Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Kirschbaum Flash 1.25

[FoldingChair]

What color did you review? Black
Tension(s) used for playtest: 50 all around
Power/Control: It was lowered powered compared to the grapplesnake paradox pro that I am used to using but it wasnt ultra low powrer by any means. Control was pinpoint as I felt like I had lots of directional control. Lots of accuracy going for shots with confidence. I’ve been spoiled with power and control with paradox though whereas flash didn’t give me that same level of both.
Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp Comfortable?): Definitely a deader crisper feel and not as comfortable (I kinda wanted yellow as lighter strings tend to play more lively). It makes sense (at least to me) with all of its directional control that it was crisper feeling imo. I had a bit of trouble with touch shots as I like hitting drop shots and volleying. I just couldn’t really carve my touch shots like I’m used to. No tennis elbow or anything like that to report, I just didn’t think “buttery” in my head.
Spin: i felt that spin was middle of the road. It’s a round non textured poly so it gave me about what i expected. Same went for serves as I wasn’t getting as much spin on my slice serves as per my usual.
Durability: I broke my set in 4 sessions, I had about 2 hours each session with the string breaking under an hour in the 4th session as I chopped at a serve that I tossed up directly into the sun.
Playability Duration: I didn’t notice a terrible drop off but there was a drop off for sure. Par for the course. By the time it broke I knew there was tension loss.
Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time - why): Were I to try this string again, I would go down to 45+ range and go from there. I’m used to stringing at 50-51 in my speeds (with paradox pro, a powerful poly) hence why I chose 50 for this test for reference. I feel like a lower tension would’ve done more justice in my case allowing for a bit more free power and comfort from jump.
List any additional thoughts (optional): It wasn’t a bad test for me, just not a string that has characteristics I’m used to. I sincerely feel like my go to has been spoiling me. The string I usually use is more lively and gives more free power and spin. Flash is not a bad string at all, just not for me. Thanks TW for allowing me to partake in this playtest, here’s to more in the future. Cheers!

 

[Cowboy]

Y'all are putting in your reviews and mine only arrived today...

I plan to string it up in the morning.

Optic yellow for the win! I'm really digging the color. Can't wait to see it in the racquet.

 

[SlowTiger]

I got black. I was hoping for yellow since I like softer strings but I'm excited to try this!

 

[Chairman3]

Coming off of Hyper-G round this will be a nice comparison.
TW lists Poly Tour Pro as similar to Flash and I consider PTP to be similar to Hyper-G round, so alot of overlap in my opinion.
Like a venn diagram

 

[Fighting phoenix]

Coming off of Hyper-G round this will be a nice comparison.
TW lists Poly Tour Pro as similar to Flash and I consider PTP to be similar to Hyper-G round, so alot of overlap in my opinion.
Like a venn diagram

Yeah agreed - I played with the yellow poly tour pro recently, was on the hyper-g round play test, and now this one which came in yellow. I’m hoping it will be a little crisper than the ptp and the hg-r (I consider both to be muted, which I don’t love), and I didn’t think the ptp was great in tension maintenance

 

[Power Player]

Optic yellow here as well and I am loving this string. I have 2 hours logged so far. The feel is so good, really defines the sweet spot nicely on the Yonex Vcore 98. Control is fantastic and I get plenty of spin. I strung at 48/46 and really enjoy how that feels. I could probably even go a little lower. I will see how it plays in that 6-8 hour mark.

To me this string is perfect in a full bed but could easily be a top tier option in a hybrid setup. It's just a great string so far. Kirschbaum makes great strings so I should not be so surprised at how much I like it.


My opinion on this is that is indeed crisper than PTP. I really prefer crisp strings so this is a big factor to me.

I’m hoping it will be a little crisper than the ptp.

 

[vndesu]

What color did you review? Yellow

Tension(s) used for playtest: 48

Power/Control:
Even with the dropped tension, I feel like the power was a good 3/5 and the control was 4/5. Coming off from a hybrid set up previously with lux alu power/nxt at 50, the Flash made me miss the extra power. But where I think the string shined was the control aspect. It felt very point and shoot and though I didnt get as much power, I feel like I could hit the angles and spots needed during my doubles set. I can porbably talk more about what I couldve done to get more power but overall felt very satisfied.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp Comfortable?):
The feel stood out to me as it felt very crisp and pretty firm (probably due to the cold weather as of late). I didnt get the ball pocketing feel but I did feel like it was managable and didnt run into any pain or issues. Overall the feel of this string felt like a 3/5 for me and I wouldve like to test this string on a warmer day, but more of that later.

Spin:
Due to the feel of the string, there was an adjustment period for me as coming from a hybrid before I had to adjust my swing path due to the firmer feeling of the string. But due to this characteristic, I felt like I could full swing with no issues and felt confident in my strokes. Nothing really stood out spin potential wise besides being more controlled making it feel like 3/5 for spin.

Durability:
I mentioned before on other parts of the boards that Im usually not a string breaker, but with my last hybrid set going into this playtest I wanted to see how I would fare when it comes to durability with going back to full poly since my hybrid set only lasted me 3-4 hitting sessions. Durability would be a 3/5 since I snapped it on my 3rd day of hitting playing multiple sets.

Playability Duration:
I felt like the playability did hold up until I had snapped my strings and I did notice a slight drop in tension before the break. It wasnt too bad to adjust as the drop felt pretty good until the strings snapped.

Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time - why):
For tension recommendations, I would still remain at the same tension or dropped to about 45-47. The reasoning behind this is becuase of the firmer feeling that I felt during my test but again I wouldve liked to test this string or revisit once it gets warmer.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
Overall, I think I wanted more from this string and probably would tinker with my racket tension depending on my set up with my weight and racket customization. Not a bad string but seeing as ive been playing a lot more, the durability did not last as long for me. Just like mentioned before, pretty point and shoot with this string and Im pretty sure that some other testers might be ok with the firmness, but for me I usually look for more of the ball pocketing feel.

Just wanted to thank the TW staff again with another string playtest and hopefully more for the future.

 

[Cowboy]

It's strung and ready!

I'm really digging the color. I guess I've always liked yellow, so no surprise for me there. Stringing was much simpler than many other poly strings that I have strung. I didn't find it to be very stiff, and weaving the crosses was relatively easy. The hardest section is always the throat where the mains don't have as much room to move....but even there it was easier than pretty much every other poly I've strung...though, I'll admit, most of the poly I string is either shaped or textured. I've only got one person who prefers a round poly and his is also 17g, so I suppose it is relatively on par with that one.

Bounce test: just bouncing a ball on the stringbed immediately after stringing. It feels pretty stiff....maybe stiff isn't the right word...pretty crisp. The bounce test doesn't really do much to tell me how they will play on the court, as that's a totally different animal. Now I just need to get out there and hit some!

 

[Cowboy]

I forgot to mention, the K Flash added 17g of weight to the racquet. (314g strung - 297g unstrung) in a 100 sq. in. 16x19 string pattern.

I normally don't go into a match with a string that I haven't used in practice. I have a match tomorrow night, and I'm very strongly leaning toward using it. I went to the courts today over my lunch break to hit a few practice serves.

Flat serves felt less powerful than normal, but the accuracy felt surgical. Not sure how this will translate to an actual match. We'll see.
Spin serves had more visible curvature than what I've seen with any of the other strings I've played with recently.
Kick serves felt good and looked good, but didn't kick as much as I would have expected once they hit the ground.

I had a few balls that I just dropped and hit a forehand. Again, totally different than returning a ball of an opposing racquet, but the strings felt less powerful and more controlled.

 

[EastAngels2014]

Received my set today! Looking forward to stringing it up and giving it a try in the next few days!

 

[loosegroove]

It's strung and ready!

I'm really digging the color. I guess I've always liked yellow, so no surprise for me there. Stringing was much simpler than many other poly strings that I have strung. I didn't find it to be very stiff, and weaving the crosses was relatively easy. The hardest section is always the throat where the mains don't have as much room to move....but even there it was easier than pretty much every other poly I've strung...though, I'll admit, most of the poly I string is either shaped or textured. I've only got one person who prefers a round poly and his is also 17g, so I suppose it is relatively on par with that one.

Bounce test: just bouncing a ball on the stringbed immediately after stringing. It feels pretty stiff....maybe stiff isn't the right word...pretty crisp. The bounce test doesn't really do much to tell me how they will play on the court, as that's a totally different animal. Now I just need to get out there and hit some!

Hardwood flooring? How fancy! I like what you've done with the place.

 

[PBODY99]

Full disclosure this report is colored by my use of Flash in Yellow & Orange in 2023.
What color did you review? BLACK 1.25mm_
Arrived 21 Feb 2024 Installed in my 2024 O3 Legacy 105_2024
Tension(s) used for play-test : 40 LBS { E-constant pull } 10% pre_stretch my usual for a new poly.
Installation was routine, no problem with coil memory or weaving .
Power/Control: pretty good for a Black poly. The lighter colors of Flash I have used have more power but the controll is about the same
Feel : Consistent response off the string bed
Spin : Average over the span of the test.
Comfort : My O-ported frame at this tension is very arm friendly for this 65+ year old player
Durability : I seldom break strings , this lasted over 12 hours
Tension Recommendations : The same as my normal tension
I might drop it a couple of pounds if I wanted to match the "power" I get from the lighter versions of Flash
String bed remained playable ; for the lenght of the test
List any additional thoughts
I have strung the Yellow and Orange version before and this handled about the same. Easy enough to string
1st hit
The string was lower powered compared to Flash in yellow which I used in 2023. Spin was ok as was string bed consistency. I use
Eastern grips on both one handed wings. I was able to control incoming pace fairly well
I may it as a cross next
Thank you Kirschbaum and TW for the opportunity to test this string in a color I would not normally use.
Fresh off my machine I could get as good of a kick as I can hit, but I am not a high swing speed player.

 

[Cowboy]

I played my first match with these last night. It was a LONG 3+ hour match. I'm still in shock that we lost because we absolutely should have won it in 2 sets (6-1, 6-7, 3-6). Normally, I would not play with a match so soon after stringing a new string. I would typically play 1-2 practice sessions before taking a new string to a match. I definitely noticed a change in playability as the match went on.

The strings had a fairly muted feel at the beginning of the match. Spin was great and I was able to take good cuts at the ball. As the match went on, they lost some of the control and started demonstrating more power. In the back of my mind, I know that I shouldn't compare how the strings played at the end of the match, as I know my form starts to suffer. As the match went on, I noticed more power on serves and groundstrokes. This caused me to lose some confidence in my ability to place the ball. Shots that would drop in the first set would drop long in the third.

Serves are where I noticed the biggest change in playability, but also on groundstrokes. I hit more spin serves in the first set than I normally would because they lacked the power for me to get good pace. As the match went on, I started hitting more flat serves, as the pace was there. Spin serves did not suffer as a result of the increased power. Return of serve was excellent, but my opponent did not have the hardest of serves. An area where I felt these particularly shined was on volleys. Volleys and rallies were a thing of dreams. Ball pocketing was good. Not to much, not too little.

At the time of writing, I'm definitely feeling my arm, but I think it is more just soreness from a long and hard fought match. I have very little notching at this point and the mains still move relatively freely. Honestly, I can see why people like this string. I'm thinking the magical sweet spot was between the 1 and 3 hour mark. Weather was perfect. About 62* with no wind.

 

[tennisjunkie]

Initial thoughts.

I strung my Tecnifibre TF40 305 18m at 52/50, using a Gamma X-Stringer with a Wise 2086 tension head, skipping the outermost top and bottom cross strings, in one piece, essentially turning the racket into a 18x18 string pattern with only two knots. I took a baseline reading of the string bed tension using my Tourna tension meter right after stringing, which read 52 lbs. After an hour or so of constant hitting on the courts, I took another measurement, which also read 52 lbs.

For reference, my TF40 has a static weight of 340 grams strung, with lead tape (hidden under the bumper), head tape, dampener, and overgrip. My current racket of choice is the Babola’ Pure Strike VS, which is the polar opposite when it comes to weight distribution. But I find the extra head weight on the TF40 helps open up the dense string bed, sort to speak. I’m still experimenting with the racket to find its optimal weight and balance. I normally string it at 55/52. Ultimately, I want to remove a bit of head weight with my TF40 to get the racket to snap quicker through the air without sacrificing any power or control. Perhaps by removing the head tape and lowering the tension?

My initial impression is that these strings feel very soft. Almost too soft. Which makes me question whether I should’ve strung it with higher tension. The strings pocket the ball well and are very comfortable on the arm. It also has an addictive popping sound at contact. However, I would spray a ball every 25 balls or so. The ball would sail high, landing out. Something I was not comfortable with. So, I had to adjust accordingly and be tentative with my swings, which is something I’m not a fan of. I like to take big cuts and rip the felt off of balls, or even better, depressurize them in mid-air during a serve and scare the crap out of people.

Maybe it’s a good string if I was playing recreationally. It is hard to know for sure without further experimentation.

Further thoughts to come.

 

[StringStrungStrang]

Kirschbaum Flash

Another 2.5 hours (totaling 9 or so) and the string remains solid. Not too much fall of, in fact I am liking it even better just because I am getting more used to it. There is some noticeable notching, and strings are moving a bit, but it is playing well. To this point I continue to be impressed by this Kirschbaum Flash. Especially if you can get it for the current sale price of 6.95 @ TW. A bunch of my friends have already heeded my advice and are pleasantly surprised by this inexpensive string.

The color: Optic yellow is awesome - I can see how it might be too much for the faint of heart, but it seems to give me a little energy just looking at it! When I order more it'll be a tough decision whether to choose orange, pink or the optic yellow. They all look good and I know the yellow gives me so much of what I like in a string.

Reverse Flash - also in yellow !!

Attributes: I like that it is a forgiving, comfortable string without being mushy. It is firm and controlled and just powerful, crisp / direct enough to make you feel like you can put it where you want on ground strokes, passing shots and volleys.
I strung this on the low side of what I generally play 43/45, but I could easily see stringing it up 5-7 lbs more. For me next time I'd add a couple pounds in my Pure Strike 98 - but quite happy where it is now.

I do notice that it has nice pocketing at this tension, giving me pretty good spin for a round poly string, and more spin the harder and more I hit through my shots. When I need to block shots it is controlled and consistent. On returns I am feeling more and more confident going for shots and hit quite a few return winners as I've grown accustomed to this. On serves, I felt good hitting flat up the tee or slicing into the body. Power, control and spin were more than adequate on serves and from most places on the court. Even lobs were solid and controlled.

For me Flash provided a extremely solid, competent and consistent string through which I have been rehabilitating my game. As mentioned before, I suffered through a month of terrible play (in my mind at least) which turned around the first time I took the court with Flash ! Coincidence ? I think not. This string is a great all-rounder and provided the solid consistent response I need to turn it around. Don't get me wrong there are strings that provide more control, more power, more spin and that suit specific purposes better for some, and probably not enough control for those who really crush the ball. Still not many strings do all these things with feel and comfort, which makes it an easy string to play and grow with .

As I often think with a nice round poly - this would make a good poly poly hybrid with a shaped main.

 

[Molk]

Initial thoughts.

I strung my Tecnifibre TF40 305 18m at 52/50, using a Gamma X-Stringer with a Wise 2086 tension head, skipping the outermost top and bottom cross strings, in one piece, essentially turning the racket into a 18x18 string pattern with only two knots. I took a baseline reading of the string bed tension using my Tourna tension meter right after stringing, which read 52 lbs. After an hour or so of constant hitting on the courts, I took another measurement, which also read 52 lbs.

For reference, my TF40 has a static weight of 340 grams strung, with lead tape (hidden under the bumper), head tape, dampener, and overgrip. My current racket of choice is the Babola’ Pure Strike VS, which is the polar opposite when it comes to weight distribution. But I find the extra head weight on the TF40 helps open up the dense string bed, sort to speak. I’m still experimenting with the racket to find its optimal weight and balance. I normally string it at 55/52. Ultimately, I want to remove a bit of head weight with my TF40 to get the racket to snap quicker through the air without sacrificing any power or control. Perhaps by removing the head tape and lowering the tension?

My initial impression is that these strings feel very soft. Almost too soft. Which makes me question whether I should’ve strung it with higher tension. The strings pocket the ball well and are very comfortable on the arm. It also has an addictive popping sound at contact. However, I would spray a ball every 25 balls or so. The ball would sail high, landing out. Something I was not comfortable with. So, I had to adjust accordingly and be tentative with my swings, which is something I’m not a fan of. I like to take big cuts and rip the felt off of balls, or even better, depressurize them in mid-air during a serve and scare the crap out of people.

Maybe it’s a good string if I was playing recreationally. It is hard to know for sure without further experimentation.

Further thoughts to come.

That has also been my initial experience. Love the soft arm friendly feeling but hate launching balls!

 

[konstantinos kalfountzos]

As I often think with a nice round poly - this would make a good poly poly hybrid with a shaped main.

In my exprerience with Kirschbaum I've never felt I would ever need to hybrid the Flash or Evolution. Maybe, Max Power only because of its slick surface, stiffness and super durability.
The Kirschbaum XPlosive Speed could be a nice choice for the mains, since from what I've read your experience is with Flash, was for me the same with XPlosive Speed with sjust some extra top-spin assistance. I felt it is equally soft with the bright-coloured Flash. I played it full-bed with a Tecnifibre TF40 315 16*19. But, if you like what Flash gives you why not stick with it?

 

[tennisjunkie]

Kirschbaum Flash 1.25 Playtest

What color did you review? Black

Tension(s) used for playtest 52/50
Power/Control (4 out of 5) Good power; the power and feel is superb. It reminds me of playing with synthetic gut at 57 lbs. It’s very soft at lower tensions, even with a dense string bed. I felt like I could generate pace on tap. However, like syn gut., the ball launches off the string bed unexpectedly at times.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?)​

(5 out of 5) It’s very plush, like Prince Syn Gut. It might be a good stepping stone for someone who dislikes stiff-feeling polys.

Spin​

(4 out of 5) I thought the spin was adequate - nothing spectacular or noteworthy. But that's coming from a player who believes the Microgel Head Prestige Mid has excellent spin potential. So, take it with a grain of salt.

Durability​

(5 out of 5) I’ve logged 5-6 hours of total hitting time with these strings so far, and the tension holds up well. At the 5 -6 hour mark, the tension still hovers over 50 lbs., according to my tension meter.

Playability Duration​

(5 out of 5) The first time I got exposed to Kirschbaum strings was through my tennis coach. I fondly remember he had a small shed with a stringing machine near the courts, and he would always push players to Kirschbaum Spiky Shark strings whenever they would break their strings. That’s how I became a fan of Kirshbaum. The tension maintenance is excellent. The strings hold their initial tension well, only dropping a pound or two after five hours of solid hitting.

Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time - why)
52/50 is a good starting place. Maybe I can string it a tad higher, depending on the conditions, or to minimize the trampoline effect.


List any additional thoughts (optional)​

I don’t like the packaging because it’s mainly made of plastic. There are so many eco-friendly alternatives out there that are way better for the planet, which makes the company seem out of touch with the rest of the industry.

Final thoughts​

Excellent, affordable strings. It reminds me of off-brand items from brick-and-mortar stores. It’s probably made from the same material as the expensive brands at an affordable price, minus the marketing.

Thank you, Tennis Warehouse, for allowing me to playtest the Flash 125!​

 

[StringStrungStrang]

In my exprerience with Kirschbaum I've never felt I would ever need to hybrid the Flash or Evolution. Maybe, Max Power only because of its slick surface, stiffness and super durability.
The Kirschbaum XPlosive Speed could be a nice choice for the mains, since from what I've read your experience is with Flash, was for me the same with XPlosive Speed with sjust some extra top-spin assistance. I felt it is equally soft with the bright-coloured Flash. I played it full-bed with a Tecnifibre TF40 315 16*19. But, if you like what Flash gives you why not stick with it?

So @konstantinos kalfountzos, you're saying that Kirschbaum Explosive Speed would make a good main with a bit more spin than Flash, but with similar playing characteristics. I see that Explosive Speed is shaped so that helps too. That would be excellent ! From the TW Comparison tool they seem to have very similar numbers. Thanks !! I used 16g to 16 g for a more accurate comparison since Flash was only measured in 16g.

 

[konstantinos kalfountzos]

So @konstantinos kalfountzos, you're saying that Kirschbaum Explosive Speed would make a good main with a bit more spin than Flash, but with similar playing characteristics. I see that Explosive Speed is shaped so that helps too. That would be excellent ! From the TW Comparison tool they seem to have very similar numbers. Thanks !! I used 16g to 16 g for a more accurate comparison since Flash was only measured in 16g.

From all YouTube reviews I had seen, after I played it, all mentioned some quick tension loss about XPlosive Speed. In my experience Black Flash plays less lively than the coloured variations, so if I were to make a hybrid with these I would try:

XPlosive Speed 1-1.5kg > Black Flash
XPlosive Speed = orange/yellow Flash both 1.5kg higher than my usual tension at first try

* Silly me, I had actually/totally forgotten about this Tennis Warehouse tool! I remember last time I visited that was 2 years ago! I have to get familiar with the numbers.

 

[konstantinos kalfountzos]

I'll write a full review when I'll have played a few more hours, hopefully this week. Last week was all rainy, still windy today.

 

[Cowboy]

I went to order another pack of the Flash yellow to try in my other racquet at a higher tension and it is on backorder. Both TW and another prominent online retailer show it out of stock for the sets. Looks like a reel is your only option, which is still a pretty good deal, if you want to order right now.

 

[konstantinos kalfountzos]

Some late-night quick takes about the black Flash 1.25 after today's session which was quite windy as one can hear:

keeping in mind that the Head Youtek Speed MP 16*19 doesn't feel like a 100% modern full-graphite frame, there's something more metallic inside the frame for sure

I'd rate the string's:

* stiffness around 4 out of 6 / not nearly as soft as XPlosive Speed and more towards Evolution (blue), not as stiff as Max Power

* power 3 out of 6, I had some gasps of wind against my direction today, but still power was there only with my full and flat strokes / nearly as powerful/-less as Max Power

* top-spin, cannot be very conclusive about it, since I've recently acquired this frame as a gift from a good friend and I tend to find it more efficient to hit flat and loopy (a la Sinner if I dare say) / easier spin than Max Power, less than Evolution (blue)

* feel upon clean contact is top-notch, there's hardly any shot hit inside the sweetspot that lands anywhere unpredictably shorter or farther / less direct than Max Power and a bit less than Evolution (blue)

there's for sure some significant influence of the racket's composition here, but I've played XPlosive Speed, Flash, Evolution, Max Power with different but modern frames, so I feel I can elaborate about them

 

[ngoster]

I just strung mine. Interestingly. and I hope someone else can chime in, somehow I ended up with more leftover strings than expected. I thought I cut out 20 feet for the mains and was left with 20 feet for the crosses. The mains strung up as expected but I had 5 feet of extra strings after finishing the crosses, which meant that I only used 15 feet. On the CX 200 Tour 16x19, I normally use 17 feet and 4 inches for polys and go under 17 feet for synthetic gut. I didn't experience any noticeable stretching while stringing. Did anyone else have more left over than expected?

Aside from this, I can't wait to try them out tomorrow night. I, initially, planned on stringing them at 42/40 but based on some of the feedback that I've read so far and how soft the strings felt, I bumped it up to 44#. The surface felt like there was some tackiness to it. Pulling the top and bottom crosses was not smooth. I'm expecting to see good fuzz grab with each hit.

 

[konstantinos kalfountzos]

I just strung mine. Interestingly. and I hope someone else can chime in, somehow I ended up with more leftover strings than expected. I thought I cut out 20 feet for the mains and was left with 20 feet for the crosses. The mains strung up as expected but I had 5 feet of extra strings after finishing the crosses, which meant that I only used 15 feet. On the CX 200 Tour 16x19, I normally use 17 feet and 4 inches for polys and go under 17 feet for synthetic gut. I didn't experience any noticeable stretching while stringing. Did anyone else have more left over than expected?

Aside from this, I can't wait to try them out tomorrow night. I, initially, planned on stringing them at 42/40 but based on some of the feedback that I've read so far and how soft the strings felt, I bumped it up to 44#. The surface felt like there was some tackiness to it. Pulling the top and bottom crosses was not smooth. I'm expecting to see good fuzz grab with each hit.

I'll check my set later and let you know. But, I've also noticed, few times, that some string sets are longer than 12.2m

 

[Cowboy]

I just strung mine. Interestingly. and I hope someone else can chime in, somehow I ended up with more leftover strings than expected. I thought I cut out 20 feet for the mains and was left with 20 feet for the crosses. The mains strung up as expected but I had 5 feet of extra strings after finishing the crosses, which meant that I only used 15 feet. On the CX 200 Tour 16x19, I normally use 17 feet and 4 inches for polys and go under 17 feet for synthetic gut. I didn't experience any noticeable stretching while stringing. Did anyone else have more left over than expected?

Aside from this, I can't wait to try them out tomorrow night. I, initially, planned on stringing them at 42/40 but based on some of the feedback that I've read so far and how soft the strings felt, I bumped it up to 44#. The surface felt like there was some tackiness to it. Pulling the top and bottom crosses was not smooth. I'm expecting to see good fuzz grab with each hit.

I'll check my set later and let you know. But, I've also noticed, few times, that some string sets are longer than 12.2m

Yeah. I'm guessing your set was longer than 40ft. My excess was very much in-line with what I would expect to have left over.

 

[ngoster]

First impressions after playing 2.5 hours of mixed doubles...
--The most standout thing...there is a lot of movement with the crosses that I have to straighten. This may have something to do with the semi-tacky surface.
--The feel is dead but not plush. However, this doesn't mean that there's no power. Power level is more on the control side of the spectrum and on par with typical polys.
--Spin is so so. It hits a pretty flat ball which fits my style. I didn't see much dip on my topspin groundies nor did I notice much kick on the kick serves. Slices, however, had good action.

I'm not loving them but am digging the overall performance enough (it's predictable) to play them in a league match this weekend. I think the only thing that I'm missing from these is liveliness. Color (black) may be the factor. I'll hit them again this Friday. Maybe there's a break-in period and they wake up.

More feedback to come...

 

[Cowboy]

Maybe there's a break-in period and they wake up.

^^^This. You should have hit the break-in period during that doubles. Seems the 1-2 hour mark was the biggest difference for me.

 

[Cowboy]

I think I've played with these long enough to give my official playtest review. Right now, I'm at just over 7 hours, and most of it was league play. I'm not done with them, as they are still playing good, but I'm comfortable in my assessment so far. I will update here again when I feel that these are "done."


What color did you review? Yellow
Tension(s) used for playtest: 48 lbs.

I think it is also worth noting that I am a 3.0 - 3.5 level player.

Power/Control: This is what you make of it. In my opinion, this is neither a power nor control string. It is an all around string with good control and good power. The break-in period was very apparent to me. The control was outstanding when fresh, but they lacked power. Once they settled in, they started to get lots of power while maintaining control. The added power made them feel less controlled than when fresh, but they never lost the control.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?): Muted toward the beginning (after first being strung) with a slight shift toward crisp at around the 2 hour mark. Ball pocketing was very good. Not too much, not too little. They are fairly comfortable as far as poly strings are concerned.

Spin: Spin was - in my very American rating - "good" to "very good". I felt like my topspin forehand was visually more shaped...as in I could see more of an arch than normal. I don't know that my shots felt any heavier than normal as I didn't play against any familiar opponents. OHBH slice was also good. I would not consider these strings to be "spin monsters," but they did generate more spin than any of the other strings I've played with recently.

Durability: I'm not a string breaker, so this is a tough one for me to answer. I feel like they will last - as with any poly - indefinitely. Think Buzz Lightyear...."To infinity AND BEYOND!" I can say that I have very little notching after 7+ hours of play. This allows for them to continue to have good snap back. Slight notching is present, but the strings are not locked into place.

Playability Duration: They were very consistent for prior to the break-in (the first hour). After the break-in, they also played extremely consistently. I didn't perceive any change in playability from hours 2 to 7.

Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time - why):
I think I would go higher with anticipation of the tension loss. I'd like a touch more control, and I think stringing these just a little higher would allow for them to find the perfect balance of power and control after they settle in.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
I love the color. I have a few other poly strings to try out before making a commitment to any one in particular, but this one will get a second look. Probably at a higher tension. Overall, I really liked it and think that I could get dialed in with a few more hitting sessions at different tensions. I'm going to keep an eye on these price wise even though they are already a great value. I think I'd like to have a reel of this to use for both myself and to string for others.

During the first 4 hours, I totally forgot that I hadn't installed a dampener. I put one on before my second match and really didn't notice a huge difference in feel.

I think these could be a good fit for two different types of players: people who have multiple racquets strung for each match and restring often (less common at my level), and people who want a durable and comfortable poly who let them ride after settling in (most common at my level). I noted some "downsides" pre-break-in period. Really, they were great before and after. The disappointment was more "during" the shift in play characteristics. My first set played with these, I won 6-1. It was total domination. However, a combination of "I lost confidence as they shifted" and "my opponent really got into gear" caused me to lose the 2nd and 3rd set. The second set, I had a match point that I lost. That eventually forced us to go to tiebreaker, which I also lost. Third set was lost 3-6. Had my other racquet had the same strings, I'd have switched racquets after the 2nd set. My opponent for the last match was much better than the previous. However, the strings were totally settled by then and they were just great all around. They were very consistent the entire match.

---

Log:
2/20/24 30 minutes (practice)- hitting serves shortly after stringing. String bed felt very tight with little movement. Strings felt more on the muted side and serves felt like they lacked power. Spin serves and kick serves had good spin.

2/21/24 3 hours and 15 minutes (match play) - strings maintained a muted feel at the beginning of the match. Spin was great and I was able to take good cuts at the ball. As the match went on, they lost some of the control and started demonstrating more power. In the back of my mind, I know that I shouldn't compare how the strings played at the end of the match, as I know my form starts to suffer. However, I lost some confidence in my ability to place the ball at the end. Serves were consistent throughout the entire match, but I definitely had more power toward the end. Good pace on both flat and spin serves. Return of serve was excellent. At the time of writing, I'm definitely feeling my arm, but I'm not sure if it is mild TE or just soreness from a long and hard fought match. I have very little notching at this point and the mains still move relatively freely. Honestly, I can see why people like this string. I'm thinking the magical sweet spot was between a half hour and an hour and a half. Weather was perfect. About 62* with no wind.

2/26/24 3 hours and 30 minutes (match play) - The biggest difference here was the consistency. There was no real change in play characteristics throughout this match. Lots of power and good control with proper form. My swing path is what really made the difference. If I hit flat, it was 50/50 on whether it was staying in or going long. If I got under the ball and hit a clean topspin forehand, the ball really had a nice trajectory and landed in 95% of the time. The sweet spot is generous, and I had a few balls that were too sweet...meaning you could feel that they were going long before they ever left the string bed. Off centered shots were not harsh. I didn't have as many during the match as I normally would. The ones that I did have...I didn't feel. So big plus there. This string continues to impress me during volleys and rallies. My opponent, whom I've never played before, commented that my serve was really hard. I hit mostly flat powerful serves and did not resort to spin much. The flat serves had plenty of speed and my first serve felt great. Return of serve was also good. Oh, and I got quite a few overhead volleys that I was able to crush and win points. Weather was again perfect. Around 70* and no wind. My elbow was not happy during the match, but it was another long 3 setter; so I'm not sure how much of it was the string vs. playing hard for 3.5 hours. It feels fine at the time of this writing (the following morning).

I had a few other hitting sessions, but none where I noted anything that isn't covered in the above.

---

Huge Thank you to @TW Staff and Kirschbaum for making this playtest happen!

 

[ekucheraw]

Alright, I've given my setup of Kirschbaum Flash 125 Yellow at 54 LBs in a Wilson Six.One 95 18x20 about 20 hours on court and here's the results!

This is a poppy string, the ball does not like to stay around and give a Long goodbye at the end of the night, it flies out of there like the cops just showed up. With crisp response, it makes this normally plush Six.One into something more akin to a Pure Aero. As a result, I struggled to control the ball especially off of fast, flat shots low to the ground.

Now where this string may have a lack of feel, it does make up for it with enough spin to drop last second just inside the baseline. It's not very comfortable, but that's frequently the price we pay for a powerful and spinny string. This was a great boon to the forehand, but the one handed backhand suffered a bit due to the smaller potential for generating spin.

The downside to having such little feel is the more finesse-oriented shots particularly on volleys. Popping a sitter away for an easy volley winner was always satisfying and simple to execute, but if a shot's coming in with intent to kill, softening the ball up and playing a short angle tends to go wider or higher than targeted.

20 hours of point play and ball machine later I can feel that the string is has become even less controllable due to some tension drop, but there doesn't currently seem to be any sign of breakage any time in the near future, which was a pleasant surprise. I'd say the most playable timeframe was somewhere from the 3-9 hours, with this second half of testing being consistently off.

I think this string would be better suited in a much more spin-oriented racquet at around the 50 lb mark, enough to allow the strings to really bite the ball and bring down groundies while remaining inside the controllable threshold on flatter shots. Not sure the string is as conducive to an 18x20 pattern as a result but perhaps my preferred tension of 54 is too high for this test.

Final Scores:
Power: 5/5
Control: 3/5
Feel: 2/5
Spin: 4/5
Durability: 20+ Court Hours
Playablity: ~9 Hours

Thank you so much for including me on this test!

 

[Cowboy]

Alright, I've given my setup of Kirschbaum Flash 125 Yellow at 54 LBs in a Wilson Six.One 95 18x20 about 20 hours on court and here's the results!

This is a poppy string, the ball does not like to stay around and give a Long goodbye at the end of the night, it flies out of there like the cops just showed up. With crisp response, it makes this normally plush Six.One into something more akin to a Pure Aero. As a result, I struggled to control the ball especially off of fast, flat shots low to the ground.

Now where this string may have a lack of feel, it does make up for it with enough spin to drop last second just inside the baseline. It's not very comfortable, but that's frequently the price we pay for a powerful and spinny string. This was a great boon to the forehand, but the one handed backhand suffered a bit due to the smaller potential for generating spin.

The downside to having such little feel is the more finesse-oriented shots particularly on volleys. Popping a sitter away for an easy volley winner was always satisfying and simple to execute, but if a shot's coming in with intent to kill, softening the ball up and playing a short angle tends to go wider or higher than targeted.

20 hours of point play and ball machine later I can feel that the string is has become even less controllable due to some tension drop, but there doesn't currently seem to be any sign of breakage any time in the near future, which was a pleasant surprise. I'd say the most playable timeframe was somewhere from the 3-9 hours, with this second half of testing being consistently off.

I think this string would be better suited in a much more spin-oriented racquet at around the 50 lb mark, enough to allow the strings to really bite the ball and bring down groundies while remaining inside the controllable threshold on flatter shots. Not sure the string is as conducive to an 18x20 pattern as a result but perhaps my preferred tension of 54 is too high for this test.

Final Scores:
Power: 5/5
Control: 3/5
Feel: 2/5
Spin: 4/5
Durability: 20+ Court Hours
Playablity: ~9 Hours

Thank you so much for including me on this test!

So one thought that I had in the back of my head was that I don't really expect to keep these in my frame past the 10 hour mark. I didn't really say that in my review, as it is just a feeling that I have. Your review sort of confirms that for me.

Based on your review, and my own experience with the string, I think you may have kept it in your racquet too long.. I went from having almost no power at the 0 hour mark to a ton of power by the 7 hour mark. I imagine the tension loss past 10 hours would probably make for a slight rocket launcher. IDK what the average life expectancy for a poly string is, but I'm guessing somewhere around 10 hours. Though, I'll admit, that is a total semi-educated guess.

 

[ekucheraw]

So one thought that I had in the back of my head was that I don't really expect to keep these in my frame past the 10 hour mark. I didn't really say that in my review, as it is just a feeling that I have. Your review sort of confirms that for me.

Based on your review, and my own experience with the string, I think you may have kept it in your racquet too long.. I went from having almost no power at the 0 hour mark to a ton of power by the 7 hour mark. I imagine the tension loss past 10 hours would probably make for a slight rocket launcher. IDK what the average life expectancy for a poly string is, but I'm guessing somewhere around 10 hours. Though, I'll admit, that is a total semi-educated guess.

Agreed, normally if I was looking for competitive play only I would've cut these out at the 9 hour mark (or earlier as I wasn't entirely vibing with the setup as is), though if I'm testing durability I really wanted to see if I could get these to snap which they managed to survive long enough to avoid haha

 

[ngoster]

So one thought that I had in the back of my head was that I don't really expect to keep these in my frame past the 10 hour mark. I didn't really say that in my review, as it is just a feeling that I have. Your review sort of confirms that for me.

Based on your review, and my own experience with the string, I think you may have kept it in your racquet too long.. I went from having almost no power at the 0 hour mark to a ton of power by the 7 hour mark. I imagine the tension loss past 10 hours would probably make for a slight rocket launcher. IDK what the average life expectancy for a poly string is, but I'm guessing somewhere around 10 hours. Though, I'll admit, that is a total semi-educated guess.

Unless it's shear break from a mis-hit, I'm not a string breaker. In the past, I've been pretty bad about playing well beyond the string's life but am better now, usually cutting them when I notice severe locking in the mains. Looking at my logs, I'm getting between 10 and 20 hours of play from hybrid setups. I would say 10 hours from polys is about right.

 

[loosegroove]

Color: Black

Tension used for playtest: 45lbs

Regular string setup & tension: Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25mm 45lbs, recently Solinco Hyper G Round 1.25mm 43lbs

Racquet used for test: Prince Phantom 100X 305

Power/Control of test string: In my open pattern low flex Phantom, my go to strings are round polys. I prefer their predictability and launch angle, and seek more court penetration and drive. During medium speed warm up, the black Flash seemed to offer slightly above average power for a poly, creating easy depth with a healthy amount of spin from its softer (for a poly) dampened string bed. However once ramping up the intensity, I didn’t feel like the pace increase was commensurate with the increased racket head speed. It almost felt as if the strings absorbed some of the energy in the same way that a flexible racket does, though the ball was landing deep. I wasn’t getting the same drive and pop like I was with my racket strung with Hyper G Round. I also saw a little drop in pace on my serves.

Control was solid and the string bed fairly predictable, though not top tier for a round poly. I found myself spraying forehands long a little more frequently when going for putaways, and l lost a little confidence on short balls and approach shots. I wasn’t getting the “ball dipping inside the line at the last second” effect. Directional control was also solid, though I did find myself pulling shots wide sometimes when taking the ball early on my backhand, as if I were losing the ball in the stringbed.

Feel: I tried Flash in pink and I was surprised how crisp those felt relative to the black strings I playtested; the Flash in black felt pretty soft and dampened in comparison. Fortunately Flash also felt pretty comfortable, particularly coming from the Hyper G Round playtest. I feel like this is a string that could suit a player stepping up to polys for the first time from synthetic gut.

Spin: Spin for a poly was adequate, maybe even a little underwhelming. I wasn’t getting as much shape on my forehand, nor as much slice on my serves. This may have been even more pronounced coming from the Hyper G Round playtest which offered some of the best spin I’ve ever experienced from a round poly.

Playability Duration: The strings didn’t seem to lose too much tension or bag out, however as the tension dropped, I found it more difficult to go big on my shots with confidence.

Tension Recommendations: I would go up a few pounds to firm up the string bed and hopefully rein in my forehands. Generally I like to stay 45lbs and under, but these strings were comfy enough where I could try up to 50lbs.

Other comments: I really was hoping to love Flash, but in the end I find it to be a somewhat basic round poly without any real standout qualities in a sea of poly strings. Its best attributes are they’re relatively arm friendly, inexpensive, and offered in a variety of cool colors. I much prefer Kirschbaum’s Evolution which is one of my favorite strings. Evolution offers more control, spin, and a connected predictable response. Another one of my faves, Prince Tour XP, is comparable to Flash but performs better across the board. I don’t mean for this review to be negative, because Flash is a perfectly fine string, it’s just a little meat and potatoes. I guess I had high expectations because I like some of Kirschbaum’s other offerings so much, and because TWU listed Prince XP as a similar string.

 

[ngoster]

Logged another 2 hours rallying with a friend yesterday. As others mentioned, the strings settled yielding less string movement and more power. All other characteristics remain the same. The predictability makes it enjoyable to hit with.

 

[ngoster]

Color: Black

Tension used for playtest: 45lbs

Regular string setup & tension: Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25mm 45lbs, recently Solinco Hyper G Round 1.25mm 43lbs

Racquet used for test: Prince Phantom 100X 305

Power/Control of test string: In my open pattern low flex Phantom, my go to strings are round polys. I prefer their predictability and launch angle, and seek more court penetration and drive. During medium speed warm up, the black Flash seemed to offer slightly above average power for a poly, creating easy depth with a healthy amount of spin from its softer (for a poly) dampened string bed. However once ramping up the intensity, I didn’t feel like the pace increase was commensurate with the increased racket head speed. It almost felt as if the strings absorbed some of the energy in the same way that a flexible racket does, though the ball was landing deep. I wasn’t getting the same drive and pop like I was with my racket strung with Hyper G Round. I also saw a little drop in pace on my serves.

Control was solid and the string bed fairly predictable, though not top tier for a round poly. I found myself spraying forehands long a little more frequently when going for putaways, and l lost a little confidence on short balls and approach shots. I wasn’t getting the “ball dipping inside the line at the last second” effect. Directional control was also solid, though I did find myself pulling shots wide sometimes when taking the ball early on my backhand, as if I were losing the ball in the stringbed.

Feel: I tried Flash in pink and I was surprised how crisp those felt relative to the black strings I playtested; the Flash in black felt pretty soft and dampened in comparison. Fortunately Flash also felt pretty comfortable, particularly coming from the Hyper G Round playtest. I feel like this is a string that could suit a player stepping up to polys for the first time from synthetic gut.

Spin: Spin for a poly was adequate, maybe even a little underwhelming. I wasn’t getting as much shape on my forehand, nor as much slice on my serves. This may have been even more pronounced coming from the Hyper G Round playtest which offered some of the best spin I’ve ever experienced from a round poly.

Playability Duration: The strings didn’t seem to lose too much tension or bag out, however I found as the tension dropped, I found it more difficult to go big on my shots with confidence.

Tension Recommendations: I would go up a few pounds to firm up the string bed and hopefully rein in my forehands. Generally I like to stay 45lbs and under, but these strings were comfy enough where I could try up to 50lbs.

Other comments: I really was hoping to love Flash, but in the end I find it to be a somewhat basic round poly without any real standout qualities in a sea of poly strings. Its best attributes are they’re relatively arm friendly, inexpensive, and offered in a variety of cool colors. I much prefer Kirschbaum’s Evolution which is one of my favorite strings. Evolution offers more control, spin, and a connected predictable response. Another one of my faves, Prince Tour XP, is comparable to Flash but performs better across the board. I don’t mean for this review to be negative, because Flash is a perfectly fine string, it’s just a little meat and potatoes. I gues I had high expectations because I like some of Kirschbaum’s other offerings so much, and because TWU listed Prince XP as a similar string.

Great write-up. I agree with you 100%.

Have you tried Head Lynx Tour? Although it's shaped, the edges aren't too pronounced giving it predictability yet makes it grabby to enhance spin. IMO, it's the GOAT for flat hitters, especially, with the 2 for 1 sets offer going right now.

 

[loosegroove]

Great write-up. I agree with you 100%.

Have you tried Head Lynx Tour? Although it's shaped, the edges aren't too pronounced giving it predictability yet makes it grabby to enhance spin. IMO, it's the GOAT for flat hitters, especially, with the 2 for 1 sets offer going right now.

Thanks!

I tried Lynx Tour a while back while trying out a bunch of strings. I liked it just fine with my flat two-handed backhand, but I wasn't feeling super dialed on my forehand.

 

[ngoster]

Another 2 1/2 hours logged for a mixed league match yesterday. Nothing new to report. The strings played well overall. We got the W in the 3rd set tiebreaker where we were down the entire time. Finally saw a lead at 11-10 and closed it out...whoot.

I'll report back if there's a change in play characteristics.

 

[StringStrungStrang]

KIRSCHBAUM FLASH 17 PLAYTEST

Color: Yellow - awesome looking, never played / saw many yellow strings but I like these !!

Tension used for playtest: 43 lbs mains / 45 lbs crosses
Regular string setup & tension: various usually a shaped poly with round poly cross. Hyper-G (17) or Volkl Cyclone (16l ) mains , crosses smooth Head Hawk Power, Nano Vendetta, among others and recently experimenting with an occasional Multi or Syn Gut cross with stiffer mains.
Racquet used for test: Babolat Pure Strike 98 16 x19 Project One, lead tape in the hoop, weighted buttcap, silicone in the handle.


Power: Check. I am generally not a fan of ultra low-powered strings, but neither am I fond of too powerful strings, so like most I am in search of the Goldilocks-balance which is just right. In this regard, the Yellow K-Flash, in my Pure Strike seemed to meet my power needs well enough...not to low and not too high. I found it quite playable. Key take aways: enough power on call for serves, groundstrokes and volleys that make a difference and cause trouble for opponents. Good depth and a nice sudden penetrating shot. This string has some pop which if you can control it makes it a weapon for you to use. Personally, I look for that in a string. I think Flash has the flexiabilty to allow adjustments in power through string tension, which some string don't have. For comparison sake I felt it was touch more powerful than Hyper-G and 2 touches more than Cyclone.

Control: Check. Strings that have pop many times have control issues. With Flash I didn't feel that was the case, especially during the first 6 hours of play - control was not an issue. As I played it further ( 12 hours total) it did loosen up, but did not become an issue me and was still quite playable. What stood out for me is it's ability to absorb pace in a predictable consistent manner. Returning big serves - no problem. Enough power and more than adequate control. It seemed to operate well on 2 levels, one being a medium paced rally ball, which it handled well, and secondly how it handled heavy balls and heavy pace from opponents, which surprisingly still gave me a solid consistent response. I depend on that when I play, especially in returning serve. Lack of control here sabotages my whole game and I felt I could easily trust Flash to deliver. I think this comes from the level of softness of these strings, neither boardy nor mushy and it seemed the more I swung out the more control I had. Directional control was excellent on all shots and especially good on volleys. Power comes easily on lower paced shots, but somehow is limited on more powerful shots giving it nice control. Was it magical? No, but surprisingly good from reasonably priced round poly. On serves in particular, the harder I hit the easier I could get the ball to curve in. No problem in driving groundstrokes off either wing, but I did feel the launch angle was just a tad lower than I prefer.

Feel: Check. Definitely one of Flash's strengths. The feel on a volley, overhead or groundstroke was excellent during the first 6 hours and still very good after that (total of 12 hours played). It was comfortable and the feel was direct and consistent. Not too muted, but dampened enough to feel solid - much more so than Hyper-G and much more comfortable. That feel translates well in taking the ball out of the air, think coming in taking the ball at your feet or while poaching in doubles. The comfort and feel was great from the baseline too though. Some strings turn my Pure Strike 98 a bit harsh and lifeless, but Flash took the edge off.

Spin: Check. Spin for a round poly was more than adequate. Not mind blowing, but for a round poly - nice. I felt the launch angle of this was a bit low, so to get good lift / shape I had to hit a bit harder and self-generate some spin. Serves had much better action on kicks and slices, especially when I had faith in hitting out on them, I was rewarded by seeing the ball drop in. FH / BH slices and drop shots were surprisingly very good due to the nice feel this string had.

Playability Duration: I played K-Flash Yellow for 12 hours. For the first 5-6 hours it played with a more control, but after that it did still play well till the end. There definitely was some tension loss early on and some mild notching. Neither though dramatically impacted its playability. The balance between power and control shifted slightly as the playtest wore on, but I didn't feel it got out of control or generated too much power. For the most part I liked how incremental the shift was - still solid and consistent. Even at 10 hours or so the notching isn't too bad, not like on some strings.

Tension Recommendations: I played it at 43/45 and enjoyed it, but I think this string could easily be strung a couple lbs lower or 5-7 lbs higher depending on the player and racquet your using it in.
For me next time, I'll string 2-4 lbs higher and I already have a set to try and likely will try as a hybrid.

Other comments: K-Flash is a surprisingly good solid all-round string. It checks all the boxes; power control, comfort / feel, spin, price, for all lot of players looking for good solid budget friendly string. Having said that for many others looking for spin or better control there are more specialized strings available to meet those demands. So was it love at first sight? No, but I really appreciate all of the things it can do and do well. For most rec. players this is a perfect string - good all around performance, reasonably priced, comfortable and colors galore. I mean yellow looks great and how many pink strings are there?

For me there is something about this string, the feel and power characteristics, that makes me think it might be perfect as a cross. Maybe with K. Xplosive as a main or perhaps Hyper-G, or something a bit stiffer that could benefit from its excellent feel.


Thanks to Kirschbaum and TW for making these kinds of playtests happen! I learn something new from each one!

 

[konstantinos kalfountzos]

For most rec. players this is a perfect string - good all around performance, reasonably priced, comfortable and colors galore. I mean yellow looks great and how many pink strings are there?

Didn't I tell you that the (orange) Flash is for me the ideal introduction to Kirschbaum strings for rec. players like me?
I've put something less of 6 hours and have a break for a week. I'll resume fron 11th March on and finish off my review for the black variation. I know there have been and will be big gaps between each session due o bad weather or "life" getting in my way, but it is what it is.
You should try XPlosive Speed in the mains for sure! To me it plays very similar to the (coloured) Flash and adds some spin assistance. I'd go for the 1.28 gauge if your pattern is not too close.

 

[Fighting phoenix]

My review of the Kirschbaum Flash 1.25 Yellow - headliner - soft, comfortable, semi-muted but overall great string with excellent feel and pocketing.

Tension(s) used for playtest - 50 lbs - my usual reference tension, strung in my Babolat Pure Strike Gen 4 16x20. Tennis background - former junior and college player, now 52 and coming back to playing regular competitive tennis (mostly singles, but now more doubles as well) at around the 4.0/4.5 NTRP 6.5/7 UTR level. Typical favorite strings right now are Head Lynx Tour, MSV Focus Hex, and Toroline Caviar.

Power/Control: I would say this string is more powerful than a typical poly - some of this was due to the tension loss I saw after the first hit, but it also pockets the ball well and is a fun, mostly controllable power. Control is OK, somewhat more challenging due to the tension loss, but the string bed is consistent and predictable, and I didn't feel like I didn't know where the ball was going.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?) - I would say the feel is its strongest trait - plush, excellent pocketing, slightly muted but not overly so, very easy on the arm. This is one of the most comfortable polys I've used in a while, but didn't also feel mushy or noodley. I'm still getting used to my Pure Strike, and it isn't the best racquet for touch angles and drop shots, but I felt more confident going for that kind of shot with these strings.

Spin - spin is average - typical for a round string, but didn't get the bite I sometimes want when going for kick serves out wide. In general I don't look for extreme spin from my strings as I generally feel most polys are spin friendly and technique/playing style is the most important factor w/r to spin. I would say however that this didn't help with bite and spin generation in the same way Lynx Tour or MSV Focus Hex do for me, but it still wasn't bad.

Durability/Playability Duration - durability was fine, as after multiple sessions of both intense singles and doubles, notching is minimal and snap back is very good still. However, my biggest knock on the string is tension loss - after one playing session, there was a notable drop in tension, which I verified with my ERT 300. The strings didn't bag out at all and were very playable - however, I did have to adjust to the drop in tension since it made it tougher to keep the ball in the court especially if the wind was behind my back, or on fast doubles reaction volleys. The upside to this is that the sweet spot felt huge, and it allowed me to keep up with heavy hitting high level players.

Tension Recommendations - to account for the tension loss, next time I'd string it closer to 53 lbs or so.

List any additional thoughts - this is one of the best round polys I've played with in a while, and compares favorably to a similar string in Poly Tour Pro, which I don't like due to its mutedness and drop off in playability. As somewhat of a color matching geek, I'm gonna pick up the orange and pink versions (once they're back in stock at TW!) to try out in my Pure Strike to see if there are differences in playability with yellow, and keep comparing it to my favorite reference strings. Overall I loved this string and appreciate the opportunity to learn more about Kirschbaum and participate in this playtest!

 

[ngoster]

Tension(s) used for playtest - 50 lbs - my usual reference tension, strung in my Babolat Pure Strike Gen 4 16x20. Tennis background - former junior and college player, now 52 and coming back to playing regular competitive tennis (mostly singles, but now more doubles as well) at around the 4.0/4.5 NTRP 6.5/7 UTR level. Typical favorite strings right now are Head Lynx Tour, MSV Focus Hex, and Toroline Caviar.

Great review and you have great taste in strings lol

 

[Fighting phoenix]

Great review and you have great taste in strings lol

Haha I feel like we've tripped over each on these forums in the past w/ similar tastes in racquets and strings lol ;-)

 

[ngoster]

Haha I feel like we've tripped over each on these forums in the past w/ similar tastes in racquets and strings lol ;-)

I think I'm really close to settling on the Lynx Tour. I feel that it's a really good all around string for me. The only problem that I have right now is that I not just a racquetholic but strings as well. I can't resists reading/watching reviews then see those string go on sale somewhere. As a matter of fact, I almost bought 8 sets of the Lynx Spin^2 with the special going on. I have reels and reels that will realistically last for years before I can commit to the Lynx Tour. Who knows, by then I'll probably see something shinier lol.

 

[hitthefence38]

What color did you review? I tested the black color.

Tension(s) used for playtest: I always string my rackets at 45 lbs because I am loosey goosey.

Power/Control: In terms of power, the strings had a little bit more pop then the usual low powered polys I normally use (MSV focus, Vokyl Cyclone) I play with. However, I do string my racket a bit looser than the recommended amount. In terms of control, I would not say this is a control string, I did have a little bit of trouble managing to keep the ball on the court. I may recommend to string it up bit tighter if you watn some more control.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?): Strings felt crisp to me. I have an on/off relationship with tennis elbow, but this string didnt seem to anger my arm which is a great thing.

Spin: Nothing special in my eyes, however I am more of a flat hitter. The ball seem to penetrate the court a bit more.

Durability: Played for about 10 hours, and it felt like the string got a bit looser so the balls started to spray a bit more.

Playability Duration: The first hour seems fine and enjoyable hitting session, but when you get to hour 5, things started to slip a bit for me. Everything seem to be flying a bit more, and this is after a couple hitting session (usually play 2 hours a day). Like others commented it might be ideal to string this a bit higher.

Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time - why): Definitely 50LBs at the minimum. This string might serve well in hybrid setups.

List any additional thoughts (optional): Thanks for including me on this demo TW!

 

[Power Player]

My Review

Frame used - Yonex 2023 Vcore Tour


What color did you review? - Yellow 1.25

Tension(s) used for playtest - 48/46

Power/Control - The combo of power and control was about near perfect. I would rate the power as a bit higher for a poly and the control as well.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?) - This is where the string stands out for me. The feel is a perfect balance between crisp and comfortable. It is a great fit for a softer frame like the Yonex, as it helps define the sweet spot and really give me a good feel for the ball through contact.

Spin - Spin is average for a poly which is all I personally need.

Durability - Quite good. One thing that stood out for me was the stringbed always had a great level of control for me, even until breakage. In the open pattern of the Vcore, I was expecting a much shorter string life or a string bed that bagged out quickly and became launchy. Neither of those things occured.

Playability Duration - I was surprised to get over 6 hours out of this string in a fairly open pattern. The mains snapped around hour 7.

Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time - why) - I think mid to high 40's is great if you hit with a lot of spin and want some nice pocketing. I will probably stay at 48/46 for now, because it plays so well at this tension, why mess with a good thing?

List any additional thoughts (optional) - Truly appreciate TW including me in this test. It allowed me to find my new favorite string. I prefer round and crisp polys and that is what Flash is. additonally the control is fantastic. Really a great match for any frame that you want to control. If you are looking for free launch angle, this is not the string. It would be better to go witha shaped one. Flash is basically what Poly Tour Pro should be - a round poly with great feel and comfort. I never once have had any arm pain. Just a really nice pure feel on contact that has given me a lot of love for my Yonex Vcore, a frame that felt pretty meh with Tour Bite in it. This is also a killer cross string. Worth trying just for that, as it would be a great fit in a gut poly combo or crossing a shaped main. Kirschbaum makes top tier strings and Flash is no exception. The best part is that this string is much better than it's price. Speaking of that I'll put my money where my mouth is below since I purchased a reel right after this playtest.

 

[Molk]

Kirschbaum Flash 17/1.25 Orange Review
What color did you review? Orange
Tension(s) used for playtest. 54 lbs.
Power/Control Kirschbaum Flash 17/1.25 had lots of power and was a bit launchy for me. This is one of the most powerful polys that I have played with. The power is predictable though. Getting dialed in for lobs, overheads and drop shots was a challenge.
Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?) This is a very comfortable and arm friendly poly. I felt no arm pain using a full bed. For me this is the best feature of Kirschbaum Flash.
Spin was ok but not great. I did my nonscientific test of plucking the strings for snap back and the feel was about average and the spin of my ball was about average for a poly.
Durability I did not break this string and did not notice any unusual notching.
Playability Duration Playability did diminish as typical with any poly.
Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time - why) For my play I will stay at 54 lbs. considering the string being launchy.
List any additional thoughts (optional)
Thanks Tennis Warehouse and Kirschbaum!
I am going to purchase some sets and experiment using Flash in a hybrid to see if I can get more control and stay away from the launch.

 

[Chairman3]

Had a string of string tests lately (pun intended) but finally got this strung up....

Thankfully have quite a bit of tennis lined up for the next week.

 

[Chairman3]

First 2hrs tonight, doubles practice for Saturday match.

Feels very tight right off the stringer, almost like it got strung higher than what I wanted. However, prior stringjobs from the same person yield a similar tight feeling until the strings get a little play time on them.
The leather grip also just got put on so that undoubtedly changes the feel some.

So far, no significant first impressions/standouts. Seems like this could be one of those strings that is going to give you what you put into it, no more and no less.
This isn't a bad thing and I'll be curious to see how that prediction pans out. Not getting any crazy pop from it but, again, we'll see once it opens up a bit.

 

[SlowTiger]

Kirschbaum Flash 1.25 Playtest

What color did you review? Black
Tension(s) used for playtest: 45
Power/Control: The control was very good and about what I expected from a Kirschbaum's round poly. The power was lower then I thought which added to the control. I was originally hoping for the yellow because I like softer strings. String kind of reminds me of a razor code soft but a bit more soft. I feel like kirshbaum was known for consistent round controlled strings and was a staple on college campuses till solinco came out. I prefer the feel of Kirschbaum' strings over solinco. The yellow may be a cheap alternative to YPTP yellow.
Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?) Slightly muted, but also crisp. Wasn't super stiff or super comfortable either. Very middle ground. Still a good amount of touch
Spin: Spin was lacking for me. Was there if you brush the ball and it was lower powered so you can get spin if you have the RHS. If you're looking for a spin monster, look elsewhere
Durability: Also good. Typical notching. Feel like it would break around the 10-12 hr mark for me.
Playability Duration: I got about 7 hours out of it so far. I know it's pre-stretched but it's losing some of that playability for me so I think I'm going to play 1-2 more sessions before I cut it out. Should be close to breaking around that point but I don't feel the need to try to stretch it till it breaks.
Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time - why) Same. Prob 48 during summer
List any additional thoughts (optional) great bang for the buck strings. I still prefer Kirschbaum' evolution as that's one of my favorite round polys. It's been a while but I felt like it had more pop from what I can remember... Or may be color bias. Lol. I've often used pro like it as a cross and I think this would also make a great poly for a cross