 3lbs+ - if need be. Looser strings give you more depth (higher angle of release from strings) and tighter strings less depth. You can adjust based on your results with mid tension

Normally I would say that 3.0 does not need poly. HOWEVER ..... you are using a Steam 99s, which pretty much requires poly to play like is intended. It is very open and requires the snapback of poly to deliver the spin. 59 lbs would be too high in most 100 sq inch racquets, but not necessarily in a 16x15. Your racquet is very unique and an outlier and much of the advice may not be taking that into consideration. I may drop as low as 55 in that racquet - but not lower. I string as low as 40 in some racquets - but not that one.

Anyone tried V-Torque in that racquet? I have in others and it seems like it may be a good fit for that one. I found it to be quite low powered.

main concern i have is with health... with good technique (ie. stroke allows racquet to move in a way that is aligned with your skeletal structure on contact), no need to worry about injuries...
but at 3.0, your technique is probably bad, and you're likely making ongoing tweaks to the mental model of how you're hitting the ball...
which means you're more likely going to try to swing fast (good), and mishit at the wrong time.

because of this, i think i'd prefer using a softer string during your development phase... avoid injuries.

personally i've used poly and kevlar early in my career (as a low 4.0), and injured myself (golfers elbow, shoulder issues) - in my 20's (ie. fast to recover) - and was out for various months at a time.
i've had gung ho students... who had poly in their racquets, and they practiced daily, and developed golfers elbow, because their technqiue was not perfect yet... (they still might have developed golfer's elbow with syn gut, but given the stiffness of poly, i can't help but think it contributed to the problem.

my $0.02

 

[jonestim]

main concern i have is with health... with good technique (ie. stroke allows racquet to move in a way that is aligned with your skeletal structure on contact), no need to worry about injuries...
but at 3.0, your technique is probably bad, and you're likely making ongoing tweaks to the mental model of how you're hitting the ball...
which means you're more likely going to try to swing fast (good), and mishit at the wrong time.

because of this, i think i'd prefer using a softer string during your development phase... avoid injuries.

I would tend to agree with you, and I think that the 99s is not a good racquet for a player at this level. I think a racquet like a Prince Warrior 100, Volkl V1 or one of the Pro Kennex racquets would be a better choice.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

I would tend to agree with you, and I think that the 99s is not a good racquet for a player at this level. I think a racquet like a Prince Warrior 100, Volkl V1 or one of the Pro Kennex racquets would be a better choice.

i have the 99s... if you can swing it like it's intended to, it's ALOT of fun seeing that ball curve.

 

[Irvin]

I'd try something like Forten Nylon 15L. It's a fairly soft string and 1 reel that will string about 18 rackets and cost less than 1 set of X-ONE. Take your reel to your local shop and they will probably charge you ~$15 to string each racket. So you'll spend less than $50 to string both frames and have enough string left for 16 more.

 

[Shock]

I tried the Volkl V1, it being the flexible arm-friendly go-to, and didn't like it. I didn't like any Prince stick I touched.

I'm not keen enough to notice flexibility differences form racquet to racquet. I am sensitive to the weight, however. The 99S feels heavy enough without being cumbersome to me. If I hit with a lighter racquet, I feel like all the power is transferred up my arm when the ball strikes it. I don't mind even a heavier racquet but I notice my arm eventually feels prematurely tired.

I feel a huge difference from strings to string though. I'm seeking strings that enhance playability (vs. what's in my racquet now) yet don't break in a matter of minutes like X-One BiPhase.

My current strings and current racquet are not hurting my shoulder. That concern has vanished with PT. I only mentioned the shoulder to say I don't want to move towards something that could possibly contribute to shoulder pain more than my current setup.

 

[SJSA]

There is only one answer for your string choice if you want to use more than 30 hrs with no arm pain.
That is Natural Gut.
You can buy under $20 from a wholesaler that TW users have talked in this forum if you think over $40 is too expensive.

 

[Traffic]

When I first got back into tennis, after several demo racquets, I bought a Wilson Steam 105S 16x15 with X-one Biphase 16 at about 60 lbs. I absolutely loved the feel of it, but I was breaking strings in 2 hours or less. At that point my shoulder was in terrible shape so a soft string was required.

Thanks for the additional information. So your shoulder was in bad shape NOT due to tennis. But you were playing with multi because of your shoulder injury (from something else). But you are still able to break multi in 2hrs of play. Is that correct?

Sounds like you should be safe to use either a full bed of softer poly but don't leave them in there too long (8-15hrs). Or try a poly/sgut hybrid. Probably the same 8-15hrs but the sgut can help reduce the materials cost.

My son uses Cyclone/OGSM (poly/sgut) hybrid. He gets some performance benefits of the poly but also the comfort and safety of the sgut.
I've diverged even farther by using an alternate poly/sgut hybrid (Ashaway Monogut ZX/OGSM) and it plays comfortably, has spin, power and it's lasting quite a bit. I've never played full multi. But I can imagine that my hybrid comes pretty close while maintaining a very crisp feel. But will last much longer than multi.

A full bed of sgut will probably last longer than full multi. But then you have to move your strings around every rally...

 

[Traffic]

There is only one answer for your string choice if you want to use more than 30 hrs with no arm pain.
That is Natural Gut.
You can buy under $20 from a wholesaler that TW users have talked in this forum if you think over $40 is too expensive.

Question regarding Nat Gut. Seems like a miss hit near the grommet can cause stress to the string and premature breakage? Wouldn't Nat Gut NOT be recommended for a beginner with some power?

 

[chikoo]

I'm a 3.0 player, male, mid-30s, small guy (5'5").
When I first got back into tennis, after several demo racquets, I bought a Wilson Steam 105S 16x15 with X-one Biphase 16 at about 60 lbs. I absolutely loved the feel of it, but I was breaking strings in 2 hours or less. At that point my shoulder was in terrible shape so a soft string was required.

A 3.0 breaking strings in 2 hours?

 

[Booger]

Natural gut. Lasts forever and remains playable until it breaks. I don't know why a beginner would waste their time on anything else.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

A 3.0 breaking strings in 2 hours?

sounds like he's at least trying to swing hard/fast.
and the steam S series, is a string eater.
with the 99s (arguably harder to break strings that 105s), i was breaking lux 4g in 30-60m

 

[ZirkusAffe]

Do you think RPM crosses / Gut mains would shred quickly in the 99s?? RPM seems to hold well when paired with gut or am I wrong?
I know a few guys had arm issues at our club and went that route it 'seemed' to work although I have no personal experience with it. Or its just that the club loved selling RPM/VS Touch combos with stringing for arm issues... lol

 

[Traffic]

Do you think RPM crosses / Gut mains would shred quickly in the 99s?? RPM seems to hold well when paired with gut or am I wrong?
I know a few guys had arm issues at our club and went that route it 'seemed' to work although I have no personal experience with it. Or its just that the club loved selling RPM/VS Touch combos with stringing for arm issues... lol

I would think it's the RPM sawing into the gut and the gut eventually breaking.