ClownCar96
Semi-Pro
If I can get 8-10 hours of intense clinic play I am a happy camper. 8-10 hours of doubles play, not so much lol. TS is some rigid stuff for sure.
TRU PRO (formerly Tier One Sports) Sports Atomos
- Thread starter Trip
- Start date
ryushen21
Legend
That's not bad.
TS can get pretty rigid. That's what spurred my search for the perfect cross string. As much as I love Element Rough, I'm not paying that price and increasing my stringing frequency. GW did a great job at softening but didn't give the same response or spin as ER. We'll see how Atomos does and I have a few other contenders lined up too.
An update after my first time playing with this string since the blind playtest over a year ago.
In my first of two sticks (DR98) I string @52lbs, the strings broke maybe 2-3x as fast as normal copolys do, maybe after 7-8 hours of play. I noticed that instead of the normal snapping of a main string after progressive notching, this string broke via combination of some slight notching and the polyester fraying. I would describe it not quite like the fraying that happens with multis or gut, but like a more central shear of the polyester filament body. The way the string broke were from a single max power forhand. Overall I think this reveals a significant difference between the physical properties of this string and stiffer/snappier (more trad) polyesters. It's almost as if this string has like a shape memory to it, meaning that it stays in place when bended into a shape like the woven pattern of a string bed. If you look at the pic below you can see this memory effect. Other poly dont realy do this in my experience.
Pics for reference
I also noticed that this string job had a very slight amount of notching, not on the mains, but the crosses (impeding mains from moving) which is something I haven't really seen before. I owe this up to the shape memory thing discussed above. The string is physically soft and notches easier.
Don't know if this was just a weird batch or what. But will keep an eye out. Despite this, I still found it enjoyable to play with the strings. I don't think I had as much of a overwhelmingly positive experience as when I first used them, especially if durability issues persist, but there are a lot of other variables that could explain less infatuation (winter versus summer, I'm in different shape, etc).
In my first of two sticks (DR98) I string @52lbs, the strings broke maybe 2-3x as fast as normal copolys do, maybe after 7-8 hours of play. I noticed that instead of the normal snapping of a main string after progressive notching, this string broke via combination of some slight notching and the polyester fraying. I would describe it not quite like the fraying that happens with multis or gut, but like a more central shear of the polyester filament body. The way the string broke were from a single max power forhand. Overall I think this reveals a significant difference between the physical properties of this string and stiffer/snappier (more trad) polyesters. It's almost as if this string has like a shape memory to it, meaning that it stays in place when bended into a shape like the woven pattern of a string bed. If you look at the pic below you can see this memory effect. Other poly dont realy do this in my experience.
Pics for reference
I also noticed that this string job had a very slight amount of notching, not on the mains, but the crosses (impeding mains from moving) which is something I haven't really seen before. I owe this up to the shape memory thing discussed above. The string is physically soft and notches easier.
Don't know if this was just a weird batch or what. But will keep an eye out. Despite this, I still found it enjoyable to play with the strings. I don't think I had as much of a overwhelmingly positive experience as when I first used them, especially if durability issues persist, but there are a lot of other variables that could explain less infatuation (winter versus summer, I'm in different shape, etc).
ryushen21
Legend
Had a good morning hit with the TS/Atomos setup and it is absolutely legit. I get the softened stringbed that I am looking for but the TS maintains the crisper response I'm looking for and the Atomos keeps the spin level right up there with full-bed TS.
It also feels like this setup has a little more pop than full-bed TS but there were no control issues as the spin level stayed relatively high. I noticed extra spin on the backhand particularly and got some nice drops into the court right on the lines.
Slices are particularly nasty with this setup. I was able to keep the ball nice and low and it stayed low off the bounce.
More hitting to come as this week are supposedly around the normal hot range for this time of year.
It also feels like this setup has a little more pop than full-bed TS but there were no control issues as the spin level stayed relatively high. I noticed extra spin on the backhand particularly and got some nice drops into the court right on the lines.
Slices are particularly nasty with this setup. I was able to keep the ball nice and low and it stayed low off the bounce.
More hitting to come as this week are supposedly around the normal hot range for this time of year.
Did you string both at the same tension in the hybrid?
ryushen21
Legend
47m/45x
FrankyRelax
Professional
Very interesting. I hadn't thought about this hybrid combo. I have some TS laying around.
ryushen21
Legend
It's really good so far. I'll have a full report by the end of the week.
superjon027
Rookie
Can anyone compare this to Tourna Silver 7 Tour?
ryushen21
Legend
It's much softer than S7T and more muted. It also has more spin than S7T but I think feel and durability are better with S7T.
faded_lines
Rookie
I just picked up a reel and going to string them up in my ezone 98. Can anyone compare the atmos to grapplesnake tour sniper? Or mayami tour hex?
ClownCar96
Semi-Pro
More lively, less control oriented than tour hex. Let me know if you are able to dial in a tension in EZ98 you like!
@faded_lines - You're probably going to have to string Atomos a bit tighter than both Tour Sniper and Tour Hex for equivalent depth control, and chances are, at that tighter tension, it's probably going require a "break in" session or two, before feeling settled or "right" to you. That seems to be the take-away so far, anyways. Just fair warning for you. Hope that helps.
ryushen21
Legend
Here's my report on the TS/Atomos hybrid...
Groundstrokes - This setup is a spin lover's dream. You can really feel the string bite into the ball and you can see the results on your shots. There's a good controlled feeling thanks to the softened stringbed from the Atomos. I usually aim more for zones but I was able to really attack and go for precise spots and short angles with this setup. While I didn't get that same satisfying "thwack" sound that I usually get with full TS, I didn't miss it as much with the results. It was really encouraging to go for bigger and bigger shots and see the balls drop in. I really loved this on the BH side because I can tend to hit a little flatter but getting aggressive is where this setup shines.
Slices - this is one of the nastiest slice setups I have tried in a while. I was able to hit controlled, low slices that barely popped up after the bounce. While the BH slice has been my preferred option, I also found a great response on the FH slice as well not as floaty as other setups but more controlled.
Volleys - I definitely liked the way this combination volleyed. I had the firmer feel from the TS and the Atomos really let me direct those volleys right where I wanted them. While I did miss some of the crispness that I really love on volleys, it was offset by the confidence that I felt whether I was punching deeper volleys or dumping them short.
Serves - This was probably my least favorite with this setup. I didn't get the same sensation of the ball exploding off the racquet when going for bigger first serves. The control aspect was definitely there and I had no problem hitting the spots that I wanted. It just wasn't quite as explosive as usual. However, this was a monster on kick and slice serves. I was able to generate a ton of spin and really throw people off.
Overall Impression - I really like this setup and could see using it as my primary. There are a few negatives but not enough to dissuade me from using this combination. One thing I did notice is that Atomos does notch very quickly, about 3 hours in. That does cause a little concern for me as I'm not typically a string breaker. But, if you are looking for a softer poly cross to use that will not cost you in the spin department, this is a great option.
Groundstrokes - This setup is a spin lover's dream. You can really feel the string bite into the ball and you can see the results on your shots. There's a good controlled feeling thanks to the softened stringbed from the Atomos. I usually aim more for zones but I was able to really attack and go for precise spots and short angles with this setup. While I didn't get that same satisfying "thwack" sound that I usually get with full TS, I didn't miss it as much with the results. It was really encouraging to go for bigger and bigger shots and see the balls drop in. I really loved this on the BH side because I can tend to hit a little flatter but getting aggressive is where this setup shines.
Slices - this is one of the nastiest slice setups I have tried in a while. I was able to hit controlled, low slices that barely popped up after the bounce. While the BH slice has been my preferred option, I also found a great response on the FH slice as well not as floaty as other setups but more controlled.
Volleys - I definitely liked the way this combination volleyed. I had the firmer feel from the TS and the Atomos really let me direct those volleys right where I wanted them. While I did miss some of the crispness that I really love on volleys, it was offset by the confidence that I felt whether I was punching deeper volleys or dumping them short.
Serves - This was probably my least favorite with this setup. I didn't get the same sensation of the ball exploding off the racquet when going for bigger first serves. The control aspect was definitely there and I had no problem hitting the spots that I wanted. It just wasn't quite as explosive as usual. However, this was a monster on kick and slice serves. I was able to generate a ton of spin and really throw people off.
Overall Impression - I really like this setup and could see using it as my primary. There are a few negatives but not enough to dissuade me from using this combination. One thing I did notice is that Atomos does notch very quickly, about 3 hours in. That does cause a little concern for me as I'm not typically a string breaker. But, if you are looking for a softer poly cross to use that will not cost you in the spin department, this is a great option.
konstantinos kalfountzos
Hall of Fame
Tennis Spin negative review about Atomos... (Solinco dude).
ryushen21
Legend
Immediate disregard.
konstantinos kalfountzos
Hall of Fame
So, according to the Solinco-gang, Tru Pro spent a good amount of time, only to release a bad string. I keep up with the channel to keep up with new releases.
ryushen21
Legend
I will give them credit for that. They are well-networked and often get the advanced releases of a lot of stuff.
Atomos isn't my favorite string by any means. It's not a bad string though. It's great in stiffer frames.
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
It seems to be the best string for providing very easy spin application in my experience... and a lot of margin to hit out with good control. Thats what Atomos is all about to me
ryushen21
Legend
I would agree. It has very good spin production and it isn't super stiff.
TRU PRO Official
Rookie
When we look at our data and feedback from players it always amazes us how personal the playing experience can be. Factors like style of play, playing level, the type of racket that is being used, preferred string tension, and many other factors all play a part. That's why you'll often see different players have totally different takes on the exact same string. It's all about finding what works for you!
Fighting phoenix
Professional
Is it as muted as the Tennis Spin guys said it is?
ryushen21
Legend
I didn't find it to play super muted. I did like it better in a hybrid with a crisper main.
In Babolats and other stiffer frames, it's awesome. Loved it in the Pure Drive. However, I could see it being too muted in something like an EZone.
TRU PRO Official
Rookie
Not sure if a comparison to Luxilon Alu Vibe is necessarily a bad thing!
konstantinos kalfountzos
Hall of Fame
I've used Vibe 1.25 with a Babolat Pure Strike VS low 20kg.Not sure if a comparison to Luxilon Alu Vibe is necessarily a bad thing!
Vibe has the highest level of friction when doing the crosses, I've come across so far. Extensive string-fraying. Minimal string movement.
That Pure Strike VS x Vibe is the only combo that has caused me back-shoulder and elbow soreness. I mostly blame the Pure Strike though.
TRU PRO Official
Rookie
We would like to add a couple of points to your post:
1. Monofilament strings like Vibe should usually not "fray" since they are constructed with one filament (mono-filament) (versus multi-filament strings, which start to fray before they break).
2. "Minimal string movement" is one main factor why players like to play with a polyester string over nylon/synthetic gut/multi strings. When a string shows minimal string movement, that means the string has the ability to snap back to its original position. The ability for a string to snap back to its original position appears to be partly responsible for spin production, which many players desire. Thus, polyester strings usually offer better spin potential over nylon/synthetic gut/multi strings. (When you play with those types of strings, you will usually see the strings not fully aligned after a certain amount of playing time, showing the inability to snap back).
konstantinos kalfountzos
Hall of Fame
Vibe has a "rubbery" texture, the complete opposite of Ghost Wire to bring-up an example. This rubbery texture causes the string to start fraying very early.
By "minimal string movement", maybe I should rephrase this, I meant that the mains start to dig-in the crosses very early and thus move very little. Luxilon Vibe / 4G mains are already digging-in Luxilon Vibe / 4G crosses even before stringing with my drop-weight machine, but also on professional machines (I've got UAE Pro stringer who clearly states this about Head Lynx Tour also).
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
Had a short doubles outing with Atomos 1.25 today. Not long enough for a full review vs Black Knight 1.28 but I really liked it. Nice pop on the string and a direct response that felt especially great on serve, returns and volleys. Will report more after I play some singles with it on saturday
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
And very easy access to spin right? Can't believe you didn't mention that when you're spin2win
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
Seemed very good albeit it’s hard to judge off this outing as doubles on carpet doesn’t involve many baseline rallies. Hence I didn’t focus on that. But yes, spin on serves was great, hit some good kick and slice with the string. Eager to test it more.And very easy access to spin right? Can't believe you didn't mention that when you're spin2win
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
Nice, as expected, what racquet and tensionare you using it in?
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SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
Modified V7 Blade 18x20 (wilson featherthin grip with wilson pro overgrip and 2g each at 3/9 and 12) at 23kg
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
Alrighty so I played my singles match and I think I still need to get used to the string. It feels like it has more of a launch and pop off the stringbed vs black knight, which is great for offensive play but I'm still trying to find my range on defensive shots. I prefer black knight's pocketing on defensive shots, especially backhand slices on the stretch - I netted a few of those in the session today which I normally don't, and generally found it hard to get a gauge of the launch angle on the slice. That said that downside was made up for by the great response it gave me on offensive shots (with the caveat of approach shots, still finding my range on those) and especially returns - really loving the response on the return of serve which suits me well. I had an off serving day so I won't judge it on that, but the serve was nice when I found my groove. Net play also felt great, love the response of the string up at net.
So far I am impressed and am considering the switch, but I need more time with this string side by side with Black Knight before I make up my mind (and write up a full comparison).
So far I am impressed and am considering the switch, but I need more time with this string side by side with Black Knight before I make up my mind (and write up a full comparison).
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
Its funny how you always focus on anything but spin
FrankyRelax
Professional
You can cut it down some more with a hybrid cross like Durafluxx. Thats my go to set up right now.
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
Tier One/Tru Pro Atomos 17 (1.25) Review
So I've clocked around 10 hours total with this string and I am confident that I want to switch to it. I've been playing with Black Knight for a while so I will still compare a lot to Black Knight, but I'll try to make comments more general rather than focused on that specific comparison.Setup:
Customised Wilson Blade 98 18x20 V7, strung at 23 kgFeel/Response/Comfort:
What is immediately apparent imo is that the string movement is very good. Even with a decent amount of play on the string the strings snap back quickly and stay aligned after every shot. This is not the case with every poly, even spin oriented ones. For instance, Black Knight starts getting slightly misaligned after shots after a few hours of play ime. Unlike many spin strings you do not feel the ball being "grabbed" much though. For instance, with Black Knight (but also a round spin string like Wilson Revolve) you have a pocketing sensation followed by what feels like the ball being grabbed. I find this gives a feeling for how much spin you are putting on the ball. This pocketing and grabbing is relatively absent with Atomos, which at first made me think I wasn't hitting as much spin, but it just had to do with how contact felt. Instead of feeling a "grabbing" sensation, contact feels flush and solid. This response is especially pleasant when you flatten out a stroke a bit, but that is not to say that spin feels bad (more on that later).The feel reminds me a bit of RS Lyon as does the colour, albeit I am reaching way back into memory lane to make that comparison. I would not call the response of the string crisp or muted, it hits a healthy midpoint imo. The pop off the stringbed means that there is less pocketing, but the string isn't crisp to make the stringbed feel board-like. These two features in combination lead to that solid feel at contact imo. Hitting the ball feels flush and the sweetspot feels forgiving. I had no issues with comfort at all, even less so than with Black Knight. I will say that I can imagine the response being too vague in powerful racquets with less inherent feel and pocketing. It might double down on the features I find a nice balance in my Blade and make contact too vague to consistently feel confident, but I haven't tested the string in a tweener like frame to be sure.
Baseline Play:
I would say that the string comes with more inherent power than really control oriented polys like Black Knight and also provides more forgiveness. This makes offensive tennis a joy to play. The solid response when flattening out a shot gives confidence to go for that winner. But topspin shots feel really good too. You do not feel that you're putting a ton of spin on the ball as much, but the results speak for themselves. I could hit heavy dipping balls with pace deep into the court with confidence. There were multiple occassions where I thought the ball would go long but it dipped in before the line. I don't think Atomos produces more spin than Black Knight all else equal, however, the string is more forgiving and provides easier depth. I think this allowed me to swing out a bit more on my average shot, thus enabling me to play heavier spin without dropping the ball short. Switching to Black Knight I immediately felt that the depth of my shots was less consistent. Overall I loved playing topspin from the baseline, and I found the string responded incredibly well to fast swings, providing really good spin and a solid response that instills confidence.Slice and touch was a bit more of a mixed bag. I think the both kinds of shots benefit from that pocketing sensation, and fresh Atomos doesn't have that much. I found that the response improved on the slice as the string settled in, the easy depth carrying over to this shot too and making defensive slices go deep with relative ease. But on my fresh set of Atomos I felt like the trajectory was lower than I wanted and I found it relatively harder to put the slice where I wanted. I would have to get used to the slice when the string is fresh, but considering how good the string feels on topspin shots I think it's worth it. Touch shots like drop shots were fine, but I myself prefer more ball pocketing for these kinds of shots. I could still hit good droppers and lobs and I knew where the ball is going when I hit them, but I would go for a string with more pocketing if I wanted to maximise only this aspect.
Overall though baseline play was amazing and I consider this a strength of the string.
Topspin: 9.5
Flat: 9
Slice: 7.5
Touch: 8
Net Play:
I think the response of the string is perfect for net play. The forgiving and solid feel makes for crisp volleys that are easy to put away. Lots of pocketing is a hindrance here I find, as it gets harder to control a punch volley imo, especially one where you're still moving up the court. I had full confidence even on lower volleys too and could put some good spin on the ball if I wanted. I prefer the string on punched volleys over drop volleys though, I think a more dead response off the string helps on droppers, and I'd sometimes give the droppers too much air here. Oh and special mention for half volleys, maybe it's cause they too tend to be flatter strokes, but whatever the reason they felt super good.Punch Volley: 9
Touch Volley: 8
Serves / Returns:
Blasting serves feels so good with how the string responds. Granted, half the reason that I'm hitting aces now is that I'm playing indoors on hard and carpet, but I hit more aces than I feel I would with the Black Knight setup. The livelier response meant that my serves had more heat on them more easily, especially the slice out wide. With that serve in particular I set up a lot of points in my favour and I think it's my favourite serve with this setup. The flat serve is somewhat similar, albeit feeling more forgiving and with perhaps a tiny bit more pace on it. The kick needed some adjustment, as I was getting more depth than I wanted at first. I think I'm still working towards full confidence on this shot, but I love the results I get when I do connect - easier depth and pace with good movement on the ball. Given that I am vertically challenged at 5'7 the topspin serve is a key component of my game, and I love what the string switch did to that shot. Granted, this string will never compare to what a gut setup can do on flat serves or a gut/poly setup on spin serves, those setups are just too good for the serve, but for a pure poly setup I was mightily impressed.Returns might be one of my favourite shots with this new setup. A forgiving and solid feel on flatter strokes, all while still giving the ball good spin to dip in? Sign me up! The return might be the shot where I felt the biggest difference to Black Knight. I could be aggressive, hitting hard and deep at the server, without feeling that I'm forcing the shot. Placing both backhands and forehands where I wanted was easy, and I felt that I got the depth I wanted without working too hard for it. I particularly need to note the string's spin potential on this shot, for whatever reason it gets more spin on the ball than I expect it to, making the ball dip in even if I'm not going for a really spinny shot. I think I am much more offensively effective on returns with this string and cannot wait to get more match play with this setup. After the string settled in the slice return when stretched on the backhand wing also felt great, but as with the baseline play, it would need some adjustment on a fresh set.
(Serves compared with other polys, not gut/poly)
Flat serve: 9
Slice serve: 9.5
Kick serve: 9
Returns: 9.5
einca13
Rookie
@SpinToWin - Great review. As a user of Black Knight/Ghostwire in a Blade, I will definitely give Atomos a try.
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
Does Atomos maibs ghostwire cross play great?
@TRU PRO Official
I was happy to see Free international shipping coupon, but it is not working. Tried both shipping methods, the same outcome.
I was happy to see Free international shipping coupon, but it is not working. Tried both shipping methods, the same outcome.
TRU PRO Official
Rookie
Please contact us at into@truproofficial.com and we certainly help you complete the order.
Bumping this thread. Has anyone played Atomos much lately? If so, what are your thoughts?
@SpinToWin - Are you still playing Atomos 17 full bed in a Blade v7 18x20 as your main setup? If so, any additional thoughts to add? If not, what are you experimenting with and/or have you switched to, and what additional qualities are you looking for, if so?
@SpinToWin - Are you still playing Atomos 17 full bed in a Blade v7 18x20 as your main setup? If so, any additional thoughts to add? If not, what are you experimenting with and/or have you switched to, and what additional qualities are you looking for, if so?
drewy10130
New User
Just recently purchased a reel of T1 Ghost Wire in 16 gauge (1.27mm). I'm planning on putting these in the crosses and finding a shaped poly to put in the mains. I've only tried Hyper G Soft 16g and it just seems to mushy and underpowered (strung at 52/50). Anyone have any suggestions for a string to try in the mains? I'm about a 5 NRTP rating with an aggressive baseline style. Currently using a Blade 98 16x19.
Thank you all so much for your suggestions in advance!
Thank you all so much for your suggestions in advance!
Coolhwip
New User
If you string your own racquets and you can get Luxilon Alu Power for cheap, I would go with that since its feel/power is topnotch. If you're like the rest of us, Tourna silver 7 tour is probably your best bet. Some others to consider are Grapplesnake Tour Sniper, Tecnifibre Razor code, Solinco Tour Bite and its variations. It's all preference. One might work/feel better better in your racquet than others.
Silver 7 tour is my favorite string but if you search the forums a lot of us have had a lot of quality control issues with it randomly breaking with less than 1hr play time.
Not worth the headache.
@drewy10130
-I switched from that to a hybrid of ghostwire (1.1mm) crosses and black knight 1.28mm) mains strung at 42lbs.
Would describe it as muted and decent feel.
I have also used the thicker GW and it felt about the same in the setup. I only break mains and prefer to stock the thin er stuff as it's what I advise for people who advance far enough to be switching syn gut → hybrid who I string for.
-Atomos is good since you're asking in that thread but if you are saying hyper g soft is too mushy I imagine you'll find atomos the same as my recollection is they were more.similar than different.
-Some normal Hyper G would probably be a good GW main, I found it too stiff in a full bed but people swear by it and GW would soften it up a bit.
-I do like firewire as a main but I was shearing through the triangular string in less than a week. If you don't break strings a ton or will be switching regularly regardless this is a fun try. Really high launch angle in that setup so easy to rip spiny jumping balls, a bit powerful and I upped the tension to 45lbs so maybe 53lbs if you try it. Not the greatest tension maintenance but I was breaking it soon enough after it loosened up to not worry about that. Would describe it as lively but not mushy.
I also like head lynx, rpm blast, and luxilon alu power but they are more expensive and round iirc. Plus the latter two don't have the tension maintenance.
Didn't love lynx edge or poly tour spin with ghostwire personally.
drewy10130
New User
Thanks for the response. I've never really been a fan of Alu Power just because of how quick the tension drops off and price. I've heard different things about TS7. Up next in my list of strings to try out are Grapplesnake Tour M8, Poly Tour Rev, and Confidential.
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