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Whew, we’re only halfway through this week, and there’s a slew of new products that went up in just the past three days. We get so much new stuff, it’s hard to keep track, so here’s a quick look at what’s new so far this week.
 Tecnifibre VO2 Max Tour 12 Pack Tecnifibre bags are typically built to please. If you want features and high quality materials, check out the new Tour VO2 Max bags. We currently have them in a 12 pack, 9 pack, 6 pack and backpack. What’s not to love about the bags’ sleek black color with patent accents? It hides dirt and doesn’t clash with anything. As always be sure to check out the additional views for different angles and pictures of various pockets. Siobhan has also done a product video on the bags so you can get an even better idea about their size and function. When they’re ready, you’ll see the video button link below the product descriptions.
 DryMax Crew socks in black DryMax Tennis black socks
Good socks are a must if you’re a tennis player. Good socks can help prevent blisters, keep your feet dry and provide comfort. Good socks also last. Drymax socks are some of the best court specific socks. Seamless toes, targeted venting, arch support…the list of features goes on and on. One of the most important aspects of DryMax socks? They fit. We carry four different sizes so you’ll get the best fit for your feet. No one size fits all here. What’s new is that we now have them in black for crews and low-cut styles. With all the black shoe models on the market today, performance black socks are a must.
 Gamma Zo Dart 17 in black The Zo line from Gamma keeps on growing! Zo Dart is a new co-poly string designed to please the big hitters. Always looking to improve strings, Gamma is using special additives that help soften up the polyester string but adds six stiffer polyester monofilaments in the core to maintain control. Zo Dart is available in black and white as well as two gauges, 16 and 17. If you try it and love it, there is a multi-set deal of buy 6 and the price drops to $12.46 per set.
 Tecnifibre Poly Code 660 String Reel Big hitters and string breakers, rejoice! Here’s another option for you. Affordable at $79 for a 660-foot reel, Poly Code is also all about durability. Don’t look for fancy shapes or twists here. This is a traditional feeling poly that offers ultimate control and a crisp feel. Big hitters can swing away. Available only in reel form and in black, Poly Code comes in two gauges 17 (1.25mm) and 16 (1.30mm).
 Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut 16 660 Reel Another great value, Tecnifibre’s synthetic gut reels are now available in black and are only $34.95 for 660 feet of string. Tecnifibre’s synthetic gut also features an abrasion resistant coating for added durability. Find it in 16 and 17 gauges.
 Lotto Raptor Ultra III Junior Shoes The juniors can hit the courts with some Lotto kicks, too. Already available in men’s and women’s sizing, the Ultra III junior has some of the same technologies. Syn-Pulse has been around in Lotto shoes for a while, but it’s still around because it works. Syn-Pulse is a lightweight, responsive cushioning system that’s visible in the heel. New is the ReactiveArch technology. The shoe’s sole is concave and flexes as you run. As it flattens out, you get better stability. As you lift your foot, it returns to the concave shape and offers you better energy return from your stride.
So that’s it, three days into the week and there’s already a lot of new gear to check out. Keep checking the blog page for more updates of what’s new at the warehouse.
Happy Hitting,
Tiffani, TW
Like most of you know we playtest a lot of racquets and are constantly hitting with different sticks. We have our racquets of choice that are our main racquets (that we don’t get to play with very often), and we have the racquets we playtest. Some of these we like, others not so much, and every so often one comes along that we like/love a lot more than the others and that we will sneakily play with to make ourselves feel good. For a bit of a kick, I thought I would share the CURRENT favorite racquets of some of our team.
 Roger Federer's choice: Wilson BLX Pro Staff Six.One 90, Wilson Champion's Choice Hybrid 16 String, tension in the range of high 40lbs and low 50lbs Brittany pulled out a goodie. She said, “My go to racquet right now when I am not playtesting and not hitting with my racquet of choice (Yonex VCORE 100 S) is the Volkl Organix V1 MP.” Solid choice.
The racquet has a 102 sq. in headsize, weighs 10.5 ounces and has a swingweight of 303 (click HERE to see the rest of the racquet’s specs). How do we describe it? Maneuverable, spin-friendly, ample power, excellent comfort. In a nutshell at least. This racquet feels light and fast, adding both pace and spin to shots from all areas of the court. It’s also solid at net and powerful on the serve.
Why does she like it? “I love this racquet for a couple of reasons. It is very easy to play with, and I need zero adjustment period. I have fun playing both singles and doubles with this racquet. It is very easy to get power on my groundstrokes and serve (especially when I am tired) as well as I find I still have good touch on my volleys.” And her favorite string setup for this racquet? She said, “Because this racquet has so much power, I found I needed a poly to control it. I like playing with a lot of different polys, but a favorite of mine is the Kirschbaum Pro Line Evolution 17. I usually like the tension to be around mid (in this case, 55 lbs).
 Brittany's choice: Volkl Organix V1 MP, Kirschbaum Pro Line Evolution @55lbs Chris went another route with the Slazenger Pro Braided. He said, “I like the Pro Braided because it is maneuverable yet feels solid and crisp at contact. I have customized three of them with leather grips for additional feel and to tail weight them slightly.”
If you’re looking for a classic, this is it. With a light and fast feel, this racquet’s 95 sq in. headsize is paired with an 11.5 ounce strung weight. It allows players to rip big, heavy balls from all areas of the court. It also has a crisp and powerful response – perfect for Chris. Light and mobile, this racquet encourages offensive play and aggressive hitting (Click HERE to see the rest of the racquets stats). But what did Chris like about it the most? “The Pro Braided offers excellent access to spin on groundstrokes and serves. I can whip it through contact to generate lots of pace and the directional control I get is excellent. At net I like the maneuverability and the crisp response. I can snap volleys away with it, yet find all the control needed for touch shots. It is a very, very versatile racquet, and that’s why I enjoy playing with it.”
String setup? “I have been using it a lot for string playtesting so have been hitting it with a ton of different set ups — mostly polys (his favorite go-to string of all time, in any racquet, is Volkl Cyclone 16). Right now, my favorite string in the Slazenger has been Solinco Tour Bite 17.” At a tension of 52lbs, it offers great control and spin — a perfect combination with the Pro Braided for Chris.
 Chris' choice: Slazenger Pro Braided, Solinco Tour Bite 17 @52lbs I got Mark in on this blog, who said, “Right now, my current favorite frame is the Donnay Pro One 16×19. I gravitate toward this particular frame more than others. Throw in the all business, no- frills paint scheme, and I could be president of the fan club.”
Playing heavier than its weight, this racquet provides easy power, stability and great control. It offers a high level of feel and pleased both baseliners and all-courters. Why does Mark like it so much? “In stock form, the new Pro One has the 11.5 ounce static weight paired with the 327 swingweight, which makes it stable and tournament ready out of the box. Along with the extra frame material in the hoop, swinging the Pro One, it feels like a solid racquet because it literally is. The Dual Core technology, along with its weight/balance, and smaller than 100 square inch headsize, makes the new Donnay Pro One my under-the-radar favorite of the year.” (For more stats click HERE).
Mark’s favorite setup with this? ”Kirschbaum Pro Line X, which was just released. Softer than the Spiky Shark, but firmer when compared to the Pro Line Evolution. For a poly, tension maintenance is top notch for the Pro Line X, and at a tension of 52lbs, a full set in the Pro One got me close to calling it the trinity of frame, string material and tension. At the lower tensions, I benefit from the deep ball pocket without a powerful launch off the stingbed that the Pro Line X creates.” (Amen to this, I am also such a huge fan of this string I considered hiding our reel so no one else could use it.)
 Mark's choice: Donnay Pro One, Kirschbaum Pro Line X @52lbs Jason was on the firing block next and he stepped right up. He said, “Right now, I am really loving the Boris Becker Delta Core NYC” (Presale starts on 5/15 and in stock sometime soon after 5/20).
Providing a lot of spin and power, this racquet was also extremely maneuverable. Look to enjoy a really crisp feel when playing with it. For Jason, there are a few things that make this racquet really stand out for him. He said, “One, the spin I’m able to get on my groundstrokes to my serve is amazing! I also found the racquet to be really easy to swing, which is great for hitting angles and has helped me on my serve. And for a 11 ounce racquet, it has a surprising amount of power! But all that power is harnessed by the spin I’m able to put on my shots; helping me hit heavier shots with depth.”
A modern, up-to-date and ‘cool’ man, Jason added, “Lastly, the paint job is what the kids call, ‘sick’! All black with a blend of matte and gloss, it’s perfect for a racquet named NYC, also known as Gotham City. It just might be the racquet I switch to in the near future.” (Sorry, Boris Becker London, his current racquet, get out of the way! Jason may be moving cities!) As for string, he was secret squirrel about it, saying, “It’s strung up at mid tension minus 2lbs (so 52lbs) with a new, super hush, hush string.” We’ll get you in the loop about that sometime in the future, until then, Jason will be dominating.
 Jason's choice: Boris Becker Delta Core NYC, "secret poly" @ 52lbs A quick review:
Brittany: Volkl Organix V1 MP, Kirschbaum Pro Line Evolution @55lbs
Chris: Slazenger Pro Braided, Solinco Tour Bite 17 @52lbs
Jason: Boris Becker Delta Core NYC, “hush hush poly” @ 52lbs
Mark: Donnay Pro One, Kirschbaum Pro Line X @52lbs
Hope you enjoyed knowing what some of the playtesters are loving right now! By the way, if there’s anything you want to know more about, let me know. I can’t promise anything, but if you have any good suggestions I’m down to write more Inside TW blogs on topics or gear or playtesters.
Peace.
Siobhan
Let’s take a look at strings in this third installment of playtester favorites of 2011. In the spirit of year-end Best Of lists, some of our playtesters picked their favorite products of 2011 and explained why. So just who are these playtesters? Chris, Spencer, Jason, Brittany and Tiffani — we’re all familiar faces on the playtest team, and our jobs put us in contact with all of the newest products that go up on our web site.
Favorite strings of 2011:
 Wilson NXT Control Chris is a guy who likes to play around with all kinds of string set-ups. You may have not heard about his low tension experiment from 2010. He tried stringing poly at what some might think are ridiculously low tensions, for example in the 30s, even hand pulled. You know what? Poly is playable at that tension.
Chris on the multifilament from Wilson, NXT Control: “This string feels to me like I’m hitting a poly/multi hybrid. It offers more control than a multi yet is more comfortable than a poly, which is why we hybrid! Now you don’t have to. I usually like poly monofilaments, but I really like this multi because it offers lots of comfort with great control.”
 Weiss Cannon Mosquito Bite Our playtesters think alike once more. It was a hat trick for this German-made 18 gauge poly with Spencer, Brittany and Jason choosing Mosquito Bite as their favorite new string of 2011. What’s the appeal?
Spencer on Mosquite Bite: “I found a lively feel for some added pop as well as excellent access to spin.”
Brittany on Mosquito Bite: “First off, I love the color options. I feel like this string can look good in any racquet. Secondly, I found it had all the elements I look for: power, spin, and control. Normally I am not a full poly person (I prefer a hybrid) but I enjoyed it in a full bed. And lastly, Mosquito Bite is an awesome name, period.”
Jason on Mosquito Bite: “It’s comfortable and provides great pop and spin. What’s not to like?”
 Tecnifibre XR1 You can count on Tiffani as being a fan of multifilament strings. Though she plays with a lot of polys while playtesting, in her own racquets, you’re sure to find either a full bed of multifilament or a hybrid with a softer co-poly.
Tiffani on XR1: “I like the feel of this multifilament because it’s arm friendly without being mushy. Tension maintenance is also pretty good. Downside, though, is that it frays.”
So what’s your favorite string of 2011? Weigh in! We’d love to hear your opinions.
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Check back in later this week for our next installment of playtester favorites. We’ll take a look at racquet/string accessories next.
Happy Hitting!
Tiffani, TW
A pre-stretched co-polymer monofilament string, Pro Line Evolution 17 is high on control, great on spin and maintains tension better than most competing co-polys. That’s great news if you love the control and spin of co-poly strings but aren’t a string breaker. Most co-polys lose too much tension to be playable much longer than two weeks. With Pro Line Evolution 17, we’ve found the string to last much longer.
You can expect a firmer feel right off the stringing machine because of that pre-stretching, and we actually like to drop the tension a few pounds compared to most co-polys from other brands. If you are familiar with Kirschbaum strings or are coming from another Kirschbaum string, then string up normally.
We’ve been hitting this string a lot here at TW recently. It is currently our go-to string when we are racquet testing. Here’s what our playtesters had to say after hitting Pro Line Evolution 17 in a multitude of different racquets:
Chris — “I really like this string. It offers more pop than say Kirschbaum Competition and better comfort, yet it still has the crisp feel I love and expect in a Kirschbaum string. The thin 17 gauge makes it spin-friendly and especially helps in a racquet with a tight string pattern. I’ve found it to last well, both for durability and tension. I usually go a couple of pounds under mid tension, but can also go way lower with this string and not lose control. I’ve not found a racquet yet that it doesn’t look good in. I guess it’s like blue overgrip, it goes with everything.”
Brittany — “For me, Pro Line Evolution provided a good combination of power and spin. I found easy access to spin when strung in a full bed and found it played best a couple days after it was strung. When wanting just a touch more power, hybriding it with a multi provided the extra punch I needed.”
Spencer — “On the first hit it feels a little stiff. I like it after it has been in the racquet a day or so. It is a precision-oriented string with good control. Once the string has set over the first day or so, I like the tension maintenance and I think it offers a very consistent response.”
Jason — “First, the color is dy-no-mite! It looks great in just about every racquet we’ve strung it up in. As far as playability, I felt like it plays pretty firm, even for a 17 gauge string. I definitely liked it more after the string was able to sit in the racquet for a few days. It seems to me that it plays a bit crisper than the Pro Line II. Spin? Pretty good, and I like that. I think this could be a great string for players who like to hybrid.”
Tiffani — “Like other Kirschbaum polys, I think this one plays on the firm side. As someone who prefers hybrid setups or full multi string setups, this was a hard transition for me to play in a full stringbed. There is more control with this string than my usual choices, though.”
 The Gamma Zo Magic 16 gauge string is advertised to be a very soft co-poly with very good tension maintenance. Sounds like a good combination to me…and so I gave it a try!
I strung up the Gamma Zo Magic 16 in a Prince TT Warrior MP at my standard 56 lbs for a polyester string. The string was very soft and stretchy for a polyester, and thus it was a little easier to string than most polys.
My first impression of the string was that it was extremely soft, almost “gummy” feeling. Since it was so soft it was very arm-friendly for a polyester, and thus very comfortable to play with. It also provided me with a lot of touch and feel on my shots, which is not always typical of a polyester.
With that said, the Zo Magic did not feel great hitting off the ground. Since the string was so soft and gummy, it did not pocket the ball well and did not have very much “pop” or spin potential. I felt that my groundstrokes floated off the racket a little too much and did not have the heaviness that my shots would normally have.
On serves and volleys, the softness and feel of the string gave me lots of control, especially on touch volleys. However, I was not able to generate very much spin or power on my volleys and serves. This was the general dislike I had for the string.
The string’s tension maintenance was excellent. I played with it for a few days, and then went on a two week long trip. Upon return, the tension had dropped slightly but was very similar to its original tension, which is pretty impressive for a polyester.
With that said though, I did not particularly enjoy playing with the Gamma Zo Magic. It was very arm-friendly, but did not provide me with enough power or spin for my liking. If you have the desire to play with one of the Gamma polyesters, I would suggest instead trying the Zo Power, which is soft and has a little more pop than the Zo Magic.
AG
It is said that the eyes are the portals to the soul…
When you stare into the eye of the Beast XP, what do you see?
Let’s look into what’s behind these eyes….or in this case, “eye”.
Several months ago, there was some information floating around about a new green polyester string. Known at the time as 361 Nation, This neon-esque string was seen at some junior tournaments. Tennis enthusiasts could go to the 361 Nation website to request a free set to sample. Of course this created quite a stir because everyone was curious about who 361 Nation was. The website didn’t offer any information about where it was manufactured, or who was manufacturing it.
Tennis warehouse was sent a handful of samples as well. The return address was unfamiliar and not traceable, so we were also in the dark about who exactly was behind 361 Nation. Some of the super sleuths from the Talk Tennis message board had some ideas based on what they did find, but the findings weren’t necessarily concrete.
Shortly we (Tennis Warehouse) were asked to seed hundreds of sets to the tennis public around the world. Here is some of the feedback from our message board users that play tested the string:
“…the string proved to take my control to the next level.”
“Tension maintenance is best part of this string. After playing for 12 hours, string is not noticeably softer.”
“…it allowed me to create angles I didn’t know existed!”
“I am very impressed with this string. I would definitely be interested in stringing this again in all 3 of my sticks and switching to this string as my #1 favorite.”
“I have a very sensitive elbow, and these didn’t affect me, which is great.”
“…I can hit almost any shot from any spot on the court because of the spin I get.”
“I will definitely use these strings again in the future.”
That’s some pretty good feedback for a string that, at the time, was not associated with any of the big names in tennis.
Lo and behold, when the “cat” finally was out of the bag, it was revealed the string was a Prince string, named Prince Beast XP.
Touted by Prince as the first Thermo-poly string, Prince claims this polyester to offer extreme precision with improved trajectory control and feel, featuring a secret alloy additive. It is also claimed to offer improved tension maintenance compared to standard monofilament polyesters due to Prince’s special manufacturing process of sequential heating and stretching.
The Beast has arrived at Tennis Warehouse and is ready to strike. Click HERE to order your set and experience its ferocity!
 After hearing rave reviews about it, I gave the Polyfibre TCS 16 gauge a try. It comes very highly praised from a number of TW playtesters as well as a number of ATP and WTA players. Advertised as being one of the softest and best feeling co-polys around, I looked forward to playing with it.
Stringing with the TCS was pretty much standard for a polyester string; stiff with not a whole lot of stretch. I strung my racquet at 56 lbs, and it was a somewhat difficult string, about on par with many of the other polyester strings on the market.
With the first strike of the ball I noticed the softness and the excellent bite the TCS had. For a co-poly, the softness made it very reasonable on the arm, and did not cause much discomfort. The softness of the TCS also provided me with lots of touch and feel, giving me a lot of control and command with all my shots.
What I liked most on the groundstrokes was the amount of spin I was able to generate off both the forehand and the backhand, as well as the backhand slice. Topspin shots were heavy and jumping off the court, and the slice had excellent bite and stayed low to the ground.
When volleying and serving, I had excellent control and bite with the TCS. Because the string was so soft, along with its excellent ball pocketing, I could control the ball really well and generate good control. The string is not too “explosive” and does not have a lot of “pop” like a Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power does, but because of the softness and spin potential of the TCS it enabled to have lots of command over my volleys and serves.
There were only two things about the TCS that stood out to me that I did not particularly like. First, as mentioned before, the string did not have a lot of “pop”, and thus generating pace was a little more difficult than I would have liked. I prefer a little more “explosive” string. The second thing I did not like was the tension maintenance, as the string lost tension quite quickly. After about a week the string tension had dropped considerably and I needed to cut them out.
Aside from that, the TCS was a very nice string that I would recommend it to players that prefer a polyester string but have a history of arm problems. The extreme softness of this string makes it very arm-friendly for a polyester, and along with the ball pocketing it also provides the player with lots of control and spin
Andy.
Until I started working at Tennis Warehouse, I only knew the simple life of using synthetic gut. Yes, it was cheap, but as the saying goes, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” After years of working here I’ve experienced a lavish life of other strings. In exchange, I’ve become pickier than I ever thought I’d be with what goes in my racquet. Have you seen the Angel Soft Toilet Paper commercial? That’s how I feel about string. When will there be a string that meets the middle ground between a polyester and multifilament; something that’s not too rough, or not too soft?
This is where Tecnifibre comes in. They claim to have engineered a string that has filled the “missing link between multifilament premium string and monofilament polyester.” They call it, X-Code, a “full hybrid technology which integrates polyester and polyurethane.”
First off, there’s a certain solidity I get from polys that multis lack. I have the most appreciation for the softer polys. Nevertheless, even though the playability of a full bed of poly feels great, my arm and shoulder are pretty sensitive to them. To help minimize that harshness, I hybrid most of my string jobs with poly in the crosses and a multi in the mains, or just a full bed multi. Since Tecnifibre claimed that this should eliminate the need to hybrid, I wanted to see if this newly engineered string met up to its hype.
There are eight categories to rate string on: feel, control, comfort, power, spin, durability, tension maintenance, and the ease of installation.
In comparison to other strings, there is no comparison to X-Code. The feel is unique. It seems like it has similar characteristics as X-One Biphase such as dwell time and ball pocketing, but the integrated poly makes it feel more crisp and with a little more pop. Groundstrokes is where the control felt the best. I felt extremely confident angling my shots, and could feel the elasticity of the string. As the point scale rates 1 the lowest and 10 the highest, I give this string an 8.5 for feel and 8 for control.
The string has a certain forgiveness I favor from multis. As I said before, I can feel that this has more dwell time than a lot of other polys I’ve hit with, in a sense that it hits closer to a multi than a poly. Even those with tendonitis issues won’t have to worry about pain as this is extremely comfortable. Keep in mind though I strung this up in a 102 sq. inch head size, 16×19 string pattern, and 2 pounds under mid. No shoulder pain always gets high points with me – 8.5 points for comfort.
POWER! It has its elasticity, but it’s not as springy which I believe is dwindled down by the integrated poly. I’m not much of a spin generator, but because I lack in this area, I asked my fellow spin-happy playtesters how they felt. Apparently, not as astounding as they had hoped for. In my opinion, it was average to other strings I’ve tried. I award 7.7 points for power and 7 points for spin.
This brings it to the final three categories: installation, durability, and tension maintenance. Installing it was more difficult than nylon or multis, but what poly isn’t? In comparison to other polys it unraveled relatively easy without the huge recoil factor. Because of its soft construction it was easy to manipulate while weaving. Pulling it across the mains wasn’t as smooth as it has a grippy outer layer to it. With this grippy outer layer, you have to watch that it doesn’t stick to itself when you’re pulling it through or it could end up a little jumbled. I give it 7.6 points for easy installation, 8.5 points if it was on the poly stringing only scale… we’ll average that to 8.
 Stringing with Tecnifibre X-Code Now onto durability and tension maintenance. The picture below is approximately after five to six hours of hitting, which tension drops relatively quick and the outer layer is peeled away. After that point, I would want a fresh string job. These strings aren’t easy to break as it has to go through multiple layers. I give it 7.7 points for durability. As for tension, since I could start to feel the difference after the third-fourth hour, it lost some points. 7 points for tension maintenance.
 Approximately 5 hours of hitting Overall, despite its cons of tension maintenance and durability, Tecnifibre X-Code has become my go-to string as it met my expectations on what I was most looking for: comfort, feel, and control. I no longer have to look what string I should hybrid with what if I have this around. I wouldn’t necessarily say the X-Code is the “missing link,” but for now, it’s the closest thing out there on the market.
Peace Sign,
Kana
…with polyester, that is.
Before I became a playtester for Tennis Warehouse 4 years ago, I played exclusively with an inexpensive synthetic gut. I usually went with something like Prince Synthetic Gut or Gamma Synthetic Gut, though it really didn’t matter. I’d spend about $20 to have my racquet strung, then be back in a couple of weeks with a busted string for another string job. To me, that made the most sense as it was pretty much the least expensive (without resorting to nylon). Natural gut, I’d heard it was great, but that was not an option with the pricing. I mean, come on, why would I pay more than double for string that won’t last any longer? Synthetic gut is a fraction of the price and I’m sure can’t be too far off from natural gut. Heck, they’re both “gut,” right? I’ll stick with the less expensive one, thank you. At this point, my naivete in the tennis industry had limited my product knowledge, and I’d never even heard of polyester string. Polyester leisure suit? Sure. I was kickin’ around in the ’70s, so I’m familiar with that. But tennis string? I don’t think so.
Soon thereafter, I started working for Tennis Warehouse and eventually became a playtester as well as working in the Web Editing Department. I didn’t have much of a choice but to play with different product. Strings included. I was quickly brought up to speed on the vast selection of not only manufacturers, but different types of string within manufacturers. On top of that, all the different gauges. If you’ve had a difficult time trying to choose a racquet that works best for your game, finding the perfect string may even be tougher.
Being sent some sample packs of string from a manufacturer we had yet to carry as a brand, I strung up a couple of racquets with their strings. This was the first time I hit with a polyester, and I immediately noticed something different. The first thing I noticed was the ball pocketing — how the strings seemed to cradle the ball, then spit it out with more spin than I’d been used to. To say I loved this string was an understatement. It changed my whole outlook on string, let alone my tennis game. My control, both depth and direction, seemed to be more locked in. After hitting for a good session and taking good size swipes at the ball with no ill effects of balls flying out, the last thing I noticed was that I NEVER had to straighten the strings! What the heck was this?
It was Polyfibre Hightec, a soft co-poly.
Since then, I haven’t looked back. My preference in string is overwhelmingly polyester. (The leisure suits aren’t bad either!) I’m lucky that I’ve been able to sample several different brands, gauges and compositions, giving me a great feel for what I like (and what my arm likes, too).
I continue to like Polyfibre string. Not because it was my first, but because they simply offer good playing string.
Spencer, TW.
 Polyfibre Hexablade Polyfibre definitely did not disappoint with their new Hexablade tennis string.
Hexablade fully met my expectations, combining the comfort of Polyfibre TCS with excellent access to spin thanks to its hexagonal profile design.
I strung this up on my customized Babolat Pure Storm at 58lbs and had my own reservations on it based on how stiff the string felt while stringing, feeling similar to Luxilon ALU Power Spin. On the first strike my jaw dropped and I felt like I was auditioning for the part of Neo in “The Matrix,” as a simple “whoa,” escaped my mouth. I watched as the ball easily cleared the net by about eight feet and continued to follow its path to inches within the baseline. Usually with a freshly strung poly I’d expect to have a settling in period for the string to readjust after un-mounting the frame. With this string though, there was no “break-in” period. Stroke after stroke I watched as the ball dropped to the court and exploded off the ground.
I took a trip home and used this string to battle against my dad; he usually gives me some competition, but I had the edge this time. After beating up on the ol’ man on the courts, he commented that this was the first time he truly felt old hitting against me, and it was due to the heaviness of the balls that were coming off the racquet face. The speed of the ball outmatched his foot speed, and I hit winner after winner, which felt good after a lifetime of denial and trash talking on my superior game.
Since you can’t always have your cake and eat it too, I did find that this string didn’t hold tension for as long as I would have liked, and it was also the first poly in a long time that I didn’t have to cut out of my frame. I had the string in my frame for about a month and logged around 10-12 hours of playtime on it before one of the strings popped. I saw a lot of frictional notching on the mains once all the string was removed from the frame, which made sense to me as I noticed there was also more string movement than a typical poly. Tension loss probably occurred around the six-hour mark, and the tension felt like it dropped significantly. This only made me focus on my timing and technique even more because there was a noticeable power increase, but once I made the adjustment, the grab from the string again helped the ball drop in play.
It would be hard to be a Polyfibre fan and not like this string. If you’re looking for a soft poly that’s easy on the arm and offers good spin potential, you can’t pass this one up. Hexablade delivers a heavy ball to your opponent while being light on the arm and has a great response.
Jackson.
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