alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
I understand your frustration but considering that this is the first issue I've had, I can't just condemn the string off the bat. If it continues to happen, we might have problems.
The Church of Polystringism-- Alidisperanza's PT Thread
- Thread starter alidisperanza
- Start date
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Kirschbaum Hybrix Spin
String: Kirschbaum Hybrix Spin
Frame(s): YT Radical Pro
Tension: 48/50
Stringing:
I've used the string before but I noticed something really strange about it today: The mains, although translucent and ridiged, have "Pro Line I." written on them. I checked the Hybrix Power that I have and those mains are Pro Line II. Can anyone confirm this? The spin mains look nothing like either of the Pro Lines.
Afterthought-- this plays absolutely NOTHING like either of the prolines... we'll see how the hybrix power compares
Moving on. The mains are very very stiff and physically hard. They're also ridged/ profiled to help promote spin. Installing them isn't particularly hard. Same as most polys athough knots are a bit of a pain in the butt to tie since the string is so stiff. The multi for the Hybrix series is one of the only multis I've ever really enjoyed playing with. It's very soft and has a plasticky coating (which is probably why I like it). It's fairly limp and very easy to work with although the coating can get damaged if you pull the crosses through too quickly.
I mostly worked on hitting my forehand for this playtest; not a full/extensive review (see durability)
Groundies:
Hybrix Spin definitely is a main-dominated playing string. The stiff/hardness of the mains dominates the stringbed. In comparison to my usual full poly stringbeds, this was very tight and low powered. Control is good but it's at the expense of solid shot production. I couldn't really generate big spin or crack the ball really flat and found that if I tried too hard, the ball would fly long. This feels like one of those setups where you'll blow your arm out before you get the satisfactory ball you want. Otherwise, the string plays just fine but imo, it's not up to par with the other 12.00 strings out there. Glad I didn't pay anywhere near that
Serving:
I only hit 10 or so serves with it. Flat seems to be the most effective because you can move the ball around easily without having to worry about hitting long.
Volleys:
Again, mains dominant. There is none of the softer response you'd expect from a multi. More like a wall punching the ball back
Tension maintenance:
At first it was a bit too tight, by the end of my hitting session, just right
Durability:
It's shot in the first 1hr 20 mins session of playing... while I wasn't able to pop it, I was damn near close. The outer coating of the multi is gone in my hitting zone and the fibers are laying flat against the mains.
Groundstrokes: 3/5
Serves: N/A
Volleys: N/A
Spin:3/5
Power: 3/5
Comfort: 3.5/5
Tension: 4/5
Durability:3/5
String: Kirschbaum Hybrix Spin
Frame(s): YT Radical Pro
Tension: 48/50
Stringing:
I've used the string before but I noticed something really strange about it today: The mains, although translucent and ridiged, have "Pro Line I." written on them. I checked the Hybrix Power that I have and those mains are Pro Line II. Can anyone confirm this? The spin mains look nothing like either of the Pro Lines.
Afterthought-- this plays absolutely NOTHING like either of the prolines... we'll see how the hybrix power compares
Moving on. The mains are very very stiff and physically hard. They're also ridged/ profiled to help promote spin. Installing them isn't particularly hard. Same as most polys athough knots are a bit of a pain in the butt to tie since the string is so stiff. The multi for the Hybrix series is one of the only multis I've ever really enjoyed playing with. It's very soft and has a plasticky coating (which is probably why I like it). It's fairly limp and very easy to work with although the coating can get damaged if you pull the crosses through too quickly.
I mostly worked on hitting my forehand for this playtest; not a full/extensive review (see durability)
Groundies:
Hybrix Spin definitely is a main-dominated playing string. The stiff/hardness of the mains dominates the stringbed. In comparison to my usual full poly stringbeds, this was very tight and low powered. Control is good but it's at the expense of solid shot production. I couldn't really generate big spin or crack the ball really flat and found that if I tried too hard, the ball would fly long. This feels like one of those setups where you'll blow your arm out before you get the satisfactory ball you want. Otherwise, the string plays just fine but imo, it's not up to par with the other 12.00 strings out there. Glad I didn't pay anywhere near that
Serving:
I only hit 10 or so serves with it. Flat seems to be the most effective because you can move the ball around easily without having to worry about hitting long.
Volleys:
Again, mains dominant. There is none of the softer response you'd expect from a multi. More like a wall punching the ball back
Tension maintenance:
At first it was a bit too tight, by the end of my hitting session, just right
Durability:
It's shot in the first 1hr 20 mins session of playing... while I wasn't able to pop it, I was damn near close. The outer coating of the multi is gone in my hitting zone and the fibers are laying flat against the mains.
Groundstrokes: 3/5
Serves: N/A
Volleys: N/A
Spin:3/5
Power: 3/5
Comfort: 3.5/5
Tension: 4/5
Durability:3/5
Last edited:
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Volkl Cyclone 17
String: Volkl Cyclone 17
Frame(s): YT Radical Pro
Tension: 48/53
Stringing:
This stuff is a minor pain in the butt to string. The ridges stick to almost everything they touch. Otherwise, no real issues here. Careful when pulling your crosses-- you'll burn the string. Otherwise, the string doesn't feel particularly hard or soft-- it's poly
Groundies:
Hm, interesting. A decent and nice feel to the string bed but different from most of the polys I've been playing with; very grippy. When the stringbed is straight fresh off the machine the ridges actually rip chunks off the ball. Not talking a little fuzz here, pieces of it(it was very cool until I realized the balls were bald!). Unfortunately, my crosses were smooth after 15 mins of hitting. Having said that, spin is definitely the forte of this string. Instead of getting the trampoliney, pockety, feeling that most co-polys give at this tension, Cyclone plays much stiffer or crisper. The response is very direct off the stringbed which is nice and reassuring when you're relying on shots to go where you want them. I recently have been playing singles for my 4.0 team and while the players are skilled in placing the ball and creating points, the sheer weight of the shots seen at 4.5 isn't there. Imo, Cyclone is an awesome string for these situations. Cyclone grips into the ball and gives you the spin you need to really stick those fluffier balls. Control is a premium here
Afterthought: control control control. This string is a low powered control/spin string, 100%. No other way of describing it.
Serving:
Will update a little more on this next time I play but it seems like placement and spin are the key terms for this section. I didn't feel a lot of the give/pop that most other polys in the 40's lend which leads me to believe it's not a flat hitter's string. I'll have to take a good warmup and put it to the test though instead of just hitting a few around.
Afterthought: eek. No point in hitting a flat serve here, it just feels wrong. While the placement is there, the feel is just null and void. There's no extra pop, only grip. Slices and Spin are the way to go again.
Volleys:
The same general trend seen with groundstrokes extends here. I didn't feel a lot of the give that is typically sought after in a volleying setup. Ball to string to court is a very linear or direct process. The stringbed transfers exactly what you put in to the ball, nothing more, nothing less. On one hand this is good because it conveys a sense of precision while on the other hand, it leaves you wondering what touch would be like.
Tension maintenance:
While I didn't notice anything really significant in the way I was hitting, one of my hitting partners noticed a change in sound signature as our session went by. Time will tell.
Afterthought: I'm not entirely certain if it was my simultaneous hitting of M2 Pro or if it was the string itself but I felt like this string held tension fairly well. While it definitely dropped, I didn't have to worry about adjusting my game to compensate for it. When I needed the control, it was there.
Durability:
So far so good. I have about three hours on this string and some nice hot car-time (unavoidable, the weather has been ridiculous here). The wear and tear is definitely showing but it's holding up nicely. I'm not too certain if it's going to make it to the 5hr mark but it's definitely possible.
It's tough to assign values here because the string has a distinctly different feel than other co-poly. See the notes that go with the #s.
Groundstrokes: 3.5-4/5 A very specific feel--or lack thereof. Baseline bashers will love it because of the ability to generate shots; everyone else will probably hate it
Serves: 3.5/5 Not very versatile, it does well but there are other strings that perform at or the same level with extra feel, power, etc...
Volleys: 3.5/5 Very direct
Spin:4.5/5 Forte
Power: 2.5/5
Comfort: 3/5 While the string did not hurt my arm in any way it felt like hitting with kevlar.
Tension: 4/5
Durability:3.5-4/5
String: Volkl Cyclone 17
Frame(s): YT Radical Pro
Tension: 48/53
Stringing:
This stuff is a minor pain in the butt to string. The ridges stick to almost everything they touch. Otherwise, no real issues here. Careful when pulling your crosses-- you'll burn the string. Otherwise, the string doesn't feel particularly hard or soft-- it's poly
Groundies:
Hm, interesting. A decent and nice feel to the string bed but different from most of the polys I've been playing with; very grippy. When the stringbed is straight fresh off the machine the ridges actually rip chunks off the ball. Not talking a little fuzz here, pieces of it(it was very cool until I realized the balls were bald!). Unfortunately, my crosses were smooth after 15 mins of hitting. Having said that, spin is definitely the forte of this string. Instead of getting the trampoliney, pockety, feeling that most co-polys give at this tension, Cyclone plays much stiffer or crisper. The response is very direct off the stringbed which is nice and reassuring when you're relying on shots to go where you want them. I recently have been playing singles for my 4.0 team and while the players are skilled in placing the ball and creating points, the sheer weight of the shots seen at 4.5 isn't there. Imo, Cyclone is an awesome string for these situations. Cyclone grips into the ball and gives you the spin you need to really stick those fluffier balls. Control is a premium here
Afterthought: control control control. This string is a low powered control/spin string, 100%. No other way of describing it.
Serving:
Will update a little more on this next time I play but it seems like placement and spin are the key terms for this section. I didn't feel a lot of the give/pop that most other polys in the 40's lend which leads me to believe it's not a flat hitter's string. I'll have to take a good warmup and put it to the test though instead of just hitting a few around.
Afterthought: eek. No point in hitting a flat serve here, it just feels wrong. While the placement is there, the feel is just null and void. There's no extra pop, only grip. Slices and Spin are the way to go again.
Volleys:
The same general trend seen with groundstrokes extends here. I didn't feel a lot of the give that is typically sought after in a volleying setup. Ball to string to court is a very linear or direct process. The stringbed transfers exactly what you put in to the ball, nothing more, nothing less. On one hand this is good because it conveys a sense of precision while on the other hand, it leaves you wondering what touch would be like.
Tension maintenance:
While I didn't notice anything really significant in the way I was hitting, one of my hitting partners noticed a change in sound signature as our session went by. Time will tell.
Afterthought: I'm not entirely certain if it was my simultaneous hitting of M2 Pro or if it was the string itself but I felt like this string held tension fairly well. While it definitely dropped, I didn't have to worry about adjusting my game to compensate for it. When I needed the control, it was there.
Durability:
So far so good. I have about three hours on this string and some nice hot car-time (unavoidable, the weather has been ridiculous here). The wear and tear is definitely showing but it's holding up nicely. I'm not too certain if it's going to make it to the 5hr mark but it's definitely possible.
It's tough to assign values here because the string has a distinctly different feel than other co-poly. See the notes that go with the #s.
Groundstrokes: 3.5-4/5 A very specific feel--or lack thereof. Baseline bashers will love it because of the ability to generate shots; everyone else will probably hate it
Serves: 3.5/5 Not very versatile, it does well but there are other strings that perform at or the same level with extra feel, power, etc...
Volleys: 3.5/5 Very direct
Spin:4.5/5 Forte
Power: 2.5/5
Comfort: 3/5 While the string did not hurt my arm in any way it felt like hitting with kevlar.
Tension: 4/5
Durability:3.5-4/5
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alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Hybrix Spin up. Glad to say that Iontec Black played much better in my YTRP and that the Yonexes are saved from the sell pile by Big Hitter Black 7. I guess the frame just loves Tourna...
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Oh Hai... look what I found on my doorstep upon returning from 6 Flags
This is what I have been trying to share all along in the Mamba and econo-gut threads. Welcome to my world now
I take every precaution and time stringing up these cheaper guts and they just aren't worth the trouble anymore due to premature breakage either on the stringer, bag, or court.
I have never had a problem with Klip, Gaucho or my favorite PMaxx all less expensive then most. I have some Mamba natural which I have not tried yet. Still trying to dial in my new rackets and then I will string it up.
Oh Hai... look what I found on my doorstep upon returning from 6 Flags
I see your original post was with the Jet method and traditional. Which one did you decide on and could you tell a difference?
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Idunno dude. things are getting more and more sticky as law school approaches 
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
I've been stringing with the same pattern and tension variances-- Honestly I haven't played many string beds without it since. Now that I have a better stock of string and know exactly how each plays, what I like and dislike, I'll better be able to judge the difference. I figured since I've been playing with a much higher level of consistency, why fix it if it ain't broke.
I'll string one up regular when my reel of B7 arrives tomorrow.
In other news,
- I took the dive and purchased a reel of B7.
- I also acquired a reel of M2 Pro so you should be seeing some tests of that too.
- B7 plays awesome in my 95Ds. It really is a good fit for me and I think others will enjoy it too if you can pop it in under 6-8 hours or don't mind cutting it out. At the price, I can manage either comfortably.
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
(Genesis) Still in Black Select 1.30
Frame: YouTek Prestige Pro
String: Still In Black Select 1.30
Tension: 48
The string is actually a navy blue
Yet another playtest from the generous people over at StringForum. Jens felt that I'd be better off with the 1.30 to test the durability of the string but it also comes in 1.25. This new line consists of:
Select 1.25 1.30: a co-poly focusing on "power, ball control, durability, spin potential and tension maintenance."
Booster 1.25 1.30: a copoly focusing on a "perfect balance between elasticity and stiffness. Offering a lot of Power and control while providing comfort. Wear resistant"
Resistretch 1.20 1.25 1.30 1.35: a copoly focusing on "comfort due to elasticity, octagonal profile, and power in and arm friendly feel."
Reacturn:1.20 1.25 1.30 A copoly focussing on "exceptional access to spin due to a twisted octagonal profile"
Stringing:
While the packaging is awesome (it's a mini-reel) I also HATE it. It supercoils the string, which if you choose to pull it apart instead of unwinding it, explodes all over the place in a horrific nest of vipers. The propensity for coiling on this string is UNREAL. It gets stuck on, turns, and twists at every chance. The closest I could compare it to is those stupid Babolat packages of PHT where it took you longer to unravel the string than to string the mains. Aside from that wicked, wicked, characteristic, the string is perfectly normal and easy to work with.
First impression:
I finally had a chance to hit with this stuff after my match tonight for a good 15-20 mins. It's what I'd like to refer to as a 60% poly. Control oriented with very slightly above average power for a control string. By this reference, I'm thinking silverstring; It does everything fairly well but slightly better than a string that would just be another meh poly. (Note: silverstring is in a class of it's own because it does everything at that "decent" level for a looong time). I found topspin to be much more effective/ better feeling than flat strokes. The ability to hit a penetrating ball is there as well as the ability to loop the ball high and deep in the court. My hitting partner happens to be a veritable backboard so that didn't really bother him too much but it was nice to have the ability to change up strokes. Overall, I'd say the strings play a bit on the stiff side. Since this frame sat around for almost 2 weeks I'm sure the strings "settled" but I'd still like to see them loosen up a bit more with some hitting. If not, I would have definitely strung a lb or two looser to bring it closer to my preferred B7 comfort level. For a string that plays this stiff, I'd expect a bit more spin...we'll see how it progresses. Interestingly enough, volleys benefit from this stiffness; they are pretty sharp and responsive.
Groundies:
I think my first impressions were pretty on-target. The string plays very stiff yet doesn't do anything fantastic which drops it to the "mediocre" poly category for me. For a string this stiff (even at 48), I expect a lot more in either energy return or the spin department. I don't see either. At first the string does what you want it to fairly well. If you relax and hit your shots appropriately you can get a variation of topspin but nothing is "free" here. The spin comes from the technique, and not from any inherent properties of the string itself. After getting used to playing with B7, the feel of this string is just pah. Jarring and uncomfortable would be the two terms I'd use towards the end of the play. In my last playtest, I had fresh and dead-->pop beds of B7 to compare it to and hands down the B7 won. Frankly, I feel a bit sore hitting with this stuff.
Serving:
Again, "meh" is a good term to use. No freebies here although I was able to hit one truly inexplicable slice serve. No clue where it came from but that sucker moved. Short of hitting the absolute perfect sweet spot, flat serves hurt my arm (I traditionally hit just above it). Spin serves also take on a sense of mediocrity. The lack of pop is also astounding and if you don't kick in the RHS, the ball will die into the net
Volleys:
The only category where I found this string to be above average. Snap volleys in place and the string reacts nicely. The stiffness lends a nice zip to shots and yet is dead enough to take something off if you need it.
Tension maintenance:
Not terrible. The string held up decently in terms of overall tension but the feel just took a dive. My first play was stiff but decent. Second play was already somewhat uncomfortable and the last was just downright cut-worthy.
Durability:Lil more than 6 hours? If this weren't a playtest, I would have cut it out much sooner. The feel is just not for me.
I'm really curious to see how much this string costs. It's not terrible for a budget poly but I'd be sorely tempted to laugh if it's a 12.00+ string. Perhaps it's just not for me but I really couldn't find anything special about this string. It simply didn't play to my strengths and was uncomfortable on my arm. For future tests, I'd drop the tension to 45-46 to try and mitigate some of the issues I came across.
Groundstrokes: 3.5/5
Serves:3.0/5
Volleys:4/5
Spin:3.5/5
Power:3.0/5
Comfort:3.0/5
Tension:4/5
Durability:4/5
Frame: YouTek Prestige Pro
String: Still In Black Select 1.30
Tension: 48
The string is actually a navy blue
Yet another playtest from the generous people over at StringForum. Jens felt that I'd be better off with the 1.30 to test the durability of the string but it also comes in 1.25. This new line consists of:
Select 1.25 1.30: a co-poly focusing on "power, ball control, durability, spin potential and tension maintenance."
Booster 1.25 1.30: a copoly focusing on a "perfect balance between elasticity and stiffness. Offering a lot of Power and control while providing comfort. Wear resistant"
Resistretch 1.20 1.25 1.30 1.35: a copoly focusing on "comfort due to elasticity, octagonal profile, and power in and arm friendly feel."
Reacturn:1.20 1.25 1.30 A copoly focussing on "exceptional access to spin due to a twisted octagonal profile"
Stringing:
While the packaging is awesome (it's a mini-reel) I also HATE it. It supercoils the string, which if you choose to pull it apart instead of unwinding it, explodes all over the place in a horrific nest of vipers. The propensity for coiling on this string is UNREAL. It gets stuck on, turns, and twists at every chance. The closest I could compare it to is those stupid Babolat packages of PHT where it took you longer to unravel the string than to string the mains. Aside from that wicked, wicked, characteristic, the string is perfectly normal and easy to work with.
First impression:
I finally had a chance to hit with this stuff after my match tonight for a good 15-20 mins. It's what I'd like to refer to as a 60% poly. Control oriented with very slightly above average power for a control string. By this reference, I'm thinking silverstring; It does everything fairly well but slightly better than a string that would just be another meh poly. (Note: silverstring is in a class of it's own because it does everything at that "decent" level for a looong time). I found topspin to be much more effective/ better feeling than flat strokes. The ability to hit a penetrating ball is there as well as the ability to loop the ball high and deep in the court. My hitting partner happens to be a veritable backboard so that didn't really bother him too much but it was nice to have the ability to change up strokes. Overall, I'd say the strings play a bit on the stiff side. Since this frame sat around for almost 2 weeks I'm sure the strings "settled" but I'd still like to see them loosen up a bit more with some hitting. If not, I would have definitely strung a lb or two looser to bring it closer to my preferred B7 comfort level. For a string that plays this stiff, I'd expect a bit more spin...we'll see how it progresses. Interestingly enough, volleys benefit from this stiffness; they are pretty sharp and responsive.
Groundies:
I think my first impressions were pretty on-target. The string plays very stiff yet doesn't do anything fantastic which drops it to the "mediocre" poly category for me. For a string this stiff (even at 48), I expect a lot more in either energy return or the spin department. I don't see either. At first the string does what you want it to fairly well. If you relax and hit your shots appropriately you can get a variation of topspin but nothing is "free" here. The spin comes from the technique, and not from any inherent properties of the string itself. After getting used to playing with B7, the feel of this string is just pah. Jarring and uncomfortable would be the two terms I'd use towards the end of the play. In my last playtest, I had fresh and dead-->pop beds of B7 to compare it to and hands down the B7 won. Frankly, I feel a bit sore hitting with this stuff.
Serving:
Again, "meh" is a good term to use. No freebies here although I was able to hit one truly inexplicable slice serve. No clue where it came from but that sucker moved. Short of hitting the absolute perfect sweet spot, flat serves hurt my arm (I traditionally hit just above it). Spin serves also take on a sense of mediocrity. The lack of pop is also astounding and if you don't kick in the RHS, the ball will die into the net
Volleys:
The only category where I found this string to be above average. Snap volleys in place and the string reacts nicely. The stiffness lends a nice zip to shots and yet is dead enough to take something off if you need it.
Tension maintenance:
Not terrible. The string held up decently in terms of overall tension but the feel just took a dive. My first play was stiff but decent. Second play was already somewhat uncomfortable and the last was just downright cut-worthy.
Durability:Lil more than 6 hours? If this weren't a playtest, I would have cut it out much sooner. The feel is just not for me.
I'm really curious to see how much this string costs. It's not terrible for a budget poly but I'd be sorely tempted to laugh if it's a 12.00+ string. Perhaps it's just not for me but I really couldn't find anything special about this string. It simply didn't play to my strengths and was uncomfortable on my arm. For future tests, I'd drop the tension to 45-46 to try and mitigate some of the issues I came across.
Groundstrokes: 3.5/5
Serves:3.0/5
Volleys:4/5
Spin:3.5/5
Power:3.0/5
Comfort:3.0/5
Tension:4/5
Durability:4/5
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davedomart
Semi-Pro
Alidi, how did you find out that still in black is a genesis string? I had no idea.
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
I did mention that right under the picture, I think.
sansaephanh
Professional
its black because it leaves a black, bottomless void in your opponents heart after you've beaten them with a blue sting thats suppsoed to be black.
Other then me being an idiot,
Nice thread and keep up the good work!
Other then me being an idiot,
Nice thread and keep up the good work!
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Thanks! I'll have a M2 Pro post up soon too. I have 5 frames with 5 different strings, now I just need to find some time to get on the courts!
I should be hitting @ around 12:00 today so at least some catchup will be done
I should be hitting @ around 12:00 today so at least some catchup will be done
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
First impressions for Cyclone up. Stringing M2 now
I also have a question for those of you following: How do you feel about using a stiffer poly on the mains and a softer one on the crosses in a hybrid?
My reason being, I used to play with Pro Hurricane Tour/ Pro Line II @ 62 in my LM Rad Mids and I loved it. The control I got off the stringbed was fantastic. Needless to say, it destroyed my wrist but at the time it was great. Some time ago, I did something similar by accident when I strung my first "JET" method frame with Tourbite/ PL II Black. L-tec did a similar thing with the 0s/4s hybrid in that the mains exhibit an extreme hardness while the crosses are noticeably softer. Does using this stiff/hard with softer crosses pose any merit? I'm thinking of crossing some Iontec with PLII to try it out in hopes of replicating the feel
I also have a question for those of you following: How do you feel about using a stiffer poly on the mains and a softer one on the crosses in a hybrid?
My reason being, I used to play with Pro Hurricane Tour/ Pro Line II @ 62 in my LM Rad Mids and I loved it. The control I got off the stringbed was fantastic. Needless to say, it destroyed my wrist but at the time it was great. Some time ago, I did something similar by accident when I strung my first "JET" method frame with Tourbite/ PL II Black. L-tec did a similar thing with the 0s/4s hybrid in that the mains exhibit an extreme hardness while the crosses are noticeably softer. Does using this stiff/hard with softer crosses pose any merit? I'm thinking of crossing some Iontec with PLII to try it out in hopes of replicating the feel
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alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
HUGE review:
Big Hitter Black 7
Edit: Hit with M2 Pro for 5 mins tonight. Me likey. Needs more hitting but it's nice. Comfy and not too much power. Great spin. Cyclone continues to be a dead-ish spin string.
Big Hitter Black 7
Edit: Hit with M2 Pro for 5 mins tonight. Me likey. Needs more hitting but it's nice. Comfy and not too much power. Great spin. Cyclone continues to be a dead-ish spin string.
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alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Luxilon M2 Pro
Frame: YouTek Prestige Pro
String: Luxilon M2 Pro
Tension: 48
Please read tension maintenance section first. I feel like something went wrong here...
Stringing:
An ease and breeze to string. The string is fairly soft in the hands and slilghtly slippery for weaves.
Groundies:
Note: The initial and final feel of this frame is drastically different. My first hit, which lasted a whole of 10 minutes was really great with this string. I found power, spin, and a pretty pleasant string bed. Whatever I needed, the string was able to provide. I was immensely happy with my purchase and ready to give Luxilon premium another shot.
After: I'm not entirely sure what happened (see below in tension) but the string bed just plain deteriorated. I went from being able to hit a full range of shots to only being able to effectively hit flat. Whether the ball was moving fast or slow, I could not figure out how to keep the ball in with nice, heavy, spin. It was as if I picked up 2 different frames from my first play to my next. hitting the ball flat was perfectly fine but dear God I was hitting the fence with my normal topspin forehand.
Serving:
First play there was control and penetration to my serves, by the last I didn't even bother. The power factor of the stringbed was off the charts and it felt like a wet noodle.
Volleys:
Nice and responsive-- extra pocketing all around. Strangely enough, I was able to hit some decent drop shots with this stuff. Pretty straight forward and average otherwise.
Tension maintenance:
Dear GOD I don't know what happened here. I'm afraid to just chalk it up to the Luxilon tradition but its a possibility. The first play that I had, which was very brief, was a great hit. The strings did what I wanted them to with flourish. In between my first decent 10 minutes and the next occasion, there was a little bit of mini-tennis (teaching a student) and some hot-car action. Furthermore, the temperature on the courts for the past week have easily been over 100. I'm hoping that these "contributing factors" are the "dominant factors" in the death of this string because by the time I really got to hit with the string it was a sloppy loose cannon. Furthermore, it actually started to hurt my arm...Big no-no especially strung at 48#
I continued to play with it despite but am going to reserve "accurate" judgement until I can string this stuff up again. This run was an epic failure.
Durability:
Not great, with less than 3 hours of messing around and maybe 1.5 hours of decent hitting this stuff is already notched and on it's way to popping. In playing conditions I give it ~4 hours max.
Groundstrokes: /5
Serves:
Volleys:
Spin:
Power:
Comfort:
Tension:
Durability:
Frame: YouTek Prestige Pro
String: Luxilon M2 Pro
Tension: 48
Please read tension maintenance section first. I feel like something went wrong here...
Stringing:
An ease and breeze to string. The string is fairly soft in the hands and slilghtly slippery for weaves.
Groundies:
Note: The initial and final feel of this frame is drastically different. My first hit, which lasted a whole of 10 minutes was really great with this string. I found power, spin, and a pretty pleasant string bed. Whatever I needed, the string was able to provide. I was immensely happy with my purchase and ready to give Luxilon premium another shot.
After: I'm not entirely sure what happened (see below in tension) but the string bed just plain deteriorated. I went from being able to hit a full range of shots to only being able to effectively hit flat. Whether the ball was moving fast or slow, I could not figure out how to keep the ball in with nice, heavy, spin. It was as if I picked up 2 different frames from my first play to my next. hitting the ball flat was perfectly fine but dear God I was hitting the fence with my normal topspin forehand.
Serving:
First play there was control and penetration to my serves, by the last I didn't even bother. The power factor of the stringbed was off the charts and it felt like a wet noodle.
Volleys:
Nice and responsive-- extra pocketing all around. Strangely enough, I was able to hit some decent drop shots with this stuff. Pretty straight forward and average otherwise.
Tension maintenance:
Dear GOD I don't know what happened here. I'm afraid to just chalk it up to the Luxilon tradition but its a possibility. The first play that I had, which was very brief, was a great hit. The strings did what I wanted them to with flourish. In between my first decent 10 minutes and the next occasion, there was a little bit of mini-tennis (teaching a student) and some hot-car action. Furthermore, the temperature on the courts for the past week have easily been over 100. I'm hoping that these "contributing factors" are the "dominant factors" in the death of this string because by the time I really got to hit with the string it was a sloppy loose cannon. Furthermore, it actually started to hurt my arm...Big no-no especially strung at 48#
I continued to play with it despite but am going to reserve "accurate" judgement until I can string this stuff up again. This run was an epic failure.
Durability:
Not great, with less than 3 hours of messing around and maybe 1.5 hours of decent hitting this stuff is already notched and on it's way to popping. In playing conditions I give it ~4 hours max.
Groundstrokes: /5
Serves:
Volleys:
Spin:
Power:
Comfort:
Tension:
Durability:
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Blegh... I'll give it another shot possibly crossing it with something a little more stable.
First impression Still in Black:
I finally had a chance to hit with this stuff after my match tonight for a good 15-20 mins. It's what I'd like to refer to as a 60% poly. Control oriented with very slightly above average power for a control string. By this reference, I'm thinking silverstring; It does everything fairly well but slightly better than a string that would just be another meh poly. (Note: silverstring is in a class of it's own because it does everything at that "decent" level for a looong time). I found topspin to be much more effective/ better feeling than flat strokes. The ability to hit a penetrating ball is there as well as the ability to loop the ball high and deep in the court. My hitting partner happens to be a veritable backboard so that didn't really bother him too much but it was nice to have the ability to change up strokes. Overall, I'd say the strings play a bit on the stiff side. Since this frame sat around for almost 2 weeks I'm sure the strings "settled" but I'd still like to see them loosen up a bit more with some hitting. If not, I would have definitely strung a lb or two looser to bring it closer to my preferred B7 comfort level. For a string that plays this stiff, I'd expect a bit more spin...we'll see how it progresses. Interestingly enough, volleys benefit from this stiffness; they are pretty sharp and responsive.
ricki
Hall of Fame
Hmm it happened to me with ALU power - I strung it and didnt touch it for a week, then we went to courts and I played magic for 2 hours (casual game - fun). Then it stayed 2 days in my bag and when I played again, all my topspin forehands went too high and too long, with backhand it was same :-( IDK what it was?
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
From what I remember, the Alus has that general tendency. For the first few hours it plays very well and then the properties change enough for it to be noticeable. I'm really hoping this trend doesn't stick with M2.
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Finished up the Still in Black. See below or up top.
Groundies:
I think my first impressions were pretty on-target. The string plays very stiff yet doesn't do anything fantastic which drops it to the "mediocre" poly category for me. For a string this stiff (even at 48), I expect a lot more in either energy return or the spin department. I don't see either. At first the string does what you want it to fairly well. If you relax and hit your shots appropriately you can get a variation of topspin but nothing is "free" here. The spin comes from the technique, and not from any inherent properties of the string itself. After getting used to playing with B7, the feel of this string is just pah. Jarring and uncomfortable would be the two terms I'd use towards the end of the play. In my last playtest, I had fresh and dead-->pop beds of B7 to compare it to and hands down the B7 won. Frankly, I feel a bit sore hitting with this stuff.
Serving:
Again, "meh" is a good term to use. No freebies here although I was able to hit one truly inexplicable slice serve. No clue where it came from but that sucker moved. Short of hitting the absolute perfect sweet spot, flat serves hurt my arm (I traditionally hit just above it). Spin serves also take on a sense of mediocrity. The lack of pop is also astounding and if you don't kick in the RHS, the ball will die into the net
Volleys:
The only category where I found this string to be above average. Snap volleys in place and the string reacts nicely. The stiffness lends a nice zip to shots and yet is dead enough to take something off if you need it.
Tension maintenance:
Not terrible. The string held up decently in terms of overall tension but the feel just took a dive. My first play was stiff but decent. Second play was already somewhat uncomfortable and the last was just downright cut-worthy.
Durability:Lil more than 6 hours? If this weren't a playtest, I would have cut it out much sooner. The feel is just not for me.
I'm really curious to see how much this string costs. It's not terrible for a budget poly but I'd be sorely tempted to laugh if it's a 12.00+ string. Perhaps it's just not for me but I really couldn't find anything special about this string. It simply didn't play to my strengths and was uncomfortable on my arm. For future tests, I'd drop the tension to 45-46 to try and mitigate some of the issues I came across.
Groundstrokes: 3.5/5
Serves:3.0/5
Volleys:4/5
Spin:3.5/5
Power:3.0/5
Comfort:3.0/5
Tension:4/5
Durability:4/5
Groundies:
I think my first impressions were pretty on-target. The string plays very stiff yet doesn't do anything fantastic which drops it to the "mediocre" poly category for me. For a string this stiff (even at 48), I expect a lot more in either energy return or the spin department. I don't see either. At first the string does what you want it to fairly well. If you relax and hit your shots appropriately you can get a variation of topspin but nothing is "free" here. The spin comes from the technique, and not from any inherent properties of the string itself. After getting used to playing with B7, the feel of this string is just pah. Jarring and uncomfortable would be the two terms I'd use towards the end of the play. In my last playtest, I had fresh and dead-->pop beds of B7 to compare it to and hands down the B7 won. Frankly, I feel a bit sore hitting with this stuff.
Serving:
Again, "meh" is a good term to use. No freebies here although I was able to hit one truly inexplicable slice serve. No clue where it came from but that sucker moved. Short of hitting the absolute perfect sweet spot, flat serves hurt my arm (I traditionally hit just above it). Spin serves also take on a sense of mediocrity. The lack of pop is also astounding and if you don't kick in the RHS, the ball will die into the net
Volleys:
The only category where I found this string to be above average. Snap volleys in place and the string reacts nicely. The stiffness lends a nice zip to shots and yet is dead enough to take something off if you need it.
Tension maintenance:
Not terrible. The string held up decently in terms of overall tension but the feel just took a dive. My first play was stiff but decent. Second play was already somewhat uncomfortable and the last was just downright cut-worthy.
Durability:Lil more than 6 hours? If this weren't a playtest, I would have cut it out much sooner. The feel is just not for me.
I'm really curious to see how much this string costs. It's not terrible for a budget poly but I'd be sorely tempted to laugh if it's a 12.00+ string. Perhaps it's just not for me but I really couldn't find anything special about this string. It simply didn't play to my strengths and was uncomfortable on my arm. For future tests, I'd drop the tension to 45-46 to try and mitigate some of the issues I came across.
Groundstrokes: 3.5/5
Serves:3.0/5
Volleys:4/5
Spin:3.5/5
Power:3.0/5
Comfort:3.0/5
Tension:4/5
Durability:4/5
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alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Discho Iontec Black 1.25/Kirschbaum Synthetic Gut 1.30
Frame: YouTek Radical Pro
String: Discho Iontec Black 1.25/Kirschbaum Synthetic Gut 1.30
Tension: 49/51
Finished my playtest, review to come.
Stringing:
Cake Cake Cake. KBS is just limp enough to weave like a champ but can push through blocked holes with ease. I'm really starting to like this purchase...If my customers like it as well, I may have to buy another reel.
Ground Strokes:
Ok, wow, I'm really impressed by this string's neutrality; yes, I know that's a paradox. What I mean to say is that while this string doesn't provide huge spin, doesn't really do anything crazy special, it's comfortable and decently powerful. To quote PvAudio's review of Isospeed Baseline/OGSM, you get what you put in here. Power is good and can even get a touch uncontrollable if you're not careful. I would call this setup a budget hitting combo. It cost me all of 4 dollars and lasted ~4 hours. A friend of mine even hit with it once it was borderline popping/ starting to move around and was surprised with how soft the string bed was.
Serves:
Honestly, I like it. I'm not able to get those silly 6+ foot kickers that spin off but I can do quite a bit with it. Flat serves are powerful if you can control them and there's enough spin to hit slices and kick serves.
Volleys:
One word, great. The softness of the stringbed gives you a really nice response whether you want to punch into a slow volley or use the incoming speed to redirect it. It's not amazing, but for the price, it's amazing haha.
Serves:
Durability/Tension Maintenance:
4 hours, pretty consistent. Iontec is just iontec. It does it's job and the softness of the KBS complements the ItB very nicely and doesn't bite through the poly like OGSM did-- that was a disaster haha. The slight feeling I didn't like at first disappears when crossed with KBS.
Overall, I'm really impressed. This is a great off-season string for me to practice with because it forces me to work on my technique and racquet head speed to get the shots that I want. There are no freebies like with Black 7. The beautiful part is I don't feel bad in the least stringing it, replacing it, and playing it to death.
Groundstrokes: 3.5-4/5
Serves:4/5 Plus in flat, minus in spin, overall decent and comfortable above all else
Volleys:4/5 Soft, versatile.
Spin:3.5/5
Power:4.0/5
Comfort:4.5/5
Tension:4/5
Durability:3.5/5 Some heavy topspin hitting will eat the crosses like pudding. Otherwise, not bad.
Frame: YouTek Radical Pro
String: Discho Iontec Black 1.25/Kirschbaum Synthetic Gut 1.30
Tension: 49/51
Finished my playtest, review to come.
Stringing:
Cake Cake Cake. KBS is just limp enough to weave like a champ but can push through blocked holes with ease. I'm really starting to like this purchase...If my customers like it as well, I may have to buy another reel.
Ground Strokes:
Ok, wow, I'm really impressed by this string's neutrality; yes, I know that's a paradox. What I mean to say is that while this string doesn't provide huge spin, doesn't really do anything crazy special, it's comfortable and decently powerful. To quote PvAudio's review of Isospeed Baseline/OGSM, you get what you put in here. Power is good and can even get a touch uncontrollable if you're not careful. I would call this setup a budget hitting combo. It cost me all of 4 dollars and lasted ~4 hours. A friend of mine even hit with it once it was borderline popping/ starting to move around and was surprised with how soft the string bed was.
Serves:
Honestly, I like it. I'm not able to get those silly 6+ foot kickers that spin off but I can do quite a bit with it. Flat serves are powerful if you can control them and there's enough spin to hit slices and kick serves.
Volleys:
One word, great. The softness of the stringbed gives you a really nice response whether you want to punch into a slow volley or use the incoming speed to redirect it. It's not amazing, but for the price, it's amazing haha.
Serves:
Durability/Tension Maintenance:
4 hours, pretty consistent. Iontec is just iontec. It does it's job and the softness of the KBS complements the ItB very nicely and doesn't bite through the poly like OGSM did-- that was a disaster haha. The slight feeling I didn't like at first disappears when crossed with KBS.
Overall, I'm really impressed. This is a great off-season string for me to practice with because it forces me to work on my technique and racquet head speed to get the shots that I want. There are no freebies like with Black 7. The beautiful part is I don't feel bad in the least stringing it, replacing it, and playing it to death.
Groundstrokes: 3.5-4/5
Serves:4/5 Plus in flat, minus in spin, overall decent and comfortable above all else
Volleys:4/5 Soft, versatile.
Spin:3.5/5
Power:4.0/5
Comfort:4.5/5
Tension:4/5
Durability:3.5/5 Some heavy topspin hitting will eat the crosses like pudding. Otherwise, not bad.
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alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Wilson Sensation Control 16
Frame: YouTek Radical Pro
String: Wilson Sensation Control 16
Tension: 52
Stringing:
Great string for a multi-- fairly easy to work with. It doesn't have the limper gummy feeling of regular sensation and is closer to a synthetic gut. The only slight issue I found was that it has a distinct propensity to ball up and nest when pulling the crosses. You need to watch out and make sure that your line is clear as you pull it through.
Ground Strokes:
Coming from someone who dislikes multi, I was not dissappointed. It's a low powered string with a softer feel. Fortunately for Wilson, the string does live up to it's name and there is a great measure of court sense when hitting the ball. While I do acknowledge the aforementioned, I must qualify it; I found a lot more control when hitting the ball fairly flat-- I had difficulty dialing in the spin because the strings simply does not grip the way poly does. Normally my launch angle is fairly high and the spin brings the ball back down-- at the offset, I was hitting the ball consistently 2-3 feet out. Having said that, with a bit of adjustment and better footwork, I was satisfied with the jump on the ball. Interestingly enough, it was decidedly more than Poly/Multi. As a feel measure, I can't really complain. While it's definitely different than poly, there's a sense of pocketing and absorption that I haven't noticed when playing earlier multis. I'm going to attribute this to the fact that I've always strung multi much higher in the past than in this instance. As mentioned before though, the biggest strength is hitting flat.
Having said that, I had some wicked fun hitting slices with this string. The lower power lets me float the ball over the net-- something I can't do with poly.
Serves:
Never got the chance to try
Volleys:
Hit a few and it was as expected. The string plays pretty soft and the pocketing is great although the low power level makes it difficult to stick volleys. You really need to anticipate the ball and punch through the shot instead of just blocking the ball back in a different direction.
Durability/Tension Maintenance:
Exactly 1hr and 02min. I stepped on court at 6:30, it popped at 7:32. My only concession here is I spent a good 15-20 minutes hitting nothing but cross court heavy topspin forehands and it shows. The orange half of the frame is barely fuzzy.
Another MONSTER pet peeve. The strings move...Holy Sweet Jesus do the strings move...
Overall I can't say this was a bad experience. I didn't mind playing with the multi at all and it definitely gave my body a break playing a forgiving bed. I would suggest this string to those that are looking for something slightly stiffer multi that won't break the bank. Unfortunately, it's simply not for me. Even if it were only $5.00 a set, I can't deal with popping frames in an hour.
Groundstrokes: 3.5-4/5 Flat favored
Serves:N/A
Volleys:4/5 Soft, low powered
Spin:3.5/5
Power: 3.0/5 (not necessarily bad, just not there)
Comfort:4.5-5/5
Tension:N/A
Durability:3.0/5
Frame: YouTek Radical Pro
String: Wilson Sensation Control 16
Tension: 52
Stringing:
Great string for a multi-- fairly easy to work with. It doesn't have the limper gummy feeling of regular sensation and is closer to a synthetic gut. The only slight issue I found was that it has a distinct propensity to ball up and nest when pulling the crosses. You need to watch out and make sure that your line is clear as you pull it through.
Ground Strokes:
Coming from someone who dislikes multi, I was not dissappointed. It's a low powered string with a softer feel. Fortunately for Wilson, the string does live up to it's name and there is a great measure of court sense when hitting the ball. While I do acknowledge the aforementioned, I must qualify it; I found a lot more control when hitting the ball fairly flat-- I had difficulty dialing in the spin because the strings simply does not grip the way poly does. Normally my launch angle is fairly high and the spin brings the ball back down-- at the offset, I was hitting the ball consistently 2-3 feet out. Having said that, with a bit of adjustment and better footwork, I was satisfied with the jump on the ball. Interestingly enough, it was decidedly more than Poly/Multi. As a feel measure, I can't really complain. While it's definitely different than poly, there's a sense of pocketing and absorption that I haven't noticed when playing earlier multis. I'm going to attribute this to the fact that I've always strung multi much higher in the past than in this instance. As mentioned before though, the biggest strength is hitting flat.
Having said that, I had some wicked fun hitting slices with this string. The lower power lets me float the ball over the net-- something I can't do with poly.
Serves:
Never got the chance to try
Volleys:
Hit a few and it was as expected. The string plays pretty soft and the pocketing is great although the low power level makes it difficult to stick volleys. You really need to anticipate the ball and punch through the shot instead of just blocking the ball back in a different direction.
Durability/Tension Maintenance:
Exactly 1hr and 02min. I stepped on court at 6:30, it popped at 7:32. My only concession here is I spent a good 15-20 minutes hitting nothing but cross court heavy topspin forehands and it shows. The orange half of the frame is barely fuzzy.
Another MONSTER pet peeve. The strings move...Holy Sweet Jesus do the strings move...
Overall I can't say this was a bad experience. I didn't mind playing with the multi at all and it definitely gave my body a break playing a forgiving bed. I would suggest this string to those that are looking for something slightly stiffer multi that won't break the bank. Unfortunately, it's simply not for me. Even if it were only $5.00 a set, I can't deal with popping frames in an hour.
Groundstrokes: 3.5-4/5 Flat favored
Serves:N/A
Volleys:4/5 Soft, low powered
Spin:3.5/5
Power: 3.0/5 (not necessarily bad, just not there)
Comfort:4.5-5/5
Tension:N/A
Durability:3.0/5
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alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Nice one!
10sticks
10sticks
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Two quick updates.
Hit with an iPrestige 93 the other night because I popped all my frames and it was GODLY.
Stupid me, I grabbed a BLX 93 from my buddy thinking it would be similar and was incredibly, horribly disappointed. That racquet is a total POS. No power, no feel, no spin. Terrible terrible terrible.
On the bright side, I grabbed a vcore 89 and will be stringing it up with some yummy B7.... can't wait
Hit with an iPrestige 93 the other night because I popped all my frames and it was GODLY.
Stupid me, I grabbed a BLX 93 from my buddy thinking it would be similar and was incredibly, horribly disappointed. That racquet is a total POS. No power, no feel, no spin. Terrible terrible terrible.
On the bright side, I grabbed a vcore 89 and will be stringing it up with some yummy B7.... can't wait
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
89T and B7 was a total flop. Very disappointing
Accidentally left 2 frames in the trunk of my car for a week, one Iontec/Kirsh Syn and the other Iontec/ M2 Pro...Amazing how much tension drops with the change in temp/weather.
Needless to say, both were of silly proportion-low tension (moreso the Iontec/M2). Hit with them anyways because all the other frames are popped and was surprised. I can flatten the ever living heck out of the ball on my groundstrokes although spin is severely lacking. The mains are just too mush and don't snap back the way I need them to.
The flat though... now that's just silly giggly fun
Accidentally left 2 frames in the trunk of my car for a week, one Iontec/Kirsh Syn and the other Iontec/ M2 Pro...Amazing how much tension drops with the change in temp/weather.
Needless to say, both were of silly proportion-low tension (moreso the Iontec/M2). Hit with them anyways because all the other frames are popped and was surprised. I can flatten the ever living heck out of the ball on my groundstrokes although spin is severely lacking. The mains are just too mush and don't snap back the way I need them to.
The flat though... now that's just silly giggly fun
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Been trying out Platform tennis for a while now and got back on the regular court for the first time since the last post. Interesting game-- it's given me the gift of a flat forehand while unanimously destroying my serve... Back to strings.
I really don't know why I keep trying with this junk. M2 Pro is just not my cup of tea. I really wish I could unload the reel that I have. Strung a fresh set at 52, let it sit for two weeks to stabilize and it still felt akin to cold, hungry, crying, babies. It just really put a damper on my hitting. The 2.00/set Bomber/ogsm combo I had in my other frame felt like natural gut in comparison.
I just can't figure this string out. One hit it's feels nice, another time it feels like I'm playing with steel cable. The past few attempts at stringing it have just been a complete flop-- this stuff is not for me.
The more I think about it, The more I think PVAudio and some other prominent string testers on the boards hit the nail on the head. Find something you're comfortable with and stick with it. My string of choice is still Black 7 for when I have to jump into a match situation but I honestly think that any of the cheaper poly/syn combos I have are winning out in the long run.
Iontec Black/ Kirshbaum Synthetic Gut seems to last me the longest and comes in at ~3.00 a set?
I really don't know why I keep trying with this junk. M2 Pro is just not my cup of tea. I really wish I could unload the reel that I have. Strung a fresh set at 52, let it sit for two weeks to stabilize and it still felt akin to cold, hungry, crying, babies. It just really put a damper on my hitting. The 2.00/set Bomber/ogsm combo I had in my other frame felt like natural gut in comparison.
I just can't figure this string out. One hit it's feels nice, another time it feels like I'm playing with steel cable. The past few attempts at stringing it have just been a complete flop-- this stuff is not for me.
The more I think about it, The more I think PVAudio and some other prominent string testers on the boards hit the nail on the head. Find something you're comfortable with and stick with it. My string of choice is still Black 7 for when I have to jump into a match situation but I honestly think that any of the cheaper poly/syn combos I have are winning out in the long run.
Iontec Black/ Kirshbaum Synthetic Gut seems to last me the longest and comes in at ~3.00 a set?
dennis10is
Banned
I have to try platform tennis soon.
I broke a string tonight in a racket that had ProLine 2 in it and grabbed a racket that we hadn't used in awhile. Black Iontec crossed with PSGO. I'm not sure why I don't just buy a reel of Black Iontec and quit messing around with others. It still played very well and comfortable and it is amazingly durable...
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
You'd love the general game play but I'm not sure you'd like the balls coming low off the screen.
I find that it works really well in a poly/syn hybrid. It's one of the few polys I can't notch-break in under 4 hours. I've played it with Kirshbaum Syn, OGSM and hollow core so far and the only combination I didn't like was the hollow core.Any slick syngut will work really nicely.
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Wilson HyperLast/ Becker Bomber
Holy Hannah! I found some time to string a new frame!!!
String: Wilson Hyperlast (Kevlar)/ Becker Bomber White
Tension 48/50
Frame: Yonex 95D
The pic I have is enormous so the link to my drop box is above.
I miss Kevlar... I really do. I loved hitting with Ashaway/AluRough at 58 in a Prestige mid... I can only imagine what it'll feel like in my 95D at much lower tension. I'm also hoping it's going to be a temporary solution to my string breaking issue since I no longer have time to string
VIVA LA KEVLAR! IT WORKS! I hit with it last night in the 95D and it gelled really nicely. At this low tension, it doesn't feel terribly harsh, or even all that stiff. Granted it's doesn't quite have the pocket or flex like a bed of poly but I had no issues controlling the ball, flattening it out, or spinning it up. Volleys are particularly nice because of the crisp and directness of the kevlar. The ball snaps into place, nothing more. Lets see how long it lasts
Stringing: Really easy. I miss Kevlar. No stretching, no problems. Clamp it as tight as you want, just don't kink it!
Ground Strokes:
This setup, as I've strung it, is pretty low powered. The kevlar doesn't give you much in the way of pop and the poly I used is not really a power string. For future reference, I might venture towards a more lively cross. Having said that, it does have great directional control and variable depth. There are no freebies here, you have to hit the proper stroke with the proper technique. The predominant ball I had success hitting was a very flat drive. The kevlar works well here because the ball stays fairly low to the ground. I was able to hit topspin too but the kevlar doesn't quite have the bite that a full bed of poly does. Again, this could verymuch be due to the fact that I haven't been on court in a few months.
Serves:
About average. Less mph, more control. Less kick, but better ability to place the ball.
Volleys:
Hit a few and it was as expected. Snappy. Great for redirecting shots with a bit of an extra zip. What you see is what you get. There is no extra so it's a direct feedback system.
Durability/Tension Maintenance:
TBD but the kevlar is starting to shift around a bit at ~2hr mark as expected
Holy Hannah! I found some time to string a new frame!!!
String: Wilson Hyperlast (Kevlar)/ Becker Bomber White
Tension 48/50
Frame: Yonex 95D
The pic I have is enormous so the link to my drop box is above.
I miss Kevlar... I really do. I loved hitting with Ashaway/AluRough at 58 in a Prestige mid... I can only imagine what it'll feel like in my 95D at much lower tension. I'm also hoping it's going to be a temporary solution to my string breaking issue since I no longer have time to string
VIVA LA KEVLAR! IT WORKS! I hit with it last night in the 95D and it gelled really nicely. At this low tension, it doesn't feel terribly harsh, or even all that stiff. Granted it's doesn't quite have the pocket or flex like a bed of poly but I had no issues controlling the ball, flattening it out, or spinning it up. Volleys are particularly nice because of the crisp and directness of the kevlar. The ball snaps into place, nothing more. Lets see how long it lasts
Stringing: Really easy. I miss Kevlar. No stretching, no problems. Clamp it as tight as you want, just don't kink it!
Ground Strokes:
This setup, as I've strung it, is pretty low powered. The kevlar doesn't give you much in the way of pop and the poly I used is not really a power string. For future reference, I might venture towards a more lively cross. Having said that, it does have great directional control and variable depth. There are no freebies here, you have to hit the proper stroke with the proper technique. The predominant ball I had success hitting was a very flat drive. The kevlar works well here because the ball stays fairly low to the ground. I was able to hit topspin too but the kevlar doesn't quite have the bite that a full bed of poly does. Again, this could verymuch be due to the fact that I haven't been on court in a few months.
Serves:
About average. Less mph, more control. Less kick, but better ability to place the ball.
Volleys:
Hit a few and it was as expected. Snappy. Great for redirecting shots with a bit of an extra zip. What you see is what you get. There is no extra so it's a direct feedback system.
Durability/Tension Maintenance:
TBD but the kevlar is starting to shift around a bit at ~2hr mark as expected
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finalfantasy7
Professional
^ have you tested the either of the new yonex strings - poly tour pro/ poly tour spin. If so whats you take?
I know Pv tested it and didnt like it, compared it to black magic
I know Pv tested it and didnt like it, compared it to black magic
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
I haven't even had the time to string a frame recently. I'd first have to get my hands on some (although I think I know someone with a reel). Come December 12th I'll be able to jump on court again regularly. For now, it's finals mode
No no no no no, Black Venom, not Black Magic. Black Magic is soft and spinny. Black Venom is plastic and awful.
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Sounds like RPM
On a different note, someone mentioned that 14gauge lux was in the works? Would that even fit through some groms?
mikeler
Moderator
Sounds like RPM
On a different note, someone mentioned that 14gauge lux was in the works? Would that even fit through some groms?
Maybe with the new line of sticks next year.
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
Yeah. There's always something new coming out. I swung around some of the new Dunlop line and wasn't impressed. No clue how they hit but it nothing clicked.
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
VIVA LA KEVLAR! IT WORKS! I hit with it last night in the 95D and it gelled really nicely. At this low tension, it doesn't feel terribly harsh, or even all that stiff. Granted it's doesn't quite have the pocket or flex like a bed of poly but I had no issues controlling the ball, flattening it out, or spinning it up. Volleys are particularly nice because of the crisp and directness of the kevlar. The ball snaps into place, nothing more. Lets see how long it lasts
Oh and I swung around the new F2 Tour (the new 200)... I'm impressed. Me like
Oh and I swung around the new F2 Tour (the new 200)... I'm impressed. Me like
mikeler
Moderator
VIVA LA KEVLAR! IT WORKS! I hit with it last night in the 95D and it gelled really nicely. At this low tension, it doesn't feel terribly harsh, or even all that stiff. Granted it's doesn't quite have the pocket or flex like a bed of poly but I had no issues controlling the ball, flattening it out, or spinning it up. Volleys are particularly nice because of the crisp and directness of the kevlar. The ball snaps into place, nothing more. Lets see how long it lasts
Oh and I swung around the new F2 Tour (the new 200)... I'm impressed. Me like
Back in my Pro Blend days, it would turn into a rocket launcher around the 15 hour mark.
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
I hit with it for about 45 mins and it's already notched haha.
mikeler
Moderator
I used to put string savers in that setup too. It was unbreakable.
fgs
Hall of Fame
my absolutely very first encounter with kevlar has been this summer, when doing a test for the german tennis magazin i had a set of polyfibre thinergy amongst the candidates. this was a 1.10mm kevlar mains and a multi as a cross. besides the fact that i really did not very much like the feeling of it, i managed to break the mains in less than four hours - and they supplied two sets. simply judging by this, i do sincerely doubt that even thicker kevlar mains would render considerably longer playing times than poly in my case.
i did not have the feeling that in spite of the thinner gauge i was getting more spin, a really rather unorthodox situation, but this could have been due to the fact that the mains were not really sliding back at all, right from the very beginning. could surely be also related to the fact that i had a multi as cross and not a poly, but i assume that with a poly the fel would have been even more unbearable. i have tried some multi-mains/poly-crosses hybrids this summer and have not had any satisfactory results at all.
i did not have the feeling that in spite of the thinner gauge i was getting more spin, a really rather unorthodox situation, but this could have been due to the fact that the mains were not really sliding back at all, right from the very beginning. could surely be also related to the fact that i had a multi as cross and not a poly, but i assume that with a poly the fel would have been even more unbearable. i have tried some multi-mains/poly-crosses hybrids this summer and have not had any satisfactory results at all.
alidisperanza
Hall of Fame
My suspicion is that the Multi had a huge part to do with it. Multi effectively neutralizes my spin strokes due to the nature of the string especially when used with Poly. From 1.10-1.30, I can see a huge difference in durability. I've played this setup plenty of times before (albeit with a different poly cross) and durability and spin has always been pretty solid. We'll see how it wears.
