I just string for playing partners, friends, and word of mouth so it doesn't make sense for me to keep a large inventory of strings on hand. Most of them are not super knowledgable on strings and will depend on me to make suggestions to them. I often have people that all they will request is a "poly" or a "hybrid". In the past, I had bought a reel of YPTP as I found it to be a string that played well as both a full bed as well as a hybrid. I finally used up my reel of YPTP, so I am looking to pick up another. I was just wondering if there were any better suggestions of a poly that works equally as well as a full bed as it does for hybrid setups? Or should I just stick with YPTP?
Which poly reel to buy that works well in full bed + hybrid?
- Thread starter kblades
- Start date
I’ve tried a lot of different poly’s, but have not hit with Cyclone yet. Price aside, do you prefer Cyclone over YPTP? I can actually get reels of YPTP cheaper than Cyclone, but Cyclone isn’t much more expensive.
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
That's a tough one. I probably need to revisit Yonex PTP. A lot of the guys I string for prefer Cyclone, but if PTP were priced the same here.....welllllll
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
The two that I keep handy are Isospeed Baseline - I primarily use the 1.20mm and 1.25mm in hybrids for "clients" - and also Kirschbaum Pro Line Evolution 1.25mm. The K-baum seems to have slightly better service life and the Baseline seems to have a little more comfort that some stiffer poly options, but I'm not a poly player myself.
Based on everything I've heard in recent history, it seems like the YPTP could be tough to beat.
Based on everything I've heard in recent history, it seems like the YPTP could be tough to beat.
Seconded for Cyclone. It's discount RPM Blast, but I can't really tell a difference.
AceyMan
Professional
it's a good all-rounder and a good intro to poly fullbed. If YPTP is to jarring for a first timer they really need to fall back to a nylon/poly hybrid or something with more, "squish" to it (=>gut has 'squish', ftr.)
/Acey
g4driver
Legend
Smooth Poly = Ghostwire 1.22mm
GW is the poly I reach for more than any other poly. I have several hundred clients and string 60 frames a month in slow months like Dec / Jan and 120+ frames a month in busy spring & summer months.
If your friends are 5.0 players, get a reel of 1.25mm HG. If your friends are 3.5 players get a reel of Isospeed Cream. Why? Picking one or two stings for a small group of players is like picking beer.. pick something middle of the road. That is why I mentioned Ghostwire. It is versatile for 3.5 to 5.0 players.
I see players of different levels using different strings.. the 4.5 & 5.0 guys have their list of favorites where the 3.5 guys for the most part don't use strings like HG, Alu Power and tend toward Isospeed Cream hybrids.
I stock 20+ Polys including Cyclone, VCT, YPTP, RPM Blast & Rough, Alu Power & Rough, HG & HGS, Tourna BHS7T
I don't stock new reels of polys until I get several clients who want it.. e.g. one client who wanted Sollinco Confidential.. so I bought 4 packs.. when I got a second regular client who wanted Confidential, I bought a reel.
If you take care of your clients, your list of clients will grow. It is just the way things work. I started with a few friends.. I now have a few hundred more.
GW is the poly I reach for more than any other poly. I have several hundred clients and string 60 frames a month in slow months like Dec / Jan and 120+ frames a month in busy spring & summer months.
If your friends are 5.0 players, get a reel of 1.25mm HG. If your friends are 3.5 players get a reel of Isospeed Cream. Why? Picking one or two stings for a small group of players is like picking beer.. pick something middle of the road. That is why I mentioned Ghostwire. It is versatile for 3.5 to 5.0 players.
I see players of different levels using different strings.. the 4.5 & 5.0 guys have their list of favorites where the 3.5 guys for the most part don't use strings like HG, Alu Power and tend toward Isospeed Cream hybrids.
I stock 20+ Polys including Cyclone, VCT, YPTP, RPM Blast & Rough, Alu Power & Rough, HG & HGS, Tourna BHS7T
I don't stock new reels of polys until I get several clients who want it.. e.g. one client who wanted Sollinco Confidential.. so I bought 4 packs.. when I got a second regular client who wanted Confidential, I bought a reel.
If you take care of your clients, your list of clients will grow. It is just the way things work. I started with a few friends.. I now have a few hundred more.
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Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
Volkl Cyclone 17 is nice. If price plays a factor, I'd go with IsoSpeed Baseline Power
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
What gauge of that would you use in a full bed?
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
I'd suggest starting with the thinnest gauge available and then adjusting for a combination of acceptable durability/play and arm health.
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
Agree - I use the lightest 1.20mm gauge of Isospeed Baseline in hybrids I install for local players much more than all the heavier gauges of that same poly combined.
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
Yeah, I'm speaking from experience. I have a player and his daughter I string for. The dad used to play the Wilson 99S. He went through strings really fast. I finally purchased a few reels of that 15L Prince string..it was triangular. He loved it. His daughter plays a PD and I strung it with Isospeed Baseline 1.20 in the mains at 54 and Gosen OGSM 1.22 in the crosses at 50. At some point he decided she could benefit from the 15L Prince string. So I relented with a warning "It's on your head". In a short amount of time she complained her arm was hurting. The pro she took from asked the dad if he had lost his f'ing mind putting that kind of string in a kid's frame. She was 15 or 16 at the time. Long story short, he brought the frame to me and said "Never listen to me again. I don't want to know what you put in her frame, you just take care of her".
A thinner gauge in poly is just more arm friendly IME. (But you still have to keep the tension down.)
AceyMan
Professional
I think 1.25 is a sweet spot for YPTP so that's what I have in reels—plus, the players who are using the Poly Tour Pro are some of my harder hitting clients—but lots of people like the 1.20 version (and I generally like that gauge myself and do stock other polys in that diameter, just not YPTP).
StringStrungStrang
Professional
Cyclone is a good choice! There are others as well.
StringStrungStrang
Professional
I've used this too and with very good results. Generally as a main and hybrid with other softer poly or S Gut. PP's Stratagem too.
StringStrungStrang
Professional
Prefer Cyclone to YPTP. Good spin, not too stiff, good feel. Don't string it too high. I like to hybrid most shaped polys with a smooth round string.
taydbear7
Professional
Good string but I like Red Devil better.
Thanks everyone for the feedback! I decided to just stick with YPTP, but this time went with a reel of 1.25mm instead of 1.20mm. From my experience, the 1.20mm seems to go dead much quicker than the 1.25mm in a full bed. I stocked up the last time TW had Klip Legend on sale. So for the past couple years, when people have asked me to recommend a string setup for them, I've been suggesting a hybrid with Klip + YPTP. With this setup, I only had $10 in a half set of Klip, and $2-3 in the YPTP. For the price, this is the best recommendation I've come up with for a wide variety of players that provides a balance between cost/performance/comfort/durability. I'm down to my last set of the Klip Legend though, so it'd be nice if TW would run another one of those sales soon!
Hello,Smooth Poly = Ghostwire 1.22mm
GW is the poly I reach for more than any other poly. I have several hundred clients and string 60 frames a month in slow months like Dec / Jan and 120+ frames a month in busy spring & summer months.
If your friends are 5.0 players, get a reel of 1.25mm HG. If your friends are 3.5 players get a reel of Isospeed Cream. Why? Picking one or two stings for a small group of players is like picking beer.. pick something middle of the road. That is why I mentioned Ghostwire. It is versatile for 3.5 to 5.0 players.
I see players of different levels using different strings.. the 4.5 & 5.0 guys have their list of favorites where the 3.5 guys for the most part don't use strings like HG, Alu Power and tend toward Isospeed Cream hybrids.
I stock 20+ Polys including Cyclone, VCT, YPTP, RPM Blast & Rough, Alu Power & Rough, HG & HGS, Tourna BHS7T
I don't stock new reels of polys until I get several clients who want it.. e.g. one client who wanted Sollinco Confidential.. so I bought 4 packs.. when I got a second regular client who wanted Confidential, I bought a reel.
If you take care of your clients, your list of clients will grow. It is just the way things work. I started with a few friends.. I now have a few hundred more.
Ghost Wire good poly for using full bed for 3.5-4.0 in your opinion?
g4driver
Legend
A full bed of GW isn't the best option for 3.5 to 4.0 guys IMO. There are better options than a full bed of GW. Volkl Cyclone Tour 1.30mm is the best full bed of poly I have found in 10+ years of using it for 3.5 guys to 4.0 guys. But as a cross string, I haven't found a more versatile poly cross than GW 1.22 mm and GW1.27mm. It works great as a cross with gut and shaped poly mains. For gut, it makes a soft spin-friendly option for players who don't want a full be of poly or the power of a full bed of gut. GW softens the bed of stiffer polys and makes most polys better IMO.
For non-string breaking 3.5 to 4.0 guys in a 16x19 frame: Cream 1.28mm mains and Velocity 1.30mm or Tecnifibre HDMX 1.30 or 1.35mm crosses
a being the softest setup with stiffer setups following in order. I didn't get into stiffer poly setups as most 3.5 to 4.0 men won't break these setups in 15 to 20 hours in a 16x19 frame.
a) Klip Gut 1.30mm / GW 1.27mm crosses (note the 1.27mm crosses with Natural Gut) (for guys with elbow issues who want 2+ months out of a setup)
b) VCT 1.30mm works well for 3.5 to 4.0 Men (and a lot of actual 4.5C 4.5A and 5.0C men) -- I have posted the 4.5C and 5.0C guys' names, frames and links to their USTA matches many times despite the 3.5 and 4.0 guys who complain about VCT.
Hint #1 Most players who complain about VCT never mention the tension or the gauge. I suspect most use 1.25mm VCT and string it in the 40's which just isn't going to work IMO. I stopped counting after I strung 50+ reels of VCT 1.30mm
Hint #2 Only use 1.30mm VCT and string it at or above 52lbs on a constant pull machine or above 55 pounds on a lockout. VCT 1.30mm is very different from other 1.30 mm polys and plays great strung mid 50s. It plays until breakage without hurting elbows for every player I have strung it going on 10+ years
c) HGS 1.25mm / GW 1.22mm
d) TireOne Firewire 1.25mm / GW 1.22mm (Sold as Boost in prepackaged setup)
e) HG 1.25 mm / GW 1.22mm
For guys who don't want poly in an 18x19/20 frame: Tecnifibre MF 1.30mm mains and Head Velocity 1.30mm crosses
For 3.5 to 4.0 women, I find these setups work great:
Non-string breakers: Tecnifibre MF 1.30mm mains and Head Velocity 1.30mm crosses
Occasional string breakers: Velocity 1.30mm mains and Isospeed Cream 1.28mm crosses
Frequent string breakers: Cream 1.28mm mains and Velocity 1.30mm crosses
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happyandbob
Legend
Thanks @g4driver, I'm curious what kind of tensions you're using for each setup? Are the tensions for b through e about the same or are you varying as the strings get stiffer?
g4driver
Legend
the tensions decrease as I move down that list about 99% of the time.
a) is almost always generally strung 57-60 M with X 2lbs lower to tame the power of gut
b) sees 57/55, 56/54, 54/52 with the lowest at 50/50 for a 5.0C player
c) i am using 55/53 HGS / GW in a PA+ frame and string this around 52/50 to to 54/52 for others
d) and e) are generally 52M/50X as the highest tension and I string several of these setups 50/48 or even 48/46 but I do Have a former division one player at 58Lbs with Boost
You've definitely got a second fan of YTEX Square-X here @PhxRacket, as well as ProTour and Quadro Twist. Awesome string, with much better tension maintenance than stuff like Cyclone. The main limiting factor with YTEX is their one-size-fits-all, economy-of-scale approach to gauge, which tends to center around a 16L thickness and not much more (some models/colors like with ProTour they do make two or three thicknesses).
happyandbob
Legend
Thanks! Do you ever prestretch (machine or manual)?
g4driver
Legend
no. only prestretch to remove coil memory from NG and Isospeed cream unless a client request it, and a pre-stretch request is rare
At the moment im playing Gravity Tour (18 x 20) racquet with Technifibre Triax 1.28mm. I had best success with Triax, but only in a 18 x 20 frame, because in 16 x 19 durability is very short. The strings i tried:
1. Babolat VS Touch mains / Wilson Revolve or Isospeed Black Fire crosses. Gut/poly i liked the most because of amazing feel and comfort but i couldnt control it, unless frame is low on power. With Gravity Tour or Pro i couldnt control Gut/Poly.
2. Other Polys included Volkl Cyclone, Cyclone Tour, Solinco Hyper G, Hyper G Soft i didnt had success. It played good for one match and then tension started to drop and i launching balls... Dont know maybe its me problem.
3. Ghostwire seemed good poly, very good tension maintenence. But im not sure about this string, because snap back isnt great with it after 1-2 hours and spin isnt the best, not much difference from Triax. But tension maintenence really good and control decent.
4. Technifibre Triax. For me worked best in Gravity 18 x 20 frames.
At the moment i have Ghost wire strings in different gauges and Firewire 1.23mm. Im going to try Firewire in full bed or Firewire/Ghost wire hybrid, didnt decided yet.
What strings you suggest for me?I like to play all court game with much variety, drop shots, lobs, volleys, baseline game, sometimes i blast huge topspin forehands all match.
Gut/poly or Triax give me best touch, Ghostwire gives me good control and my arm approve it. Im also very keen to try again Gut/Poly but with Ghostwire crosses, but im not sure. Its messsy with Gut/poly. You have always take good care of strings, buy Gut and poly packages and cut them, etc.. Its much easier just use full bed poly. What could you suggest?
@nov - Nice observations. Having played all of the above as well, they pretty much fall in-line with my experience. One thing you might try with gut/poly is upping the initial tension of both gut and poly, or reversing the hybrid for more control/lower-power (poly mains / gut crosses).
Regarding Triax, nice to hear that is plays well full bed, but you if you want even more control/spin, you might also try Triax mains with Ghostwire crosses (for 1.28 Triax, I would do 1.27 GW if you have it, 1.22 would work in a pinch, albeit longevity would be shorter). That pairing probably stands a better chance of preventing the mains and crosses from locking as early as they might if it was just full-bed Triax. I believe @g4driver has at least a few clients who like that combo. Lastly, if you want to cut down on cost and you're in the USA, you might also consider RPX, which is basically budget Triax at roughly 40% less, and most people report it to play pretty much identical.
If you want to keep a softer main in a hybrid but are looking for more spin, you might also try Dunlop Silk Spin (formerly Hexy Fiber, as best as I can tell anyways) -- it's a hexagonal shaped multi that could play quite well when combined with a slick, softer poly cross like Ghostwire or IsoSpeed Cream. I'm about to experiment with it myself and I'm eager to see the results...
As for full-bed poly, aside from playing a single softer poly in both mains and crosses (Volkl Cyclone Tour, YTEX Square-X or Quadro Twist), you might also consider pairing medium stiffness shaped main with a soft slick round cross. Example: Hyper-G Soft or Mayami Big Spin mains with IsoSpeed Cream crosses (which are a bit softer per gauge than Ghostwire).
Regarding Triax, nice to hear that is plays well full bed, but you if you want even more control/spin, you might also try Triax mains with Ghostwire crosses (for 1.28 Triax, I would do 1.27 GW if you have it, 1.22 would work in a pinch, albeit longevity would be shorter). That pairing probably stands a better chance of preventing the mains and crosses from locking as early as they might if it was just full-bed Triax. I believe @g4driver has at least a few clients who like that combo. Lastly, if you want to cut down on cost and you're in the USA, you might also consider RPX, which is basically budget Triax at roughly 40% less, and most people report it to play pretty much identical.
If you want to keep a softer main in a hybrid but are looking for more spin, you might also try Dunlop Silk Spin (formerly Hexy Fiber, as best as I can tell anyways) -- it's a hexagonal shaped multi that could play quite well when combined with a slick, softer poly cross like Ghostwire or IsoSpeed Cream. I'm about to experiment with it myself and I'm eager to see the results...
As for full-bed poly, aside from playing a single softer poly in both mains and crosses (Volkl Cyclone Tour, YTEX Square-X or Quadro Twist), you might also consider pairing medium stiffness shaped main with a soft slick round cross. Example: Hyper-G Soft or Mayami Big Spin mains with IsoSpeed Cream crosses (which are a bit softer per gauge than Ghostwire).
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My stringer uses Gosen Poly Professional, likely because the price as his standard poly. He also swears by Gosen since they're Japanese and better quality.
(Couldn't find Poly Professional, but Polylon appears to be similar)
Disclaimer: I personally never tried either, but love OG Sheep Micro.
I'd get a reel of that and a reel of ALU power, so you have a budget option and premium option.
(Couldn't find Poly Professional, but Polylon appears to be similar)
Disclaimer: I personally never tried either, but love OG Sheep Micro.
I'd get a reel of that and a reel of ALU power, so you have a budget option and premium option.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
g4driver
Legend
Lux Alu Power is a one reel I would never buy hoping to find an audience.. Out of 350+ clients, I have two that use it.. one 4.0 and one 5.5
sure you can string it in a hybrid for friends, but it doesn't appeal to the average rec player.. unless you have a lot of 5,5 clients, there are better options
sure you can string it in a hybrid for friends, but it doesn't appeal to the average rec player.. unless you have a lot of 5,5 clients, there are better options
10S-Junkie
Semi-Pro
Touna Black Zone 1.20mm
Very good, comfortable all rounder in full bed or hybrid and reels are cheap
Very good, comfortable all rounder in full bed or hybrid and reels are cheap
g4driver
Legend
two questions:
1) What country are you in?
2) How quickly did you break Triax 1.28mm in the 16x19 frame?
if you like Triax , my .02 is this based on your information.
a) Triax 1.33mm and put that in the mains with 1.27mm GW in the 18x20 Gravity Pro
b) Klip Natural Gut uncoated 1.35mm mains with GW 1.27mm crosses but string this 4lbs or 2kg higher than the Triax setup. Gut is simply too powerful to string at the same tension as Triax
c) FW 1.23mm / GW 1.22mm in the 18x20 frame strung around 50M/48X or 23kgM/22X
1. Im from europe.
2. I break Triax 1.28mm In Gravity Tour in 20 hours playing indoors. But im usually cut it before break. The problem with Triax, that it cost much and plays very good first 5 hours, then it plays not too bad for next 5 hours, but not great. And after 10 hours cobtrol and spin decreased significantly.
With Wilson Blade V8 16x19 tight pattern i used Triax 1.33 which has much better durability than Triax 1.28, but it lasted 10 hours and i had to cut it because it was so torn abd about to snap anytime.
Klip gut is more expensive than VS Touch in TWE. When i was using Gut/poly hybrid, i used black VS Touch, which has better control than natural color gut's. I strung Gravity Tour/Pro at 25/24 kg. Triax, GW i strung 22/21kg. I couldnt control Gut/poly and my game suffered. Only for serve and feel shots it was awesome, but i couldnt control my groundstrokes. Im actually weird, i need more power from the racquet for serve, backhand etc, but absolutely dont need for forehand. With forehand i can generate my own power.
CosmosMpower
Hall of Fame
Diadem solstice power. Works great in a hybrid with Diadem Evolution.
Pneumated1
Hall of Fame
My son, 15, is now breaking full Cream 1.23 between 6-10 hours in his V-Feel V1 Pros, which is acceptable, but he's talked me into trying something a little more substantial and crisper. I recently strung a pair of UTs with Hyper G 1.20/GW 1.18 for myself and like it a lot for my game, so I ordered him some HGS 1.25/Cream 1.23. Have you ever tried a hybrid of HG or HGS/Cream? Just wondering how durable it will be because he inevitably breaks the Cream crosses, whether as a full bed or in a syn gut hybrid. I also have GW 1.22 that I could cross with HGS mains.
The interesting thing is I strung his second frame with V-Star 1.25 silver, and he likes the feel better than Cream. Ironically, the V-Star is rated to be softer, but it's crisper to his hand (and mine when I hit a few balls with it). Tension maintenance will be the issue with V-Star, but no worse than Cyclone Tour, which he does not like at all.
theSHAMOO
Rookie
After I learned that YPTP can be bought for a much better price that what is advertised at most retailers, I also landed on that string to buy in a reel. My thought process was: it comes in black (hate bright colors), its a good price, its relatively soft for a poly, and its good enough for a number of touring players to use, so I'm sure it will be good enough for me.
Being influenced by pro popularity can be a double edged sword, I know. Most of those guys are forced into a limited selection due to sponsorships. But it still makes me feel better that a product can be used by multiple people at that level. YPTP also has a pretty good reputation on the boards for recreational use, so it just seems like one of those few strings that exist both in the touring & recreational playerbase, that also comes at a good value.
Being influenced by pro popularity can be a double edged sword, I know. Most of those guys are forced into a limited selection due to sponsorships. But it still makes me feel better that a product can be used by multiple people at that level. YPTP also has a pretty good reputation on the boards for recreational use, so it just seems like one of those few strings that exist both in the touring & recreational playerbase, that also comes at a good value.
g4driver
Legend
maybe you tried VCT 1.30mm but since you failed to mention the gauge and are using thinner polys, I am guessing you used 1.25mm VCT. If so, that is part of the problem with it. The other part is stringing it too low.
That is the mistake with VCT. it just doesn't work with 1.25mm but 1.30mm is a completely different string. VCT 1.25mm should be banned honestly. I have written the story of me throwing a nearly new reel of VCT 1.25mm after I told a friend to buy 1.30mm and he bought 1.25mm instead. He asked me to swap the 1.25mm for 1.30mm and told him I have no use for 1.25mm as it is garbage.. he gave me the reel anyway.. once he told me me it was mine, I tossed it in the trash to prove a point. It is that bad but people keep thinking I am making that story up. His name was Marty Weber and @MisterP knows him.
IMO both cream and YPTA are too soft for a shaped polys like HGS. Both Cream and YPTA are rubber infused super soft and play unlike any other poly including Lux Element.
GW 1.22mm is works better with shaped and edged polys as it is slicker, with better tension maintenances (mx)
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Pneumated1
Hall of Fame
Actually, no, his Cyclone Tour was 1.30. We tried it full bed and with GW 1.27 crosses, and he didn't like Cyclone Tour. Since I have a bunch of Cream for him, I'll just stick to that in a full bed and use HGS 1.25/GW 1.22 for the next stringing.
Yes, I find GW hard to beat in shaped poly main/smooth poly hybrids personally. It's my go-to.
And since you brought up Element, it has caught my attention of late. Is this a poly you'd recommend for a 15-year-old junior to hit until breakage? Just wondering if that might be another alternative to V-Star for him that will last longer than Cream but not become an arm threat.
g4driver
Legend
Depends on the level of the Junior. I string For juniors who break HG 1.25mm in 6 days in a PS 97, so for a kid at that level, cream , element, YPTA are too soft.
If your son likes cream 1.23mm, 'my first suggestion would be to go to 1.28mm.
FW 1.25mm/GW 1.22mm is slightly stiffer than HGS 1.25mm/GW 1.22mm which is slightly stiffer than a full bed of VCT 1.30mm.. I can use either of those strings interchangeably with no degradation in my game in a 16x19 PA+
softer to stiffer :
VCT 1.30mm > HGS 1.25mm/GW 1.22mm > FW 1.25mm/GW 1.25mm > HG 1.25mm/GW 1.22mm
sorry typing from iPhone without internet trying to answer questions.
If your son likes cream 1.23mm, 'my first suggestion would be to go to 1.28mm.
FW 1.25mm/GW 1.22mm is slightly stiffer than HGS 1.25mm/GW 1.22mm which is slightly stiffer than a full bed of VCT 1.30mm.. I can use either of those strings interchangeably with no degradation in my game in a 16x19 PA+
softer to stiffer :
VCT 1.30mm > HGS 1.25mm/GW 1.22mm > FW 1.25mm/GW 1.25mm > HG 1.25mm/GW 1.22mm
sorry typing from iPhone without internet trying to answer questions.
Pneumated1
Hall of Fame
Good point about the level. Probably strong 4.0 (guessing UTR 6-7), pushing 4.5. Plays #2 singles on his school team and #1 doubles, and we're just starting to entertain the idea of tournament tennis.
Based on string breakage, he's probably currently still barely able to get by with full Cream 1.23. We actually started with Cream 1.28, which lasted him 10 hours in Winter, but he prefers 17g strings, so there's that.
He already loves V-Star 1.25 silver more than any string we've tried, and it's a very soft poly that stretches like syn gut when I string it, so we may run with it. Tension loss rates right around where Element, which we'll also try, falls.
Something tells me he'll end up liking HGS 1.25/GW 1.22 or HG 1.20/GW 1.22 the best.
Thanks for the advice!
g4driver
Legend
Sorry for the typos and assumption @Pneumated1
I love HGS 1.25mm / GW 1.22mm...It has been in my frame since the HGS playtest. It lasts me about 18 hours playing a combo of singles and doubles but I highly doubt I hit as hard as a 15-year-old. I can hit with FW/GW equally as well, but if I hit four days a week with FW/GW my elbow feels it. My elbow loves HGS/GW and VCT and can play five days a week with either. I think many forums readers misunderstand just how soft YPTA (only comes in 1.25mm) and Cream are compared to Ghostwire 1.22mm. The RSI numbers and TW Database give discrete measurements of the stiffness level of each string with the exception of GA at TW as they don't sell it. If you string enough frames you can literally feel the rubber in Cream and YPTA but I don't feel any rubber in Ghostwire. While there are certain additives in Ghostwire, my elbow and my fingers tell me it there is a much smaller amount of Elastomer, if any, in Ghostwire.
GW 1.22mm has outstanding tension mx and works so well with so many main strings, like Natural Gut, Shaped and Edged polys. I don't get any paid promotion to write for Tier One, but GW is my most versatile poly and I use more of it than any other poly string due to the hybrid setups I have gotten success with for clients.
IMO, YPTA and Cream are best used for players with hyper-sensitive elbows and best when mixed with softer "multi-esters" like Triax, HDMX, NXT Control, RPX...all multis with poly fibers (multi-esters). I tend to use YPTA and Cream in crosses for these players and only use Cream in mains for a number of 3.5 guys who like it with Velocity crosses. I also string a lot of Velocity mains / Cream crosses for 4.0 ladies.
Best wishes to your son, and let me know how he likes HGS 1.25mm / 1.22mm GW or FireWire 1.25mm / 1.22mm GW
I love HGS 1.25mm / GW 1.22mm...It has been in my frame since the HGS playtest. It lasts me about 18 hours playing a combo of singles and doubles but I highly doubt I hit as hard as a 15-year-old. I can hit with FW/GW equally as well, but if I hit four days a week with FW/GW my elbow feels it. My elbow loves HGS/GW and VCT and can play five days a week with either. I think many forums readers misunderstand just how soft YPTA (only comes in 1.25mm) and Cream are compared to Ghostwire 1.22mm. The RSI numbers and TW Database give discrete measurements of the stiffness level of each string with the exception of GA at TW as they don't sell it. If you string enough frames you can literally feel the rubber in Cream and YPTA but I don't feel any rubber in Ghostwire. While there are certain additives in Ghostwire, my elbow and my fingers tell me it there is a much smaller amount of Elastomer, if any, in Ghostwire.
GW 1.22mm has outstanding tension mx and works so well with so many main strings, like Natural Gut, Shaped and Edged polys. I don't get any paid promotion to write for Tier One, but GW is my most versatile poly and I use more of it than any other poly string due to the hybrid setups I have gotten success with for clients.
IMO, YPTA and Cream are best used for players with hyper-sensitive elbows and best when mixed with softer "multi-esters" like Triax, HDMX, NXT Control, RPX...all multis with poly fibers (multi-esters). I tend to use YPTA and Cream in crosses for these players and only use Cream in mains for a number of 3.5 guys who like it with Velocity crosses. I also string a lot of Velocity mains / Cream crosses for 4.0 ladies.
Best wishes to your son, and let me know how he likes HGS 1.25mm / 1.22mm GW or FireWire 1.25mm / 1.22mm GW
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Pneumated1
Hall of Fame
No need to apologize. I appreciate your feedback.
I have experienced the same with Ghost Wire. For a soft string, I'm amazed when I drop the bar (yes, I'm still on a Gamma Prog. II FC drop weight but hope to upgrade soon), and there's very little stretching/settling with GW. While soft, it's not elastic, which makes it incredibly durable in my experience. For example, I hit TC95 18x20s with 18g Klip gut/GW 1.18 and had to cut the string bed out when it got too launchy for me. I couldn't bust the strings. Likewise, late winter, I had 17g Multifeel/1.22 GW in my son's V1 Pros, and he hit it 15 hours before busting the Multifeel. GW makes for a very plush, soft, durable hybrid. If launch and control wasn't an issue for him playing other juniors, I could put him in NG/GW and probably not have to restring for 20+ hours. But he has to fight fire with fire, so we're trying to achieve that balance.
I think we're close. And thanks again. I'll post back after the HGS 1.25/GW 1.22 experiment.
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Tried Tier One Firewire T1. The spin is nasty... Its not like i cant spin the ball, but never had spin like this with any setup. But i wont play this string, because its erratic. Its good for playing with high spin and big targets but not for touch play. The ball sometimes goes into net, sometimes fly too far and it feels like you hit same, but not sure how far the ball goes. Dont know, maybe in future ill try Firewire/Ghostwire hybrid, but for now i think im gonna stick with Ghostwire 1.22mm.
