TRU PRO (formerly Tier One Sports) Ghostwire

djNEiGht

Legend
Do you feel hybriding HGS and Ghostwire performs better than full bed of each alone? I have one set of each and I am trying to decide if hybriding or going full bed with each is best route. First time using either.
two very different strings so if you are playing and comparing a full bed of each...it's going to be very different. What do you normally use?

I've enjoyed full bed of HGS and a hybrid with HGS mains and GW crosses. Full bed of GW does not interest me. YMMV
 

g4driver

Legend
Do you feel hybriding HGS and Ghostwire performs better than full bed of each alone? I have one set of each and I am trying to decide if hybriding or going full bed with each is best route. First time using either.

HGS 1.25 mm mains / GW 1.22mm crosses is a bit better than full bed of 1.25mm HGS for me but I could play with either setup.

GW is my favorite cross string but I wouldn't use GW in full bed personally. For two packs of strings, definitely use the HGS in the mains and GW only in crosses.
 
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wollumeg

New User
two very different strings so if you are playing and comparing a full bed of each...it's going to be very different. What do you normally use?

I've enjoyed full bed of HGS and a hybrid with HGS mains and GW crosses. Full bed of GW does not interest me. YMMV
I have come back to the sport after a multi year hiatus. My C10 Pros were strung with Babolat RPM Team 17 mains and Babolat Xcel 16 crosses. I broke those in all 3 of my rackets after coming back (6 year old string LOL) and now have tried Solinco Confidential full bed and Luxilon element full bed. I liked Element more between the two.
 

wollumeg

New User
HGS 1.25 mm mains / GW 1.22mm crosses is but better than full bed of 1.25mm HGS.. but I could play with either setup.

GW is my favorite cross string. But I wouldn't use GW in full bed personally.. do for two packs of strings, definitely use the HGS in the mains and GW only in crosses.
Awesome! I just realized i have 1.2 HGS but will still plan on hybriding with my single pack of GW that just arrived today. Thanks!
 
Wondering if this is just a one off. I hybrid'd Head Lynx Tour 1.25 (champagne) mains with Ghostwire 1.22 in a Blade Pro 16x19. The Ghostwire snapped in about 30 minutes in my regular breaking spot. I know the Lynx Tour is considered thicker than 1.25, so maybe the difference in stiffness/thickness was too much for the Ghostwire to support?

Conversely, I used Tourna Silver 7 Tour 1.25 with Ghostwire 1.22 and it lasted about 10 hours before the Ghostwire snapped.
 

g4driver

Legend
Wondering if this is just a one off. I hybrid'd Head Lynx Tour 1.25 (champagne) mains with Ghostwire 1.22 in a Blade Pro 16x19. The Ghostwire snapped in about 30 minutes in my regular breaking spot. I know the Lynx Tour is considered thicker than 1.25, so maybe the difference in stiffness/thickness was too much for the Ghostwire to support?

Conversely, I used Tourna Silver 7 Tour 1.25 with Ghostwire 1.22 and it lasted about 10 hours before the Ghostwire snapped.


my .02
try 1.27mm GW once. If you break it too quickly again, pick a stiffer cross, perhaps Yonex Poly Tour Fire 1.25 or even 1.30mm
love GW as a cross and string more GW than any other poly cross, but if you are breaking it quickly, you break it in 30 mins, you clearly hit a lot of RHS.
 

djNEiGht

Legend
I have come back to the sport after a multi year hiatus. My C10 Pros were strung with Babolat RPM Team 17 mains and Babolat Xcel 16 crosses. I broke those in all 3 of my rackets after coming back (6 year old string LOL) and now have tried Solinco Confidential full bed and Luxilon element full bed. I liked Element more between the two.
the RPM Team/Xcel combo sounds pretty comfy. Confidential is a fairly firm string. more so than HG. Element is a soft string.

HGS/GW hybrid is what I would suggest. But also seems like your RPMT/Xcel and Element aren't spin enhancers....so you might also like a full bed of GW.
 

wollumeg

New User
the RPM Team/Xcel combo sounds pretty comfy. Confidential is a fairly firm string. more so than HG. Element is a soft string.

HGS/GW hybrid is what I would suggest. But also seems like your RPMT/Xcel and Element aren't spin enhancers....so you might also like a full bed of GW.
About a decade ago playing college tennis my philosophy was strictly using the most durable monofilament main crossed with anything cheap. Then once I left college, and my own stringing machine, I went to a local shop and just asked for some type of durable hybrid and RPM Team/Xcel combo is what they chose for me. Fast forward to now coming back to the game I am realizing how far some of the "new age" co-polys are and how much they can enhance spin and power while also providing durability. I never had any problems with RPM Team/Xcel before I took some time away from the game but boy, coming back and using some other string has sure opened my eyes. I strung up 1.2 HGS mains and 1.22 GW crosses last night on my new Pure Aero VS. Very excited to try! Thanks for all the advice!
 

g4driver

Legend
@wollumeg as a previous collegiate player, you likely hit with more RHS than 90-95 % of the readers on this forum. The stringer at the local shop who picked RPM Team / Excel as a durable hybrid did themselves a favor not you. Multifilaments like Excel are the least durable strings you can buy. Multifilaments break faster than any other string other than ZX when stringing ZX ;)

The Pure Aero VS is a 16x20 frame (although that last cross is so close to the bottom that it is nearly identical to a 16x19 frame.

Plenty of strings for you to choose from.

The strings I am currently using in my blind playtest (I simply string their frames without telling them anything about the strings) for 4.0 to 5.0 men if a player has no injuries and just wants to try several polys:

1) Solinco Hyper G (Green) 1.25mm
2) Tier One 1.25mm Boost (FireWire 1.25 mm mains/ Ghostwire 1.22mm crosses)
3) Lynx Tour 1.25mm
4) Volkl Cyclone Tour (VCT) 1.30mm if you have a sensitive elbow and like to play strings until breakage

For those players that are frequent string breakers of 1.25mm polys, I use 1.30mm strings in the playtest for these players.


Can you share more details about the blind playtest process?

This started when 4.5 and 5.0 guys were looking for string setups they like. I now offer this playtest to all players. The player gives me three frames of the same make/model if they have three frames and I ask these questions:

1) Any tennis elbow, wrist, or shoulder issues?
2) How often do you break strings?
3) What are you currently playing with and what tension?

They get three poly setups or three hybrids if they have tennis elbow/ wrist or shoulder issues. They don't get any info on the strings I put in their frames. None. Not the brand, string, gauge, or tension. Nada. They pay me nothing. They play with the three frames and if they like one setup, they give me back the two frames they didn't pick and I restring those two frames with the same string they did pick. They pay me $30 for stringing five frames and pay me the cost of strings for two packs of strings. $30 + cost for two sets of strings and they walk away with three strung frames. If they like none of them, they give me all three frames and the playtest continues with three more setups. Only one guy has given me back three frames, and eventually, he went head to head with Solinco Revolution 1.30mm vs TierOne Firewire 1.30mm, picking FireWire. He told me he picked FW because it was cheaper but he liked both strings equally and could play with either string.
 

Torps

Semi-Pro
my .02
try 1.27mm GW once. If you break it too quickly again, pick a stiffer cross, perhaps Yonex Poly Tour Fire 1.25 or even 1.30mm
love GW as a cross and string more GW than any other poly cross, but if you are breaking it quickly, you break it in 30 mins, you clearly hit a lot of RHS.

Can you compare 1.22 GW with YPTP 1.25? I'm currently using blue YPTP 1.25 for my poly hybrids as a cross, but my friend recently got his Ezone strung with Firewire boost and I'm curious to try GW as a cross. Cost is also a factor as I can get a reel of YPTP for less than GW is going for currently. My mains are a mix of either PTRev or Confidential 1.20. I'm predominately using a different cross to get more power out of spin friendly mains..
 

wollumeg

New User
@wollumeg as a previous collegiate player, you likely hit with more RHS than 90-95 % of the readers on this forum. The stringer at the local shop who picked RPM Team / Excel as a durable hybrid did themselves a favor not you. Multifilaments like Excel are the least durable strings you can buy. Multifilaments break faster than any other string other than ZX when stringing ZX ;)

The Pure Aero VS is a 16x20 frame (although that last cross is so close to the bottom that it is nearly identical to a 16x19 frame.

Plenty of strings for you to choose from.

The strings I am currently using in my blind playtest (I simply string their frames without telling them anything about the strings) for 4.0 to 5.0 men if a player has no injuries and just wants to try several polys:

1) Solinco Hyper G (Green) 1.25mm
2) Tier One 1.25mm Boost (FireWire 1.25 mm mains/ Ghostwire 1.22mm crosses)
3) Lynx Tour 1.25mm
4) Volkl Cyclone Tour (VCT) 1.30mm if you have a sensitive elbow and like to play strings until breakage

For those players that are frequent string breakers of 1.25mm polys, I use 1.30mm strings in the playtest for these players.


Can you share more details about the blind playtest process?

This started when 4.5 and 5.0 guys were looking for string setups they like. I now offer this playtest to all players. The player gives me three frames of the same make/model if they have three frames and I ask these questions:

1) Any tennis elbow, wrist, or shoulder issues?
2) How often do you break strings?
3) What are you currently playing with and what tension?

They get three poly setups or three hybrids if they have tennis elbow/ wrist or shoulder issues. They don't get any info on the strings I put in their frames. None. Not the brand, string, gauge, or tension. Nada. They pay me nothing. They play with the three frames and if they like one setup, they give me back the two frames they didn't pick and I restring those two frames with the same string they did pick. They pay me $30 for stringing five frames and pay me the cost of strings for two packs of strings. $30 + cost for two sets of strings and they walk away with three strung frames. If they like none of them, they give me all three frames and the playtest continues with three more setups. Only one guy has given me back three frames, and eventually, he went head to head with Solinco Revolution 1.30mm vs TierOne Firewire 1.30mm, picking FireWire. He told me he picked FW because it was cheaper but he liked both strings equally and could play with either string.
Definitely, got a sense that Excel was pretty fragile but back when i was playing and using excel as a cross string I was getting ~10-12 hours out of it which I didn't feel too bad but that also was the first time since my junior days i was paying someone else to string my rackets. I love your blind test outline. I plan to refer back to this and may experiment with some of your options and criteria you do with your clients. I probably wouldn't have gotten my own stringing machine again had there been someone like you locally for me to work with.
 

g4driver

Legend
Can you compare 1.22 GW with YPTP 1.25? I'm currently using blue YPTP 1.25 for my poly hybrids as a cross, but my friend recently got his Ezone strung with Firewire boost and I'm curious to try GW as a cross. Cost is also a factor as I can get a reel of YPTP for less than GW is going for currently. My mains are a mix of either PTRev or Confidential 1.20. I'm predominately using a different cross to get more power out of spin friendly mains..


GW holds tension amazingly well in the 1.22mm and 1.27mm gauges. I have reels of YPTP in both yellow and blue and it is a well-known string with many WTA players using it, and probably ATP players. For my purposes, I think GW is a bit slicker as a cross. If you have a reel of YPTP, must certainly use it. It is a great string. I can get GW cheaper than YPTP and if both were the exact same price, I would pick GW 1.22mm over YPTP 1.25mm as it comes in white and I honestly love the tension maintenance for the players near my level of play. But is GW going to help me win a point, game, or match more so than YPTP? I can't say that. I think I would be restringing a YPTP frame more quickly than the one with GW, but that is simply a guess.

I am a firm believer in "It's the Archer, not the Arrow".
 

Jouke

Professional
HGS 1.25 mm mains / GW 1.22mm crosses is a bit better than full bed of 1.25mm HGS for me but I could play with either setup.

GW is my favorite cross string but I wouldn't use GW in full bed personally. For two packs of strings, definitely use the HGS in the mains and GW only in crosses.
Curious to hear why you wouldnt use GW full bed? I really like it!
 

g4driver

Legend
Curious to hear why you wouldnt use GW full bed? I really like it!


I have never been a fan of smooth polys as a full bed. WC Silverstring, WC Scorpion, Head Hawk, Hawk Touch, Lux Alu Power, MSV Co-Focus, and YPTP tried all of them a full bed and nothing clicked. Then I found WC Black5Edge and liked it. That started me down the path of edged polys. I prefer Volkl Cyclone, Cyclone Tour, Hyper G Soft in a full bed over all of those smooth polys full bed. So I guess just prefer edged polys or edged poly mains / smooth poly crosses or NG mains/smooth poly crosses over every smooth poly full bed I have tried. I used VCT 1.30mm for around 8 years until switching to HGS/ GW after the HGS playtest and have been using it for the last two years.


 

djNEiGht

Legend
Curious to hear why you wouldnt use GW full bed? I really like it!
I know you were asking @g4driver but for me GW doesn't interest me in a full bed as I really appreciate it in a hybrid. I normally like shaped/textured polys and there are some round ones I like too. I guess before I really write off GW in a full bed I should try it myself.
 

Jouke

Professional
I know you were asking @g4driver but for me GW doesn't interest me in a full bed as I really appreciate it in a hybrid. I normally like shaped/textured polys and there are some round ones I like too. I guess before I really write off GW in a full bed I should try it myself.
Curious to hear your opinion on the full bed when you try it! I like BK full bed and Ghostwire full bed. Tried the combination once (bk mains/gw crosses ) and didnt like that as much as the full beds.
 

g4driver

Legend
Me too. GUT/Multi all are round strings.

I would never consider using gut / multi as the multi is going to break rather quickly in an Uber open PA+ and not be nearly as spin friendly as gut/poly.

Gut / Multi works for people who rarely break strings.
 
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g4driver

Legend
Curious to hear your opinion on the full bed when you try it! I like BK full bed and Ghostwire full bed. Tried the combination once (bk mains/gw crosses ) and didnt like that as much as the full beds.

I like FW/GW over full bed of GW. I even tried GW/YPTA another smooth poly /poly hybrid to see if it felt softer (for possible use by clients ). I didn't see any add valued in GW/YPTA over a full bed of GW.

Four setups I can use with no change in my performance:

NG 1.30 mm / GW 1.27mm
VCT 1.30 mm
HGS 1.25 mm / GW 1.22 mm
FW 1.25 mm / GW 1.22 mm
 

nov

Hall of Fame
I would never consider using gut / multi as the multi is going to break rather quickly in an Uber open PA+ and not be nearly as spin friendly as gut/poly.

Gut / Multi works for people who rarely break strings.
I mean why GW round slick poly is bad in FB?Because multi or GUT strings are also round.
 

Torps

Semi-Pro
GW holds tension amazingly well in the 1.22mm and 1.27mm gauges. I have reels of YPTP in both yellow and blue and it is a well-known string with many WTA players using it, and probably ATP players. For my purposes, I think GW is a bit slicker as a cross. If you have a reel of YPTP, must certainly use it. It is a great string. I can get GW cheaper than YPTP and if both were the exact same price, I would pick GW 1.22mm over YPTP 1.25mm as it comes in white and I honestly love the tension maintenance for the players near my level of play. But is GW going to help me win a point, game, or match more so than YPTP? I can't say that. I think I would be restringing a YPTP frame more quickly than the one with GW, but that is simply a guess.

I am a firm believer in "It's the Archer, not the Arrow".

Guess GW is cheap enough to try a reel.. basically all my string jobs are hybrids at this point. So you find tension maintenance better with GW vs PTP? How about yellow vs blue? I'm ordering another reel of PTP as well but haven't tried yellow.
 

g4driver

Legend
I mean why GW round slick poly is bad in FB?Because multi or GUT strings are also round.

Full bed of GW. i never wrote it was bad.. it isn't my preference. I simply prefer shaped polys over round ones.

Gut / Poly >>>> Gut / Mult
 

djNEiGht

Legend
Curious to hear your opinion on the full bed when you try it! I like BK full bed and Ghostwire full bed. Tried the combination once (bk mains/gw crosses ) and didnt like that as much as the full beds.
maybe I'll tie it up today. I do have a PD with prince silencer that is bottoming out. I'm just using it from time to time and it's about to break anyways.

Other racquets I might try it in is Phantom100 but that is a soft racquet already. Maybe my PA or EZ100. hhhhmmm...let me ponder it a bit
 

BPlain

Semi-Pro
I keep going down the poly stiffness ladder to further protect my golfers elbow. I’ve gone from BK 1.23 to VCT 1.30 to BK 1.18 and now I’m playing GW 1.18 mains with Triumph 1.30 crosses. I never cared from BK/GW hybrid but really like GW/Triumph. I also picked up some OGSM 1.30 and strung it as a cross with GW mains. We’ll see how that compares to GW/Triumph hybrid. I’ll probably also flip those combos and put GW as a cross next.
 

billsedd

Rookie
I like FW/GW over full bed of GW. I even tried GW/YPTA another smooth poly /poly hybrid to see if it felt softer (for possible use by clients ). I didn't see any add valued in GW/YPTA over a full bed of GW.

Four setups I can use with no change in my performance:

NG 1.30 mm / GW 1.27mm
VCT 1.30 mm
HGS 1.25 mm / GW 1.22 mm
FW 1.25 mm / GW 1.22 mm

what tensions do you use for setups 1&2? Sorry if you have posted this info elsewhere in case I missed it
 

djNEiGht

Legend
maybe I'll tie it up today. I do have a PD with prince silencer that is bottoming out. I'm just using it from time to time and it's about to break anyways.

Other racquets I might try it in is Phantom100 but that is a soft racquet already. Maybe my PA or EZ100. hhhhmmm...let me ponder it a bit

50# in the PD. I took some solid cuts at the ball but most of the match was toned down. It was a doubles match with an older player who doesn't run fast anymore or hit very hard...But has very good tennis IQ, touch, control. Could have only imagined him when he was younger running the court. The other two players have a great game and it was fun where everyone just got some good exercise. It wasn't who could outpower each other but out position.

Using it in the PD and took some moderate speed swings but still a full swing. Not bad and I look forward to the next time I'll use it. Let's see if the tension has changed much. Granted this past weekend was played during the warm morning and next time will be an evening session.

nd.racquet.stringing - Pure Drive Wimbledon w Ghostwire
 

djNEiGht

Legend
@Jouke

Next I'll revisit BK/GW and BK full bed. It's been a while since I've used that set up as I'm trying to go through my less popular inventory for my own personal use
 

The Big Kahuna

Hall of Fame
I get the impression that Ghostwire is not ideal in a gut / poly hybrid - too soft to reign in the power of the the gut. Would most of you agree with that? If you like gut / poly hybrids with good pocketing and bite, would you recommend GW or something else? Using 20g Solinco Hyper-G right now. I know 19-20g Tour Bite is another popular cross to get this result. Have tried Volkl V Square 19, V Star 18, Cyclone 17, Lux Alu Power soft 17, Confidential 18g, Outlast 18g, and Yonex Poly Tour FIRE 17 and so far like the Hyper-G 20 best. Curious about Ghostwire.
 

einca13

Rookie
I get the impression that Ghostwire is not ideal in a gut / poly hybrid - too soft to reign in the power of the the gut. Would most of you agree with that? If you like gut / poly hybrids with good pocketing and bite, would you recommend GW or something else? Using 20g Solinco Hyper-G right now. I know 19-20g Tour Bite is another popular cross to get this result. Have tried Volkl V Square 19, V Star 18, Cyclone 17, Lux Alu Power soft 17, Confidential 18g, Outlast 18g, and Yonex Poly Tour FIRE 17 and so far like the Hyper-G 20 best. Curious about Ghostwire.
I swear by Ghostwire as a cross for a poly main, wasn’t a huge fan with a natural gut main. The best crosses for me with NG main are 4G Soft or KB Max Power.
 

The Big Kahuna

Hall of Fame
Many people use GW as a cross in a gut/poly hybrid and feel it performs very well. It retains tension well. Durability is good too. It is one of the most frequently recommended crosses in the gut poly mega thread.
I have been reading that, but I have also read reviews on the string that state Ghostwire maybe the softest poly on the market. If so, I had concerns that the stringed with the gut might become too mushy.
 

mctennis

Legend
I have been reading that, but I have also read reviews on the string that state Ghostwire maybe the softest poly on the market. If so, I had concerns that the stringed with the gut might become too mushy.
It might be a good combo for me with the gut mains and the GW crosses. I prefer a control set of strings in my racquet. I know what you mean about being too mushy. I can tell when the strings in my racquet go from the control aspect to the mushy feel. Time to cut them out. It is all in the feel. Hours is a guideline but I go more by feel and control in a set. But if they are too mushy from the get go, I am not happy. I have only had one combo feel like that from the start. It has been years ago and I think it was from a string company that is no longer in business.
 

LOBALOT

Legend
I get the impression that Ghostwire is not ideal in a gut / poly hybrid - too soft to reign in the power of the the gut. Would most of you agree with that? If you like gut / poly hybrids with good pocketing and bite, would you recommend GW or something else? Using 20g Solinco Hyper-G right now. I know 19-20g Tour Bite is another popular cross to get this result. Have tried Volkl V Square 19, V Star 18, Cyclone 17, Lux Alu Power soft 17, Confidential 18g, Outlast 18g, and Yonex Poly Tour FIRE 17 and so far like the Hyper-G 20 best. Curious about Ghostwire.

Not really a fan of either string as a cross for several reasons one of which is they are not round strings. I also am not a huge fan of going that thin in the cross.

With regard to the softness of Ghostwire it is true but that just means it may not be a cross for you but there are other round crosses that are. That is what makes a gut/poly hybrid such a great setup. One can vary the tensions, their differentials, and the cross string to get what one seeks.

I personally like Ghostwire and Isospeed Cream as crosses but if they are too soft for you try Revolve or 4G or 4G soft or red code or etc. etc. etc. There are a lot of potential round cross strings that are slippery and hold tension well in a variety of stiffness ratings to choose from.
 

Humbi_HTX

Semi-Pro
@The Big Kahuna It can be, depends on the gage you use too. Like you could do gw 16g and it will be quite different than crossing it with gw 19g

I like gw as a cross because it does not notch against a stiffer main, ime the playability & longevity of the stringbed is extended when the cross strings wear thin instead of cutting thru the mains.
 

LOBALOT

Legend
@The Big Kahuna It can be, depends on the gage you use too. Like you could do gw 16g and it will be quite different than crossing it with gw 19g

I like gw as a cross because it does not notch against a stiffer main, ime the playability & longevity of the stringbed is extended when the cross strings wear thin instead of cutting thru the mains.

How can a cross string notch?

That is impossible. The cross can flatten or even fray and snap but it cannot notch.

The main can notch by sliding across the cross but the cross cannot notch.
 

Humbi_HTX

Semi-Pro
How can a cross string notch?

That is impossible. The cross can flatten or even fray and snap but it cannot notch.

The main can notch by sliding across the cross but the cross cannot notch.
IMHE I have seen stringbeds that are locked up and both the mains and the crosses are not moving freely.
 

LOBALOT

Legend
IMHE I have seen stringbeds that are locked up and both the mains and the crosses are not moving freely.

I see it all the time as well but not due to notching of crosses as physically that cannot happen. The main's can lose elasticity and stick out of place or the cross can fray or flatten/wear so it is no longer slippery and the whole thing locks up but the crosses do not "notch".

It is the mains that slide across the crosses and they will notch. When you cut out a string bed you will see notches in the mains. You will not see them in the crosses.
 

legcramp

Professional
I tried out ghostwire today in a hybrid. I usually do Cyclone Tour 16g full bed at 21kgs and get great bite on the ball and it feels perfect off the stringbed.

I strung Cyclone Tour at 24kgs mains and Ghostwire at 23kgs cross for better tension maintenance and it was wayyyy more powerful than Cyclone Tour at 21kgs full bed for some reason, this was strung yesterday and I took them to the court this morning. Cyclone Tour itself is pretty powerful but I was so surprised by this.

I have to say though Ghostwire in the cross makes my bed super comfortable though, more comfortable than Cyclone Tour full bed which is already comfortable. I guess I'll cut it out and restring 25/25 then :eek:
 

pasta

Professional
tried full bed Ghostwire at 55Lbs and totally lost my serve !?

Feels great on returns and volleys (slight improvement)).

Coming off Touch/RPM hybrid at 55/52 and I feel that RPM went dead after 10hrs.

What should I try next ?

looking for soft, arm friendly combination of power and control and thinking Gut/Ghostwire and lowering tension.
 

TennisJrDad

Professional
Lux Gut 1.25 in the mains @ 54 with Solinco Outlast 1.20 in the crosses @ 50

tried full bed Ghostwire at 55Lbs and totally lost my serve !?

Feels great on returns and volleys (slight improvement)).

Coming off Touch/RPM hybrid at 55/52 and I feel that RPM went dead after 10hrs.

What should I try next ?

looking for soft, arm friendly combination of power and control and thinking Gut/Ghostwire and lowering tension.
 
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