TRU PRO (formerly Tier One Sports)

ekucheraw

Rookie
TS is crisper feeling and more lively than BK. Both are excellent strings. In some racquets (crisper, less dampened), BK is a better match while in other racquets (more muted and dampened), TS is a better match.

Tour Status is more similar to Tour Bite in terms of crisp response. Black Knight is more similar to Lynx Tour in terms of more muted response and meaty, substantial feel upon contact.
That's a great way of describing the strings that I wholly agree with, especially since when I didn't have BK available to me Lynx Tour became the de facto replacement for that very reason.
 

ryushen21

Legend
TS is crisper feeling and more lively than BK. Both are excellent strings. In some racquets (crisper, less dampened), BK is a better match while in other racquets (more muted and dampened), TS is a better match.

Tour Status is more similar to Tour Bite in terms of crisp response. Black Knight is more similar to Lynx Tour in terms of more muted response and meaty, substantial feel upon contact.
Agree with this 100%. I like BK in Babolats and some Wilson frames that don't need as much string feel. But TS has been great in Yonex frames that are more muted by design. To be fair, I also liked BK in the EZone 100 when I first tried it, but TS took that racquet to another level.
 

USPTARF97

Hall of Fame
TS is crisper feeling and more lively than BK. Both are excellent strings. In some racquets (crisper, less dampened), BK is a better match while in other racquets (more muted and dampened), TS is a better match.

Tour Status is more similar to Tour Bite in terms of crisp response. Black Knight is more similar to Lynx Tour in terms of more muted response and meaty, substantial feel upon contact.
Black Knight and Tour Status are much easier on the arm than the strings mentioned and the tension maintenance is far superior. Stability throughout the string bed life is why we went with Tier one products years ago. We generally play 6-8 hrs before we break or cut the strings out of a frame. 3hrs was roughly where other poly offerings bagged out for us.
Tour Status just has a bit more power and a little less control than Black Knight. TS is a little more user friendly. Black Knight tends to be more suitable for the high level junior, collegiate player or adults 4.5+.
 
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chrisbc

Rookie
Black Knight and Tour Status are much easier on the arm than the strings mentioned and the tension maintenance is far superior. Stability throughout the string bed life is why we went with Tier one products years ago. We generally play 6-8 hrs before we break or cut the strings out of a frame. 3hrs was roughly where other poly offerings bagged out for us.
Tour Status just has a bit more power and a little less control than Black Knight. TS is a little more user friendly. Black Knight tends to be more suitable for the high level junior, collegiate player or adults 4.5+.
What sticks and tensions are you using with BK? Have you found any way to avoid that initial break in period?
 
Here's my experience with the Tour Status 1.25 at low 20s with the Diadem Elevate V3 FS98 305g.
Happy to discuss some aspects of it. I try to post some groundstroke hitting. I can't be posting all the hours or stop recording the near side of the phone during changeovers of match play.

Long story short, for my level of play and having other strings in mind also that I've played using the same racket and the same Dunlop ATP Championship balls, Tour Status in full-bed was a bit more demanding than I'd like to enjoy playing with. I prefer Black Knight in full-bed, but Ghost Wire in the crosses may open up the sweetspot and soften-up the overall feel for someone like me.

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/inde...s-string-review-database.736090/post-17619943
 

mad dog1

G.O.A.T.
What sticks and tensions are you using with BK? Have you found any way to avoid that initial break in period?
I haven’t found BK 1.18, 1.23 or 1.28 to have a break in period like Tour Bite 1.25 has.

I’ve had great success with a full bed of BK 1.28 or 1.23 in the 2016 and 2019 Pure Aeros strung at 47/45# strung on an electronic CP machine.
 

chrisbc

Rookie
I haven’t found BK 1.18, 1.23 or 1.28 to have a break in period like Tour Bite 1.25 has.

I’ve had great success with a full bed of BK 1.28 or 1.23 in the 2016 and 2019 Pure Aeros strung at 47/45# strung on an electronic CP machine.
thanks, I’ll give it a try in my phantom pro 100 47/45 CP, I strung it at 46.5 CP and didn’t like the first 15 minutes of it but I’ll attribute that to trying a new string. Does the 1.23 play well until it breaks? I found at the 3 hour mark I was losing a bit of control and the bed was starting to go dead.
 

mad dog1

G.O.A.T.
thanks, I’ll give it a try in my phantom pro 100 47/45 CP, I strung it at 46.5 CP and didn’t like the first 15 minutes of it but I’ll attribute that to trying a new string. Does the 1.23 play well until it breaks? I found at the 3 hour mark I was losing a bit of control and the bed was starting to go dead.
It does feel like it starts to bag out in the Pure Aero around the 4 hour mark when the mains are about 30% notched but the string spacing in the PA is very open. I prefer to use 1.28 in the PA because of this. I do use 1.23 in the 2012 Pure Drive and the strings last longer due to the tighter string spacing. Again, no break in period experienced in the PD12 either.
 

USPTARF97

Hall of Fame
What sticks and tensions are you using with BK? Have you found any way to avoid that initial break in period?
Stringing BK at 47lbs in a Blade Pro 16x19 H22. The lower tension seems to limit the harshness that first hour or so. If I go up a few lbs it’s fairly stiff for that first hour.

Using Tour Status 1.25 now in a Head Prestige MP L (331g) strung at 51lbs. It’s the same with BK in this frame. Just go 47-49lbs and it’s fine.

Attempting to play with the Head Prestige MP L to go about 10-12g lighter. My Wilson frames are roughly 340-345g once they are strung, leather grips, over-grip and dampener. For doubles play and maneuverability the Head MP L may be beneficial. If I can serve/ return well with the Head frame may go with them for 2024. If not will stay with Wilson.
Tier One recommends going with Ghost Wire in the cross if cant find a tension that works with BK.
 
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Dishiki

Rookie
ANyoen able to find any discount codes for their strings lately? Since they have started pushing apparel, everything is geared towards that. Hopefully, it does not detract from the quality of their strings in the future.
 
ANyoen able to find any discount codes for their strings lately? Since they have started pushing apparel, everything is geared towards that. Hopefully, it does not detract from the quality of their strings in the future.
Halloween is around the corner, so be on the lookout for an un-boo-livable spooky Halloween special! :).

Transitioning to TRU PRO now legally enables us to introduce tennis shirts, caps, and quality tennis bags to our lineup. Rest assured, our commitment to developing great tennis strings still remains a priority.
 

cks

Hall of Fame
ANyoen able to find any discount codes for their strings lately?
Nothing recent. Like you said, most of the discounts lately have been on their non string products.

If you haven't already joined, I would get on their mailings lists. I picked up a reel of string with one of their deals a few months back. I still use their "Tour Status" string.
 
Nothing recent. Like you said, most of the discounts lately have been on their non string products.

If you haven't already joined, I would get on their mailings lists. I picked up a reel of string with one of their deals a few months back. I still use their "Tour Status" string.
The Halloween Special will apply to our entire range of products. :)
 
Very happy with the strings. Upon the company’s recommendation, I ordered their hybrid FireWire x ghostWire. I got the 17 g and strung in my pure aero team at 50 lbs. Awesome grip to impart spin. The liveliness gives good power. The string is fun to volley with, easy slice spin and blocking power. The spin and power makes a good combo for serving.
Since I’ve been practicing with I’m gonna use it for an upcoming event. But I was wondering if anyone here uses their multi, Triumph. I do enjoy a multi/poly hybrid and was thinking about trying it along with BlackKnight.
 

Dishiki

Rookie
Very happy with the strings. Upon the company’s recommendation, I ordered their hybrid FireWire x ghostWire. I got the 17 g and strung in my pure aero team at 50 lbs. Awesome grip to impart spin. The liveliness gives good power. The string is fun to volley with, easy slice spin and blocking power. The spin and power makes a good combo for serving.
Since I’ve been practicing with I’m gonna use it for an upcoming event. But I was wondering if anyone here uses their multi, Triumph. I do enjoy a multi/poly hybrid and was thinking about trying it along with BlackKnight.
I use Ghost as a cross in full bed setups. I have moved away from firewire, as guys I have been stringing it for have said it is causing some soreness in shoulder and arm. Have tried both Volkl Cyclone tour as a main and have had much better feedback from my guys.
 

TimePlease

Semi-Pro
If only it came in a thicker gauge (for example 1.35)! How many hours does it last you paired with ghostwire?
Well, for some reason I almost never seem to break strings so your measurements may vary. For me it lasted 30 hours before it became too erratic and I had to cut it out.
 

cks

Hall of Fame
ANyoen able to find any discount codes for their strings lately? Since they have started pushing apparel, everything is geared towards that. Hopefully, it does not detract from the quality of their strings in the future.
Tru Pro sent me an email today about their Halloween special of 40% off through 10/31/2023.
 

devoker

Rookie
USRSA numbers on HG, HGS and BK:

String​
Caliper-Measured Gauge​
Stiffness (lb/in.)​
Tension loss (lbs)​
Solinco Hyper G 15L
1.36​
322​
15.28​
Solinco Hyper G 16
1.28​
309​
14.33​
Solinco Hyper G 16L
1.26​
290​
15.56​
Solinco Hyper G 17
1.21​
266​
14.71​
Solinco Hyper G 18
1.18​
252​
17​
Solinco Hyper G 19
1.09​
246​
17.93​
Solinco Hyper G 20
1.05​
228​
20.42​
Solinco Hyper G Soft 16
1.32​
294​
16.08​
Solinco Hyper G Soft 16L
1.27​
272​
14.59​
Solinco Hyper G Soft 17
1.21​
254​
16.61​
Solinco Hyper G Soft 18
1.17​
236​
18.08​
Tier One Sports T1 Black Knight 118 18
1.2​
173​
17.84​
Tier One Sports T1 Black Knight 123 17
1.21​
197​
15.39​
Tier One Sports T1 Black Knight 128 16
1.31​
203​
14.95​
Tier One Sports T1 Black Knight 133 15
1.32​
313​
15.59​

No contest, BK is considerably softer than HGS (with less initial 24-hour tension loss as well).
These don't make any sense. According to TWU hyper g soft 16L is one of the softest polys that hold tension relatively well on the market. According to twu it has 172 stiffness. I am having hard time to believe that all tier one strings have lower stiffness than hyper g soft. I wonder if usrsa changed their stiffness measurement technique along the way some time.

The link above shows isospeed cream 16L as 243 stiffness rating (it is around 178 for 17 in twu). Isospeed cream is an elastomer copoly. It is very hard to believe that almost all tier ones at similar gauge are softer than cream.

For example here it says Luxilon 4G 130 has 269 stiffness rating (from 2018). There is no way, it is softer than hyper g soft 16L!
 

JOSHL

Hall of Fame
These don't make any sense. According to TWU hyper g soft 16L is one of the softest polys that hold tension relatively well on the market. According to twu it has 172 stiffness. I am having hard time to believe that all tier one strings have lower stiffness than hyper g soft. I wonder if usrsa changed their stiffness measurement technique along the way some time.

The link above shows isospeed cream 16L as 243 stiffness rating (it is around 178 for 17 in twu). Isospeed cream is an elastomer copoly. It is very hard to believe that almost all tier ones at similar gauge are softer than cream.

For example here it says Luxilon 4G 130 has 269 stiffness rating (from 2018). There is no way, it is softer than hyper g soft 16L!
TWU tests at a different tension than usrsa. I believe you can adjust the tension on TWU also. Different tensions will give you different stiffness numbers.
 

devoker

Rookie
TWU tests at a different tension than usrsa. I believe you can adjust the tension on TWU also. Different tensions will give you different stiffness numbers.
I know they are different but there should be correlation between them as they are the same materials. I know they have different methodology but there shouldn't be contradictions between them such as

StringTWU stiffnessUSRSA stiffness
Luxilon 4g 16L259249
Solinco Hyper G Soft 16L172272
Technifibre Triax 16161222

There is definitely something wrong going on here
 
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I know they are different but there should be correlation between them as they are the same materials. I know they have different methodology but there shouldn't be contradictions between them such as

StringTWU stiffnessUSRSA stiffness
Luxilon 4g 16L259249
Solinco Hyper G Soft 16L172272
Technifibre Triax 16161222

Ther is definitely something wrong going on here
Here is the USRSA standardized test procedure:

The United States Racquet Stringers Association explains the lab test procedure as follows: All strings were tensioned to 62 pounds and allowed to sit for 200 seconds. Then the string was hit five times with a force equivalent to hitting a 120 mph serve. The tension loss represents the total amount of the relaxation over both time and impact. The stiffness value is a calculation derived from the amount of force created at impact to stretch the string. Lower values represent softer strings and lower impact forces. Higher values represent stiffer strings and higher impact forces.

We would like to mention one thing that surprised us when it comes to string stiffness and actual string response on the court.

Without going too much in detail, we realized that you can have 2 strings that are manufactured with the exact same material but have different shapes (for example round vs 5-sided). The lab tests show very similar results due to the same material but the on-court characteristics of the strings vary drastically, not only by access to spin and durability but also by its overall string response. One string could be more powerful, less muted and offering a softer response than the other string.
 
I know they are different but there should be correlation between them as they are the same materials. I know they have different methodology but there shouldn't be contradictions between them such as

StringTWU stiffnessUSRSA stiffness
Luxilon 4g 16L259249
Solinco Hyper G Soft 16L172272
Technifibre Triax 16161222

Ther is definitely something wrong going on here

This is schocking. I played with hyper G alot and it felt soft already like below 200 in stiffness.
 

devoker

Rookie
Here is the USRSA standardized test procedure:

The United States Racquet Stringers Association explains the lab test procedure as follows: All strings were tensioned to 62 pounds and allowed to sit for 200 seconds. Then the string was hit five times with a force equivalent to hitting a 120 mph serve. The tension loss represents the total amount of the relaxation over both time and impact. The stiffness value is a calculation derived from the amount of force created at impact to stretch the string. Lower values represent softer strings and lower impact forces. Higher values represent stiffer strings and higher impact forces.

We would like to mention one thing that surprised us when it comes to string stiffness and actual string response on the court.

Without going too much in detail, we realized that you can have 2 strings that are manufactured with the exact same material but have different shapes (for example round vs 5-sided). The lab tests show very similar results due to the same material but the on-court characteristics of the strings vary drastically, not only by access to spin and durability but also by its overall string response. One string could be more powerful, less muted and offering a softer response than the other string.
Still it doesn't make sense that a string like isospeed cream has stiffness rating 243 while luxilon 4g has 249 according to usrsa. That string is basically like rubber while 4g is the exact opposite.
Although these values don't give us the real feel, they should be at least a good indicator of how it would behave under force.
 

SpinToWin

Talk Tennis Guru
My best guess is some level of material failure at 62lbs to explain the difference ? As in the string is stretched beyond its capacity and in doing so loses elasticity - making it stiffer in tests. But who knows really.
 

devoker

Rookie
My best guess is some level of material failure at 62lbs to explain the difference ? As in the string is stretched beyond its capacity and in doing so loses elasticity - making it stiffer in tests. But who knows really.

It is kinda stupid to test poly string at 62 lbs imo. (Although I am a fan of 40s for poly) Testing every string around 50lbs would have been much more logical to compare with other type of strings. Soft polys probably go through plastic deformation (work hardening) at 62 lbs.
 

thecatch33

New User
It is kinda stupid to test poly string at 62 lbs imo. (Although I am a fan of 40s for poly) Testing every string around 50lbs would have been much more logical to compare with other type of strings. Soft polys probably go through plastic deformation (work hardening) at 62 lbs.
The procedure was almost certainly designed for synthetic and natural gut in mind, long before polys became a thing. To redesign it now, though, means throwing away decades of testing history and comparability or re-doing it all. Highly doubt they will do that. I'm a little skeptical that 62lbs exceeds the theoretical limit for soft polys for hardening, but I definitely agree that some of the testing results are very weird and should be re-tested.
 

devoker

Rookie
The procedure was almost certainly designed for synthetic and natural gut in mind, long before polys became a thing. To redesign it now, though, means throwing away decades of testing history and comparability or re-doing it all. Highly doubt they will do that. I'm a little skeptical that 62lbs exceeds the theoretical limit for soft polys for hardening, but I definitely agree that some of the testing results are very weird and should be re-tested.
I remember reading somewhere that some polys start deforming after 48~ lbs but can't find the source.
 
Strung up my racket with Triumph x Ghostwire at 55lbs. Couldn’t find anyone to hit with but practice serves were booming with spin. I was getting effortless depth on my drop feed routine
I just played with an all poly setup and while the spin is amazing, my game would benefit from easier power from the strings.

I’m gonna try committing to this setup for the winter and try it at the next clay tournament in February.
 

TimePlease

Semi-Pro
Strung up my racket with Triumph x Ghostwire at 55lbs. Couldn’t find anyone to hit with but practice serves were booming with spin. I was getting effortless depth on my drop feed routine
I just played with an all poly setup and while the spin is amazing, my game would benefit from easier power from the strings.

I’m gonna try committing to this setup for the winter and try it at the next clay tournament in February.
Good to hear you liked it. I find Triumph has pretty good feel/touch/feedback for a multi and when crossed with a poly, the power is tamed nicely but there's still good pop when needed around the net. Its weakness, inevitably, is longevity... but it's no worse than the average multi and if you don't break strings easily, it's an excellent budget setup.
 
Is there anyone who has problems making an order on Tru Pro's website? when actually doing the payment, it comes into a loop with a error mention 'something went wrong, please try again later'. Anyone has had this problem before?
 

elmaestro10s

New User
Is there anyone who has problems making an order on Tru Pro's website? when actually doing the payment, it comes into a loop with a error mention 'something went wrong, please try again later'. Anyone has had this problem before?
I think this happened to me once before but the order/payment actually went through so I would check your account orders page or contact them just in case it did
 
Tru Pro worked around the tecnical glitch i was having, letting me do an order in a different way. So thumps up for their customer service. For future reference, having trouble = just mail them, they'll help you out
 

einca13

Rookie
Been a long time user of GW as a cross for lightly shaped or round poly’s in the high 40’s I am currently playing Tourna Black Zone/GW at 47/45. I am curious to try some of Tru Pro’s other strings as a main to GW as a cross.

As a 5.0 playing a Blade v8 16x19 (weight up to 332SW), what would be a good place to start? Black Knight, Tour Status, Atomos? How do these 3 compare?
 

ekucheraw

Rookie
Been a long time user of GW as a cross for lightly shaped or round poly’s in the high 40’s I am currently playing Tourna Black Zone/GW at 47/45. I am curious to try some of Tru Pro’s other strings as a main to GW as a cross.

As a 5.0 playing a Blade v8 16x19 (weight up to 332SW), what would be a good place to start? Black Knight, Tour Status, Atomos? How do these 3 compare?
The de-facto spin combo is Fire Wire mains and Ghost Wire Crosses, so much so I think they still sell it as a single hybrid pack. Feels great and really bites the ball, probably where I'd recommend to start.

I enjoyed Tour Status mains with ghost crosses when I used it but never really stuck with it after enjoying a full bed of Black Knight more.
 

einca13

Rookie
The de-facto spin combo is Fire Wire mains and Ghost Wire Crosses, so much so I think they still sell it as a single hybrid pack. Feels great and really bites the ball, probably where I'd recommend to start.

I enjoyed Tour Status mains with ghost crosses when I used it but never really stuck with it after enjoying a full bed of Black Knight more.
I am not a fan of sharply shaped strings as the stringbed is not consistent and I don’t need spin, so FireWire is out. But I for sure will check out Tour Status, thanks.
 

TimePlease

Semi-Pro
Been a long time user of GW as a cross for lightly shaped or round poly’s in the high 40’s I am currently playing Tourna Black Zone/GW at 47/45. I am curious to try some of Tru Pro’s other strings as a main to GW as a cross.

As a 5.0 playing a Blade v8 16x19 (weight up to 332SW), what would be a good place to start? Black Knight, Tour Status, Atomos? How do these 3 compare?
Firewire is not lightly shaped. It might be too erratic for your taste
Tour Status might be your pick as with that frame you might prefer a string with more crisp feel
Black Knight is what I use most but, as above, seems to perform best in a full bed.
Duraflux is very low powered and suited to taming power.
Never tried Atomos.
 

einca13

Rookie
Just got selected and received a prototype string from Tru Pro. Looks like a 1.28mm, hexagonal poly. Doesn't feel sharp. Will be curious to see how it plays. I've typically played with a full bed of shaped poly. Anyone else doing testing here?

I am testing as well except mine was 1.23. Seems to have very slight edges even less so than my typical Black Knight. Just strung it up and it had some give when pulling so stiffness isn’t too high. I will hit with it tomorrow.
 

BBender716

Professional
I am testing as well except mine was 1.23. Seems to have very slight edges even less so than my typical Black Knight. Just strung it up and it had some give when pulling so stiffness isn’t too high. I will hit with it tomorrow.
Wish I got the 1.23 as I usually play with a 17g :) But yes very slight edges here as well.
 

BBender716

Professional
Just took out the test string out for a hit. Based on it feeling a bit softer, I upped the tension relative to my normal tension very slightly-- 48x46 vs 46x46.

This is definitely a softer poly than I am used to but I typically play with stuff polys. The power was more than most polys I've played with. Had much more of a pocketing feeling than most polys I use, but I still somehow felt a bit less control than what I'm used to.

Serving was very nice. Felt really good feedback from the stringbed so I knew how exactly how much of the ball I was getting in spin serves, etc. I felt dialed in very quickly on serving, which for me is not typical with new strings.

I'll measure my tension after an hour of playing and update here. Plan to use it for a couple more sessions to complete my review. So far, not my typical type of string but certainly comfortable imo.
 

evermilion

New User
This playtest string is pretty good. Didn't need any break-in period like BK. Nice spin, decent power, and consistent response. Not quite dialed in yet with directional control, but not bad. It initially reminded me of Durafluxx's consistent feel but with more power. I wouldn't say it's crisp but definitely not muted. Serve felt really good. Solid on volleys too.

Might be a contender to BK for me.
 

ekucheraw

Rookie
Just finished my testing period and submitted my response to the playtest string. Really enjoyed my time with it! Had that great pocketing feeling I get from Black Knight giving it plenty of control but also gave a boost to power. String definitely felt a bit brighter and livelier, gave great pop especially to the flat serves, though the spin left a bit to be desired as it didn't seem to bite into the ball quite enough to give anything out of the ordinary. That said, it still gave enough access to spin to give you the confidence to swing out from the baseline.

Loved the time I had with the string, definitely a Black Knight alternative when looking for more power and less spin!
 

Roforot

Hall of Fame
Just curious what people's experience are w/ tension maintenance w/ Firewire Boost.
I string at 48/46 and using Racquet Tune, I lose about 10% w/ the first hit (minor settling) and w/ the next 10 hrs, I'm down another 5-7% from my reference tension
Because I have reel of fire & ghostwire, I prefer to cut/restring at that point though playability is fine. (My breaks occur b/w 10-20hrs and I'd rather not happen during a match)

One youtuber didn't review the string on video but made a comment that he experienced great spin the first 1-2 hrs but that it notched afterwards.
Has anyone else experienced this? I know snapback is very important for some people and I feel that the strings snapback first 1-2 hrs, but the spin is pretty much great the whole 10hrs I use it!
I don't think snapback/notching/spin are necessarily intimately related?

One of the other criticisms I've heard is that the ball launches occasionally... something I haven't experienced. The launch angle is higher but this is pretty constant and easy to adjust.
 
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