What Poly is truely soft?

D

Dez

Rookie
I was playing with a Poly setup last year, MSV Focus Hex also Pro Supex Big Ace...liked them a lot but started having elbow discomfort(possibly too high tension) so switched to a Multi (Maxim Touch), which is great but it breaks too quickly.
So...looking to hybrid but want a soft poly for mains and would continue with Maxim Touch on crosses.
The thing is that everyone says Focus Hex, PL 2 or Big Ace are soft polys however stiffness rating show Pro Hurricane Tour as considerably softer (if not the softest poly), yet many posters say PHT is not a comfortable poly???

Babolat Pro Hurricane 18 187
Pro Supex Big Ace 1.22 225
Kirschbaum Pro Line No.2 224
http://www.racquetsportsindustry.com/issues/200809/200809allstrings.html

What gives? How can PHT have one of the lowest ratings (lower than most Synthetic Guts) yet be considered a harsh string?

I'm confused by this, can anyone give a little insight?
Also, how much lower should I string a poly vs my Multi setup?

Thanks for your help.
 
DownTheLine said:
Pro Hurricane is very different then Pro Hurricane Tour.

I heard Black and Red code are soft.
Click to expand...

You can say that again I just strung two of the new 95 si Pure Storms Ltd GT (18x20) with Xcel mains and Pro Hurricane in the crosses. I hate to string Pro Hurricane in the crosses especially and an 18x20 racket makes it even worse.

Irvin
 
Last edited:
Oh what poly is truely soft? I had a polyester suit in the 70s that was pretty soft.

Irvin
 
Correction...Imeant Pro Hurricane, not PHT

Sorry, i didn't mean PHT, rather Pro Hurricane.

Again, RED CODE is stiffer than Pro Hurricane, so things still don't match up.

Tecnifibre Pro RedCode 18 222
Babolat Pro Hurricane 18 187
 
I've been wondering this same thing...I guess it might be a case of lab results don't always accurately correlate to field results.
 
Dez said:
I was playing with a Poly setup last year, MSV Focus Hex also Pro Supex Big Ace...liked them a lot but started having elbow discomfort(possibly too high tension) so switched to a Multi (Maxim Touch), which is great but it breaks too quickly.
So...looking to hybrid but want a soft poly for mains and would continue with Maxim Touch on crosses.
The thing is that everyone says Focus Hex, PL 2 or Big Ace are soft polys however stiffness rating show Pro Hurricane Tour as considerably softer (if not the softest poly), yet many posters say PHT is not a comfortable poly???

Babolat Pro Hurricane 18 187
Pro Supex Big Ace 1.22 225
Kirschbaum Pro Line No.2 224
http://www.racquetsportsindustry.com/issues/200809/200809allstrings.html

What gives? How can PHT have one of the lowest ratings (lower than most Synthetic Guts) yet be considered a harsh string?

I'm confused by this, can anyone give a little insight?
Also, how much lower should I string a poly vs my Multi setup?

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

it is 18 g, that is why. thinner polys are much softer.
 
Signum Pure Pro Poly Plasma is so soft I cannot use a multifilament cross string or it gets mushy. With a plain synthetic gut, it is still very comfortable and easy on the body. I use the 1.18 mmm version, which is 17L or 18, depending on who assigns a gauge number. I have never broken it, just cut it out after 6-8 weeks.
 
Sonic Pro 17g! Never gonna switch to a different poly, thats the best I have ever used by quite a bit. Closest thing to it imo is SPPP 17g or 18g (18 doesnt last long tho.)
 
it seems strange that PH having such a dramatically lower stiffness rating would feel stiffer but i would assume it is. i haven't played with PH but i've strung both PH and BA and can definitely say that stringing PH was a lot harder with the crosses than stringing BA. PH felt stiff as a board.
 
Apart from SPPP Pure or Hyperion 1.18, I would say the only softer polys that I've tried than Big Ace are Big Ace Micro 1.15 and WeissCannon Silverstring 1.20, definitely not Pro Hurricane 1.20. Polystar Energy maybe also, but it is still sitting in my bag waiting to be tried.
 
HEAD Sonic Pro, which is a 17g string, is rated by both RacquetTech and the USRSA as the 2nd softest poly--only an 18g string was softer. If you haven't tried you are missing out.
 
I've been using PH for a few months now, string it in the low 60's for a full bed and my arm has felt no different then using a multi

too early to tell long term, but this Luxilon test string feels soft as well
 
I don't see may recommendation for Sonic Pro,although I've noticed it's low stiffness rating, there's little talk about this string.
Who's tried it? Comments please.
 
Ratings Are Just a Guide

I find ratings helpful if I'm unfamiliar with a string or want to do general comparisons. What matters most to me, unsurprisingly, are my own perceptions.

Regarding string, I've found Pro Hurricane Tour (PHT) to be relatively soft strung in frames as diverse as a Babolat Pure Drive, Yonex RDS001 Mid, and a Wilson KPS88. On the other hand, PHT seems to come across as a stiffer string in a RDiS 100 Mid, which is a very stiff frame.

Pro Hurricane, Red Code, and Luxillon all seem harsher (harder), when compared to PHT. Black Code seems softer, but also feels very dead to me.

I generally string at 60 lbs, which is relatively high, especially when discussing polyester strings. I recently strung a K90 with a Gamma Power/TNT2 hybrid at 50/48 and the hit was quite soft.

Once you start throwing in a lot of variables, like string gauge, racquet specs, tension, and personal preferences, ratings become less useful, IMO. Ratings are a good starting point when looking at string, but don't be upset or puzzled if your actual experience varies.

Anecdotes and playtests recounted here on TT are helpful in fleshing out what you might expect, but only if posts are detailed in regard to racquet specs (any customization), tension, playing style, and preferences (bias). Take what you hear with a grain of salt and be prepared to experiment.

Cheers!
 
Jagman said:
I find ratings helpful if I'm unfamiliar with a string or want to do general comparisons. What matters most to me, unsurprisingly, are my own perceptions.

Regarding string, I've found Pro Hurricane Tour (PHT) to be relatively soft strung in frames as diverse as a Babolat Pure Drive, Yonex RDS001 Mid, and a Wilson KPS88. On the other hand, PHT seems to come across as a stiffer string in a RDiS 100 Mid, which is a very stiff frame.

Pro Hurricane, Red Code, and Luxillon all seem harsher (harder), when compared to PHT. Black Code seems softer, but also feels very dead to me.

I generally string at 60 lbs, which is relatively high, especially when discussing polyester strings. I recently strung a K90 with a Gamma Power/TNT2 hybrid at 50/48 and the hit was quite soft.

Once you start throwing in a lot of variables, like string gauge, racquet specs, tension, and personal preferences, ratings become less useful, IMO. Ratings are a good starting point when looking at string, but don't be upset or puzzled if your actual experience varies.

Anecdotes and playtests recounted here on TT are helpful in fleshing out what you might expect, but only if posts are detailed in regard to racquet specs (any customization), tension, playing style, and preferences (bias). Take what you hear with a grain of salt and be prepared to experiment.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Thanks for your comments...60lbs with poly..wow. Was that on the K90?
Must have made a huge difference on control when you dropped 10lbs, no?

I agree that the rating are just a guide, it's just that the rating and players comments are often so contradictory that one doesn't know what to believe! At least the ratings are taken using the same criteria, but you're absolutely right, playing style, set up and equipment do make a significant difference, however a stiff string should come off as stiff and a softer one, as soft assuming they're consistent with their setups (although you know what they say when you assume...).

I'm willing to try different strings BUT would like to avoid testing unnecessarily, What I mean, is, for example, if a poly string is NOT soft (ie: Luxillon) and I'm looking for a soft poly no point in testing Lux, right...this is where I'd hope to get some help from a forum like this one, unfortunately I get the impression that too many people opine based on what they've heard rather than what they've actually tried. Especially when you ask about a specific string and you get answers like "try X.... or Y....", when I didn't ask about "X... or Y...." and don't even make a reference to what was asked. I'm not refering to you, by the way, you did respond to my question so THANKS.

I play with moderate spin using Prince O3 Tour, primarily Baseline with a two handed back hand, but I like using a slice backhand approach and come to the net on occasion. Hope this helps someone who uses Pro Hurricane 18 or Sonic Pro on an O3 Tour or similar racquet offer some comments.

Thanks
 
You're welcome, Dez.

The K90 is a work in progress. Ball pocketing and dwell time at that tension is insane. Talk about contradictions, that can mean more or less control depending on what I'm trying to do with the ball. The feel, for me, is just weird; not necessarily "wrong", but definitely not what I am accustomed to experiencing. I threw up a thread on my initial impressions, but didn't get any feedback. Probably because I was all over the place with my observations.

Hard to know what is supposed to be "right", although I am certainly giving more credence to the view that polys are intended to be strung at lower tensions for best performance. Unfortunately, that "feel" may not produce the optimum in performance from me. I need to experiment some more.

Cheers!
 
Polyfibre TCS plays very soft to me, however it loses tension rather quickly. Genesis Black Magic is on the softer side as well and holds tension better. Signum Poly Plasma Pure is an outstanding, soft playing poly, IMO. Best of luck.
 
SPPP Hyperion and Tornado are really soft and maintain tension really well. A little expensive for my cheap arse but felt great when I got a set of each just to try.

-Jon
 
Audiophile said:
Polyfibre TCS plays very soft to me, however it loses tension rather quickly.
Click to expand...

This coincides with TWU numbers... polyfibre (TCS / Hightec) strings are in a league of their own, in both softness and tension loss. WC Silverstring rates decent in both, but I've never played with it.

I think that's going to be the trade off you have to make though, softness for tension maintenance. If you put rubberbands in your racket it would be super soft, but they'd stretch out to look like a butterfly net in no time. On the other had, piano wire would be super harsh, but maintain it's tension.
 
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