Strings, The Most Overlooked Equipment

I'm kind of in the middle of changing strings. I have been using kevlar strings in my fairly stiff, head heavy racquet (wilson ntour), but recently switched to a hybrid job. I have polyester mains and synthetic gut crosses. I'll tell you more about it later - my dad's pancakes are ready and I want to eat them while they're hot.

Tell me about your strings here.
M

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Permalink Reply by richard meaghan on November 29, 2008 at 7:41am: Ive used a number of hybrids (poly & syn gut/multifilament) I am a big fan of Kirschbaum touch multifibre on the crosses they have lots of bite. Other crosses that I like are tecnifibre biphase a really soft string very gut like. Havent played with multifilaments on both mains and crosses but Im thinking of it?? ( I think Novak uses biphase on both).
So at the mo its poly for me on mains for extra pop. I have been experimenting so far with Babalot Pro Hurricane (spin), Signum PPP (soft), Kirschbaum Touch Turbo (power) and they all have their own positives. Ive got the signum in at the mo and at the net I love this string whereas when I am hitting at the baseline Touch Turbo have such pop.
It becomes a proper headache when thinking about relative strings as well as tension. My racket seems to suit low tensions as it has absolutely no power whatsoever!
I just tried a friends Babalot Pure Drive Roddick and its made me all confused again. I love my racket for its all court loveliness but the Roddick from the baseline is so easy and so powerful. If that was my true game then I would swap right now but I charge the net too often and the roddick is less managable than my heavier smaller headed fischer.
Rackets, strings and tensions aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah it makes my head hurt!!!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by richard meaghan on December 16, 2008 at 2:54pm: God I am so happy with the way I played today. I took off a little lead weight off my racket and had it freshly strung with Alu power and kirschbaum multifibre.....wow! people have said dont bother with them as they loose tension quickly but I dont care the added spin and power and control with that combination was unreal, ive strung at the higher end of tension range to compensate. I feel great, seeing the ball like a football, 4hrs in the cold, heaven!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by hofertennis on December 21, 2008 at 6:43pm: I've been using samples sent to my by the USRSA. Right now I'm using Tecnifibre TGV 16. A great comfortable string with good power. The polyester hybrids are good too but too harsh on my arm. I'm trying softer, more comfortable type of multifilaments now.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by richard meaghan on December 29, 2008 at 9:33am: Ive just strung a new racket with Gamma Live Wire Professional.Ive been told this is a great string very gut like with more durability. Its been fully strung with the Gamma and wow its amazing so much power from these strings, so gut like and slightly more comfortable on my arm. But I will need to tighten the string bed or pop in a poly hybrid to compensate for the power, I dont know yet? See how it goes for now.
I also noticed that these strings have been voted highly in the USRSA polls over the last few years.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by hofertennis on December 29, 2008 at 1:31pm: Gamma Live Wire Professional uses some PEEK fibers called Zyex. These fibers are very powerful and provide a great feel when strung at lower tensions. Early Zyex strings were made from 100% PEEK fibers and were way too powerful and broke easliy. Zyex is the "Live Wire" in the Gamma strings and is used in combination with other fibers.

richard meaghan said:
Ive just strung a new racket with Gamma Live Wire Professional.Ive been told this is a great string very gut like with more durability. Its been fully strung with the Gamma and wow its amazing so much power from these strings, so gut like and slightly more comfortable on my arm. But I will need to tighten the string bed or pop in a poly hybrid to compensate for the power, I dont know yet? See how it goes for now.
I also noticed that these strings have been voted highly in the USRSA polls over the last few years.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by richard meaghan on December 30, 2008 at 10:58am: Thanks hoferT

Interesting. Have you had any experience with these strings? Could you recommend a poly that would suit the power of the Gamma?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by hofertennis on December 30, 2008 at 11:50am: Babolat Pro Hurricane, Signum Pro Poly Plasma, Kirschbaum Super Spikey or P2, Dunlop Explosive, these are all good polys to use. Of course the Pro's use Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power. I've used all these and I don't find the Luxlion to be that much better than the others. Gamm's Live Wire is a great string but I would bump up the tension to help control the power.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by richard meaghan on December 31, 2008 at 10:26am: thanks again

I think im gonna go with stringing one of rackets fully with the Gamma at about 60-62Lbs (would you go tighter?) and the other with Luxilon (do I still drop the tension a couple of pounds with the Luxilon?) and the Gamma crosses at about 58Lbs.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by hofertennis on December 31, 2008 at 3:30pm: Definately drop the tension with the Luxilon, about 10%. I think it says 10% on the package. The Live Wire crosses should be about the same as the Luxilon mains or slightly tighter. That's just what I think.

richard meaghan said:
thanks again

I think im gonna go with stringing one of rackets fully with the Gamma at about 60-62Lbs (would you go tighter?) and the other with Luxilon (do I still drop the tension a couple of pounds with the Luxilon?) and the Gamma crosses at about 58Lbs.; ▶ Reply to This