Tourna Big Hitter Black 7 17 x Kirshbaum Synthetic Gut 16
Frame: Graphene Prestige MP 18x20
String: see above
Tension: 48x50
This was a bit of a lark for me. I was lazy one night after stringing a full bed of BHB7 and threw the syngut in there. Turns out it plays well. My game has changed substantially in the past two years where I hit with a significantly less amount of spin and don't pop strings as often anymore. This combination plays nicely to that effect.
Stringing:
BHB7 is my current go-to. It's easy to string and doesn't cause problems unless you kink it. Not too bad on the fingers either with the edges. (Recently picked up a foot-long hanger of Gamma TNT Ruff and automatically cringed). Kirshbaum Synth is super easy too. A bit floppy and almost has a mild gummy texture to it. Not the best choice to push through blocked groms.
Ground Strokes:
Great ability to step into the ball with enough bite (when fresh) to keep the ball dipping to the baseline. I noticed more pronounced spin off a OHBH than on my forehand which was curious. Trajectory was decidedly lower than a full bed of poly but that was to be expected. Very nice feel and pocketing to the ball but definitely a little more mute than my preferred setup. Slices will stay low off the bounce but have a bit of a floating quality on the way there which gives your opponent more time to set up and adjust. I had a friend with a laser-drive slice hit a couple and he had a similar experience. Definitely not an offensive slice string but effective to change the pace of the game.
Serves:
I can't say I served overly much with this setup as my shoulder has been bothering me. From what I gathered, it's comfortable. Spin is moderate to average but you're not getting anything extra out of the string. Decent directional control but a bit mute for the scalpel prestige which is mildly unsettling.
Volleys:
"Bland" is the word I would choose. It's the steamed chicken and brown rice of the tennis world. No extra pop, no extra slice. It does what you ask it to do but won't make you go, "whoah, do that again!" Overall I noticed a drop in the depth of my volleys. When I'm in the zone (read-- have food and caffeine in my system) and moving my feet it's not an issue at all. But when I go King-slayer to Golden-hand Jamie, it really shows--opponents start scooping up the ball for an extra exchange. Sneaky, SNEAKY ability to hit drop volleys. What the hell, when did I learn to do those?
Durability/Tension Maintenance: Disclaimer-- I don't go through strings like a 13 year old with black-market cable and a tissue box anymore.
Overall I was surprised at the playability of this hybrid. I now play approximately 4h a week with an adult "zone" that ranges from 4.0-5.0; about 1h of cooperative doubles work and the rest as doubles live-ball games. I've logged about 9 hours on this stick and it held up admirably for a string job that cost me about $5. For the first 2h it was awesome and I was set and convinced it was a viable go-to. Aside from the lack of depth with the volleys I was happy to play with it. The real turning point came about 5-6 hours. It was still playable but didn't inspire the same confidence as fresh. After 6 I'd relegate it to a "hitting" stick if I had more than 2 prestiges in my current rotation. At 9h it's pretty notched and ready to cut. If I drill or hit singles, it'll pop. On the bright side, it doesn't feel like the frame got loose, just lost that magic quality.
Overall a happy play-test. I'd have no issue stringing it again but would definitely prefer a crisper cross. Since I'm not playing matches at the moment, it's viable for my personal needs. Ultimately though, I think that the Kirshbaum is a bit too mushy/soft for my taste . I'd like to see a bit more access to spin and punch on the volleys. Based on the way the frame feels and my observation of the string-bed, I think the snap-back of the mains dropped off around the 4h mark due to notching, and the general gumminess of the Kirshbaum. Very interested to see how this plays compared to the HEAD Syn PPS.
Recommendations: Medium spin-flat player that's looking for a comfortable hybrid on the cheap. Decent ball pocketing with slightly above average control. Could potentially be a good alternative to users who cross with multi.
Groundstrokes: 3.5-4/5
Serves: Not enough testing
Volleys: 3/5
Spin:3.5/5 Good directional control and depth when fresh. Nothing impressive, no dippers
Power: 3.5/5 Diminishing returns. You can swing out but there's definitely a terminal point. Never felt like I hit a blistering winner.
Comfort: 4.5/5
Tension: 4/5
