Which poly string should I choose for a Pure Strike 16x19 Gen3?

[bmr0216]

In the past I've used RPM Blast, but it's been awhile since I last played. I recall it being pretty stiff but had great spin potential. I'm about to buy a Pure Strike 16x19 Gen 3 (98") and need to decide on a poly string.

I like to have a bit of a ball pocketing sensation, so preferably a poly that isn't too stiff. Power isn't a huge concern as I like to swing out on the ball. Playability duration (specifically tension maintenance) is important to me - I don't string my own racquets and it can get expensive having to restring often. I don't break strings often, but I don't want my strings to lose all tension and playability after just a few sessions. I usually play 1-2 times a week.

I've come across a number of highly reviewed poly strings on TW, including:

• Babolat RPM Blast
• Kirschbaum Pro Line II
• Solinco Confidential
• Technifibre Black Code 4S
• Volkl Cyclone / V-Torque Tour

Any one in particular that I should lean towards? So many options and I'm not sure what fits my desires the best. Thanks!

 

[emhtennis]

Try MSV Focus Hex 16g. It feels comfortable with pocketing and great spin right off the stringer. No "break in" period to worry about.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 

[Martves613]

I second MSV Focus Hex as a good option. I prefer white version as it is more arm friendly and has more pocketing feel.
Spin is nothing out of the ordinary. Control is very good (also directional control) and it lasts super long. You can play it almost until it breaks. Notching starts to be visible at around 8 hours of play.

I playtested Volkl Cyclone and RPM Blast recently and I can say for sure that cyclone is better string for us non-pro players. In many ways Cyclone plays similiar to RPM (spin and control) but they both have absolutely different feel.
RPM is really dead and muted but opens up nicely with big swings. I found it quite comfortable while staying on the baseline and brushing up the ball like crazy. Once you transition to the net or you slow down your tempo it is very boardy and I had no confidence in my shots. I just could not feel where the ball is going to land.
Cyclone on the other hand is more crisp and lively. It feels quite soft on the baseline. Touch is so much improved over RPM blast. It has quite balanced ball pocketing sensation IMHO.
Both strings lack longevity though. RPM is dead after about 5 hours, Cyclone about 6-7 hours. Still i would encourage you to try Cyclone.

 

[fuzz nation]

I've seen enough of what RPM Blast has done to local players over several years to confidently assert that this stuff is overpriced garbage. I agree with our pals above - try Cyclone and others before you go for this string.

Lots of buzz around Solinco Confidential right now, but it hasn't been around long enough to have established much of a track record yet. I know of two local killers - kids on track to play in college, doing LOTS of higher level coaching - who recently switched into this string after getting tired of Solinco's Hyper-G. The claim is that the Confidential is better with retaining tension than Hyper-G.

If you're worried about tension loss, I'd say try a couple of hybrids including maybe a syn. gut cross like Gosen OGSM 16. Poly is notorious for going dead, but a hybrid may turn the corner less drastically compared with a full bed of poly that can "lose it" all at once.

I don't play poly in my own frames, so I can't report on my own findings, but one string that you might want to check out is Dunlop Black Widow. I know a local college coach who is really big on that stuff. I also recently strung a racquet for one of his players who I coached when she was in high school. I got her a set of Black Widow 17 and when I was installing it, the string felt almost as soft as syn. gut. It just seemed to be an especially supple poly. Tension loss? No idea.

A pal of mine (solid 5.0, pro coach) tried a full bed of Tourna Big Hitter Black 7 a couple years ago and thought that it was super smooth when it was hot off the press. But it turned out that the rumors were true and it lost tension on him in a big hurry.

 

[jugheadfla]

I currently have the same racket and I've tried tons of polys in it, and Cyclone 17g has become my go to string especially if you like to take a big cut at the ball. A close second would be Hyper-G 16L. I wouldn't go over 17g with any sting in this racket as it will get rather launchy because of he open pattern.

 

[Uncoil]

Hyper G 16L or 17

 

[jugheadfla]

the string widths for Solinco is a little different than other brands, so Hyper G 16L is 1.25mm and Hyper G 17 is 1.20mm and since Volkl Cyclone 17 is 1.25mm, Cyclone 17 and Hyper G 16L are comparable, hence I would go with Hyper G 16L. I typically do not go below 1.25 mm string width for this racket.

 

[bmr0216]

I've seen enough of what RPM Blast has done to local players over several years to confidently assert that this stuff is overpriced garbage. I agree with our pals above - try Cyclone and others before you go for this string.

Lots of buzz around Solinco Confidential right now, but it hasn't been around long enough to have established much of a track record yet. I know of two local killers - kids on track to play in college, doing LOTS of higher level coaching - who recently switched into this string after getting tired of Solinco's Hyper-G. The claim is that the Confidential is better with retaining tension than Hyper-G.

If you're worried about tension loss, I'd say try a couple of hybrids including maybe a syn. gut cross like Gosen OGSM 16. Poly is notorious for going dead, but a hybrid may turn the corner less drastically compared with a full bed of poly that can "lose it" all at once.

I don't play poly in my own frames, so I can't report on my own findings, but one string that you might want to check out is Dunlop Black Widow. I know a local college coach who is really big on that stuff. I also recently strung a racquet for one of his players who I coached when she was in high school. I got her a set of Black Widow 17 and when I was installing it, the string felt almost as soft as syn. gut. It just seemed to be an especially supple poly. Tension loss? No idea.

A pal of mine (solid 5.0, pro coach) tried a full bed of Tourna Big Hitter Black 7 a couple years ago and thought that it was super smooth when it was hot off the press. But it turned out that the rumors were true and it lost tension on him in a big hurry.

I've been considering a hybrid setup more and more since posting this. I'd likely do poly mains with multi or gut crosses.

For the poly I've narrowed it down to Solinco Confidential, Technifibre Black Code 4S, Tourna Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour, or Volkl Cyclone. Since playability duration is a concern for me, perhaps Cyclone isn't the best option?

For the crosses, I was thinking either multi or natural gut. A couple of multis that come up a lot: Prince Premier Control (or Touch) and Technifibre NRG2 (or Multifeel). KLIP also makes a natural gut for $30 a pack - wonder if it would be worth splurging for.

 

[Uncoil]

I've been considering a hybrid setup more and more since posting this. I'd likely do poly mains with multi or gut crosses.

For the poly I've narrowed it down to Solinco Confidential, Technifibre Black Code 4S, Tourna Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour, or Volkl Cyclone. Since playability duration is a concern for me, perhaps Cyclone isn't the best option?

For the crosses, I was thinking either multi or natural gut. A couple of multis that come up a lot: Prince Premier Control (or Touch) and Technifibre NRG2 (or Multifeel). KLIP also makes a natural gut for $30 a pack - wonder if it would be worth splurging for.

Solinco Confidential is a bit on the stiffer side but has above average playability.

 

[Injured Again]

I've been considering a hybrid setup more and more since posting this. I'd likely do poly mains with multi or gut crosses.

For the poly I've narrowed it down to Solinco Confidential, Technifibre Black Code 4S, Tourna Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour, or Volkl Cyclone. Since playability duration is a concern for me, perhaps Cyclone isn't the best option?

For the crosses, I was thinking either multi or natural gut. A couple of multis that come up a lot: Prince Premier Control (or Touch) and Technifibre NRG2 (or Multifeel). KLIP also makes a natural gut for $30 a pack - wonder if it would be worth splurging for.

I was on the TW Pure Strike playtest and I strung it up with 17 gauge Silver 7 Tour at 46 pounds and it feels perfect to me at that tension. I've loaned the racquet out for extended demos to a few people and that has converted about as many people to that racquet (two or three) as to the string. What is in there now has probably 15 hours of play from various people and still feels lively and elastic.

 

[bmr0216]

Solinco Confidential is a bit on the stiffer side but has above average playability.

TW gave it a really favorable review. I'm thinking if I'm going for a hybrid setup, it might be best to go with a firm/lively poly for the mains (like Confidential or Silver 7 Tour) and a softer, muted multi for the crosses. It's either that or go with a full bed of a softer co-poly, as I found a full bed of RPM Blast a bit jarring outside the sweetspot.

 

[bmr0216]

I was on the TW Pure Strike playtest and I strung it up with 17 gauge Silver 7 Tour at 46 pounds and it feels perfect to me at that tension. I've loaned the racquet out for extended demos to a few people and that has converted about as many people to that racquet (two or three) as to the string. What is in there now has probably 15 hours of play from various people and still feels lively and elastic.

How does Silver 7 Tour compare to RPM Blast? I rather enjoyed the dampened, ball pocketing feel RPM offered, which is a bit odd considering it has a high stiffness rating. However, I found it a bit jarring outside of the sweetspot, a touch low on power, and over time it started bothering my wrist and shoulder.

I'm considering using Silver 7 Tour as the mains in a hybrid setup as I explained in the post above.

 

[Injured Again]

How does Silver 7 Tour compare to RPM Blast? I rather enjoyed the dampened, ball pocketing feel RPM offered, which is a bit odd considering it has a high stiffness rating. However, I found it a bit jarring outside of the sweetspot, a touch low on power, and over time it started bothering my wrist and shoulder.

I'm considering using Silver 7 Tour as the mains in a hybrid setup as I explained in the post above.

I just never felt like there wasn't something better than RPM Blast. I've tried it a few times and the initial tension loss always changed the response enough that I never felt comfortable with it from start until end. I don't feel it has more spin capability than many other strings, and while it did feel comfortable in the sweet spot, balls that missed high on the stringbed seemed to have more harshness and less oomph than many other strings, including Silver 7 Tour. It just was never a good cost proposition when I looked at the price for a reel.

 

[fuzz nation]

I've been considering a hybrid setup more and more since posting this. I'd likely do poly mains with multi or gut crosses.

For the poly I've narrowed it down to Solinco Confidential, Technifibre Black Code 4S, Tourna Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour, or Volkl Cyclone. Since playability duration is a concern for me, perhaps Cyclone isn't the best option?

For the crosses, I was thinking either multi or natural gut. A couple of multis that come up a lot: Prince Premier Control (or Touch) and Technifibre NRG2 (or Multifeel). KLIP also makes a natural gut for $30 a pack - wonder if it would be worth splurging for.

I'd say either use natural gut in the mains of a string bed or don't use it. Putting it only in the crosses for a poly hybrid seems to be generally regarded as a waste of the gut. I like the bang for the buck that I get with Prince Premier Control so I'd say try that as a cross. If you want extra service life, maybe try it in 15L gauge instead of 16.

I do hybrids of Cyclone with syn. gut crosses for a couple of locals and I haven't caught any complaints about its durability being too short. That doesn't mean that it holds up forever, but it doesn't seem to crap out in a hurry, at least for these guys (I use the 17 ga. Cyclone in the hybrids I install).

 

[LocNetMonster]

I'm waiting for a Pure Strike right now from a client. He wants my "Big Twist" hybrid, which is Mayami's Big Spin mains and their Magic Twist in the crosses, yet again.