Will a textured/non textured poly hybrid give more spin?
- Thread starter Fireball
- Start date
neverstopplaying
Professional
I put up a post on this topic a few months ago. There were not too many responses, but we'll see this time around.
I string for 15-20 players in the 4.0-5.0 range. One of my favorites has been Cyclone 17 mains with Silverstring crosses. Another 3 players love the setup.
I did this experiment in part to test the spin results but mostly to combine the properties of two great polys. I was thinking that the smooth poly against a multi-edge poly would provide some of the spin effects of gut/poly combos. Not sure about this, but I get adequate spin with anything.
But I do like the results. I get some of the softness and spring of Cyclone and the consistency and control of Silverstring.
I string for 15-20 players in the 4.0-5.0 range. One of my favorites has been Cyclone 17 mains with Silverstring crosses. Another 3 players love the setup.
I did this experiment in part to test the spin results but mostly to combine the properties of two great polys. I was thinking that the smooth poly against a multi-edge poly would provide some of the spin effects of gut/poly combos. Not sure about this, but I get adequate spin with anything.
But I do like the results. I get some of the softness and spring of Cyclone and the consistency and control of Silverstring.
The Meat
Hall of Fame
You mean a shaped/textured poly(rpm blast, black widow, solinco tour bite, etc.) hybrid with a smooth poly cross?
Right now I'm trying out a combination of Mamba Gear 17 in the mains with a very slick clear poly Klip Hardcore 17 in the cross at 58lbs even. Mains move and crosses move freely without any resistance whatsoever. Played with it a few days ago and found there to be a ton a spin and comfort from this combo. Mains snap in place still without any problem, though crosses have started to notch into the main, causing crosses to not move as freely.
Right now I'm trying out a combination of Mamba Gear 17 in the mains with a very slick clear poly Klip Hardcore 17 in the cross at 58lbs even. Mains move and crosses move freely without any resistance whatsoever. Played with it a few days ago and found there to be a ton a spin and comfort from this combo. Mains snap in place still without any problem, though crosses have started to notch into the main, causing crosses to not move as freely.
Fireball
Rookie
Yes shaped/textured in the mains. I wasn't exactly thinking about smooth, soft or stiff ... I guess comfort wise it should be better with a smooth poly in the crosses but for the spin I supose low friction is the main attribute!?
Any ideas what poly setup that have the least possible string to string friction?
The Meat
Hall of Fame
Clear Poly's have a very low coefficient of friction, though they do lose tension faster from my experiences with them.
I suggest looking into good low friction poly's like Pro Supex Big Ace or any Tourna strings that don't have a shape. These all have good tension maintenance and perform well as a smooth surface. If you can take a stiffer poly in the crosses, I suggest Kirshbaums because they are also good in the crosses(minus spiky shark, that stuff is stiff as hell!)
Like strings rub and knotches with like, always hybrid two different strings.
The Meat
Hall of Fame
Used Solinco Tour Bite in the mains with Gosen OGSM 17 in crosses at 57lbs, crosses moved freely and mains started to stop freely moving around the 5th or 6th day of playing with this setup. Genesis Typhoon 17g in the mains with Gosen OGSM 17 in crosses at 57lbs, mains stopped moving freely around the third day or so of playing. Mamba Gear in the mains with a gummy waxy 15g nylon in the crosses at 58lbs, the mains chewed and ripped apart the crosses and they stuck after a few days of playing with them.
From my experience, textured/shaped poly in the mains with slick poly crosses allow the mains to freely move for a lot long time than with a syn gut or nylon in the crosses. If you can take the stiffness of a hybrid poly setup, I would really suggest Klip Hardcore, its a soft soft poly.
Fireball
Rookie
Dimensions?
What dimensions (realtivly) should preferably be used in a poly/poly hybrid?
I remember hearing that it should be better to have thinner crosses since they then would have less tension than the mains ...
I have been using a full setup of Signum Pro Tornado 17 (1.23mm) for some time but I'm thinking about hybriding it with a SPPP 17L or Technifibre Red Code 18 in the crosses. Any one with experience of any of these combos?
Do you think this hybrid will be better than my current setup with respect to spin?
What dimensions (realtivly) should preferably be used in a poly/poly hybrid?
I remember hearing that it should be better to have thinner crosses since they then would have less tension than the mains ...
I have been using a full setup of Signum Pro Tornado 17 (1.23mm) for some time but I'm thinking about hybriding it with a SPPP 17L or Technifibre Red Code 18 in the crosses. Any one with experience of any of these combos?
Do you think this hybrid will be better than my current setup with respect to spin?
The Meat
Hall of Fame
From my experience I always used a thin string in the mains with a thicker string in the crosses. Combining a 17 with a 15 gauge string should give you an average of 16g, however I like using a 17g with a 16g because it makes the stringbed a little more softer because of the thinner strings. If you like it more crisper then go 16/15.
Fireball
Rookie
Interesting! Do you use the same tension on mains and crosses?
If you google: "The hybrid of thicker poly-based mains and thinner poly-based crosses is an ideal marriage" you find an article writte by some guys claiming
the crosses ought to be thinner to compensate for tension differences between main and crosses.
Meat, do you do your own stringing?
The Meat
Hall of Fame
1. I use the same tension for the mains and crosses, for me when you lower the crosses a few pounds you get a little more pocketing action so a little more power and spin. However I like the feeling of the same tension on the mains and crosses, I guess more feeling?
2. It makes sense to have a thinner string in the crosses because thinner strings tend to lose tension faster, so it makes the mains and crosses lose tension equally.
3. Yeah I do my stringing, I used to get ripped off by a local stringer who charged me $15 for a stringjob of just synthetic gut. Now I invested in a cheap drop weight and can test out different strings all I want without having to pay up the butt for synthetic gut, also I broke even about the 15th or 16th stringjob(I charge $10) so I actually made a lot of money off stringing.
Fireball
Rookie
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Did you allready knew how to string a racket or did you learn after buying the machine? Is it dificult to learn?
It would be nice to have the luxury of experimenting with various string setups without having to think about all the fuss involved in bringing the racket to the stringer. Maybe one day I have to get my own machine and learn how to do it ...
SteveI
Legend
I taught myself on a Klippermate in 2 hours.. just the manual.. no video.. no YouTube.. just the bad Klippermate Manual. With all that is on the web these days you should be able to teach yourself in 1 hour. I had to travel 45 minutes one way to drop my frames off.. wait 3 days and play $25.00 a frame for a cheap syn gut... That sold me. Buy the stringer..
The Meat
Hall of Fame
It's really easy to string a racquet, though at first you might fail a few times due to inexperience. Look up the Gamma X-2 guide by one of the posters, very well detailed guide to string with a really inexpensive stringing machine.
The guide can be found in the stringing section.
Fireball
Rookie
To string or not to string
Well it seems like you guys are talking me into buying my own machine and become my own stringer:? Well, I have to think about that.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Back to the actual strings: What (polly) setup do you think will be best with regards to spin?
* Full textured string setup (RPM Blast, Tornado etc).
* Full non textured low friction setup (Redcode or other).
* Hybrid with textured mains an non textured crosses.
* Hybrid with non textured mains and textured crosses.
Well it seems like you guys are talking me into buying my own machine and become my own stringer:? Well, I have to think about that.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Back to the actual strings: What (polly) setup do you think will be best with regards to spin?
* Full textured string setup (RPM Blast, Tornado etc).
* Full non textured low friction setup (Redcode or other).
* Hybrid with textured mains an non textured crosses.
* Hybrid with non textured mains and textured crosses.
sansaephanh
Professional
Co Focus is quite popular cross and I enjoy the playability of it but not the feel. I'm going to try bhbr 17 at low tenions next...
maxpotapov
Hall of Fame
I think it's not Gosen's fault, but Tour Bite's and Typhoon's which had lost elasticity and notched.
As you can see, Gosen OGSM thins out and, being a solid core, it does not change string on string friction. Actually it allows mains to slide even better as it wears out.
Last edited:
roman40
Rookie
I have experienced the opposite, OGSM friction increases a lot with time. I use it in the crosses, with poly mains, and after a few matches the OGSM outer layer is completely worn out, and the string start collecting dirt, becomes rough, and doesn't allow the mains to slide. I am thinking of switching to poly crosses for this reason. The only thing stopping me is that I know that polys are practically dead by the time OGSM loses it's slippery properties. I think with poly crosses, I will be too lazy to restring as often as I should.
tennisnut123
Rookie
want more spin? Go full western and BOOM! there's your spin...
