I hit for about an hour with my wife today, and I am very happy with these strings. They're just as soft as my OG Sheep Micro, and might hit with a bit more spin. I say "might" because it's tough to tell from the little bit that we played.
Easy to string, nice to hit with, and at a pretty good price... we'll see how long they remain playable (be it a loss of tension or of elasticity). But so far, so good.
All About Me: I'm a 3.0 who thinks he's way better than he really is. Consistency is my problem; I LOVE to go for the big shots, or come up strong and attack the net.
Playing conditions:
I played a match last night on outdoor hardcourts, with temperatures in the high 80s (F). It had just rained (the courts were dry) so there was HIGH humidity. I was sluggish the whole match, and should probably blame my problems on my feet instead of the strings... but...
Setup:
I use the Volkl C10 Pro (16x19) with a good bit of weight added to the handle, with silicone in there, too. I strung it at 52lbs, on a Silent Partner Swing. I usually use Gosen OG Sheep Micro at 55lbs. Recent setups: Volkl Cyclone at 35lbs was nice in warmups, but the ball flew crazily in matchplay. Poly/synth hybrids in the mid 50's usually work well for me, but using full synthetic gut keeps my elbow (recently) and shoulder (in the past) happier.
Power:
If I got a good rip on the ball, it was sweeeet. If I chose to take a bit off the shot, hitting the "rally ball," it would tend to float out on shots that felt like they would be good. Big Hitter Blue is definitely NOT LACKING in the power department.
Feel:
BHB has this surprisingly soft feel to it. I don't think I'd be able to tell it's a poly, just from the feedback given to my hand. This is a GOOD thing.
But even though it doesn't feel harsh while hitting, it's now the day after and I'm feeling a bit of tennis elbow flare-up. It only happens when I hit with poly's. Maybe I try to hit the ball even harder than I do with nylon strings, maybe it's the vibrations coming back, maybe it's something else; but my elbow is sore today.
Tension maintenance:
After an hour the other day (quoted above) and then about 2 hours in a match, I seem to have LOST A BIT OF CONTROL. Last night, I found myself wishing I strung the BHB at a higher tension. Maybe this is due to tension loss. We'll see how it performs in the future.
Finale:
It's TOO EARLY to give a final judgement on the strings. Let me get back to you when (a) I'm not so tired ( I'm exhausted for some reason) and (b) my elbow feels better. I usually attend a clinic on Thursdays; instead of opting out today, maybe I'll play with my Gosen racket to get a good comparison of the strings.
Oh, and the color... it reminds me of chalk line! I'm used to seeing black, natural, or red in my racket (which is yellow and black, with a little red). It doesn't really matter, but it was odd at first sight.
. So.. seriously.... thank you so much!
