Ultimate string of choice !

[galapagos]

Ultimate string of choice is coming back!
Haha!

Sorry guys I didn’t have that much time to post here (also there is a character limit on tt forum under 1 post so it was harder to keep all the scores up to date and clean)

if you follow my journey on YouTube my main frames now are tfight 305s, whiteout v2, diadem elevate tour, head prestige mp and the 5th spot is tricky (maybe gravity tour, maybe pure aero 98, maybe ezone 98).

I will be picking ultimate string of choice for the whiteout and tfight 305s (rest is easier as they are with me for a little bit longer).

Any string suggestions?

 

[K1Y]

Ultimate string of choice is coming back!
Haha!

Sorry guys I didn’t have that much time to post here (also there is a character limit on tt forum under 1 post so it was harder to keep all the scores up to date and clean)

if you follow my journey on YouTube my main frames now are tfight 305s, whiteout v2, diadem elevate tour, head prestige mp and the 5th spot is tricky (maybe gravity tour, maybe pure aero 98, maybe ezone 98).

I will be picking ultimate string of choice for the whiteout and tfight 305s (rest is easier as they are with me for a little bit longer).

Any string suggestions?

Welcome back!

Mach-10 in the whiteout? Razor soft white in the tfight?

Do you have suggestions I should try in the Tempo 298 iga except razor code?

 

[galapagos]

Welcome back!

Mach-10 in the whiteout? Razor soft white in the tfight?

Do you have suggestions I should try in the Tempo 298 iga except razor code?

Obvious picks will be there

Tempo 298 besides razor code? Solinco tour bite soft. Maybe Luxilon original if your arm can hold it. Mach-10 should be cool as well. It kinda ticks some boxes between razor code and tour bite soft for me

 

[smithie]

Ye I will second Mach-10 for the 305s alongside Razor Soft White

 

[galapagos]

Ye I will second Mach-10 for the 305s alongside Razor Soft White

Noted

 

[Arzivu]

We would like to see some underground brands taking part in the competition!

 

[galapagos]

We would like to see some underground brands taking part in the competition!

How deep you want to go?
Is toroline still „underground”? On this board probably no. In my city I am probably the only one who have tried them ;p

 

[Nostradamus]

what is stiffest feeling mult in the market ?

 

[Arzivu]

How deep you want to go?
Is toroline still „underground”? On this board probably no. In my city I am probably the only one who have tried them ;p

Haha, just bring them to the surface! No, Toroline is already carried by TW. Something like String Project, Dyreex, Mayami, Oehms fits!

 

[galapagos]

Haha, just bring them to the surface! No, Toroline is already carried by TW. Something like String Project, Dyreex, Mayami, Oehms fits!

my favourite Mayami string after all this time is Hit Pro 1.30 that is unavailable at this moment. I reviewed tour hex and big spin/tour hex hybrid here and on my channel so I think my job is done at the moment. Dyreex Hexablast was really something good but not sure if I want to revisit this string in the tournament.
I am thinking about one new/old brand but timing is on the way complicating things.

 

[hdjs94]

tried mach 10 in my 305s and it wasn't for me. my normal set up is tour bite. mach 10 had more free power, but less spin and less control than TB. hitting partner also agreed with increased power, but less spin.

 

[galapagos]

tried mach 10 in my 305s and it wasn't for me. my normal set up is tour bite. mach 10 had more free power, but less spin and less control than TB. hitting partner also agreed with increased power, but less spin.

Weren’t you using tb 1.20?
I think most players will be picking 1.25 Mach 10 over 1.20. TB and confidential are in general quite popular in 1.20 gauge

 

[hdjs94]

Weren’t you using tb 1.20?
I think most players will be picking 1.25 Mach 10 over 1.20. TB and confidential are in general quite popular in 1.20 gauge

I was using tour bite 1.25. The tour bite round I was hybriding in the cross is 1.20. mach-10 I tried was also 1.25

 

[smithie]

I'm currently using FB Mach-10 (1.25) in my 305s also, and I really like it but feel it would be that little be better with a round control cross string - but I do think its a really good string in FB though, particularly the predictable and consistent launch angle that seems to play like a round string and not be overly 'grabby' like other shaped strings. I'm going to use Mach-10 1.25 and Sync 1.20 hybrid next.

 

[galapagos]

I'm currently using FB Mach-10 (1.25) in my 305s also, and I really like it but feel it would be that little be better with a round control cross string - but I do think its a really good string in FB though, particularly the predictable and consistent launch angle that seems to play like a round string and not be overly 'grabby' like other shaped strings. I'm going to use Mach-10 1.25 and Sync 1.20 hybrid next.

Exactly my experience with Mach 10 - very consistent and forgiving. Helping enough but not influencing the launch or spin to the point where it changes your playstyle. Good for counterpunchers and flat hitters like me. For spinny game "up down" tour bite will be much better which is fun as well.

 

[smithie]

Exactly my experience with Mach 10 - very consistent and forgiving. Helping enough but not influencing the launch or spin to the point where it changes your playstyle. Good for counterpunchers and flat hitters like me. For spinny game "up down" tour bite will be much better which is fun as well.

Ye exactly, this for me has been the best shaped string for my flat hitting game since Lynx Tour. I'm hoping that crossing it with a round string will just help a little bit more!

 

[Trip]

@smithie - I think crossing with Sync might be the goldilocks combo, with Sync's slightly higher slickness and pocketing, adding snapback-based spin and a bit more dwell and sweet spot size. A potential win-win.

 

[smithie]

@smithie - I think crossing with Sync might be the goldilocks combo, with Sync's slightly higher slickness and pocketing, adding snapback-based spin and a bit more dwell and sweet spot size. A potential win-win.

Ye this was my thinking. Its a really good string but just needs some minor tinkering to get it dialled in

 

[landcookie]

@galapagos how do you rate:
- head hawk power
- restring sync
- grapplesnake tour m8

 

[galapagos]

I think I will have to revisit the ratings but I can give you my thoughts.
Head hawk power:
-expensive
-breaks too fast
-love the color
-1.30 might be better than 1.25
-responsive towards alu power (in a good way) but dangerously mixed with poly tour pro (in a bad way)
-I prefer hawk touch which gives me more confidence while also comfortable
So rating around 7.0? Good but not good enough to justify the price. I know some players that would love to play with it but very low durability and pricetag was a dealbreaker

Grapplesnake tour m8:
Quite difficult to review it. Complex string. In many ways control oriented but has sometimes this little empty kick upwards without the spin.
Tried 1.25 gauge. By that I mean it plays like a mix between rpm blast (in a good way) and poly tour rev (in a bad way)
Expensive. Lynx tour comes to my head as well. M8 feels softer (muted with a bit more spring). Rating also around 7.0 I guess

Sync haven’t tried yet but I will (in a hybrid first)

 

[landcookie]

I think I will have to revisit the ratings but I can give you my thoughts.
Head hawk power:
-expensive
-breaks too fast
-love the color
-1.30 might be better than 1.25
-responsive towards alu power (in a good way) but dangerously mixed with poly tour pro (in a bad way)
-I prefer hawk touch which gives me more confidence while also comfortable
So rating around 7.0? Good but not good enough to justify the price. I know some players that would love to play with it but very low durability and pricetag was a dealbreaker

Grapplesnake tour m8:
Quite difficult to review it. Complex string. In many ways control oriented but has sometimes this little empty kick upwards without the spin.
Tried 1.25 gauge. By that I mean it plays like a mix between rpm blast (in a good way) and poly tour rev (in a bad way)
Expensive. Lynx tour comes to my head as well. M8 feels softer (muted with a bit more spring). Rating also around 7.0 I guess

Sync haven’t tried yet but I will (in a hybrid first)

How is Hawk touch playability duration?

Been a while - tempted to try it again. From memory it ages to a point where it can feel brassy.

H power isn’t that expensive here in Aus compared to other string brands. It’s qualities when fresh I enjoy a lot. Gives me that last second dip but that goes away after a few hours. Going to see how long it lasts.

Lynx tour is cheap here and is also on my radar.

Was on the technifibre train now looks like it’s more Head strings!

 

[royroy85]

Ok, now time for another big string. Or should I say Big Banger ? Yes ! Let's review the Luxilon Big Banger Original 1.30

Interesting quote from Luxilon - " Its strong durability characteristics make this a popular choice for players who developed their games on clay courts." / "

• Widely used by players who developed their games on clay courts

I can say right away that I was developed on clay so this really caught my eye.
Is it a good idea to advertise the string like that ? I think not. Usually we read things like "best" , "dominate everywhere" blablabla... But if they decided to suggest this string for clay then something must be there.

So... the list of pro players using this string is really exciting ! Nadal used to play with it, Verdasco is using it, Nalbandian, Ferrer, Gasquet, Safin, Almagro, Humbert and many more that I don't know...

So what makes that string so special ? Control, control, control , and quite nice spin potential on top of that oh and its very durable which makes the value actually quite good ! Its still slightly expensive for a reel but it's "okish" if the string provides some numbers

So when the string is fresh I don't like it that much. (strung it at 25/23kg) I was getting nice control but very little spin. HOWEVER when it opened up....oh boy...totally different string. Give Original some time to settle in your racquet. You might be surprised just like I was. All mistakes are on you ! Control is that good.

It is less responsive than Luxilon Alu Power so you have more control, less power, slightly stiffer feel and less spin. My 2nd serve is much better with Alu Power but overall Original gives me more confidence. + I like the color

My biggest concern with this string is comfort. It's really stiff. Feels slightly stiffer than Lynx Tour but is a bit lighter and my backhand is better with Original than Lynx Tour. I will have to experiment with tensions.

Original after some heavy hitting sessions turns almost to something like fresh Alu Power but with slightly less power (explosiveness) and that "zone" lasts for a very very long time.

If you like Alu Power but want a string with better playability duration, more control, slightly less spin AND your body can take slightly stiffer feel then Original is maybe your best chance. Hey! It's also cheaper than Alu

I give this string a... 7.3 rating ! Top 4 contender. I will have to try it for a longer period of time and watch closely at my match results. Original was also my string of choice for a while when swtiched from Cyclone 1.30... I already have some big wins with it Highly recommended for competitive and developed players (4.0+) (not only on clay haha)

go to list of strings (click)
say hello on IG ! @dandan.tennis

Still my fav string of all time. You miss, its on you! Especially in alow powered frame.

 

[galapagos]

Still my fav string of all time. You miss, its on you! Especially in alow powered frame.

Yap, love it for that. There are some that come really close in terms of control. Solinco confidential 1.30, Solinco tour bite soft 1.30, signum pro firestorm 1.30 and head lynx tour 1.30 but nothing really is a clear replacement. If I had to replace it, I would look at Solinco.

What do you think? Have you found something with similar balance of performance?

Oh I want to try razor soft 1.30!

 

[royroy85]

Yap, love it for that. There are some that come really close in terms of control. Solinco confidential 1.30, Solinco tour bite soft 1.30, signum pro firestorm 1.30 and head lynx tour 1.30 but nothing really is a clear replacement. If I had to replace it, I would look at Solinco.

What do you think? Have you found something with similar balance of performance?

Oh I want to try razor soft 1.30!

Of those you've mentioned, I have only tried the original tour bite. Great string, but longevity was shorter. Sigmum, I swore by the SPPP for 2012 - 2016. Great tension maintenance but not enough spin, plasticky feel as well. No experience with the Firestorm of Lynx tour.

 

[galapagos]

Of those you've mentioned, I have only tried the original tour bite. Great string, but longevity was shorter. Sigmum, I swore by the SPPP for 2012 - 2016. Great tension maintenance but not enough spin, plasticky feel as well. No experience with the Firestorm of Lynx tour.

Firestorm will be softer with not as good tension stability. Lynx tour will be stiffer in feel with even more control but overall it is harder to bend the string.
Confidential 1.30 will be a bit more boardy at first then catch the middle spot which is very similar and then move to the spot near Alu power and then drop with it together haha

 

[galapagos]

Ultimate string of choice is back! Will do the selection for Tfight 305s, Whiteout v2, Pure Aero 98 (maybe), Speed Pro/MP (maybe), Yonex Ezone 98

 

[koolio]

Ultimate string of choice is back! Will do the selection for Tfight 305s, Whiteout v2, Pure Aero 98 (maybe), Speed Pro/MP (maybe), Yonex Ezone 98

Interesting to see the results!

Personally, I think Grapplesnake Tour Sniper is great with the Ezone 98 (both the 2022 and 2025).

 

[galapagos]

Interesting to see the results!

Personally, I think Grapplesnake Tour Sniper is great with the Ezone 98 (both the 2022 and 2025).

I think you are right as I already liked yonex poly tour strike and Luxilon Alu power soft in the ezone and I suspect tour sniper shouldn’t be too far away

 

[landcookie]

I think you need to do string elimination battles for each racquet. That’ll give you amazing content (and us entertainment) for ages!

 

[galapagos]

I think you need to do string elimination battles for each racquet. That’ll give you amazing content (and us entertainment) for ages!

That’s the plan for the whiteout I prepared much bigger list because it can take wider group of strings. But not sure how many strings I can put to keep the pace engaging

 

[landcookie]

That’s the plan for the whiteout I prepared much bigger list because it can take wider group of strings. But not sure how many strings I can put to keep the pace engaging

Yessssss

 

[galapagos]

First round:
Razor Code vs Razor Soft
very tough call. Razor Code is a bit better for control and linear shots through the court. It's much easier to feel how deep you might play therefore it's a bit easier to adjust acceleration. Razor Soft is more versatile. Offering more pocketing, more spin, more power but sometimes I am loosing the ball and spraying long. however it's easier to play something hot from defensive situations.
Overall my strokes tend to like strings like Razor Code more BUT my gamestyle suits Razor Soft more. What does it mean? With Razor Soft it's a bit mental game where I have to trust my strokes to land in but the output is going to be much more difficult for my opponents. With the Razor Code I have to work a bit more to get the same (or slightly smaller) reward.
I am picking Razor Soft because the performance potential is better and I want to follow Medvedev's path as he is clearly trying to evolve. Razor Code combination might be too control oriented vs better players and having a little boost is a nice addition. Potential risk in the tournament: if I loose the trust in Razor Soft's more responsive nature my confidence will drop and this will give a chance for the other strings to shine full video comparison on my channel just in case you want to see me play with both strings.

 

[landcookie]

First round:
Razor Code vs Razor Soft
very tough call. Razor Code is a bit better for control and linear shots through the court. It's much easier to feel how deep you might play therefore it's a bit easier to adjust acceleration. Razor Soft is more versatile. Offering more pocketing, more spin, more power but sometimes I am loosing the ball and spraying long. however it's easier to play something hot from defensive situations.
Overall my strokes tend to like strings like Razor Code more BUT my gamestyle suits Razor Soft more. What does it mean? With Razor Soft it's a bit mental game where I have to trust my strokes to land in but the output is going to be much more difficult for my opponents. With the Razor Code I have to work a bit more to get the same (or slightly smaller) reward.
I am picking Razor Soft because the performance potential is better and I want to follow Medvedev's path as he is clearly trying to evolve. Razor Code combination might be too control oriented vs better players and having a little boost is a nice addition. Potential risk in the tournament: if I loose the trust in Razor Soft's more responsive nature my confidence will drop and this will give a chance for the other strings to shine full video comparison on my channel just in case you want to see me play with both strings.

Very interesting. My experience is the complete opposite but on my tc100!

 

[galapagos]

Very interesting. My experience is the complete opposite but on my tc100!

interesting indeed! More control with razor soft hmm? your game must be very spinny then I think

 

[landcookie]

interesting indeed! More control with razor soft hmm? your game must be very spinny then I think

Yes it is.

I don’t like razor soft very much in the PA98 though.

 

[UnderArmServeOP]

Restring Sync!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[langley]

Restring Sync!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i didn’t mind sync. i think i prefer max power but i still enjoyed it. i’m using a hybrid rn an way,

 

[galapagos]

Restring Sync!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

in this tournament i will use it as a hybrid with tour bite. I do like round strings though so at some point maybe I will come back. to be honest I feel covered with round strings from budget options to higher shelf so I can't justify buying sync but maybe I am wrong and there is also Solinco Tour Bite round as a hidden option from the market hehe

 

[smithie]

@galapagos Luxilon Element (original not rough) has been the best string for me in the 305s by a long shot (and I was initially in love with RSW). I've just bought a couple of set of Grapplesnake Tour Mako which I will test too, but Element might be worth a shot (outside of this tournament).

 

[UnderArmServeOP]

in this tournament i will use it as a hybrid with tour bite. I do like round strings though so at some point maybe I will come back. to be honest I feel covered with round strings from budget options to higher shelf so I can't justify buying sync but maybe I am wrong and there is also Solinco Tour Bite round as a hidden option from the market hehe

I love Sync as a full string bed. Never tried it as a hybrid and honestly wouldnt know where to start. I really wish more people tried full beds of Sync (with their ideal tension of course) because it's in my opinion, quite tension sensitive.

 

[galapagos]

@galapagos Luxilon Element (original not rough) has been the best string for me in the 305s by a long shot (and I was initially in love with RSW). I've just bought a couple of set of Grapplesnake Tour Mako which I will test too, but Element might be worth a shot (outside of this tournament).

I follow your string journey so Element is on my radar. I am currently using Alu power soft in ezone and it’s working quite well. Maybe will try both of them or just Alu soft (I believe it has better stats in tw database) in tfight 305s

 

[smithie]

I follow your string journey so Element is on my radar. I am currently using Alu power soft in ezone and it’s working quite well. Maybe will try both of them or just Alu soft (I believe it has better stats in tw database) in tfight 305s

What’s the tension maintenance like with Alu Soft? Element isn’t too bad in the 305s but when it does go it goes a bit wild.

 

[galapagos]

What’s the tension maintenance like with Alu Soft? Element isn’t too bad in the 305s but when it does go it goes a bit wild.

your experience with element reminds me of signum pro firestorm. Regarding Alu soft I think it becomes a little stuck in place so I don’t experience the same juicy, controlled response. In a way it’s becoming dead but because I don’t get the same spin potential the overall control becomes worse. But for the hours I played with it in the ezone I think it’s quite good! Two of the best coaches / players in my city are using it now

 

[Valerie]

I love Sync as a full string bed. Never tried it as a hybrid and honestly wouldnt know where to start. I really wish more people tried full beds of Sync (with their ideal tension of course) because it's in my opinion, quite tension sensitive.

I'm currently testing Restring Sync 1.25mm at 48lbs in Speed MP 2022.
First hour was quite lively and a bit difficult to control compared to Hawk Power 1.25mm at 48lbs in the same stick very negligible QC variance.

Feeling a bit unsure of Sync at the moment and would be inclined to think that Hawk Power may translate better in matches.
Then again, this is just the first hour with both setups. So I'll keep testing another week to find out more.

But since you mentioned that it's tension sensitive, I am also curious about your experience if you don't mind sharing.

 

[landcookie]

I'm currently testing Restring Sync 1.25mm at 48lbs in Speed MP 2022.
First hour was quite lively and a bit difficult to control compared to Hawk Power 1.25mm at 48lbs in the same stick very negligible QC variance.

Feeling a bit unsure of Sync at the moment and would be inclined to think that Hawk Power may translate better in matches.
Then again, this is just the first hour with both setups. So I'll keep testing another week to find out more.

But since you mentioned that it's tension sensitive, I am also curious about your experience if you don't mind sharing.

My experience with Sync wasn’t great. Strung it at 50/48 in my PA98 and while it delivered a heavy ball it was:
- sneaky stiff and gave me wrist pain
- I couldn’t feel my shots with the gummy pocketing feel

Those 2 are the deal breakers for me which is a shame because from a performance standpoint it ticks a lot of boxes.

 

[Boubi]

I'm currently testing Restring Sync 1.25mm at 48lbs in Speed MP 2022.
First hour was quite lively and a bit difficult to control compared to Hawk Power 1.25mm at 48lbs in the same stick very negligible QC variance.

Feeling a bit unsure of Sync at the moment and would be inclined to think that Hawk Power may translate better in matches.
Then again, this is just the first hour with both setups. So I'll keep testing another week to find out more.

But since you mentioned that it's tension sensitive, I am also curious about your experience if you don't mind sharing.

In your speed MP I would try tour bite/ Vanquish

 

[redvic]

Just share my thoughts on speed MP.

I feel that the frame perform best with stiff string on it. The pocketing is immense compared to the other racket i've tried (yonex ezone 100L 2022, whiteout v1 18x20, RF01, tfight 305s) and maybe that is the reason.

I own mp legend 2025, have string it with lynx tour, razor code 18, currently grapplesnake tour sniper. The latest is my favorite so far.

I can feel 5 sided string nature added a good amount of spin on this frame.

Hope it helps @Valerie

 

[Boubi]

Just share my thoughts on speed MP.

I feel that the frame perform best with stiff string on it. The pocketing is immense compared to the other racket i've tried (yonex ezone 100L 2022, whiteout v1 18x20, RF01, tfight 305s) and maybe that is the reason.

I own mp legend 2025, have string it with lynx tour, razor code 18, currently grapplesnake tour sniper. The latest is my favorite so far.

I can feel 5 sided string nature added a good amount of spin on this frame.

Hope it helps @Valerie

I used it with tour bite/vanquish, mach 10, restring zero and I prefer it in that order
Strung at 53/49 lbs

 

[galapagos]

will be updating my top 5 strings soon what's yours?

 

[Valerie]

will be updating my top 5 strings soon what's yours?

Round poly: ALU Power 1.25mm, Razor Code White 1.25mm, Razor Soft White 1.25mm, Hawk Power 1.25mm
Shaped poly: Black Code 1.24mm, Yonex Poly Tour Rev 1.20mm, Mach-10 (but haven't been playing with rackets that match this string best)
Multifilament: X-one Biphase 1.24mm, Velocity Beige 1.25mm, Diadem Evolution 1.30mm (not exactly multi but plays like Velocity)