Ardor OnFire String Review (Leave a Comment to enter to win one of 5 free sets)

Today, I am reviewing a great string from Ardor called OnFire. This string is co-polyester and comes in 3 different colors, Lime (Yellow), Orange and Blue. Orange has two different gauges 1.27mm and 1.22mm. I have used all three colors in the 16L gauge version of this string. I strung it up on a Wilson BLX Six One Pro Staff 100L at 58 lbs in the mains. I crossed this string with my baseline synthetic gut (Genesis Blizzard 16 gauge) also at 58 lbs. I string my racquets using a Top of the Line Wilson Baiardo constant pull machine. I pull my tie off knots at 15% above reference tension to help limit the amount of tension loss when tying knots. I use a parnell knot for tie offs and a starting knot for my first cross. The Dynamic Tension (DT) according to my Beers ERT 300 was 42. After four weeks of play, the DT was 38.

The only video I have of hitting with this string is a practice match I played against the head pro at Cape Henry Racquet Club. Of course, I lost badly, but you can still see some of the shots. I also have a string review video at the bottom of this review.

No specifications for this string are available at this time from the USRSA.

Now, let's talk about some of the pros and cons of this string:

Pro's:

• Power (Provides controlled power and a nice crisp response)
• Durability (Great Durability
• String movement is minimal
• Feel is excellent for a co-poly string.

Con's:

• Spin is good for a round poly but other poly's can provide more spin.

Ratings are on a scale of 1-100.

Power: (82)

Power is very good and you get a lively response from the string bed. Even though the string is lively, it is controlled. I am able to place the ball where I want it to go and even on mishits, the string performs. During my playtest, I noticed that I could really punish the ball on my groundstrokes and put balls away with ease. I was able to hit out on the ball without fear of over hitting and the ball flew true. Very rarely did I hit a ball that sailed on me. 

Spin: (77)

Overall the spin potential for this string is very good. It doesn't provide more spin then a shaped poly, but it does grab the ball better than some other round poly strings. 

Comfort: (86)

This string is a co-poly, so it is going to be stiffer than other string materials. With that being said, I have recently had shoulder surgery (May 2012) and I find that this string is very comfortable on the arm and doesn't bother me at all. I don't have any pain or soreness in my arm, elbow or shoulder after playing with this string. I also didn't notice any fatigue while using this string.

Control: (88)

I really felt in control with my groundstrokes on this string. When I hit the sweet spot, the ball really came off the stringbed nicely and I was able to hit the ball where I wanted. Even on mishits, I noticed a decent level of control. I could really trust this string when going for big shots. 

Serves: (85)

Since this string provides more control, I was really able to hit my spots with my flat serve and the good power allowed me to hit some aces, which I need for my style of play. 2nd serves spun in nicely and I was able to place them pretty well. Kick serves kicked and slice serves bit. All in all, this is a great string for serving.

Volleys: (75)
Volleying was decent, but this string does not pack as much punch as other strings, so I had to ensure my volley technique was solid. The crisp response and nice feel of the string allowed me to place volleys decently and touch volleys were not problem. Trying to stick a volley was a little more difficult due to the control nature of the string, but it could be done with good technique.

Durability and Tension Loss: (95)

I am not someone who breaks strings often, but I can tell you that these strings showed minimal wear after 4 weeks of play testing. I average 2 to 3 hours per session and hit about 4 to 5 sessions per week. The strings did not break or show any signs of breaking. I have also switched many of my customers who are chronic string breakers to this string and it lasts them longer than Luxilon Big Banger and ALU Power.

The starting DT was 42 and after 4 weeks, the DT was 38. This bodes well for tension loss. I really felt that the string performed well and didn't notice any decline in performance the more I played with it. That bodes well since you don't need a break in period for this string. Lowering the tension did provide extra power when strung for other clients without sacrificing control.

String Movement: (95)
These strings barely moved. I was really impressed with how little they moved. This is probably why they lasted a good amount of time and showed minimal wear after 4 weeks. They actually snap back into place extremely well. If you hate string movement, you should definitely give these strings a try.

Overall Score: (81.25)

Convenient Table:

Category	Rating
Power	82
Spin	77
Comfort	86
Control	88
Serves	85
Volleys	75
Durability and Tension Loss	95
String Movement	95
Overall Average	85.37

Summary:
I think Ardor OnFire string is an above average string and could benefit a large array of players. Because of the strings crisp response and controlled power, they would definitely favor a base-liner, grinder and coutner-puncher.  Since they provide good feel, an all court player could benefit from these strings as well.  I really enjoyed this string and I really liked the crisp feel. If you like a crisp feeling string, with great comfort and good feel, this is definitely worth a playtest.

If you are having problems finding the right string or you are curious about what string would best suit your game, I am committed to helping you solve this problem. Please leave a comment below or email me stringrx@gmail.com. I will personally work with you to help you find the best combination for you personally. Yes, just in case you were wondering, I will help you for FREE!!

Please leave a comment below on your thoughts of my review and if you have played with this string. Please include what racquet you strung it in, the tension and your assessment of this string.

I also plan on giving away several sets of this string to a few lucky people who leave comments. Even if you haven't tried this string, leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway. It can be as simple as "Please Enter Me in the Drawing". I will do a random drawing and post a video of the actual random drawing and the winners on YouTube on Aug 1, 2013. Deadline to enter is July 25, 2013.

Videos:

String Review: