Tennis Warehouse: Solinco Multifilament String Playtest

[TW Staff]

Solinco Multifilament Playtest

You must post your review by July 23.

If you do not post a review, or if your review is clearly lacking effort, you will be excluded from future playtests.

Hybrids are okay.

Include the following in your review:

Full set or hybrid?
If hybrid, what string did you partner with the Solinco?
Tension(s) used for playtest
Regular string set up
Racquet brand and model used for test
Power of test string
Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?)
Spin
Comfort
Durability
Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time)
Control (predictable trajectory? Easy to control depth? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
Compare to the string you use most often
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)
List any additional thoughts (optional)

 

[PGlock]

Just got a set of 'Unreleased' Solinco Multifilament Black Rough string. Feels very soft and coating seems pretty slippery.

Thinking of stringing this in a hybrid setup as the main with ALU Power 16L in the crosses.

 

[loosegroove]

I'm surprised they let you do hybrids on this playtest.

 

[texastornado]

It's probably the whole, lower friction poly cross fad going on.

I haven't opened the pack yet but it feels very pliable. I'm thinking 17/18g poly cross.

 

[heartattack]

TW, is this for continental US only?

 

[despo]

I got mine in the mail yesterday , its very slippery and feels very soft. I really want to play it in a hybrid with YTex square x , but I think I will use it in a full set to give a better overall review

 

[gmatheis]

I just strung up my Solinco Multifilament Black Rouch 16g.


#1 - it is VERY hard to get through shared holes because it is so soft. I am hopeful that this will be good for the feel ... just hard to string and I actually had to use my pathfinder awl on one hole. So have that handy just incase.

#2 - When stringing the crosses I always use my fingers to move the string up and down while I pull through the slack but the friction from this string against my skin was so much that for the first time ever I used an awl. I'm not sure what this will mean for string movement/snapback.

Other than these 2 small things it was very easy to string, especially to tie off.

One last note is that it doesn't have that "gluey" smell a lot of multi's have, it actually has very little smell at all.

 

[dolphinsrus]

Hi guys,

Really excited to string my racquet with this new Solinco multi, but would love to hear from others what tension you are using. I was planning to string at 56 lbs. like my other multis, but given that this one is too soft I am hesitant. Please post your experience.

 

[gmatheis]

Hi guys,

Really excited to string my racquet with this new Solinco multi, but would love to hear from others what tension you are using. I was planning to string at 56 lbs. like my other multis, but given that this one is too soft I am hesitant. Please post your experience.

I string my poly at 50lbs, now that I'm using multi for my elbow I string at 55 lbs. Just had a hit with it tonight and it plays pretty well.

 

[eelhc]

Got mine last week. Had a couple of matches this week so I didn't want to experiment or hit with another setup.

Like others have said, it has a smooth outer wrap/coating with a textured surface. This has peaked my interest. My go to setup is Head Rip Control mains with slick and soft poly crosses (Topspin Cyber Blue or Isospeed Baseline Spin) at low tensions (50~55#). The Solinco string is similar in concept to rip control as it is a smooth textured/shaped multi.

I will test in a hybrid with Cyber Blue crosses at 2 tensions (probably 55 and 50). I am hoping that the string is low powered so I can get away with stringing at low tensions without having a rocket launcher.

 

[PGlock]

Solinco Multifilament Playtest

My playtest used a hybrid setup with the Solinco test string tensioned in the mains at 54 lbs and Luxilon ALU Power 16L tensioned in the crosses at 50 lbs in a Wilson Six.One 95S. I normally play with a full bed of Luxilon ALU Power in the low 50 pound range but will occasionally hybrid with a multifilament.

Power was very low and subdued in my opinion. I did not have many shots launching off the racquet face and no trouble keeping my shots inside the lines. I also did not feel like I could hit many hard penetrating groundstrokes with this setup. My serves also felt softer and about 20% slower but no significant control issues.

Feel was muted and soft. I could hit touch shots with great ease, especially at net. I think a full bed of this would have felt too soft and maybe mushy for me.

Spin was low to moderate and I could generate more with my backhand slice than with a topspin forehand or backhand. I did not feel like I could get lift on the ball with my topspin shots, they were lower and flatter. On serve it was negligible and I did not feel like it was doing much even when I tried to exaggerate it.

Comfort with this setup was excellent. No harshness to speak of at all and very easy on the arm.

Durability was on the low end. My setup lasted a little less than six hours before the two center Solinco mains snapped.
Playability Duration began to change after about two hours for me with the Solinco string noticeably notching and having less power. About a third of the notched mains had been sawn through at that point. I would also note that the outer coating was totally worn after about 30 minutes but did not significantly affect playability at that point. At the four hour mark, about half the diameter of the notched mains remained and the power had continued to decrease as well. All of this was gradual during the course of play but still noticeable the next time you picked up the racquet. I was a little surprised by how quickly the Solinco notched as a main because ALU Power is very smooth and slick and I did not think it would chew through that quickly. I would not have used the Solinco as a main if I had known it would get eaten that quickly.

Control was very good through about the first three hours but did start to degrade. I felt like the trajectory for topspin shots was lower and flatter than usual for me but that could also be attributed to the decreased amount of spin with this setup. Slice backhands were easy to generate with good pace and depth. Volleys felt very good and it was easy to control depth and placement. Drop shots worked well and I felt like I could control the depth nicely.

Comparing this to my normal string setup which is a full bed of ALU Power is like apples and oranges. A full bed of ALU Power has more power and will generate a great deal more spin. You won’t have the same comfort level or feel with the ALU Power as with the hybrid. If I were doing this over again, I would probably have tried the Solinco as a cross string or in a full bed by itself, as I think it would have lasted a little longer and may have generated better spin.

Additional Thoughts
Out of the package this string is extremely soft and pliable with no coil memory. Even though this string is supposed to have a rough texture the outer coating feels smooth and a little slippery to me. The outer coating on this string is more like a sheath than what I think of as a traditional outer coating for multifilaments, such as Technifibre’s polyurethane infusion. You can tell the difference when cutting the string, it was a little like cutting electrical wire or Kevlar, like the outer coating is not fully integrated with the multifilament. This string is very soft and when stringing I think it will be much more difficult to work with shared holes. Because I strung this in the mains I did not need to worry about this. Surprisingly, weaving ALU Power with this string was a unique experience. I thought the Solinco would be much smoother and easier to string against but it was actually a little sticky as you got to the end of the weave. The coating at that point almost felt a little rubbery.

Thanks to TW for letting me be a part of this string test.

 

[texastornado]

Additional Thoughts
Out of the package this string is extremely soft and pliable with no coil memory. Even though this string is supposed to have a rough texture the outer coating feels smooth and a little slippery to me. The outer coating on this string is more like a sheath than what I think of as a traditional outer coating for multifilaments, such as Technifibre’s polyurethane infusion. You can tell the difference when cutting the string, it was a little like cutting electrical wire or Kevlar, like the outer coating is not fully integrated with the multifilament. This string is very soft and when stringing I think it will be much more difficult to work with shared holes. Because I strung this in the mains I did not need to worry about this. Surprisingly, weaving ALU Power with this string was a unique experience. I thought the Solinco would be much smoother and easier to string against but it was actually a little sticky as you got to the end of the weave. The coating at that point almost felt a little rubbery.

Thanks to TW for letting me be a part of this string test.

I had this same issue weaving 1.14 Black Force. The string seemed to be very sticky and almost seemed like it was peeling off in some places.

 

[texastornado]

Solinco Black Rough 1.30

Full set or hybrid?
Hybrid

If hybrid, what string did you partner with the Solinco?
Solinco Black Rough Mains 1.30/Pro's Pro Black Force 1.14 Crosses

Tension(s) used for playtest
56/52lbs

Regular string set up
Pro's Pro Blackout 54/52

Racquet brand and model used for test
ProKennex Redondo Mid

Power of test string
8/10 - Power was very good. Had good pop but not uncontrollable. Felt like I could easily hit a fairly heavy ball (speed+spin).

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?)
This string was crisp without being harsh. I enjoyed the feel.

Spin
7.5/10 - Spin production was good. In my opinion, just a bit below full poly like blackout or volkl cyclone.

Comfort
9/10 - Comfort was very good. I had no complaints.

Durability
5/10 - In this hybrid the string snapped after 10-12 hours of play. It would be interesting to see how a full bed plays.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time)
The playability seemed pretty consistent over time. Tension maintenance must have been fairly decent, or I just broke it quick.

Control (predictable trajectory? Easy to control depth? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
Control was as good as other strings. Depth control was good, only short loopy balls were harder to hit.

Compare to the string you use most often
This string (in this hybrid) is more comfortable than a pure poly setup and has a bit easier power. It had a bit less (but noticable) amount of spin production and it snapped a lot faster.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)
I thought this tension was pretty good.

List any additional thoughts (optional)
This string was very soft and stretched quite a bit when stringing. It aws a bit tough pulling poly crosses because of the coating which I felt made it stick almost like saran wrap. Overall a fun string to play, If it lasts long in a full set, maybe a good string for people trying to recover from elbow issues?

 

[eelhc]

Strung up the playtest sample in 2 Hybrid jobs (as mains) on 2 frames and hit a few hrs over the past several days. Net... This multi is very similar to Head rip control (this is a good thing IMO).

Full Set or Hybrid: Hybrid with Topspin Cyber Blue 17 Crosses

Tension(s) used for playtest: Tested 2 Hybrid setups on 50# on one and 55# on the other (crosses were strung ~5lbs lower).

Regular string set up: M: Head Rip Control 17 @55#, X: Topspin Cyber Blue 17@50#.

Racquet brand and model used for test: Dunlop Aerogel 4D 300 for both. I have several of these frames and I grabbed 2 to test the different tensions side/side.

Power of test string: Using the popular multi's as a reference (NRG2, BiPhase, NXT...), I would consider the Solinco low to medium powered in comparison.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): Soft but not mushy with this hybrid setup. Excellent feedback on touch shots.

Spin: Good spin production. Not exactly full poly but the textured Solinco multi with the slippery outer coating/material slides and snaps back against the Cyber Blue crosses. There was virtually no string movement.

Comfort: Very comfortable. Those who've had arm issues but prefer not to go to gut or other multi's (too powerful) might want to give it a try.

Durability: I am not a string breaker so "Durability = Playability" to me. Once the stringbed loses too much tension, or begins to lock up I cut is out.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): After a couple of hours of hitting with both frames (alternating), the outer coating/material is slightly notched. That said, there's still no string movement (The Cyber Blue helps very much in this regard). I have used other hybrids where there was notching on mains but they stayed playable for a long time. Time will tell.

Compare to the string you use most often: This is very similar in just about every way to my go to Rip Control M / Cyber Blue X setup. In fact, I hardly noticed that this was a playtest. Most heavy hitters stay away from Multi M / Poly X hybrids because of durability (poly crosses chew through the mains) but for me it's the best compromise of both (multi comfort, poly spin).

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I think it would depend on the amount of power one is looking for but in the 4D 300 (very flexible frame), 50# was not too powerful for me. I could take full cuts and not launch the ball.

List any additional thoughts (optional)
Thanks TW and Solinco for the opportunity to test these strings. It would be helpful if TW or Solinco would close out the playtest with additional details on the string (the use, market intended for, projected cost, etc). I really see this as a competitor/alternative to rip control but Rip control is very attractively priced. Rip Control M / Cyber Blue X string job is like $5.

Pros: Comfortable without feeling mushy, good feel, Spin (in my setup).

Cons: Possibly durability as the outer coating began to notch. Think I'll play with these frames for a bit to see.

 

[FEDERERNADAL13]

Here we go!

Full set or hybrid?

I played a Full set of this stuff in my Pacific stick.

Tension(s) used for playtest: I had my buddy string it up at 54 lbs. He was confused because the string didn't coil up while he was stringing, he commented that it seemed to be "too easy" to string.

Regular string set up: I normally play with my Pacific X fast pro, with Pacific Power Twist multi at 54 lbs. Thought I would string up the Solinco with the same set up, since they are both multis.

Racquet brand and model used for test: As previously mentioned, I play with the Pacific X fast pro, with some lead at 3/9 and some lead in the handle.
Power of test string: This string seemed really low powered when compared to my usual multi. When first hitting with it, I found myself dumping the ball in the the net far too frequently. After taking some time to adjust, I managed to find a rhythm with it. Since it was low powered, I found myself swinging much harder than I would like to, in order to achieve the same results as with my other strings. If my usual string has a power level of 8/10, I would give this string a 4/10. Very low powered, but manageable if you can swing harder.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?) The feel seemed to me to be much more muted than my regular set up. It really felt like a "ball pocketing" string as it were, it was very comfortable to play with. If I miss-hit, it did not jolt me as much as my normal string would, which was nice.

Spin: There didn't seem to be too much spin to be had with this string. I found it very difficult to get a lot of topspin on my strokes, especially with the backhand (I have a one hander, if it helps). Slices were very good though, both on the serve and off the ground. My flatter one handers worked well, but again could have used more power. Overall, not an overly spinny string in terms of topspin, but a good string for slice and flat shots.

Comfort: This string was very very comfortable. As I mentioned earlier, miss-hits were not too painful, normal strokes felt easy on the arm. This string felt very nice to play with.

Durability: Haven't broken it yet (6 hours played so far), so it seems ok. I tend to break string every 10 hours or so, and I can see this string following suit with that. Seems like a normal multi in that respect.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): The string seemed pretty constant as time went on. Once I got used to it, it played pretty well, as mentioned before.

Control (predictable trajectory? Easy to control depth? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): The string seemed very control-oriented. Not too much spin or pace, but the ball seemed to go where I wanted it to. Once I got dialed in, I knew where the ball was going to go with the string, which is always a good thing.

Compare to the string you use most often: When compared to my pacific string, I found that the solinco had less spin and pace, but was more comfortable and control oriented. I would definitely recommend it for players looking for a comfy, reliable string, that like to generate their own pace and spin.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) I would potentially string it a little bit lower, maybe 52 or 51, to see if it would become more powerful.

List any additional thoughts (optional):

I enjoyed this string test thoroughly. Big thanks to TW and Solinco for choosing me!

 

[bspitch1]

Full Set or Hybrid: Hybrid with 4G crosses

Tension(s) used for playtest: 50/50 and 52/50

Regular string set up: Black Widow 17/SPPP (43/43)

Racquet brand and model used for test: Wilson Blade 93

Power of test string: Lower than some of the other multis that I've tried. Definitely lower power than X-1.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): Pretty soft with reasonably crisp feel; one of my favorite aspects of this string.

Spin: I was able to get a LOT of spin with this string. I was pleasantly surprised that I got more spin from this string setup than my normal black widow setup.

Comfort: Very comfortable. I don't have many arm problems but for those who do, this is definitely a great string to try. I would give it a 9/10 in this category.

Durability: Strings broke after about two hours of playing. I break strings pretty frequently so this didn't come as a huge surprise.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): I'm going to have a hard time commenting since the strings only lasted about two hours. Tension maintenance seemed pretty good coming off the stringer. After a short period of break-in time, I didn't see any major tension loss or decline in playability.

Compare to the string you use most often: I don't typically use multi's so its hard for me to tell. I remember a similar feel from X-1/4G but this string setup had less power and considerably more spin.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): I would keep the tension around the 52 mark, I play with a 93in head so low tensions are best for me.


Pros: Comfortable, GREAT spin, low power.

Cons: None. For a multi, I really liked this string.

 

[Nuke]

Full set or hybrid?
Full set. I know they said hybrids were OK, and I’d put poly in the mains with this multifilament as the cross, but that probably wouldn’t be such a great playtest. I don’t think you can judge a string solely by how it does in the crosses, as the mains are really going to be the controlling factor. So a full job for this test.

If hybrid, what string did you partner with the Solinco?
Full job with the Solinco multifilament.

Tension(s) used for playtest
60 pounds for both mains and crosses.

Regular string set up
Usually, I string up Cyber Flash or Big Hitter 17 mains with Gosen OG Sheep Micro or Prince Synthetic with Duraflex 16 crosses, both at 55 pounds. Yeah, I like a fairly crisp set-up. Went up a few pounds on the Solinco Multifilament, figuring it was going to be softer than my usual poly.

Racquet brand and model used for test
Prince Warrior OS.

Power of test string
Fairly low powered, but that's a positive for me. This forced me to keep my swing speed higher, which in turn allows a bit more spin than a high powered string where I had to hold back my shots a bit. This is, of course, one of the advantages of most poly strings – low power lets you take a bug cut at the ball without putting it into orbit. Nice to get some of the same effect from a multi.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?)
Not as crisp as poly, nor as springy as some multifilaments. A nice compromise, not too different from a crisp syngut like OGSM. Much better ball feel than poly on softer shots.

Spin
Eh. The more I try textured strings expecting higher spin, the more I’m coming to the conclusion that you’re better off with a slippery round/untextured strings. This one wasn’t half bad for a multifilament, but I felt like I had to work a bit harder for big topspin. It was a bit better for softer backspin shots, but neither gave me the kind of spins I usually get from fresh poly strings. These strings may be better suited for flat hitters, but that’s not my game.

Comfort
A definite plus for comfort. I could see this as a possible alternative to poly if my arm issues flare up.

Durability
After about six hours, I can see where the string is getting pretty notched, and I’m expecting a break in the next few hours. So, no breakthrough in durability here.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time)
Seems to be holding tension pretty well, but the notching is going to affect how the strings slide and snap back on spin shots.

Control (predictable trajectory? Easy to control depth? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
Good side-to-side control, and easy to control volleys and drop shots. A bit less successful on depth control from the baseline. It took me awhile to adjust my swing to get shots deep, with enough topspin to bring them down.

Compare to the string you use most often
I suppose if I switched to these strings, I could get used to them after awhile, but poly strings jut make it easier to swing out and get big topspin to keep the balls dropping in. And, despite the fact that poly strings usually have bad tension maintenance, I’m getting better durability over time with poly strings than these multifilaments. Gotta say I like the comfortable feel, but I’m thinking of these strings more as a rehab string when having arm problems, rather than a day-to-day string for matches.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)
I think 60 pounds was about right.

List any additional thoughts (optional).
Might be a good string to try as a cross with some poly mains, to maybe make a harsh poly more comfortable. I suppose it depends on what price point these strings come in at, whether it’s worth switching crosses from cheap OGSM syngut.

As usual, thanks to Solinco and Tennis Warehouse for the opportunity to playtest these strings.

 

[jim e]

Tension(s) used for playtest: 57 lbs. CP machine, full bed

Regular string set up: Wilson Nat. gut 16g.

Racquet brand and model used for test: Head Radical OS

Power of test string: Seemed a little low powered for a multi string, compared to xcel, and X one. 3/5

Feel: Nice semi crisp feel for a soft string. Good feel on volleys, a little muted for baseline hitting 3.5/5

Spin: I hit a relatively flat style ball, but was able to produce spin as needed.3.5/5

Comfort: Very comfortable string for a multi. especially for baseline shots, (but felt a little muted) , as it had comfort with control 4/5

Durability; the string lasted for approx. 5 hours of singles and 1 hour of serving practice 3.5/5

Playability Duration : initially took a little while to get use of strings feel and power, or lack of, it had. Once settled in the strings played well and consistent until they broke.4/5

Control It had predictable trajectory once I was use of srtings, as it took about 45 minutes for me to get use of them and once I did shots settled in and control was fine. 4/5

Compare to the string you use most often: nat. gut has more power, feel and comfort, but for a multi string felt good once I got use to them. Hard to compare any string to nat. gut, but this string had comfort, along with control.Serves had excellent control, had more 1st serves going in , but was tamed down a little from nat. gut I typically use.
Tension recommendations: I think the 57 lbs. hit the mark for this string, same for most multi strings I used in past.

 

[gmatheis]

Full set or hybrid? - I used the Solinco Multifilament in a full bed

Tension(s) used for playtest - Strung at 55lbs on a dropweight machine

Regular string set up - I was using poly, but have developed "golfers elbow" and have recently been using a multifilament. (Pro's Pro Hi-Tec Multifiber)

Racquet brand and model used for test - Volkl PowerBridge 10 Mid

Power of test string - I found the string to be relatively low powered. This was good since I am used to poly, and the multi I am currently using is low powered also.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?) - The string felt a bit soft (but not mushy) and muted. I think this is somewhat due to the outer coating on the string.

Spin - For a multi I felt I could produce decent spin, not to the level of poly, but more then the multi I am currently using.

Comfort - This was VERY nice. This string felt as soft or softer on my elbow than my current multi which was chosen because of my elbow problem.

Durability - For a multi I have found this to have good durability. My last multi I broke in just under 2 weeks. I have been giving this Solinco Multi a fair amount of use. After several hours I started to notice some fibers poking out through the coating. This effect has become more pronounced and the sweet spot of my racket is a bit fuzzy now but they haven't broken yet.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time) - I have enjoyed these strings for the entire playtest, I actually have been favoring the racket with the Solinco strings over my rackets with my regular multi the last few times I have played.

Control (predictable trajectory? Easy to control depth? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) - I really feel that because they are lower powered they have good control, allow me to get good spin (for a multi) and have good feel from all areas of the court (serve, groundstrokes, and volleys)

Compare to the string you use most often - compared to my current multi these have a more muted/softer feel, similar power, a bit more spin and more control. Compared to poly they are MUCH softer, have way more feel but do not get quite as much spin, especially on groundstrokes.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) - I was very happy with 55lbs

List any additional thoughts (optional) - This string was great for my elbow as well as someone wanting a lower powered multi that generates a fair amount of spin (not huge spin, but definitely decent)

I think Solinco has produced a really good string for fans of multifilaments and I will be looking for it to be released.

 

[Micalzon]

Full set or hybrid? - Full bed
If hybrid, what string did you partner with the Solinco? - N/A
Tension(s) used for playtest - 51 lbs.
Regular string set up - Poly Mains @46 lbs. with Multi Cross @50 lbs. Various brands.
Racquet brand and model used for test - Babolat Pure Drive Lite modified to 12 oz strung and 11 pts HL balance.

Power of test string: 7/10
This was a low powered multi, for sure, as others have pointed out but it was a little too low for me. I'm sure it's fine for someone who takes big swings on nearly every ball they hit but it's hard if you're more of an all court type player. The low power made it harder for me to put away shots up at the net and on overheads.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): 7/10
I wasn't a fan of the feel of this string. Though I would put it on the muted spectrum of categories, it didn't really have a specific, unique feel where you could say "yup, that's definitely a very crisp string" (for example). It was almost in no-mans land.

Spin: 6/10
In my more spin friendly frame I still wasn't able to get the type of spin I was hoping to generate. If you work hard, you can get it to go but it wasn't as good as other multi's I've used.

Comfort: 9/10
Have a little GE issues, I can appreciate a comfortable string and this was its best feature. Very comfortable to play with.

Durability: 8/10
I'm not a string breaker so this wasn't much of an issue for me. It did start to notch up a bit after the 4th hour of play. I am usually able to hit with a ball maching for a few hours as I conduct a play test so I can really put it through the ringer but wasn't able to this time around. Be that as it may, I did play several 2 set matches and it seemed to hold up well.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): 7.5/10
Again, it played fine for the first few hours but once the notching set in it played like a board. It seemed to play similar to some of the low(er) end multi's I've used in the past. It would be fine if you're able to cut these out every week or so.

Control (predictable trajectory? Easy to control depth? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): 7/10
As mentioned above, I had a hard time controlling some of my shots if I wasn't able to put a full swing on it. I mostly found issues on my return of serve. I was able to swing freely on my opponents 2nd serves and put the ball into play but on 1st serves I couldn't get the ball deep enough into the court and was just giving him freebie points. Groundstrokes were easy enough but didn't like how it played at the net.

Compare to the string you use most often - I've been using a few multi's lately but did not get some of the same perks that I'm used to (i.e. better control, feel, etc.) I probably should have hit it in a hybrid but I wanted to see how this "textured" multi would work out in a full bed. Definitely lower on power, a more muted feel (I like crisp feeling strings), and not the greatest in consistancy.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) - I would lower the tension if I could do it again. That might help with some of the feel, spin, and power issues I had with it.

List any additional thoughts (optional) - It's all been said above. Thanks!

 

[dolphinsrus]

First of all I want to thank Tennis Warehouse and Solinco for the opportunity to playtest this string. I really enjoy testing new products and reviewing them.

Full set or hybrid?
I decided to go with a full bed for two reasons; first to provide a compelling review of this one. On hybrids the performance of one string is influenced by other string. Second, my elbow just healed from Tennis Elbow, so this was an outstanding opportunity to test its an arm friendly string.


Tension(s) used for playtest:
56lbs, which is my traditional setting.

Regular string set up:
I usually play with multi-filaments such as Babolat excel at 56.

Racquet brand and model used for test:
Babolat Aero Pro

Power of test string: 3/5
Certainly this was a slightly low powered string, but overall I had enough power to make good shots.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?) 4/5
Great pop and feeling. I really enjoyed playing with this string. Great touch.

Spin: 4/5
As you can see in the pictures below, the string has a texture, similar to other polys that generate lots of spin such as Alu Power rough. I guess this is the reason they call it rough. I am giving it 4/5 considering that it is a multi string. I had no problem generating spin.

Comfort: 5/5
Extremely comfortable, especially for a player recovering from tennis elbow like me. I loved it.



Durability: 2/5
In my experience durability was an issue, as the string started peeling off at the sweet spot relatively fast. This string is extremely soft.


Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time)
Unfortunately the string lasted about 7 hours. Other multis such as xcel last about 10 to 12 hours. Certainly not a very durable string, but a great string to play with.

Control (predictable trajectory? Easy to control depth? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)

I had no issues with control. It took me a few minutes to get used to the strings, but after 15 minutes, I placed my shots where I wanted. Good control.

Compare to the string you use most often:

I usually play with multi strings, so I am very familiar and used to them. This string was much softer than other multi strings such as Babolat xcel, but the playability of the Solinco string was superior.

The coating is different than other strings and I believe this is the reason the string didn’t lasted. In other words, better comfort and playability with good spin and control, but with durability issues.


Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)

It worked great for me at 56lbs. If I had the chance to string it again, I would string it at the same tension (56 lbs).

List any additional thoughts (optional)

As mentioned, this string is extremely soft. Thus, stringing the racquet was an issue with shared holes. (See pictures below comparing this Solinco string to the Technifibre that I tested few weeks ago). I certainly would consider adopting this string as one of my favorites depending on the price. Thanks again to Solinco and Tennis Warehouse.

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[BurnNotice]

Full set or hybrid?
Full Set.

Tension(s) used for playtest
58/58 lbs

Regular string set up
Pacific Classic 16G/MSV co-focus 1.25 at 57/53 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test
Wilson K Six One Tour

Power of test string
I felt like the power of this string was very tamed, it had a springy feel compared to when I used Tecnifibre Multifeel and had a tiny bit more power. I could generate easy power with it with some effort.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?)
This string was definitely muted and very soft, slices and touch shots were easy to pull off with this string. The ball bounced off the strings where I generally wanted it to.

Spin
Compared to my usual set up, I had expected a decrease in spin, however I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't that far off. Freshly strung it was easy to get spin as the strings glided and snapped back really well. As the play went on, the spin was a little harder to generate but overall not bad for a multifilament.


Comfort
10/10, softest string I ever played with. If you have any arm problems this is a string that would really help it.

Durability
I don't break strings but it seems like these will stay in there for as long as any string does in my racquets. I can see where a person who uses heavy spin can break this easily.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time)
I felt like it was very springy in the beginning and as it wore on, the tension maintenance was pretty average, I could feel a little trampoline effect coming on. The spin was decent enough to keep the ball in though. I hit with moderate topspin.

Control (predictable trajectory? Easy to control depth? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
The trajectory was very predictable, for a flat hitter I feel this string would give them great control of depth. I had to find a balance between hitting through it and brushing it, overall it did what I expected it to. I liked the control of this string a lot.

Compare to the string you use most often
Compared to gut, my game didn't seem to drop off at all. I might have actually gained some spin on my serves due to the texture on these strings when they were fresh. The only noticeable difference was the lack of put away power I suppose.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)
I generally like to string my racquets tight, but at 58 this seemed perfect, for a freshly strung racquet a moderate tension allows for good spin and power.

List any additional thoughts (optional)
I was a big fan of this string, I would love to try to hybrid this with a poly cross and compare it to natural gut/poly. This string had soft characteristics but also had enough spin to keep me happy. I did notice that it absolutely ate up ball fuzz like i've never seen before. Overall I enjoyed it and will keep hitting with it until it breaks.

 

[Rjtennis]

Full set or hybrid? - Full bed
If hybrid, what string did you partner with the Solinco? - N/A
Tension(s) used for playtest - 54/52 lbs
Regular string set up - VS Gut (54)/ Proline II (52).
Racquet brand and model used for test - Head Youtek Extreme Pro

Power of test string: 7/10
The string felt lowered powered compared to my typical gut poly set-up. However, the power level was more than adequate and allowed you to take decent cuts at the ball. If the string was any higher powered I would have had issues.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): 7/10
The string felt nice and crisp.

Spin: 6/10
I thought the spin was fine, but the launch angle off the string bed seemed much lower than my typical set-up. I had to work harder to get the ball "up" and get nice net clearance.

Comfort: 10/10
The string was very comfortable. People looking for a softer string bed will be happy.

Durability: 8/10
I played around 4 hours and the string had some life left in it. Based on wear/notching I would guess the string would have lasted another 3 or so hours.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time): 7.5/10
The string softened up a bit after a few hours, but the control was still fine. I found the string to play fairly consistent over the playtest.

Control (predictable trajectory? Easy to control depth? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): 7/10
I thought the control on groundstrokes/returns was nice, but again the launch angle on this string was lower than my normal set-up. This caused some depth issues for me especially on flatter shots that I hit. Also this string did not provide we with the spin I’m used to so it was harder to hit kick serves and some of the angles on groundstrokes. Flat serves with this string felt very nice.

Compare to the string you use most often – This string does not have the same amount of spin or power as my typical set-up. I don’t think it really did anything better than gut/poly, but that it to be expected.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) – I liked the tension I used it. However, if I was re-stringing I would go a few pounds higher.

 

[Getting_Closer]

Solinco Multifilament Playtest

Full set or hybrid? Hybrid.

When I pulled out the string, it felt very very soft, and waxed. I was a bit concerned about the durability and its power as I have not played with multi for a long time.

If hybrid, what string did you partner with the Solinco? - Weiss CANNON Mosquito Bite

Given that it would not be a fair playtest to put the string as a cross, I actually tested it out by hybriding it as both main and cross with the same strings. In the discussion below, I will describe the common between the two.

Tension(s) used for playtest - 52/52 lbs

Regular string set up - Pacific Classic Guts(54)/ Scopion or Silverstring(51).


Racquet brand and model used for test - Prince Rebel 95(prior 2012)

I usually play with prince Ozone Tour 100 (16X18). I was concerned about the durability of the string and thought that the tense pattern of Rebel (18X20) would last the string longer.

Power of test string:
To my surprise, the power of the string was low. It had that sound of "pong" when I hit the sweet spot, which I like. Great for flat shots, whether it was main or cross. I could swing out hard without launching the ball long. The only minor issue I had was the passing shots. I was used to the free power of guts and found it to be difficult to return shots in the situation I tried to stretch to reach out.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?):
The string felt very soft, and somewhat muted. It absorbed quite a lot of energy from incoming balls. I could feel the pocketing effect, and thought that it felt like some economic guts I have tried in the past.

Spin:

I can’t really say it is spin friendly, but it is definitely above average multi. It did not move as much as most of multi, which I like. The spin is there, but I found myself hitting into the net more than I should.

Comfort:

Very very comfortable, I felt like it has the comfort of guts in many ways.

Durability:
I broke the string (as main) in 5 hours. I can’t really say the durability of the string is poor as my cross is a very thin poly, cutting through the string pretty fast. I am still playing it as a cross, and it appear to be in a better shape.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time):
It seems quite consistent throughout. It began to move after first hour or so, but the playability did not change too much. Throughout the playtest, it was lower powered.


Control (predictable trajectory? Easy to control depth? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?):

It is really an above average multi sting. After 15 min, you will find your depth with it. If your game is dependent on spin, it might not be the best, especially if you can play with poly. No trouble with flat shots at all, but sometimes I hit into net with top spin approach shot. It can be frustrating.

Compare to the string you use most often
It is just unfair to compare it with gut/poly set up. I actually like it a lot of better to use it as a cross. It has that trait of high quality premium multifilament string: soft string bed, consistent response, and slippery surface so poly is able to snap back easily.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)

I would have increased another 2 lbs next time if I used the string again. I find that the tension was quite nice and perfect when playing among my 4.0 teammates. When playing with some of players with 4.5 rating or above, I find that the string bed is too soft for me to return the shots with a lot of pace.

Once again, thank TW for providing this opportunity for me to test such a nice string.

 

[despo]

Full Set or Hybrid:
full set

Tension(s) used for playtest:
strung it at 58 pounds

Regular string set up:
volkl cyclone 17g 50 pounds
solinco tourbite soft 17g 50 pounds

Racquet brand and model used for test:
Pro Kennex Ki5

Power of test string: 6/10
I would consider the power level to be medium, not super powerful but not dead either. Excellent control but the pop was there when needed

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?):
Feel was amazing! soft with fantastic ball pocketing and a very nice pop sound on impact

Spin: 10/10 ( based on other multis)
the most spin I personally have ever experienced from a multi by far!

Comfort: 10/10
very comfortable , definitely a must try for those with arm issues .

Durability: 5/10
I break strings fairly quickly, I would rate the durability as average meaning right on par with other multis.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time):
I didnt notice much drop in tension at all, I felt it played great from start to finish

Compare to the string you use most often:
Comparing it to a full poly set up would not be fair . Comparing it to the dozens of various multis I have used I would rate this one rate at the top. Excellent control, great spin and minimal string movement for a multi.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)
I enjoyed 58 pounds but I could see dropping a few to maybe get a bit more power out of it , 50-55 would be perfect

List any additional thoughts (optional)
I really enjoyed this play test! The string obviously has a type of silicone outer coating which makes it very slippery and reduced the string movement. I noticed a bit of the coating came off under my fingernails when I was stringing it. Excellent spin from a multi , outstanding ball pocketing, great feel and plays soft to the end. If I was a multi user this would be the one I would chose hands down. I will highly recommend this one, if and when its released. Thank you TW and Solinco for the play test

 

[MadisonTennis]

Full String or Hybrid: For this playtest, I chose a hybrid and had enough of this sample string to try 2 different main polys with a different tension set up.

Hybrid Partner Strings: I used the Solinco Multi as a cross string in both racket set ups. In one racket I used 17 gauge Solinco Tour Bite Soft while the other racket I used 18 gauge Volkl Cyclone.

Tension: 52# TB Soft Mains/55# Solinco Multi and 53# Volkl Cyclone Main/56# Solinco Multi

Regular String Set Up: 52# 18 Volkl Cyclone Main/55# 18 Gosen Micro

Racket Used: Volkl Organix V1 MP for both set ups

Power of Test String: I tried the higher tension racket the first time and found the power fairly low. When I tried the lower tension set up with TB Soft, it felt more like my normal set up. In summary, I found this multi lower powered than other multis but with more control than other multi strings.

Feel: This was definitely not a stiff string. I would think muted or crisp would best describe the feel.

Spin: Even though it was a textured multi, the spin was average. However I think a lower gauge would have produced more spin. I normally use 18 gauge in my cross strings and this one is 16 gauge. If Solinco were to come out with different gauges, I would move towards the thinner gauge.

Comfort: Very comfortable string. I have had shoulder and elbow issues in the past. This string gave me no issues with TB Soft or Cyclone.

Playability duration: I thought it held up well for a multi. I did notice with time it was moving a lot but I still felt like I had plenty of control.

Control: I thought this is one of the better characteristics of this string. Although my shots were a little flatter, I felt comfortable swinging away because this string had a lot of control. The string really pocketed the ball. Rarely did I find any of my shots landing beyond the baseline and my 1st serve % was actually higher with this set up versus my normal set up.

Compare to other string I use most often: It's hard to compare this string to Gosen b/c they are 2 different strings. However, I have tried to use a Technifibre Multi in a hybrid with Poly and never felt confident with the control even though I tried different tensions. With this string being low powered, I would definitely use it over other multi strings in a hybrid because the control was there.

Tension Recommendations: My Volkl tension range is recommended 50-60 pounds. After experimenting with both set ups, I think you really could not go wrong with either set up. 52/55 gave me a little more pop but 53/56 added a little more control.

Optional: I would add that this string was a little more difficult to string as a cross string than other multis or syn gut. It has a sticky texture which made it a little harder to string. However by the time I strung the 2nd racket, I got a better feel on stringing it faster. I really enjoyed using this string and glad Solinco gave us the option to use as a hybrid. I think it is a great product if you are looking for a comfortable low powered multi string that offers plenty of control.

Thanks to Solinco and TW for the opportunity to be part of this playtest.

 

[AZHDExperience]

I apologize for the lateness of this review, but I wanted to squeeze every minute I could out of this string.

Hybrid.

Head Hawk 16 cross.

56lbs. all around.

Recently using full bed of Dunlop Silk 56lbs.

Prince Exo3 Tour 100

In a full bed I can imagine this to be VERY powerful. A very soft string like this Solinco and a soft racquet like the Tour 100 could be powerful enough to be a personal sidearm. Using a relatively stiff poly like Head Hawk, the power was just about right, as most of the feeling came from the crosses.

The stiffness of the Hawk and the softness of the Solinco came together in perfect harmony for me. Much like peanut butter and chocolate, I felt like I got the best of both worlds with this hybrid strung up in my racquet. When feeling the string, it is extremely soft. Softer that Prince Premier Attack and Prince Premier LT with Softflex. My friend who strung the racquet griped a bit on not being able to easily put the string through shared holes.

Spin was on par for any multi/poly hybrid. I didn't feel the "roughness" helped very much as the string was very soft and pliable. Most of the spin definitely came from the snap back as the string is quite slick when starting out.

I've hit around 20 hours with this string and it is starting to fray/about to break. It is great if you have 2 slick strings (one being this multi) in a hybrid, as it lasts longer b/c no sawing. But the slickness wears out a bit over time and starts to notch around 8 hrs for me. Tension maintenance was pretty decent because the Poly is pretty good at holding tension.

The launch trajectory lifted ~8 degrees and helped me loop balls deeper than usual. Typically I hit more of a flat ball, but this string combo helped me add loopier more "counter pusher" type shots.

More control than full Silk, and definitely more spin. It takes a little more effort to get it deeper, but the added spin is definitely worth it.

56 lbs. is ok for me because I have a very soft racquet. For those with worn out arms, I'd recommend 51-53 lbs.

I really loved this combo and if Solinco releases it at a good price, I will definitely be one of the first in line.

 

[Brocolt]

Full set


Tension: 55lbs

Regular string: Disco Multifibre
Racquet brand and model used for test: Prince exo3 tour 18x20

Power of test string: 4/10 low powered for a multi

Feel: Soft

Spin: 7/10 spin was generated on my end by swinging harder.

Comfort: 10/10 very soft

Durability: 4/10 you give up some durability for the playability

Playability Duration: Stayed fairly consistent however, lasted about 6 hrs so there was not a lot of time.

Control: 9/10: Low powered swing away. Serve was lacking the pop I usually get. Groundstrokes were solid. Slice ok

Compare to the string you use most often: Softer and less power

Tension recommendations: I would go a little lower for some more power

List any additional thoughts: great fun new string to try. anyone thats not a string breaker with arm issues will find a friend in this string

 

[spinovic]

Full set or hybrid? - Full set.

Tension(s) used for playtest - 56 lbs

Regular string set up - Natural Gut @ 55 lbs

Racquet brand and model used for test - Tecnifibre TFight 315 Ltd 16 Main

Power of test string - About average, right in the middle. Neither too much nor too little.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?) - Muted. The string was very soft and comfortable.

Spin - Not terrible or anything, but below average to me compared to other multis I've used. Strings moved and stuck in place, not much snapping back into place in my experience. I expected more since the string was named "rough".

Comfort - Very good. One of the softer strings I have tried. Compared to other strings, this one would rate near the top of the list in the comfort category.

Durability - At this point, durability is not an issue for me so it is hard for me to judge as pretty much any string I put in lasts as long as I want to keep it in. This one was no different. I would guess that it may not be great for someone who breaks strings, but that's just a guess. For me, it was fine.

Playability Duration (share thoughts on if/how the playability changed over time) - Pretty good. I did not notice a huge change in how the string performed for most of my testing. It settled in not long after I started hitting with it and stayed at a similar level for the next few hours. Perhaps starting to get a little "springy" over time.


Control (predictable trajectory? Easy to control depth? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?) - Control was pretty good - not exception, IMO, but certainly not bad by any means. The response was very predictable for me. Fairly quickly into my hitting with it, I was very confident in the depth control and it didn't take very long to get a good feel for different strokes and how it would perform. It was about right for me - I didn't have a lot of issues with hitting long, nor did my shots come up short that much. I felt pretty good about it in this regard.

Compare to the string you use most often - Definitely prefer gut. Gut has a little crisper feel to me, which I like better. I can generate more spin with gut. Control, while good with this one, is still better with gut, although that could just as easily be attributed to my comfort level with my normal string vs. trying a new one.


Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) - 56 seemed about right for me. I wouldn't feel any change was necessary, but if I did anything, I would up the tension to see how it played.

List any additional thoughts (optional) - Very easy to string, with one exception. It has hardly any coil memory and is so soft that it made it difficult on shared/covered holes a couple times for me. Everything else about stringing it was as easy as anything I've used.

My serve was pretty reliable with this string. Probably served as high a percentage with this one as any string I've used. I didn't feel like the string gave me anything with regard to pace or spin, but I was consistently getting my first serve in and when I didn't I felt very confident in my second serve. Even though I didn't feel like it was a spinny string, I could comfortably swing and drop my second serve in. This was probably my favorite thing about the string performance-wise.

It is a solid offering from Solinco, but not a string I'd consider using regularly because there are other multis I like better. So not bad at all, just not my preference.


Thanks TW and Solinco for the opportunity. Apologies for the delay - got a new job which keeps me away from home (in a hotel) during the week and the touch pad on my laptop tore up rendering it basically useless at the moment, so I had to wait until I got back home today to do anything computer related.