The gut/poly thread

struggle

Legend
At 48, the poly crosses' real tension ends up being higher than 48 as the soft gut mains isn't putting up much resistance on the crosses while stringing. The crosses ends up dominating the feel so you've basically wasted the gut's benefit really.

As mentioned above, go much higher on the gut mains like 60/48 and allow for a few hours of breaking for the gut to soften up. I'm usually at 63/49 on a Blade 101L.

Gut/poly actually ends up being cheaper than full bed poly as its playability is much longer and changes very little after break in. I usually restring the poly crosses (reversed weave) also when they go dead while the gut mains are still good. Full poly playability duration sucks and changes almost hourly it seems. I still use full poly as it does offer better control in hot wheather where gut/poly can be too powerful.


This is false. Unless not calibrated properly, no machine pulls higher than reference tension.

FWIW, I string my NG/Poly at 60/56 in a 16x20 with great success. (for several years...)
 
Last edited:

Chairman3

Hall of Fame
This is good discussion on gut/poly...

Thinking maybe I'll use a more familiar poly as a cross next time. I'm not an ALU player, so the feel with gut isn't familiar.
Also think a softer, powerful poly would let me ratchet the tension up but maintain a powerful response.
I've got some 1.20 PTStrike lying around
I recently did a multi main and PTStrike cross at 46lbs in a PS95 and that was great.
(Obviously a bit pointless, even at 1.2 against a 1.3 multi, it is just sawing through pretty easily)
But power, spin, and feel were tip-top
 

phanamous

Rookie
My point is the string length of the crosses strung will vary depending how much the mains are resisting when tensioning. Looser mains means shorter crosses given the same tension which will feel stiffer and more dominating.

This is false. Unless not calibrated properly, no machine pulls higher than reference tension.

FWIW, I string my NG/Poly at 60/56 in a 16x20 with great success. (for several years...)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bud

JW89

Rookie
Any other fans of VS and Lynx Tour? So far my favorite combo, but have been trying to dial in tension for a while now in my VCore pro
 

AndrewUtz

Rookie
I’ve been using 1.30 X one biphase in place of gut recently and still works quite well. Main reason being is because I string myself and was able to get a reel of it, with reels of gut not being a thing.
 

struggle

Legend
I’ve been using 1.30 X one biphase in place of gut recently and still works quite well. Main reason being is because I string myself and was able to get a reel of it, with reels of gut not being a thing.

I keep one racquet with X-one as well, for wetter conditions, etc.

It's an "ok" substitute and as good as it gets as far as one goes, IMO.
But it doesn't last as long (playability) for me. Still a good option in lieu
of the NG for a similar feel.
 

happyandbob

Legend
I keep one racquet with X-one as well, for wetter conditions, etc.

It's an "ok" substitute and as good as it gets as far as one goes, IMO.
But it doesn't last as long (playability) for me. Still a good option in lieu
of the NG for a similar feel.

moving X-one to the top of my queue of strings to try. right now, I keep kevlar/ZX as a bad conditions backup. to-date it's the setup that I've found plays closest to gut/poly
 

Bud

Bionic Poster
This is false. Unless not calibrated properly, no machine pulls higher than reference tension.

FWIW, I string my NG/Poly at 60/56 in a 16x20 with great success. (for several years...)
Perhaps, he means the overall stringbed stiffness. That's what you feel hitting the ball.

I agree with him about stringing the gut around 60# and the poly crosses approximately 10# less. This also gives me the best results.
 

AndrewUtz

Rookie
I keep one racquet with X-one as well, for wetter conditions, etc.

It's an "ok" substitute and as good as it gets as far as one goes, IMO.
But it doesn't last as long (playability) for me. Still a good option in lieu
of the NG for a similar feel.
I agree. Having a machine at home i don’t mind having to restring more often. Poly will die faster than a natural gut will as well, so it just makes sense for me to use it. if i was a professional i’d probably use gut instead of X one but it’s a great string. I will tell anyone looking to check it out to use paraffin wax when stringing to avoid string burn if you are stringing with a poly, especially any rough or shaped variety.
 

soulkeeper

New User
Perhaps, he means the overall stringbed stiffness. That's what you feel hitting the ball.

I agree with him about stringing the gut around 60# and the poly crosses approximately 10# less. This also gives me the best results.

so it's 60/50..and just for reference, when you use full bed poly, what's your tension.?.

thinking of trying first time gut/poly (never tried gut)...now i string my v5 blade 18x20 and RS 305 18x19 ,at 22/21 (49/46)
 

JW89

Rookie
You aren't finding that Lynx Tour saws through the gut mains quickly?
Not really noticeable imo, this string job certainly isn’t an economical choice though…To me the shape is hardly noticeable, it is not a sharp string and I don’t notice any more sawing than I would from something like say alu rough
 

EggSalad

Hall of Fame
Any other fans of VS and Lynx Tour? So far my favorite combo, but have been trying to dial in tension for a while now in my VCore pro

I just strung up VS / Tour Hex which should be pretty similar. I haven’t hit with it yet though. I’m curious to see if the Tour Hex snaps it really fast or if the gut can hang.
 

struggle

Legend
I would think you would gain less from a textured cross (regarding spin)
as opposed to a thin, slick, softer poly that will allow great snapback
for the NG mains. I would definitely think it would saw through it quicker.
I realize Fed did this, but he had a new stick every ball change.

I rarely, for the life he the stringbed, have crooked strings with my NG/Poly setup.
I hit with moderate topspin, so they are returning to position.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bud

veelium

Hall of Fame
I would think you would gain less from a textured cross (regarding spin)
as opposed to a thin, slick, softer poly that will allow great snapback
for the NG mains. I would definitely think it would saw through it quicker.
I realize Fed did this, but he had a new stick every ball change.

I rarely, for the life he the stringbed, have crooked strings with my NG/Poly setup.
I hit with moderate topspin, so they are returning to position.
ALU Power rough is textured but not really sharp. Probably doesn't saw through the mains as quickly as some sharp X-sided string.
 

nov

Hall of Fame
Guys, if any of you gonna try Gut/Poly, im going to save you a lot of hassle. Just strung it with Tier One GhostWire 1.27mm and call it a day. There isnt better cross option on the maket. GW 1.27 holds tension really well, gives good control and spin due to very slick surface.
 
Last edited:

Chairman3

Hall of Fame
Guys, if any of you gonna try Gut/Poly, im going to save you a lot of hassle. Just strung it with Tier One GhostWire 1.27mm and call it a dat. There isnt better cross option on the maket. GW 1.27 holds tension really well, gives good control and spin due to very slick surface.
Poly Tour Fire
It's round, holds tension well, and is slick for extra snapping back.
Not saying better, just similarly suited.
 

Bud

Bionic Poster
so it's 60/50..and just for reference, when you use full bed poly, what's your tension.?.

thinking of trying first time gut/poly (never tried gut)...now i string my v5 blade 18x20 and RS 305 18x19 ,at 22/21 (49/46)
I never use full poly. Bad for the arm. Gut-poly will last until the gut breaks.
 

Bud

Bionic Poster
I would think you would gain less from a textured cross (regarding spin)
as opposed to a thin, slick, softer poly that will allow great snapback
for the NG mains. I would definitely think it would saw through it quicker.
I realize Fed did this, but he had a new stick every ball change.

I rarely, for the life he the stringbed, have crooked strings with my NG/Poly setup.
I hit with moderate topspin, so they are returning to position.
Agree. Get the smoothest, hardest poly for the cross. The more movement of mains over crosses, the better.

ALU Power is really good.
 

phanamous

Rookie
Thin poly cross plays great short term but saw into the gut mains faster longer term. Thicker slick cross will maintain the gut for longer it seems.
I'm using GW16 currently and my string bed lasts forever, 50-60 hrs, whereby I would restring the crosses (opposite weave) mid way once they've lost too much tension.

That's why some are raving about rectangular shaped strings with rounded edges like Isospeed Rexxxer and Grapplesnake Irukandji. More surface area contact to not saw into the gut mains. Trying to get my hands on some to confirm this.
 

djNEiGht

Legend
I would think you would gain less from a textured cross (regarding spin)
as opposed to a thin, slick, softer poly that will allow great snapback
for the NG mains. I would definitely think it would saw through it quicker.
I realize Fed did this, but he had a new stick every ball change.

I rarely, for the life he the stringbed, have crooked strings with my NG/Poly setup.
I hit with moderate topspin, so they are returning to position.
I have heard that strings like ALU Pwr Rough work well for cross as it was compared to a golf ball. The dimples work with the airflow somehow and the design of the ALU Rough does something similar.
 

djNEiGht

Legend
Does that ever happen to you?
Seems like a tough challenge.
I have a 16U to ranked player breaking his VST/ALU string bed on the mains about 80% of the time and crosses 20%. Even when the mains are busted, you can see how worn/flat the crosses have become. Granted he does get a lot of court hours with coaches and practice partners
 
Since I switched to Prince tex 310 16x18 (from 6.1 16x118), I haven't thought to try gut since its pretty open. (but actually very well distributed to not seem too open.)

Anybody try gut on this frame ? ..what combo (poly cross ? ) ?

Now I'm like " I gotta do the gut again" :))

I put vs gut, yptf in a prince textreme 310 I had extended 1/2 an inch. Around 51 46 or 52 47 iirc.

It's rainy and or damp in the uk so only tried it for a short while on a couple of different occasions.

It wasn't too high a launch angle (lower than my poly poly firestorm at 40lbs) and in this frame didn't find it over powered.
 

veelium

Hall of Fame
I have a 16U to ranked player breaking his VST/ALU string bed on the mains about 80% of the time and crosses 20%. Even when the mains are busted, you can see how worn/flat the crosses have become. Granted he does get a lot of court hours with coaches and practice partners
Ok interesting, I imagine the ALU is thinner?
 

ey039524

Professional
Not a poly, but I've been using monogut ZX as a cross, for anyone who has had TE in the past. I tried some soft polys (Cyberflash, Hyper G) and didn't notice a difference.

Also, Babolat elastocrosses are good at preventing saw through of the mains and promoting string snap back.
 

PRS

Semi-Pro
Man I am not on that princess and the pea mumbo jumbo. I hit the ball until something breaks.

J
I agree with anything other than poly mains. String jobs with poly mains really should be cut out when the poly dies (unless you're breaking it before then) for long-term health reasons if you don't mind the performance drop. But if poly is in the crosses and gut, multi, synthetic, zyex (anything other than poly) in the mains, yeah, go ahead and play till it breaks.
 

J011yroger

Talk Tennis Guru
Does that ever happen to you?
Seems like a tough challenge.
20200516-171129.jpg


J
 

pedrogcr

Semi-Pro
Thin poly cross plays great short term but saw into the gut mains faster longer term. Thicker slick cross will maintain the gut for longer it seems.
I'm using GW16 currently and my string bed lasts forever, 50-60 hrs, whereby I would restring the crosses (opposite weave) mid way once they've lost too much tension.

That's why some are raving about rectangular shaped strings with rounded edges like Isospeed Rexxxer and Grapplesnake Irukandji. More surface area contact to not saw into the gut mains. Trying to get my hands on some to confirm this.

That's one of the reasons I use Ytex Square-X as my go-to cross string. When you add the relative softness, good tension maintenance, and the great price, it becomes a no-brainer to at least give it a try.
My only wish is the string was bit slicker.
 

PRS

Semi-Pro
Is it technical possible to replace only the poly crosses while retaining gut?

what about vs 1.35/rpm blast 1.25 crosses?
As long as the poly is tied off on itself and not the gut, yes, it is possible. However, the majority of people would agree that it's a bad idea. It's not good for the racquet, not good for the mains, and you don't get all that much benefit out of it.
 
Top