I live in Florida which is not the nicest place in the world for natural gut to survive. The humidity is so bad that in 85 degrees you sweat walking to the mail box. Which good playing natural guts had the most longevity in humid climates, and aside from using the Babolat string savers which I assume are a must, what else can be done to add a few more weeks to gut before it frays too much and snaps?
Which natural guts are best for a hot, humid climate like Florida, and how do I make them last long?
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ckhirnigs113
Rookie
First off, use the thickest gauge gut you can get away with. I use Babolat Tonic + Longevity which is 1.35mm. Buy some parrafin wax to apply to strings before and after playing. This will help shield the gut from the humidity. Store your racquets inside and don't leave them out in the heat any longer than necessary (your car's trunk for example). I live in Alabama, so I'm no stranger to humidity. I have been able to get excellent durability with my current setup, Tonic 15L mains / Wilson Revolve 17 crosses.
How long do you think I can get out of a Babolat Tonic + Longevity hybrid? I'm a 4.5 all courter with an eastern forehand and single handed backhand. And how different is playing with Tonic compared to playing with VS Touch? I heard that the guts with coating don't feel like proper natural gut. Is that true?
Say Chi Sin Lo
G.O.A.T.
A thin coat won't affect anything.
But if you put so much that it basically becomes glue, then yeah it won't play right.
D
Deleted member 120290
Guest
Your best bet is Babolat Tonic 15L Longevity. However in very humid conditions, it will fray noticeably faster than in normal or dry conditions.
Is there a site that has a list of the guts that fall on both sides of that line?
ckhirnigs113
Rookie
I've been getting 20+ hours with the 15 gauge Tonic / Revolve hybrid. I put string savers in as necessary but usually not until 12-14 hours when a little fraying begins. I don't have experience with uncoated natural gut, but I think the tradeoff in durability for any added feel would not be worth it, especially in a very humid climate.
I've used VS and Tonic, but haven't really been able to notice a difference. To be fair I think they both feel great. I favor durability foremost, so Tonic wins every time in that regard.
I've used VS and Tonic, but haven't really been able to notice a difference. To be fair I think they both feel great. I favor durability foremost, so Tonic wins every time in that regard.
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Say Chi Sin Lo
G.O.A.T.
Put the string savers in before you start hitting with it.
VS and Tonic are the same. Except the Tonic are the ones that didn't quite past Babolat's QA for VS.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Can you feel much difference between VS 15L or 16. My first set is VS 16 Touch ... and love it. At 9 hours, got one major fray ... and really might consider 15L.
Another question... does VS have a center core with an outer layer (maybe that is the protective layer). When the fray happened, it looks like a solid non-frayed core inside ... i.e. different texture than the outside layer.
And I guess another question... once I see that inside core ... will it break soon after or still have a bunch of miles left on it after the initial outside layer frays?
D
Deleted member 120290
Guest
It's not a huge difference but 15L feels a little stiffer, has a little more control and a bit less spin. Tonic 15L/poly weighs about a gram more than Tonic 16/same poly. 15L usually lasts a few more hours than 16 for me.
There is no center core. The whole string is 7 strands of gut. When the outside layer frays it may look like there is a solid core inside but it is still the same gut.
Sometimes I can play 2 - 4 hours after fraying. Other times it breaks within an hour. Hard to tell.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
OK ... thanks. About how many hours do you get per stinging? I put a Babolat ss on the spot. I am one of those weird players that always plays with the same edge of the racquet up ... may be the only tennis player that does that. Picked that quirk up very early in my tennis years. The one thing it allows, however... is to flip the racquet after x amount of time ... say a couple of weeks ... and play with different wear patterns (i.e. FH will be hit from the other side). I use to do that when I played syn gut, and would really extend the string life because I almost always broke the string in the same place with FHs.
Yeah I know ... that is strange.
D
Deleted member 120290
Guest
I play mostly doubles. Tonic 16/yonex poly tour pro yptp lasts me around 10 hours before gut breaks. But due to my sensitive elbow, I usually cut out after 6 - 8 hours when gut stops snapping back.OK ... thanks. About how many hours do you get per stinging? I put a Babolat ss on the spot. I am one of those weird players that always plays with the same edge of the racquet up ... may be the only tennis player that does that. Picked that quirk up very early in my tennis years. The one thing it allows, however... is to flip the racquet after x amount of time ... say a couple of weeks ... and play with different wear patterns (i.e. FH will be hit from the other side). I use to do that when I played syn gut, and would really extend the string life because I almost always broke the string in the same place with FHs.
Yeah I know ... that is strange.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Cut out gut? Isn't there a law against that? How many hours would you get out of full gut?
I didn't know gut would stop snapping back with a poly cross ... I thought that was the point otherwise why not full gut, particularly with elbow issue?
Say Chi Sin Lo
G.O.A.T.
I heard someone here be cuttin' up gut.
Someone take his a** out to the yard and have him beat!
Someone take his a** out to the yard and have him beat!
MixedMaster
Semi-Pro
I have one racket strung with Pacific gut in the mains and one strung with KLIP legend in the mains. I can't tell too much difference between the two. I do think KLIP wears a little better with the coating on it. I've never had to re-string due to non performance of the gut and I almost always use KLIP Legend. The half set of Pacific I have in the one racket was given to me.
D
Deleted member 120290
Guest
By the time I cut out gut, there is at most 2 or 3 hours left anyway. Gut stops snapping back after a while. It probably has to do with poly aging and losing its properties. It is better for me to sacrifice a few bucks on strings rather than jeopardize my arm health.
I don't get nearly the spin and control with full gut as I get with gut/poly. It is a completely different game.
bigdaddyps
Semi-Pro
Full bed of Vs 16 lasted me 8 1/2 months in SoFla. Yes it did
If you don't mind, can you tell me your skill level, play style, forehand grip, frequency of play, and things you have done to extend the life of your strings? 8 1/2 months sounds amazing so I'm curious to see if my play style mirrors yours and would therefore help extend the life of the string.
bigdaddyps
Semi-Pro
3.5-4 doubles level. Don't play much singles anymore. 5-7.5 hours per week. I play a varied game. Hard, touch, angles. Not a dinker. I am a 66 year old in good shape 6'0" 210 lbs. using an aero pro drive 2013.
Don't do anything special to make it last.I'm not a string breaker. Clean living don't hurt either
Don't do anything special to make it last.I'm not a string breaker. Clean living don't hurt either
ckhirnigs113
Rookie
I've got close to 20 hours on my current Tonic 15L / Wilson Revolve hybrid. I've got a little fraying in spots, but I put string savers on as needed. I don't see any reason to cut out the gut if your strings are still snapping back. Wilson Revolve in the crosses doesn't really dent, so the gut mains still slide fine. Maybe some people are using poly crosses that dent easily and lock the string bed prematurely. I highly recommend Wilson Revolve as a cross to prevent this.
I string myself, but it's still nice to get 20+ hours out of a string job that also happens to play better than any other setup I've tried. In my experience this makes gut/poly a very cost-effective choice too!
I string myself, but it's still nice to get 20+ hours out of a string job that also happens to play better than any other setup I've tried. In my experience this makes gut/poly a very cost-effective choice too!
Have you tried Klip Legend out in the Alabama weather? I'm going to try out it and Tonic 15L when my current sets of strings that I bought go dead. I'm wondering if the Babolat lasts longer in proportion to the extra cost or if its durability is higher than the extra cost.
ckhirnigs113
Rookie
I haven't tried any Klip natural gut. I've used Pacific Classic, VS and now Tonic. I don't see a reason to switch from Tonic with the durability I'm getting. I've gotten more life out of the Tonic + Longevity than anything I've tried. I haven't had any of the expected downsides from switching to 15 gauge string either. I still get adequate spin, and if anything, I feel like I have more control. I play with a Yonex Ai 98, and it has a 16x19 string pattern. If you use an 18x20 pattern, 15 gauge string might be too thick.
If anyone is interested, I'm using 17 gauge (1.25mm) Revolve in the crosses.
If anyone is interested, I'm using 17 gauge (1.25mm) Revolve in the crosses.