Showing posts with label Tennis Strings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tennis Strings. Show all posts

The King of Natural Gut - Wilson or Babolat?

The King of Natural Gut (Wilson or Babolat?)

Wilson Natural Gut - 17g (Roger Federer strings)

Isn't Natural Gut expensive? YES! But, if you want need the most comfort for your arm and the best quality string on the market - it is the #1 stringJust try it once, and you may never go back*

On the other hand, if your strings are breaking too frequently - consider trying a polyester string or at least use a thicker gauge tennis string.

Now to compare the King of Gut Brands:
The two most popular brands of tennis natural gut are Wilson and Babolat. This used to be a fairly equal comparison about 5 years ago...but now things have changed*

How to save money on Tennis Strings


Tips for Tennis Strings
  1. If your shots seem to be spraying everywhere, it may be time to re-string your racket*
  2. If you find yourself breaking strings too often, then buy a thicker gauge string such as 15g or 16g. The lower the number, the thicker the string and less likely it will snap.
  3. Or try using polyester strings, if you do not have any arm problems.
  4. Keep your rackets cool in an insulated bag, and never store them in a hot car overnight!
  5. Putting them in the trunk will almost guarantee tension loss (and ruining your string job)
  6. Get 10% OFF these longer-lasting polyester strings, which also have extra spin and hold tension for longer. See our reviews of the brands TopSpin and Genesis
  7. Buy tennis strings online in bulk size (called reels) to save on shipping and they are cheaper per set.

Learn to string your own tennis rackets - it's easy!

Buy the $159 Klippermate Tennis Stringer and learn to string at home with some free YouTube videos.

Stringing Machine for Beginners

Super easy to use, even for first-timers. The Klippermate paid for itself in just a matter of months (~10 uses) and you can even charge a little to string for your friends.

Made in the USA with an unlimited, Life-Time Guaranteed. See reviews on Amazon with over 50 positive reviews from stringforum.net as the site's most popular tennis stringing machine

This is the stringing machine that we trust and recommend for its ease of use to beginners. We actually still own and operate one at Tennis-Bargains!

Perhaps most important of all - you can have a freshly strung racket ready in less than an hour.

Best String of the Year: Topspin Cyber Flash 17g

Tennis-Bargains Review: Topspin Cyber Flash

Tennis Magazine (Feb 3, 2011): "polyester string accounts for more than 70 percent of string sold in Europe, and the majority of the world’s top juniors are polyester or co-poly string players."

Andre Agassi: "polyester string, which creates vicious topspin has turned average players into greats, and greats into legends." (Open, p.343)


Topspin Cyber Flash
has almost all the benefits (the best spin, durability and power) of expensive Luxilon strings, at roughly half the cost when buying in bulk*

It is similar to buying a generic instead of a brand name.
My suggestion is to buy a set or two of Cyber Flash and try it out first. It works especially well if you like other polyester strings or hit a fast, hard ball. It is also good for the chronic string breaker who like to hit with topspin. String it at least 10% lower in tension than your normal non-poly string to get maximum spin.

Buying in Bulk - Save More with Free Shipping!
If you like the string and decide you want more, I would recommend that you get the jumbo reel of Cyber Flash 17 to save even more. Each package normally has 40 feet, but reels come in longer strands that you simply measure and cut only what you need to use. It is very economical and I buy reels in order to keep multiple rackets strung fresh a few times a month.

Package - Topspin Cyber Flash 1.25 17g - Tennis String Packages ($7.49/set)
Reel - Topspin Cyber Flash 1.25 17g 720 ft - ($74.90/reel...or just $4.16/set!)

  • Cyber Flash Reel (720') or 18x Packs for $75 [you save 80%!] with FREE SHIPPING
My Experience with Cyber Flash
I have been using the Topspin Cyber Flash 1.25 for several years now with great tournament results.  As you can see, I tried it and liked it so much that I bought a full reel myself. I switched from using a full set of Luxilon Ace 18 poly to now using the Cyber Flash exclusively in the mains for much more Spin and Power. The durability is also comparable to the Ace 18, but only at around half the price.
Topspin CyberFlash 17 user ratings (from 154 reviews on Stringforum.net)

Here is some other player reviews on the Cyber Flash 17 string from Stringforum.net, an international database of string ratings for almost every tennis string in the world.

This Cyber Flash 1.25 is the #2 Most Reviewed string on the entire site with 178 reviews, plus a huge popular following of over 70,000 viewer hits.

It also received one of the very best "Performance to Price Ratio" out of all strings.

Play-Testing results
My style of play is heavy topspin from the baseline and I enjoy creating angles with spin and control when counter-punching against stronger opponents.

Against heavy hitters and returning fast serves, the Cyber Flash strings are able to control and redirect the ball very well. Most players on Stringforum.net would recommend this string (actually 91% would recommend it..140 out of 154 who reviewed it)

My recommendation is that you string it at least 10% lower than your normal non-poly strings.  For me, I found that around 55-57 lbs was the ideal tension. Anything higher made it a tad stiff and lost its spin and power potential. Surprisingly, even after several days, as the tension got lower, it seemed like it would pocket the ball even better.

Spin (5/5)
The spin is incredible. Both Topspin and Slice, you get ridiculous amounts of each in my normal ground strokes now. Whereas before with other polys I could get a solid kick serve, with this string, I can use the same motion and it becomes almost an American Twist (lefty kick spin) serve.  Definitely a lot of fun to hit with and drives my opponents nuts.

Power and Control (4/5)
Like many other polyester strings, this has a decent amount of power.  I like that it is also a softer poly, which is arm-friendly. When I used Luxilon strings in the past (ALU power), I eventually developed tennis elbow even though it offered great performance. I now use only soft, thin polyester strings for normal play.

Durability (4/5)
These strings would usually last me 3-4 weeks (playing 10-12 hours a week) before they started moving or required changing because of the tension loss. I love that my Cyber Flash strings stay straight and I do not have to worry about them moving around or adjusting them between points.  I noticed that if I kept them in, they would eventually break after 5-6 weeks because I normally hit with a lot of topspin against strong players with fast serves.

Touch/Feel (3/5)
The main weakness of this string and most poly's is that it lacks a bit of touch and feel for dropshots and finesse shots like touch volleys because of the firm string bed.  I would recommend mixing this with a softer cross string like the Cyber Blue 17 if you want to have the best of both worlds.


Here are some close-up shots of the Cyber-Flash 17 strings (on the main).  On the picture to the right, you can see the Cyber Blue 17 strings for the crosses (which you can get 10% off as well with my promo code) - this is a very good cross string and very popular as hybrid for a softer feel/touch combo.  Here is our review on Cyber Blue (a bit less spin, more control for big hitters).

Genesis Spin X Review and 10% off code

Genesis Spin X 17g (Red)
Pros:
  • Co-polyester
  • Lots of spin
  • Long durability
  • Holds tension well
  • Soft cushioned feel
  • Arm-friendly (very elastic quality, with very little harshness on off-center shots)
  • Easy to string (much easier to weave than most other poly strings)

Cons:

  • Less power than #1 TopSpin Cyber Flash and #2 Black Magic strings
  • Costs a bit more than TopSpin Cyber Flash - (almost $10/set if you don't use the discount code "gesx10")
  • The "Red" color - looks more like a magenta or pink, when viewed up close. Of course, this is just personal preference, but I would also try the silver colored Spin X 17

    Note: the "Silver" Spin X has been reported to have a different feel (crisper), whereas the "Red" color string feels a bit softer - not sure why there is such a difference simply between the two color coats for the same string
Conclusion
I would recommend this string to someone who regularly plays a multi-filament string and prefers to have a similar string feel. If you have had any tennis elbow problems in the past or have been worried about trying polyester strings because of their natural stiffness, then the Spin X 17g may be one of the best polyester strings to try.

It seemed to have a bit less power and pop than the Cyber Flash strings when strung at the same tension. This could be good if you constantly find yourself hitting the ball long or just want a bit more distance control.

Luxilon string discount prices (until 9/12)

Luxilon strings are super popular and rarely go on sale.
Most of the top 20 pros (men and women) use Luxilon or some form of hybrid with Natural Gut.

All Tennis and Luxilon String Discounts can be found on our Facebook Page.

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