structured/shaped polys playtest
- Thread starter fgs
- Start date
SCRAP IRON
Professional
i'm done for now with the shaped solincos, and i am determined to "revisit" the regular 1.25 and of course the "recently discovered" regular 1.20. over the next days i'm going to play the 1.25mm outlast and then i get back into the "shaped/textured"-business with the dyreex black edge.
power: as one would expect from a thicker string, the power of the tour bite soft 1.30 is somewhat lower than that of it's stiffer colleague, the regular 1.20 tested before. nevertheless there still is enough juice to be putting balls away and most interestingly the stringbed does have a linear behaviour in the sense that offcentershots don't just fade away but still make it pretty nice over the net and deep into the opponents court.
grade: 7/10
control: as opposed to the thinner gauge of the soft i recently played, the 1.30 does have really good control, almost in top notch category. it is easy to direct the ball both lateral and depthwise, and i attribute this to the fact that (surprisingly) the thicker gauge of the soft simply has better "grab" than the thinner one.
grade: 9/10
feel: it has a more direct feedback than the thinner gauge soft one, very much like the 1.20 regular. this allows for better touch shots in my case. nevertheless i still prefer the regular 1.20 in this respect.
grade: 8/10
spin: spin is almost top-notch and absolutely on the same level as the thinner regular i played and considerably more than the thinner soft. short angled crosses have been easier to play and place and i got my kick back on my kickers, which i started doubting with the 1.20 soft. slices are also really nice to direct and they keep staying low.
grade: 9/10
comfort: on a high level for me and i can imagine that players which do not have an overly sensitive arm might give this a try (allow me to remind you that i play hybrids, crossing with the very soft mantis comfort synthetic at rather lowish tensions - 46lbs.)
grade: 9/10
tension maintenance: very good for the 5 hitting hours it took me to break the strings. the strings have been in the sticks for about a week before i started to play them, but all the solinco polys i have played so far have had really good behaviour in regard to keeping tension. there obviously is some tension loss but it does not seem to interfere with the levels of control these strings provide.
grade: 9/10
durability: each of the two halfsets i played lasted for about some 5 hitting hours, which for a 1.30mm string is quite reasonable.
grade: 5/10
overall: 56/70
the tour bite soft 1.30 is a really playable string indeed. since i like my stringbeds a little bit more on the crispy side and as i got around 4 really decent hitting hours of the regular tour bite 1.20, personally i would rather go for that one, but the performance of the 1.30 soft is very close.
So you are testing these strings only in the mains? What tension?
fgs
Hall of Fame
mawashi,
i do really like it a lot and it gels perfectly with the mantis comfort synthetic in the crosses.
scrap iron,
yes, i play these polys only in the mains, usually at 21kg and also usually in 1.25mm. i sometimes go with the thinner 1.20 gauge if the string proves to be of the more durable kind but this is rather the exception. if the 1.25 plays too stiff for my liking, like has been the case with tour bite for instance but there are some aspects i like about the string nevertheless, then i go down to the 1.20mm gauge, and coming back to tour bite, that is in 1.20 also one of my favoured strings. the helix i strung up slightly higher, at 21.5kg.
crosses usually are mantis comfort synthetic 1.30 strung also at 21kg. but i do some experimenting with crosses too, not at the same pace as with the mains nevertheless, as i try to find one equalling the performance of the mcs but being more durable - i'm down to slightly below 2 intensive practice hours with a set of crosses, but i usually recross if the mains are not too heavily notched. with most of the mains i'm getting to breakage around 4 hitting hours, about the time when the second set of crosses is also hanging on the last thread.
i've tried quite a few synguts as crosses but besides matching the playingtime i have not yet found one to play decently over the roughly four hrs the mains would last. there are still some waiting down the line but i get less and less optimistic about finding a proper match.
i do really like it a lot and it gels perfectly with the mantis comfort synthetic in the crosses.
scrap iron,
yes, i play these polys only in the mains, usually at 21kg and also usually in 1.25mm. i sometimes go with the thinner 1.20 gauge if the string proves to be of the more durable kind but this is rather the exception. if the 1.25 plays too stiff for my liking, like has been the case with tour bite for instance but there are some aspects i like about the string nevertheless, then i go down to the 1.20mm gauge, and coming back to tour bite, that is in 1.20 also one of my favoured strings. the helix i strung up slightly higher, at 21.5kg.
crosses usually are mantis comfort synthetic 1.30 strung also at 21kg. but i do some experimenting with crosses too, not at the same pace as with the mains nevertheless, as i try to find one equalling the performance of the mcs but being more durable - i'm down to slightly below 2 intensive practice hours with a set of crosses, but i usually recross if the mains are not too heavily notched. with most of the mains i'm getting to breakage around 4 hitting hours, about the time when the second set of crosses is also hanging on the last thread.
i've tried quite a few synguts as crosses but besides matching the playingtime i have not yet found one to play decently over the roughly four hrs the mains would last. there are still some waiting down the line but i get less and less optimistic about finding a proper match.
fgs
Hall of Fame
topspin culex octastring 1.27mm
i had the chance to playtest three shaped topspin-strings of the newest generation and this green string, which appears to be an octagonally shaped twisted string, was the first one to break, so it will also be the first one to report about:
power / control: the string is pretty soft, definitely the softest of the three and has really good acceleration, but is quite lacking in the control department. if you try to go for some spots for instance while practicing you find out your balls are almost quite all over the place. for leisurely playing it is indeed very nice and comfy, but for a more competition-oriented mindset, this is definitely a string to stay away from.
grade: 3/5
feel: usually softer strings "feel" better but once again this is not the case with this one. short-angled shots, dropshots, nasty slices? you need another one, this won't fit the bill. it is really nice and comfy but dull and somehow disconnected - there is an incredible lack of feedback with this one.
grade: 2/5
spin: initially it grabs the ball pretty nicely but after about half an hour of really intensive practice the profile is flat and the ball just makes a completely different kind of contact with the string. this has not happened often to me and the spinproduction is really going down pretty much, even compared to a round string.
grade: 3/5
comfort: yes, it is comfy but this is some sort of frustrating comfort if you know what i mean - the ball flies pleasantly into a not intended direction and is not really controllable with spin once it gets a little bit faster.
grade: 4/5
durability / tension maintenance: since i played these three strings parallel they have been in the sticks for almost two weeks now. the octastring lasted for roughly 4 hitting hours and kept its tension pretty constant.
grade: 4/5
overall: 16/25
the other two topspin strings i had the chance to test, the ferox trianglestring and the sensus squarestring are in a completely different league. i am sure that some people might enjoy the culex octastring and that it fits their playing style and stick, but i could not relate to it at all.
i had the chance to playtest three shaped topspin-strings of the newest generation and this green string, which appears to be an octagonally shaped twisted string, was the first one to break, so it will also be the first one to report about:
power / control: the string is pretty soft, definitely the softest of the three and has really good acceleration, but is quite lacking in the control department. if you try to go for some spots for instance while practicing you find out your balls are almost quite all over the place. for leisurely playing it is indeed very nice and comfy, but for a more competition-oriented mindset, this is definitely a string to stay away from.
grade: 3/5
feel: usually softer strings "feel" better but once again this is not the case with this one. short-angled shots, dropshots, nasty slices? you need another one, this won't fit the bill. it is really nice and comfy but dull and somehow disconnected - there is an incredible lack of feedback with this one.
grade: 2/5
spin: initially it grabs the ball pretty nicely but after about half an hour of really intensive practice the profile is flat and the ball just makes a completely different kind of contact with the string. this has not happened often to me and the spinproduction is really going down pretty much, even compared to a round string.
grade: 3/5
comfort: yes, it is comfy but this is some sort of frustrating comfort if you know what i mean - the ball flies pleasantly into a not intended direction and is not really controllable with spin once it gets a little bit faster.
grade: 4/5
durability / tension maintenance: since i played these three strings parallel they have been in the sticks for almost two weeks now. the octastring lasted for roughly 4 hitting hours and kept its tension pretty constant.
grade: 4/5
overall: 16/25
the other two topspin strings i had the chance to test, the ferox trianglestring and the sensus squarestring are in a completely different league. i am sure that some people might enjoy the culex octastring and that it fits their playing style and stick, but i could not relate to it at all.
fgs
Hall of Fame
topspin ferox trianglestring 1.27
a really fun string to be playing with.
power/control: pretty good power and also good control. i suppose that for me this goes hand in hanbd with the superior spin this string provides, as it grabs the ball really pretty well and also offers a very good feel. it is very close to top-notch in this department but i still think that it slightly misses the highest grade by a very slight margin. i do think that the kirschbaum helix (although in the quite slimmer version - 1.20mm!) offers a tad more in this department. it's a pitty this topspin-offering comes only in 1.27mm.
grade: 4/5
feel: really good but once again missing the top-performance by just a slight margin. could play really good droppers with it and touchy angled shots.
grade: 4/5
spin: impressive! and this gets me to the main issue i will soon be reporting about. i raved to a certain extent over the genesis twisted razor in respect to spinproduction. i still have one set of that one left, and when holding the strings against each other they look absolutely identical! same twisted triangulr shape, same diameter and basically the same playing characteristics. now, this is according to my feeling and my notes, and since quite some time has passed since i played the genesis, i will do a back-to-back of these two strings in the coming two months. the shape of the trianglestring is still visible after slightly more than 4hrs of abuse (when the mains broke) and the spin and touch keep the same over the entire lifetime. this will also render a good mark in the tension maintenance department, as i had these strings for roughly 3 weeks in my sticks as i was playing them alternatively.
grade: 5/5
comfort: the trianglestring is one of the softer polys and i never had any issues with it being harsh, not even on offcentershots, which still had good acceleration AND control.
grade: 5/5
durability/tension maintenance: durability was slightly more than 4 hitting hours and tension maintenance was exemplary as already stated.
grade: 4/5
overall: 22/25
apparently the trianglestring comes in with one point less than the twisted razor, but this comes not from the playing characteristics but from the durability. by the time i will have "revisited" the twisted razor and have made a back-to-back comparison of these two strings, i very much incline to think that they will have identical grades also in the durability department.
for me, this is a really fun string to play with. i will also test it back-to-back against the kirschbaum helix 1.20.
a really fun string to be playing with.
power/control: pretty good power and also good control. i suppose that for me this goes hand in hanbd with the superior spin this string provides, as it grabs the ball really pretty well and also offers a very good feel. it is very close to top-notch in this department but i still think that it slightly misses the highest grade by a very slight margin. i do think that the kirschbaum helix (although in the quite slimmer version - 1.20mm!) offers a tad more in this department. it's a pitty this topspin-offering comes only in 1.27mm.
grade: 4/5
feel: really good but once again missing the top-performance by just a slight margin. could play really good droppers with it and touchy angled shots.
grade: 4/5
spin: impressive! and this gets me to the main issue i will soon be reporting about. i raved to a certain extent over the genesis twisted razor in respect to spinproduction. i still have one set of that one left, and when holding the strings against each other they look absolutely identical! same twisted triangulr shape, same diameter and basically the same playing characteristics. now, this is according to my feeling and my notes, and since quite some time has passed since i played the genesis, i will do a back-to-back of these two strings in the coming two months. the shape of the trianglestring is still visible after slightly more than 4hrs of abuse (when the mains broke) and the spin and touch keep the same over the entire lifetime. this will also render a good mark in the tension maintenance department, as i had these strings for roughly 3 weeks in my sticks as i was playing them alternatively.
grade: 5/5
comfort: the trianglestring is one of the softer polys and i never had any issues with it being harsh, not even on offcentershots, which still had good acceleration AND control.
grade: 5/5
durability/tension maintenance: durability was slightly more than 4 hitting hours and tension maintenance was exemplary as already stated.
grade: 4/5
overall: 22/25
apparently the trianglestring comes in with one point less than the twisted razor, but this comes not from the playing characteristics but from the durability. by the time i will have "revisited" the twisted razor and have made a back-to-back comparison of these two strings, i very much incline to think that they will have identical grades also in the durability department.
for me, this is a really fun string to play with. i will also test it back-to-back against the kirschbaum helix 1.20.
sansaephanh
Professional
MAN I miss dorking out about strings... Bowling is taking over for now... I'm really glad you had high marks for BHBR 17. It's honestly my favorite budget string of all time. I love the level of stiffness and feel I get. Plus I'm not a string popper so it lasts me about 400 times of your time. If I feel I need it a tad softer or more power I put a nice multi/syn cross in there a few lbs loose.
fgs
Hall of Fame
sansaephanh,
while the fun-factor is still prevailing in this testing-endeavour i'm pursuing, the fact that i'm going through strings quicker and quicker is starting to get to me. i'm shredding crosses about every practice session and although i use to restring crosses as the poly mains are not (most of them at least) about to go yet, i'm still some 20 minutes on the machine for every two hours hit. i'm trying to find a decent substitute with longer durability for my mcs-crosses, but all of my attempts so far have been negative - i have not found a truly decent playing string to last roughly 4hrs of abuse and keep it's playing characteristics on an acceptable level.
i have tried even a natty gut mains / round poly crosses combo which i have thoroughly enjoyed, but that also only got me to roughly 4 hitting hours (which is much more than i have expected - basically the 1.30 natty mains lasted as long as 1.25 polys last me!!!), but that would come at twice the price, so in the long run it is no solution.
while the fun-factor is still prevailing in this testing-endeavour i'm pursuing, the fact that i'm going through strings quicker and quicker is starting to get to me. i'm shredding crosses about every practice session and although i use to restring crosses as the poly mains are not (most of them at least) about to go yet, i'm still some 20 minutes on the machine for every two hours hit. i'm trying to find a decent substitute with longer durability for my mcs-crosses, but all of my attempts so far have been negative - i have not found a truly decent playing string to last roughly 4hrs of abuse and keep it's playing characteristics on an acceptable level.
i have tried even a natty gut mains / round poly crosses combo which i have thoroughly enjoyed, but that also only got me to roughly 4 hitting hours (which is much more than i have expected - basically the 1.30 natty mains lasted as long as 1.25 polys last me!!!), but that would come at twice the price, so in the long run it is no solution.
fgs
Hall of Fame
topspin sensus squarestring 1.27
power / control: of the three tested topspin-strings this is the lowest powered of them all but provides pretty good control. it will not bail you out on the run though, so unless you are really swinging through you end up producing a sitter. the ferox trianglestring has been showing better performance in this respect by simply making life a little bit easier.
grade: 4/5
feel: not bad but this simply means average.
grade 3/5
spin: quite good but i must confess that i was expecting more. the ferox trianglestring is definitely superior in this department and due to the square shape i was basically expecting something in the tour bite region, but this did not happen. nevertheless shortangled topspinshots could be played pretty well and kickers had a decent height (provided you also supplied a faster swing).
grade: 4/5
comfort: it is pretty stiff but does not become harsh - at least not in the 21kg range i'm stringing (that's mid 40' lbs). i don't have a sensitive elbow though and my shoulder did not protest even after two baskets of serving.
grade: 4/5
durability/tension maintenance: this is really good but not very surprising for the diameter - i got slightly above 5 intensive hitting hours out of the string and since i kept switching this was basically over three weeks and tension has been kept really well too.
grade: 5/5
overall: 20/25
while i think this is a pretty good and durable string for hardhitters, for roughly €100 for the 220m reel it is not a bargain. there are strings out there in the same price-range that definitely perform better and i'd take the ferox trianglestring which is slightly more expensive anytime over the sensus squarestring.
power / control: of the three tested topspin-strings this is the lowest powered of them all but provides pretty good control. it will not bail you out on the run though, so unless you are really swinging through you end up producing a sitter. the ferox trianglestring has been showing better performance in this respect by simply making life a little bit easier.
grade: 4/5
feel: not bad but this simply means average.
grade 3/5
spin: quite good but i must confess that i was expecting more. the ferox trianglestring is definitely superior in this department and due to the square shape i was basically expecting something in the tour bite region, but this did not happen. nevertheless shortangled topspinshots could be played pretty well and kickers had a decent height (provided you also supplied a faster swing).
grade: 4/5
comfort: it is pretty stiff but does not become harsh - at least not in the 21kg range i'm stringing (that's mid 40' lbs). i don't have a sensitive elbow though and my shoulder did not protest even after two baskets of serving.
grade: 4/5
durability/tension maintenance: this is really good but not very surprising for the diameter - i got slightly above 5 intensive hitting hours out of the string and since i kept switching this was basically over three weeks and tension has been kept really well too.
grade: 5/5
overall: 20/25
while i think this is a pretty good and durable string for hardhitters, for roughly €100 for the 220m reel it is not a bargain. there are strings out there in the same price-range that definitely perform better and i'd take the ferox trianglestring which is slightly more expensive anytime over the sensus squarestring.
fgs
Hall of Fame
polystar turbo 1.25
power / control: in spite of being on the softer side of things, this star-shaped string is not really powerful but is also surprisingly lacking control. both characteristics are not more than average. the string has a surprisingly large margin for error both in terms of depth as well as width.
grade: 3/5
feel: i associate feel with feedback and this string is just dull.
grade: 2/5
spin: there was not much spin to start with and as the profile was worn down after just 30 minutes of hitting, spin support went along with the profile as well. i've played plenty of plain strings, including for instance the energy from polystar, which do provide a better spin than this shaped one.
grade: 3/5
comfort: apparently it is quite comfy but when you try to put the ball away you are most likely to overhit/overswing and this might be getting to your joints. i did feel some tension (no pain!!!) in my shoulder after a basket of serves for instance.
grade: 3/5
tension maintenance / durability: the string lasted for roughly 3 hitting hours to breakage and did not lose (too) much tension until that point.
grade: 3/5
overall: 14/25
i must admit that i expected a little bit more performancewise, even if the polystar is on the lower side of the price spectrum.
power / control: in spite of being on the softer side of things, this star-shaped string is not really powerful but is also surprisingly lacking control. both characteristics are not more than average. the string has a surprisingly large margin for error both in terms of depth as well as width.
grade: 3/5
feel: i associate feel with feedback and this string is just dull.
grade: 2/5
spin: there was not much spin to start with and as the profile was worn down after just 30 minutes of hitting, spin support went along with the profile as well. i've played plenty of plain strings, including for instance the energy from polystar, which do provide a better spin than this shaped one.
grade: 3/5
comfort: apparently it is quite comfy but when you try to put the ball away you are most likely to overhit/overswing and this might be getting to your joints. i did feel some tension (no pain!!!) in my shoulder after a basket of serves for instance.
grade: 3/5
tension maintenance / durability: the string lasted for roughly 3 hitting hours to breakage and did not lose (too) much tension until that point.
grade: 3/5
overall: 14/25
i must admit that i expected a little bit more performancewise, even if the polystar is on the lower side of the price spectrum.
fgs
Hall of Fame
polystar strike 1.25
this polystar sports a crimped profile of the kind seen on the alu power rough and delivered a really solid performance.
power / control: in spite of being on the softer side of things, none of the polystars tested (i played all four of them) was overpowering, and the strike is no exception. surprisingly it was firmer than the others but i was still missing some of that "crispy" touch i get from top-notch strings. due to the slight sluggishness it tended to spray too, but to a much lesser degree than the other polystars. i could pretty well play short-angled cross strokes and contriol the depth and height of the shots quite well.
grade: 4/5
feel: it is softer but not mushy and from this perspective pleasurable to play with. in order to have made the top-grade it should have provided a little bit more liveliness, a more direct feedback.
grade: 4/5
spin: a really good performance in this department, again pretty close to the top-notch strings. kickers really had some action but i have seen nastier deliveries of mine.
grade: 4/5
comfort: this is the only area where it shines. no itching in the shoulder even after having had to play in colder temperatures. offcenter-shots are not jarring but can be pretty well controlled.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance / durability: i got some 4 hitting hours out of it until the mains broke and while it lost some tension it was not percieved as detrimental to neither spin nor control.
grade: 4/5
overall: 21/25
having played some "soft" versions of classics lately (tour bite soft or msv focus hex for instance), i would rather pick the polystar than any of these "softies". on the other hand, there have been reports about the tension loss of polystar strings over a longer period of time. the regular "classic" went down quite considerably even in the short timespan i used it, but the strike behave pretty well - but i am looking only at 4 hours!
this polystar sports a crimped profile of the kind seen on the alu power rough and delivered a really solid performance.
power / control: in spite of being on the softer side of things, none of the polystars tested (i played all four of them) was overpowering, and the strike is no exception. surprisingly it was firmer than the others but i was still missing some of that "crispy" touch i get from top-notch strings. due to the slight sluggishness it tended to spray too, but to a much lesser degree than the other polystars. i could pretty well play short-angled cross strokes and contriol the depth and height of the shots quite well.
grade: 4/5
feel: it is softer but not mushy and from this perspective pleasurable to play with. in order to have made the top-grade it should have provided a little bit more liveliness, a more direct feedback.
grade: 4/5
spin: a really good performance in this department, again pretty close to the top-notch strings. kickers really had some action but i have seen nastier deliveries of mine.
grade: 4/5
comfort: this is the only area where it shines. no itching in the shoulder even after having had to play in colder temperatures. offcenter-shots are not jarring but can be pretty well controlled.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance / durability: i got some 4 hitting hours out of it until the mains broke and while it lost some tension it was not percieved as detrimental to neither spin nor control.
grade: 4/5
overall: 21/25
having played some "soft" versions of classics lately (tour bite soft or msv focus hex for instance), i would rather pick the polystar than any of these "softies". on the other hand, there have been reports about the tension loss of polystar strings over a longer period of time. the regular "classic" went down quite considerably even in the short timespan i used it, but the strike behave pretty well - but i am looking only at 4 hours!
Like this one too. Have it as a full bed in one of my Dunlop 400 Tours right now. Considering buying a 400m reel which is very good value for the performance of the string. Agree with your assessment of it. Solid in all areas without any major stand out features or negatives. A good solid string.
fgs
Hall of Fame
dunlop revolution nt 1.31 / 1.25
this is a pre-packed hybrid offering from dunlop (have only seen it on tw-europe so far) which sports the black widow in the mains and a yellow poly in the crosses. my test sample came with the 1.31 black widow and a 1.25 cross, which is a round one. i strung this up at my regular 21kg mains (~46lbs) and "only" 20kg ~44lbs.) for the crosses.
power / control: being basically full poly this combo offers, as expected, less power than my usual set-up with the mantis comfort synthetic crosses. nevertheless, once tuned in on the lower launch angle conrol was quite on par with the best set-ups i have played. there needs to be a little bit more effort to put the ball away than with my current go-to set-up (kirschbaum helix 1.20 / mcs), but control, both lateral and depth, is really impressive. short angled crosses are quite easy to play.
grade: 5/5
feel: surprisingly good for a full poly set-up. it is definitely less comfy than multi-crossed hybrids, but touchshots are easily accessible once tuned in to the different trajectory.
grade: 4/5
spin: top notch and comparable with the best ones i have played so far. the edges on the mains wear down pretty fast but this seems to have only little effect on the rotations imparted on the ball over the lifetime of the string.
grade: 5/5
comfort: this is an area where this combo can't get close to other multi-crossed hybrids, but this does not come as a surprise. it is not jarring nevertheless, but compared to other hybrids (multi-crossed ones!) it is one grade below.
grade: 4/5
durability / tension maintenance: over the very short lifespan tension maintenance was good, but i got only less than 3 hitting hours out of this combo, which comes to confirm my general experience that for me and my game, full-poly hybrids are the shortest-lived set-ups i can play. syngut-crosses give me slightly longer playtime and the best i regularly got with multi-crosses (which on the other hand require a restringing of the crosses after about 2hrs!).
grade: 3/5
overall: 21/25
a truly playable pre-packed hybrid, with good performances but rather short lived for me.
ps
i checked up the pricing in europe and it is rather prohibitive! i suppose the pre-packed set consists of the black widow for the mains and the explosive poly for the crosses. buying this one separately could quite dramatically lower the cost and eventually make it attractive, but then only when purchasing reels, as the sets come in only 11m length which could be difficult to get 2 halfsets for the mains (5,50m per length is very short even for 16mains-frames).
this is a pre-packed hybrid offering from dunlop (have only seen it on tw-europe so far) which sports the black widow in the mains and a yellow poly in the crosses. my test sample came with the 1.31 black widow and a 1.25 cross, which is a round one. i strung this up at my regular 21kg mains (~46lbs) and "only" 20kg ~44lbs.) for the crosses.
power / control: being basically full poly this combo offers, as expected, less power than my usual set-up with the mantis comfort synthetic crosses. nevertheless, once tuned in on the lower launch angle conrol was quite on par with the best set-ups i have played. there needs to be a little bit more effort to put the ball away than with my current go-to set-up (kirschbaum helix 1.20 / mcs), but control, both lateral and depth, is really impressive. short angled crosses are quite easy to play.
grade: 5/5
feel: surprisingly good for a full poly set-up. it is definitely less comfy than multi-crossed hybrids, but touchshots are easily accessible once tuned in to the different trajectory.
grade: 4/5
spin: top notch and comparable with the best ones i have played so far. the edges on the mains wear down pretty fast but this seems to have only little effect on the rotations imparted on the ball over the lifetime of the string.
grade: 5/5
comfort: this is an area where this combo can't get close to other multi-crossed hybrids, but this does not come as a surprise. it is not jarring nevertheless, but compared to other hybrids (multi-crossed ones!) it is one grade below.
grade: 4/5
durability / tension maintenance: over the very short lifespan tension maintenance was good, but i got only less than 3 hitting hours out of this combo, which comes to confirm my general experience that for me and my game, full-poly hybrids are the shortest-lived set-ups i can play. syngut-crosses give me slightly longer playtime and the best i regularly got with multi-crosses (which on the other hand require a restringing of the crosses after about 2hrs!).
grade: 3/5
overall: 21/25
a truly playable pre-packed hybrid, with good performances but rather short lived for me.
ps
i checked up the pricing in europe and it is rather prohibitive! i suppose the pre-packed set consists of the black widow for the mains and the explosive poly for the crosses. buying this one separately could quite dramatically lower the cost and eventually make it attractive, but then only when purchasing reels, as the sets come in only 11m length which could be difficult to get 2 halfsets for the mains (5,50m per length is very short even for 16mains-frames).
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fgs
Hall of Fame
pro supex blue gear 1.25
it's been a while since i last filed a report but in respect to playing and testing i haven't been idle, i just had very little time and i did also play quite a few "round" ones, which obviously do not make it into this thread.
power/control: basically this "classic" is a lower powered string which comes with a good package of control. it gives a really good blend of power and control but it also makes you "work" for it a little more than more recent strings to hit the market. overall it is playing at a really high level but slightly short for the maximum points in my view.
grade: 4/5
feel: you get a clean and direct response, something i basically am looking for in a string. i would consider it as crisp but not harsh, even not on offcenter-shots. there are more forgiving strings out there, but this one is really "honest". slices, when properly hit stay really nice and low, and droppers can be played quite well.
grade: 4/5
spin: probably, at the time it hit the market (and that was some time ago), it could have been considered a "spin-machine". today, compared to what you can find on the market, you still get a very decent amount of spin, but again it falls slightly short of the best ones in this category. there are strings which due to better "grab" open better acces to short-angled topspin-shots.
grade: 4/5
comfort: while on the stiffer side of things i still had absolutely no discomfort but would not assign the highest grade.
grade: 4/5
tension maintenance / durability: for the short life time of the string i had no issues with tension drop and basically durability is "normal" with 3,5-4 hrs. for my style of play.
grade: 4/5
overall: 20/25
the blue gear is a very solid string with still a better than average behaviour in just about every aspect that counts. due to the fact that availability in europe is not very good and hence the price rather high, i am reserved in recommending it for this part of the world. if you factor in price, then you have quite a few products to be chosing from which do better the blue gear in one or more departments.
it's been a while since i last filed a report but in respect to playing and testing i haven't been idle, i just had very little time and i did also play quite a few "round" ones, which obviously do not make it into this thread.
power/control: basically this "classic" is a lower powered string which comes with a good package of control. it gives a really good blend of power and control but it also makes you "work" for it a little more than more recent strings to hit the market. overall it is playing at a really high level but slightly short for the maximum points in my view.
grade: 4/5
feel: you get a clean and direct response, something i basically am looking for in a string. i would consider it as crisp but not harsh, even not on offcenter-shots. there are more forgiving strings out there, but this one is really "honest". slices, when properly hit stay really nice and low, and droppers can be played quite well.
grade: 4/5
spin: probably, at the time it hit the market (and that was some time ago), it could have been considered a "spin-machine". today, compared to what you can find on the market, you still get a very decent amount of spin, but again it falls slightly short of the best ones in this category. there are strings which due to better "grab" open better acces to short-angled topspin-shots.
grade: 4/5
comfort: while on the stiffer side of things i still had absolutely no discomfort but would not assign the highest grade.
grade: 4/5
tension maintenance / durability: for the short life time of the string i had no issues with tension drop and basically durability is "normal" with 3,5-4 hrs. for my style of play.
grade: 4/5
overall: 20/25
the blue gear is a very solid string with still a better than average behaviour in just about every aspect that counts. due to the fact that availability in europe is not very good and hence the price rather high, i am reserved in recommending it for this part of the world. if you factor in price, then you have quite a few products to be chosing from which do better the blue gear in one or more departments.
fgs
Hall of Fame
pro supex ultra spin 1.23
the blue gear was a rather solid experience and i had high hopes on the ultra spin, which should basically be a twisted blue gear. this is the first twisted string nevertheless that played softer and considerably more muted than the non-twisted sibling.
power / control: there was more power but there was also a lot less control. the ball was really spraying at a quite frightening rate and dimension. short-angled crosses? not possible unless i shifted down to almost slow motion tennis. slices kept regularly sailing way beyond the baseline.
grade: 3/5
feel: well, this string played really comfy but there was no feel attached to it. i need a direct feedback otherwise droppers or slices are just a gamble. when it works it's just a matter of luck, but next time it feels the same and the intended dropper gets some sort of short lob, an invitation to the opponent to just finish me off.
grade: 3/5
spin: it's written on the package but it does not come along with the string. i can name quite a considerable plenty of round ones which proved to be more supportive in this department.
grade: 3/5
comfort: yes, very comfy but from my point of view not intended for competitional play. generally speaking, i don't seem to get along with these new "soft" strings at all, no matter the brand.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance /durability: there was a noticeable tension drop during the second (and last sessions) which accentuated the spraying even more, durability was slightly short of 4 hitting hrs, which is normal with me with this diameter.
grade: 3/5
overall: 17/25
the blue gear ultra spin is definitely not MY string. i can imagine that increasing the tension by some 10/15 % i would most probably have experienced a crisper touch and more directional control, but i have done some testing in this respect with the solinco tour bite soft vs. regular tour bite - it has not changed my preference for the latter one. these softer polys might be an interesting choice would i play full bed (i have tried this too with some, but again ended up to like my hybrids better), but in hybrids, even with stiffer syngut-crosses, they do not seem to fit with my requirements.
the blue gear was a rather solid experience and i had high hopes on the ultra spin, which should basically be a twisted blue gear. this is the first twisted string nevertheless that played softer and considerably more muted than the non-twisted sibling.
power / control: there was more power but there was also a lot less control. the ball was really spraying at a quite frightening rate and dimension. short-angled crosses? not possible unless i shifted down to almost slow motion tennis. slices kept regularly sailing way beyond the baseline.
grade: 3/5
feel: well, this string played really comfy but there was no feel attached to it. i need a direct feedback otherwise droppers or slices are just a gamble. when it works it's just a matter of luck, but next time it feels the same and the intended dropper gets some sort of short lob, an invitation to the opponent to just finish me off.
grade: 3/5
spin: it's written on the package but it does not come along with the string. i can name quite a considerable plenty of round ones which proved to be more supportive in this department.
grade: 3/5
comfort: yes, very comfy but from my point of view not intended for competitional play. generally speaking, i don't seem to get along with these new "soft" strings at all, no matter the brand.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance /durability: there was a noticeable tension drop during the second (and last sessions) which accentuated the spraying even more, durability was slightly short of 4 hitting hrs, which is normal with me with this diameter.
grade: 3/5
overall: 17/25
the blue gear ultra spin is definitely not MY string. i can imagine that increasing the tension by some 10/15 % i would most probably have experienced a crisper touch and more directional control, but i have done some testing in this respect with the solinco tour bite soft vs. regular tour bite - it has not changed my preference for the latter one. these softer polys might be an interesting choice would i play full bed (i have tried this too with some, but again ended up to like my hybrids better), but in hybrids, even with stiffer syngut-crosses, they do not seem to fit with my requirements.
fgs
Hall of Fame
pro supex black fusion 1.28
well, the last profiled pro supex i have at hand did not do the trick either:
power/control: there is some power to this string and it can even bail you out when on the run, but the control is quite lacking, the string sprays quite a lot - you can put your opponent regularly on the run if you just aim to the center of the court. going for the lines is definitely not advisable. as i had two sets at hand i went to string the second one somewhat tighter, but i could not really improve on the control. i spent altogether some 12hrs on court with this string and i have not been able to hit a short-angled crosscourt topspinshot at a reasonable pace, not to mention a passing-shot.
grade: 3/5
feel: just another smooth but lifeless playing string which never gets harsh but basically gives you no feedback at all. "ideal" for tennis instructors to play all day long but no option for any competitional ambitions.
grade: 3/5
spin: not really much to say except that the profile is worn down within the first hour of hitting. but it has no effect whatsoever on the rpm's you manage to put on the ball, and they are not plenty anyway. with my technique this explains to a large extent why i could not really gain any reasonable amount of control.
grade: 3/5
comfort: yes, it is comfy, but this is not the main feature i am looking for in a string.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance / durability: tension is kept quite well but at 4hrs for a 1.28 it is rather shortlived.
grade: 4/5
overall: 17/25
the classic "blue gear" obviously seems to fit my playing style and stick of choice best from the pro supex line-up tested, but it could be that the classic "big ace" 1,25, in spite of being a round one, offers the best mix of all. i haven't gone through all my sets available on the the big ace, but the performance as a mix is possibly bound to surpass even the "blue gear".
well, the last profiled pro supex i have at hand did not do the trick either:
power/control: there is some power to this string and it can even bail you out when on the run, but the control is quite lacking, the string sprays quite a lot - you can put your opponent regularly on the run if you just aim to the center of the court.
going for the lines is definitely not advisable. as i had two sets at hand i went to string the second one somewhat tighter, but i could not really improve on the control. i spent altogether some 12hrs on court with this string and i have not been able to hit a short-angled crosscourt topspinshot at a reasonable pace, not to mention a passing-shot.grade: 3/5
feel: just another smooth but lifeless playing string which never gets harsh but basically gives you no feedback at all. "ideal" for tennis instructors to play all day long but no option for any competitional ambitions.
grade: 3/5
spin: not really much to say except that the profile is worn down within the first hour of hitting. but it has no effect whatsoever on the rpm's you manage to put on the ball, and they are not plenty anyway. with my technique this explains to a large extent why i could not really gain any reasonable amount of control.
grade: 3/5
comfort: yes, it is comfy, but this is not the main feature i am looking for in a string.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance / durability: tension is kept quite well but at 4hrs for a 1.28 it is rather shortlived.
grade: 4/5
overall: 17/25
the classic "blue gear" obviously seems to fit my playing style and stick of choice best from the pro supex line-up tested, but it could be that the classic "big ace" 1,25, in spite of being a round one, offers the best mix of all. i haven't gone through all my sets available on the the big ace, but the performance as a mix is possibly bound to surpass even the "blue gear".
fgs
Hall of Fame
weiss-cannon turbotwist 1.24
this string basically sports the same shape like the kirschbaum helix which happens to currently be my go-to main for competitional play, although in 1.20mm diameter. nevertheless i went for the 1.24 and played it back-to-back with the kirschbaum helix 1.25. one thing i can say right from the start - they are not the same! i.e. rebranded stuff!, in spite of similar geometry and colour.
power / control: the turbotwist plays softer than the helix 1.25, quite similar to the helix 1.20 but does not develop more power, so the balance of power and control is pretty similar. on offcentershots on the stretch the turbotwist is a little bit more supportive in matters of depth, on the other hand, on shots where setting up the stroke is within normal reach there is a little loss in left/right precision, possibly due to the somewhat higher deflection of the stringbed. nevertheless this string performs really well in this department.
grade: 4/5
feel: while being soft and comfy it is also more laid-back or muted, there is some crispness, freshness i'm lacking in respect to feedback. we are talking nuances here, but the helix 1.20 is still in a different league, even when compared to the helix 1.25 which at times feels rather stiff.
grade: 4/5
spin: a solid performance in this department but there are some better ones out there. i am definitely tempted to try out some day the smaller diameter to see if it matches the helix 1.20. as due to my heavily topspincentered game i control my shots with spin, this string leaves me wishing for some more grab on the ball on a regular basis, for instance when trying to play angles.
grade: 4/5
comfort: oh yes, it is really comfy but a bit too laid-back for my aggressive baseliner approach of the game.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance / durability: getting roughly 4 hitting hours out of this string it is fine and there is no drop in tension to be observed during this time frame.
grade: 4/5
overall: 21/25
it is a while back that i played the black5edge from weiss-cannon and i was not particularly fond of that string in spite of a relatively solid performance. the turbotwist matches my expectations better and offers a respectable performance in all the issues that matter to me. as i said, i might be tempted to try the 1.18mm version of it back-to-back with the helix 1.20.
this string basically sports the same shape like the kirschbaum helix which happens to currently be my go-to main for competitional play, although in 1.20mm diameter. nevertheless i went for the 1.24 and played it back-to-back with the kirschbaum helix 1.25. one thing i can say right from the start - they are not the same! i.e. rebranded stuff!, in spite of similar geometry and colour.
power / control: the turbotwist plays softer than the helix 1.25, quite similar to the helix 1.20 but does not develop more power, so the balance of power and control is pretty similar. on offcentershots on the stretch the turbotwist is a little bit more supportive in matters of depth, on the other hand, on shots where setting up the stroke is within normal reach there is a little loss in left/right precision, possibly due to the somewhat higher deflection of the stringbed. nevertheless this string performs really well in this department.
grade: 4/5
feel: while being soft and comfy it is also more laid-back or muted, there is some crispness, freshness i'm lacking in respect to feedback. we are talking nuances here, but the helix 1.20 is still in a different league, even when compared to the helix 1.25 which at times feels rather stiff.
grade: 4/5
spin: a solid performance in this department but there are some better ones out there. i am definitely tempted to try out some day the smaller diameter to see if it matches the helix 1.20. as due to my heavily topspincentered game i control my shots with spin, this string leaves me wishing for some more grab on the ball on a regular basis, for instance when trying to play angles.
grade: 4/5
comfort: oh yes, it is really comfy but a bit too laid-back for my aggressive baseliner approach of the game.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance / durability: getting roughly 4 hitting hours out of this string it is fine and there is no drop in tension to be observed during this time frame.
grade: 4/5
overall: 21/25
it is a while back that i played the black5edge from weiss-cannon and i was not particularly fond of that string in spite of a relatively solid performance. the turbotwist matches my expectations better and offers a respectable performance in all the issues that matter to me. as i said, i might be tempted to try the 1.18mm version of it back-to-back with the helix 1.20.
fgs
Hall of Fame
kirschbaum helix 1.25
my current go-to string is the helix 1.20 so i thought of giving the slightly thicker gauge a spin, specially since i basically tested it parallel with the weiss-cannon turbotwist 1.24, which as already mentioned sports the same profile.
power / control: as already mentioned the helix is playing slightly stiffer than the turbotwist but compensates with a little bit better control. when on the run the shots got a little shorter but directional precision altogether was a tad better. i could also better place short-angled topspinshots, which usually where slightly long with the turbotwist.
grade: 4/4
feel: as mentioned, slightly stiffer but not harsh and personally i do like this crispier, fresher feedback on impact. slices and droppers could be more easily executed, the stringbed being less "muted".
grade: 4/4
spin: a very solid performance in this department but not top-notch level. with the helix 1.20 things do really get nasty compared with this slightly thicker gauge.
grade: 4/4
comfort: not as comfy as the turbotwist but not jarring, not even on offcentershots.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance / durability: just within the normal range - getting some 4 hitting hours out of it, meaning two rather intensive practice sessions and no performance diminishing tension drop in this period.
grade: 4/4
overall: 21/25
in spite of having basically identical grades the helix 1.25 plays different compared to the turbotwist 1.24, but not different enough for differing grades in each category.
want a softer, aparently more forgiving stringbed > turn to the turbotwist.
want a crispier, more direct stringbed > turn to the helix.
want good power, nasty spin, good control then turn to the helix 1.20, but this gives you about an hour less courttime until breakage.
my current go-to string is the helix 1.20 so i thought of giving the slightly thicker gauge a spin, specially since i basically tested it parallel with the weiss-cannon turbotwist 1.24, which as already mentioned sports the same profile.
power / control: as already mentioned the helix is playing slightly stiffer than the turbotwist but compensates with a little bit better control. when on the run the shots got a little shorter but directional precision altogether was a tad better. i could also better place short-angled topspinshots, which usually where slightly long with the turbotwist.
grade: 4/4
feel: as mentioned, slightly stiffer but not harsh and personally i do like this crispier, fresher feedback on impact. slices and droppers could be more easily executed, the stringbed being less "muted".
grade: 4/4
spin: a very solid performance in this department but not top-notch level. with the helix 1.20 things do really get nasty compared with this slightly thicker gauge.
grade: 4/4
comfort: not as comfy as the turbotwist but not jarring, not even on offcentershots.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance / durability: just within the normal range - getting some 4 hitting hours out of it, meaning two rather intensive practice sessions and no performance diminishing tension drop in this period.
grade: 4/4
overall: 21/25
in spite of having basically identical grades the helix 1.25 plays different compared to the turbotwist 1.24, but not different enough for differing grades in each category.
want a softer, aparently more forgiving stringbed > turn to the turbotwist.
want a crispier, more direct stringbed > turn to the helix.
want good power, nasty spin, good control then turn to the helix 1.20, but this gives you about an hour less courttime until breakage.
rodrigoamaral
Hall of Fame
fgs
Hall of Fame
thank you rodrigo, you have been away for some while too, so welcome back.
i have played quite a lot of round ones which i obviously did not report about, currently i have the weiss-cannon silverstring in my sticks and planning to move over to the scorpion. i have a large "collection" of strings i decided to play down and therefore i'm not playing only shaped/structured ones but play them by manufacturer.
next shaped ones will be the yonex poly tour spin and the head sonic pro edge, but most probably not earlier than july.
i will also throw a sort of a shootout - i have three strings which sport the same shape, the genesis twiste razor, the topspin ferox trianglestring and the dyreex starblast x, the latter one being grey, and they seemed very similar to play, so i decided to play them back to back, as i did with the turbotwist and helix.
this will probably be my summer as there are quite a few round weiss-cannons and yonexes also waiting in line.
. i have played quite a lot of round ones which i obviously did not report about, currently i have the weiss-cannon silverstring in my sticks and planning to move over to the scorpion. i have a large "collection" of strings i decided to play down and therefore i'm not playing only shaped/structured ones but play them by manufacturer.
next shaped ones will be the yonex poly tour spin and the head sonic pro edge, but most probably not earlier than july.
i will also throw a sort of a shootout - i have three strings which sport the same shape, the genesis twiste razor, the topspin ferox trianglestring and the dyreex starblast x, the latter one being grey, and they seemed very similar to play, so i decided to play them back to back, as i did with the turbotwist and helix.
this will probably be my summer as there are quite a few round weiss-cannons and yonexes also waiting in line.
mikeler
Moderator
Agreed. I'm still reading every one so keep 'em coming.
fgs
Hall of Fame
thank you mikeler.
with about another 100 sets on stock (round and shaped ones about 50/50) i still have a job for the coming three years.
for competitional play i have settled on the kirschbaum helix 1.20 for the time being, but there are some strings that i am going to play back-to-back with it as the performance has been really good, amongst them the regular tour bite 1.20, the genesis twisted razor, the topspin ferox trianglestring and the dyreex starblast x, the latter ones being of triangular twisted shape and really providing a very good grip on the ball which with my playstyle translates into spin and control.
with about another 100 sets on stock (round and shaped ones about 50/50) i still have a job for the coming three years.
for competitional play i have settled on the kirschbaum helix 1.20 for the time being, but there are some strings that i am going to play back-to-back with it as the performance has been really good, amongst them the regular tour bite 1.20, the genesis twisted razor, the topspin ferox trianglestring and the dyreex starblast x, the latter ones being of triangular twisted shape and really providing a very good grip on the ball which with my playstyle translates into spin and control.
2% in my take comes from the string.
I am also experimenting with structured/shaped strings because I heard it increases spin. I even bought 3 sets of Volkl Cyclone 18g (on sale) as a first attempt. But now I am having second thoughts based on your claim that maybe only 2% of the spin comes from the string. Maybe I should just focus on improving my technique, which may account for 95% of spin.
I know that I don't hit with spin most of the time, especially on my backhand (2hbh). I look at the ball in mid-air and it is not spinning at all (I put a big black dot on the ball to clearly see what it is doing). I thought I was doing a spinny technique (from low to high, brushing on the ball), but the ball is not spinning at all. It is flat. Even with Volkl Cyclone 18g I don't see any spin.
But once in a while, I can see the ball spinning. Why? No clue. Maybe I will just get a coach to look at my strokes and explain what I am doing wrong.
I can also ask somebody to take a video while I play.
I will focus on my technique because I believe that if I improve my topspin by only 10%, it is much, much better than the 2% improvement from the string.
fgs
Hall of Fame
while there can be a lengthy argument about the exact percentages, technique is still what basically makes the ball spin.
it is a while back that i made that statement and i still stand by it, after having played in the mean time probably 50 different shaped strings and even having switched to one as my reference set-up - the kirschbaum helix.
i do think that improving technique is an important issue as it is basically helping you getting the best player you can be.
it is a while back that i made that statement and i still stand by it, after having played in the mean time probably 50 different shaped strings and even having switched to one as my reference set-up - the kirschbaum helix.
i do think that improving technique is an important issue as it is basically helping you getting the best player you can be.
I agree.
There is no shortcut to becoming a really good tennis player except through learning the right technique and doing it very well.
My indicator of improvement is very easy. The ball will tell me. If there is no topspin, I am not hitting the ball right. If there is topspin, I am doing it right because I can clearly see if the ball is flat or spinning. If the ball is spinning, then I want to make it spin more by increasing my RHS.
When I can generate topspin consistently and at a high RPM, then I may start using spinny strings.
At my current level, I cannot see/feel a 2% increase in spin generated by a spinny string.
v-verb
Hall of Fame
fgs
Thanks for doing this. Very interesting thread.
I've tried a few spin strings - my fave up to now was Pro's Pro Devil Spin. Grabs the ball and spin is prodigious
However I tried a set of Ashaway Crossfire ZX 17 String (kevlar mains, MonoGut ZX Pro crosses) and that setup eclipses the Devil Spin. It has the most spin of any string I've tried - far fewer than you have but probably a couple dozen types
Thanks for doing this. Very interesting thread.
I've tried a few spin strings - my fave up to now was Pro's Pro Devil Spin. Grabs the ball and spin is prodigious
However I tried a set of Ashaway Crossfire ZX 17 String (kevlar mains, MonoGut ZX Pro crosses) and that setup eclipses the Devil Spin. It has the most spin of any string I've tried - far fewer than you have but probably a couple dozen types
V-Verb, may I ask how you would rate the comfort level of the Ashaway Crossfire ZX 17 hybrid compared to a full bed of Devil Spin or BHB7? Also, how does the control and power level compare?
Thanks!
fgs
Hall of Fame
v-verb,
ashaway is not so readily available in continental europe in respect to tennis strings (seem to be really good at badminton).
i have played the monogut zx as mains a really liked it quite a lot - had to experiment a little bit with tension but found something that worked, and i have a pack of zx pro of which i have decided to try half of it as mains and the other as crosses. we'll see how that goes.
i only once played kevlar and it was the polyfibre thinergy hybrid which had a kevlar mains at 1.10 and a syngut as cross at 1.25. this one did not work out properly for me - not much touch, initially really good spin but after about an hour of practice the mains started to be all over the place and it just went down to "regular" spin, and to my surprise the mains broke towards the end of the second practice session, so there was not even the benefit of durability.
i do think that the main reason for this performance was the syngut cross as i am about to close this chapter soon and have not been able to find a syngut (after some 20 tries) which keeps its playing characteristics over the entire lifetime of the mains. i do get to roughly 2 sessions with most of the sg's i have tried, so durability is basically matching the poly-mains, but with the vast majority of them, the second session turned to be a disaster as they dropped tension pretty much.
ashaway is not so readily available in continental europe in respect to tennis strings (seem to be really good at badminton).
i have played the monogut zx as mains a really liked it quite a lot - had to experiment a little bit with tension but found something that worked, and i have a pack of zx pro of which i have decided to try half of it as mains and the other as crosses. we'll see how that goes.
i only once played kevlar and it was the polyfibre thinergy hybrid which had a kevlar mains at 1.10 and a syngut as cross at 1.25. this one did not work out properly for me - not much touch, initially really good spin but after about an hour of practice the mains started to be all over the place and it just went down to "regular" spin, and to my surprise the mains broke towards the end of the second practice session, so there was not even the benefit of durability.
i do think that the main reason for this performance was the syngut cross as i am about to close this chapter soon and have not been able to find a syngut (after some 20 tries) which keeps its playing characteristics over the entire lifetime of the mains. i do get to roughly 2 sessions with most of the sg's i have tried, so durability is basically matching the poly-mains, but with the vast majority of them, the second session turned to be a disaster as they dropped tension pretty much.
v-verb
Hall of Fame
Hey Keoni068!
I hybrid everything and play low tensions (30-35 lbs typically) however I found the Ashaway Crossfire ZX 17 hybrid extremely comfortable. That may be due to the soft ZX monogut cross.
Control is better than Devil Spin (haven't tried BHB7 altho I have a couple of sets). Power is probably 5% less however you can hit out more and the ball won't fly as much. Devil Spin is a really great string and my 2nd choice now after the Kevlar
Thanks fgs! Yes the cross could be the issue. If you do use kevlar in he future would you consider trying a ZX monogut cross and post the results? Apparenty it is very durable and may be the perfect complement to the kevlar
Cheers
fgs
Hall of Fame
v-verb,
i have played the monogut zx as mains and it has been surprisingly durable with a multi as a cross, almost twice the courttime i get with the best polys (i.e. 7 hrs vs. 4).
i am not planning to purchase any kevlar but as i often get testsets for evaluation you may never know what comes up - that's the way i also played that polyfibre thinergy hybrid.
i have played the monogut zx as mains and it has been surprisingly durable with a multi as a cross, almost twice the courttime i get with the best polys (i.e. 7 hrs vs. 4).
i am not planning to purchase any kevlar but as i often get testsets for evaluation you may never know what comes up - that's the way i also played that polyfibre thinergy hybrid.
How did I not see this thread before? fgs, I just recently read your posts here and I want to thank you for sharing your information and experiences. This is a gold mine for string test feedback. I will be buying some technifibre ruff code soon and trying it out Good stuff!
By the way, have you tried acelon seven 16L string? I thought it was very nice, would be interested in your opinion.
Good stuff!By the way, have you tried acelon seven 16L string? I thought it was very nice, would be interested in your opinion.
v-verb
Hall of Fame
How did I not see this thread before? fgs, I just recently read your posts here and I want to thank you for sharing your information and experiences. This is a gold mine for string test feedback. I will be buying some technifibre ruff code soon and trying it out
By the way, have you tried acelon seven 16L string? I thought it was very nice, would be interested in your opinion.
I had Acelon seven 17ga as a main in my Blade 104. Great string - similar to Tour Bite. Tons of spin and tension maintenance over 6 hours was good
That said I prefer Ashaway kevlar + now - better spin and control
Hi VV. What tensions are you currently running on the kevlar/zx combo.Will be stringing this up myself soon. Do you subscribe to the tight mains/loose crosses theory with the kevlar/zyex?
fgs
Hall of Fame
tecnifibre black code 4s 1,25mm (17ga.)
every once in a while some new products come up promising maximum spin and obviously twu rated this one as having the highest spin potential, so, as a heavily topspin-centered player i would truly love my forehands to jump not only over the heads of my opponents but the kickers for instance directly over the backfence. therefore i took the chance offered and strung up one of these strings.
power / control: this one is offering some power and it really blends well with the control it provides. you can pretty well accelerate and the response is quite proportional with what you are putting in. height and length control are pretty good too, shortangled topspinshots are regularly hitting the field. it is a while back that i played the "regular" black code, but i think this foursided version of it provides a tad more control.
grade: 4/5
feel: the string is somehow on the more muted side of things, there seems to be some sort of delay in feedback. i could play quite good slices and droppers but i just couldn't get rid of the feeling that something is missing. my regular kirschbaum helix 1,20 is crispier, livelier.
grade: 3/5
spin: solid but not more. it does grab the ball pretty well and offers good control due to this feat but there are a few strings out there which simply do it better without compromising directional control. the shape is worn off after the first two hours but this does not seem to affect neither spin nor control.
grade: 4/5
comfort: it's not plush and people with tender joints should not play it in my opinion, certainly not fullbed. i had no issues with it but i'm not that sensitive and my sticks do have a rather high sw too, so quite a lot of stiff strings are still playable for me.
grade: 4/5
tension maintenance / durability: the mains broke after some 3,5hrs of practice which is in the normal range. during this time no dropping of the playing characteristics due to tension loss could be observed.
grade: 3/5
overall: 18/25
the black code 4s is a solid string which has quite a high level of performance in all the departments but it does not excell in any area.
every once in a while some new products come up promising maximum spin and obviously twu rated this one as having the highest spin potential, so, as a heavily topspin-centered player i would truly love my forehands to jump not only over the heads of my opponents but the kickers for instance directly over the backfence. therefore i took the chance offered and strung up one of these strings.
power / control: this one is offering some power and it really blends well with the control it provides. you can pretty well accelerate and the response is quite proportional with what you are putting in. height and length control are pretty good too, shortangled topspinshots are regularly hitting the field. it is a while back that i played the "regular" black code, but i think this foursided version of it provides a tad more control.
grade: 4/5
feel: the string is somehow on the more muted side of things, there seems to be some sort of delay in feedback. i could play quite good slices and droppers but i just couldn't get rid of the feeling that something is missing. my regular kirschbaum helix 1,20 is crispier, livelier.
grade: 3/5
spin: solid but not more. it does grab the ball pretty well and offers good control due to this feat but there are a few strings out there which simply do it better without compromising directional control. the shape is worn off after the first two hours but this does not seem to affect neither spin nor control.
grade: 4/5
comfort: it's not plush and people with tender joints should not play it in my opinion, certainly not fullbed. i had no issues with it but i'm not that sensitive and my sticks do have a rather high sw too, so quite a lot of stiff strings are still playable for me.
grade: 4/5
tension maintenance / durability: the mains broke after some 3,5hrs of practice which is in the normal range. during this time no dropping of the playing characteristics due to tension loss could be observed.
grade: 3/5
overall: 18/25
the black code 4s is a solid string which has quite a high level of performance in all the departments but it does not excell in any area.
fgs
Hall of Fame
yonex poly tour spin 1.25
power / control: in spite of being on the softer side of things for a poly, the ypts is still rather low on power but in this particular case it is not really shining in the control department. it nevertheless plays on a rather decent level but i don't really seem to get along well with it because i'm missing out on spin, and spin is the way i do control my shots. my shortangled crosscourt topspins tended to be rather erratic but slices could be directed to the target areas pretty well.
grade: 4/5
feel: from my point of view this string plays muted at the verge of dull, almost lifeless. good for baseline bashing but if you want to get "creative" and try to mix it up you end up running yourself into trouble more often than not.
grade: 3/5
spin: once again i have to say "solid but not more".
grade: 4/5
comfort: apparently nice and comfy but once i intended to pressure my practice partner and started overhitting in order to get more pace, i felt some itches in my shoulder.
grade: 4/5
tension maintenance / durabilty: mains broke after roughly 3hrs and there have been no tension maintenance issues up to that moment.
grade: 3/5
overall: 18/25
i have to confess that with this particular string i did expect a better performance and it seems that the "regular" poly tour pro is slightly livelier although there is less spin on the ball.
power / control: in spite of being on the softer side of things for a poly, the ypts is still rather low on power but in this particular case it is not really shining in the control department. it nevertheless plays on a rather decent level but i don't really seem to get along well with it because i'm missing out on spin, and spin is the way i do control my shots. my shortangled crosscourt topspins tended to be rather erratic but slices could be directed to the target areas pretty well.
grade: 4/5
feel: from my point of view this string plays muted at the verge of dull, almost lifeless. good for baseline bashing but if you want to get "creative" and try to mix it up you end up running yourself into trouble more often than not.
grade: 3/5
spin: once again i have to say "solid but not more".
grade: 4/5
comfort: apparently nice and comfy but once i intended to pressure my practice partner and started overhitting in order to get more pace, i felt some itches in my shoulder.
grade: 4/5
tension maintenance / durabilty: mains broke after roughly 3hrs and there have been no tension maintenance issues up to that moment.
grade: 3/5
overall: 18/25
i have to confess that with this particular string i did expect a better performance and it seems that the "regular" poly tour pro is slightly livelier although there is less spin on the ball.
fgs
Hall of Fame
pro's pro lethal 5 1,24 (grey)
power/control: this is a softer poly which comes also with a good package of power and even more impressive with a FULL package of control. it's pentagonally twisted shape does really grab the ball very well, which in my case, due to my stroking mechanics, translates into very good control, both in terms of depth as also laterally. shortangled topspinshots could be played with ease, for a while i was switching very often to my "reference" just to check, and it was absolutely on par in this respect. slices also had good backspin and stayed low.
grade: 5/5
feel: i slight bit livelier than the kb helix 1.20, but then i did string this up at 21kg, and next time i would go for 21,5, as with the kb helix. the helix is a little bit crispier though, but i think with 0,5kg more on the mains the "touch" would be the same.
grade: 5/5
spin: in the highest league. i got action on the ball absolutely comparable to the helix or the triangularly twisted stuff i played. AND the profile was not worn out in spite of this string being obviously on the softer side of polys.
grade: 5/5
comfort: just fun hitting with this and even on offcentershots or shots on the run i could rely on it.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance/durability: tension was kept well but now we come to the main issue - this stuff only lasted for a good and intensive hitting session. the crosses broke first but the mains were so deeply notched, that i would have expected them to last just another 10mins.
grade: 2/5
overall: 22/25
power/control: this is a softer poly which comes also with a good package of power and even more impressive with a FULL package of control. it's pentagonally twisted shape does really grab the ball very well, which in my case, due to my stroking mechanics, translates into very good control, both in terms of depth as also laterally. shortangled topspinshots could be played with ease, for a while i was switching very often to my "reference" just to check, and it was absolutely on par in this respect. slices also had good backspin and stayed low.
grade: 5/5
feel: i slight bit livelier than the kb helix 1.20, but then i did string this up at 21kg, and next time i would go for 21,5, as with the kb helix. the helix is a little bit crispier though, but i think with 0,5kg more on the mains the "touch" would be the same.
grade: 5/5
spin: in the highest league. i got action on the ball absolutely comparable to the helix or the triangularly twisted stuff i played. AND the profile was not worn out in spite of this string being obviously on the softer side of polys.
grade: 5/5
comfort: just fun hitting with this and even on offcentershots or shots on the run i could rely on it.
grade: 5/5
tension maintenance/durability: tension was kept well but now we come to the main issue - this stuff only lasted for a good and intensive hitting session. the crosses broke first but the mains were so deeply notched, that i would have expected them to last just another 10mins.
grade: 2/5
overall: 22/25
Last edited:
fgs
Hall of Fame
https://www.youtube.com/my_videos?o=U
i uploaded some footage from a practice session and a match i played in august at a grade 3 itf seniors tournament. i hope the links work as this is the first time i use youtube for this purpose.
i uploaded some footage from a practice session and a match i played in august at a grade 3 itf seniors tournament. i hope the links work as this is the first time i use youtube for this purpose.
fgs
Hall of Fame
i checked and they are uploaded and public and when accessed from another computer they played. the match footage was blocked for some countries because the friend of mine who filmed and edited the stuff, had some copyright-protected music in the intro, but i have removed that in the mean time.
Grandslammer7
New User
Hey fgs, have you tried T1 FireWire? Good candidate for this thread.
Cheers
Cheers
fgs
Hall of Fame
fgs
Hall of Fame
no not yet and it is rather difficult to source in europe, at least for the time being. while it is fun testing out lots of stuff, even if the results sometimes suggest as conclusion "a pure waste of time" (and obviously time is also money
), i have decided to basically look for availability as a factor (in most cases!) too. due to my rather high consumption i would not be happy to know that the string that gives me the best performance is available only from the states or australia, which would mean a lot of additional costs (from transportation to duties and taxes and vat ....).
TRU PRO Official
Rookie
We would like to clarify that Tier One Sports strings are available in Europe through our official Tier One Sports Europe website. It might go against TW policy to post the link....
fgs
Hall of Fame
thanks for the info, i'll look them up as theere has been quite a lot of positive reporting on these strings. i only found them so far in the uk but i think tw-europe will soon also have them available.
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