djNEiGht
Legend
@Injured Again *thumbsup*
Tennis Warehouse Playtest - Babolat RPM Power 1.25
- Thread starter TW Staff
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djNEiGht
Legend
Tied up the string in a TC95 16x19 63RA. Ever since my hospitalization, I've been trending down in tension to help open up the sweet spot and what ever delusional reason I need to give my recovering game. I only did about 20 minutes of volleys followed by some ball feeds to warm up the junior team before their matches. Hope to get some matches/hitting in this week.
As some have noted...the sound it makes during weaving and tying knots were ever noticeable. The sound reminded me of piano wire or other wire used for instruments where the sound would resonate. The sound also of moving the strings by hand reminded me of the way synthetic gut sounds. Hoping for a SG crisp like play...lets see.
As some have noted...the sound it makes during weaving and tying knots were ever noticeable. The sound reminded me of piano wire or other wire used for instruments where the sound would resonate. The sound also of moving the strings by hand reminded me of the way synthetic gut sounds. Hoping for a SG crisp like play...lets see.
mhkeuns
Hall of Fame
Strung it in my TC95 18x20 and put in about four hours of hitting. I actually love the crisp and connected feel. The string also provided predictable response and control. Strung at 50lbs but could have gone up a couple of pounds with no issues since the feel was not harsh and provided a plenty of power. So far, it feels and plays great.
mhkeuns
Hall of Fame
I noticed the sound, too. It reminded me of someone playing violin. That was interesting.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I didn't notice anything unusual tying knots, but @djNEiGht is spot on about it sounding like a synthetic gut when moving the strings.
I hit very lightly this morning with the RPM Power for about 30 minutes, and hit about 50 serves. I don't know if the tension has dropped to the point where the launch angle has gone up, or if the RPM Power just doesn't work for me when I'm swinging hard but it wasn't bad for just getting the ball back into the court trying to be a ball machine set up on medium speed and medium spin. It's comfortable, with a cushioned impact feel. Kind of has a Hyper-G type of muted response mixed in with a little bit of Cyclone springiness.
Serving was a mixed bag. Flat bombs down the middle had good accuracy, a lot of ball speed, and a good height to the bounce. Spin serves didn't have my usual amounts of kick, and the lower launch angle also played a part in poor accuracy. My spin serve out wide in the deuce court tended to miss in the doubles alley, and my kick serve to the backhand in the ad court ended up closer to the middle of the service box rather than closer to the sideline. I did some serves back to back with my other racquet strung with S7T and I immediately got back the directional control I'm used to, along with getting an extra 6-12 inches of bounce on my kick serves.
I had the opportunity to compare the look of the string against Luxilon Element. I guess I had thought the two were pretty close in color but the RPM Power is a much darker string that does not look translucent like Element does. The background is a white towel to accentuate the color.
I looked through my string stash and have these round strings:
After I'm done with the RPM Power, I'll probably stick the Pro Line Evo in it just to see how it compares. PL Evo was probably my favorite of all of the round strings I've recently tried.
I hit very lightly this morning with the RPM Power for about 30 minutes, and hit about 50 serves. I don't know if the tension has dropped to the point where the launch angle has gone up, or if the RPM Power just doesn't work for me when I'm swinging hard but it wasn't bad for just getting the ball back into the court trying to be a ball machine set up on medium speed and medium spin. It's comfortable, with a cushioned impact feel. Kind of has a Hyper-G type of muted response mixed in with a little bit of Cyclone springiness.
Serving was a mixed bag. Flat bombs down the middle had good accuracy, a lot of ball speed, and a good height to the bounce. Spin serves didn't have my usual amounts of kick, and the lower launch angle also played a part in poor accuracy. My spin serve out wide in the deuce court tended to miss in the doubles alley, and my kick serve to the backhand in the ad court ended up closer to the middle of the service box rather than closer to the sideline. I did some serves back to back with my other racquet strung with S7T and I immediately got back the directional control I'm used to, along with getting an extra 6-12 inches of bounce on my kick serves.
I had the opportunity to compare the look of the string against Luxilon Element. I guess I had thought the two were pretty close in color but the RPM Power is a much darker string that does not look translucent like Element does. The background is a white towel to accentuate the color.
I looked through my string stash and have these round strings:
After I'm done with the RPM Power, I'll probably stick the Pro Line Evo in it just to see how it compares. PL Evo was probably my favorite of all of the round strings I've recently tried.
djNEiGht
Legend
We've had 3 weekends of Junior Team Tennis cxl due to air quality. Was nice this past weekend and had our first match...but this morning it smelled like camp fire. *double sigh*
gutfeeling
Hall of Fame
You guys are giving me flashbacks of Pro Hurricane, the white/translucent non-tour version. Sounded like nails on a chalkboard when tensioning the crosses.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
JOSHL
Hall of Fame
This string might be worse. I’ve never heard anything like it. It does sound like a stringed instrument.
@Injured Again : how did you like poly plasma pure 1.23?
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
SPPPP was my string of choice about a decade ago. I really liked it for the pop it had, which was kind of unusual back then, and for the tension maintenance which was good. I think it may have been one of the first strings I used after switching from kevlar/SG. I used it exclusively for a couple of years, then tried Kirschbaum P2, which then became my go-to string for a couple of years. It was a little lower powered than SPPPP, had great pocketing feel, and let me swing harder at the ball, which was good because I was using a 115 or 110 square inch frame back then. That was around the time when poly strings proliferated. I stuck with Kirschbaum strings for a little while longer, then got addicted to shaped polys and haven't used a round string since.
So those reels are all the better part of a decade old. I have some old individual packs of strings that I'm sure are only found in the history books.
SteveI
Legend
You would think for the price of these strings.. they could come up with better packaging. Really the worst...
SteveI
Legend
Thanks for all the great info and your great impressions of this offering. I am east coast and will not get my package until weds. This string sounds like another version of Tourna Deuce.. which I did not enjoy and did really nothing for my game. From your detailed reporting this is not going to be in your top 5.. Well... I will hit the court ASAP.. and see what I see.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Something like even a plastic pouch where I can reach in and grab it before it explodes would be a huge win!
As I was sitting there trying to untangle that mess, I was wondering how in the heck did they get that string in there in the first place....
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I hit a very little bit more this morning and there is a very clear difference between just trying to hit a friendly rally ball and trying to play near the limits of my capability. Friendly rally balling with RPM Power feels good. It's soft, cushioned, with good and pleasant feedback, and gives a good feeling of control. Launch angle isn't an issue because I'm swinging through the ball and hitting only very moderate spin, both topspin and underspin. There is something in my technique in transitioning to my normal strokes that doesn't work and I'm not sure if it's a flaw in my technique (more likely) or something inherent in the string, which is why I'm anxiously awaiting others to report their impressions. Whatever it is, a shaped string like S7T masks that issue because I don't experience it with that in my racquet.
Hurry and get on the court!
SteveI
Legend
Wow... You are talking about my experience with Tourna Deuce 17g. It was a great rally string... soft muted and average power. When I took it into match play or used at my max capability it did not provide the results I desired. I kept at it for about 25-30 hours. I am a big fan of Tourna strings in general... this one was not one of them for my game and swing. I will report when I get this going.
McLovin
Legend
My set arrived yesterday. Strung it up at 50lbs, and I'll be hitting the courts this weekend for the first time in over a month.
I really didn't have any issues stringing the crosses. Yes, they made that violin noise, but only if I didn't fan it out as I pulled it. What killed me was the coil memory. If I had it to do over, I'd probably string it 2-piece. Pulling ~30ft on the long side took way longer than it should in the beginning because I was constantly stopping to untangle it.
I really didn't have any issues stringing the crosses. Yes, they made that violin noise, but only if I didn't fan it out as I pulled it. What killed me was the coil memory. If I had it to do over, I'd probably string it 2-piece. Pulling ~30ft on the long side took way longer than it should in the beginning because I was constantly stopping to untangle it.
SteveI
Legend
deaner2211
Semi-Pro
My stringer didn't have a problem with these strings. They didn't jump out like jack-n-the box when he opened the package and he didn't have a problem with knot tying, then again he does string for TCU's tennis teams so I guess he is use to stringing many different types and brands of strings. Got it strung up yesterday but it has been raining here in Texas for the past 3 days and suppose to clear up tomorrow.
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JOSHL
Hall of Fame
So you did have trouble stringing the crosses.....lol. I had the same issue and I strung it 2 piece.
McLovin
Legend
Actually, by the time I got to the crosses it wasn't that bad. But the coil memory was really bad, and when pulling an extra 20ft through the long side (as opposed to < 10ft had I done 2-piece), I'd have to stop every other pull & detangle.
Short side mains wasn't that bad as I only had < 10ft to deal with..
djNEiGht
Legend
overall the knot tying wasn't bad but it felt different compared to other strings when pulling the first loop (parnell knot) to keep it close to the grommet.
ron schaap
Hall of Fame
therefor worse spin potential because no snap back. Hopefully babolat power better in that aspect. It should i
n fact if it is the same string Thiem uses now.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
The coil memory was reduced by at least half by doing a light prestretch and then letting it sit while laying mostly straight and under zero tension for about half an hour. I only had to stop once to untangle it when starting the crosses on my one piece stringing job.
M Pillai
Semi-Pro
Strung it up, but weather had been not too friendly last couple of days to give enough run for it. Had some brief hitting with it, but probably not enough to conclude. It is no where close to the regular RPM Blast. It is pretty much a totally new string, a totally different feel than regular RPM Blast, in a good way. More crisp. But I felt the spin was lacking compared to regular RPM Blast. I don't use dampeners, and the sound from the string bed was obviously different than any other string I used before. I should have a set of regular RPM Blast somewhere in my closet. If I find it I would string up another racket with regular RPM Blast to compare side by side.
Matthew Lee
Professional
I haven't gotten these strings yet but I've received an email saying it's been delivered. Hope I get it soon...
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Played some more with RPM Power, including a competitive singles set today. The launch angle seems to be getting lower, and the stringbed seems to be lower powered and harsher. I don't know if that's because I've worn through the outer coating and now the strings aren't sliding as much, or if it is that the strings have lost elasticity.
I still haven't found the right technique and swingpath to be able to consistently hit loopy heavy topspin shots. Every so often, I'll be able to hit one well on the forehand side, and then on what feels like the same swing, I get little grip on the ball and it goes low and short even though the impact feels solid. I can usually hit a pretty decent loopy heavy topspin off the backhand but I just can't at all with these strings. So in today's competitive set, I just gave up trying to do anything other than hit very moderate topspin or underspin. Underspin backhands are still a bit floaty but I was able to compensate by trying to hit through it more with less spin. Unfortunately, when I don't catch these with good contact or good timing, they lose speed and sit up on the bounce waiting to be attacked.
Serving spin serves is still an issue. I don't know if today it was compounded by a timing issue but I hit a large percentage of attempted wide slice serves in the deuce court into the net. I also double faulted a few times with the ball going long because it just doesn't have the dip that I get with my normal string. Volleys are easy with this string and I had hoped to charge the net a fair amount today but I just couldn't hit as effective of an approach shot. Underspin on the backhand didn't have the spin or bite and so I got lobbed and passed today. On the forehand, I like to loop the ball up high on the backhand with a lot of topspin and I couldn't do that either, so I ended up trying to outright hit a winner which I more often than not hit into the tape, or hitting a flattish approach shot which gave my opponent a good swing at the pass. I squeaked out the set against a 4.5 but did not enjoy playing the way I had to play. I hit the rest of the session with my normal string setup of S7T and it was back to my normal game.
I'm at about 2 1/2 hours with this string and will continue to hit with it but it isn't a string that is suited for my game style nor swing technique. The mains are now often getting stuck out of position, and slide back into place with a fairly loud "click". Tension loss seems to have stabilized. I think in one of my first posts, I said there was quite a bit of tension loss just sitting overnight after being strung and to string it up tighter by a couple of pounds. I'm thinking now that was bad advice - RPM Power seems to perform well at lower tensions.
I still haven't found the right technique and swingpath to be able to consistently hit loopy heavy topspin shots. Every so often, I'll be able to hit one well on the forehand side, and then on what feels like the same swing, I get little grip on the ball and it goes low and short even though the impact feels solid. I can usually hit a pretty decent loopy heavy topspin off the backhand but I just can't at all with these strings. So in today's competitive set, I just gave up trying to do anything other than hit very moderate topspin or underspin. Underspin backhands are still a bit floaty but I was able to compensate by trying to hit through it more with less spin. Unfortunately, when I don't catch these with good contact or good timing, they lose speed and sit up on the bounce waiting to be attacked.
Serving spin serves is still an issue. I don't know if today it was compounded by a timing issue but I hit a large percentage of attempted wide slice serves in the deuce court into the net. I also double faulted a few times with the ball going long because it just doesn't have the dip that I get with my normal string. Volleys are easy with this string and I had hoped to charge the net a fair amount today but I just couldn't hit as effective of an approach shot. Underspin on the backhand didn't have the spin or bite and so I got lobbed and passed today. On the forehand, I like to loop the ball up high on the backhand with a lot of topspin and I couldn't do that either, so I ended up trying to outright hit a winner which I more often than not hit into the tape, or hitting a flattish approach shot which gave my opponent a good swing at the pass. I squeaked out the set against a 4.5 but did not enjoy playing the way I had to play. I hit the rest of the session with my normal string setup of S7T and it was back to my normal game.
I'm at about 2 1/2 hours with this string and will continue to hit with it but it isn't a string that is suited for my game style nor swing technique. The mains are now often getting stuck out of position, and slide back into place with a fairly loud "click". Tension loss seems to have stabilized. I think in one of my first posts, I said there was quite a bit of tension loss just sitting overnight after being strung and to string it up tighter by a couple of pounds. I'm thinking now that was bad advice - RPM Power seems to perform well at lower tensions.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Was the Deuce being tested at the same time as Silver 7 Tour? If so, I was lucky that I got sent the Silver 7 Tour because that's my go-to string now. Did you change your tension with Deuce and what tension are you going to try with RPM Power?
SteveI
Legend
Yes.. It was the same play-test run for the two strings. I am a long time user of BH Silver 17G. I used 52 / 50. Pretty standard for me The play-test results you are reporting are sounding so much like the Deuce, it is scary. I played the heck out of the Deuce and never could figure out how to make it work for me and my game. I was long.. not enough spin... slice floated... etc.. etc Slice serve was not effective. Great straight ahead power. The string was super easy on the arm.. muted and made a nice pop. Someone with short, compact and slow strokes would I think love the Deuce... great counter-puncher string. I had no connection to the ball.
I will have to get a set or two of the Silver 7 Tour.
I am stringing the RPM Power on Sat...
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deaner2211
Semi-Pro
I was able to get out this evening and hit some balls with the RPM Power. The first 30 minutes the string bed was very firm and low powered, which was a good thing because I could take full cuts at the ball without it sailing long. I could point and shoot and the ball went where I wanted it to go. I could not produce much spin even when I tried, I guess it has something to do with the low ball trajectory produced by this string. My hitting partner hated it when I was hitting with the string because the ball didn't jump up like my hybrid, but instead the ball would jump at her, which took time from her (again a good thing). Around the 40 minute mark, I was getting a little more power (not a lot but enough to tell), and my shots were deeper with slightly more spin with the string bed softening a little. I was only to hit for an hour but so far I am liking these strings. I can't wait for my next hitting session.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I hit some more today and the mains are getting stuck out of place consistently. The crosses seem to stay in place for me.
I am just not having any confidence in these strings. The grip and launch angle seem to be decreasing and I have just no confidence I can consistently get a low ball up and down at my normal groundstroke velocity. I was getting killed being approached on my backhand with a hard underspin shot. I feel like I netted 50%, hit 30% long with a funky swing to try and get the ball up over the net, hit 15% of them slower and higher just trying to get them in so they got volleyed away, and hit a good shot 5% of the time. And I was being approached a lot because the balls I did get over all landed short, just like in the two videos I posted earlier. It got to the point where I tried passing with a Rosewall-style underspin because I could at least consistently get that high enough to not net half of the attempts.
If Thiem is indeed using these strings, I have all the more respect for what he can do with them.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I've looked at your previous posts and you've said it's less powerful than your typical setup, with poor snapback and being muted and somewhat comfortable. How didn't it work for you?
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
There was a fire sale on individual packs of S7T a week or so ago. I missed out but the reel is so darned inexpensive compared to other strings. I'd be curious to hear what you think of S7T but I think you'll find it to be quite a good string.
And yes, my experience RPM Power seems identical to your experience with Deuce. Much better for flatter swingpaths but then like @JOSHL says, it's an average string in just about every way and there are other round strings that are better in some characteristics than RPM Rough while not being worse in any others.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
how is the spin potential on this string ?
rafa_prestige89
Professional
I guess that was exactly what Thiem asked Babolat for, a low launch angle string for him to be able to swing freely without fear of hitting long.
Remember that his racquet head speed is much higher than the amateurs...
JOSHL
Hall of Fame
Average to below average.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I would only add to @JOSHL that the spin potential seems "average to below average" for a round string. I think the last round string I tried was Proline Evolution and that required much less adjustment in terms of launch angle, and also had noticeably higher spin capability.
I hit again tonight with RPM Power and it was much better for two reasons. The first is just familiarity with the string after about four hours of use. The second and more important factor is that we were using once-previously-used Dunlop Championship balls that were a bit softer and slightly fluffier than new balls. We had to swing extra hard, and that combined with the extra ball flattening raised the launch angle to a more familiar level. The better shape to my shots had them deeper to the baseline. Even the grab on underspin shots was better. I was starting to enjoy the hitting experience. After the old balls died away, we opened a new can of balls to finish up the last 30 minutes and the problems with RPM Power returned. The launch angle got low and the bite on these new hard balls was not there. I don't understand why these strings behave so differently when the balls are newer and I've never experienced that before with any other string. Normally the tighter felt allows for better bite on the ball. I gave up on playing with RPM Power for the last 20 minutes and went back to my usual string.
I've tested several strings for Tennis Warehouse and RPM Power is the first set where I am very tempted to cut them out before getting 8-10 hours in or before they break.
djNEiGht
Legend
The power and spin production wasn’t there as I had hoped and as the name of the string suggested. I liked the similarities (it’s a stretch) on how it reminded me of good old fashioned synthetic. Also it seemed the playability changed quickly. I’ll give it another run tomorrow and just go out and have a fun day on the court without expectations of the string. Maybe this will give me another perspective of this play test
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
so you weren't too impressed with this string, I take it
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
It isn't a string that works for my playing style or swing mechanics. I can see this string working for a recreational level player who hits primarily flatter, or for a doubles oriented player who is looking for incoming spin insensitivity. It is a slightly more comfortable string than average but tension loss is average or worse than average though the tension loss doesn't really affect launch angle (which stays low) or grip on the ball (which is low to start and barely increases).
What doesn't seem to work well is that there is a coating that wears through, and once it does the playability changes though it may not be as noticeable to a primarily flatter hitter. For a recreational player who will much more often tend to keep a poly string longer than they should, this doesn't seem like a good thing.
Possibly this string works better in a less dense pattern than a 1.25 gauge in the 18X19 in my SW104, or a thinner gauge might have worked better for me. But the coating wore through in just one hard 90 minute session so a thinner gauge would seem to have even a shorter lifespan.
So just not the string for me....
McLovin
Legend
That might explain why I kinda like it...
I only measured a drop of 4lbs (51 -> 47) from when I strung it Tuesday to when I first hit with it today. Not bad at all, although we'll have to see where it ends up.
deaner2211
Semi-Pro
I only hit with them one hour and the spin was different than my normal setup. My hitting partner said my normal setup was kicking up higher but the RPM Power strings were kicking at her which made it more difficult for her to return hard shots. In my opinion the strings have average spin,
!<-_->!
Hall of Fame
Strung it up last night. Reminded me of the regular Pro Hurricane. The stiffness, the material feel (dry and not slick) and the sound it generated when stringing was spot on. Hoping it does not play like regular Hurricane. Definitely not a fan of that string. String review coming soon.
SteveI
Legend
So Far...from what I have seen.. mirrors all the insightful comments posted here. I am east coast and got my string much later than others so I am a bit behind in my testings. Can't think of much to add at this point. Does string up and play like regular Pro Hurricane which is one of strings I pretty much disliked and could never understand what folks loved about it.. If I was going to compared it to a SG.. I would say Gosen OG Micro 17G... white... crisp and decent power with average spin potential. More to come later... 
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