VacationTennis
Semi-Pro
Gauge received 17G 1.20
Tension(s) used for playtest 40lbs
Regular string set up & tension Poly Tour Pro 1.20 at 45 lbs
Racquet used for test Yonex Ai98
Power/Control of test string
I was hoping this string would be a sharp poly tour pro. It wasn’t. When I took it out of the package the night before I could tell it was a very high performance string and had flashbacks of Poly Tour Spin G, a crazy stiff string. I decided to string it 5 lbs lower than the PTP that was in my other Ai98. It wasn’t very edgy in the fingers, but very slick making it easy to string.
My first outing was at 6am on a 27 degree morning, indoors at least. I had hoped 40 lbs would help make up for a slower, colder start.
Initial power at 40 lbs was medium low, and control higher than expected for 40 lbs. Launch angle lower than expected, medium low.
Balls were launching pretty good from the baseline but always diving back in. As I gained confidence in this new string and started to take full cuts, everything was going in, just on the later and deeper side of things keeping opponents back.
Serve power was impressive for a stiffer poly. I wasn’t complaining for that early in the morning given the level of this string.
Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?)
Feel was pleasantly muted, but still some stretch to be felt at 40 lbs. More stretch than expected for cold weather and cold strings. Nowhere near as pocketey as PTP, but you had a sense of where the ball was.
It’s a serious string though, not a comfort string at all. Reminds me of a less sharp Confidential.
Ai98 worked well softening the off centers, and I needed it.
Spin
Not bitey and not felt shredding but audibly snapping back crisply and clean and visually spinning the ball heavy. Balls diving late and always going back in the court. No issues going long for low tension, and no issues going too short like a sharp Volkl Cyclone would.
It didn’t feel like a spin string. I think you really have to put it to work to see big spin from it.
Playability Duration
After 5 hours I thought the tension maint was better than average for starting so low at 40 lbs where things can usually get floppy after a few hours.. I wasn’t having any issues keeping the ball in the court depth wise, but was losing control going wide. Strings were starting to move around at 5 hours.
Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time? - why?)
I personally would have strung it 5 lbs lower to get more comfort out of it. I think it could handle it and still have some control.
I played in a wide range of conditions from cold indoors to 70 degree outside and though it held together nicely at low tension.
List any additional thoughts
This string dominated from far behind the baseline and allowed me to take big wild cuts. The combination of a stiff string at low tension had me hitting winners from way far back - right where I like to be.
However, it wasn’t forgiving enough for my arm at current form and temp, so I had to end it at 5 hours.
I think it’s a big string for high performance players, and shouldn’t be taken lightly unless you are super confident in your strokes and ability.
Tension(s) used for playtest 40lbs
Regular string set up & tension Poly Tour Pro 1.20 at 45 lbs
Racquet used for test Yonex Ai98
Power/Control of test string
I was hoping this string would be a sharp poly tour pro. It wasn’t. When I took it out of the package the night before I could tell it was a very high performance string and had flashbacks of Poly Tour Spin G, a crazy stiff string. I decided to string it 5 lbs lower than the PTP that was in my other Ai98. It wasn’t very edgy in the fingers, but very slick making it easy to string.
My first outing was at 6am on a 27 degree morning, indoors at least. I had hoped 40 lbs would help make up for a slower, colder start.
Initial power at 40 lbs was medium low, and control higher than expected for 40 lbs. Launch angle lower than expected, medium low.
Balls were launching pretty good from the baseline but always diving back in. As I gained confidence in this new string and started to take full cuts, everything was going in, just on the later and deeper side of things keeping opponents back.
Serve power was impressive for a stiffer poly. I wasn’t complaining for that early in the morning given the level of this string.
Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable?)
Feel was pleasantly muted, but still some stretch to be felt at 40 lbs. More stretch than expected for cold weather and cold strings. Nowhere near as pocketey as PTP, but you had a sense of where the ball was.
It’s a serious string though, not a comfort string at all. Reminds me of a less sharp Confidential.
Ai98 worked well softening the off centers, and I needed it.
Spin
Not bitey and not felt shredding but audibly snapping back crisply and clean and visually spinning the ball heavy. Balls diving late and always going back in the court. No issues going long for low tension, and no issues going too short like a sharp Volkl Cyclone would.
It didn’t feel like a spin string. I think you really have to put it to work to see big spin from it.
Playability Duration
After 5 hours I thought the tension maint was better than average for starting so low at 40 lbs where things can usually get floppy after a few hours.. I wasn’t having any issues keeping the ball in the court depth wise, but was losing control going wide. Strings were starting to move around at 5 hours.
Tension Recommendations (would you string it differently next time? - why?)
I personally would have strung it 5 lbs lower to get more comfort out of it. I think it could handle it and still have some control.
I played in a wide range of conditions from cold indoors to 70 degree outside and though it held together nicely at low tension.
List any additional thoughts
This string dominated from far behind the baseline and allowed me to take big wild cuts. The combination of a stiff string at low tension had me hitting winners from way far back - right where I like to be.
However, it wasn’t forgiving enough for my arm at current form and temp, so I had to end it at 5 hours.
I think it’s a big string for high performance players, and shouldn’t be taken lightly unless you are super confident in your strokes and ability.
