Tension for poly/multi hybrid?

[Injured Again]

Due to a wrist issue that is again flaring up, I need to soften my stringbed a bit until it gets better. Having a bit more power while I'm hesitant to swing away as normal would be nice as well. Currently using 17 gauge Silver 7 Tour in an SW104 (18x19) with 48 pounds in the center mains and 44 pounds in the center crosses. Was going to switch to a multi cross to get a little bit more cush, while hopefully maintaining as much of the the launch angle characteristics of a full bed of S7T.

I've currently got in my stash Xcel 1.25 and 1.30, some really, really old Dunlop Max Comfort 1.30, Dunlop Comfort Pro 1.34, and Dunlop Silk Pro 1.32. I'm currently getting about 12 hours on a full bed of S7T and if I can get six consistent hours of play out of S7T mains and a multi cross, I'd be happy with that.

Suggestions on which to try and the tensions for the mains and crosses, considering that the number one goal is to maintain launch angle characteristics? Do I need to go down in tension for the poly mains to offset the thicker multi crosses and the stickier multi cross surface? And how much higher do I have to go with a multi cross to maintain some semblance of control? So something like 48/50 with Xcel 1.25 and 46/50 for the 1.30/1.32/1.34 multis?

 

[FIRETennis]

I've tried this setup and sadly it was not too successful. The mains end up getting stuck to the multi crosses after about 30' and spin and launch angle considerably decrease.
It was ALU Power 1.25 mains and Head Velocity 1.25 crosses. Maybe 1.30 would last longer but at the expense of spin and even lower launch. The opposite (Velocity mains and ALU crosses) was amazing for 3-4h but just didn't last enough to justify cost.
Have you tried gut/poly?

 

[Injured Again]

I've tried this setup and sadly it was not too successful. The mains end up getting stuck to the multi crosses after about 30' and spin and launch angle considerably decrease.
It was ALU Power 1.25 mains and Head Velocity 1.25 crosses. Maybe 1.30 would last longer but at the expense of spin and even lower launch. The opposite (Velocity mains and ALU crosses) was amazing for 3-4h but just didn't last enough to justify cost.
Have you tried gut/poly?

That's not good about the poly/multi combo, and especially considering you were using a round poly versus the S7T that has pretty sharp edges.

I've hit with a couple of gut main/poly cross racquets and found them to be too powerful and without the higher launch angle that I like. My flatter shots felt like they flew too long and my spinny shots didn't have enough height and landed short. It was tough for me to adjust but this was also when I was using more open 16x19 racquets. I had a long adjustment period switching to my current 18x19 so maybe gut/poly would feel a bit more familiar now, but I only think I need a couple of weeks before my wrist gets better and I can go back to my normal full bed of poly.

 

[smboogie]

Not sure what type of swing/game you have. For me I have a semi-W FH and 2HBH with a topspin focused game. I use a hybrid in my Babolat PSG3 16x19. After trying some different tensions and attempting to drop down to soften them up, the loss of control was frustrating so I went back up to the 51/53 range (Poly/Multi).

I currently am using the Solinco Poly (Hyper G - 17) and Gamma Live Wire Pro (16) and I really like it. Got access to spin with decent feel. I can still swing away and feel like I can hit my targets as well as having the power I need for flat serves. I am also trying out the Solinco Confidential as well - feels more spin focused than Hyper-G from initial impressions.

If you are looking for a soft hybrid, the Hyper-G Soft is a very soft ply, almost over powered for me, but I could feel how soft it was. I know a few who use it as a full bed and like it.

 

[FIRETennis]

That's not good about the poly/multi combo, and especially considering you were using a round poly versus the S7T that has pretty sharp edges.

I've hit with a couple of gut main/poly cross racquets and found them to be too powerful and without the higher launch angle that I like. My flatter shots felt like they flew too long and my spinny shots didn't have enough height and landed short. It was tough for me to adjust but this was also when I was using more open 16x19 racquets. I had a long adjustment period switching to my current 18x19 so maybe gut/poly would feel a bit more familiar now, but I only think I need a couple of weeks before my wrist gets better and I can go back to my normal full bed of poly.

It's worth a shot doing a side by side of Velocity mains / poly cross and Poly mains / Velocity cross. I'd string the Velocity 2-3lbs+ higher than the poly.
Should be quite buttery and just see which one you like and which one gives you the durability and comfort you are looking for.

 

[Injured Again]

Not sure what type of swing/game you have. For me I have a semi-W FH and 2HBH with a topspin focused game. I use a hybrid in my Babolat PSG3 16x19. After trying some different tensions and attempting to drop down to soften them up, the loss of control was frustrating so I went back up to the 51/53 range (Poly/Multi).

I currently am using the Solinco Poly (Hyper G - 17) and Gamma Live Wire Pro (16) and I really like it. Got access to spin with decent feel. I can still swing away and feel like I can hit my targets as well as having the power I need for flat serves. I am also trying out the Solinco Confidential as well - feels more spin focused than Hyper-G from initial impressions.

If you are looking for a soft hybrid, the Hyper-G Soft is a very soft ply, almost over powered for me, but I could feel how soft it was. I know a few who use it as a full bed and like it.

I'm a soon to be 60 year old with a 4.5 rating. I am a harder hitter than most players my age, but I have a right wrist that was imperfectly set after being dislocated 50 years ago. It flares up every so often with what has been diagnosed as pseudogout along with occasional chronic stress injuries to my TFCC, and so the hard hitting exacerbates the problem until it calms down by itself, which it eventually will do. Right now using a weak SW forehand, eastern 1HBH. Here's the last video I posted to the board showing an updated forehand drop shot (important for us old guys to get the other old guy running).

So it sounds like the tensions I proposed are in the right range, and with the same kind of differential that you use. Silver 7 Tour is not all that different in stiffness and overall performance from Hyper-G or Confidential. I've used Hyper-G a fair amount, and was on the TTW playtest for Confidential and Hyper-G Soft so I can hopefully relate to what you're saying.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[Injured Again]

It's worth a shot doing a side by side of Velocity mains / poly cross and Poly mains / Velocity cross. I'd string the Velocity 2-3lbs+ higher than the poly.
Should be quite buttery and just see which one you like and which one gives you the durability and comfort you are looking for.

Thanks! I don't have a set of Velocity (I used my last set stringing up a couple of racquets for a friend) but I'll give the Xcel 1.25 a try as a cross with S7T mains at 48/51.

 

[Injured Again]

Got my SW104 strung up with 17 gauge Silver 7 Tour in the mains with the center mains at 48 pounds, and 1.25 Xcel at 51 pounds in the center crosses. RacquetTune with a string factor of 1.20 says 49.2 pounds tension right off the stringer.

This was my first time using Xcel. I cut the string in exactly half and it was 19'4", so 38'8" in total length. Very elastic when pulling tension. But the stringbed is already super locked up. The mains are really hard to move against the Xcel crosses, though the Xcel can easily be moved against the S7T.

It's almost 10 p.m. but I think there's a lit wall near by. I might go give it a try.

As an aside, I had Toroline Wasabi in this racquet. The Wasabi felt good at first but died a quick death, with a lot of tension loss and significant loss of playability. When I cut the strings, there was almost zero drawback - the least of any string I've ever encountered, and it wasn't because the stringbed was locked. It was that there was so little tension and elasticity.

 

[Injured Again]

Had a five minute hit against a wall. Right now, it's a pretty firm stringbed, which is good, and is obviously more comfortable when missing the sweetspot, which is also good. Launch angle seems lower by a fair margin, which isn't my preference. The impact feel is good for the wrist so I may just bite the bullet and see if I can get used to this for a couple of weeks, or maybe until the strings break. Will be playing a practice match in the morning.

 

[SteveI]

Had a five minute hit against a wall. Right now, it's a pretty firm stringbed, which is good, and is obviously more comfortable when missing the sweetspot, which is also good. Launch angle seems lower by a fair margin, which isn't my preference. The impact feel is good for the wrist so I may just bite the bullet and see if I can get used to this for a couple of weeks, or maybe until the strings break. Will be playing a practice match in the morning.

So sorry about your wrist. Xcel is a great string and very soft. It locking into the ST7 is expected. Snap-back, spin output and launch angle reduction for sure. I like Head Velocity as cross in a multi but it still is not going to hold up more than a few hours before locking up. Babolat Origin is a great cross with a poly.. but I hear it so no longer being made. Tourna Black Zone and Gamma Glide ,,if that is still on the market in the polys I would try. I also like to use IsoSpeed Baseline Spin or Long Life. There are some syn. gut that might also give you the softness you are looking for at a reduced price point. Gosen OG Micro 16G ... Forten Sweet 16G.. etc. Hope all is well..

 

[smboogie]

Some buddies with elbow issues and soreness took the plunge to gut and were able to get healthy when combined with strength/stretching work.

 

[Injured Again]

So sorry about your wrist. Xcel is a great string and very soft. It locking into the ST7 is expected. Snap-back, spin output and launch angle reduction for sure. I like Head Velocity as cross in a multi but it still is not going to hold up more than a few hours before locking up. Babolat Origin is a great cross with a poly.. but I hear it so no longer being made. Tourna Black Zone and Gamma Glide ,,if that is still on the market in the polys I would try. I also like to use IsoSpeed Baseline Spin or Long Life. There are some syn. gut that might also give you the softness you are looking for at a reduced price point. Gosen OG Micro 16G ... Forten Sweet 16G.. etc. Hope all is well..

Steve, hope you are doing well!

Played with it today and the launch angle is an issue. The overall stringbed firmness feels good though, and the extra comfort is exactly what I need. I did buy that reel of Baseline Spin a while back so I'll cut out the Xcel crosses and just restring those. Laziness is a virtue!

 

[Injured Again]

Some buddies with elbow issues and soreness took the plunge to gut and were able to get healthy when combined with strength/stretching work.

I've been a proponent of "an hour in the gym for every hour on the court" since my middle 40's, which unfortunately was 15 years ago. The problem is that my wrist was dislocated at about age 10 and was incorrectly set. Because I was still growing, I now have abnormal bone structure throughout and my wrist is still technically dislocated now. There is surgery to fix it but the doctor agrees that it is horrendous and would require at least a year of rehab or more before I could hope to play as I do now, if at all. If I were 30, I might do it. I figure at age 60, I'll just play until the wrist can't take it any more and then figure out what to do with it then.

 

[FIRETennis]

Steve, hope you are doing well!

Played with it today and the launch angle is an issue. The overall stringbed firmness feels good though, and the extra comfort is exactly what I need. I did buy that reel of Baseline Spin a while back so I'll cut out the Xcel crosses and just restring those. Laziness is a virtue!

The low launch has to do with the multi being in the crosses.
Anything thick or not slick in the crosses will inhibit free movement of mains.
Try flipping the mains and crosses around if you want a higher launch.
If you want a crazy high launch, try Grapplesnake Irukandji in the crosses! Soft and slick, ridiculous launch but a pain to string...

 

[Injured Again]

The low launch has to do with the multi being in the crosses.
Anything thick or not slick in the crosses will inhibit free movement of mains.
Try flipping the mains and crosses around if you want a higher launch.
If you want a crazy high launch, try Grapplesnake Irukandji in the crosses! Soft and slick, ridiculous launch but a pain to string...

I really wanted to stick with S7T in the mains because I'm hoping my wrist will get better within a month. I don't want to have to get used to a different main and then switch back since our state open tournament starts in less than two months.

I have a set of Irukandji! I didn't think to try that. What tension should I use with it compared to a regular poly string?

 

[FIRETennis]

I really wanted to stick with S7T in the mains because I'm hoping my wrist will get better within a month. I don't want to have to get used to a different main and then switch back since our state open tournament starts in less than two months.

I have a set of Irukandji! I didn't think to try that. What tension should I use with it compared to a regular poly string?

Give it a shot at your regular poly tension. Maybe even 1-2lbs higher if you don't want a super crazy high launch. If that combo of S7T mains and Iru doesn't work for ya, I would try the other half of the Xcel as a main and the other half set of Iru as a cross.

 

[smboogie]

I've been a proponent of "an hour in the gym for every hour on the court" since my middle 40's, which unfortunately was 15 years ago. The problem is that my wrist was dislocated at about age 10 and was incorrectly set. Because I was still growing, I now have abnormal bone structure throughout and my wrist is still technically dislocated now. There is surgery to fix it but the doctor agrees that it is horrendous and would require at least a year of rehab or more before I could hope to play as I do now, if at all. If I were 30, I might do it. I figure at age 60, I'll just play until the wrist can't take it any more and then figure out what to do with it then.

Wow that's a tough one, well there is always the 'other sport' - Pickleball. Much easier on the body/wrist and could provide the tennis like outlet. I hope your wrist improves soon!

 

[guilhermefdc]

I really wanted to stick with S7T in the mains because I'm hoping my wrist will get better within a month. I don't want to have to get used to a different main and then switch back since our state open tournament starts in less than two months.

I have a set of Irukandji! I didn't think to try that. What tension should I use with it compared to a regular poly string?

Out of curiosity: have you considered one of those really soft polys as a cross? I’m thinking about Isospeed Cream and Tier One Ghostwire. It won’t be as soft as a multi, but it might just be comfortable enough to get you through this recovery period while keeping a similar launch angle and the S7T mains.

Regarding multi’s tension, I’m in the same boat as you - couldn’t quite find a setup that I liked and ended up just using soft polys.

 

[Happi]

Wow that's a tough one, well there is always the 'other sport' - Pickleball. Much easier on the body/wrist and could provide the tennis like outlet. I hope your wrist improves soon!

yes and no worries about string tension

 

[Injured Again]

Wow that's a tough one, well there is always the 'other sport' - Pickleball. Much easier on the body/wrist and could provide the tennis like outlet. I hope your wrist improves soon!

Pickleball and me don't get along. Being someone who likes swinging away, standing in front of the kitchen and playing drop shot after drop shot doesn't give me the thrill of whacking a tennis ball as hard as I can. I don't have much touch anyway and pickleball just seems to highlight that.

 

[Injured Again]

Out of curiosity: have you considered one of those really soft polys as a cross? I’m thinking about Isospeed Cream and Tier One Ghostwire. It won’t be as soft as a multi, but it might just be comfortable enough to get you through this recovery period while keeping a similar launch angle and the S7T mains.

Regarding multi’s tension, I’m in the same boat as you - couldn’t quite find a setup that I liked and ended up just using soft polys.

I've never used Cream and only used Ghostwire as part of Firewire Boost, where I didn't string it tight enough and so I had control issues. It felt fine at first but softer strings do experience more tension loss and that's where I had problems. I do have a reel of Isospeed Baseline Spin so I cut out the Xcel and replaced it with the Baseline Spin at my normal poly cross tensions. It's not bad - it definitely is more comfortable and muted than S7T as a cross. I can live with that especially since, as you say, it keeps the S7T launch angle. The only things I'm finding are that I occasionally will have a ball just fly unexpectedly, and that because I was stupid and did some bad math, I cut the string too short. I'm missing the bottom cross and when I hit the ball down there, it tends to go off in whichever direction it feels like. I've also got lots of 1.20 Cyclone Tour which I might try because the Baseline Spin seems to actually have a bit lower power than S7T as a cross.

 

[SteveI]

Pickleball and me don't get along. Being someone who likes swinging away, standing in front of the kitchen and playing drop shot after drop shot doesn't give me the thrill of whacking a tennis ball as hard as I can. I don't have much touch anyway and pickleball just seems to highlight that.

Have given this sport a try a few times. While my injures keep me from playing much these days, can't ever see it as a replacement for tennis. Offers very little in the way of exercise. Great sport for many..I would rather go or a hike or strong bike ride. I hate the sound also and all the chatting on the sidelines while I wait to play 10 mins of pickle-ball.

 

[Injured Again]

@SteveI I did switch back to playing a competitive doubles match to the full bed of S7T and had a few minutes of adjustment. The launch angle of a full bed of S7T is higher than the Frankenstein S7T/Baseline Spin with the unknown S7T main tension and the missing bottom Baseline Spin cross. I'm going to restring it again, this time correctly, and see what the actual differences are. I could probably play with either after a short period of getting used to it.

Agree with you about pickleball. I see why many people see it as a good way to combine some exercise and social chit-chat. It's much easier to talk when you're not as out of breath like after a tough tennis point. But right now, we've got almost a dozen guys practicing hard for our state's open age group tournament, ranging in age from middle 30's to over 70, and there's nothing like running each other until we're wobbly-kneed. I can't ever imagine getting that much exercise playing pickleball.