Tennis Warehouse: Explosive Red String (price change to $14!)

[Injured Again]

Not sure about feeling stiffer with the lead tape but to me I feel that it helps to drive the ball through contact. With the Dunlop Explosive Red the feel was 100% stiffer in comparison to Hyper-G and I could just hammer a flat shot.

Mogo, I find the Explosive Red to be a good string for flatter hitting as well, but it feels about medium for me. It's been a couple of months since I've had Hyper-G in my racquet but I don't recall that Hyper-G was much softer. However, I used 1.30 Hyper-G and have the 17 gauge Explosive Red. Are you testing the 16 or 17 gauge Explosive Red?

 

[tennisgurl]

Tennis Warehouse Playtest:
Explosive Red 16G​

Tension used for playtest:
52 lbs

Regular string setup:
Solinco Hyper-G 17G at 52lbs. I generally like Hyper-G, but mainly because I get it at a discount from my stringer.

Comment on the feel and/or comfort:
Compared to Hyper-G this string felt very similar in comfort level. One of the reasons I like Hyper-G is that it is relatively easy on arm, give loads of spin (I am a flat hitter though but need spin sometimes) and is not dull or very low powered like some other poly strings. I noticed that at same 52 lbs tension, Explosive Red is noticeably lower powered but comfort is fairly similar. Shots outside of sweet spot were also comfortable.

Comment on control (were you able to execute a full stroke consistently without over hitting?):
Yes. Absolutley. I got very consistent strokes out of this string. I am used to Hyper-G and as I mentioned, Dunlop Explosive Red was lower powered. Full swings and ball still stayed inside the baseline. String bed did not feel erratic and I felt like I could easily hit the same stroke twice.

Comment on the spin-potential:
I think compared to Hyper-G, the spin was definitely lacking. I was not getting the ball bite I am used to and I was also having a hard time hitting spinny shots. I am naturally a flat hitter so when I do exaggerate my stroke, I want it to count. I had no issues hitting my normal strokes but the spin sometimes wasn't there when I needed it. I must note here that I slice serves in and I am not getting that heavy serves I usually get either. Flat serves are great.

Playability duration (how well did the control and feel hold up over multiple sessions?):
I am a weak 4.0 and I hit flat mostly. I play two times a week, sometimes three. A usual string job lasts me for a few weeks. For me the string played just like it did the first time. The playing characteristics have remained the same. I don't have a way to measure tension loss etc, so I will go just by feel. And it feels and plays exactly the same after multiple sessions. I am still missing easy sitters and not consistent with my ground game, lol, but that is all on me.

Would you consider switching to this string?
I think that while Dunlop Explosive Red is a great string, it doesn't outshine my usual string. And at that high a price point, I don't think I would switch. Perhaps if there are deals or sales, I would buy this string. I just did not feel comfortable on serves with this string and that is a very important part of my game.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
The packaging for string was great and you can tell it is a premium poly by that and of course by holding string in hand.

I do not string by myself but I was told that this was a relatively easy to string poly and there were no issues at all.

Finally, thank you very much @TW Staff and Dunlop for this playtest opportunity. I really enjoyed this playtest. I would also like to thank you guys for the additional sets of multifilament strings you sent. I will try and use those in hybrid and see how that goes.

 

[mogo]

Mogo, I find the Explosive Red to be a good string for flatter hitting as well, but it feels about medium for me. It's been a couple of months since I've had Hyper-G in my racquet but I don't recall that Hyper-G was much softer. However, I used 1.30 Hyper-G and have the 17 gauge Explosive Red. Are you testing the 16 or 17 gauge Explosive Red?

I was being a little sarcastic in saying it was 100% stiffer. But if I could compare Dunlop Explosive Red I felt it was about as stiff as LXN 4G.
For the playtest I was using Dunlop Explosive Red 17g.

 

[mogo]

Dunlop Explosive Red String Review​

Tension(s) used for playtest:
45 lbs full bed.

Regular string set up:
45-48 lbs depending on weather and how I am feeling.

Comment on the feel and/or comfort:
This is a slick, medium-soft feeling string that is comfortable for a poly. You can feel the ball on the strings, pocketing sensation lets you control the ball well, and helps impart a good spin on the ball.

Touch shots and volleys were pretty awesome because of the feel. Even though I like baseline exchanges and building points from there, approach shots and net play was a pleasure.

Off-center hits were not jarring, but you could definitely tell if you mishit the ball. I can name a few softer polys as well as harsher feeling ones when compared to Dunlop Explosive Red so comfort is pretty middle of the road for this string.

Comment on control (were you able to execute a full stroke consistently without overhitting?):
Control was good. Had no issues taking full cuts at the ball and swinging out. With that particular feel of longer dwell time and ball pocketing, I felt it was easier to direct the ball and control direction as well as depth. I was able to execute full strokes consistently without overhitting.

The power level was low-medium so it is a good string for all strokes types (compact or fuller swing). For those feeling it is more low powered, and wanting more depth, I would recommend going a few pounds loose in tension.

In all honesty, I don't think anyone would be overhitting with this poly. I mean at 45 lbs, I wasn't spraying or over hitting and could consistently hit my spots too.

Comment on the spin-potential:
I am of the school of thought that while technique is key, right strings do help with spin. Dunlop Explosive Red was above average in spin department and gave nice spin for a round poly. The snapback was good due to slickness. If I exaggerated my follow through and took bigger cuts, I was rewarded with ample spin. In the end it is about swing mechanics too.

Overall, for a round poly, the spin was great. It was fantastic in the first couple of hours, good for the next couple and then started diminishing after that.

Playability duration (how well did the control and feel hold up over multiple sessions?):
I hit with the string for 8 and a half hours before I snapped it. I could see the string notching within the hour of my tennis session.

The string played great in the first couple of hours, then slowly the playability started declining. By the 8 hour mark that I snapped my main string, I could tell it was on its last leg. The snapback had started becoming less and strings were moving a lot.

I do hit with college level players so most string jobs do not last longer than 8-10 hours anyway. If it is 18 gauge or lower, it snaps, otherwise it is 50/50 that I cut it out because it has died, or it just snaps.

For an avg recreational player this will for sure last longer.

Would you consider switching to this string?:
I am very thankful to Tennis Warehouse and Dunlop Srixon for giving me the opportunity to playtest this string. But the string did not do enough to make me want to switch to it. For $18 a set (please correct me if I am wrong on price) I feel it is overpriced and there are many better options out there.

There are actually some of the strings that are much cheaper being sold by TW right now, and which I feel are pretty good and provide the same traits this string did.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
Here are a few observations:

1) The string was very slippery in hand and felt sort of waxy kind of coating to it. In my opinion this would make for an excellent cross string (snapback) for hybrid setups.

2) My stringer told me it was easy to string. No coil memory issues, easy on the hands. No kinking etc.

3) In the first 5-10 mins I could hearing this slight pinging sort of noise upon ball contact but then as strings settled in, it went away. I use a dampener so I noticed the pinging feedback right away. I think it was just one of those times strings hadn't settled in because I took the stick to play right off the stringer mount.

4) I haven't tried the Silk Pro and the Comfort Pro sent in the package (thank you for that) but when I do I will definitely follow up here.

Conclusion:
Overall, not a bad string at all. It does everything well, is comfortable and a good option for those looking for an all around poly. The only downside as I mentioned above is the price. At $18 a set, and with the amount of string I use, the price is out of my wallets comfort zone.

Finally, thank you again, @TW Staff and Dunlop Srixon for giving us this opportunity to playtest these new strings. It was a fun playtest. Much appreciated.

What racquet did you use for the playtest?

 

[haqq777]

What racquet did you use for the playtest?

I used the V3 Angell TC97

 

[topspn]

Dunlop Explosive Red String Review​

Tension(s) used for playtest:
45 lbs full bed.

Regular string set up:
45-48 lbs depending on weather and how I am feeling.

Comment on the feel and/or comfort:
This is a slick, medium-soft feeling string that is comfortable for a poly. You can feel the ball on the strings, pocketing sensation lets you control the ball well, and helps impart a good spin on the ball.

Touch shots and volleys were pretty awesome because of the feel. Even though I like baseline exchanges and building points from there, approach shots and net play was a pleasure.

Off-center hits were not jarring, but you could definitely tell if you mishit the ball. I can name a few softer polys as well as harsher feeling ones when compared to Dunlop Explosive Red so comfort is pretty middle of the road for this string.

Comment on control (were you able to execute a full stroke consistently without overhitting?):
Control was good. Had no issues taking full cuts at the ball and swinging out. With that particular feel of longer dwell time and ball pocketing, I felt it was easier to direct the ball and control direction as well as depth. I was able to execute full strokes consistently without overhitting.

The power level was low-medium so it is a good string for all strokes types (compact or fuller swing). For those feeling it is more low powered, and wanting more depth, I would recommend going a few pounds loose in tension.

In all honesty, I don't think anyone would be overhitting with this poly. I mean at 45 lbs, I wasn't spraying or over hitting and could consistently hit my spots too.

Comment on the spin-potential:
I am of the school of thought that while technique is key, right strings do help with spin. Dunlop Explosive Red was above average in spin department and gave nice spin for a round poly. The snapback was good due to slickness. If I exaggerated my follow through and took bigger cuts, I was rewarded with ample spin. In the end it is about swing mechanics too.

Overall, for a round poly, the spin was great. It was fantastic in the first couple of hours, good for the next couple and then started diminishing after that.

Playability duration (how well did the control and feel hold up over multiple sessions?):
I hit with the string for 8 and a half hours before I snapped it. I could see the string notching within the hour of my tennis session.

The string played great in the first couple of hours, then slowly the playability started declining. By the 8 hour mark that I snapped my main string, I could tell it was on its last leg. The snapback had started becoming less and strings were moving a lot.

I do hit with college level players so most string jobs do not last longer than 8-10 hours anyway. If it is 18 gauge or lower, it snaps, otherwise it is 50/50 that I cut it out because it has died, or it just snaps.

For an avg recreational player this will for sure last longer.

Would you consider switching to this string?:
I am very thankful to Tennis Warehouse and Dunlop Srixon for giving me the opportunity to playtest this string. But the string did not do enough to make me want to switch to it. For $18 a set (please correct me if I am wrong on price) I feel it is overpriced and there are many better options out there.

There are actually some of the strings that are much cheaper being sold by TW right now, and which I feel are pretty good and provide the same traits this string did.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
Here are a few observations:

1) The string was very slippery in hand and felt sort of waxy kind of coating to it. In my opinion this would make for an excellent cross string (snapback) for hybrid setups.

2) My stringer told me it was easy to string. No coil memory issues, easy on the hands. No kinking etc.

3) In the first 5-10 mins I could hearing this slight pinging sort of noise upon ball contact but then as strings settled in, it went away. I use a dampener so I noticed the pinging feedback right away. I think it was just one of those times strings hadn't settled in because I took the stick to play right off the stringer mount.

4) I haven't tried the Silk Pro and the Comfort Pro sent in the package (thank you for that) but when I do I will definitely follow up here.

Conclusion:
Overall, not a bad string at all. It does everything well, is comfortable and a good option for those looking for an all around poly. The only downside as I mentioned above is the price. At $18 a set, and with the amount of string I use, the price is out of my wallets comfort zone.

Finally, thank you again, @TW Staff and Dunlop Srixon for giving us this opportunity to playtest these new strings. It was a fun playtest. Much appreciated.

Nice review @haqq777. I am curious to try it out now as it seems to have the control and predictability I appreciate in a good poly

 

[J011yroger]

All set to demo. Taught with the Explosive/Silk Spin hybrid this morning.

J

 

[J011yroger]

Like em so much I bought 12 cases.

J

 

[Injured Again]

My set of Dunlop Explosive Red broke this morning in a center main at a notch, after about 14 hours of play. Here's my review.

Tension used for playtest:
49 pounds in the center mains and 46 pounds in the center crosses, in an 18X19 Wilson SW104 racquet.

Regular string setup:
I like highly shaped poly strings and am still looking for my go-to setup, but high on my list are Solinco Revolution and Volkl V-Torque, both strung at 49 pounds in the center mains and 46 pounds in the center crosses.

Comment on the feel and/or comfort:
Explosive Red has a very nice pocketing feel on contact. For me, it's a string that gives confidence in directional accuracy of a shot, and the power ramps up very evenly with swing speed so there's also an immediate comfort that from volleys to all out groundstrokes, I would be able to hit the ball at the exact speed I wanted to. Comfort is average. It's not muted and not exceptionally crisp when hitting the sweetspot. Mis-hit shots also had about average impact harshness, though the Explosive Red seemed to give a bit more oomph to shots that were really badly mis-hit, helping those to have a better chance of getting back over the net and into the court.

Comment on control (were you able to execute a full stroke consistently without over hitting?):
Control was very good, and this was a string I was immediately comfortable playing with. I had just come from Solinco Revolution and even the launch angle was similar enough that I had basically no acclimitization period. It did generate a bit less spin on all of my shots so some that would drop in deep with a shaped poly string would then go a bit long, and underspin shots had a bit more float. However, those differences were fairly minor and accommodating the changes was pretty easy.

Comment on the spin-potential:
The spin potential is not as good as the shaped polys I have been using, but when the stringbed was new was among the best of the round poly strings I've recently used (Diadem Flash and Grapplesnake Prototype/Tour Sniper). I used to use Signum Pro Poly Plasma Pure in the past and it definitely has more grip than that string. However, after about four hours, when the string had notched and had likely worn through the hard outer coating, spin capability went down noticeably. I then had the most problem with second serves, where I didn't have full confidence I could hit a forcing shot without risking double-faulting. Underspin shots at that point started to float a bit more and didn't have the court penetration they did before.

Playability duration (how well did the control and feel hold up over multiple sessions?):
Over about the first four hours, the Explosive Red provided good grip on the ball. As the string started to notch significantly, spin potential went down. The string also dropped tension over the first four hours, then seemed to stabilize with much less tension loss for the remainder of my hitting, about another ten hours worth. As I kept using the string and got used to the lower spin capability, mostly by not trying to hit high spin rate shots, I found the playability to continue to be consistent and linear. I played well in a couple of practice matches after the four hour point and did well by sticking with flatter shots. Despite the tension and spin capability loss, the string was pretty much unchanged in response and continued to give me good confidence in producing and aiming those flatter shots up until about the last half hour before the string broke. Full swing shots never really flew on me throughout that entire time.

Would you consider switching to this string?
This seems to be a string with two different lives. The first few hours, before the outer coating is worn through, the slickness of the surface treatment allows for a lot of spin even from the round profile. After it notches through the coating, it behaves like an average spin capable, highly control oriented string. For me, the change in playability is problematic to accommodate - I would want a string to behave more similarly throughout its life. Also, the price point is pretty high compared to the shaped poly strings I normally prefer, which are in the $10-12 range.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
I think this string may be better suited for a flatter hitter, or for a player switching to a round string from a shaped poly string.

Thanks to Tennis Warehouse and to Dunlop for allowing me to test this string.

 

[J011yroger]

Used the hybrid today to teach a few hours and hit with a buddy for a little over an hour. Stringjob is nearly toast but it felt great and hit pretty well. Will give update and try the full explosive after this breaks.

Spoiler: I don't know if it was just a good day but I volleyed like a MFing wizard.

J

 

[M Pillai]

Joining the explosive party a bit late. I am ready for the weekend, for some extra hours in the court.

Strung it up yesterday on my Dunlop F2.0 tour. Stringing was as easy as any poly. Will come back to post the review later after spending some time on court with this beauty.

 

[J011yroger]

That didn't last long.

J

 

[J011yroger]

The hybrid played beautifully, the full explosive didn't give me enough jump off the stringbed initially, maybe it needed to be strung looser, maybe it needs to break in a bit. Full review to follow.

J

 

[appdach96]

Tension(s) used for playtest:
63lbs ~ strung as a hybrid with the Dunlop Silk. I used the 17g of the Explosive Red

Regular string set up:
63lbs of some sort of hybrid...mostly Volkl Cyclone 17g and Prince Rainbow Synthetic Gut, also use Diadem Evolution 17g with synthetic gut hybrid as well as at times a full bed of Diadem Soltice Power 17g

Comment on the feel and/or comfort:
This string is slick feeling and with it as a hybrid felt comfortable for a poly string. I felt as if you have a good pocketing feel that gives good control and decent spin. I really enjoyed my volleys and touch shots due the feel. I did not experience any real discomfort even if I did not hit the sweet spot of my racket (Yonex DR 100)

Comment on control (were you able to execute a full stroke consistently without overhitting?):
I string at a high tension so I have better control in general...I was definitely able to execute a full stroke consistently without overhitting. I felt the control with the hybrid was above average for myself.

Comment on the spin-potential:
With my Western grip I hit with lots of topspin...this string had great potential to execute good spin with the right stroke, after a couple hours of using, the potential went down, but overall for a round poly I felt as if this string was good for spin.

Would you consider switching to this string?:
Due to the cost per package, I would not switch to this string. Volkl Cyclone is a lot cheaper and for me, works just as good as this string. I did enjoy this playtest and am thankful for Tennis Warehouse and Dunlop for allowing me to try this string.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
1. It was easy to string according to my stringer who will not string Diadem Solstice Power for me as it bothers her hands.

2. Loved the slick feel of this string and will definitely use the other half to string up in my other rackets (same Yonex DR 100, just have 3 total) as it works really well as a hybrid.


Conclusion:
Overall this was an awesome string and I enjoyed this playtest. The only reason I would not purchase this string is that it is a higher price point than I am willing to use because I string 3 rackets often and rotate them.

Thanks again TW and Dunlop for this playtest, I appreciated the chance to try out this new string.

-kT

 

[woodje12]

FYI, I'm a 4.0 NTRP, A-5 ALTA, 5 UTR:

Tension used for playtest:
54 lbs in mains with Dunlop Explosive Red 17g and 58 lbs in crosses with Dunlop Silk Pro in my Prince Textreme Tour 100P

Regular string setup:
After playing primarily with softer poly's (mainly Volkl’s like Cyclone, V-Torque, V-Torque Tour, and Solinco Hyper-G), I felt pain in my elbow last August while playing a lot (for me) in preparation for my state USTA tournie; I was using Volkl V-Torque Tour at the time. Since developing tennis elbow (TE), I've limited my “pitch count” and exclusively use Head Velocity MLT 17 at 55 lbs for comfort.

Comment on the feel and/or comfort:
Obviously given my recovery from TE, comfort was critical and this hybrid setup delivered! I was very pleased by the feel even hitting with extended time hitting with the ball machine in preparation for ALTA city finals this time. I only started to feel my elbow after hitting for maybe 1.5 hours with the machine which is quite a few balls. This is very impressive granted I have not played any poly’s the last 10 months until now in this hybrid. Silk Pro is also very soft so that has to get some credit for providing a very forgiving string bed.

Comment on control (were you able to execute a full stroke consistently without over hitting?):
This was another highlight of the string. I felt confident in hitting out with this string combo as I’m working on my forehand motion to get more arm extension and follow through. It didn’t take long to dial in the Explosive Red/Silk Pro combo to my stroke and hit my spots.

Comment on the spin-potential:
This is where I have to rate this hybrid as average or even slightly below. While providing a similar spin to the Head Velocity MLT multi, it definitely fell short of a shaped poly like Hyper-G. Given I hit flat, I’m always looking for a little help from my string to bring the ball down in the court. This combo is not a great option for that.

Playability duration (how well did the control and feel hold up over multiple sessions?):
This is definitely the weakest attribute of the string. Because I hit flat and not terribly hard, I rarely break strings, even Head Velocity MLT. Therefore, I was surprised to see major cleavage (usually a good thing) on the Silk Pro. The Explosive Red is definitely sawing through and I expect that I will break the Silk Pro crosses soon if I don’t cut them out.
As for performance, I would say that I am seeing some balls fly as spin production is noticeably dropping. The Silk Pro is also moving quite significantly so tension is clearly decreasing as well. I would say the first ~5 hours were great, the next ~5 showed a drop but still very playable and now that I’m in the double digits in hours played, I’m ready to break / cut them out.

Would you consider switching to this string?
I remain a value buyer first and foremost, so I might pick some up with a really good special. In particular, I might try a full bed of Explosive Red given how comfortable the hybrid with Silk Pro was. My only concern beyond price is the lack of long term playability.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
I’m glad I got the opportunity to test out the string as a bonus to the excellent Dunlop ATP balls – thanks to Dunlop and TennisWarehouse. I think for someone who doesn’t mind stringing frequently and dislikes shaped poly’s due to stringing issues or other objections, this could be a nice option for them.

 

[M Pillai]

Dunlop Explosive Red String Review

Even though I thought of hybrid, I decided to go with a full bed of Dunlop Explosive poly strings for this playtest. I still think that it will make a really good string for crosses on a hybrid with a multifilament as well. It is pretty good on a full bed as well. I strung it up on my Dunlop Biomimetic F2.0 Tour.

• Tension(s) used for playtest

54lb mains x 52lb crosses

• Regular string set up

Volkl Cyclone17 54lb mains x 52lb crosses
(looks like I had been experimenting too much with strings now a days, that I am not sure whether I can call it a regular setup anymore). In general I use mostly poly strings.

• Comment on the feel and/or comfort

I had been using poly strings for sometime, and the comfort level was good. No specific soreness even after long hitting sessions. Also touch and feel was good for a poly string, not comparable to a natural gut, but good for a poly. Stiffness is medium and the slick round surface allow really good snapback of strings.

• Comment on control (were you able to execute a full stroke consistently without overhitting?)

Very good on control. Not the best in this category, but is still above average, especially for a slick/powerful poly. Depth control was excellent, directional control was slightly suffering, especially when I went for aggressive change of directions, but still nothing too bad, just had to provide enough margins. Controlling depth, placement and direction on serves were excellent. Obviously I had some user-errors as usual on serves, but couldn’t find anything to blame it on strings.

• Comment on the spin-potential

Frankly I was a bit skeptical on the spin potential of these strings going into the playtest. This was because I usually trust more sharp edged strings on mains, and mainly gain confidence from the ball grab and sink feel on strings. So I usually use the slick polys on crosses. But playtesting Dunlop Explosive Red made me think that maybe I should try experimenting more. The sidespins I got from these strings were very obvious visually, on the hard slices down the line, as well as some underhand serves I tried. The topspins were not that obvious to be, but my opponents said they did jump up on them after bounce. So in general these strings have high spin potential. I probably did not hit out with full confidence on them yet, since they were also very powerful.

• Playability duration (how well did the control and feel hold up over multiple sessions?)

I had around 1 hr of catch up time with the string after freshly strung, and after that it did provide me consistent response for my level for the next 6hrs or so. After that I could feel some minor depth control issues, and was not feeling the same. I played a total of 10hrs with these strings so far, and for me I think they are still playable for another 8 to 10 hours or so… but I have a few other strings I need to get to, and so I will cut it before that.

• Would you consider switching to this string?

As the crosses I will consider switching to this string if price is right. But for mains, I still feel like I gain more confidence from sharp edged strings.

• List any additional thoughts (optional)

Anyone who likes using slick poly strings, and looking for some good power and spin, should consider checking these strings out. I really like the red color on the strings, and unlike some other red strings, these did not leave any red marks on the balls. So the dye used is good quality, and in general a well built string. The winners look extra awesome with these strings because of the extra power, but at the same time the control was not traded for it. I have not checked the cost of these strings, but they provide a premium look and feel. You will be disappointed if you expect the same ball grab and feel of a sharp poly strings or rough strings, but you will be excited if you are more of a snapback, hit full, crush the ball guy.

 

[fl4tsc]

Alrighty, I really took this thing down to the wire. This string has some really good durability and I kept expecting it to break for the last week, but it just wouldn't die.

For those interested, I'm a 5.0 level player in my mid-20s, right-handed forehand (semi-western grip) w/ a two-handed backhand. I tend to play a fairly attacking style of tennis, although I'm comfortable staying behind the baseline and having longish rallies. My strokes generate medium/high spin on the forehand and medium/low spin on the backhand.

· Tension(s) used for playtest:
43lb mains / 41lb crosses. Full bed of Explosive Red 17g in a Wilson H22 18x20.

· Regular string set up:
Volkl Cyclone 18g @ 43/41

· Comment on the feel and/or comfort
I found the feel and comfort to be quite good with Explosive Red. Slightly muted for my liking, but still transmitted enough feel that I always felt like I ‘knew’ what kind of ball I hit / where the ball was going off the stringbed. Comfort was very good, especially given the good feel. In my experience polys this comfortable tend to have pretty poor feel, but Explosive Red did a great job of balancing feel and comfort.

In comparison to my usual setup I found Explosive Red more comfortable, but with slightly less feel. Cyclone 18g is slightly harsher and tends to produce some higher frequency feedback, that some may not like, but provides a more clear feel for what ball you’ve hit.

· Comment on control (were you able to execute a full stroke consistently without overhitting?)
Explosive Red provided great control as expected from a high end poly string. Launch angle and power levels were slightly lower than 18g Cyclone which gave me the ability to really swing all-out and not have to worry about the ball flying on me like it can with Cyclone. I also found the response very consistent. Simply put, a string that inspired a lot of confidence.

· Comment on the spin-potential
Spin potential felt good, but isn’t the calling card for Explosive Red. Heavy spin isn’t a big part of my game, but I found the spin provided to more than adequate for my game. Snap-back was very good which makes sense given the slick feel of Explosive Red.

· Playability duration (how well did the control and feel hold up over multiple sessions?)
Durability might have been the strongest aspect of Red Explosion. It played extremely well pretty much right up until breaking. Tension maintenance was good and Red Explosion maintained its snap back until about the last 2 hours of play. It also ended up lasting about 6 hours longer than I expected based on the levels of notching.

Red Explosion was far superior to Cyclone 18g in essentially every durability metric.

· Would you consider switching to this string?
I would consider switching to Red Explosion if the price were just a bit lower. In my opinion a string up in the $18 range is going to be a hard sell unless it’s from a brand with the clout of Luxilon or Babolat. Dunlop perhaps used to have the brand equity to price at the top of the line, but I don’t think they do in the current market. With how many quality options there are in the $8-$12 range, $14 is about the most I could see myself spending.

· List any additional thoughts (optional)
Overall, Red Explosion was a pleasant surprise with its great combination of feel & comfort, adequate control & power, and top class durability. I’m not sure I’ve ever played with a poly that’s had better durability. If the price were a bit more competitive with the brands I usually buy this would get a long look from me. This could be a great string for someone who doesn’t string for themselves like I do and is looking to cut down on the service costs and time their racket’s with the stringer.

Thanks to Dunlop and Tennis Warehouse for the opportunity to review some great stuff. Dunlop is really putting out some good stuff lately, keep it up!

 

[J011yroger]

Review coming.

J

 

[TW Staff]

Dunlop wishes to thank you for your feedback on Explosive Red! In response to your feedback they have lowered the cost to $14.

Thanks TW

 

[M Pillai]

Good to see that the manufacturers listen to the common folks like us. Thanks Dunlop & TW.