Tourna Big Hitter Blue - Thread for Playtester Feedback

[Rex]

• Playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)

Outdoor hard court at about 102º weather.
• Tension it is strung (please do not hybrid)
Strung on a Yonex RDiS200 at 57/55lbs

• String pattern of your racquet
16x19

• Power (or lack there of)
The string had a good amount of power. Felt somewhat similar to Alu Power (my usual string), except it wasn't as powerful as Alu Power.

• Feel
The string was softer than what I was used to, but it felt pretty good. I felt a little more pocketing on the ball.

• Tension maintenance (how long it holds its tension)
I strung it up 2 days before I played with it. I got on the court and the strings felt fine. After about 4-5 hours playing with it, I felt a little loss of control. I played with it again the next day and I noticed a decent amount of tension loss (maybe due to the heat here in Arizona).

• Likes/dislikes and why
I liked the string for the ball pocketing feel, but I usually like a more lively string like Alu Power. It's a good string for the price, but I am going to be sticking to my usual string.

 

[jhutch]

i tend to find all polys generally the same in terms of playability. is there any thing about this that really sticks out and makes it different from others?

 

[flashfire276]

i tend to find all polys generally the same in terms of playability. is there any thing about this that really sticks out and makes it different from others?

In playability, most polys are usually a bit painful to the arm.

But for BHB, this string is so soft, it feels so much like a synthetic. But it has the great durability, power, and control of a poly.

 

[Deleted member 25923]

Playtesters,

As instructed in the email you have received, please include the following in your comments:

• playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)
• tension it is strung (please do not hybrid)
• String pattern of your racquet
• power (or lack there of)
• feel
• tension maintenance (how long it holds its desired tension)
• likes/dislikes and why

****No hybriding please****

Thanks again for your cooperation.

TW Staff

Playing Conditions: Outdoor, IL summer heat (played with 70-80 degree heat), hard courts mainly, one foray on clay
Tension: 56 lbs
String Pattern: 16x18 (NG.1 95)
Power: Decent amount of power. Less than syn gut, but surprisingly good for a poly
Feel: It felt more plasticky than the synthetic gut but it did feel pretty good. I was surprised for a poly. Though I felt my game suffered a bit with touch and the net.
Tension maintenance: I felt like it maintained tension pretty well. It didn't feel like balls randomly started flying on me. I played for 10 hours or so with the frame.
Likes: I felt my consistency was a lot better. I could really get the spin and go for the ball, but my feel at the net was hurt a bit.
Dislikes: I felt some soreness in my wrist towards the end of my playtest. I don't know if it was the frame, strings or prior injury, but it was a new sensation. I think it's best to not use polys for now. But for a poly, I was surprised how familiar it felt.

 

[auzzieizm]

I haven't had a chance to play with Big Hitter Blue 17 yet because of a hectic end of the indoor season and playoff schedule. But this morning, I was able to string up the set, and I have to say that this has got to be the easiest-to-string poly I have ever dealt with. I typically gravitate towards soft feeling and comfortable poly's, but this one takes the cake. Weaving, tying off, tensioning; it really was a pleasure. It was so much more pliable and easy to work with than other polys. As a reference point, I usually use SPPP/ Topspin Concept Pure/ Big Ace in my set ups. The Big Hitter Blue was easier to string than any of those. Curious to see how it hits...

Playing Conditions: Outdoor. It was about 80 degrees today. Slow hard court.

Tension: 62 lbs

String Pattern: 16x18 in a Donnay Pro One OS original yellow/blue

Power: There was decent power in the string for me. Probably a little more than most of the poly's I gravitate towards, but not a huge difference. If anything, I felt I was getting more put-away power. Not too many shots flew on me. The shots that did fly on me, I felt, were more a facet of having the tension in the string bed too high. I typically string my frames around 58 lbs. And I was planning on stringing this set at the same tension, until I started stringing it. The string just felt more pliable and had less coil memory than other poly's I have worked with. Anyway I got cold feet thinking the pliability would translate to a more powerful and less controlled setup, so I decided to increase the tension to compensate for my intuition. At 62 lbs, I seemed to have some shots fly on me I think more because of the tight string bed rather than any inherent power. I could be mistaken though.

Feel: I enjoyed the feel of this string. I typically play with a soft, comfortable poly cross to complement my stiffer, spinny poly main strings. This string certainly fit the bill for my cross string preferences. Matter of fact, I could picture myself using this string in the future as a cross. You definitely get a softer string bed, with a bit more comfort. The thin gauge also seemed to increase my comfort level with the feel of this string.

Tension maintenance: At the moment, I have only played one match on the setup after having the frame sit for 24 hours post stringing. For my 2 hour match today, I definitely could not sense a decrease in tension, and frankly there was little to no break in at the start either. The strings seemed to be more than playable right from the start. Will report back on how long the string playability lasts.

Likes: I may be in the minority, but I LOVE the color. I love the comfort and control I was getting. I liked how the string played well from the start. I was taking bigger cuts than I normally take as well, and watching great shots hit. The string definitely left a great first impression. I was not getting the Luxilon-I-feel-like-I-can't-miss sensation, but this string is definitely something I could picture myself working with especially because of how predictable the response has been thus far. There is nothing worse than pulling a frame out of your bag, and not quite knowing how the strings are going to play. I doubt BHB would give anyone that uncertain feeling- the strings have started and maintained the same playing characteristics throughout my use of them to this point..

Dislikes: My only dislike so far is my fault. I dislike how the string felt at 62 lbs. I wasn't getting as much dipping spin or touch around the net, because of the stiffness in the string bed. However, I think this string as a cross at 58 to 60 lbs for me would be a serious contender for my next go to string set up.

 

[jim e]

• Playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)
Indoors, air conditioned, and dehumidifed
• Tension it is strung (please do not hybrid)
56 lbs.
• String pattern of your racquet
18x20
• Power (or lack there of)
Decent amount of power for a poly, wish there was more as I am use to nat. gut
• Feel
Great feel poly string
• Tension maintenance (how long it holds its tension)
I strung it up 3 days before I played with it. So far has decent playability after 9 hours of play, ? how much longer it will maintain this.
• Likes/dislikes and why
For a poly it is a comfortable string.
Personally I like a little more power from the string. In the future I may try and use this as a hybrid with gut mains, as that may give the power and feel of more what I am use to.

 

[GPB]

I was sluggish the whole match, and should probably blame my problems on my feet instead of the strings... but...

Yes, my problems that day were my feet. The next time I hit with it, everything was perfect!

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.

Due to this, I gotta hybrid. I usually use polys as a cross, but this might be soft enough to use as a main.

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.

Nah, it was my feet and general lack of energy. I had no business being on the court that day...

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.

I'm still amazed at how similar a full setup of the Big Hitter Blue feels to a full setup of Gosen OG Sheep Micro. I think the Gosen actually feels "crisper" while the Tourna feels "plusher" with more dwell time. Very surprising (and I like it)!

Thanks for the opportunity to playtest such a great string!

 

[dlesser13]

A little bit about my game, mostly a baseline counter puncher, 4.0 strokes, play a good mix of singles and doubles, I have been experimenting with strings lately and have played with several co-polys like cyber blue and kirschbaum P2.

• Playing conditions
Outside, summer Texas heat (90-100 high humidity) Hardcourt (laykold)
• Tension
57 pounds on Head Microgel Radical
• String pattern
18x20
• Power
Like most polys, excellent power, begs you to take a big cut at the ball or the ball will fly on you. Really noticable on volleys and digs, very easy for the strings to take an easy ball and trampoline it just past the baseline.
• Feel
Up there with most of these new age co-poly strings, the thinner gauge really helps out alot in this department too. Before stringing this I was using a 17g cyber blue and this is definitely a close replica of said string. If you're going to play a full bed of poly, you should make it a thinner gauge.
• Tension maintenance (how long it holds its tension)
Unlike other users on this board, I never seem to have problems with polys going dead on me(maybe I'm just oblivious to it) I actually feel like most polys play better right before they snap. So far it has been in my racket for about 10 hours and it is still going strong.
• Likes
Color is pretty cool, looks good in my radical, looks good on just about any racket truth be told. Spin is up there with the likes of cyber blue and other co polys. A good bargain string for someone trying to find a good feeling poly that won't kill their arm with good tension maintence and spin potential.

No real dislikes here, could make a slight complaint about power on volleys and half volleys, but that is to be expected with most poly strings unless you jack the tension up.

 

[Gene1994]

• Playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface): Outdoor, around 60F.

• Tension it is strung (please do not hybrid): 58lb.

• String pattern of your racquet: 16x19

• Power (or lack there of): Pretty good power. Not as much as RPM Blast (my usual string)

• Feel: Feels very smooth without much bite. Easy to hit a flat ball. Topspin shots are not as great.

• Tension maintenance (how long it holds its tension): Seems ok for a poly. Most polys for me lose tension at the same rate.

• Likes/dislikes and why: Likes: Good feel for a poly, better for an all court game than other polys. Dislikes: not enough bite for a topspin baseliner game. Not much spin on serves.

Overall not a bad string and pretty good for the price.

 

[Nuke]

• playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)
Three outings, temps in the low 80’s, outdoor hard courts.

• tension it is strung (please do not hybrid)
57 lbs

• String pattern of your racquet
16x19

• power (or lack there of)
Better than average power for a poly. I usually hybrid Cyber Flash with a synthetic to get a little more pop, but BHB gave me good power in a full job. Shots were controllable, and spin was pretty good, although I think I get slightly better spin and accuracy with Cyber Flash.

• feel
Very good for a poly. Although it’s not as crisp as Cyber Flash, it was a lot less jarring, and I don’t think I’d bother with a hybrid for this string. I do struggle with tennis elbow, and this string didn’t make anything worse. I felt like there was good pocketing going on, and even though I’m not a big net rusher, my volleys felt comfortable and controlled. I do miss some of the crispness that I get with Cyber Flash, but this string was better on moderate shots where CF is better for all out hitting.

• tension maintenance (how long it holds its tension)
Tension is holding OK after 6 hours of singles match play. There was some early drop-off, but it’s actually playing better now than it was immediately after stringing. I usually cut Cyber Flash out after 15 hours, so we’ll see how it holds up over the next week or two.

• likes/dislikes and why
Likes: It strung up relatively easily for a poly. Not too much coil memory; stiff enough to push through blocked holes easily, but not so stiff as to make weaving impossible. I like the power and feel of this string, and would probably use this as a winter string, when the balls are playing heavier.
Dislikes: A little less spin than CF, and a little more power, so it’s easy to have a few balls fly on you if you hit out and don’t get a lot of topspin. Perhaps this string may not be the best for players with really fast swing speeds, but I might like this string better as I age and my swing slows a bit.

 

[Eldon]

Conditions: Outdoors 90+ degrees

Tension: 55

String Pattern: 16x18

Power: I found this string to have decent power and a softer feel than I expected.

Feel: Good feel on volley and groundstroke.

Tension maintenance: I give it an "A". Has held tension really well for 3 court sessions.

Likes/Dislikes: For a poly it strung easy with not a lot of coil memory - I would think off a reel it would have even less - The serve wasn't as strong as with normal set-up but ground strokes were easier to keep in play. I'm considering getting another set to hybrid with a gut or syn. cross.

Overall I would recommend this string for anyone looking for a softer poly with good playing characteristics.

 

[NetMuncher]

• playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)
Temperatures in the high 80’s.
Up in altitude.
Indoor hard courts.

• tension it is strung (please do not hybrid)
Strings were strung at 52lbs.

• String pattern of your racquet
18 x 20

• power (or lack there of)
There was moderate power from this string bed. Definitely less than my usual Pro Line 2 1.20 or Helix 1.20.

• feel
This was the aspect of the string that I didn’t care for at all.
String bed felt harsh from the initial hit to a few days later. I played with these strings for two 2 hour sessions. If I had to string it again I would go down 3 or 4 lbs.

• tension maintenance (how long it holds its desired tension)
Tension maintenance seemed to be average for a poly.

• likes/dislikes and why
I’m probably in the minority here but I really didn’t care for these strings.
I like playing with a full bed of poly but this was just a little too harsh for me. The strings didn’t hurt my arm but I just didn’t care for the feedback that I received on ground strokes and shots around the net.
Power and control were on par with most other poly’s in the same category. Tension maintenance was slightly better.
All in all a decent string but not one for me…

 

[Nuke]

I like playing with a full bed of poly but this was just a little too harsh for me.

Muncher, just curious, but what polys do you usually play? I thought BHB was softer than most polys, but obviously you disagree.

 

[NetMuncher]

Muncher, just curious, but what polys do you usually play? I thought BHB was softer than most polys, but obviously you disagree.

I usually play Pro Line 2 18g. Lately I've been playing with Helix 18g.
I had BHB strung at the same tension that I use for PL2 and Helix.
Since I usually play with 18g and BHB was 17g I probably should have strung it a few pounds lighter...

 

[*breaksracquet]

All About me:
Normally an impatient all-courter, running around haphazardly and always looking to finish the point. In these disgusting conditions, I'm living on the baseline lazily.

Hey that is my playing style too!

 

[jason n]

Conditions: hardcourt 90 degrees and humid

racquet: Wilson k pro tour strung at 60

tension: racquet tune was used to measure tension an hour after strung and it read 47.7 then after an hour and a half of play it was measured again and read 44.7. After five days of not playing I measured tension and it was 44.3.

First off I want to say that for the money this string can't be beat. It's probably the softest poly that Ive used, it was definitly easy on the arm. The string provided good spin but not any better than lux. There was good feel to the string and good ball pocketing. There was plenty of power and after 4 hours of play the string seemed to have a little to much power to control and the ball was harder to keep in the court. Control was good for the first few hours and then it might have been me getting lazy but it was a little harder to control late into play. When stringing this I noticed that it was very easy to weave and string overall. I think that anyone wanting to try a poly but was scared due to stiffness should give this string a shot.

 

[lisp]

• playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)
Temp: 90+ Very Humid
Outdoor: Hard Courts

• tension it is strung (please do not hybrid)
Strung at 55 in a PS85

• String pattern of your racquet
16x18

• power (or lack there of)
Coming from an earlier multifilament playtest, I had to adjust because of the spin, But afterwards there was no such problems with getting balls deep. Plenty of power + alot of spin.

• feel
Not expecting much in this category but feel was quite good. Although it in my opinion does not feel as great as Alu Power

• tension maintenance (how long it holds its desired tension)
Tension maintenance is good. No string movements after 3 hitting sessions. Tension is still around the area string at 55. Where as my multifilament moved after 1 hitting session at 58.

• likes/dislikes and why
Likes = Color and that it distracts my opinions literally. They were commenting on how distracting it was. There really is nothing to dislike about it. Not very harsh or harsh at all. Plays like a tight synthetic strung in high tension with alot more spin.

 

[Jim A]

Here is my feedback
Me: baseliner, strong forehand, 1hbh, finding my way around the net but never anyone's first call for a doubles partner, ok serve and strong returner. been using full bed of poly for about a year as multi's break too quickly

• playing conditions: 80 degrees/outdoor hard court for 7 hours over a mix of singles doubles

• tension it is strung : 62lbs

• String pattern of your racquet: 16*19 Speedport Tour

• power: I didn't feel much difference between my normal string of Pro Hurricane and Big Hitter Blue

• feel: I normally use a 16g so a bit more feel with the 17g, volleys were similar with a bit more touch around the net I'm not sure if it was the thinner gauge or string itself but some recent shoulder tightness I had found with Pro Hurricane Tour wasn't evident when using Big Hitter Blue

• tension maintenance - I didn't play with it until about 24hrs after it was strung, however it was fine throughout although a bit soft the final time playing doubles

• likes/dislikes and why:
Likes: Feel, Price and manageable power -
Dislikes: playability could be longer, a bit more spin potential would be my caveats...

 

[iHabNoTeef]

• playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)
- played on outdoor hardcourt temperature averaging 80-90 degrees
• tension it is strung (please do not hybrid)
- strung at 45 lbs
• String pattern of your racquet
- 18x20 string pattern
• power (or lack there of)
- The power is about average for a poly. The string isn't too inherently powerful that it is uncontrollable, but it is powerful enough to put away balls. I find this power level very desirable in any string.
• feel
- The string has above average comfort for a poly--one will not feel any jarring vibrations when the ball impacts the stringbed. The string is very responsive and its feedback indicates exactly where the ball is going. The pocketing of the string helps with volleys and drop shots as well.
• tension maintenance (how long it holds its desired tension)
- I find that this string doesn't lose a significant amount of tension until 10+ hours of play.
• likes/dislikes and why
- I like the string a lot. It is a good all-around polyester that gives me great spin and control and it seems to fit my game very well. Additionally, the price of the string makes it even more appealing to me. I considering using this string as my main setup.

 

[ODYSSEY Mk.4]

• playing conditions -Temp 80*-100*, Outdoor, Hard court.
• tension it is strung - 50 lbs.
• String pattern of your racquet 16x19
• power (or lack there of) - For a poly Big Hitter Blue had far more pop than I was expecting and I really enjoyed that. It really outshined the Big Ace I had strung up in an identical racquet.
• feel - "Crisp" is what stuck in my mind when i was hitting with it. Really Impressed with this from a poly string.
• tension maintenance - The 1st hour of play with this was that nice new poly feel out if it. At about 2-6 hours I really felt like i got the groove with this string. About hours 8+ it really felt like it headed down that cutting out time.
• likes/dislikes and why What I did like was its Price and Performance. That's Pretty big in my book, Good feel and nice pop really put this string above quite a few other.
Only really dislike was color.

I am curious to know if Tw will ever be selling reels of it?

 

[Austinthecity]

• Playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)
HOT! I'm down in Georgia and it was 85-100 degrees every time I used this string. Outdoor hard courts, so the temperature on the court was hotter.

• Tension it is strung (please do not hybrid)
I strung it at 54 lbs on a constant pull electric stringer. It strung up like a normal poly, stiff but manageable. The coil memory wasn't bad.

• String pattern of your racquet
I use a BLX 6.1 95 16x19.

• Power (or lack there of)
Not much power. It had enough control so that I could take huge swipes at the ball. I got a lot of spin on groundstrokes as well as serves.

• Feel
Strung at 54, the poly felt pretty soft. I could definitely feel strings pocket the ball and launch them with spin. Because of this pocketing, I didn't feel much vibration on my elbow. I have golfer's elbow (it's getting better) and this string didn't feel like it irritated on groundstrokes at all. It was a little harsher on the serve, but that could easily be my mechanics.

• Tension maintenance (how long it holds its tension)
The string was very consistent over the whole stringbed at the beginning, and didn't start to feel dead until about 8 hours in. At the point, it seemed like I had to work a little harder for my shots and they weren't quite as consistent. I broke the strings after about 10 hours.

• Likes/dislikes and why
I liked the string overall. My 2 main setups are either Tourna Big Hitter Blue 16 or Ashaway Kevlar 18/Tourna BH Blue 16 hybrid. I haven't tried the 17 but I'm glad I did. It breaks a little quicker than the 16, but they go dead about the same time. It did feel like I got at least the same amount of spin as the 16, possibly more. I've tried tons of different polys and I think the Big Hitter Blue is the same quality as ALU Power. I've recently switched to BH Blue because of the price difference as I feel it has a lot better value.

The only think I didn't like about the string is that the playability goes away starting at 5ish hours in and they go dead at about 8 hours played. I am leaning toward the Kevlar/Poly Hybrid as this is a more dependable setup to me. However, I do plan on sticking to Tourna Big Hitter Blue in the crosses when I do switch.

Thanks TennisWarehouse for allowing me this opportunity to give feedback to your website as well as the company.

Austin Smith

 

[Stinkdyr]

Conditions: Hardcourt, outside, 90F

Tension: 50

String Pattern: Boris Becker 11 18x20

Power: Medium power.

Feel: Reasonably soft feel for a poly. I liked it better for groundies than volleys and serves. But nothing felt bad about it.

Tension maintenance: I have played with it 5 times and haven't noticed any tension loss.

Likes/Dislikes: I strung my racket. And it was easy to work with. I generally go for a hybrid poly mains/nylon crosses. I would like to try this string in the same setup. I hit a lot flatter now than I used to, since I am 50 yrs old. But it gave me decent spin when I whipped heavier topspin passing shots. I give it thumbs up.

 

[mrw]

First, thanks to T/W for letting me participate in this test.

PLAYING CONDITIONS--- Hard court, courtside thermometer read a sizziling 98f. Humidity was an oppressive 90% I first hit with a friend of mine, changing racquets from time to time to see the difference. I then fired up the ball machine and hit with that for a bit.

TENSION--- I usually string my hybrids at 57lbs. As I was doing this as a full poly job, I dropped tension to 54lbs.

PATTERN--- Racquet T/W Donnay Pro One Mid 16x19 I normally string this as a 2 piece. Since I was stringing full poly, I went with a one piece stinging job. I enjoy the stringing process however I only tolerate stringing polys. Cyberflash is a PIA and the easiest most compliant poly I use is Pro Line 2 in 18g.I found that a one piece poly job is a basic chore. I should have 2 pieced it.

POWER--- I own 3 Pro Ones. The test racquet was strung as requested with the provided 17g sample string. Racquet #2 is strung with Global Gut & ProLine2 both in 18g. Racquet #3 is strung with a full synthetic Head Rip Control in 16g.
I often experiment with different strings and combinations but my "go to" set up is Global Gut & Pro Line 2 as thin as I can find it.

Power wise, I would rank the sample string at a mid point. I felt the most power with the hybrid set up and the least with the Head Rip Control but that might be attributed to the age of the Head strings. They have been in the racquet for 6 months.

SERVING---I first hit with my hybrid setup and then the test setup. I thought the hybrid setup had a touch more power and was surprised the difference wasn't greater. When I connected with the ball, both setups gave a satisfying "pop" sound. This is in direct contrast to hitting forehands and backhands. In that situation, the test racquet had more of a "ping" sound.

FEEL--- I did not have high hopes for a full poly job providing a lot feel and compared with my usual setup, I was right.

The string bed transmitted a lot of vibration up the racquet and to my arm. This was somewhat noticeable while hitting with a friend. I was aware of some vibration increase but when I fired up my ball machine, and hit, it was obvious that this was a setup that would do damage to my 56 year old arm and shoulder.

TENSION MAINTENANCE--- I have been hitting on and off with this racquet for 5 days. temperatures are hot and humidity is high. It has taken a few car rides with me and been baked a bit when I had the roof down. Even with those conditions I have not seen a significant decrease in tension. That is a subjective observation as I do not own a tension gauge.

LIKES AND DISLIKES---The overall feel was good but the vibration was enough for me to shy away from this string. That said, I feel this way about full poly setups regardless of manufacturer. For me, the hybriding of poly with either gut or my fall back Gosen Sheep Micro provides the best of both worlds. In that capacity, I would buy it again.

 

[Aussie_T]

I'm a all-court 4.5 player. My usual string setup is either a full poly (usually a TopSpin, Luxilon string), or a poly hybrid (Gosen OG Sheep Micro). I've been hitting with the playtest string for the last week.

• Playing conditions:
- Temperature 70 - 80 degrees
- Outdoor, hard court surface

• Tension : Strung as a 2 piece, full (M:55, X:53). Overall tension maintenance was very good. Strung this up 24 hours before use, and did not notice much of a tension drop at all. Playability and shot dependability remained good throughout the week with this string.

• String pattern: 16/19 (Babolat PDR)

• Power: Power was also consistently controllable, and at a medium to high level for a full copoly setup

• Feel: Was about what I expected for a soft poly strung at a low-medium tension. Definitely much better than a full Luxilon BBO or ALU power setup. I used to play with TopSpin Cyber Blue, and this is very comparable to that string in feel and almost all other aspects

• Tension maintenance: Very good again in this dept, tension seemed to remain relatively consistent throughout the week

• Likes/dislikes: Overall a very good string at a great price-point! Soft, powerful and durable. Access to spin is also very good, and at this tension I thought the ball-pocketing feel was also above average. May look to try out their "rough" string as a comparison next!

* Currently I'm playing with 2 hybrid setups:
- Topspin ConceptPure (56 Mains), and Gosen OG Sheep Micro (54 Crosses)
- Luxilon ALU Power (53 Mains), and Gosen OG Sheep Micro (56 crosses)

* Strung the playtest string on a crank machine. Very easy poly to string, lowish coil memory, and fairly easy to weave

** Thanks TW for the opportunity to test-drive this string **

 

[TomballJV]

Conditions :
Tomball, Tx
High 80's to mid 90's
Outdoor hardcourts
Very humid

Tension :
57 lbs
Still remains constant

Durability :
Still in great condition no notches yet

Feel : Alot better than ALU Rough and previous setup

Likes/Dislikes : I like the soft feel and the fact that it had a little more power than my current setup. Disliked te color..didn't really look to hot with my racquet..

About me:
*Previous setup: Sonic Pro 60 lbs and mystery string at mystery tension. Strings were dead so I was in dire need of new ones.

*I play with a Microgel Radical MP Pro (16x19) and I use a semi-western grip

Thank you TW for giving methe oppurtunity to playtest my first strings and I would love to be chosen to do it again sometimes

 

[408tennisguy]

• playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)
- outdoor hardcourt
temperature averaging 79 degrees F
• tension it is strung (please do not hybrid)
- strung at 58lbs
• String pattern of your racquet
- 16x18
• power (or lack there of)
- Power level pretty above average. Reminds me of Topspin Cyberblue's power level where I was hitting with more pace on my semi western forehand and 1bh
• feel
Softer than normal polys but didnt notice any more feel than others, Not a lot of polys have very much feel in my poly experimenting
• tension maintenance (how long it holds its desired tension)
Pretty good tension maitenance especially strung at higher tension
• likes/dislikes and why
Liked the string itself, but didnt feel like it fit my game that well. I'm a fan of textured polys and hit with heavy topspin so I am looking forward to trying the Big Hitter Blue Rough

 

[LeftiesAreAllRight]

• Playing Conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)

I played on outdoor har-tru, outdoor hard, and indoor hard.
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• Tension it is Strung (please do not hybrid)

I had my racquet strung with the Big Hitter Blue at 60 lbs for the mains and crosses. My normal string setup is a hybrid of Big Hitter Silver 17 in the mains at 57 and crosses of OG-Sheep Micro Super 16L at 60 lbs. I strung these strings up a few lbs because they are softer and I would much rather have control over power.
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• String Pattern of your Racquet

Dunlop M-Fil 300 16x19
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•Power (or lack there of)

There is a great amount of power and the perfect amount of it. There is not too much or too little power. I was able to smash a hard shot and hit a perfect drop shot. The string had a good amount of control as well.
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•Feel

The string is very soft and has a very good feeling. Even at 60 lbs, I have never had any discomfort.
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•Tension Maintenance (how long it holds its tension)

The string's durability is excellent. I practiced with them and I played in four USTA matches with them for a total of about 24 hours before they popped at match point. Luckily, when I knew how much I like these strings, I immediately ordered some additional BHB for my upcoming tournaments. The strings were still feeling almost brand new when the mains popped in the sweetspot. My normal hybrid setup of Big Hitter Silver 17 and OG-Sheep Micro Super 16L only gets 10 to 15 hours before the mains pop. The BHB strings lock in place and don't hardly move.
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•Overall Comments and Feedback

These strings are excellent and they are by far one of the best strings I have ever used. Easily a ten out of ten for me. I've played some of the best tennis I have ever played with these strings. I definitely found that I can play much more aggressively, take bigger cuts at the ball and still feel confident that the ball will stay in play. My serves go exactly where I aim them and my signature forehand shots down the line are consistently deep and accurate.
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•Stringing

Strung on a Gamma X-6FC dropweight. Since I normally string the mains with Big Hitter Silver, these strings felt similar but a little softer. After the dropweight arm was horizontal, I noticed that with the BHB, the arm would sloly dip a little past horizontal after about 15 seconds because these strings are softer than the BH Silver. Stinging the crosses with the BHB was more enjoyable than the Gosen OG. Once I angle cut the cross sting, getting past blocked holes was so easy with these stings. Right after stringing, it was very easy to straighten the crosses before hitting the first time, and the strings locked in place nicely.​

 

[Figjam]

• playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)Out door hardcourt, temps 90-100deg.

• tension it is strung (please do not hybrid)
Initial tension 63lbs

• String pattern of your racquet
16/19 donnay yellow

• power (or lack there of)
power was average, not too high, not too low

• feel
Feel was OK, but thats to be expected with a softer poly, not the most feel , but not too bad.


• tension maintenance (how long it holds its desired tension)•
Only strung a few days ago and hit with for 2 days, tension holding is good so far didnt have alot of tension drop initially

likes/dislikes and why
Good for someone looking for a comfort poly, or to soften a stiff racket.
Liked the control, power level(not too much) comfort was good but as the cost of feel I believe.
Just a little softer than I prefer, felt a little "thick"

 

[AC Tennis]

My Big Hitter review

Thank you TW for the chance to playtest Tourna’s Big Hitter Blue.
I strung the string at 49 lbs on a Yonex RDS 002 Tour (16x19). It strung up easily with no kinking or other problems.
I played generally on hard outdoor courts in Hawaii, with weather ranging from about 76 to 85 degrees with sun and occasional showers.

I normally string my RDS 002 Tour with Pro Supex Maximum Touch (old version) 17g at 55 lbs.

Given that I normally play with a low powered soft multi, the Big Hitter Blue actually felt OK right off the stringer. It had good pop from all areas of the court and even some feel, which for a poly, was a surprise to me. The ball came off the strings much faster than a multi yielding a crisp feel that I liked. Power was good, and as mentioned before, there was adequate feel, for a poly. The tension did drop after a few sessions (about 5 hours of doubles over a couple weeks), but not unusually so.

Generally, I liked this string for a poly. I would not regularly play with it as eventhough it was on the softer side for a poly, it was still too stiff for me, and my arm would begin to feel a bit of pain after playing a set. I think this is due to the fact that to maintain control, I had to hit harder and swing faster than I normally would with my multi set up. Thus, my arm began to fatigue after about a set.

After about a month, the string shows no sign of being ready to break. I will probably cut it out soon.

Overall, a good co-poly for a good price for those who want a slightly softer co-poly with pretty good power.

 

[TomballJV]

Haha also I'd like to add, they match my new shoes

 

[lineitup]

Conditions : weather upwards of 90 degrees, high humidity, no wind, hard courts

Tension : 60 lbs

String Pattern : 16 x 19 Babolat Pure Drive GT

Power : I felt that I was really able to produce the power I wanted, but it wasn't an overwhelming amount of power. The power was surely there and honestly felt kinda similar to Pr Hurricane.

Feel : I'm not sure if I'm using the term 'soft' correctly, but when hitting with these strings, I felt like i could feel the ball but not the vibrations that would throw off my play or cause pain. I felt that I could control the ball with better feel and response as these strings gave me that good spin I crave while pocketing the ball to give me good power. Overall, the response was very easy on my arm, so I guess I'll describe them as being smooth?

Tension Maintenance : The tension seemed to drop a little bit after initial stringing, but which strings don't? The whole time I played with these strings I felt the same tension throughout and little to no string movement.

Likes/Dislikes : This string is great, can be compared to a cheaper PH while still standing up to the string. Good amount of power in this string along with a great feel that I really felt to be smooth. I'm really considering buying a reel of this and I NEVER buy reels.

Only dislike is that I wish there was more spin I guess?

 

[SlapShot]

Tension Strung: 58 lbs, strung on an Alpha Revo 4000
Frame/Pattern: Volkl C10 Pro (16x19)
Playing Conditions: Both indoor (75 degrees and dry) and outdoors (85 degrees, humid, and slightly breezy)

Initial Impressions: Seemed softer than the previous string I was using (Lux Adrenaline), with good pop. Used in a 4.5 doubles match when I popped a string on my other frame during warmups. Post match, inspected the string – not too much notching,

Second Session Impressions: The string seemed to have lost a bit of firmness my second time out. I found that the ball flew on me a bit compared to what I seemed to feel the first time around. It lost a bit of the nice bite as well.

Consolidated Review:

Power: Power seemed to be adequate, actually pretty high power level for a poly. After it lost tension, it seemed to actually have too much power, as I had to tame my swings a bit, especially on approach shots.

Spin: Much like the power level, this stuff had adequate bite when fresh – I wouldn’t say it is a “spin” poly per se, but it did provide enough to bring the ball down. The one area that I felt suffered was my kick serve – both times out, it just didn’t have the action I’m accustomed to. As it lost tension, the bite seemed to go with it.

Feel: Decent for a poly. Too muted for my tastes, and too soft as well. Touch was adequate, not fantastic. I found that I had to give myself a little more margin at the net when volleying at an angle because I couldn’t predict what the ball would do.

Playability Window (Durability, Tension Maint.): Maybe it’s just too soft of a poly for me, but while I enjoyed the first time out, the second time out was not nearly as pleasant. I ended up going back to a frame strung with PSG until I popped that, and did not enjoy the rest of the hitting session nearly as much. By the time it was cut out, it was about 1/2 notched after 4-5 hours or so of hitting. With the tension loss, I wouldn't expect to get more than 6-7 hours of solid life from BHB.

Overall, not a terrible string, but if I were to try it again, I’d go tighter in hopes of firming and crisping it up.

 

[SOY78]

• playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)
Temperatures in the high 80’s low 90's.
Outside hard courts.

• tension it is strung (please do not hybrid)
Strings were strung at 57lbs.

• String pattern of your racquet
16x19

• power (or lack there of)
There was moderate power from this string bed. Reminds me of Topspin Cyber Blue but a little more power and less spin.

• feel
This was a nice string to volley with I had some nice put-away and drop volleys. Then I reminded myself that this is kind of hard to do with a poly type of string, this was an exception.

• tension maintenance (how long it holds its desired tension)
Tension maintenance seemed to be average for a poly.

• likes/dislikes and why
I liked this string a lot. But I prefer the Topspin Cyber Blue version of this string. Maybe it was a lot of heat or that I strung it looser than the Cyber Blue. If I do buy it, next time I'll up the tension. I really like the price of this string. Stringing it was easy for a poly.

 

[captain future]

I used to play with Topspin Cyber blue and from what I have researched, they play very similar to big hitter blue. Received my set a few days ago and will be stringing these up soon.

just because they are produced from the same german company.
all new tourna-strings are copies of the german brand top spin.

just have a look on the topspin website and you will see octagonal strings, blue strings etc....

 

[flashfire276]

So no more feedback? Maybe time to unsticky this?

 

[Lefty5]

just because they are produced from the same german company.
all new tourna-strings are copies of the german brand top spin.

just have a look on the topspin website and you will see octagonal strings, blue strings etc....

if its the same, I'm buying Tourna.... love the Topspin stuff but not paying more for no reason...

 

[drifterx123]

is this still avaliable?

 

[GPB]

I want to add a second (third?) word about this string. I kept it in my racket until it popped a couple days ago. It had plenty of life left in it, and broke on a shank against a big hitter. After it broke, I went back to my full Gosen OGSM 17 setup.

The OGSM had less pocketing, less spin, less predictability, and overall less control than the BHB had. Now, to be fair, the OGSM stringjob is on its last leg (severely notched) but this shows to me that the Tourna Big Hitter Blue has much better durability & tension maintenance than OGSM.