TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
Can anyone compare Ultra Cable to strings like Tour Bite, Confidential, Hyper G, Cyclone and RPM Blast?
Weiss Cannon Ultra Cable
- Thread starter TennisManiac
- Start date
VacationTennis
Semi-Pro
Tour Bite has more of a pop and responsive, more connected feel than Ultra Cable.
Hyper-G has more of a gummy feel than ultra.
Ultra Cable had some good power but I found it hard to get a feel for that power and thus lacked control.
Confidential felt like way more control.
I want to give Ultra Cable another try, never felt like I wrapped my head around it but I think it has a ton of potential to be a good string. My experience with it was more of a muted, dumping into the net with so much grip, followed by an over powered lack of control experience after a few hours. I've heard it's softer but I found it to play stiffer than expected.
I found Tour Bite to be the most "pro" feeling string of the bunch.
Hyper-G has more of a gummy feel than ultra.
Ultra Cable had some good power but I found it hard to get a feel for that power and thus lacked control.
Confidential felt like way more control.
I want to give Ultra Cable another try, never felt like I wrapped my head around it but I think it has a ton of potential to be a good string. My experience with it was more of a muted, dumping into the net with so much grip, followed by an over powered lack of control experience after a few hours. I've heard it's softer but I found it to play stiffer than expected.
I found Tour Bite to be the most "pro" feeling string of the bunch.
Wheelz
Hall of Fame
i like your videos, assumng it,s you. the montage is good, music etc.
i wondered if ultra cable is similar to volkl cyclone tour... similar stats on the tw db. I can probably answer that question once i string one of my racquet with ultra cable as i have it in stock. what stands out is the string to ball friction, might relate to your dump in net and sometimes great shot experience. volkl feels soft so if ultra is not then its not really comparable.
| Property | Volkl Cyclone Tour 16 (1.30) | Weiss Cannon Ultra Cable 17 (1.23) | Difference % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Polyester | Polyester | NA |
| Stiffness (lb/in) | 167 | 175 | 5 |
| Tension Loss (%) | 52 | 48 | -8 |
| Energy Return (%) | 83 | 83 | 0 |
| Spin Potential | 8.7 | 11.9 | 37 |
| String to String Friction (COF) | 0.068 | 0.065 | -4 |
| String to Ball Friction (COF) | 0.592 | 0.774 | 31 |
jugheadfla
Semi-Pro
I was finally able to procure a couple packs of UC this past week, going to string it up and try it out this week. I've tried all of the strings that you mentioned so I'll let you know once I get to hit with it.
rader023
Rookie
I usually use Cyclone or V-Square which are easier on the arm. Ultra cable is good for spin but i have to string it really low. I string at 43 where i string everything else around 47.
I want to try a fresh set of UC vs. a fresh set of V-Square, but going by memory i think i like V-square better.
I want to try a fresh set of UC vs. a fresh set of V-Square, but going by memory i think i like V-square better.
jugheadfla
Semi-Pro
Cyclone 18g at 54lbs in a Pure Strike 16x19 3rd gen is my current setup, I will put it up against UC at the 52lbs and see how it goes
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Ultra Cable has a more muted contact feel like Hyper-G. Confidential and Tour Bite have a more firm, crisp response and less comfort when missing the sweetspot. My one time testing Ultra Cable was when I was in the middle of a three or four month long wrist injury, and the plush, comfortable response of Ultra Cable allowed me to continue to play while it was healing.
Ultra Cable had really high spin capability and a high launch angle, despite being a thick string in my dense pattern racquet. I am guessing the thickness and dense pattern masks the amount of tension loss that Ultra Cable has, which is pretty significant according to test measurements.
One thing not mentioned so far is that Ultra Cable will typically add 2-3 grams over a typical 1.25 or 1.20 string, which can make a big difference if your racquet is already at the top of the range of your desired swingweight.
Ultra Cable had really high spin capability and a high launch angle, despite being a thick string in my dense pattern racquet. I am guessing the thickness and dense pattern masks the amount of tension loss that Ultra Cable has, which is pretty significant according to test measurements.
One thing not mentioned so far is that Ultra Cable will typically add 2-3 grams over a typical 1.25 or 1.20 string, which can make a big difference if your racquet is already at the top of the range of your desired swingweight.
ron schaap
Hall of Fame
So according figures uc has nothing in common with cyclone tour. Why dont you compare it with the square Volkl string or Grapplesnake cube? I think the shape of Tourbite is different too. When just strung Tourbite 1.20 feels stiff and lowpowered and same spin potential as UC but it loses tension quicker and then more power and more pocketing and better feel. than UC. Uc is very durable and stays sharp long time. However take note UC is much thicker than 1.23 gauge round strings because it is square! So its notably heavier too.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
V-Square is a string I tested about a year or so ago. Very elastic when pulling tension, and really high spin capability. It had a cushioned feel and relatively high power levels while still being fairly good on control. V-Square seems to reverse spin on groundstrokes better than practically all other strings I've used. By that, I mean that with the same flatter swing trajectory on a groundstroke, V-Square puts more topspin on the ball.
The downsides is that the string wears extremely quickly. I got about four hours before it notched through and broke. Here's a video I took of a practice session with it (excuse the physical breakdown - this was my second 90 minute singles session that day):
and here's a closeup of V-Square after four hours:
Ultra Cable is thicker and wears much slower. I think I played my set for between 15-20 hours and it was not that close to breaking, but that was also when I was dealing with a wrist issue so I wasn't swinging in quite the same way. Still, Ultra Cable is a much, much more durable string, with roughly the same high spin capability and comfort levels, with just a little bit less ballspeed off the strings.
Wheelz
Hall of Fame
Nothing in common? Similar stiffness, same energy return, similar tension loss. Anyways doesn't really matter, a real field test is the true test.
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TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
So from what I am gathering.
The following describes Ultra Cable
Low powered
Provides tons of spin
Lasts a long time
Has a high launch trajectory
Is chuncky and heavy for its diameter
And feels comfy if strung really low
Does this pretty much sum it up?
The following describes Ultra Cable
Low powered
Provides tons of spin
Lasts a long time
Has a high launch trajectory
Is chuncky and heavy for its diameter
And feels comfy if strung really low
Does this pretty much sum it up?
ron schaap
Hall of Fame
For me anyway.
ron schaap
Hall of Fame
Moveforwardalways
Hall of Fame
Really need to string it in the low 40s. It’s is a really spin friendly string, but very clunky and gives an odd feel to contact. You may not mind this, but it bothers some people. It is definitely not a string that provides quality “feel” on touch shots. It’s a string for a “grip it and rip it” baseline player. I played through one string job with it and moved on. It does provide the most spin of any string I’ve used, but other strings are pretty close without all the negatives. And spin isn’t everything.
taydbear7
Professional
I got to play with this and have to say the string is really chunky. I bought the 17g and it was thicker than the 16g. Yes it provide good spin but feel was okay. It's very similar to Lynx Tour where it feels springy to me. Probably need to lower the tension for more control.
bleno567
Professional
I'd say that's about right.
bleno567
Professional
Tour bite has that "metal-y" BB ALU-esque feeling. Great string, but I find the playability falls off a cliff after about the first hour of play. Alternatively, Hyper G feels "plastic-y" but I get much longer playability with it.
Confidential is super dead and low powered compared to UC. It was my least favorite of all the strings mentioned.
Cyclone and RPM blast are significantly more lively in my experience.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Ultra Cable loses a fair amount of tension. It only seems to not be a problem in dense string pattern frames, where the close distance of the crosses allows longitudinal stiffness to help offset the loss in tension.
taydbear7
Professional
Played my third match with it and this is pretty much spot on. I strung it at 52 I couldn't tell you about the feel. The spin is really good and the high launch angle was spot on during my match yesterday. I did notice it was as springy as when I first played with it.
Tar Heel Tennis
Professional
I have a set of UC that I want to string tonight in a Prince Beast O3 98. I normally string a full bed of poly at 48 lbs. What is the rec for this string - 45? or should I go lower? TIA
rader023
Rookie
What does the package say? I usually string Poly at 48 and I strung this at 43.
Tar Heel Tennis
Professional
In a Beast O3 98? What is your impression of UC@43#?
rader023
Rookie
I dunno. I used it in a Dr 98. I would say at 43 it is similar to cyclone at 48 but with more spin generation.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Ultra Cable has fairly high tension loss so in a more open string pattern racquet, I'd actually recommend going a couple of pounds higher.
iNeverSlice
Rookie
I use the regular Beast 98 that I normally string with Hyper G at 48. I just started using Ultra Cable, and at 45 it feels great to me. I love it.
ron schaap
Hall of Fame
I dont understand your conclusion. UC is one of the deadest feeling strings anyway, so it cant get any deader than that. HOWEVER it is one of the most durable EVER too. Even the strings edges stay there for a very very long time. Its so durable because its much thicker than its 1.23 indicates. Its a square string so this 1.23 doesnt relate to its diameter because it hasnt got a diameter like a round string. Furthermore it has a different composition compared to most polys, so the "feel" is different. Its also very slippery which you can find in the TWU string database, so very good snap back.
ron schaap
Hall of Fame
i really dont understand that some of you guys keep repeating that uc is such a rocketlauncher, when it isnt. The Twu data confirms that too. Maybe if you string it superlow which i didnt, than maybe it becomes more powerfull. i suspect some of you did string it much lower than you intended because of its is so slippery it could slip while you are clamping it during stringing.
mag8
Rookie
I picked up a racquet i strung about 1 month ago with Ultra Cable and played around 5-7 hours with. My balls were flying everywhere, most likely a result of the tension loss. I am not a good player but that string made me look like an utter moron.
The string was still in good shape. Sharp edges and no notches in the mains. I felt bad having to cut it as it seems like i should have just strung it up at +20% and after a couple of sessions it would have settled in a "normal" range.
I really liked that string and I was hoping to see it hold, unfortunately i consider it on the expensive side for that amount of tension loss, which will probably require frequent restringing
The string was still in good shape. Sharp edges and no notches in the mains. I felt bad having to cut it as it seems like i should have just strung it up at +20% and after a couple of sessions it would have settled in a "normal" range.
I really liked that string and I was hoping to see it hold, unfortunately i consider it on the expensive side for that amount of tension loss, which will probably require frequent restringing
iNeverSlice
Rookie
I break strings after about 4 hours of hitting, so maybe my opinion doesn't mean much here, but I haven't noticed any tension loss or playability issues with UC. I really like it.
TomTennis495
Professional
I went the opposite direction and strung it at 55. It is summer though and my strings tend to soften in the high heat here in the DC metro area. I really like the way it plays at this string tension. It doesnt give me a plush feel but it sure holds the ball and really fun to play with . I enjoy it much more then the hyper G which i wanted to like but just felt flat to me.....
