View Full Version : USRSA string tests vs T-W board opinions

Fat Boy
07-04-2004, 12:03 AM
On this board Big Banger Alu Power is "the man". Every other thread is about how wonderful it is.

As for Prince Syn Gut Duraflex, forgeddaboudit you loser.

But check out USRSA website for their string tests. Alu Power scored very low indeed (as you might expect from a string which seems to have a lot in common with piano wire). I particularly liked the bit where it tells you to watch out while stringing in case you fatally stab yourself with it.

And Duraflex is the all time test winner, or was until the latest Wilson NXT came along.


07-04-2004, 03:31 AM
Despite what you might read here, ALU generally appeals to players who take full swings at the ball and prefer a firmer string bed...These general qualities usually come from more advanced players...The string tests cover a wide cross section of players, most of which are probably 3 to 3.5 players. Sure, they have play testers 4.0 and above, but I don't know how many of them are really at that rating. I do know a tester who rated themselves as a 5.5 male...Let's just say that it is a huge stretch.
I string about 1000 frames a year for normal customers and about 500 for pros when doing tournaments(I generally do 3 yr). For normal people, I do about 60 - 70 copolymer type sets a year. The rest are in the softer categories, most of them being a prince duraflex or Bab Conquest type string. Pros are different. 85% are a copolymer type, +some hybrids, 10% full gut, the rest a variety of believe it or not, cheap nylon.

07-04-2004, 10:21 AM
There are a lot of people on here that like duraflex !!!

ALU's power is very subjective, too. Sometimes I think it's a religious, bandwagon, or macho thing.

If you think about what ALU is and what it does; what your racquet is and what it does; and what your swing is and what it does you can decide for yourself.

. . . Bud

Steve Huff
07-04-2004, 01:51 PM
I don't think that Prince Duraflex was their "all time winner". It's just the string they use to compare loss of tension with. They use it as their standard, for comparative value. And that's only in one category--tension loss after 24 hours. It doesn't say anything about its playability or durability.

Gaines Hillix
07-05-2004, 03:19 PM
I like ALU Power because it feels lively, yet it's controllable. I play a lot of doubles and I noticed a big improvment in the number of deep volley's that stay in the court and I didn't have to sacrifice other playing characteristics. Slice and topspin are just as easy to create as with other strings, it's durable and it doesn't move around.

07-07-2004, 05:25 PM
Obviously, the polys (including Alu Power) have some desireable characteristics, or they would not be as popular as they have become. However, if you take a bunch of playtesters who predominantly use a multifilament nylon string, and have them switch to a monofilament poly, you're going to hear a different opinion of the poly than someone who has been seeking a poly-type string.