Wilson Six.One 95 16x18 vs 18x20 (and string questions)

[8one6]

A few weeks back I was trying to decide between the Wilson Six.One 95 and the Wilson ProStaff 95. I wound up going with Six.One 95 16x18. I've put about 3 hours on it so far, and it feels great. But I just broke my first set of strings. For me this is much less than I usually get out of a set. (In this case, Wilson NXT 17 strung at 58lbs.)

So I guess I've got two questions:

1. Besides string longevity, are there any differences in how the 16x18 and 18x20 versions of the Six.One 95 would play?
2. For someone used to a full bed of synthetic gut (again, coming from NXT 17) what string or string combinations would you recommend to try to get a bit more time if I stick with the more open 16x18 pattern rather than switching to the denser 18x20 pattern.

I've never really played anything besides syn gut, but I was feeling a bit open minded when the strings popped today so I decided to try Luxilon AluPower in the mains (@52lbs) with Prince SynGut (@58lbs) in the crosses. Thoughts?

 

[burn1986]

Go loose on the tension in the18x20, about 48ish lbs

 

[Silent]

Try a thicker gauge and see what that's like.

If that doesn't work, I'd rather play around with polys than switching racquets right away, as that would be cheaper.

NXT is a multifilament btw, not a synthetic gut.

 

[8one6]

Thanks for pointing out the syngut vs multifillament distinction (I'd thought they were synonyms). Would you expect a big difference between an AluPower/Prince Syngut hybrid and an AluPower/NXT hybrid? Similarly, what's the general difference between stringing the softer string (syngut/multi) in the mains and the stiffer string (AluPower) in the crosses vs the opposite (syngut/multi crosses with AluPower mains). When I first asked my stringer to do the hybrid, I suggested putting the AluPower in the crosses, but he said he the other way around was more common.

 

[TennisCJC]

6.1 16x18 is fairly open pattern and a very powerful racket due to open pattern combined with fairly high static and swing weight. I played it for over a year and went to poly mains with a syn gut or multi in the cross. The poly mains added spin and control basically toning down the liveliness and power of the racket.

I have not played the 18x20 but it should have a higher level of control due to denser string pattern.

If you stick with the 16x18, try going up to a 16G nylon or multi and string in the 58-60 lbs range. But, I think going to poly mains with a syn gut or multi cross would be even better. Maybe a poly main at 50 or 52 lbs with a syn gut or multi cross at 53-55 lbs. The poly/nylon combo will have more spin and control.

 

[teekaywhy]

Thanks for pointing out the syngut vs multifillament distinction (I'd thought they were synonyms). Would you expect a big difference between an AluPower/Prince Syngut hybrid and an AluPower/NXT hybrid? Similarly, what's the general difference between stringing the softer string (syngut/multi) in the mains and the stiffer string (AluPower) in the crosses vs the opposite (syngut/multi crosses with AluPower mains). When I first asked my stringer to do the hybrid, I suggested putting the AluPower in the crosses, but he said he the other way around was more common.

Don't forget that the same tension on a 18x20 pattern will feel different in a less dense pattern. A Pro Staff 18x20 with syn gut at 55 lbs will feel different than a 16x19 with same setup.

Having the racquet/string combo pick up the feel and playing characteristics of the main string makes sense with the cross string used to tweak some of the mains based on the cross. the mains are longer, run parallel to the long axis of the racquet and have more consistent tension. the crosses are shorter, have more tension variance across the stringbed.

personally, i haven't found enough difference in feel or ball action to support using expensive multis or polys in the cross. I'd much rather keep the main strings as the poly and go with a cheaper set of syn gut to soften it up and add some pop.

 

[Silent]

Thanks for pointing out the syngut vs multifillament distinction (I'd thought they were synonyms). Would you expect a big difference between an AluPower/Prince Syngut hybrid and an AluPower/NXT hybrid? Similarly, what's the general difference between stringing the softer string (syngut/multi) in the mains and the stiffer string (AluPower) in the crosses vs the opposite (syngut/multi crosses with AluPower mains). When I first asked my stringer to do the hybrid, I suggested putting the AluPower in the crosses, but he said he the other way around was more common.

They're both synthetic strings, but the syn gut is one solid string, whereas the mutlifilament is, well, composed of multiple filaments. The latter offers more comfort, more power and better feel, although some people genuinely prefer syn gut.

As teekaywhy mentioned, technically, the bulk of the playability comes from the mains. But that's all theoretical as I've never used hybrid setups. I use a full bed of multi.

 

[kingcheetah]

The 18x20 is lower powered, but has better overall control. I play it with full Luxilon 4g 1.25 at 54 lbs and still get plenty of spin. The six ones are stiff and have a high weight so they are powerful, I think tighter string patterns are best for this line but there are obviously many people that prefer the 16x18. I tried the 18x16 spin version and found it was too much of a rocket launcher to be useful.