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TierOneSportsOfficial said:
Hi tennis players, we are looking for assistance from people who have played Tier One Sports strings in the past. It is simple, we would like to hear your opinion on which strings on the market are most comparable to the following Tier One Sports strings:

Tour Status
Black Knight
Durafluxx
T1-Firewire
Ghost Wire

Thank you for taking the time!
Click to expand...

My thoughts. YMMV depending on the stick you are playing with. This is from my experience in Babolat Pure Control 95.

Fire Wire is comparable to Mayami's Big Spin in terms of spin, power. Big Spin is more durable, but Firewire is more comfortable.

Tour Status is comparable to Mayami's Tour Hex. Both offer plenty of access to spin. Tour Status delivers more pace, comfort and playable longer, IMHO. Tour Hex is a bit better on tension stability and control.
 
I strung a Speed MP with HyperG mains and Ghostwire crosses in March, but only got to hit with it for a few hours before things shut down. Now that we’re back, I’ve hit for 20+ hrs with that set-up (40 lbs for each), and it’s a great combo for me. I’ve been using HyperG for several years, and like it a lot compared to the other “similar” strings I’ve tried, but had never found a cross that I really liked with it. Now I have.

String feel is very subjective, so saying what I (a 65 yr old average/decent player) like is pretty useless for others. But if you’re looking for a soft-yet-crisp cross (is there such a thing?), at least in the 35-50 lb range, spend the $10 and give Ghostwire a try.

Plus, the name is cool.
 
TierOneSportsOfficial said:
Hi tennis players, we are looking for assistance from people who have played Tier One Sports strings in the past. It is simple, we would like to hear your opinion on which strings on the market are most comparable to the following Tier One Sports strings:

Tour Status
Black Knight
Durafluxx
T1-Firewire
Ghost Wire

Thank you for taking the time!
Click to expand...

I think Tour Status and Firewire play similar to Hyper-G, but softer, less dead, and more power. Hyper-G has more spin than Tour Status but that can be a positive or negative.
 
Fireboost is definitely one of the comfiest hybrids I have tried (strung at 55/53 in a vcore 95), I am looking to do another hybrid test of BK mains and GW cross around 53, has anyone tried this combo and liked it? Is it worth doing a hybrid with BK or just go full bed with it?
 
What's a good Black Knight comparison? Hyper G? Confidential? Alu Power?

My normal go to is Hyper G but I have a set of Black Knight just begging me to try...

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
 
Black knight has more control than hyper G, less bite and spin but I feel like it has more gears. Not quite sure how to explain it, the more you put into BK the more you get out of it.
 
BBender716 said:
What's a good Black Knight comparison? Hyper G? Confidential? Alu Power?

My normal go to is Hyper G but I have a set of Black Knight just begging me to try...

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
It is hard to explain as its really not the same as any of those strings. It doesn’t have the bite on the ball that hyper-g does and not as controlled as confidential. It simply does everything pretty well and not outstanding in one thing. Overall, very balanced string and great bang for the buck.
 
Got a question for you Tier1 string users - what string combo of theirs come close to the Kev/ZX hybrid I used with 64 lb mains and 45nln cross strings tension. Used to love that combo for spin/control in by 98S frames but it eventually took its toll on my shoulder. Loved the pocketing and spin/bite from Kev/ZX. Does any of their combos/hybrids play anything close to KEV/ZX but more comfortable and perhaps with modest additional power?
 
drak said:
Got a question for you Tier1 string users - what string combo of theirs come close to the Kev/ZX hybrid I used with 64 lb mains and 45nln cross strings tension. Used to love that combo for spin/control in by 98S frames but it eventually took its toll on my shoulder. Loved the pocketing and spin/bite from Kev/ZX. Does any of their combos/hybrids play anything close to KEV/ZX but more comfortable and perhaps with modest additional power?
Click to expand...
I'll be able to tell you in a few weeks. Playing Kev/Zyex right now at 60/40. Love the control and spin. My wrist is about to murder me in my sleep.

Their Fire Boost hybrid should be closest on paper. I will probably string it at 49lbs for each unless recommended otherwise.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk
 
emhtennis said:
I'll be able to tell you in a few weeks. Playing Kev/Zyex right now at 60/40. Love the control and spin. My wrist is about to murder me in my sleep.

Their Fire Boost hybrid should be closest on paper. I will probably string it at 49lbs for each unless recommended otherwise.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
looks like we are in the same boat, I am using a gut/hybrid right now and am playing okay with it but really miss that Kev/ZX spin/bite/pocketing but my body does not miss it. Ghostwire looks like a great soft cross, anyone know what the stiffness rating of FW in 16 or 17 gauge is?
 
drak said:
looks like we are in the same boat, I am using a gut/hybrid right now and am playing okay with it but really miss that Kev/ZX spin/bite/pocketing but my body does not miss it. Ghostwire looks like a great soft cross, anyone know what the stiffness rating of FW in 16 or 17 gauge is?
Click to expand...

FireWire 16g: Stiffness: 236, tension loss: 14.18
FireWire 17g: stiffness: 221, tension loss: 13.85
(Lab tested by USRSA)
 
TierOneSportsOfficial said:
FireWire 16g: Stiffness: 236, tension loss: 14.18
FireWire 17g: stiffness: 221, tension loss: 13.85
(Lab tested by USRSA)
Click to expand...
Thanks, that's stiffer than I thought especially given how many posters say how comfortable it is - Cyclone tour 1.30 gauge is rated 167 by TWU data base yet many often compare FW's comfort level to VCT - am I missing something? The 2.21/2.36 stiffness area in strings like Max power or Head Hawk bothers my shoulder/wrist, hard for me to imagine FW not doing the same. Is this stiffness rating the same method as TWU uses? The tension maintenance is outstanding. I am having a hard time in my mind reconciling this - some help out there?
 
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drak said:
Thanks, that's stiffer than I thought especially given how many posters say how comfortable it is - Cyclone tour 1.30 gauge is rated 167 by TWU data base yet many often compare FW's comfort level to VCT - am I missing something? The 2.21/2.36 stiffness area in strings like Max power or Head Hawk bothers my shoulder/wrist, hard for me to imagine FW not doing the same. Is this stiffness rating the same method as TWU uses? The tension maintenance is outstanding. I am having a hard time in my mind reconciling this - some help out there?
Click to expand...

@drak

One of my 5.0C clients picked 1.30 TireOne Firewire in a back and forth between Solinco Revolution 1.30 in a full bed at 52M/50X in a Donnay Xencore 99 (16x19) In the mass "Appeal Down Button Click Event" held in Charleston, SC in Dec 2019, he joined the 4.5A crowd. :unsure:. He told me he like both Revolution and FireWire, but FireWire was less expensive. $10 cheaper a reel.

@mikeler was using FireWire Boost for quite a while in a 16x16 Prince, switching over from Cyclone and Cyclone Tour. He had been using Boost, before TierOne sold Ghostwire as a standalone string. Hope this helps.
 
drak said:
Thanks, that's stiffer than I thought especially given how many posters say how comfortable it is - Cyclone tour 1.30 gauge is rated 167 by TWU data base yet many often compare FW's comfort level to VCT - am I missing something? The 2.21/2.36 stiffness area in strings like Max power or Head Hawk bothers my shoulder/wrist, hard for me to imagine FW not doing the same. Is this stiffness rating the same method as TWU uses? The tension maintenance is outstanding. I am having a hard time in my mind reconciling this - some help out there?
Click to expand...
I think the numbers of the FW stiffness are based on 61lbs test. The standard TWU numbers are based on 52 lbs.
 
host Wire 12716 / co-polyester16.27188
Ghost Wire 12217 / co-polyester14.77181
Ghost Wire 11718 / co-polyester18.69167
Ghost Wire 11019 / co-polyester23.77146
T1-Black Knight 11818 / co-polyester17.84173
T1-Black Knight 12317 / co-polyester15.39197
T1-Black Knight 12816 / co-polyester14.95203
T1 Firewire 12018 / co-polyester15.41195
T1 Firewire 12517 / co-polyester13.85221
T1 Firewire 13016 / co-polyester14.18236
DuraFluxx 11818 / co-polyester20.27196
DuraFluxx 12317 / co-polyester15.67231
DuraFluxx 12816 / co-polyester16.87244
Tour Status 12018 / co-polyester15.86206
Tour Status 12517 / co-polyester16.49217
Tour Status 13016 / co-polyester14.66236
Strike Force Rip 11818 / co-polyester19.31171
Strike Force Rip 12317 / co-polyester21.94183
Strike Force Rip 12816 / co-polyester20.49199
Firewire Boost 18 (NESO-2)18 / co-polyester18.69167
Firewire Boost 17 (NESO-2)17 / co-polyester14.77181
Firewire Boost 16 (NESO-2)16 / co-polyester16.27188
Triumph 12517 / multifilament12.35146
Triumph 13016 / multifilament12.13174
 
drak said:
Thanks, that's stiffer than I thought especially given how many posters say how comfortable it is - Cyclone tour 1.30 gauge is rated 167 by TWU data base yet many often compare FW's comfort level to VCT - am I missing something? The 2.21/2.36 stiffness area in strings like Max power or Head Hawk bothers my shoulder/wrist, hard for me to imagine FW not doing the same. Is this stiffness rating the same method as TWU uses? The tension maintenance is outstanding. I am having a hard time in my mind reconciling this - some help out there?
Click to expand...

Cyclone tour 16g: stiffness: 200, tension loss: 23.26 (based on USRSA lab test)
 
TierOneSportsOfficial said:
Cyclone tour 16g: stiffness: 200, tension loss: 23.26 (based on USRSA lab test)
Click to expand...
Gotcha, I think I now understand the confusion, the KEY appears to be the TWU vs USRA string testing parameters/results. I think one poster mentioned TWU tests stiffness at 51 or 52 lbs and USRA at 61-62. So now some of the comments on softness/stiffness make a lot more sense to me, I look forward to checking out your strings!
 
drak said:
looks like we are in the same boat, I am using a gut/hybrid right now and am playing okay with it but really miss that Kev/ZX spin/bite/pocketing but my body does not miss it. Ghostwire looks like a great soft cross, anyone know what the stiffness rating of FW in 16 or 17 gauge is?
Click to expand...
Why drop the ZX cross if you want to retain the old feel? ZX isn't the string causing the arm issues.
 
Last edited:
2nd Serve Ace said:
Why drop the ZX cross if you want to retain the old feel? ZX isn't the string causing the arm issues.
Click to expand...
Because I have tried ZX crosses vs probably 15-20 different main strings and the only combo I really liked it in was with Kev mains, just did not play for me anywhere near KEV/ZX
 
mikeler said:
Firewire Boost 16 at less than 200 seems pretty accurate to my arm. I think there is a missing test for arm protection. Something needs to measure vibration.
Click to expand...
So a Boost full stringbed measures about the same as a full Cyclone Tour stringbed, makes me think I will like Boost especially as I use a Blade 98s and I think you use a 16/16 price spin effect racket? Also have you tried the 17G Boost vs 16 and if so how was the durability? I have found Spin effect rackets with 17G strings usually break very quickly - I am a 4.5 with moderate pace groundstrokes and spin. Also surprised to see the 17G Boost has better tension maintenance than the 16G, that is unusual IMO but both has much better tension maintenance than Cyclone - is that your experience as well?
 
@topspn do you remember the gauge of the Black Knight you sent when you sold me my TC95s? I always assumed it was 118, but it felt stiffer than 173 (table above), even at 42#. Maybe you sent 123 or 128?
 
Out of all the Tier 1 strings and combo/hybrids which one do you users think has the best pocketing and spin?
 
@drak, my experience is limited to BK and GW, but not together in a hybrid. I will say that GW crosses are some the best poly crosses I've played for tension maintenance and pocketing. Comfort is also standout. V-Star wins the comfort test for me, but not by much. I'm not a fan of strings with extreme shapes, so I doubt I hit Firewire or Firewire Boost. That Boost hybrid would probably give you the most spin, but the subtle shape of BK grabs the ball like crazy (better than Cyclone in my experience) and offers a lot of bite in a smooth ride. I suspect BK mains/GW crosses would play very nice if you keep tensions low, but I would match BK mains with a solid core synthetic in the crosses and GW crosses with a gut main or softer synthetic/multi.
 
I just got the full sample pack. I will attempt to take good notes and provide updates as I go along. The only review I wont be able to give is a full bed of firewire. Going to make two sets of boost, since a full bed of ghostwire is not something I'm interested in.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk
 
Tried full bed of Firewire and ended up liking it a lot which is not surprising since I've liked Black Knight and FW Boost in the past. I'd like to think my mechanics have improved since I last tried FW Boost a bit over a year ago, and the amount of spin I was getting from the full bed was definitely noticeable. Great timing on the 30% off sale too, I ordered a reel of Firewire, and just so happens I have a bunch of random strings I want to clear from my inventory that I will be using as crosses for fun. Also ordered a couple overgrips to try out, might have been the last 2 overgrips in their stock. And why not, let's try out the t-shirt as well, lol.
 
beltsman said:
It always seems like Tour Status is the forgotten child! People should try it out. I would say it's like a softer, more forgiving Black Knight.
Click to expand...
The stiffness numbers for all Tier 1 strings posted earlier on this page do NOT bear that out. In fact, depending on gauge, Tour Status is 10 to 18% stiffer than Black Knight. I know there is the real world and testing numbers and each persons own "perception", but from years of experience with these numbers I have found them to be fairly accurate
 
I just reversed my earlier experiment and put Ghost Wire 1.10 in the mains with Gosen OGSM 1.22 in the crosses. I really liked it. My never ending hunt for a Gosen/TiMO replacement may have ended. The GW combo played really well.
 
beltsman said:
It always seems like Tour Status is the forgotten child! People should try it out. I would say it's like a softer, more forgiving Black Knight.
Click to expand...
I feel the same way about Firewire black color. Noticable control improvement over the red but still user friendly if strung lower tension.
 
drak said:
Out of all the Tier 1 strings and combo/hybrids which one do you users think has the best pocketing and spin?
Click to expand...
for me a full bed of FireWire produces the greatest spin. i have tried FW, FW Boost, and Black Knight. The FW Boost is very plush, but I prefer the extra spin with full bed of FW. I was not impressed with Black Knight - as others have said, it doesn't really do anything great. I have not hit with full bed of Ghost Wire, but have strung a couple of frames for women and each of them has fallen in love with the GW.
 
Tar Heel Tennis said:
I was not impressed with Black Knight - as others have said, it doesn't really do anything great. I have not hit with full bed of Ghost Wire, but have strung a couple of frames for women and each of them has fallen in love with the GW.
Click to expand...

I wasn't crazy about fullbed BK at 50 lbs either. But I decided yesterday to try it again with GW cross at 45.

Had a hit with it this morning and loved it! Nice comfortable consistent response. Plenty powerful, kinda wished I'd gone 48 lbs actually. Not quite the "felt ripping" spin of FW but still enough to get the ball dipping nicely.

So yet another tier one combo to consider :)
 
I just strung up Boost at 50/48 and will be hitting later today, will report back. I have my standard gut/poly to do a side by side with and the spin potential is what I am very curious about. Using a new version Blade 98s v 7.0 which was available in Europe.
 
drak said:
I just strung up Boost at 50/48 and will be hitting later today, will report back. I have my standard gut/poly to do a side by side with and the spin potential is what I am very curious about. Using a new version Blade 98s v 7.0 which was available in Europe.
Click to expand...
Ok here goes, good warmup and played 2 sets of singles against a regular opponent and we are very close in who wins/loses. Overall thought was this plays as close to Kev/ZX for me as any string combo I have yet tried. Seems very comfortable with nice pocketing, great spin but acid test is a couple weeks of regular play and see how my shoulder/wrist hold up. Love the spin as like Kev/ZX it really allowed me to hit out and not worry about balls going out, this was good for offense, and defense with these strings IMO is very, very good. Also had no issue with flattening ball out either. I'd say the one thing this clearly did not do as well as my gut/Poly was directional control, just was not as precise as gut/poly but the ability to have the extra spin and have many more balls drop in while taking a good cut (healthy cut but not over done) for me works better as when I start slowing my racket head speed I simply do not play as well. I think the biggest adjustment I had was early on the the first set I was enjoying the great topspin so much I started trying to hit too much spin which messed me up for several games, then I settled back swinging normally and then the results were much better as the spin came really nicely and easily and I really did not need any more. I remember with Kev/ZX it took me several weeks to adjust and really use that easily generated spin and know when and where to use it most effectively.
I thought the power level for me was just about right as I strung my Blade 98s at 50/48, I'll see as it loosens if it still plays close to the same, I also play at 3700 ft so the spin/depth control was surprisingly good given that. If I did not hit dead center I thought I still got off a decent shot with spin/depth and off center hits did not feel jarring, seems like I got more than usual "effective" mishits - maybe it was just a lucky day! Won both sets so results were good. I thought these strings made me steadier with more effective shots in general, and I liked what I thought was the enhanced ability to go from defense to offense, will see how it goes as the week progresses.
 
i use to string with tour status, but had switched to solinco hyperg. today i took out my older PS97s strung with black knight
and i dont know what it is, but i hit pretty well with them, especially off the forehand wing, where i seem to be able to generate more pace than
usual, and the ball stayed in the court. my backhand is my better side as i usually can hit winners off that side, but today
it seemed like i could hit winners from both sides.
black knight seems a bit softer and less harsh than solinco hyper g but still has decent feel

i havent played with black knight for a couple of years, perhaps i should go back.
i might be restringing all of my racquets with black knight, but i think i need to play a few more times before
cutting out the strings on my other racquets

z
 
Rabbit said:
I just reversed my earlier experiment and put Ghost Wire 1.10 in the mains with Gosen OGSM 1.22 in the crosses. I really liked it. My never ending hunt for a Gosen/TiMO replacement may have ended. The GW combo played really well.
Click to expand...
Can I ask you what tension(s) you are using with this setup?
 
Rabbit said:
@mctennis - I did it straight 52, both ways. In retrospect, I might drop it down to 48 and put the crosses at 52. Hope all is well with you and yours.
Click to expand...
TY for your reply and recommendations. I just bought some GW and I have a half set of the Gosen in my box of string sets. I will give that combo a try here in the future. I did like the TiMO strings. Finding a replacement for TiMO has been a chore.
We are all doing well, so far, with all this mess. I hope all is well with you and yours also.
 
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