Who plays with poly at 57lb or higher tension?

martini1

Hall of Fame
I happen to know a stringer who constantly recommend people stringing full bed poly at 57lb, sometimes at 60lb. I mean, I personally cannot hit with such a stiff, board like string bed. Anybody play with such high tension out there? Can you even move the strings while hitting the ball?
 

SpinToWin

Talk Tennis Guru
depends on the string pattern. If you are using a dense 18x20 string pattern… Yeah, 57 is damn high. If you are using a very open string pattern though, 57 is not that exceptional. Many guys using S or ESP string patterns string full poly in the sixties.
 
I have my poly strung at around 58 lbs because that's what my friend keeps his stringer set there. I use the EXO3 Tour 100 which is a VERY soft racquet so my arm doesn't really have a problem.
 

NLBwell

Legend
depends on the string pattern. If you are using a dense 18x20 string pattern… Yeah, 57 is damn high. If you are using a very open string pattern though, 57 is not that exceptional. Many guys using S or ESP string patterns string full poly in the sixties.

Yes, I can see maybe a 15 or even 20 lb difference in tension to make a 93sqin 18x20 feel the same as a large-head spin racket.

I use a Prestige Pro at 56 lbs, I've strung it at 57 before, but 56 is better for me. 60 would be really stiff.
 

3fees

G.O.A.T.
57.5 lbs. Not all polys are flexible at this tension, Yonex Poly Tour Spin and Pro are, so is Tier One -Tour Status ect.


Cheers
3Fees :)
 

YarikA99

Rookie
I sometimes go up to 65 with some polys like black widow in my 90. I find that it gives great control and spin. Its really not that stiff. :)
 

TobyTopspin

Professional
It all depends on the racquet and string pattern. I use 58 in my Pure Strike 16X19 that I'm giving a long play test, but I would never use that high in my APDs. The Strikes still feel soft and flexy, but my APDs would be brittle and harsh at the same tension even though they are both 16X19 patterns.
 

Fuji

Legend
I've gone pretty tight. 65Lbs in a PD+, 67lbs in 99S.

Usually I float around 60-65 while indoors, but I do drop when I move outdoors. I'm down to around 55-57lbs, although I don't mind going lower if I find I'm losing depth.

-Fuji
 

anubis

Hall of Fame
I'm the only one I know in my circle of 25+ tennis friends (3.5 through 5.0) who strings his frames with poly below 57 lbs. I string my 18x20 frames at 48 lbs and my 16x19 frames at 52 lbs. Everyone else I know strings 60 lbs or tighter. I think the trend beyond the TT forums is tight stringbeds.
 

newpball

Legend
I happen to know a stringer who constantly recommend people stringing full bed poly at 57lb, sometimes at 60lb. I mean, I personally cannot hit with such a stiff, board like string bed. Anybody play with such high tension out there? Can you even move the strings while hitting the ball?
If you want to play poly play it right, so that means you want to string it between 50 and 60 lb. People playing poly at 30lb are better off playing a nice nylon string at 50lb. But hey, they want to be known as a "Poly player" because their favorite tennis player uses it.

:grin:
 

PaulC

Professional
Folks with frame size 100 or bigger...

Folks with frame size 100 or bigger... if they don't need a catapult.
 

cincyMike

Rookie
I used the Wilson Juice 100 S for a while and absolutely had to string it to 63lbs or higher. Honestly, I probably could have strung that thing at 70 and would have been very usable!! Aside from that racket I have always strung in low 50s sometimes dipping down to 48 or so. 55 was the highest I would go on a more dense string pattern.
 

QuadCam

Professional
I used to string my Prince Titaniums (14x18) at 60# with a full bed of Alu Power. It was fantastic. I had no elbow issue then though.

The mere thought of it makes me wince, now.
 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
I have two somewhat identical DunlopBio300T's.
One with Silk at 58, one with BBanger at 51.
I'd prefer both to be 10-14lbs softer in tension.
But, of the two, BB feels softer and friendlier.
 

tlm

G.O.A.T.
First off you can't compare 16x19 to 18x20 totally different tension range. When talking high tension I think that we are talking about 16 or 14 mains.

When I use full poly I go at 68lbs. right now I have been using a 18 gauge kevlar main at 60 lbs. with 17 gauge lux 4G x's at 67 lbs. To me nothing beats a tight low powered string job, it provides unmatched bite and control.
 

tlm

G.O.A.T.
I guess that you won't have many answers. People using poly at that tension are unable to use a keyboard...

How would you know that? Have you ever tried high tension? Or are you like most that insist that high tension poly is unplayable even though you have never used it.
 

RogueFLIP

Professional
Using my setup @ 58# for the longest time.

Only started to experiment with lower tensions few months ago as I got better and needed more power.

Settled @ 53# for now.
 

kaiser

Semi-Pro
Have played full poly in the low 60s since the late 90s until I read Chris' blog and thread on low, low tensions and gave the sub40s a try. I was immediately smitten and never looked back, I'm now at 36/34...
 

TobyTopspin

Professional
Have played full poly in the low 60s since the late 90s until I read Chris' blog and thread on low, low tensions and gave the sub40s a try. I was immediately smitten and never looked back, I'm now at 36/34...

I've come full circle with regards to tension (ignore signature - to lazy to change it). I tried as low as the high 20s but now I'm at 60lbs with my APDs with Hurricane Tour and inching upwards to the same number with my Strikes. I like the rock solid feel and control, but everyone is different and there is no right or wrong.
 

Fuji

Legend
I've come full circle with regards to tension (ignore signature - to lazy to change it). I tried as low as the high 20s but now I'm at 60lbs with my APDs with Hurricane Tour and inching upwards to the same number with my Strikes. I like the rock solid feel and control, but everyone is different and there is no right or wrong.

I honestly think it boils down to what type of shots you are facing on a daily basis. For coaching I string at 30lbs with a soft multi, however when I'm training with college guys I up to around 60lbs with a stiffer poly. For just light hitting with students though I can use ELT pretty easily.

-Fuji
 

Cerps

Professional
It seems to be different for everyone but I used to string my old Head Speed racquet at 57 lbs with Sonic Pro 1,25 but then I started lowering my tension and now I am at 51/50 with Sonic Pro Edge 1.30 and thinking of dropping even lower. Everything just feels better: more spin, more feel, more control (because of the spin), more pace!
 

TobyTopspin

Professional
I honestly think it boils down to what type of shots you are facing on a daily basis. For coaching I string at 30lbs with a soft multi, however when I'm training with college guys I up to around 60lbs with a stiffer poly. For just light hitting with students though I can use ELT pretty easily.

-Fuji

absolutely! I hate feeding with my "playing sticks" or poly at all for that matter. I keep one stick with gut in it for that, but I can see why ELT would work even better for certain situations. the benefit with the gut is that I might restring it once or twice a year.
 

TobyTopspin

Professional
It seems to be different for everyone but I used to string my old Head Speed racquet at 57 lbs with Sonic Pro 1,25 but then I started lowering my tension and now I am at 51/50 with Sonic Pro Edge 1.30 and thinking of dropping even lower. Everything just feels better: more spin, more feel, more control (because of the spin), more pace!

I didn't get more pace with lower tensions. I can say that I get solid pace with the lower 50's such as yourself, but when I dropped any lower than 48 lbs I had to work a lot harder to put balls away and I had to hit more shots to win points. My balls are much heavier with the higher tension. Plus, I seemed to get more arm pain from the lower tensions. My theory is that at ELT the strings will only stretch so much and your arm takes the resulting force. It's just my little stupid theory though no proof what-so-ever. The main thing is to find what you like and try to stick with it.
 

pauliewa

Rookie
If you want to play poly play it right, so that means you want to string it between 50 and 60 lb. People playing poly at 30lb are better off playing a nice nylon string at 50lb. But hey, they want to be known as a "Poly player" because their favorite tennis player uses it.

:grin:


Not necessarily true. Plenty of tour players use poly between 35-45lbs. I believe Volandri takes the cake at low thirties though it may be another Italian. Sock at 39. Raonic at 42. Stiff 16g polys work well at low tensions for many big hitters.
 

jonestim

Hall of Fame
I am currently using Prince Tour 100 ESPs and have migrated up in tension. I just strung two last night @58 - Pro Line X 16 and Prince Tour XC 16L. On the non-ESP EXO3 Tours I would often string around 50-52 and around 45 on my Diablo Mids.
 

henweezy

Rookie
+1 on stringing poly high then dropping tension.
I originally used to do full bed of poly in the high 50's and even full bed @ 60 one time of volkl cyclone.
I've recently made the switch to v-torque on an organix 7 and find myself dropping 2-3 pounds lower every time i restring.
will try 50/52 on my next one. Currently at 54/56
 

martini1

Hall of Fame
Wow I am surprise to see this many people play with full bed at high tension, especially the 18x20 guys. I played with my friend's flex point Radical 18x20 at 57lb and it feels like a table tennis blade. The soft frame makes it playable but it can't feel the pocketing. I guess I could string the K90 that high full bed but the power level would be low for me, since I got used to stringing it at around 50lb. But on the 99S I sure can do 55-57, but not 60+.
 

Fuji

Legend
Wow I am surprise to see this many people play with full bed at high tension, especially the 18x20 guys. I played with my friend's flex point Radical 18x20 at 57lb and it feels like a table tennis blade. The soft frame makes it playable but it can't feel the pocketing. I guess I could string the K90 that high full bed but the power level would be low for me, since I got used to stringing it at around 50lb. But on the 99S I sure can do 55-57, but not 60+.

My bud strings his Youtek Prestige MP with stiff 16g poly at 60-62lbs. That's a total board but it plays great.

-Fuji
 

tlm

G.O.A.T.
Wow I am surprise to see this many people play with full bed at high tension, especially the 18x20 guys. I played with my friend's flex point Radical 18x20 at 57lb and it feels like a table tennis blade. The soft frame makes it playable but it can't feel the pocketing. I guess I could string the K90 that high full bed but the power level would be low for me, since I got used to stringing it at around 50lb. But on the 99S I sure can do 55-57, but not 60+.


Like I mentioned earlier 18x20 pattern has a entirely different tension range to me. If the tight patterns are strung to tight they do feel like a board, but with 16 main patterns it is a lot different.

With an open pattern racket 60lbs. and above is not a big deal. A hitting partner of mine uses a blx 90 with lux bb ace at 70lbs. and it does not feel like a board. It actually has a soft feel to it, so many that have not tried high tension think that any full poly above 55 lbs. is going to feel like a board and will instantly make your arm fall off. But that is not true, only those that actually try these set ups know how they play, not the speculators.
 

TennisCJC

Legend
If you want to play poly play it right, so that means you want to string it between 50 and 60 lb. People playing poly at 30lb are better off playing a nice nylon string at 50lb. But hey, they want to be known as a "Poly player" because their favorite tennis player uses it.

:grin:

I once read that Jack Sock strings all poly at 38 lbs and Daniel Nestor strings gut mains at 40 lbs with a poly cross at 38 lbs. Volandri, the Italian pro, has been known to string all poly in the 25-30 lb range. I don't think there is a right way. James Blake, Del Potro, and early Roddick use to string in the high 50s to low 60s. Roddick did drop about 10 lbs late in his career.

For me, I string poly between 46-52 lbs on 100" racket with 16x19 pattern. I think a reasonable range for 90% of us is 40-58 lbs. But, I would only go into the 54-58 range on an OS open pattern. I personally have not gone above 52 lbs on poly in the last 2 or 3 years.
 

tlm

G.O.A.T.
I once read that Jack Sock strings all poly at 38 lbs and Daniel Nestor strings gut mains at 40 lbs with a poly cross at 38 lbs. Volandri, the Italian pro, has been known to string all poly in the 25-30 lb range. I don't think there is a right way. James Blake, Del Potro, and early Roddick use to string in the high 50s to low 60s. Roddick did drop about 10 lbs late in his career.

For me, I string poly between 46-52 lbs on 100" racket with 16x19 pattern. I think a reasonable range for 90% of us is 40-58 lbs. But, I would only go into the 54-58 range on an OS open pattern. I personally have not gone above 52 lbs on poly in the last 2 or 3 years.

I agree with most of your points there is no one way that is right. Yes there are a few pro's that use really low tension poly like you listed, but they are in a minority very few string that low so it is far from the norm.

Plus it really is not accurate to compare to pro player's tensions. Most only use a new string job for about a half hour or so then change to new string job. So when someone says I am using the same tension as fed or some other pro well ya they are for the first part of their first hitting session with that stringjob.

But they are not using the same tension the next day let alone the next week. It is much easier to use lower tension set up when you only use it with new strings for a short period of time.
 
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SCRAP IRON

Professional
If you have a flexible racket with an open string pattern, then you can benefit from a co-poly with a tension near 60 lbs. I have done that with the Prince ESP frames.
 
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