Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Yonex Poly Tour Strike 1.25

[TW Staff]

This is the thread for the Yonex Poly Tour Strike 1.25 playtest.

Selected playtesters have been notified by email.

Strings will be shipping soon!

Review is due by July 30

Include the following in your review:

• Tension used for playtest
• Regular string set up
• Racquet used for test
• Power/Control of test string
• Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?)
• Spin
• Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain)
• Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain
• List any additional thoughts (optional)

 

[haqq777]

Yay! Got in and just at the right time as we moved in last week to a house which has it's own tennis court. I will be living out on the court 24/7 from now on - atleast till summers are here. Bring on the playtesting! Thank you @TW Staff for selecting me for this string playtest. Much appreciated, as always.

 

[styksnstryngs]

I'm going to be out of the country for a couple of weeks, but I should still be able to put these through the paces, and of course I'll put effort into the review.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

Received it today and strung it in my Pure Drive.

I'll fill in the review section after I hit with it and will update regularly as I continue to use it.

Tension used for playtest:
Mains 53 lb, Crosses 55 lbRegular string set up: Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough mains 55 lb, Babolat XCel Crosses 58 lb

Racquet used for test:
Babolat Pure Drive 2015 model


Power/Control of test string:
At this tension, the string has good power. Almost as much power as hybrid stringing. I am able to take full swings and keep the ball in play. The control is good and I can hit the ball where I wanted to hit it. I did not need to adjust my swing or aim to hit the ball where I wanted.

Feel/Comfort
Very good feel. I wouldn't believe that this string is polyester if I didn't know it. It has great ball pocketing and great feel. Volleys were crisp and had fair control. I had one or two backhand volleys float a bit on me but that may have been due to my technique. Overheads were solid and serving did not cause any arm pain. This string had great comfort for me.
Spin:
I could get more spin than my usual hybrid string. I used to use Kirschbaum ProLine II and I thought I got more spin than with that poly.

Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain):
I've played over 8 hours and during that time, it has not changed significantly for me. I still feel that I should have strung it at a higher tension. I still have a feeling that some balls float on me. The strings have not died during the 8 hours at all. It has been over 2-3 weeks since I strung the racket and for a poly, this is great longevity.
Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain:
I probably would string a little tighter next time. I thought maybe some reflex shots floated a little bit on me. After playing for a little bit more than 6 hours I feel that some volleys that went out would have gone in with a bit more tension. Not much higher but maybe 55 in the mains and 57 in the crosses.

List any additional thoughts:
This is a really nice string. It feels softer than the other poly strings that I have tried but has all the advantages of poly with control and spin. After using it for a few weeks I can say that this is a really nice string for people who have had some arm issues from other polys. The tension maintenance has been really good for me and it hasn't gone dead.
Ok I have been using this string for the last month or so and it is holding up really well. I don't feel any drop off from play yet. This string is really nice.
I want to thank Yonex and Tenniswarehouse for letting me participate in the testing.

 

[mhkeuns]

Arrived today. Will probably use this string in my PB10. The tension will be around 48lbs. Will report.back after this weekend. Thank you, TW. Thank you, Yonex. This is my first go with the Yonex strings. Excited.

 

[McLovin]

I’m in Florida until Monday, so hopefully my set is ‘on hold’ with the rest of my mail. Also, I’m a regular user of YPTP, both as a cross to natural gut and in a full bed, so hopefully I can give a good companion for those YPTP users.

 

[Daddy's]

Happy to be selected. Here they are strung at 48 in APDGT. Hope to get out tomorrow for a little taste.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNA_bnBkwVYi9ux9YAJ-2_ldjIdn-Jkkcap0oX-

 

[haqq777]

Got my set in and it has gone in my beloved PSTGT. Have tons of tennis planned in next few days so my review will be coming in very soon!

 

[haqq777]

My Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Yonex Poly Tour Strike 1.25

Hello folk, here is my in-depth review of the string. I know it was quick considering I received it on Friday and today is Monday, but I snapped my string right at the 5 hour mark unfortunately. This playtest was done hitting with #3 kid in the local college team so there was a lot of heavy exchanges. Anyway, here is the review for the string:

The string:

Tension used for playtest:
Full bed at 50 lbs.

Regular string set up:
Although it varies from time to time, my usual go-to string these days is Oehms Black Pearl Rough. It's the right combo of crisp and comfy at the right price point. It is a very different string than Yonex Poly Tour Strike, for what it is worth.

Racquet brand and model used for test:
Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT

Power of test string:
Above average power for a poly. It was not a low powered poly string, that is for sure. It also made for a lively stringbed which felt like a nice change but was erratic at times as well. Once the string settled in after initial few hits, the power/feedback became very consistent however.

Control of test string:
Control was inline with what a round string generally produces: predictable. Very similar to some good round polys like maybe YPTP or Head Hawk. I could take big cuts and still generate good directional control. I felt very confident that the ball will not fly on me on taking full, big cuts. I was hitting deep shots and I could feel the ball really well. With this confidence, I was going for fuller swings. As for trajectory, it was fairly neutral. Volleys were great, same for serves.

Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-Center shock?):
Ok, so this is medium-soft string I would say. There are definitely softer round strings out there (Polyfibre TCS, WC Silverstring, some Tourna Big Hitter lines etc) and then there are clearly crisper feeling ones (Luxilon 4G, Luxilon BBO, Kirshbaum Max Power etc) so I would say it is a very middle of the road string in terms of softness. It is very comfortable though and it plays crisp. Very good crisp, lets put it that way. I am not a regular user of YPTP (perhaps @McLovin can chime in better there as he mentioned YPTP is his regular string) but this felt stiffer than YPTP to me. That said, it had the same predictable response and comfort. Very good feel and connection to the ball. The one thing I did notice was that there was considerable less dwell time on stringbed for the ball as compared to some other strings I use when strung at same tension. Comfort was top notch, no complaints whatsoever.

Spin:
Where I do feel this string is somewhat lacking is the spin department. Very mediocre spin. I generally hit moderate spin ground strokes (modern eastern forehand grip and OHBH) and I could hit good spin but only when I actually conscientiously tried to hit loopy with quicker RHS and longer takeback. I know spin is the result of a combination of factors like stroke mechanics, equipment etc but given everything else being the same, I can name at least half a dozen strings on top of my head that give me more spin on my regular strokes. In the serving department, flatter first serves and second serves were good. Slice and kick serves were nothing extraordinary.

Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain):
Outstanding in this department. From the first hit (minus the initial few hits where the strings settled in) till it snapped, the feel and response stayed the same: predictable. I don't have a way to measure tension maintenance but I go by feel anyway. And I can tell you, this stuff felt great in terms of tension maintenance. This just wowed me with it's consistent playability throughout.

Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain:
50 lbs worked well for me. I might go a couple of pounds lower next time just to see if I can get a softer feedback out of it. This is a very comfortable playing string so I can even recommend going higher towards mid fifties (this is coming from a guy who likes 50lb or under when using polys). I generally feel polys work best in the low 50s and below range though so my recommendation will be 48-52 lbs range in full bed setup.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
A few observations:

• As I mentioned in the beginning I snapped mine at 5 hour mark. Very bummed about it because I was really starting to gel with the string and it's feedback.
  
• It is advertised as a durability oriented string and I am not even a chronic string breaker! I have recently been on a string breaking spree though so I am not sure what the culprit is. It is really really hot and humid these days and I am right on the water. Maybe that is a factor too.
• The string felt thinner than 1.25 to me when holding in hand.
• I liked the consistent feedback of the string when hitting although at times I felt the dwell time was not as much as I am used to. Was happy with the performance though. If you're a player who likes taking big cuts all the time, definitely try this one.
  
• Overall, this is a good round copoly that was easy to string I am told (no kinking, easy tie-offs). Given the right price, I might look into getting maybe a few sets.

Finally, big thank you again to @TW Staff for this playtest opportunity. If anyone has any questions about my experience/feedback please feel free to ask questions. Will be happy to answer as best as I can.

 

[FoldingChair]

My Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Yonex Poly Tour Strike 1.25

Hello folk, here is my in-depth review of the string. I know it was quick considering I received it on Friday and today is Monday, but I snapped my string right at the 5 hour mark unfortunately. This playtest was done hitting with #3 kid in the local college team so there was a lot of heavy exchanges. Anyway, here is the review for the string:

The string:

Tension used for playtest:
Full bed at 50 lbs.

Regular string set up:
Although it varies from time to time, my usual go-to string these days is Oehms Black Pearl Rough. It's the right combo of crisp and comfy at the right price point. It is a very different string than Yonex Poly Tour Strike, for what it is worth.

Racquet brand and model used for test:
Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT

Power of test string:
Above average power for a poly. It was not a low powered poly string, that is for sure. It also made for a lively stringbed which felt like a nice change but was erratic at times as well. Once the string settled in after initial few hits, the power/feedback became very consistent however.

Control of test string:
Control was inline with what a round string generally produces: predictable. Very similar to some good round polys like maybe YPTP or Head Hawk. I could take big cuts and still generate good directional control. I felt very confident that the ball will not fly on me on taking full, big cuts. I was hitting deep shots and I could feel the ball really well. With this confidence, I was going for fuller swings. As for trajectory, it was fairly neutral. Volleys were great, same for serves.

Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-Center shock?):
Ok, so this is medium-soft string I would say. There are definitely softer round strings out there (Polyfibre TCS, WC Silverstring, some Tourna Big Hitter lines etc) and then there are clearly crisper feeling ones (Luxilon 4G, Luxilon BBO, Kirshbaum Max Power etc) so I would say it is a very middle of the road string in terms of softness. It is very comfortable though and it plays crisp. Very good crisp, lets put it that way. I am not a regular user of YPTP (perhaps @McLovin can chime in better there as he mentioned YPTP is his regular string) but this felt stiffer than YPTP to me. That said, it had the same predictable response and comfort. Very good feel and connection to the ball. The one thing I did notice was that there was considerable less dwell time on stringbed for the ball as compared to some other strings I use when strung at same tension. Comfort was top notch, no complaints whatsoever.

Spin:
Where I do feel this string is somewhat lacking is the spin department. Very mediocre spin. I generally hit moderate spin ground strokes (modern eastern forehand grip and OHBH) and I could hit good spin but only when I actually conscientiously tried to hit loopy with quicker RHS and longer takeback. I know spin is the result of a combination of factors like stroke mechanics, equipment etc but given everything else being the same, I can name at least half a dozen strings on top of my head that give me more spin on my regular strokes. In the serving department, flatter first serves and second serves were good. Slice and kick serves were nothing extraordinary.

Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain):
Outstanding in this department. From the first hit (minus the initial few hits where the strings settled in) till it snapped, the feel and response stayed the same: predictable. I don't have a way to measure tension maintenance but I go by feel anyway. And I can tell you, this stuff felt great in terms of tension maintenance. This just wowed me with it's consistent playability throughout.

Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain:
50 lbs worked well for me. I might go a couple of pounds lower next time just to see if I can get a softer feedback out of it. This is a very comfortable playing string so I can even recommend going higher towards mid fifties (this is coming from a guy who likes 50lb or under when using polys). I generally feel polys work best in the low 50s and below range though so my recommendation will be 48-52 lbs range in full bed setup.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
A few observations:

• As I mentioned in the beginning I snapped mine at 5 hour mark. Very bummed about it because I was really starting to gel with the string and it's feedback.
  
• It is advertised as a durability oriented string and I am not even a chronic string breaker! I have recently been on a string breaking spree though so I am not sure what the culprit is. It is really really hot and humid these days and I am right on the water. Maybe that is a factor too.
• The string felt thinner than 1.25 to me when holding in hand.
• I liked the consistent feedback of the string when hitting although at times I felt the dwell time was not as much as I am used to. Was happy with the performance though. If you're a player who likes taking big cuts all the time, definitely try this one.
  
• Overall, this is a good round copoly that was easy to string I am told (no kinking, easy tie-offs). Given the right price, I might look into getting maybe a few sets.

Finally, big thank you again to @TW Staff for this playtest opportunity. If anyone has any questions about my experience/feedback please feel free to ask questions. Will be happy to answer as best as I can.

Great review! I’ve been really curious about this one as I’ve liked yptp in the past but can no longer afford it every couple of weeks. Will definitely give this one a shot

 

[M Pillai]

Wanted to string it up before last weekend. But could get into it only now and ready to go for today evening. I will have some good hitting in the next few days.

 

[GN-001]

My Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Yonex Poly Tour Strike 1.25

Hello folk, here is my in-depth review of the string. I know it was quick considering I received it on Friday and today is Monday, but I snapped my string right at the 5 hour mark unfortunately. This playtest was done hitting with #3 kid in the local college team so there was a lot of heavy exchanges. Anyway, here is the review for the string:

The string:

Tension used for playtest:
Full bed at 50 lbs.

Regular string set up:
Although it varies from time to time, my usual go-to string these days is Oehms Black Pearl Rough. It's the right combo of crisp and comfy at the right price point. It is a very different string than Yonex Poly Tour Strike, for what it is worth.

Racquet brand and model used for test:
Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT

Power of test string:
Above average power for a poly. It was not a low powered poly string, that is for sure. It also made for a lively stringbed which felt like a nice change but was erratic at times as well. Once the string settled in after initial few hits, the power/feedback became very consistent however.

Control of test string:
Control was inline with what a round string generally produces: predictable. Very similar to some good round polys like maybe YPTP or Head Hawk. I could take big cuts and still generate good directional control. I felt very confident that the ball will not fly on me on taking full, big cuts. I was hitting deep shots and I could feel the ball really well. With this confidence, I was going for fuller swings. As for trajectory, it was fairly neutral. Volleys were great, same for serves.

Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-Center shock?):
Ok, so this is medium-soft string I would say. There are definitely softer round strings out there (Polyfibre TCS, WC Silverstring, some Tourna Big Hitter lines etc) and then there are clearly crisper feeling ones (Luxilon 4G, Luxilon BBO, Kirshbaum Max Power etc) so I would say it is a very middle of the road string in terms of softness. It is very comfortable though and it plays crisp. Very good crisp, lets put it that way. I am not a regular user of YPTP (perhaps @McLovin can chime in better there as he mentioned YPTP is his regular string) but this felt stiffer than YPTP to me. That said, it had the same predictable response and comfort. Very good feel and connection to the ball. The one thing I did notice was that there was considerable less dwell time on stringbed for the ball as compared to some other strings I use when strung at same tension. Comfort was top notch, no complaints whatsoever.

Spin:
Where I do feel this string is somewhat lacking is the spin department. Very mediocre spin. I generally hit moderate spin ground strokes (modern eastern forehand grip and OHBH) and I could hit good spin but only when I actually conscientiously tried to hit loopy with quicker RHS and longer takeback. I know spin is the result of a combination of factors like stroke mechanics, equipment etc but given everything else being the same, I can name at least half a dozen strings on top of my head that give me more spin on my regular strokes. In the serving department, flatter first serves and second serves were good. Slice and kick serves were nothing extraordinary.

Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain):
Outstanding in this department. From the first hit (minus the initial few hits where the strings settled in) till it snapped, the feel and response stayed the same: predictable. I don't have a way to measure tension maintenance but I go by feel anyway. And I can tell you, this stuff felt great in terms of tension maintenance. This just wowed me with it's consistent playability throughout.

Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain:
50 lbs worked well for me. I might go a couple of pounds lower next time just to see if I can get a softer feedback out of it. This is a very comfortable playing string so I can even recommend going higher towards mid fifties (this is coming from a guy who likes 50lb or under when using polys). I generally feel polys work best in the low 50s and below range though so my recommendation will be 48-52 lbs range in full bed setup.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
A few observations:

• As I mentioned in the beginning I snapped mine at 5 hour mark. Very bummed about it because I was really starting to gel with the string and it's feedback.
  
• It is advertised as a durability oriented string and I am not even a chronic string breaker! I have recently been on a string breaking spree though so I am not sure what the culprit is. It is really really hot and humid these days and I am right on the water. Maybe that is a factor too.
• The string felt thinner than 1.25 to me when holding in hand.
• I liked the consistent feedback of the string when hitting although at times I felt the dwell time was not as much as I am used to. Was happy with the performance though. If you're a player who likes taking big cuts all the time, definitely try this one.
  
• Overall, this is a good round copoly that was easy to string I am told (no kinking, easy tie-offs). Given the right price, I might look into getting maybe a few sets.

Finally, big thank you again to @TW Staff for this playtest opportunity. If anyone has any questions about my experience/feedback please feel free to ask questions. Will be happy to answer as best as I can.

My friend tried the 120 Strike in black and he also said there was more power but less spin compared to his PTP 120.

I have also heard from other posters here that said the Strike is very low powered.....maybe it is very low powered compared to a very powerful string

 

[haqq777]

My friend tried the 120 Strike in black and he also said there was more power but less spin compared to his PTP 120.

I have also heard from other posters here that said the Strike is very low powered.....maybe it is very low powered compared to a very powerful string

I agree with your friend's findings. Interesting bit from posters that you mentioned. I always string at 50lb so that I can compare strings better (and also less hassle with different variables that pop during playtesting) and this was most definitely not low powered for me. Maybe compared to Polystar Energy or Genesis Black Magic it was less powerful (just like you suggested). When I think round, comfortable, and low powered poly though, I am thinking along the lines of RS Lyon or YPTP where you have to take big cuts and full strokes to get that depth and ball penetration and the stringbed is less livelier. Besides, I would also keep in mind that we are talking polys, none really have a ton of power or feel, really. Just my two cents.

 

[Daddy's]

Got in 3 sets of doubles on the 4th. I should have gone up to around 53 lbs instead of 48. This is a very lively string. To anyone who has not strung it yet,don't be fooled by the Yonex chart. I would put it at the softer and more powerful end of poly spectrum. As far as tension loss it dropped 3 lbs in two days before I played it and only another 1 lb after the 3 sets so not bad in my experience. It also raised the weight of the APDGT 3 grams over the syngut it came with and I could notice the increase in swing weight. I'm going for some singles tomorrow and will see how it does there.

 

[mhkeuns]

My initial impressions after three hours of hitting - (*Strung in Volkl PB10 @ 48lbs.)

Feel - The string is definitely not firm like Luxilon 4G. To me, it felt slightly firmer than Volkl copoly strings and Luxilon Element, but it definitely wasn’t a firm string. Maybe it’s somewhat like more dampened/less crisp Big Banger.

Control/Power/Spin - It offered nice predictable response for control, but maybe because I normally play with thicker 16G strings, the string felt more powerful than my normal set up. I had to make conscious effort to not over hit when trying to rip some hard flat shots. The string bit the ball well and was especially great on aggressive topspin shots and gave me the confidence to really go after the short shots without having fear of hitting long.

I wish I had strung it a couple of pound higher, though. I thought it would feel more stiff than it actually feels. Going up a couple of pounds would have probably given me better control on the flat shots without messing up the feel too much.

Durability/Playability - Still feels newly strung without loss of tension.

So far, I really like it. I think I just need to get more used to the string for my flat shots to work more effectively. Will report back.

 

[GN-001]

I wonder if this string would work well as a cross for gut or should I just stick to poly tour fire. I'm just abit certained of the power and lack of spin.

Is anyone going to try this as a hybrid with gut?

 

[mhkeuns]

I wonder if this string would work well as a cross for gut or should I just stick to poly tour fire. I'm just abit certained of the power and lack of spin.

Is anyone going to try this as a hybrid with gut?

If this string is able to hold tension, I would seriously consider using this as the cross with gut mains. I don’t think it lacks spin after the initial few minutes where it can feel a little slippery. No such issues after a few hits. The feel, to me, is just right - not too harsh, not too dampened.

 

[Lex]

My impressions after doing the playtest:

• Tension used for playtest : 50#

• Regular string set up: I normally like MSV Hex Soft 16L main and Tecnifibre Red Code 18 in the cross

• Racquet used for test: Head Graphene Touch Radical Pro

• Power/Control of test string: This felt like a mid-powered string to me. Control was lacking due to the slick surface. I didn't feel the grip on the ball and lacked the ability to go for small targets (corners) with confidence. Hitting flat forehands and flat first serves felt good. This string is not a spin monster though.

• Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?): This was a fairly stiff feeling string for me. The initial warm-up (after stringing) wasn't great due to the stiffness of the string. It did loosen up a little after hitting for 30 minutes. Subsequent hits afterwards felt slightly better. I never felt like the pocketing was good though. My elbow is somewhat string sensitive and I experienced no discomfort/issues from this playtest.

• Spin: This string didn't help at all in the spin department. It felt nice for hitting flat groundies and serves though. I prefer a shaped poly in the mains. I didn't feel confident in ripping the ball towards the corners or trying to generate angles. The spin just wasn't there for me. This string left me wanting my shaped poly!

• Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain): Playability felt better after the initial break-in (30 min). I broke this string after 6 hours of play. I was relieved to see this one go.

• Would you install it at a different tension next time? I generally prefer 50# in most poly strings. This one might have been more playable (pocketing) at 48#. If I were to use this string again, I'd likely use it only as a cross in a hybrid with my shaped poly main setup. I wouldn't play this string as a full poly setup (personal choice).

• List any additional thoughts : Strong coil memory when stringing, slick string, mid-powered, stiff, good cross for a hybrid! (I'm a 4.5 ntrp, all court player, heavy top spin off both sides). Thanks TW for the opportunity to participate in the playtest!!!

 

[GN-001]

I'm not part of the playtest but I bought afew packs to try

I asked yesterday if anyone is going to try this as a hybrid with gut so instead of waiting for an answer, I went ahead and tried it myself! I only had a one hour hitting session today with Klip Legend 18 mains and Strike 125 (black) crosses at 52/47lb. I usually string gut mains at 50 and either Fire or Pro at 45lb on a Vcore Pro 310 (low power) but due to everyone saying this is a powerful string, I bumped the tension up by 2lb.

I will give my first impressions because I only had an hour of hitting with this. One word......POWER. For sure this is a powerful hybrid. Initially I was having control issues because I keep hitting it long but after a while as I adjusted, my shots were sooo deep and so fast I was blowing my hitting partner off the court. It's actually really addictive. I'm not sure how I would play in a match with this though. Would probably have to bump it up another 2-3lbs just to have slightly better control. Didn't really notice any issue with spin because the gut was providing alot of the spin. It's slick but not as slick as the Fire. The feel is definitely not as firm as the Fire and I would say it's in the middle of the spectrum.

Can't comment on durability yet.

Overall, first impressions are good. Very powerful hybrid which seems to work well in a control-oriented racquet like the Vcore Pro.

Echoing the poster above me about the strong coil memory during stringing.

P.S. From my research, Pierre Hugues Herbert is using the Strike 120 in mains and VS gut in the crosses. http://www.yonexusa.com/players/tennis-players/pierre-hugues-herbert/

 

[Daddy's]

Well here's my take on Yonex Poly Tour Strike

Tension used for playtest:
48 lbs

Regular string setup:
Lately its been Hybrids of Poly/syngut, Syngut/poly and Natural Gut/poly still looking for perfect setup

Racquet used for test:
Babolat AeroPro Drive GT I'm new to this racquet. Trying to see if Babolats really will kill you arm instantly. I went softer than I should have because of all the stuff I read. Short review: Powerful spiny racquet with nice stability and touch. Lot of SW in the GT but no discomfort at all in about 12 hrs hitting with Poly Tour Strike and the Spiraltec it came with.

Power/Control of test string:
I should have gone up to 53. The main feeling is power, I think it overpowers the spin for me. I had to exaggerate the spin and hold back a little on driving through the ball or I was hitting long. Not hitting the fence long but maybe a foot.
It was really good on flat serves I hit some real bombs with little effort.

Feel/Comfort
Very good feel and comfort. I played a lot of doubles and I was volleying excellent even hit some topspin lobs which I never do. Good pocketing,low shock on off center shots, not that I ever miss the sweetspot

Spin:
Like I said I think I was driving the ball through the court before the spin could bring the ball down. I think that strung with more tension it would have been better. I find it's easy to fall in love with hitting 90 mph forehands and forget that it doesn't count if it's not in the lines

Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain):
The strength of this string. According to my Racqettune I strung it up 6/30 and as of 07/07 after 6 hrs doubles an hour singles and 100 serves practice it's only lost 9.2% and 6.3% of that was settling over a couple days till I got out to hit it. It hasn't gone up a lot in power and comfort,feel and touch are still very good

Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain:
Definitely up 10% next time. Rein in some of the power give spin a chance to affect the ball and I think it plays soft enough that touch and feel will still be good.

List any additional thoughts:
I've always been a big fan of Yonex I think they a less influenced by building to a price point and more about building quality. This is a quality string. I am not close to breaking it as others have. I don't know if its the lower tension I stung it at or they hit harder with more spin. Just string this up mid range for your racquet and it should work fine. It would be a good sting for someone who wants to use poly but don't get enough power out of the stiffer deader ones. I'll continue to play with this and get back when I'm finally done with it.

I want to thank Yonex and Tenniswarehouse for letting me participate in the testing.

 

[dsp9753]

Tension used for playtest:
55 Lbs

Regular string set up:
Head Hawk 55 Lbs

Racquet used for test:
Pro Staff 97LS

Power/Control of test string:
The string was more powerful then control oriented. In the beginning, my shots were spraying a bit until the string settled. I believe this is because the string is super slipper/oily like it has some type of coating. Could not confidently going for targets as I felt like the string was not grabbing the ball?

Feel/Comfort:
I don’t have any issues with comfort with Poly’s and I did not notice any difference here. The string felt softer then the stiffer strings I like to use.

Spin:
Felt like there was less spin overall then other polys I have used.

Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain)
The first hour I felt like the string bed was slightly erratic but settled over time (This may also be me not used to the string. But shots I felt like normally would have gone in were definitely going way way long at times.) After that intial period, the string bed did not change much for me.

Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain
I would probably string it tighter. I personally like my polys to have either more bite/spin or control. I felt like I was losing both on this string as it is more powerful than my normal setup.

List any additional thoughts (optional)
As I was stringing it, I noticed the strings to be very oily or slick. Also, I could tell from the way the tension pulled on the strings that it would be softer then what I am used to. The slippery surface made it very easy to weave.

 

[mhkeuns]

Having mixed feelings...

Feel is nice - It’s on the firm side but isn’t too firm. No jarring effect on off center hits. Makes great sounds & offers solid feel on impact (*PB10)

Spin - Though the string looks and feels slick, I felt it offered decent spin. Works nicely on cross-court topspin shots and slice approach shots.

Power - Perhaps there is too much power. I did get more familiarized with the string, but some hard flat shots on both sides still sailed long. I do think it’s due to playing with thinner gauge than what I’m used to playing with is the main problem.

Note: I’m not sure if it’s just me, but this string does not crush the balls like the 4G, or even Alu Power. It doesn’t feel soft and does not have the somewhat pocketing effect of the Element or Cyclone strings at lower tensions. This is somewhere in the middle, but I don’t think it’s providing the best of both worlds. It is not crushing the ball like 4G for the hard hitters, and it doesn’t offer as much spin as the nice copoly strings usually offer.

I think I should have strung higher for sure to create more of ball crushing feel. Because the Yonex chart showed this string as stiff copoly, I went lower than I normally do.

It seems like there is still plenty of life left after six hours of hitting. I think this would be a very good string to hybrid with natural gut.

 

[McLovin]

Yonex Poly Tour Strike (YPTS?) 1.25mm Playtest

Tension used for playtest:

50lbs on a constant pull (WISE) with a 10% machine pre-stretch.
​

Regular string set up:

On hard courts/indoors, I use 17g Natural Gut mains, 1.25mm Yonex Poly Tour Pro (aka YPTP) strung at 52/50
On clay I use 1.25 YPTP strung at 50lbs.
​

Racquet used for test:

Fischer Black Granite Pro No 1:

Power/Control of test string:

I'd put this in the middle range of power for a poly, slightly above my normal YPTP. I'm not the type of player to smack winners, and I didn't suddenly start hitting Delpo-style forehands, but I did notice a little more 'oomf' off my forehand and serve. Control was good, although not as good as with full YPTP. YPTP is actually ever-so-slightly textured, so I tend to get a bit more grip on the ball as compared to Strike.​

Feel/Comfort:

From the first hit I noticed it felt completely different from YPTP. I think the new suggested term 'Springy' is a fair description, and with that description is an implied softer feeling. I'm recently off an elbow injury (from a failed 4G Rough experiment, which resulted in my first Cortisone shot), and had absolutely no arm issues.

Not as much dwell-time as compared to YPTP, which is probably why I felt it has slightly less control. I really liked this string on the volleys, though. Felt like they were popping off the stringbed. However, drop shots seemed to sit up a bit more. I presume over time I would adjust to that, though.​

Spin:

Pretty much what you'd expect from a smooth, round poly. My strokes are fairly flat (Eastern forehand, Continental 2-handed backhand), so there's not going to be much improvement for me. But I had no issues getting the ball up & down when short in the court, and kick serves seemed about on par for me. I did hit a few topspin lobs that felt nice.

As far as slicing, my backhand slice has suffered the most from my recent arm issues, so the stroke is all messed up. On the rare occasion where I hit it correctly, it stayed low and cut through the court.​

Playability Duration:

6 hours and its still feeling good. Not much has changed since the first hit. Even the tension drop hasn't affected play much for me. The following 3 photos show the tension (1) immediately off the machine, (2) after my 1st hit, and (3) after 6 hours:

Would you install it at a different tension next time?

Probably not. I think for me, 50lbs was perfect. I was getting decent power and control. Dropping or increasing would likely affect one of those adversely.​

List any additional thoughts:

I really liked this string, but not as much as my regular full YPTP, so probably won't be switching as far as full-poly setups go. However, I'm going to buy a pack and give it a try as a cross to natural gut. I'm interested to see if the slickness gives me a bit more snap-back.​

 

[jim e]

• Tension used for playtest: 53 lbs

• Regular string set up: Luxilon Natural Gut 16L/1.25mm 61lbs. (main racquets) , and at times Klip gut 61 lbs, and VS gut 64lbs. (other Head Radical racquets) , I have multiple racquets.

• Racquet used for test: Head Radical OS

• Power/Control of test string: power felt about mid range for a poly once strings broken in a little.

• I noticed a few responses here commenting that they wished that they increased tension somewhat , so I went from my normal poly tension of 47 lbs and increased it to 53 lbs.

• Glad I did as string was still comfortable hit along with decent control.

• Was able to control base line shots very nice as well as volleys, as I cover entire court during play.

• Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?) no shock with this string. Even though I have had tennis elbow in past, this string was still very comfortable , along with a decent feel with volleys. I even increased the tension a few lbs. higher than my normal poly string set up would be and it was still a comfortable hit, was not stiff, and was not a hard feel as package stated. I strung it up a little higher do to above responses from other play testers, as I wanted decent control and I am glad I did.

• Spin: although I hit old school relatively flat style hitting, I was able to produce spin as needed.

• Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain)Once string settled in after little under 30 min or so, strings hit very well and uniform for the 4 hours of singles, 30 min of just serving and 2.5 hours of doubles before the strings broke at the 7 hour mark with the listed hitting, as it just broke today with the doubles hitting. Went back to a all Lux. gut to finish the doubles play today, for my back up racquet. My nat. gut set ups typically lasts a long time of many many hours. Most likely this string snapped as I framed the ball a few times today.

• Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain: Glad I viewed the comments above and string it up a few lbs higher than my usual poly tension. I was initially skeptical to do that since the package called it a hard feel, and I was worried about being too firm hit and arm shock, but it was nice hit and glad I strung it up higher as control was very good with this string along with no arm shock or problems.

• List any additional thoughts (optional) Since I hit with Luxilon Nat. gut and I like that gut for its control, I also like Klip gut, although the klip gives a little less control and next time with this string use it as a cross string with the klip gut to see how the feel and control would be..I like nat. gut at a relatively high tension and with the Head Radical with the mains with gut at 61lbs, I would need to string this poly only a few lbs lower like 59 lbs. as I would not want a large tension difference with that racquet , but I would still expect a good feel with control, will be interesting.

 

[vandre]

Tension used for playtest: mains at 53 lbs./ crosses at 51 lbs.

Regular string set up: yonex mono preme 130 mains at 61 lbs./ wilson synthetic gut power crosses at 58 lbs.

Racquet used for test: yonex rqis 1 tour xl (1 strung with test string, 1 "control racquet" strung with my regular string setup)

Power/Control of test string: the test string responded to my usual "rally ball" swing by dropping the ball 5 feet inside the baseline and i could do much better than that with more effort. i noticed that i could place short balls on the outside ts of the service boxes (inside both the sideline and the service line) with brutal efficiency. when i set the ball machine to make me hit shots from 3 to 6 feet behind the baseline i found that the test string allowed me to play defend effectively. at the net i was able to hit functional volleys (which is honestly the best i can hope for).

Feel/Comfort: i was surprised here. i was expecting something that played like pro hurricane based on the back of the package. the test string was actually much more comfortable than my usual setup. i would say it played closer to mushy and springy than stiff. the stringbed played noticeably stiffer on off-center shots but it was still not harsh. i never felt any real "pocketing" going on but in all fairness i don't get that out of my regular setup either. volleying with the test string was never harsh even with the heavy pressureless balls and the ball machine set to 60 mph.

Spin: two words- heavy ball! i hit a sw grip fh and 2hbh but i never try any of the "windshield wiper" stuff. i could notice the test string gave me about an extra 12 inches of bounce on my groundstrokes (over my usual setup) with no concerted effort on my part. i found it was much easier to angle off short balls with the test string. i also believe the test string made my slice skid more but i am not 100%. i did notice that shots hit with the test string would drop sooner than shots hit with my usual setup would (with everything else being the same).

Playability Duration: i have hit over 1800 pressureless tretorn x balls from the ball machine and have hit regular pressurized balls for a few hours with the test string up to this point. when i checked it with my tourna stringmeter there has been no discernible tension loss (i know this might be a little suspect but this is the only device i have to check tension on a strung racquet). i can tell you it doesn't play like it is dead and the notches worn into it at this point barely hold it in place.

Would you install it at a different tension next time: i would bump it up 1 pound or 2 tops next time just to try to lengthen the lifespan before it went dead. for guessing a tension, i was pretty pleased with the tension i picked as the test string played great "right out of the box".
List any additional thoughts (optional): if i were still playing competitive tennis, i would have 6 sets of this string. if my wife and i were going to play a competitive match and the loser had the make our children's lunches for the entire school year, i'd get a set of this. when the set of test string i have breaks or goes dead, i will cry and price another set of it. i strung the test string myself and it was very slick but it wasn't as big of a pain to work worth as some of the other strings i've used over the years. the test string is the only string i've hit with that seems to give me more spin on my shots that the original version of yonex tour 850. i had pretty much resigned myself to using primary synthetic guts and other inexpensive strings but "just when i thought i was out, they pull me back in!" thank you very much yonex and tennis warehouse!

 

[mhkeuns]

Here is my conclusion -

• Tension used for playtest: 48 lbs in PB10 Mid

• Regular string set up: Full poly - Lately have been trying the 16G copoly strings from Signum Pro & Volkl V-Pro & Cyclone. Usually string at 50 lbs for the mids, 53-55 for the MP’s and 50 to 55 for the tweeners.

• Racquet used for test: Volkl Power Bridge 10 Mid

• Power/Control of test string: Having mixed feelings with this string’s power/performance because there was abundance of power, but not having enough of the control that I seek, I had to hold back on hitting hard flat shots. I would say the string isn’t as powerful as the Luxilon Element, but it is more powerful than the strings I’ve tested out recently.

• Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?): The string felt firm during normal rallies, but it felt comfortable even on the off center hits. The best part about this string is that the feel is on the firm side but is comfortable. However, the springy characteristic of this string really threw off my flat strokes. It wasn’t so firm like the Luxilon 4G that it crushed incoming balls, or it wasn’t so soft like the V-Pro that it pocketed the ball well. It just felt like the balls sprang off my string bed and made them sail way long, unless I made efforts to put topspin on the balls.

• Spin - Though it didn’t feel like it grabbed onto the ball particularly well, the spin peoduction was adequate. Maybe it was because the spin friendly nature of the Power Bridge 10, but I didn’t notice any lack of spin compared to the strings I have been using lately. Combined with springy characteristic, it made my topspin approach shots on short balls more effective without overhitting. I just let the power and springiness of the string work with the topspin approach shots and worked well.

• Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain): This is where I think Yonex put the most emphasis when they creatd this string. After the initial few hits, where it felt a bit tight, the string loosend up and offered consistent playing characteristics through out the playtest, which was around nine to ten hours. Unlike some strings that went unplayable juat after a few hours (*Head Hawk Touch), this string definitely held its tension and playability. Highly impressed in this aspect.

• Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain: I would definitely string it higher. I would even string it higher than I normally would to reduce the springly characteristic of this string. If it wasn’t for that springly feel, I would really have loved this string. Perhaps the thinner guage was the reason, so I would like to try this string in the thicker guages, maybe even the 15L if that would be available.

• List any additional thoughts (optional): I think this would be a great cross string to the natural gut mains. It holds the tension really well and is round and slippery, as well as being powerful. Also, though it’s a weird mix, but this string feels firm but comfortable at the same time. Those players who seek more direct response from the string without it being harsh, this could be a good choice. I could see myself using this string if I can control thr springy feel, which some people could actually like. It just didn’t work for my flat stroke mechanics. It is definitely the user error than the fault of the string, imo.

Thank you, TW. Thank you, Yonex. This was my first go with the Yonex string and thoroughly enjoyed this play test.

 

[EasternRocks]

Not apart of the playtest, but using 1.20 at #47. Originally strung it at #44 and really enjoyed the response. Just needed a bit more control. Comfort, spin, power are all 9/10's for me.

Not a spin player, so this string falls into my wheelhouse. My string set up for the past couple years has been VS/ALU, so YMMV with how you feel about the thinner, more powerful polyester.

Ask any questions and I'll answer em!

 

[naturallight]

Also not a part of the playtest, but have been using Poly Tour Strike at 55 and have been pretty happy. I feel like it’s a better version of Poly Tour Pro—more control, a little bit more spin, way way way better tension maintenance, and about the same comfort.

Compared to something like Hyper G, Strike doesn’t have nearly the same spin and is a little bit less on control. But Strike is 5x more comfortable. Both strings are great for tension maintenance.

Strike really feels nice in your hand. High quality string. Wish it came in something different than black or off-black though.

Overall this is a good effort from Yonex. It feels like a next generation string. No more suffering through soft polys that are worthless by 3rd time out.

 

[JOSHL]

Here is my conclusion -

• Tension used for playtest: 42 lbs

• Regular string set up: Don't really have one currently but the last string I used was Lasrerfibre Edge 16g.

• Racquet used for test: Pro Staff 97CV

• Power/Control of test string: I would put this string more in the power category for a poly. It still is a poly so the control is there but the power is pretty good, definitely more power than the LF edge.

• Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?): Zero off center shock. I would say that this string falls between firm and muted. Also it did not take long to break in, maybe only rallying for 30-40 minutes.

• Spin - Spin was not one of this strings best attributes in my opinion. Spin was average for me, LF edge had too much spin though and a lot of my balls were landing short, this was not an issue with the Yonex Strike.

• Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain): I give this string a 9/10 for playability duration. I cannot tell a difference from when it settled in to 6+ hours of hitting, great durability for sure.

• Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain: I would string this up a little higher because it is pretty powerful, probably 46-48lbs. Because the string is black I thought it would be much much stiffer feeling but it may be one of the most powerful black strings I've tried.

• List any additional thoughts (optional): Very easy to string up, did not kink easily at all. Very smooth and slick so would be a great cross to a shaped poly main in my opinion. I am a cheap *** though for $17 a set I probably won't be buying this string any time soon. If price wasn't an issue I would purchase this string for sure!

Thanks to T-Dub and Yonex for the opportunity, I greatly appreciate it!
Cheers!!!

 

[samprasbackhand]

Tension used for playtest - I've been having some wrist problems lately, so taking this into account and also that it is listed as a stiffer string on the packaging I went with 48 lbs on mains and crosses.

Regular string set up - Due to my wrist problems I've been tinkering with strings lately, going from full bed polys to multis instead. Even when I was playing with poly I was still experimenting to find which one I liked the most which was probably Wilson Revolve 17 gauge.

Racquet used for test - Yonex EZONE DR 98 (310 grams). Using it in stock form.

Power/Control of test string - Power and control were both very nice. 48 lbs is the lowest I've ever strung a racket but might have to consider doing that more often, maybe even lower. I normally string poly's around 53 lbs but tend to like them more once I've broken them in a bit and they've dropped in tension. I was able to swing with confidence and was hitting most of my targets. I believe I have a pretty fast swing so of course I'm going to spray balls once in a while no matter what string and tension I'm using but I liked the level of power and control this string offered. I can't remember exactly what the package said but I believe it was listed as a lower-powered string.

Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?) - The string was listed as a stiffer string, but I wouldn't say it was stiff. While I could definitely feel the ball more than I could with most other poly's I've used, it still had a comfortable and soft feel to it which I really enjoyed. It felt like a perfect complement to the already soft feel of the EZONE DR.

Spin - Not as much as many of the other poly's I've tried but definitely adequate enough for me. I already produce a lot of spin with my normal strokes so I don't look for maximum spin strings. The strings did seem pretty slick so the snapback effect is solid on these strings.

Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain)- I've probably done about 4 hours of doubles, 2 hours of singles, and one hour of hitting on these strings and while I've noticed some loss of control it's still playable for me. I don't tend to be picky with poly's losing tension and am OK playing with them until they break.

Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain - I thought 48 lbs worked out just fine for this string, I was able to play with this string immediately and didn't have any problems with tension.

List any additional thoughts (optional) - Thanks to TW and Yonex for the playtest opportunity! While I like this string enough to make it my go to string, at $17 it's a bit steep for me if I play with it as a full bed string, but I'm open to using it in a hybrid with synthetic guts.

 

[martyr444]

Yonex Poly Tour Strike 1.25 playtest

· Tension used for playtest -70#m and 65#x


·

· Regular string set up – Summer time I use 15G Ashaway Kevlar Mains 70#/Genesis Black Magic Crosses 16g 65#

·

· Racquet used for test – Prince Tour 100T ESP

·

· Power/Control of test string – Medium power for a poly. Because it was 17g I did feel a little extra zip.

·

· Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?) – It was crisp but not stiff at high tensions. I didn’t feel any shock during play. It had good power and control for volleys. Feel on touch shots was good.

·

· Spin – Spin was average for a smooth poly. It was very slick string so it didn’t bite near as good as my usual setups.

·

· Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain) – It broke during the 3rd set but feel and response in general stayed the same up to the breaking point.

·

· Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain – I would probably up the crosses to the same tension as the mains for a little more control on flat shots.

·

· List any additional thoughts (optional) – It would make for a very nice cross in a hybrid setup due to its slickness. Once I dialed in my serves it gave me a little extra free power. I had to brush up more on second servers for a little more control compared to my current setup. My flat shots did shoot through the court a little quicker and with less bounce. It’s a good string but no wow factor for me.



A big thanks to TW for giving me this opportunity to test this string

 

[lidoazndiabloboi]

Tension used for playtest
52 lbs

Regular string set up
Solinco Tour Bite at 52 lbs

Racquet used for test
2018 Wilson RF 97

Power/Control of test string
I got a good amount of power from this string. It felt like the ball pocketed in the strings much longer than your typical poly string, which resulted in a nice trampoline effect of power. Most of my shots were landing towards the baseline. The ball pocketing was also good for directional control. It felt like I was able to point and shoot, hitting my spots better than my usual strings.

Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?)
This string felt very muted and soft to me. These pocketed the ball much more than my typical poly string, so I was able to control and feel the ball very well. Up at net, I had a great amount of feel on the ball. I felt connected to the ball on all my volleys and was able to direct it wherever I wanted. No elbow or wrist pain at all from this string.

Spin
For me, it really lacked in the spin category. The spin level felt average to even below average for me. I had to really loosen and exaggerate my wrist to get just that bit of spin to keep the ball in the court. My usually shots that would kick up above the shoulders of opponents were landing only waist high. The spin level is more similar to other multifilament strings.

Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain)
The tension seems to hold up very well. They seem to play very similar from session to session. I didn’t notice much drop in performance. The durability is very good as well. Possibly because the lack of spin on the strings, I’ve been hitting much more flat shots with it, therefore resulting in less notching between the strings.

Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain
I think I would stay at my current tension. At its current setup, it had great comfort, feel and power, only lacking in spin. I don’t believe a change in tension whether it is high to lower, will change the amount of spin I get out of these strings. Therefore, I don’t believe a change is necessary.

List any additional thoughts (optional)
These strings look and feel to the touch like poly strings, but in my opinion they definitely didn’t play like your typical poly. The strings come in a nice glossy black look, which appearance wise is considerable to RPM Blast. But they are on two opposite sides of the spectrum. I have also tried Yonex Poly Tour in the black version, and that string plays very different from this Poly Tour Strike. This string is definitely an interesting addition to the Yonex lineup. I would be curious how it would play in various hybrid setups, especially as the crosses to a Gut main.

 

[AC Tennis]

• Here's my review, and thanks TW and Yonex for this opportunity!
• 
  
• Tension used for playtest: 48 lbs on a lock out stringer
• Regular string set up: don't have a regular set up at this time. Currently using Lux Alu Power rough 16L at 50 lbs
• Racquet used for test: Wilson six.one 95 18x20 (2017 re-release)
• Power/Control of test string: this string had more power than I was expecting after reading the description on the package. It was launching the ball pretty good the first time I took it out. It did calm down a bit after a few hours of hitting. I didn't think the control was very good, especially at first. The strings felt very slick and like the ball was sliding off of them at the beginning. Again, after a few hours of hitting, the strings didn't feel as slippery and control improved some, but still, control was not a strong feature of this string for me.
• Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?): feel was very nice. Soft and lively with nice snap back. To me the feel was the best feature of this string.
• Spin: spin was OK, but as it was not shaped or textured, it did not grab the ball as well as shaped or textured polys. And again, it got better as the strings broke in. I think there is some kind of coating that made them very slick. Once the coating wore off, the spin got better as the strings were able to grab the ball better. At least that is what it felt like to me.
• Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain): This string did pretty well with playability and durability. I played about 12-15 hours with it, singles, doubles, drilling, etc. and after the initial tension loss, the tension and power remained consistent, as did the nice feel. So good job on the durability Yonex!
• Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain: I think the 48 lbs was pretty good. Now that I am more familiar with the string, I will be expecting the additional power and will welcome it along with the nice feel.
• List any additional thoughts (optional): Overall a good string, but at the current price point, and given the lack of bite on the ball for spin, I don't think this will become a go to string for me.
• Thanks again TW and Yonex for this opportunity!

 

[mhkeuns]

Seems like the feel and the playability are getting the best remarks. I think this string should be strung tighter than other poly strings to perform at its best, even for a midsized racket the minimum I’d go is about 50lb - more like 52lbs.

 

[JOSHL]

Seems like the feel and the playability are getting the best remarks. I think this string should be strung tighter than other poly strings to perform at its best, even for a midsized racket the minimum I’d go is about 50lb - more like 52lbs.

I would agree with this, it’s a black poly(most have that dead stiff feel to me) and the package suggests it’s pretty stiff so I went too low I think. But for $17 I’m not going to find out. Lol.

 

[Solo Lee]

Strung these strings up last night and had a 2 hour practice session this morning. I'm 4.5 baseliner

• Tension used for playtest: 49 lbs
• Regular string set up: 49 lbs full bed Yonex poly tour pro 125 (yellow)
• Racquet used for test: yonex dr 98 plus
• Power/Control of test string: The power was a lot better than I expected. The control was also good. Furthermore, the strings are very slick! So I think the snapback was much greater than my usual YPTP. I thought the directional control on my serve was good with this string. I was hitting the corners quite often on my first serve.
• Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?) I thought this string felt somewhat springy. To me, it feels similar to genesis black magic. My arms are not sore at all, so the comfort is there. However, using the DR 98 with the wilson shock shield replacement grip along with a tourna overgrip, not too many polys out there causes me discomfort these days.
• Spin: spin is greater than my usual string, some of my groundstrokes off both sides seemed to be landing short. but was easily able to adjust to go for deeper shots. But sometimes, when I tried hitting deep, some shots seemed to trampoline (maybe due to my shots, or just over thinking)
• Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain) as explained earlier, with a 2 hour practice session (albeit hitting a lot of balls, much more than a match), the tension seemed stable throughout. i will play a couple of sets in singles tmrw to see hour durability and tension maintenace. I usually cut out polys after about 6 hours of play, whether singles/dubs/drilling.
• Would you install it at a different tension next time? No, my usual tension seemed right and easily adjust shots after the initial feel out (during warmups).
• List any additional thoughts (optional):Overall, I liked this string. However, I probably would not change from my usual string. The YPTP has a nice dead feel which gives me confidence to hit freely and to hit through the ball. I felt less confident with this string, even though it was springy, for some reason for awhile, my shots were short, or way long. Also, the cost of the string would deter me as well.

 

[Lack]

• Tension used for playtest - 55 lbs, prestreched

• Regular string set up - Volkl Cyclone 16g at 55 lbs, prestreched

• Racquet used for test - Head Youtek Graphene Speed Midplus 12oz

• Power/Control of test string - Very powerful. Started off with groundstrokes and backhand slices flying over the baseline. It took me 2 days to get used to the string, total 4 hours of hitting. Once the string settled in, I was able to easily flat out the ball from the baseline consistently from corner to corner. The timing of crosscourt serve return was amazing. Probably due to racquet head weight loss, but the power the string produced was topnotch.

• Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?) - Crisp, feels similar to RPM Blast. Very nice touch especially on flat serves and volleys. Initially good comfort even outside the sweetspot, but after a week of hitting the string felt muted. Off center shock was pretty bad to the point where I felt a bit of a sting on my wrist.

• Spin - Average spin for a poly. I find my regular setup to generate more spin than this playtest. I had some really bad result on kick serves during the playtest, not sure if it was me or the string, maybe both.

• Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain) - String felt crisp, then went muted when it started notching. Lost power on off center shots and felt discomfort on my wrist.

• Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain - Probably 58 lbs to keep the ball drop a bit shorter, since most of my groundstrokes during the playtest went deeper than I had anticipated.

• List any additional thoughts (optional) - Been playing for more than 15 hours. The string seems like it is about to break soon.

Thank you TW and Yonex for this great playtest opportunity.

 

[styksnstryngs]

Tension used for playtest:
52 pounds on my dropweight

Regular string set up:
Pro's Pro blackout 1.24 at 51 pounds in the mains, Isospeed baseline spin 1.21 at 51 in the crosses

Racquet used for test:
Head Graphene Radical Mp with lead tape to 11.5 oz (see signature for more info on setup)

Power/Control of test string:
This string was more on the power side of poly strings than control strings, although it wasn't overpowered either. It lacked a bit of ball pocketing, which may be why it lacked some of that precision when taking cuts at the ball near the sidelines, and the slickness of the string probably didn't help with that, either, although it certainly had more control than synthetic guts or multis. The string had less power than my usual setup, but more than strings like Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour.

Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?):
The PTS felt nice and crisp, not at all mushy or muted in the first few hours of play. After that period, the string remained fairly crisp, but became a little more muted. One issue I did have with this string is that the sweetspot felt smaller than normal, maybe because of the amount of shock I was feeling when I didn’t connect with the sweetspot.

Spin:
For such a slick string, I didn’t feel that PTS offered much spin. It had similar spin potential to fresh Isospeed baseline or Head sonic pro, but as the slickness wore off over time, the spin potential dropped noticeably. It didn’t stack up to my Pro’s Pro Blackout in this department, although the slickness initially would seem to make it a good cross string in a hybrid. A lot of wrist motion had the ball dipping enough to hit some nice angles and passing shots, but it was harder to hit high, deep balls with pace— in short, heavy baseline balls. It almost liked to hit balls lower over the net than most polys.

Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain):
The string had decent tension retaining properties for a poly, better than normal. It lasted for more than a few hours before I noticed a drop in tension, but the tension loss was minimal and the string remained playable until break, which unfortunately was premature when I shanked an overhead at about 14 hours. Obviously, the slick coating wore off, and with it the spin. It muted up some, but remained crisp and lively, and didn’t feel as dead as some polys do after a few hours.

Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain:
I would probably drop a few pounds to 48-49, because even though the string had a lot of power, I feel that with the slickness of the string, it could benefit from lower tension to increase the spin and keep the balls inside the court, as well as open up the sweetspot a bit.

List any additional thoughts (optional):
For a black poly, this was a pretty crisp string. I found myself liking the feel and the tension maintenance, but the lack of outstanding spin or outstanding anything, really, made it hard for me to justify the price of this string. Stringing this was a breeze, slick enough to weave crosses without any trouble and not too much coil memory or kinking. The last smooth poly I playtested was the Laserfibre JB Tour 100, which had similar power but more control, while remaining just as comfortable, if not more so, than this Yonex Poly Tour Strike. A decent string from Yonex, but nothing extraordinary to justify the price tag, for me. Two sets of this stuff is a reel of Blackout or Isospeed.

 

[M Pillai]

I will cleanup and post my notes/review tonight. In general, lets say I am a big fan of Yonex, and I think Yonex definitely could do better.

Wanted to string it up before last weekend. But could get into it only now and ready to go for today evening. I will have some good hitting in the next few days.

 

[fullwesternforehand]

• Tension used for playtest: 52 pounds
• Regular string set up: Babolat RPM Blast Rough (yellow 16g) or every now and then T1 Firewire ( 16g). My regular tension ranges from 50-52, but never really goes above 54.
• Racquet used for test: Babolat Pure Aero
• Power/Control of test string: This was more of a power orientated string as compared to a control orientated poly. I'm not really one to overhit and swing for the fences, but I did have to adjust slightly due to the pop it had. Once the string settled in, I could control it a bit better, but it still wasn't as dialed down as I would have liked. One place I did like the extra power was in my serve. Because I am mainly a slice/kick serve kind of person, the extra pop really upped my serves and gave them a bit more juice. Overall, the power is there if that is what you are looking for.
• Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?): For it being a poly, it was a bit softer than stiffer polys but isn't really a soft string. I would say it is slightly has less than average stiffness. It didn't really have too much pocketing, which somewhat gives it an erratic brassy feel that doesn't let you feel connected to the ball. It got a bit mushy towards the end, but so do all polys so nothing new. Overall it is softer than average and is mildy crisp.
• Spin: This is the area that I feel the string lacks, but at the same time I don't feel it is aimed to excel at spin. While it does have a slick coating, it doesn't really add much spin. Overall it isn't exactly an RPM Blast or a T1 Firewire, but it is OK in spin, nothing special.
• Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain): The playability did change, especially from it's first initial 4 hours to the next 12ish. The string was super unpredictable and erratic for the first couple of hours, but after it settled in it felt way better and the control came in. Once it hit the 15 hour mark it started to die off significantly, but again, it is expected with any poly.
• Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain: I would string it up a bit higher next time due to it's softness and to try to tame it's power. Because it is softer I feel it could handle being a bit tighter without it being super tough on my elbow or wrist.
• List any additional thoughts (optional): As always, thanks TW and Yonex for the playtest. I really appreciate companies that give their most loyal/obsessed/borderline crazy tennis enthusiasts a chance to playtest products only a select few get to try. Cheers to the tennis future!

 

[M Pillai]

Here is my review. Thanks Yonex and Tennis Warehouse for the opportunity.

• Tension used for playtest
  • 56lb mains x 54lb crosses
• Regular string set up
  • Volkl Cyclone17 54lb mains / 52lb crosses
• Racquet used for test
  • Wilson BLX Steam 99S
• Power/Control of test string
  • For a poly, I felt like this is more power oriented. There is enough control as offered by any poly. Also the racket I used for playtest was not really a control oriented racket anyway. So that might have something to do with this bias.
• Feel/Comfort (Stiff? Mushy? Springy? Muted? Crisp? Off-center shock?)
  • Probably easier to say how it did not feel like. I want to categorize it as kind of Crisp. Felt good on flattening out some strokes. It did not feel stiff/springy/spongy/mushy. To me muted means reduced feel and it was not really that as well. It pretty much looked like a aim and shoot kind of string. It did not feel like an arm-killer and probably soft for a poly string. Also nothing surprising on the “feel” shots, but nothing too bad for a poly as well. So pretty much average in the Feel/Comfort department for a poly.
• Spin
  • Like I mentioned above it pretty much felt like an aim and shoot kind of string. I was expecting a lot of spin because of the slickness and for this reason I put in a “spin” version of the Wilson Steam. But I think that was a wrong choice. I do get enough spin on my strokes irrespective of any string I use. But I would have to say, Yonex PTS (Poly Tour Strike) was kind of a disappointment to me in spin department. I do not think it helped to add any extra spin.
• Playability Duration (did the feel/response change over time? Explain)
  • I am OK with the way the string bed shaped over time after stringing. As expected from any poly strings, PTS also encountered some tenison loss, but it was acceptable by poly standards.I felt like the string bed changed a lot during the first 30 minutes of hitting, and then it settled. I had no way of measuring any specific tension loss. I did not break the string, even after 14hrs of hitting. Also even though it did notch almost half way through by the end of 14hrs, it was still acceptable for me. But by that time I really got bored of this string. It definitely did not feel like a “special” string, as the packaging quality hinted.
• Would you install it at a different tension next time? Explain
  • The string was an average performer for me. But I don't think it has anything to do with the tension I was using. That being said, if I had multiple sets, I would probably string one at a bit more lower tension to see if it changes any properties/behavior, especially on spin department, just out of curiosity.
• List any additional thoughts (optional)
  • Yonex PTS did perform OK in many areas, like durability, feel/comfort, power etc. But seems like I had been spoiled by some great poly strings in the market. And with Yonex, I was definitely expecting a lot more than average. In general I don’t think I need to be too critical about any aspect of this string. But being an average is not going to make me pay the premium for this string. I am a huge fan of Yonex, and I am pretty sure Yonex can do a lot better and make some more “Wows” out of me, when I do the playtest. So in general this was kind of a disappointing play test for me, probably because I was expecting too much. But when I try to find out why exactly was wrong this string, I realize that nothing really “wrong” with this string though. So yes I would use this again if get this for value or when my other favourite strings are not available to me.

 

[EasternRocks]

Has anyone else played with it? Noting that everyone seems to comment about it’s power. For me, installed in the VCORE98, there’s been too much of it both at 46 and at 49. I have it coming back to me at 52 in a few days.