Tennis Warehouse Playtest - Dunlop EXPLOSIVE SPIN 1.25

[TW Staff]

Attention Talk Tennis Members:

DUNLOP EXPLOSIVE SPIN playtest

The application period has been closed. The remaining playtesters will be notified in the next few days.

Review Due: Monday by March 2nd at latest

Include the following in your review:

• Tension(s) used for playtest
• Regular string set up & tension
• Racquet used for test
• Power/Control of test string
• Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?)
• Spin
• Playability Duration (How did it play over time?)
• Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time - why)
• List any additional thoughts (optional)

When posting a review, please separate each answer into a separate paragraph so that the manufacturer and consumers can easily read your answers.

 

[jangotango]

The solinco and head thread is getting so much more attention, this one seems a little bare. Maybe easier to be a tester??

 

[jwocky]

Available in:
1. 1.25mm and 1.30mm
2. black and lime yellow (a softer yellow than Signum Pro Yellow jacket or Gamma AMP Ocho neon yellow)

It is hexagonal, but not twisted

Marketing claims: excellent spin, very good tension maintenance, and extended durability from a thermal treatment to the outer shell

 

[joah310]

is it like rpm blast?

 

[SteveI]

It is a Dunlop string vs a Head or Babolat.. Solinco.. Lux.. offering to be blunt... ..

Dunlop strings are not talked about much here.

 

[bigserving]

I have always found Dunlop strings to be very underrated. Another shaped string from Dunlop, I would expect good things. This could be just what the string doctor ordered.

 

[SteveI]

I have always found Dunlop strings to be very underrated. Another shaped string from Dunlop, I would expect good things. This could be just what the string doctor ordered.

I agree... does not alter the fact that Talk Tennis does not give these strings much play... Gamma also...

 

[mogo]

I really liked the Dunlop explosive red playtest. If this is in the same range with extra spin I expect good results on court.

 

[SteveI]

I really liked the Dunlop explosive red playtest. If this is in the same range with extra spin I expect good results on court.

I missed that one.. but I read the thread... nice string and feedback

 

[TennisFreak004]

I am super curious to possibly test these strings. I don't typically use Dunlop but would be willing to change if they impress.

 

[Injured Again]

I received my test set of strings today. I had earlier cut out the set of PSGD that I was using during a wrist injury rehab and put the Explosive Spin into that racquet.

I string it up at my usual tensions of 51 pounds in the center mains and 45 pounds in the center crosses, decreasing towards the edges. The string has a very shiny, plastic feel with slow inter-string friction. The set was 38'8" long. I cut a one foot section and pulled 51 pounds of tension and let it sit for one minute. Pulling the initial tension showed the string to have low-medium elongation, and it did not stretch much sitting with tension for that one minute.

Stringing was relatively easy. Coil memory is average and the edges are not sharp enough to cause problems for my fingers. Low inter-string friction helped weaving the crosses, though the last few crosses were more difficult as the string did not like to be bent sharply.

Final strung weight is now 354 pounds, about two grams heavier than with 17 gauge Silver 7 Tour.

I now have this racquet with the fresh Explosive Spin, and my other racquet with the Solinco Confidential string with about five hours of use on it. I'll be playing with both of the string sets tomorrow morning.

 

[Injured Again]

Had a roughly 60 minute hit this morning, and only used the Dunlop Explosive Spin.

It is a medium powered, fairly crisp feeling string with roughly average power. It is very linear in its response to different swing speeds, and gives me an immediate feeling of confidence that I will hit the ball with the speed and direction I intend. Spin capability is good but not extreme like the most highly shaped poly strings. Launch angle is just a tiny bit lower than with the Solinco Confidential, which is again a tiny bit lower than Silver 7 Tour.

Because I only had 60 minutes, I didn't switch between the two racquets. My impressions are that these strings are way more similar than they are different, and I get the sensation that by slightly altering the tension, I could probably get them to play nearly identically to each other. If I had to guess, I would say the Explosive Spin is by a tiny margin less powerful than Confidential, but also provides a bit more control and less spin sensitivity on volleys. There is denting at the string intersections but no notching, though I never hit more than about 80% today.

I should be able to get a longer hit in tomorrow. My wrist is pretty much allowing me to swing normally now but still gets a bit stiff after an hour. It's feeling better now so I'll go a full 90 minutes tomorrow with both racquets.

To those who have not strung up their sample of Explosive Spin, there seems to be a bit of tension loss overnight, and it is stiff enough that you could go pretty low in tension. If I had it to do again, I think I would drop it a couple of pounds to see if the launch angle increases - that was my one complaint about this string and that is only because I'm used to a higher launch angle from the thinner S7T.

 

[cd3768]

To those who have not strung up their sample of Explosive Spin, there seems to be a bit of tension loss overnight, and it is stiff enough that you could go pretty low in tension. If I had it to do again, I think I would drop it a couple of pounds to see if the launch angle increases - that was my one complaint about this string and that is only because I'm used to a higher launch angle from the thinner S7T.

Injured Again, I just cut out my set of BHS7T 17g at 50lbs in a 18x20. I’m going to string my sample of the green yellow Explosive Spin. I found the Silver 7 Tour to be too stiff for me at 50 so what tension do you think I should string Explosive Spin at? I think I would like a higher launch angle also.



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[Injured Again]

Injured Again, I just cut out my set of BHS7T 17g at 50lbs in a 18x20. I’m going to string my sample of the green yellow Explosive Spin. I found the Silver 7 Tour to be too stiff for me at 50 so what tension do you think I should string Explosive Spin at? I think I would like a higher launch angle also.

My 18X19 racquet is 104 square inches and because I use a kind of proportional stringing method, the tensions I use with Silver 7 Tour would probably be equivalent to using 48/42 or something like that. So 50 pounds in an 18X20 would be pretty stiff. I strung up the v7 Blade 98 18X20 at 46 pounds with S7T and it was too stiff - I ended up going 44 pounds and that felt better.

I think you could probably do something like 44-46 pounds would be a good starting point. The Explosive Spin loses more tension than S7T so after a couple of hours, it will be looser than S7T after that same couple of hours.

I also wonder if there is any playability difference between the various string colors. Black strings are usually thought to be stiffer and more crisp so I wonder if that will also be the case here.

Let me know how it works for you!

 

[badmice2]

Just got my pack. Color is highlighter yellow. Am I the only one?

 

[joah310]

I recieved mine as well today. I recieved the yellow version. Excited to playtest!

 

[TennisFreak004]

Just got my pack. Color is highlighter yellow. Am I the only one?

No I have highlighter yellow too. Not a huge difference from Hyper-G though

 

[Injured Again]

My wrist seems to have flared up again for no reason so I only had a short 30 minute hitting session this morning. I did get to hit the Explosive Spin and Confidential back to back. The impressions I guessed at in post #12 were confirmed.

Explosive Spin is a small mount less powerful and has a slightly lower launch angle than Confidential. Spin capability of both strings is about equal but I haven't tried any of the skimming, loopy shots as that really hurts my wrist, and this is also considering that the Explosive Spin is basically new and the Confidential has about five hours of hitting on it and is notched about one-third of the way through. With my wrist being iffy throughout, it's hard to really know if Confidential was more spin capable when it was new, but any change from new until now seems to have been pretty small.

The biggest difference is in the feel of the two strings. Explosive Spin is more crisp feeling, and there's a higher-pitched and sharper "thwack" with each hit of the ball. Confidential is more muted like Hyper-G, and the sound is more of a "thud". Explosive Spin gives additional feedback through the hands as well as a sound difference if you don't catch the ball perfectly cleanly, but it isn't necessarily any less comfortable. The impact feels like it has a more sudden rise in intensity than Confidential, and that intensity more quickly dissipates. Confidential seems to have a longer period of impact reaction that hurts my wrist more than Explosive Spin.

Both are really very good strings that seem to lean towards the control side rather than the power or spin capability side, but have very good linearity throughout the range of swing speeds so they feel comfortable and friendly right off the stringer. The differences in how they feel should allow players to choose the string that best suits their expectations, along with picking a string that best complements their racquet.

I'm very curious to hear from those who got the yellow color strings to see if that color additive softens the strings as it seems to have done in other brands.

 

[mogo]

Just received my pack of explosive spin! Thx TW and Dunlop!! From the feel it is softer and not as stiff as Solinco Confidential so I think it will pocket well when hitting. More to come once I string it up and give it a test drive.

 

[Faris]

Got mine in two days ago. Yellow version in 17 guage. Have played with it for almost 4 hours now. Full review to come in a day or two.

 

[Faris]

I'm very curious to hear from those who got the yellow color strings to see if that color additive softens the strings as it seems to have done in other brands.

Just saw your post. I got the yellow for playtest (thanks @TW Staff) and have about 4 hours on it. I was on the Confidential playtest as well. Strung at same tension and is definitely crisper playing than the Solinco Confidential. Also overall makes for a livelier stringbed comparatively where I feel ball jumps off more upon contact. Comfort is about the same, spin about the same. So far playing attributes haven't changed since I took it off the stringer so that is good too. And was pretty easy to string.

 

[badmice2]

For this playtest I'm stringing them onto my Yonex VCore Pro 310. Tension set to 51 lbs. all around, 0% pre-stretch. RacketTune is registering the overall tension at ~49.5. Will be watching it for tension drop.

Ease of stringing was average, it felt grippy comparing to other co-ploy. The feel of the string (by hand) reminds me a bit of RPM, but doesn't string as smooth.

I'll be taking it out for a test drive later this afternoon.

 

[cd3768]

First impression out of the package:
* It’s like a faded tennis ball yellow (when you play on blue hard court), kind of green yellow(chartreuse yellow). Not like a brand new ball yellow/Weiss cannon ultra cable/“true” yellow

On the left is Grapplesnake Alpha and on the right is the Explosive Spin.

Relatively easy to string.


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[cd3768]

Quick notes after first hit (~35min with ~10min doubles) 1/30/2020
Strung it at 48/46 lbs
I usually have a dampener and head tape at 3 and 9 but I chose to hit with nothing yet.
* Hollowish feeling, ping not a thud.
* Doesn’t have a ball bite/ high string-to-ball friction...slippery
* The ball gets off the stringbed quite quickly
* As a result, not too much connection to the ball
* Some tennis elbow after hitting, makes me want to put on the dampener and head tape and 3 and 9
* Serves went in to the tape a lot
* Not “explosive spin,” just average...but didn’t focus too much on brushing up for topspin. Wanted to get a feel for the string.
* Didn’t feel much of the snapback effect



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[Injured Again]

Just saw your post. I got the yellow for playtest (thanks @TW Staff) and have about 4 hours on it. I was on the Confidential playtest as well. Strung at same tension and is definitely crisper playing than the Solinco Confidential. Also overall makes for a livelier stringbed comparatively where I feel ball jumps off more upon contact. Comfort is about the same, spin about the same. So far playing attributes haven't changed since I took it off the stringer so that is good too. And was pretty easy to string.

Thanks, @Faris for your impressions. We have the same feeling about the crispness of Explosive Spin versus Confidential, but I thought the power levels were just the slightest amount higher for Confidential. Maybe some of that is due to the yellow color additive in your Explosive Spin or due to the extra hours I have on the Confidential compared to the new Explosive Spin.

The Explosive Spin has already started notching just a little bit and I have less than an hour on it, and about half of that was pretty light hitting. It is definitely not a high spin capability string like Ultra Cable.

 

[badmice2]

Had a chance to take the setup out for a spin today. Initial feedback is that the string bed played really stiff; actually reminds me of Black Widow when I tried them back in the days. I didn’t feel much of ball pocketing with the strings. Spin generation was above average; I was able hit some decent top spin off the forehand wing. But due to the stiffness, I feel like I had a harder time rolling over the ball on the backhand wing as I like the ball to dwell in the string bed a bit; I didn’t feel like I was getting that. There was a high ping coming from the string bed, quite annoying considering I am using the Gamma worm as a dampener. In all, I would consider dropping the tension another 2-3 lbs to see how well my racket would have respond.

I’ll take a for a few more runs hopefully the string bed will loosen up. More to come.

 

[nwatts]

Received my dunlop explosive spin strings! Very excited to try them out. Is anyone interested in me reviewing them as a cross with gut mains? Seems like they are slick and could be a good cross. If not many are interested, I will just string it up in a full bed.

 

[Injured Again]

Had about a 75 minute hit today, and my wrist was much better so I was swinging fairly normally. Explosive Spin is a very nice string!

It's fairly crisp feeling, with a pretty lively pop off the stringbed. Because I was able to use more wrist layback and pronation during my groundstrokes, I actually found the launch angle to be higher than my first hitting session when I was hampered. Power levels seems higher as well - it feels like the faster I get the racquet head moving, the more the ball speed increases off the strings. There is still a linear increase in ball speed to racquet head speed, but the slope is steeper meaning you get even more ball speed the harder you swing. On the harder swings, it definitely felt like I had more putaway power than Solinco Confidential did nearing its end of life.

I had a chance to hit back to back with freshly strung Silver 7 Tour and they have pretty similar responses. I tried increasing the mains and decreasing the crosses by a couple of pounds each with the Silver 7 Tour and the stringbed ended up much stiffer than I wanted so it's not a direct comparison, but Explosive Spin has a crisper, slightly more comfortable feel and about equal power levels to Silver 7 Tour. I didn't hit any extreme topspin shots but spin generation was basically identical for the moderate topspin that I did hit.

I'm going let the Silver 7 Tour settle for a couple of days and hit again on Monday. If it still feels too stiff, I'll restring at my normal tensions to re-evaluate the differences. But for now, Explosive Spin feels like a very good string that brings more crispness and good power levels with sacrificing only a little control compared to Solinco Confidential.

 

[dak95_00]

I just strung up my Head Gravity S. It’s the teaser model. Maybe I should put a yellow grip on it?

I’m looking forward to giving it a hit. Strung up like any poly string. Nothing too difficult.

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[SteveI]

I just strung up my Head Gravity S. It’s the teaser model. Maybe I should put a yellow grip on it?

I’m looking forward to giving it a hit. Strung up like any poly string. Nothing too difficult.

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Great looking frame...

 

[mogo]

Strung up Explosive Spin @ 46pds on my Babolat pure strike tour 3rd Gen. I decided to go 2pts lower since the frame is a 98sq inch head size and I have recently been using 100sq inch frames. Stringing was very easy and the string was soft and easy to maneuver between weaving. Not as stiff as Solinco Confidential, which I have been play testing recently. First impressions, this string is lower powered, but spin is really good and I liked the control. Biggest difference was how well I felt the ball pocket into the string bed, very soft and plush at contact. I could really get vertical on shots with the bite helping drop the ball deep. Serves had great cut on them, I am not a bit server and like to move the serve in the box. Had great control to move wide and deep or wide and short, so I was happy with the response of Explosive Spin with serves. More to come, but I think going with a lower tension was a better decision for this playtest. I string 1 piece and it was a breeze. I have been using a dampener recently as my wrist is coming back from injury. I'm from Texas so Cowboys dampener it is..........I know, I know, I'm still holding on to hope lol. Can't wait to see other playtester reviews.

 

[badmice2]

I had another chance to hit with it after my Sunday match. The string does play crisp, but continues to play firm for my liking, and I'm still getting the "ping" off the string bed. I'm not getting the ball pocketing / dwelling other people are experiencing. Based on the current the current setup, directional control and responsiveness is easily achieved. Spin generation off short take back is actually very good, with above average net clearance + relatively good dip on the ball. I'm hesitant to take full strokes as I can sense the stiffness rattling up my arm. Directional control with volley is spot on.

 

[mogo]

I'm not getting the ball pocketing / dwelling other people are experiencing. Based on the current the current setup, directional control and responsiveness is easily achieved.

I am curious if there is a difference in feel with the yellow set, I have the black version of explosive spin. But I did string lower than usual so that could also contribute to the pocketing feeling. Will try to hit today and see if I can feel any difference.

 

[Injured Again]

I had another chance to hit with it after my Sunday match. The string does play crisp, but continues to play firm for my liking, and I'm still getting the "ping" off the string bed. I'm not getting the ball pocketing / dwelling other people are experiencing. Based on the current the current setup, directional control and responsiveness is easily achieved. Spin generation off short take back is actually very good, with above average net clearance + relatively good dip on the ball. I'm hesitant to take full strokes as I can sense the stiffness rattling up my arm. Directional control with volley is spot on.

Typically the lighter colored string dyes create a softer string response than the black dye. I got the black string and pocketing feel/dwell time both feel very good for my strokes, but I think I used an overall tension probably nearing 10% lower than you did, and on a slightly bigger frame.

 

[badmice2]

I am curious if there is a difference in feel with the yellow set, I have the black version of explosive spin. But I did string lower than usual so that could also contribute to the pocketing feeling. Will try to hit today and see if I can feel any difference.

Yea it's weird. The string kind of reminded me of Pro Hurricane, a bit like guitar string out of tension. I'll have to check the current tension to see what the reading saids. Maybe something is off.

 

[badmice2]

Typically the lighter colored string dyes create a softer string response than the black dye. I got the black string and pocketing feel/dwell time both feel very good for my strokes, but I think I used an overall tension probably nearing 10% lower than you did, and on a slightly bigger frame.

My guess is the tension dropped quite a bit.

Its strung to a VCore Pro 310, can't imagine the drop off be too dramatic.

 

[Injured Again]

My wrist felt better today (probably 80% of normal) so I got a good 90 minute hit in. Total time on the string is about 3.5 hours, with at least half of that being very easy, flat hitting. It continues to feel like a high quality string, with a very friendly, lively feel that is on the more comfortable side for a poly string. It is pretty crisp and still makes that higher pitched "thwack" sound that makes it seem like I'm hitting it harder than I really am. Directional control and my confidence in aiming the ball is very good. Launch angle seems to be dropping slightly and is now about average. Spin capability also seems to be dropping a little bit but so far is only noticeable hitting heavy topspin looping shots where it feels like the grip on the ball is starting to decline. I was able to really swing out on a few balls today and there is good control on those shots that gives me a lot of confidence in my ability to hit putaway shots.

With less than two hours of normal hitting, there's a significant start to notching already. The hexagonal shape has worn smooth, but the mains are still moving back to their original position.

If the wrist will allow, I think I have a 2.5 hour hitting session in the morning tomorrow.

 

[Injured Again]

My guess is the tension dropped quite a bit.

Its strung to a VCore Pro 310, can't imagine the drop off be too dramatic.

Tension loss seems to have stabilized and hasn't been too bad. In that area, it seems better than average for a poly string. I'm pretty happy with how comfortable Explosive Spin has been on my healing wrist and hope it doesn't make your elbow worse. Have you had the same kind of harshness with any other string in your VCore?

 

[badmice2]

Tension loss seems to have stabilized and hasn't been too bad. In that area, it seems better than average for a poly string. I'm pretty happy with how comfortable Explosive Spin has been on my healing wrist and hope it doesn't make your elbow worse. Have you had the same kind of harshness with any other string in your VCore?

Nope, played PL2, MSV, Tour Bite; all were fine.

 

[mogo]

I hit today and still feels good with pocketing. I tried a couple minutes without the dampener and I did hear the ping as some have mentioned. I didn't realize it made a ping sound. I usually don't play with a dampener, have been doing lately to let my wrist heal from harsh vibrations. It still felt nice to hit with just have to get adjusted to the sound.

 

[joah310]

I finally got around to hitting with the string. A pretty plush string. For a poly. Mine is in a pogos at 60. Had a herd time stringing, but that's not the strings fault. I was stringing atw on my dw stringer and I think I left too much slack once, and snap went the string. Luckily I had the mains done and all of remainers was tieable. But stringing wasn't bad but I dont think I would string a bit lower on the pog. Maybe it just has to settle in. Good control and spin. Will post an actual review after some more hours on the string.

 

[TennisFreak004]

• Tension(s) used for playtest
  • 50 lbs
• Regular string set up & tension
  • HYPER-G with Vanquish 50lbs
• Racquet used for test
  • Head Gravity MP
• Power/Control of test string
  • The control is great and it gives a lot of spin but doesn’t give much power.
• Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?)
  • It is very comfortable and also very crisp.
• Spin
  • Massive spin is added as I started hitting much heavier balls when using this string.
• Playability Duration (How did it play over time?)
  • I’ve hit with it for about three hours and it is good as new and I have tried almost every shot in the books.
• Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time - why)
  • I would definitely string it tightly.
• List any additional thoughts (optional
  • Overall a great string and gave me a lot more consistency. I started hitting balls that were kicking off of the court.

 

[badmice2]

Nope, played PL2, MSV, Tour Bite; all were fine.

finally got a reading; tension from RacquetTune is showing ~42 lbs, which equates to ~15%. This sounds a bit crazy to me...

Anyone with the yellow version getting this drop off?

 

[Injured Again]

finally got a reading; tension from RacquetTune is showing ~42 lbs, which equates to ~15%. This sounds a bit crazy to me...

Anyone with the yellow version getting this drop off?

I've been bad - I need to get off my but and get an android app to measure tension, but even so I can tell there has been tension loss in my black Explosive Spin. It pings a much lower frequency than when freshly strung but so far it hasn't seemed to affect playability much. Some strings seem to lose tension and lose elasticity in equal parts so the higher power and higher launch from the lower tension is countered by loss of elasticity and the ball reaction stays fairly constant. It seems so far that Explosive Spin is like this. I've said in the past that some strings seem to be more tolerant of stringing tension and this may be the reason why.

Notching is a concern. It's pretty significant with just shy of four hours of normal hitting on it. Since the lighter colored dyes seem to generally result in a livelier but softer string, are those of you with the yellow strings experiencing abnormal wear?

 

[cd3768]

I've been bad - I need to get off my but and get an android app to measure tension, but even so I can tell there has been tension loss in my black Explosive Spin. It pings a much lower frequency than when freshly strung but so far it hasn't seemed to affect playability much. Some strings seem to lose tension and lose elasticity in equal parts so the higher power and higher launch from the lower tension is countered by loss of elasticity and the ball reaction stays fairly constant. It seems so far that Explosive Spin is like this. I've said in the past that some strings seem to be more tolerant of stringing tension and this may be the reason why.

Notching is a concern. It's pretty significant with just shy of four hours of normal hitting on it. Since the lighter colored dyes seem to generally result in a livelier but softer string, are those of you with the yellow strings experiencing abnormal wear?

For me, there was only a slight tension drop and it’s been about a week. I have the yellow version and the stringbed has become a bit more comfortable and has some more ball pocketing than before. Great predictability and it’s somewhat stiff, providing good directional control and low sensitivity to incoming spin.
The strings however are slowly becoming pushed out of place and not going back. No noticeable decline in spin though.



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[Faris]

My review is coming up shortly. Anyone notice how the edges wore off over time and how the contact sound changed over the time of the playtest? I have the yellow string.

 

[Injured Again]

My review is coming up shortly. Anyone notice how the edges wore off over time and how the contact sound changed over the time of the playtest? I have the yellow string.

In my post #37, I had a photo showing the notching after only a couple of hours of hitting. The string with the notch in it is the main and you can still see the shape on the underside by the different way the light glints off the string. The cross string that is vertical in the photo is totally worn round - there's no edge that causes the reflected light to indicate anything other than a smoothly curved and polished surface.

I've experienced some tension loss and the overall frequency of the impact noise is lower. There still seems to be that high pitched "thwack" sound on harder swings but I'll listen for it the next time I'm out on court.

 

[Faris]

Playtest: Dunlop Explosive Spin 1.25
By @Faris​

Tension used for playtest:
52 pounds

Regular string set up & tension:
My most usual setup is Solinco Hyper-G 17 strung at 52 lbs. Lately have tried a lot of different strings as well. I love experimenting. My last I tested was Solinco Confidential 1.25mm.

Racquet used for test:
3 matched Yonex Ezone 98 with leather grip, overgrip, and 4 grams in hoop.

Power/Control for Test String:
Not low powered. I would rate it as medium power. I felt comfortable stringing at my usual 52 lbs and did not feel like I had to go lower for more power.

I would give it very good marks on control. Sure, it isn't the best in this department, but is still above average. I was getting good depth control even though at times I felt directional control was slightly suffering, especially when I went for aggressive change of directions. Still, not too bad as I adjusted quick. Controlling depth, placement and direction on serves were good too.

For serves, I would like to note that I was making some errors in the beginning either putting too less spin or too much power but that was all me and not the string. In the end, just like all shaped polys, I was living off my slice 2nd serves.

Didn't find any noticeable difference in launch angle as compared to Solinco Hyper G.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?):
Feel is solid on contact. It isn't soft like most polys and plays on the crisper side. I received the yellow version which in the past, as pointed out before, tends to play softer. But yeah, I felt I could swing away and not worry about the ball sailing on me. Not as much spin as Hyper G, but power was about the same. Also, no jarring sensations. None of that cheapy brassy sort of feedback as well.

Spin:
Spin was just as you would expect from a shaped poly; pretty good. I only liked it for the first 4 hours or so though. As playtest went on and minutes started adding up, I noticed balls were going longer and I had to impart more spin using exaggerated stroke for same amount of spin that would land the ball in. If I wanted the ball to dip (in the later hours of the playtest) I had to consciously hit a loopy ball. First few hours, not so much as it produced the same spin as Hyper G. Anyway, I don't rate this as a good thing because after 4 hours the consistency went away and if I am thinking about how to hit the ball rather than just hitting and planning next shot setup, I am more than likely not winning.

Durability:
After 10 hours now, I can see some notching on my stringbed. I can also see the edges are getting a bit rounded when I put finger on them and try to feel them. But for someone like myself, anything that goes beyond 10 hours is bonus so can't hold it against this string.

Playability Duration:
Decent but nothing extraordinary. I did notice a distinct change in sound upon contact as the time progressed. I am on the 10 hour mark and string is not playing like it was in the first 4 hours or so. Played like a fresh string till first 4 hours, then traits started diminishing. I felt the most suffered aspect was spin. Balls were going long by the ten hour mark. Will likely cut it out shortly.

Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time? Explain answer):
This is a tricky one. I am not sure, to be honest. Will probably keep it at my usual tension. The thing is, if I string it looser, chances are it might play well longer, but then I will have balls landing long because of power and springiness. It felt a little livelier anyway. And if I string it a bit tighter by maybe a couple of pounds or so, I might take away from playability and further make it a bit crisper which I don't necessarily like very much.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
Decent offering by Dunlop. You can tell that it is a good quality string. That said, I am just not sure, with the plethora of strings in the market, where this one will sit. I will recommend everyone try it and see if it is the right fit.

A huge shoutout to @TW Staff you guys at Tennis Warehouse are amazing and give us these great opportunities to try out new things. It is much appreciated. I enjoyed the playtest as always.

 

[joah310]

Tension(s) used for playtest: 60#

Regular string set up & tension: Wilson NXT/Luxilon Alu power rough 65/62

Racquet used for test: Prince Original Graphite 4 Stripes

Power/Control of test string: quite controlled. Not a powerful poly(could be my tension, but its an os with 16x19). The control was good. The touch was also very good on this racket. Could point and shoot, not to mention the added control from the spin it generated.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?): The string was very comfortable. It was crisp without overly doing so. It had a great pocketing feel, but not mushy. overall a great feeling string. Loved the feel. Plays like a softer less dampened RPM blast.

Spin: very spin friendly. The string worked great for topspin forehands, and had the extra drop from being a very spinny poly
Playability Duration (How did it play over time?): Played with the string for roughly 5 hours. Definitely can feel the tension drop. Didn't become much livelier, but did become softer and more pocketing after the first hour. From that point on it felt relatively stable in tension. It didn't lose contol when it loosened up, and IMO played more comfortable and better.

Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time - why): I think I may have started out a tad high, so if you use a POG like I did, maybe go for 57 or 58#. Otherwise I'm sure this string will perform well in lower tensions.

List any additional thoughts (optional): compared to my normal set up, Dunlop explosive spin was more spin friendly, and a tad more controlled. Although comfort is not something to compare between a hybrid and a full bed of poly, I felt like Dunlop created a very nice and comforting poly. I think I would choose this over my RPM blast, but for spin potential, I think RPM blast rough is a bit better, although Dunlop wins for comfort. I'd like to note that I tested out a one piece stringing for this racket, and although It wasn't that bad stringing it, I dont think I can comment on the difficulty of stringing. Although a little mishap occured where I let my drop weight drop a little too fast, snapping the string. Luckily it was salvageable and I was able to complete the string job. THIS WAS IN NO WAY THE STRINGS FAULT. IT WAS MY MISTAKE. I though the string felt a bit thicker in my hands than the guage suggested, but that could just be me. I really hope this string would release in a smaller 1.20mm guage string. Loved this string and this playtest. Thanks TW for letting a rookie playtest for you!

 

[taydbear7]

Strung up Explosive Spin @ 46pds on my Babolat pure strike tour 3rd Gen. I decided to go 2pts lower since the frame is a 98sq inch head size and I have recently been using 100sq inch frames. Stringing was very easy and the string was soft and easy to maneuver between weaving. Not as stiff as Solinco Confidential, which I have been play testing recently. First impressions, this string is lower powered, but spin is really good and I liked the control. Biggest difference was how well I felt the ball pocket into the string bed, very soft and plush at contact. I could really get vertical on shots with the bite helping drop the ball deep. Serves had great cut on them, I am not a bit server and like to move the serve in the box. Had great control to move wide and deep or wide and short, so I was happy with the response of Explosive Spin with serves. More to come, but I think going with a lower tension was a better decision for this playtest. I string 1 piece and it was a breeze. I have been using a dampener recently as my wrist is coming back from injury. I'm from Texas so Cowboys dampener it is..........I know, I know, I'm still holding on to hope lol. Can't wait to see other playtester reviews.

I have a Bears dampener on my racquet. I love it but it keeps coming off.