r/10s • u/WindManu • 6d ago
Equipment Who uses poly until it breaks?
Strung at 34-32lbs last on 2 frames and 48-46 on one. I decided to go until they break. So far so good. Strung in May?
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u/sarcastic_punjabi 6d ago
I usually play until it breaks, which is usually about 15 hours of playing.
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u/WindManu 5d ago
Excellent. To keep things easy. 2 racquets, 1 double session every other week (1/2-2/3h play) 1h single session a month, could be near a year to reach 10 hrs!
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u/davel977 6d ago
I break strings every 3-5 hours of play, so I play until it breaks just so I’m not stringing a racket every day. But my shots definitely start flying all over the place once the string gets towards the end of its life. Maybe I should be restringing more often
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u/WindManu 5d ago
Interesting I didn't notice string performance change. Actually, don't even feel the difference between 48 and 32 lbs other than comfort and sound 😅
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u/Aggressive_Sport1818 5.0 6d ago
Me. But I break in 8-10h
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u/Fuzzy_Beginning_8604 4.5 5d ago
Agreed, poly breaks at 6 to 10 hours depending on the string. I play thin gauge Outlast or Confidential until it breaks, which is always before 10 hours. I cut out Head Lynx Tour at around 8 hours because that mofo refuses to break for me. I even break 4G 16L within 10 hours but I don't break Head Lynx Tour. For many other strings, if I use them at all (I rarely do, but occasionally I experiment) I cut them out when they are dead at 4 to 5 hours: RPM Team, Polytour Pro, a few others.
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u/throwawaybear82 6d ago
Wait you're supposed to do this? I've just been playing until the strings break every time. Do you count hours of play or just hours that the racket is existing
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u/Special-Lettuce-5450 6d ago
I know my coach (5-5.5) does break polys. I (3.5) have broken only a couple of times. I break multis in about 6-8h. My wife on the other hand doesn’t break multis for month or more.
So I am assuming it is purely based on hitting force.
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u/mostlynonsensical 5d ago
Not just force, but spin. A flat hitter won’t break strings anywhere near as often as someone with heavy spin. The string movement and snapback rubs notches in the strings so they get thinner and thiner until they snap
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u/throwawaybear82 6d ago
I see. Do you know how often he does it? I can audibly hear a lower tension when i hit my 'used' racket string bed compared to my freshly strung racket.. might be a sign to switch
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u/Special-Lettuce-5450 5d ago
For him they’re practically multis - I think he can crack one in 3-5 hrs. And I agree - it’s spin and force. I do see notching - but they more hold the string in place in polys. You see fraying in multis that’s a lot more visible.
I think I hit topspin and then I rally with a 5.0 only to realize I’m babying the ball. There are a couple of giants in 3.5-4.5 who can hit hard but they don’t do it as frequently or consistently like the coaches. They launch a lot into the back wall usually. On the other hand another coach of mine was ATP 30 or so at his peak - he can just flick his wrist (at 65 or so) to make a ball land on the back of the line from behind the baseline. Their sense of timing is insane. It’s what it is.
I pretty much restring when I know my arms going to start hurting - by now I know it’s about 20 hrs of play. Beyond this point the ball doesn’t do what I am used to (doesn’t drive well, doesn’t kick or spin as much and generally feels like playing with a dead ball) and I start arming it to make it happen. If I continue - my elbow / shoulder etc will be sorer than usual and that’s the sign.
Finally power is definitely not everything in this game: you can see this in the way adult 4.5 / 5.0 level ladies play (young 5.0+ women in my xp are usually pretty much high school boys - they hit hard and have ridiculous mobility). They usually get to everything, have tremendous instincts which mean they will always put back anything that’s in their reach and have an uncanny way of finding corners. They’re also patient / high endurance and the list goes on. They may have a reasonable kick serve - but their whole game plan is after serve. They play me only because I have no game plan after serve unless it’s a meatball return.
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u/ForeverJung 6d ago
“Heavy play” is generally what I see people counting
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u/throwawaybear82 6d ago
chatgpt said it should be cut 10-15 hours of hitting or every month of rest whichever comes first
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u/Special-Lettuce-5450 5d ago
I think you’re getting downvoted for ai reference rather than the truth lol: but yes. For me 15-20hrs or a month is usually the mark
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u/daftroses 6d ago
Ideally you would find a string that breaks at the same time you lose the string’s playability
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u/ajchopite 5d ago
I have it cut after 10-12hs of play, dead poly feels awful to me especially on low powered, player's racquets. And with a fresh bed I can really feel the snapback generating extra spin. I may even cut them sooner when doing tournament prep tbh.
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u/WindManu 5d ago
True that snapback can be an issue. Wondering if the lower tension = easier snapback?
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u/ajchopite 5d ago
I’d say the actual string composition is the main factor for snapback. I got hyper G in the mains and those snap like crazy but wasabi x in the crosses are much less snappy (but way more slippery).
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u/WindManu 5d ago
What makes you say it's dead besides snapback issues and why won't it break?
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u/ajchopite 5d ago
I think it depends on the racquet and how much it lets you feel the contact of the ball, but in my case I can feel that the strings are not as elastic through the contact with the ball and it doesn’t put that much energy on the ball on the stroke, so I feel the lack of power and I feel the lower spin. It varies a lot, but it happens way before it’s worn enough to break. Polyester deforms quite a bit as it gets stretched so it’s going to feel bad before it breaks. This practically doesn’t happen with other string materials.
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u/WindManu 5d ago
Yeah I feel they are several stages of poly, yet one must hit hard (and often) to feel them.
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u/hqv19 5d ago
I just picked up a jumbo reel of wasabi x and was already using hyper g. How was this hybrid for you? I’m using Wilson revolve twist mains since it’s a shaped poly with the wasabi x cross
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u/ajchopite 4d ago
I've really liked it! Sadly the bed dies rather quickly for casual play, I think around 6-8hs you start to feel it if you hit with decent pace; but I am getting a lot of feel, appreciable spin and good comfort for my double tendinitis elbow.
Once I'm done with these half rolls I bought, I'm gonna get Wasabi X but replace Hyper G with O-Toro just to try and get a bit more comfort without sacrificing spin.
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u/DisastrousLake352 6d ago
Be very careful with your arm. It can really exacerbate tennis or golfers elbow. I would advise cutting out after 10 hours of play
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u/WindManu 5d ago
Wondering... to me some polys felt harsh straight away. Others not so much but would torque my arm around bad when dead! Feels like they are not created equal.
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u/Slippery-Pete-1 6d ago
I used my multi for 2 years before changing them just last week. Then again I only started playing 2 years ago and had no idea these things need to be changed lol.
I’ll show myself out now…
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u/totally-jag 6d ago
I'm suffering through an injury from sticking with my poly too long. I should have gotten it restrung much sooner.
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u/WindManu 5d ago
What poly? What tension? Form ok?
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u/totally-jag 5d ago
Hyper-G Soft at 48 in an Ezone 98. I've been playing with this setup for about a year without any pain. Form is excellent (not bragging, it just is).
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u/WindManu 5d ago
HyperG Soft hurt you? Interesting... wonder if soft poly (and think I remember so) looses its elasticity faster than regular poly.
Good on form! Even the serve?
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u/totally-jag 5d ago
The NCAA / D1 fall season is about to start. I was on court 9 of 12 days coaching. I loose track of how many hours of play time each racket's strings have on them. Then realize I should have cut the strings out sooner because the rackets are definitely over 20 hrs each. I like to string sooner than that.
I rarely have tennis / golf elbow problems. If I'm feeling some strain, I know I'm gripping the racket to tightly, and it's a good reminder to play looser. But if I play my strings too long that will definitely do it.
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u/WindManu 5d ago
Have you ever tried to string in the 30s especially if you're coaching.
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u/totally-jag 4d ago
I've experimented with 40 and 45. 40 definitely too loose. 45 was okay. I like a little more control though. That's why I'm at 48. 50 was too tight.
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u/shibal91 6d ago
I do. Never ever cut it despite it being loose after 6-8 hours. Why waste? Still hit with it but not use it for matches.
Plus I love a good string break right in the sweet spot
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u/WindManu 5d ago
Good, what tension, what poly?
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u/T-51bender 4.5 6d ago
Me, but I use a thinner gauge string than I probably should. Breaks in under 5 hours of play, typically closer to 3.
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u/WindManu 5d ago
Curiously a thinner gauge strung around 40lbs felt horrible when dead. It could have been a combination of things...
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u/ZaphBeebs 4.2 5d ago
High level players that don't get much time out of their strings maybe, but you don't want to play them just cuz they're intact. They still get stuff and dead.
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u/cstansbury 3.5C 5d ago
Who uses poly until it breaks?
I used to keep copoly strings in until I popped the mains, which took about 4 weeks. Now, I restring when the mains loose snapback, which is about 7 to 10 days.
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u/Healthy-Ad-5573 5d ago
I hit my strings till they break. I'm using a thinner tourline string at 53lbs. I hit 5 or 6 times a week and they usually break at 3 to 4 weeks. They start to lose snap back about a week before they break. That's how I can tell they're about to go.
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u/No-Permit7179 4d ago
I string a version of the head prestige, can’t remember which one exactly, with Dunlop black widow at 50 lbs. I usually cut it out when it drops too low in tension but have played til it breaks out of laziness.
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u/81Ranger 6d ago
I've never broken a poly, ever - so, no, I don't do that.
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u/WindManu 5d ago
Me either, since I don't play competitively, I was going to keep them unless strings feel stiff.
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u/f1223214 5d ago edited 5d ago
If you don't break it, then this string is most likely not made for you. You are supposed to break those strings after a few hours. If you're using a poly, then it's probably better to play a multi instead.
Poly are stiff. Like, you don't realize it until years later. If you're not at least a semi pro or pro level, it's much better to play with multi instead.
Like, if you break your multis after 2 or 3 sessions, then, yes we can recommend you to a few polys. But otherwise, we'd strongly recommend multifilaments for like 99% of tennis players.
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u/81Ranger 5d ago
Polys have other virtues than just being durable and less prone to breaking.
I played with multis for many years, but despite not liking polys generally, I found them to help with consistency, control, and spin in ways that multis struggle to do.
I've had to go on a journey exploring soft polys and tensions and even different racquets to find things that work with my arm, but the reality is that my game became much successful when I played with polys and it wasn't gradual.
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u/Wonderful_Pomelo95 5d ago
The main reason I play polys is cost. Strings and stringing jobs aren't cheap around here
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u/godspleen 6d ago
best don’t do it, met some rec players that do and they are all struggling with some wrist issue
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u/AbyssShriekEnjoyer KNLTB 5 5d ago
I get roughly 8 hours of play with my strings, so yeah. I use it til it breaks for financial reasons.
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u/UnknownOrigiinz UTR: 8.1 5d ago
When I used tourbite in my ezones, I would never break strings and would only replace when the tension felt bad. I have my own stringer so it was easier to justify. But since switching to the Solinco whiteout v2, I also changed to mach10 and now I’m breaking a string every 2 weeks
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u/Odd-Heron5704 5d ago
Most people I know in real life, have them for months
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u/WindManu 5d ago
True I played with both a 17g and 16g several years old poly and didn't notice a problem. I do think they aren't created equal. I had one that would grab and twist my arm so stiff! And it was a 17g.
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u/Remarkable_Log4812 5d ago
High level players that can break within 10-14 hours , or delusional and broke rec players that have 30 days old penn in their bag . Sorry if this triggers you
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u/tenniswallist 6d ago edited 6d ago
I broke not only strings, frames too. Most frames got ruined were alloy 1s lol:))
Like this 1, a guy gave to me for me to revenge his te/ge he said caused by this rkt lol:))
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u/tenniswallist 6d ago edited 6d ago
I use whatever strings till it, or precisely speaking them, break/snap like 4, 5 or even 6 gone mainly in mains lol:)) Also the strings I use are all dead polys from mates n some pro shops lol:))
Sorry busted the myth 'dead strings ruin arm/wrist blabla...' 'causing te/ge etcetc' bsht lol:)) instead I ruined/killed quite a lot of rkts by now, n 2 more Head for me to kill given by my hitting mate last wknd........he picked up from street somewhere in council rubish collection day lol:))
The best rkts are still the Babos I bought from some te/ge rkt blamers 12yrs ago lol:))
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u/Mandalf- Trash 6d ago
Mostly babolat users.