Luxilon ECO POWER (EP) and ECO ROUGH (ER) Playtest Review
Thanks Luxilon and TW for making this happen !! It's great to test out some new strings especially new offering that haven't been released yet!
Big props to Luxilon for putting out strings that keep the environment in mind! There are many factors for environmental sustainability - using recycled materials, using less material (as their packaging does quite well) processes for manufacture and reclaiming materials to name a few. I'll be happy when I see all lines sharing the minimal packaging or better yet shops selling from a reel without or less packaging.
Still I know I am not saving the planet by playing tennis and I choose string based on performance / value. Luxilon has a reputation as a premium performance brand - so let's see how these stack up on the courts!
Regular Racquet, string setup & tension:
Racquets: Matched Babolat Pure Strike 98s, 16 x19, weighted to about 11.7oz. / 332 gr. strung, over grip, dampner, lead tape etc.
Strings: Varies between Hyper-G 17, Volkl Cyclone 16L (45) mains, Isospeed Baseline or Nano Vendetta (47)crosses.
Tension(s) used for playtest:
ECO POWER – 45 mains / 47 crosses
ECO ROUGH – 45 mains / 47 crosses
My observations are based on 15 hours of play time for each racquet setup.
Power/Control
ECO POWER – EP did deliver some power - not an overly powerful string but not a dead string. It was noticeable on serves and ground strokes, where there was always enough power to get the job done. Sometimes you can feel / see this, but a lot of the time you notice it by what is happening to your opponents. Can you put them into danger? EP has enough pop to do this while still maintaining control. As for control, EP definitely has enough to keep the ball in between the lines. It delivers a nice solid consistent response that lets you direct and redirect power with confidence. I notice this in particular on Return of Serve, volleys and overheads, where its directional control is very nice. I think EP provided a good balance between Power and control that made these strings very playable. Unlike some strings, they were no all power or all control. You didn't have to work too much to generate power and it was easy/predictable to control.
ECO ROUGH – ER didn't quite have the pop for me that EP had. It did have adequate power, but you had to work a little bit more for it than EP. It wasn't a deal-breaker but it wasn't as naturally explosive as EP. To me it was more muted and less powerful, but on the whole control was a bit better than EP IMO. This meant I could handle big serves and pace from opponents more easily but at the expense of a little put-away power. I think the ball flight of the ER was lower than EP and this created slightly less margin for error in my game. ER had a touch less power so I needed do more to make a difference when using it. Groundstrokes were not quite as penetrating and more balls seemed to come back instead of being put away.
Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable? Connected?):
ECO POWER – EP feel good, a bit softer than many polys and a touch muted, but not mushy. I'd say it was firm, but not harsh. It's quite good, but for me something was missing that keeps me from saying it was outstanding. It feels close to what I really want, but not quite there. It may be nitpicking but EP plays very well, feels good, but feels as if the ball never settles into the string bed - lacking some pocketing. This leave me feeling less connected to to my shots than I'd prefer. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed playing with EP - but for some reason it leave me wanting more.
ECO ROUGH – ER was touch firmer and had a touch better feel overall. It was more comfortable and connected, with a touch less vibration than EP for me. I think the rough surface provided better ball pocketing, better control and feel on returns and on my groundstrokes. I felt my shots were more consistent with ER. Generally speaking I enjoy shaped polys, but rough polys add a bit more pocketing, forgiveness and feel and that held true with EP and ER.
Spin
ECO POWER – Spin was an area was interested to compare these strings. EP definitely provides more access to spin than round polys. Spin was very good, not at the level of Hyper-G or other more spin oriented strings, but definitely capable. Like most shaped polys EP provided better access to spin during its first 5 hours or so, after that there was a marked decline as the edges smoothed out. I have to give it credit though, I didn't feel there was a huge drop off beyond the first 5-6 hours. After that it played with less spin but still predictable.
ECO ROUGH – So ER didn't have the initial bite that EP had, it was bad but EP started with more spin. I think over the life of the strings ER played more consistently from beginning to end. Spin was respectable (not stunning) and its' spin characteristic didn't change as dramatically as EP. What spin it delivered it delivered for the bulk of its lifespan.
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Spin for both of these strings was more than adequate, but far from dramatic. Slices bit, serves kicked and for the most part the balls dipped in as you would expect from shaped and rough strings, but ball movement was less than my normal strings of Hyper-G and Cyclone. Generally, I don't think you'd be disappointed in either from a spin standpoint.
Playability Duration
ECO POWER – I played EP for roughly 16 hours and I'd say its lifespan went through 3 phases: It played very well for hours 1-6, with mild notching, for hours 6-10 it played with more power, less control and less spin but still playing well, solid predictable and notching became much heavier. After 10 hours strings were heavily notched and they were a bit more erratic but still playing surprisingly well and fairly consistent. At 16 hours they still delivered a fairly consistent stringbed, not like earlier, but I have played much worse. Other strings never make it this far so props to Luxilon.
ECO ROUGH – While EP maintained its playabilty quite a long time, ER played well for the first 5 hours, for hours 5-10 play was still very playable and then in hour 11 or so these string seemed to hit a wall. ER's playability dropped dramatically. I could still play with it, but it was not the string I liked during the first hours. It became more erratic and I noticed a little less control on my groundstrokes.
I was impressed with the durability of both, especially considering these are both ECO brands, but towards then end I gravitated towards the EP more than the ER. Somehow I trusted it more and I enjoyed the added liveliness of the stringbed. Where EP remained playable even at 16 hours, ER was finished and being cut out.
Tension Recommendations
ECO POWER / ROUGH – I strung both at my recent go to tension of 45 / 47 and I felt comfortable with both at this tension. I think both of these could easily be strung a few pounds lower and 4 or 5 lbs higher without any detriment depending on your specific needs.
If I were stringing again for myself I'd choose a similar tension. It delivered a consistent, predictable string bed with enough power spin and control to give me the confidence to play my game. Having said that, what I would like to try is to hybrid these strings. I enjoy poly / poly hybrid stringing and either of these would be ideal candidates to use in the mains with a soft lively poly in the crosses.
In a fullbed these strings performed quite well, but in a hybrid they might really shine.
Additional Thoughts
Luxilon's ECO offerings Power and Rough are an impressive foray into tennis sustainability and they play well enough even when compared to other top tier strings. I could easily be happy with playing either one these as my regular string. The performance characteristics power, spin, control are all there, but something in the feel of the the strings is missing for me. Does the feel of string matter if everything else is there? Some would say no and for them this pair of strings might be perfect. For me the feel along with all the other positives about these give me the feedback I need to trust and feel confident in the process and outcome.
BONUS
List any questions you have for Wilson's string developer about these two strings (optional):
How do these stack up in the lab to Luxilon's other offerings? Which strings are they most similar to according to your specs and formulation?
