Service Grip Does Matter

Hey Everyone,

I just thought I would post a quick note about serving and your grip. I always thought I served with a continental grip. Although my knuckle was on continental, the pad of my hand was not. This was causing me to lose power and consistency without even realizing it.

After being told my grip was wrong during a lesson, we adjusted my grip to a true continental grip and I easily added 10 to 20 mph to my serve.

Below are a few videos of my serve and I used an app called serve speed (available on app store in iTunes) and my serve speed was 116 mph on 3 separate serves. Prior to that, my serve speed was roughly 100 mph.

Talk about a huge difference. By having the right grip, I was able to generate higher pace with less effort because the face of my racquet on pronation was hitting the ball more flat and my hand was behind the racquet more. This gave me more stability and more power.

If you are struggling with pace on your serve, I encourage you to check your grip and ensure you are not using a modified continental like I was. Definitely check the pad of your hand as well as your knuckle.

Take a look at these serves and let me know what you think in the comments.

Have a great day out there.

Ardor String Winners

Hey Everyone,

I apologize for this late post, but as they say, better late than never. After a family vacation, a total revamp of my website www.stringrx.com (lowest total order free shipping on the web).

I am pleased to announce a few lucky winners of the Ardor string. Please send me your contact information so I can mail you your free set. Also, please let me know the color you prefer:

Yellow (Lime) 1.25 mm
Blue 1.25 mm
Orange 1.23 mm

Or, you can request a set cut from a reel of Orange 1.27 mm (the thickest and most durable of OnFire).

The winners are:

Benny Allejos and Robert Chang.

Thanks again for commenting!!!!

Tecnifibre Black Code Winner

Congratulations to Robert Chang who is the sole winner of the Tecnifibre Black Code drawing.

String Reviews Update

Hi Everyone,

As you know, I have been providing string reviews on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, it is just not a long enough time to thoroughly review string. I need to play with the string for a longer time period.

Please accept my apologies, but I will be posting a new review once a month to offer a more comprehensive review of the string.

Have a great day out there,

Dan

Tecnifibre Razor Code Winners

Hello Everyone,

The winners of the tecnifibre razor code giveaway are Taylor Johnson, Julie Tran, Robert Chang and John Chang. Please email me your email address and mailing address to stringrx@gmail.com. Also, please specify if you want 17 gauge or 18 gauge.

Thanks,

Dan

Tecnifibre Black Code String Review (Leave a Comment to enter to win a free set)

Welcome to another string review. Today, we are reviewing Tecnifibre's Black Code. I used the 17 gauge version of this string. I strung it up on a Wilson K Blade 104 at 63 lbs in the mains. I crossed this string with Prince Lightning XX Spin 16 gauge at 63 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 46. After two weeks of play, the DT was 41.

In the videos below, I decided to rally and have some voice overs during several of the rally's. I also played some point play in the second video and discuss some of the shots I am hitting. The third video is a quick overview of the string.

Here's some of the specifications that this string has to offer. Below is a table showing the Stiffness and Tension loss of this string. String stiffness was measured by the United States Racquet Service Association (USRSA). Typically, the stiffer the string, the less power, but more control. Also, the stiffer the string, the less feel and typically the harsher it will feel on your arm, elbow and shoulder. If you have any arm, elbow or shoulder problems, playing with a stiff string can have a negative impact. Of course, you can hybrid stiffer strings with softer strings to lessen how stiff they feel.




Name                                           Material      Size in (mm)    Stiffness lb/in      Tension Loss
Tecnifibre Black Code 16         Polyester        1.31                      242                     18.08
Tecnifibre Black Code 17         Polyester        1.27                      225                     18.03
Tecnifibre Black Code 18         Polyester        1.18                      220                     18.88

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

Pro's:

• Power (Provides ample power and a nice soft response)
• Durability (Seems to last fairly long with minimal signs of wear)
• String movement is minimal
• Provides great spin due to its pentagonal shape

Con's:

• Control is good but not great

Ratings are on a scale of 1-100.

Power: (81)

It definitely provides some pop. Although, not as much as natural gut or some multifilament strings, this string is powerful for a poly. 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. I could overhit and hit the ball out if I wasn't completely careful because my racquet is pretty powerful. 

Spin: (88)

I think this string has great spin potential it's soft on the arm, but the pentagonal shape really grabs the ball. Of course, with more spin, I had to be careful because some of my shots would land short. If you are a relatively flat hitter looking for a string to help you add spin to your strokes, then this might be a string for you. 

Comfort: (87)

This string is a 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 for a poly. 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: (80)

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. On mishits though, I felt that the ball could really get away from me. Overall though, I really felt I could swing freely and the ball would stay in the court. I did however notice that some shots had a tendency to land short because of the excellent spin. Spin can definitely help you control your shots but it can also hurt you if you don't get the ball deep.

Serves: (78)

Since this string provides more control, I was really able to hit my spots with my flat serve and the ample power provided allowed me to hit some aces, which I need for my style of play. I was able to get plenty of spin on my kick serve and rarely hit the ball long. I did notice some of my serves hitting the net because of the spin generated, but that was more my fault on not hitting up on the ball then the string not performing.

Volleys: (75)
Volleying was decent, but I didn't hit a ton of volleys with this string. I did notice I had plenty of punch on the volleys and I had pretty good feel as well. As I played more with the string, I was able to get better volleys. Although, this string is not as powerful as some other strings, it still packed plenty of punch.

Durability and Tension Loss: (88)

I am not someone who breaks strings often, but I can tell you that these strings showed minimal wear after 2 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. The starting DT was 46 and after 2 weeks, the DT was 41. This bodes well for tension loss. I really felt that the string performed well and didn't notice a significant decline in performance as it lost tension. Ironically, the lower tension actually helped add some more power, spin and punch to my volleys.

String Movement: (90)
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 2 weeks. The pentagonal profile really helps the string to snap back into place.

Overall Score: (81.25)

Convenient Table:

Category	Rating
Power	81
Spin	88
Comfort	87
Control	80
Serves	78
Volleys	75
Durability and Tension Loss	92
String Movement	88
Overall Average	83.63

Summary:
I think Tecnifibre Black Code is a quality string that can be used by a variety of players. However, because of the strings soft response and great spin potential, I would recommend this string for power players, counter punchers and baseline players. Although the string had plenty of punch for volleys, the all court player and serve and volley player may find they hit some shorter balls and may find themselves in trouble if they aren't careful.

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 thoughts.

I also plan on giving away one sets of this string, so ensure you leave a comment. 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 July 25th 2013. Deadline to enter is July 21st 2013.

Videos:

Part 1 Rally

Part 2 Point Play


Part 3 Review

Happy 4th of July!!!

Thanks so much for checking in. No new string review this week.

I would however like to take the tome to thank all of the men and women in uniform for serving and keeping this country free. As a disabled veteran and former submariner in the U.S. Navy, I understand the sacrifices our men and women in the military make.

Thank you and God Bless America!!!!

Dan

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:
                                          

Tecnifibre Razor Code String Review (Leave a Comment to enter to win one of 5 free sets)

My second string review is Tecnifibre's new string Razor Code. I used the 17 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 35.

In the videos below, I played a practice match and unfortunately, the rally's were pretty short. That's typically how a match goes for me when I play against a player with a similar game to mine. We both are power players and generally unforced errors decide who wins the match since we both can hit winners. In the 2nd video, we played some tug of war with one of us feeding a ball and then rallying. We have much longer points in the 2nd video.

Here's some of the specifications that this string has to offer. Below is a table showing the Stiffness and Tension loss of this string. String stiffness was measured by the United States Racquet Service Association (USRSA). Typically, the stiffer the string, the less power, but more control. Also, the stiffer the string, the less feel and typically the harsher it will feel on your arm, elbow and shoulder. If you have any arm, elbow or shoulder problems, playing with a stiff string can have a negative impact. Of course, you can hybrid stiffer strings with softer strings to lessen how stiff they feel.


Name                                           Material      Size in (mm)    Stiffness lb/in      Tension Loss
Tecnifibre Razor Code 16         Polyester        1.30                      278                     18.59
Tecnifibre Razor Code 17         Polyester        1.25                      252                     16.43
Tecnifibre Razor Code 18         Polyester        1.20                      239                     11.77

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

Pro's:

• Power (Provides ample power and a nice crisp response)
• Durability (Seems to last fairly long with minimal signs of wear)
• String movement is minimal
• Provides controlled power. 

Con's:

• Feel (This string is a little stiff and touch shots can be harder to feel)

Ratings are on a scale of 1-100.

Power: (77)

It definitely provides some pop. Although, not as much as natural gut or some multifilament strings, this string is powerful for a poly. 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. I could overhit and hit the ball out if I wasn't completely careful because the spin generated is good, but it was not overwhelming.

Spin: (75)

I think this string has better than average spin potential, but does not necessarily provide added spin. If you already hit with spin, this string won't add much more. If you are a relatively flat hitter looking for a string to help you add spin to your strokes, then I would look elsewhere. I also noticed that my kick serves did not bite as much as a textured or shaped poly. Although spin was not a significant part of this strings appeal, there was ample spin produced to still make it outperform synthetic guts and multi- filaments. 

Comfort: (82)

This string is a 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 for a poly. 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: (86)

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. On mishits though, I felt that the ball could really get away from me. Overall though, I really felt I could swing freely and the ball would stay in the court. 

Serves: (78)

Since this string provides more control, I was really able to hit my spots with my flat serve and the ample power provided allowed me to hit some aces, which I need for my style of play. I did struggle to get the ball in the box on second serves. I found that if I didn't quite hit the ball properly, it would sail on me and go long. Although this string does provide enough spin to keep the second serve in the box, I had a little less margin of error then I would have liked.

Volleys: (72)
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. Anything less really got me in trouble as the ball would sit up. I also noticed that the crisp feel of the string really muted any power I could generate on volleys. Although the string did not significantly impact volleys negatively, it didn't really help them either.

Durability and Tension Loss: (92)

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. The starting DT was 42 and after 4 weeks, the DT was 35. This bodes well for tension loss. I really felt that the string performed well and didn't notice a significant decline in performance as it lost tension. Ironically, the lower tension actually helped add some more power and punch to my volleys.

String Movement: (88)
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.

Overall Score: (81.25)

Convenient Table:

Category	Rating
Power	77
Spin	75
Comfort	82
Control	86
Serves	78
Volleys	72
Durability and Tension Loss	92
String Movement	88
Overall Average	81.25

Summary:
I think Tecnifibre RZR Code is a quality string that can be used by a variety of players. However, because of the strings crisp response and control oriented nature, I would recommend this string for baseliners, counterpunchers and all court players. I am not convinced that a serve and volleyer would get enough punch from their volleys with this string. I really enjoyed this string and I really liked the crisp feel. If you like a crisp feeling string, 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 thoughts.

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 July 18th 2013. Deadline to enter is July 14th 2013.

Videos:

Part 1 The Warm Up
                                         

Part 2 Match Play
                                         

Part 3 Rallying
                                          
Part 4 Actual String Review
                                          

About Me

My name is Daniel Schank and I am a certified Master Racquet Technician (July 2012) with the United States Racquet Service Association (USRSA). I have been stringing racquets for several years and have learned the art of stringing and customization. There were several reasons I started to string my own racquets. The first and most important reason is because nobody could tell me what string would benefit my game. Sure they had recommendations, but they didn't take the time to get to know me or my game. The second reason was time. It would drive me crazy that I had to wait days to get my racquet restrung. Sometimes as long as a week, and I never got a call when it was done, nor was it always done when I was told it would be. The third reason was cost. I knew I could save some money by doing it myself.

Once I started stringing my own racquets, I decided to experiment with strings and see how they played. The more I started to experiment, the more I realized every string felt different but some played similarly. Some sounded the same while others sounded drastically different. Gauges made a difference in how a string played and ironically, strings played differently in different racquets. Since string is a subjective topic, the opinions and reviews of string are solely based on my thoughts and personal experience playtesting the string.

I hope my reviews will arm you with enough information to decide whether or not a particular brand  and model of string is worth a playtest. If you would like me to help you find the right string for your game, then simply leave me a comment below or email me at stringrx@gmail.com. Please tell me your playing style, what string you currently use, your likes and dislikes of your current string and what you are looking for in a string (more comfort, more power, more durability, less comfort, less power, etc) Once you send me that information, I have access to a string database that can tell me strings that would fit what you are looking for. Furthermore, if I can narrow it down to strings that I have personal experience with, I can give you my opinion on the string as well.

My intention will be to provide technical information about the string, links to other sources that may provide valuable information on this string and on some occasions, videos of this string in action.

My goal is to provide you with a one stop shop to find all the information I can about each string that I review. I hope you find this information valuable.

Warmest Regards,

Daniel Schank
President, String Rx LLC
USRSA MRT

Genesis Black Magic String Review (Leave a Comment to enter to win one of 5 free sets)

As promised, I am delivering my first of many string reviews. As the title indicates, this first string review will be for Genesis Black Magic. Some of you may be wondering why I chose this string as my first choice. Is this my favorite string? Is this the string that I use? The answer to both of those questions is no. The simple reason is because I have several videos on YouTube of me playing with that string, a YouTube video of my thoughts on this string, and I felt this string could use a formal write up on it to match the videos. Most of my reviews will not be a full bed. I am a full believer in using a hybrid setup to maximize performance of my racquet and strings. If you are not sure what that is, then check out Ian Westermann's (from Essential Tennis) gear description by clicking here. Videos below are of my play test (which are located on YouTube) and labeled for your convenience.

In the videos, I am using a Prince Rebel EXO3 Rebel 98 as my racquet of choice. I strung Genesis Black Magic 17 gauge in the mains at 56 lbs and crossed it with Genesis Blizzard synthetic gut 16 gauge at 54 lbs. The Dynamic Tension (DT) as recorded on my BEERS ERT 300 (http://www.ert300.com/ert300/en/start.html) was 34. I have also play tested this string in my latest racquet, Wilson BLX six one 100L. I strung it with Genesis Black Magic 17 gauge in the mains at 58 lbs and Genesis Blizzard Synthetic Gut in the crosses at 58 lbs. My DT was 42. As expected the string played totally different in each racquet. The numbers listed below will have a P next to them and a W next to them to represent the Prince racquet and the Wilson racquet. Although there were some differences, my perspective on the overall performance of the string is the same.

Let's start with some of the specifications that this string has to offer. Below is a table showing the Stiffness and Tension loss of this string. String stiffness was measured by the United States Racquet Service Association (USRSA). Typically, the stiffer the string, the less power, but more control. Also, the stiffer the string, the less feel and typically the harsher it will feel on your arm, elbow and shoulder. If you have any arm, elbow or shoulder problems, playing with a stiff string can have a negative impact. Of course, you can hybrid stiffer strings with softer strings to lessen how stiff they feel.


Name                              Material      Size in (mm)  Stiffness lb/in    Tension Loss

Genesis Black Magic 16	Polyester	1.28	261	21.35
Genesis Black Magic 17	Polyester	1.24	252	19.16

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

Pro's:

• Power (Definitely provides a lively response for a poly)
• Durability (Seems to last fairly long with minimal signs of wear)

Con's:

• Spin (Although decent spin, definitely not as spin friendly as other strings on the market)
• Control (very powerful poly that may not give players seeking control what they want)

Ratings are on a scale of 1-100.

Power: (80P) (80W)

It definitely provides some pop. Although, not as much as natural gut or some multifilament strings, this string is very powerful for a poly. During my playtest, I noticed that I could really punish the ball on my groundstrokes and put balls away with ease. I did have to be careful though as the ball could really fly out if I over hit. 

Spin: (70P) (70W)

I think this string has better than average spin potential, but does not necessarily provide added spin. If you already hit with spin, this string won't add much more. If you are a relatively flat hitter looking for a string to help you add spin to your strokes, then I would look elsewhere. 

Comfort: (80P) (80W)

This string is a 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 for a poly. I don't have any pain or soreness in my arm, elbow or shoulder after playing with this string.

Control: (75P) (80W)

When it comes to control, I had mixed feelings. On my groundstrokes, I felt like I didn't have to hit as hard to get the depth I wanted and could definitely unload and go for the winner. I did seem to over hit on plenty of shots and it took some time for me to dial in this string. Although it is stiffer, I feel that there are better strings on the market if you are looking for a control string. 

Serves: (80P) (85W)

Since the power of this string is high, my flat serves were penetrating and I could really feel the pop coming off of the stringbed. I did struggle to get the spin I needed on second serves and didn't have the confidence in being aggressive with my second serve. Overall placement of my serves was decent, but not having confidence in the spin being generated to get the ball in the court proved to be costly during my match.

Volleys: (80P) (85W)
No real surprise here. Volleys felt crisp and sharp. I could really get the ball to penetrate when needed and the strings surprised me with some touch as well. Volleying was a pleasure  with this string and I think it performed exceptionally well.

Durability and Tension Loss: (90P) (90W)

I am not someone who breaks strings often, but I can tell you that these strings showed minimal wear after 2 weeks of play testing. I hit for about 25 to 30 hours in the 2 weeks and they did not break. The DT recorded by my ERT 300 was 30 on the Prince racquet and 36 on the Wilson.  Even as the string lost tension, I did not notice a trampoline effect or a significant loss in performance.

String Movement: (78P)(75W)
The strings did move a little and they did not always snap back in place like a lot of other poly strings. It's not even close to as bad as multifilament strings, but you will be adjusting them a little between points. Overall, string movement isn't bad, but I prefer poly strings that snap back and I don't have to move them.

Overall Score: (79.1P) (80.6W)

Summary:
I think Genesis Black Magic is a quality string that can be used by a variety of players. Since it is a little softer, it may appeal to players with arm issues but still want the performance characteristics of a poly. Serve and Volley players may find that this string could compliment there game with it's strong ratings in serves and volleys. I also think doubles players my find this string a pleasure to play with as well. If you have technical efficient strokes and need a string that packs a punch to help you finish off points, then I highly recommend this string.

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 thoughts.

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 July 11th 2013. Deadline to enter is July 7th 2013.

Playtest Part 1

Playtest Part 2

Playtest Part 3 and Vocal Review

You can also find other ratings of this string at:
http://www.stringforum.net/stringdb.php?show=2401&count=1

Tennis String Reviews Coming Soon

Hello Everyone,

It has been awhile since I have posted anything. From this point forward, I will be posting a new string review post on a weekly basis on Thursdays, so make sure you check back each and every week to see what string I am covering.

If you have a particular string you would like reviewed, please let me know and I will work it into the mix and get a comprehensive review on the string.

Thanks for reading and check back next week.

Dan

Hot Weather Calls for Changes to Your Racquet

It's been a little while since my last post and I apologize for that. I have been very busy expanding String Rx LLC and am excited about the new things to come. We will be launching a webstore very soon and are excited to offer some great value.

Now, on to the topic at hand. If you read my previous blog on cold weather, you would have learned that you need to reduce your tension to help get more power in colder conditions. Did you know the opposite is true in warm weather. That's right, you should adjust your string tension by 2 to 4 pounds based on the weather. So if you typically string at 60 pounds, you should string at 62 to 64 pounds when the warm weather hits.

What if you already string your racquet at max tension according to the racquet manufacturers specifications. That can be tricky, but it was interesting to learn that many players on the ATP tour string their racquets at much higher tensions. I found out from a tour stringer (name not identified to protect him), that Monica Seles would string her racquets at 77 to 80 pounds.

With that being said, you could take the risk and string your racquet a little tighter if needed. Or, another option would be to choose a stiffer string that would provide more control in warmer weather. I personally use different strings based on the season. I use a softer co-poly string such as Genesis Black Magic, Tourna Big Hitter Rough or Ardor OnFire during cooler temperatures. I switch to stiffer co-poly strings such as Solinco Tour Bite and Genesis Twisted Razor during the warmer weather months to provide a little more control.

Whatever you decide, changing strings or tension, just know that to perform at your best, you need to keep your weapon properly tuned.

Til Next Time,

Dan

Cold Weather Tennis and Stringing Periodicity

Hey Everyone,

I hope you had a fantastic holiday and are ready for the new year. If you live in a cold climate area, playing tennis can be somewhat of a challenge. The colder the weather, the heavier the air is. If your a power player, you may notice a significant drop in winners and you may also notice that your once heavy balls are landing shorter and giving your opponent time to get to them. Don't worry, there are a few things that you can do to get back your power.

There are several factors in play. Obviously, the colder the weather, the slower the ball moves because the air is thicker and provides more resistance. Another factor is the string bed. The warmer the weather, the more lively the strings play. When playing in colder weather, you should be ready to tweak your racquet to help you achieve better play.

What I recommend is that you lower your overall tension by 3 to 5 pounds. I know that sounds extreme, but in colder weather, you will want the added power of the lower tension. One of the biggest misconceptions I run into is the thought that the lower the tension, the loss of control. Now, this is true to a certain extent, it really depends on the strokes of the player. If you hit the ball flat, than this is true. However, if you hit with topspin or heavy topspin, the less taught the stringbed, the more dwell time on the strings which can actually enhance your ability to create spin and give you more margin of error on your strokes.

Another tweak you can make is to add a little lead tape to your frame. Where to add the lead tape depends on what you are looking for. If you want to learn more about lead tape placement, click here. Why lead tape you may ask? Lead tape will add a little more weight to your frame which will constitute a little more plow through from your racquet to help the ball move through the cold dense air. The balls that were landing short will go a little further and thus make it harder for your opponent to attack. Of course, if you add too much lead tape, you could reduce your racquet speed which could result in timing issues, early fatigue and swing path issues. To know how much lead tape you should add, you should try just one layer of lead tape to start with. If you need more, you can always add more, but if you need less, you can shorten the length of tape you are using.

Another factor to consider is changing your string for the colder weather. If you are a poly or co-poly user, then consider dropping tension by 5 to 10 pounds or switching your main to a synthetic gut or multi-filament and put your poly as the cross string. This combination will give you a little more pop without sacrificing control. As a matter of fact, Roger Federer uses Natural Gut in his mains and crosses it with Luxilon. Just another option for the cold weather.

Regardless of which method you choose above, just know that the Pro's are always experimenting with strings and tension and so should you. You should have two racquets as your match sticks and one racquet that you can experiment with. 3 racquets will give you the performance you desire and the experimentation you need.

Until next time,

Dan Schank
USRSA Master Racquet Technician
President, String Rx, LLC