Which string has the best dwell/ball compression and at which tension?

shadow01

Professional
Is this the same as “pocketing” - if so my vote is for NG/ZX pro @50# (55# for a little less pocketing and more control).
 

blai212

Hall of Fame
VCT 16g mains with thin round copoly cross strung 10 lbs lower than standard gut/poly. Tops NG in feel/power/spin/durability/ball pocketing.
 

blai212

Hall of Fame
Any cross with good tension maintenance works. Some of my favorites are SPPP 1.18 YPTP 1.20, currently testing RPM blast 1.20 and tourna black zone 1.20 which also feel good but waiting to see how these strings perform playability duration wise. Used to like revolve 1.25/rpm rough (sadly they dont make 1.20) but playability duration not great. V star 1.20 felt nice and soft but didnt last that long. I have found that round cross is much softer than shaped.
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
Any cross with good tension maintenance works. Some of my favorites are SPPP 1.18 YPTP 1.20, currently testing RPM blast 1.20 and tourna black zone 1.20 which also feel good but waiting to see how these strings perform playability duration wise. Used to like revolve 1.25/rpm rough (sadly they dont make 1.20) but playability duration not great. V star 1.20 felt nice and soft but didnt last that long. I have found that round cross is much softer than shaped.

One thing I can state for sure is that we are all different animals. I have read so many raves about amazing strings and I have tried most of them (Including the famous VCT16 / SPPP). I have spend time and money, just to discover that one players magical setup felt like crap to me. Read so many times that this x string is superior to gut, and this tension in a hybrid is amazing.

To OP if you want to find a great string setup, there is no way out but testing it out for your self. I have 4 matched racquet, so I can play different string setup back to back, I also have an ERT 300 string meter to keep track of tension. I have a few favorites, but have not found the holy grail yet. So be aware that when players state that this setup is magical it only works for that player, it might not work for you and your racquet.

I know this is not much help, but it might still be a good advice.

Cheers, H
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
Agree with Happi that a) everyone has a preferred feel in their string bed and b) not everyone feels the elusive "pocketing" the same way.
It's really hard to ask a nebulous question about strings and get an answer that is right for you.
Dwell/ball compression will depend as much on string tensions and player's sensitivity as it will on the string type. So answers might be all over the place.
 

blai212

Hall of Fame
@Happi What racquet do you use and what is your play style/level? I am a 4.5 hard hitting aggressive baseliner and have found that most of my friends enjoy my setup. For reference, I use yonex VCP97 310g weighted up to 350g with .6” of lead at 10 and 2oclock. Also extended my racquet 1/4” so it is a semi plus racquet. The low tension powerful setup works well in my control oriented racquet. If you use a more powerful racquet (pure drive comes to mind) then I would probably string about 10 lbs tighter. Also, my racquet provides good flex unlike the stiffer babolats so that could also be a contributing factor to the pain/comfort level of the strings. Remember to take ALL things into account.
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
@Happi What racquet do you use and what is your play style/level? I am a 4.5 hard hitting aggressive baseliner and have found that most of my friends enjoy my setup. For reference, I use yonex VCP97 310g weighted up to 350g with .6” of lead at 10 and 2oclock. Also extended my racquet 1/4” so it is a semi plus racquet. The low tension powerful setup works well in my control oriented racquet. If you use a more powerful racquet (pure drive comes to mind) then I would probably string about 10 lbs tighter. Also, my racquet provides good flex unlike the stiffer babolats so that could also be a contributing factor to the pain/comfort level of the strings. Remember to take ALL things into account.

Angell TC95 18x20

I am happy for you that you found your string setup, I have a few good ones but still looking to see if there is some hidden gems out there.
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
I think your best bet might be hyperG soft 18g

interesting, I did not like the regular Hyper G too much, might want to try it out, thanks. Have some Tout Bite soft I will put in next. I actually like FB VCT 18g red, but tension drops too much too fast.
 

chazz

Rookie
Prince 16g synthetic gut original white @ high tension for an inexpensive option. Natural gut strung at high tension for the expensive ideal option.
 

jdub486

Rookie
Fresh VS gut mains with Alu rough crosses strung 3lbs below mains has incredible, best there is ball pocketing for 2 hours.
 

Louis33

Semi-Pro
@Happi What racquet do you use and what is your play style/level? I am a 4.5 hard hitting aggressive baseliner and have found that most of my friends enjoy my setup. For reference, I use yonex VCP97 310g weighted up to 350g with .6” of lead at 10 and 2oclock. Also extended my racquet 1/4” so it is a semi plus racquet. The low tension powerful setup works well in my control oriented racquet. If you use a more powerful racquet (pure drive comes to mind) then I would probably string about 10 lbs tighter. Also, my racquet provides good flex unlike the stiffer babolats so that could also be a contributing factor to the pain/comfort level of the strings. Remember to take ALL things into account.
I am curious what your forehand grip is and how much spin you play on your shots? I tried a similar setup to yours but strung tighter and it was the worst setup I ever played with. The 16 gauge VCT lost tension quick and the trajectory off the stringbed was high and it was just launching on me. I play 5.0-5.5 players and also play aggressively and hit the ball hard. I like to stay right on the baseline and take the ball early and with this setup I could not control incoming spin and power from opponents it was just coming off the strings too hot for me to play anything decent. I had the same experience with volleys. I play a head graphene 360+ prestige mid, semi-western forehand, and hit moderate spin.
 

blai212

Hall of Fame
I am curious what your forehand grip is and how much spin you play on your shots? I tried a similar setup to yours but strung tighter and it was the worst setup I ever played with. The 16 gauge VCT lost tension quick and the trajectory off the stringbed was high and it was just launching on me. I play 5.0-5.5 players and also play aggressively and hit the ball hard. I like to stay right on the baseline and take the ball early and with this setup I could not control incoming spin and power from opponents it was just coming off the strings too hot for me to play anything decent. I had the same experience with volleys. I play a head graphene 360+ prestige mid, semi-western forehand, and hit moderate spin.
Yep I play similar style with semiwestern forehand/2hbh, maybe you would need to string much tighter or if you’re able to provide your own power, use a more control oriented string like tour bite/hyperG(soft). It’s really about utilizing the correct racquet face orientation to control the trajectory/ball path with these powerful string setups such as VCT. What was your exact string setup/tension?
 

socallefty

G.O.A.T.
I liked VS/HyperG soft at 47/44 for a couple of months on a Pure Strike Tour and since it is winter now, I decided to try a lower tension to get a bit more pop on cold nights. What I’ve found is that at 46/42, the stringjob has much less spin and it seems like a lower launch angle - so, it feels less powerful. I don’t know if this is really from the lower tension or from the lower temperatures, but I plan to go back to my previous tension. Can anyone explain if a lower tension can somehow feel less powerful with less spin?
 

blai212

Hall of Fame
I liked VS/HyperG soft at 47/44 for a couple of months on a Pure Strike Tour and since it is winter now, I decided to try a lower tension to get a bit more pop on cold nights. What I’ve found is that at 46/42, the stringjob has much less spin and it seems like a lower launch angle - so, it feels less powerful. I don’t know if this is really from the lower tension or from the lower temperatures, but I plan to go back to my previous tension. Can anyone explain if a lower tension can somehow feel less powerful with less spin?
it’s probably the temperature
 

Louis33

Semi-Pro
Yep I play similar style with semiwestern forehand/2hbh, maybe you would need to string much tighter or if you’re able to provide your own power, use a more control oriented string like tour bite/hyperG(soft). It’s really about utilizing the correct racquet face orientation to control the trajectory/ball path with these powerful string setups such as VCT. What was your exact string setup/tension?
String setup was VCT 16g/ head lynx tour 17g at 53/48 lbs. I played head velocity/lynx tour at same tension and it had considerably less power. Full bed of lynx tour at 47 lbs also played great for me.

VCT just kept loosing tension for me and it felt like a rubber band from the start. I could not hit through the ball whatsoever. It had great feel to it but I felt like I was somewhat neutered in being able to play aggressively. I was curious if you played a lot of topspin because that was the only way I could keep the ball in play haha.
 

Louis33

Semi-Pro
I liked VS/HyperG soft at 47/44 for a couple of months on a Pure Strike Tour and since it is winter now, I decided to try a lower tension to get a bit more pop on cold nights. What I’ve found is that at 46/42, the stringjob has much less spin and it seems like a lower launch angle - so, it feels less powerful. I don’t know if this is really from the lower tension or from the lower temperatures, but I plan to go back to my previous tension. Can anyone explain if a lower tension can somehow feel less powerful with less spin?
I agree with blai that it sounds like the cold weather is making your strings play this way and not your new tension.
 

blai212

Hall of Fame
String setup was VCT 16g/ head lynx tour 17g at 53/48 lbs. I played head velocity/lynx tour at same tension and it had considerably less power. Full bed of lynx tour at 47 lbs also played great for me.

VCT just kept loosing tension for me and it felt like a rubber band from the start. I could not hit through the ball whatsoever. It had great feel to it but I felt like I was somewhat neutered in being able to play aggressively. I was curious if you played a lot of topspin because that was the only way I could keep the ball in play haha.
What racquet do you use? I use vcore pro 97 310g version...these racquets are pretty low powered and great for control which is probably why such low tension works for me.
 

Louis33

Semi-Pro
What racquet do you use? I use vcore pro 97 310g version...these racquets are pretty low powered and great for control which is probably why such low tension works for me.
I play a Head Graphene 360+ prestige mid 16x19, 12.3 oz strung. It’s denser than a normal 16x19 but not quite as dense as most 18x20s. I’m not sure if it’s considered controlled or not but I usually string polys mid to high 40s with good control. I have a couple sets left of the VCT I could try stringing in the low 60s. I don’t see it working for me at anything lower than that.
 

blai212

Hall of Fame
I play a Head Graphene 360+ prestige mid 16x19, 12.3 oz strung. It’s denser than a normal 16x19 but not quite as dense as most 18x20s. I’m not sure if it’s considered controlled or not but I usually string polys mid to high 40s with good control. I have a couple sets left of the VCT I could try stringing in the low 60s. I don’t see it working for me at anything lower than that.
I would try inching up to high 50s...low 60s might be a bit high but if it’s too tight you could always just let it sit in your bag until it loosens up
 

blai212

Hall of Fame
@Louis33 dunlop black widow is another copoly that is soft and spinny...the only knock on it is that the sharpness wears off after few hrs. HyperG soft would have better longevity but a bit stiffer. 18g might work well in your dense prestige string pattern
 

ewiewp

Hall of Fame
Is this the same as “pocketing” - if so my vote is for NG/ZX pro @50# (55# for a little less pocketing and more control).

OMG, this is sweet combination. NG + ZX. Amazing feeling and the best ever feel I've had.

Only problem was that ZX initial nature quickly changes, in about a few hours.
So I had to give up on it. I still miss 1st a few hours of this combination.
 

Louis33

Semi-Pro
@Louis33 dunlop black widow is another copoly that is soft and spinny...the only knock on it is that the sharpness wears off after few hrs. HyperG soft would have better longevity but a bit stiffer. 18g might work well in your dense prestige string pattern
Thanks for the suggestions but I am content on my current setup of head velocity/max power. I string the velocity pretty tight and it holds tension well to keep play consistent. With full poly I like the stiff stuff so perhaps the VCT just isn’t for me. It honestly was the worst setup I ever played and I know you love it so was curious what your play style is and how you make it work for you.
 

Happi

Hall of Fame
@Louis33 dunlop black widow is another copoly that is soft and spinny...the only knock on it is that the sharpness wears off after few hrs. HyperG soft would have better longevity but a bit stiffer. 18g might work well in your dense prestige string pattern

Black Widow plays very stiff IMO killed my elbow a few years back. BW 17 has a stiffness of 216 at TWU.

@blai212 I see we almost aways have the opposite opinions on strings, I respect your opinion but it just shows how individual it is, and how hard it is to get or give advice on strings, one simply have to try it out for oneself.

This forum provide good inspiration on strings, and I always find new combos to try out.
 

shadow01

Professional
OMG, this is sweet combination. NG + ZX. Amazing feeling and the best ever feel I've had.

Only problem was that ZX initial nature quickly changes, in about a few hours.
So I had to give up on it. I still miss 1st a few hours of this combination.
Yeah. Great combo to rehab my GE - although I was able to play with it longer than you (10-13 hours - when gut breaks). There is a whole thread about this setup if you haven’t seen it.
 

ewiewp

Hall of Fame
Yeah. Great combo to rehab my GE - although I was able to play with it longer than you (10-13 hours - when gut breaks). There is a whole thread about this setup if you haven’t seen it.

yeah, 8-10 hours were "ok". 1st a few hours were sublime.

I'm no string breaker and user of 18x20. I'm happy with full gut job (can not use poly after wrist injury a few years back)
I'm aware of the ZX thread and actually that's why I tried. And in my case, ball launch angle gets lower after 8-10 hours.
 
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blai212

Hall of Fame
Thanks for the suggestions but I am content on my current setup of head velocity/max power. I string the velocity pretty tight and it holds tension well to keep play consistent. With full poly I like the stiff stuff so perhaps the VCT just isn’t for me. It honestly was the worst setup I ever played and I know you love it so was curious what your play style is and how you make it work for you.
I am 4.5 hard hitting aggressive baseliner. What gauge strings do you use and how long does it last for you? Non poly strings just dont work for me because they simply break too fast. I’d rather use soft poly strung low for comfort + durability
 

Louis33

Semi-Pro
I am 4.5 hard hitting aggressive baseliner. What gauge strings do you use and how long does it last for you? Non poly strings just dont work for me because they simply break too fast. I’d rather use soft poly strung low for comfort + durability
I have been able to play 17g head velocity mains,18g Kirschbaum max power crosses for 12-15 hours before the velocity is notched enough to change performance (feels harsher, less spin). For reference I have snapped prince synthetic gut 16g full bed in around 90 minutes of play using the same racquet (locks within 20 minutes of hard hitting). I really enjoy the performance of gut mains but the cost is just not worth it for me so this past year I have experimented a lot with different multis and tensions to make them work as mains and apply a tennis lubricant after each time I play to keep friction low to preserve my strings.

Although velocity is not on the same level as gut, it still performs better than poly mains for me because it keeps its tension and for me that is consistency. That is the biggest thing I look for in strings is consistent trajectory off the racquet. I like to play aggressive and end points early, like to come to the net, flat serve, moderate spin on ground strokes but when I go for winners I really flatten it out. My play style and perhaps racquet could contribute to the multi mains lasting longer but the way I string and take care of the strings I believe makes the biggest difference.
 

Louis33

Semi-Pro
I would try inching up to high 50s...low 60s might be a bit high but if it’s too tight you could always just let it sit in your bag until it loosens up
Giving VCT another try. I strung up a hybrid of VCT mains at 62 lbs and Max Power crosses at 48 pounds. Going to have a hitting session tomorrow and test it out.
 
String setup was VCT 16g/ head lynx tour 17g at 53/48 lbs. I played head velocity/lynx tour at same tension and it had considerably less power. Full bed of lynx tour at 47 lbs also played great for me.

VCT just kept loosing tension for me and it felt like a rubber band from the start. I could not hit through the ball whatsoever. It had great feel to it but I felt like I was somewhat neutered in being able to play aggressively. I was curious if you played a lot of topspin because that was the only way I could keep the ball in play haha.
I just played with VCT at 48/47 lbs and had the same issue as you. Great feel and effortless power when I was just hitting around but in match, all my serves were long and I couldn't confidently hit aggressively. I wonder if I should try at a higher tension or just need time to get used to it. Maybe hybriding as a main and or a cross with either hyper G or HG soft to add more control?
 

Louis33

Semi-Pro
I just played with VCT at 48/47 lbs and had the same issue as you. Great feel and effortless power when I was just hitting around but in match, all my serves were long and I couldn't confidently hit aggressively. I wonder if I should try at a higher tension or just need time to get used to it. Maybe hybriding as a main and or a cross with either hyper G or HG soft to add more control?
Head lynx tour is one of the most controlled polys I have played with and having it in the crosses with VCT mains did not give me any control whatsoever. I will let you know how the VCT plays tomorrow at 62 pounds in the mains. I have one more pack left of VCT so if this setup plays anything like the last I will either try again with a heavy manual prestretch or just give it away to the 3.0 girl I just started coaching.
 

WYK

Hall of Fame
Some of the softer polys in the low 40's have great pocketing. Dunno if it transcribes to plush, tho... BUt you can definitely feel it pocketing the ball and increasing spin and lowering shock.
Synthetics in the low 40's get a bit too sloppy. Gut can go down to about 48lbs in a mid size and still feel good, tho. But it is very powerful, where as poly at those tensions tends to lose power and gain control.
 

Louis33

Semi-Pro
I just played with VCT at 48/47 lbs and had the same issue as you. Great feel and effortless power when I was just hitting around but in match, all my serves were long and I couldn't confidently hit aggressively. I wonder if I should try at a higher tension or just need time to get used to it. Maybe hybriding as a main and or a cross with either hyper G or HG soft to add more control?
Was able to play today with VCT/Max Power hybrid at 62/48 and it played great! VCT still had great pocketing at 62 lbs and spin was very good it reminded me of gut/poly both in feel, pop, and spin. The only downside was after about 30 mins it did lose more tension (my guess would be around 5 lbs) but control was still there. I was hugging the baseline pretty tight after the tension drop so I am thinking 64-65 pounds might be the right tension assuming control is linear. Direct comparison with Head Velocity/Max Power at 60/48 VCT had more pop, better feel (cupping the ball, gut like) and slightly more spin. If tension holds for next hitting session I might have found a string to replace my Head Velocity mains, but still have Tecnifibre HDMX, Multifeel, and Gosen AK Pro CX to try as mains.
 

Louis33

Semi-Pro
@Louis33 I would give black knight 17/ghostwire 17 a try...feels very soft, good spin/power and excellent playability duration
Funny you mention that setup because I just purchased the tier one sample pack and going to try this setup next. I strung up tier one triumph multi/max power crosses today and will give the black knight/ghostwire a try next. The other string I had my eye on was hyper g soft with ghostwire crosses. How would they compare? Mainly interested in trajectory difference, playability duration, and softness.
 

blai212

Hall of Fame
Funny you mention that setup because I just purchased the tier one sample pack and going to try this setup next. I strung up tier one triumph multi/max power crosses today and will give the black knight/ghostwire a try next. The other string I had my eye on was hyper g soft with ghostwire crosses. How would they compare? Mainly interested in trajectory difference, playability duration, and softness.
Not too familiar with HGS/GW setup, that is next up on my list of setups to try. Have played HG/GW in 16g on a used vcp97 that I bought off the forum. Control was great but felt a bit too harsh for me (sensitive arm). I’d imagine HGS is lower powered than BK which is already supposed to be low powered according to @J011yroger but maybe the ‘boost’ from GW crosses provided the increased power I felt. The shapedness of the BK doesnt wear off quick like volkl cyclone and it doesn’t seem to go dead that fast.
 
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