Why is Luxilon so popular?

[prostaff_fan]

Have you tried other poly strings?

Yes I have tried my fair share of poly strings (always as a cross string with gut or multi in main). In fact I have not been using luxilon for a while, but switched back to 4g in the crosses recently. Again, my main issue with luxilon is its playability over a period of time. But that's an issue with most poly strings.

 

[estigma2001]

Was the 17 the 1.25 gauge? I think they call it 16L. ALU power and Power rough are what drives the Luxilon brand.

yes i´m sorry it was the 16L

 

[eelhc]

Yap, technique is everything
The tennis equipment industry has been trying to convince us otherwise though since the beginning of time.

To be fair not just Tennis. In every sport there are people who try to "buy a game". The manufacturers are behaving a predictable manner. The only way to " buy a game" is through lessons and clinics.

That said... luxilon makes fine tennis strings.

 

[drgchen]

Bottom line is that at one point most of the pro level players changed from something else to Luxilon. At the time of the change, there was almost no marketing. Word of mouth usually has some weight behind it.

Luxilon ALU is one of the best strings on the market to date. It was fairly recently that wilson took over marketing the string. If someone could replicate or surpass the playability, they would be really rich.

I do agree that
- It is overpriced, but the market seems to support it.
- There are other good strings
- Racquets and string are about 10-20% of your game. The other 80% is skill. I have seen many a teaching pro pick up whatever racquet is available and hit just fine.

 

[SpinToWin]

I'd say the problem is that Luxilon strings are practically made for the pros, who switch racquets every time there are new balls, as they have one of the shortest playability durations around (though they are pretty unique in the level of playability). Recreational players see the pros playing Luxilon strings (almost exclusively) and follow suit.

 

[Sander001]

I need:
- a fat polyester, like 1.40mm
- holding tension well would be nice.

Am I wrong in thinking that only Luxilon serves that need?

 

[GlenK]

To the average player that watches tennis on TV the commentators generally make it sound like Luxilon is the only poly out there. I have not heard any other brand mentioned by name. They seem to give the impression that Luxilon is it.

Some of the guys I string for are surprised to hear how many poly offerings are out there.

 

[SpinToWin]

I need:
- a fat polyester, like 1.40mm
- holding tension well would be nice.

Am I wrong in thinking that only Luxilon serves that need?

Is 15L not enough?

If yes…
Prince Tour XC
Prince Beast XP
Prince Tour XS
Isospeed Baseline Long Life
Tecnifibre Black Code

If no…
Luxilon 4G S
Luxilon Alu Power
Prince Tour XC
Wilson Ripspin

Quite a bit to choose from IMO.

Also (at least here in Germany) some Kirschbaum strings are available in 1.35, for example Super Smash, Competition and Super Smash Spiky.

 

[insiderman]

There was a player... from Spain, his ranking was going "south" quickly... he took a drastic chance and changed to a Babolat racket, (known today as the; Pure Drive - yet he used the Soft Drive actually) plus, he found that this new added 'power' would not work with his 'old' string, so he tried Lux 'original' (big-banger) and he goes to the Aussie Open...

The rest is history - as the players, no matter their ranking, are addicts to wanting the same "potential" Holy Grail.. technically, it is a sh*t string... whatever~!@

 

[SpinToWin]

There was a player... from Spain, his ranking was going "south" quickly... he took a drastic chance and changed to a Babolat racket, (known today as the; Pure Drive - yet he used the Soft Drive actually) plus, he found that this new added 'power' would not work with his 'old' string, so he tried Lux 'original' (big-banger) and he goes to the Aussie Open...

The rest is history - as the players, no matter their ranking, are addicts to wanting the same "potential" Holy Grail.. technically, it is a sh*t string... whatever~!@

What…? Are you okay?

 

[PDR]

Are you talking about Gustavo Kuerten? I read somewhere that he was the first to use Luxilon against Sampras in some tournament and the ball was kicking up etc.

 

[ultradr]

Actually, string (and stringing) has been my best investment among all equipements.

 

[ricki]

if alu power price dropped to 1/2... I woudnt ever use any other string. I guess same would do other poly users! Thing is why other producers cant clone this string umm?

 

[Power Player]

What…? Are you okay?

In many ways he is right. It is a poor string in terms of durability and tension maintenance. For 4-6 hours though, it is amazing.

 

[yangster007]

Out of boredom and under the influence of this thread, today after work, I decided to bust out a 3 year old set of Alu Power from my "string inventory", and strung up my BLX90. My god this is stiff, even at 45 lb. Compare to the normal gut hybrid and full poly string setups, this is insanely stiff and low powered. :evil:

 

[zapvor]

lol well yea compared to gut

 

[ChicagoJack]

For those of you who were not playing in the late 90's, early 2000's, here's a few articles that might put this into a historical perspective.

Quote : " Top 10 French Open Moments : As the world's best players take on the fabled red clay of Roland Garros, TIME turns back the clock and recalls the best French Open matches of the past 30 years. Professional tennis players call it "the Luxilon shot," and, apparently, you can hear it coming. The ball crosses the net hissing and spitting like some enraged tropical insect. Its most lethal element is its topspin, which can dip the ball crosscourt in short angles so extreme that "the game has gone from linear to parabolic," as ex-pro turned coach Scott McCain recently put it. "It's like ping-pong out there." The Luxilon shot can be traced back to 1997, when Gustavo Kuerten, a gangly, low-ranked Brazilian player, decided to string his racket with a co-polymer monofilament designed by Luxilon... "

-- Time Magazine,
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1900153_1900174_1899876,00.html


Quote : "Even as a young pro, this was the model Roger Federer followed. "Seeing Roger play when he started on the tour around the year 2000, it seemed he was obviously modeling his game after Pete [Sampras]," McCain said. "He was one-handed, could block the ball, had a good forehand and seemed like he was looking to attack."And then came the string called Luxilon. Unlike the lively strings of days past, Luxilon -- a company that makes fibers and strings for industrial applications -- is a dead string. According to Nate Ferguson, head of Priority 1, the company that strings for such pros as Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Fernando Gonzalez and Novak Djokovic: "It's a total shift. Because the string is so dead, the player can swing loose and hard. The result is much more dip, whip and power." "The rotation you get is drastically different than with gut," Goldstein said. "The ball jumps and moves unbelievably. A ball that looks like it's going way out and then drops like a stone -- that's what everyone calls 'a Luxilon shot.' "

--ESPN, Joel Drucker, October 24, 2007
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=3064206

-J

 

[zapvor]

For those of you who were not playing in the late 90's, early 2000's, here's a few articles that might put this into a historical perspective.

Quote : " Top 10 French Open Moments : As the world's best players take on the fabled red clay of Roland Garros, TIME turns back the clock and recalls the best French Open matches of the past 30 years. Professional tennis players call it "the Luxilon shot," and, apparently, you can hear it coming. The ball crosses the net hissing and spitting like some enraged tropical insect. Its most lethal element is its topspin, which can dip the ball crosscourt in short angles so extreme that "the game has gone from linear to parabolic," as ex-pro turned coach Scott McCain recently put it. "It's like ping-pong out there." The Luxilon shot can be traced back to 1997, when Gustavo Kuerten, a gangly, low-ranked Brazilian player, decided to string his racket with a co-polymer monofilament designed by Luxilon... "

-- Time Magazine,
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1900153_1900174_1899876,00.html


Quote : "Even as a young pro, this was the model Roger Federer followed. "Seeing Roger play when he started on the tour around the year 2000, it seemed he was obviously modeling his game after Pete [Sampras]," McCain said. "He was one-handed, could block the ball, had a good forehand and seemed like he was looking to attack."And then came the string called Luxilon. Unlike the lively strings of days past, Luxilon -- a company that makes fibers and strings for industrial applications -- is a dead string. According to Nate Ferguson, head of Priority 1, the company that strings for such pros as Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Fernando Gonzalez and Novak Djokovic: "It's a total shift. Because the string is so dead, the player can swing loose and hard. The result is much more dip, whip and power." "The rotation you get is drastically different than with gut," Goldstein said. "The ball jumps and moves unbelievably. A ball that looks like it's going way out and then drops like a stone -- that's what everyone calls 'a Luxilon shot.' "

--ESPN, Joel Drucker, October 24, 2007
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=3064206


-J

its funny you mention articles. the only reason strings are popular is because of articles such as these. if TEnnis mag published that kevlar was the new trend, everyone would start using it.

 

[yangster007]

lol well yea compared to gut

Took it to court just earlier, it softened up a bit and was giving me some good control. Still, my elbow is sore already after 1 hour of hitting with the Luxilon

 

[zapvor]

Took it to court just earlier, it softened up a bit and was giving me some good control. Still, my elbow is sore already after 1 hour of hitting with the Luxilon

thats what happens with poly. it comes with the territory

 

[Nostradamus]

thats what happens with poly. it comes with the territory

some polys are worse than others. Best thing to do is hybrid with gut or really soft multi. that always helps great deal.

 

[chrisberchris]

Lxn is way too expensive. I will never understand paying almost $20 for a set of strings that go dead so fast. You save so much money finding a cheaper substitute.

 

[yangster007]

Lxn is way too expensive. I will never understand paying almost $20 for a set of strings that go dead so fast. You save so much money finding a cheaper substitute.

There are so many good and cheaper substitutes, and some of them play better than Luxilon. Such as,

Signum Pro Poly Plasma
Topspin CyberBlue/CyberFlash
Yonex Poly Tour Pro
Solinco Tour Bite
Volkl Cyclone
and of course dirt cheap Pro's Pro polys

 

[Sander001]

its funny you mention articles. the only reason strings are popular is because of articles such as these. if TEnnis mag published that kevlar was the new trend, everyone would start using it.

Yeah tennis players are nothing but sheep who sit by the mail box on delivery day so they can read the articles and then race over to the pro shop to get their equipment done exactly as commanded.

 

[yangster007]

Yeah tennis players are nothing but sheep who sit by the mail box on delivery day so they can read the articles and then race over to the pro shop to get their equipment done exactly as commanded.

I am a black sheep