TIM's Poly Review Thread

[Tennis Is Magic]

This is a review of every poly I've ever played (not a huge list, but should help SOMEBODY out there). String ratings are relative to ALL strings, so non-poly users won't be misled.

Luxilon Alu Power Rough

Simply one of the best strings I've ever had the pleasure to put in my racquet. It's almost unreal for the first hour. After that hour, it stiffens up a little, and loses it's power. After a little more time, it will lose some tension and then stay still, and it will hold it's tension for a long time. If you can make it to this point in it's life, it will be a VERY high quality string for a respectable amount of time.

Power: 6/10
Spin: 8/10
Control: 9.5/10
Durability: 9/10
Tension Maintenance: 4/10
Feel: 4/10

Babolat Pro Hurricane

A fairly soft co-poly, didn't do a whole lot particularly well, but it was soft, had above average feel for a poly. Pockets the ball fairly well when it loses tension, and is a good option for those with arm problems.

Power: 5/10
Spin: 7/10
Control: 8.5/10
Durability: 7.5/10
Tension Maintenance: 4/10
Feel: 5/10

Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour

Again, another high-performance poly. Loses tension fairly quickly, but for a few hours, it's one of the best poly strings money can buy. Very crisp, very solid, very effective.

Power: 5.5/10
Spin: 8.5/10
Control: 9/10
Durability: 8/10
Tension Maintenance: 3/10
Feel: 4.5/10

Babolat RPM Blast

I didn't find RPM Blast as similar to PHT as a lot of people claim it to be. RPM is a lower powered string, much more muted. For me, PHT is a better string, but RPM is right up there.

Power: 4/10
Spin: 9/10
Control: 9/10
Durability: 8.5/10
Tension Maintenance: 3.5/10
Feel: 5/10

Babolat Duralast

A pretty typical first gen poly; amazing durability, low-power, very much a heavy duty string. A very good string, in my opinion, and should get more looks than it does. Very crisp when new, but after 2 hours of good hitting, it definitely drops in playability.

Power: 4.5
Spin: 7.5/10
Control: 8.5/10
Durability: 9.5/10
Tension Maintenance: 3/10
Feel: 4/10

Unique Big Hitter Blue

BHB is a good string, a tad powerful, and not as much spin as its brother, BHBR, but it's a serviceable string that isn't special in a whole lot of areas, but is decent in all of them. Is plasticky feeling, if that is something that you're considering.

Power: 5.5/10
Spin: 7.5/10
Control: 8/10
Durability: 7.5/10
Tension Maintenance: 5/10
Feel: 5/10

Unique Big Hitter Rough

BHBR is a much better string than BHB in my opinion. Much more spin friendly is the difference, really. Slightly less durable, as the trade off.

Power: 5.5/10
Spin: 9/10
Control: 8/10
Durability: 7/10
Tension Maintenance: 5/10
Feel: 5/10

Unique Big Hitter Silver

BHS isn't a good string, in my opinion. VERY lacking in spin, and tension maintenance is some of the worst I've ever seen, even compared to first gen polys. It's durable, and crisp feeling, but it is not the ALU Power clone people praise it to be.

Power: 4.5/10
Spin: 6.5/10
Control: 7/10
Durability: 8.5/10
Tension Maintenance: 2.5/10
Feel: 4/10

MSV Focus HEX

My string of choice, and a great, great string. Massive ball bite and very good control. Lacking in pop and dies fast compared to other polys, but if you can string it yourself, is worth cutting out every 4 hours.

Power: 3.5/10
Spin: 10/10
Control: 9/10
Durability: 7.5/10
Tension Maintenance: 3.5/10
Feel: 3.5/10

Will add others as time permits, I have a lot to do today. Hope this helps somebody

EDIT: I have a few moments, so I'll add a couple of my reviews.

Kirschbaum Super Smash

A fist gen poly, so little comfort and tension maintenance is to be expected. Very nice for the first two hours, then stiffens up and loses a lot of playability. Not as good as the Spiky version, but a pleasant experience, nonetheless.

Power: 4.5/10
Spin: 8/10
Control: 8.5/10
Durability: 9/10
Tension Maintenance: 2.5/10
Feel: 3/10

Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky

This is the Spiky version of Super Smash, and a much better string. Spin generation feels much more natural, feels a little easier on the arm, and still has good durability.

Power: 4.5/10
Spin: 9/10
Control: 9
Durability: 8/10
Tension Maintenance: 2.5/10
Feel: 3/10

Prince Beast XP

361 nation, as some of you may know it, is a rather low-powered, control-oriented poly. It's a decent/good string, but it severely lacks in feel and spin. It also may irritate your arm if your sensitive to that kind of thing.

Power: 4/10
Spin: 7.5/10
Control: 8/10
Durability: 8.5/10
Tension Maintenance: 3.5/10
Feel: 3/10

Gamma Monoblast

A 100% poly string, plays about similar to all first gen poly strings. Plays well for two hours, then stiffens up and loses its playability. When new, though, is a pretty good string, especially given it's price.

Power: 4.5/10
Spin: 8.5/10
Control: 9/10
Durability: 8.5/10
Tension Maintenance: 4/10
Feel: 4/10

 

[Deleted member 120290]

What racket are you using? Tension? Playing level and style? These would be helpful.

 

[Lefty5]

Sounds like ALU Rough, Big Hitter Blue Rough, and MSV Hex are your top 3 so far...

...giving MSV a 3 for tension maitenance is too generous IMO.

 

[Tennis Is Magic]

Sounds like ALU Rough, Big Hitter Blue Rough, and MSV Hex are your top 3 so far...

...giving MSV a 3 for tension maitenance is too generous IMO.

Well it holds tension better than BHS and I gave that a 2.5, what else could I put?

Also, I'm a 3.5-4.0 defensive baseliner using a Dunlop Aerogel 4D 500 Tour.

 

[Macedo]

Pro Hurricane: Durability 7.5? And in Rpm and PHT you put more? LOOL

 

[Giannis]

Just a comment about how you give power, along with the other characteristics of the string, a x/10 mark. It might confuse some people thinking that 10/10 should be the best, while it is actually personal how much power someone needs from a string.

 

[Torres]

Good comments, TIM. I don't agree entirely with everything you've said, but it is good to have another perspective from someone one these boards.

Without wishing to sound like an interrogator, you didn't play with all of those strings in a 500 Tour did you? I thought you had a Pure Drive or 18x20 or something like that?

It would be also be good to know what tension you strung the various strings at, how many hours you used them for, and how quickly they went dead.

 

[topseed]

Do you mind adding GOSEN Polylon 17 Natural in your review?

 

[Tennis Is Magic]

Good comments, TIM. I don't agree entirely with everything you've said, but it is good to have another perspective from someone one these boards.

Without wishing to sound like an interrogator, you didn't play with all of those strings in a 500 Tour did you? I thought you had a Pure Drive or 18x20 or something like that?

It would be also be good to know what tension you strung the various strings at, how many hours you used them for, and how quickly they went dead.

I only used the Dunlop 4D 200 for a brief period, and in that racquet, I only used MSV Focus Hex. The majority of strings were tested in the Babolat Aeropro Drive GT, which is about as similar to the 500 Tour as a racquet can be specs wise, while the rest were played in my 500 Tour. All strings were played at 60 pounds, and all the strings on this list were used at least 3 hours.

I know my reviews won't be for everyone, because I tend to favor first gen polys and stiffer strings, and a lot of posters here avoid them like the plague, but if people weren't buying em, I doubt they'd keep making em

Also, all strings added will be added as I feel compelled to try them. I've played Gosen 17 yellow, but I only used them for about an hour, so I don't feel qualified to review it at this time.