Strings made from recycled materials such as PET bottles are becoming a thing. We tested Eco Power, here is our Luxilon Eco Rough Review.

Luxilon Eco Rough Review

Big thanks to Henrik Wallensten for contributing with the string set. I only had one set to test and Henrik strung it up for me in my HEAD Radical MP Auxetic at 24 kg. We did enjoy Eco Power, but it felt like it had no standout feature over other strings. But having a string made of 90% PET bottles and other recycled plastics is exciting and a step in the right direction.

Eco Rough is quite different from Eco Power. It is a light silver color and feels rough to the touch. My first instinct was that it would lose tension quickly, similar to what happens with Alu Power Rough. But I was surprised by the tension maintenance, which impressed me with this string. I was six hours of hitting in without a noticeable drop in tension or playability. I have only tested this string in one racquet as I said, but the test was overall positive and I think Eco Rough is better in playability than Eco Power.

There are no data on Eco Power in terms of stiffness, tension loss and spin potential as you can see below.

What is interesting from the Tennis Warehouse University data is that the spin potential of Eco Power is remarkably high. I think it is one of the highest scores I’ve seen. And the stiffness of the string is low. This makes me think I need to revisit it once more, but I was not as impressed as these scores when I tried it in my HEAD Prestige MP or Tecnifibre TF40.

Luxilon Eco Rough

Luxilon Eco Rough is so far unavailable to buy. I have actually seen very little information about this string. But it did impress me. I thought the spin and control factors were both excellent and I did like the feel, not too harsh, not too soft.

I definitely want to test this string again and in other racquets. A nice string that surprised me in pretty much every factor.

More to come! Let me know if you have tried this string and what you think about it.

If you want to support Tennisnerd, consider joining our members page. Or why not purchase a product from our friends at Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Warehouse Europe and Tennis Only.  Thanks for your encouragement.

Grapplesnake has been working on a new string during 2022 and 2023. We hope to test the Grapplesnake Paradox Pro soon.

Grapplesnake Paradox Pro

Grapplesnake Paradox Pro is a string using metals in higher percentages, similar to what they’ve done for Tour Sniper and Game Changer Silver. We have previously enjoyed Grapplesnake strings (Tour M8 is probably our fave) and we are excited for Paradox Pro.

You can get 10% off Grapplesnake strings here

This is what Grapplesnake says about their new string:

We have finished perfecting it with production currently running 24/7. We are excited about this because it has the potential to become a new class of string out there. Developing Paradox Pro has required the largest amounts of man-hours, complex materials, and overall resources we have ever developed and invested. Firm to our vision, we focus on quality, quality, and quality. It is our pride.

Paradox Pro comes from the paradigms this string is breaking and how counter-intuitive this seems at first: Paradox Pro is firm but comfortable. It’s also powerful but with extreme precision. It’s durable but soft feeling. It’s round but provides great spin. The feel is the most direct we have ever developed, and that is its biggest strength. Black/White. Ying/Yang. A new type of precision, a new class of string. We expect Paradox Pro to change the game.

String specifications

– It will be available in the US in approximately mid-August.

– It will be available in sets and reels, 1.25 and 1.29 mm.

– It will be a little heavier than other polys—higher percentages of metals, which are heavier than polyester.

– Reels will be 150 meters long (other models come in 200 meters).

– Paradox Pro is round and green (forest green).

Do you like testing new strings?

Strings are easier to test than racquets because they are easier to ship, and you can just string them up in your regular racquet and get going. Do you ever test strings? If you want to write or share your video reviews on Tennisnerd, message us via Instagram or contact us here.

Yonex are releasing a new string with their Percept racquets called Yonex Poly Tour Rev Mint. Poly Tour Rev is the spin string from the Japanese brand.

Yonex Poly Tour Rev Mint

Yonex Poly Tour Rev Mint is a new color for the firmer spin string of Yonex racquets. Poly Tour Rev is an 8-sided string with silicone-infused filament to increase grab and snapback. It’s a nice string offering good spin potential without being too harsh on the arm. We have yet to test the Mint-colored Poly Tour Rev, but we hope to do so when we finish our Yonex Percept Review, you can watch our first impressions on our YouTube channel.

The mint-colored string and the green Yonex Percept racquets go well together, and spin-friendly strings pair well with control racquets because they can help get a bit of extra bite on the ball.

I’m curious to see if the PTR Mint string can become my new favorite Yonex string. Right now, it’s Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25, which I think has a great blend of control, spin and comfort.

Yonex string families

Yonex have the Poly Tour Pro, which is the round polyester that many pros use.

The Poly Tour Rev, which, as mentioned, is the 8-sided spin string.

Poly Tour Air, which is the softest polyester they offer with HR-elastomer for better dampening.

Poly Tour Drive, which is another spin string, unsure how this stands out.

Poly Tour Tough, a polyester string focused on durability.

Poly Tour Strike, power and tension maintenance

Poly Tour Fire, another silicone-infused poly to promote snapback.

Rexis Comfort, softer multifilament string

Rexis Speed, stiffer multifilament string

Rexis Feel, more control-oriented

What are your favorite Yonex strings?

I have made lots of content about strings in the past, but I wanted to compile it into one. Here is everything you need to know about tennis strings.

Well, let’s call it everything you need to know about tennis strings (almost). I don’t have the ego to say it’s everything you need to know, but I try to compile as much info as I could within the 17 minutes of the video.

Everything you need to know about tennis strings (almost)

You can watch the video here. Let’s have a look at the timestamps below.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:34 Beginners should use
00:48 Pros use polyesters or hybrids
01:58 Polyester strings
03:12 The color of the string makes a difference
04:01 The key factors of a string
04:08 Tension
05:03 Gauges
05:34 Tension maintenance
06:27 Multifilament or poly
07:18 Colors
08:09 Sets or reels
08:19 Tennis and sustainability
08:35 String pricing
09:08 How polyester strings changed the game
10:13 A deeper look at multifilament strings
11:13 Polyester strings go dead
11:59 Hybrid setups
12:34 You can hybrid poly and poly
13:09 Checking your tension
13:40 Going from multi to poly
13:49 Softer polyester strings
14:20 Stiffer string recommendations
14:37 The string market is more confusing than ever
15:20 If you find something you like…
16:00 Some of my favorite strings

Beginners

In my opinion, beginners should use multifilament, gut or synthetic gut strings. There is no need to go for polyester strings until you can put a lot of topspin on the ball and play extended rallies. Read this article if you wonder about racquets for beginners or more detailed strings for beginners. Click the links to read.

Hybrid string setups

Many pros like hybrid string setups, and for a good reason. Pairing two different strings can create an optimal effect, depending on your wants. You can pair two poly strings like for example Musetti or Ruud, or pair gut and poly like Djokovic, Federer or Murray.

The color of the strings

It might sound silly, but it is true in my experience. The brighter the color, the livelier the response. The darker the color, the more controlled the response.

Sets or reels?

A set is a great way to test if a string is for you. It can cost anything between 5-20 euro. But if you have a string you like, buying a reel is more cost-effective, which usually costs between 50-200 euro. You can check out their huge selection of strings from our partners at Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Warehouse Europe and Tennis Only.

Gauges

The thickness of the gauge affects control, comfort, durability and power. The thicker the string, the better durability and control, and the thinner the string, the better comfort and power.

Sustainability

Tennis is not the most eco-friendly sport. Balls are generally pretty bad for sustainability and strings are not much better. However, we are seeing some movement towards recycled strings like the Luxilon Eco Power string.

How polyester strings changed the game

Luxilon Big Banger was introduced in 1997 and Guga Kuerten used the string to win the French Open. That was the start of a more spin-oriented game where players could swing fast and the ball would still dip in, thanks to the snapback and spin potential.

Multifilament strings

Multifilament strings are great for players looking for comfort and power, but less good if you want spin and control. There are many excellent multifilament strings out there. In this post and video, you will find some tips. Excellent multifilament strings are HEAD Velocity MLT, Tecnifibre Triax and Tecnifibre X-One Bi-Phase, Yonex Rexis, Babolat Xcel and Wilson NXT.

Polyester strings go dead

They might seem like they last forever, but what happens is that they lose their elasticity. That is why you should be careful to leave your string in the racquet too long. You don’t get the spin and control properties that are usually associated with poly strings when they’ve been in the racquet too long.

Tension maintenance

One important aspect of tennis strings is maintaining tension. Strings that drop fast can be erratic and unpredictable and require frequent restringing.

Natural gut has the best tension maintenance, multifilament is second and polyester strings drop tension faster.

But tension maintenance differs greatly between poly strings.

Going from multifilaments to polyesters

If you want to get more spin and control and you are playing with a multifilament string, you might want to consider switching to a softer poly string. Good examples of softer polyesters are Solinco Hyper G Soft, Volkl Cyclone Tour, Wilson Revolve Spin, Yonex Poly Tour Pro, Luxilon Alu Power Soft, etc.

Stiffer string recommendations

If you want maximum control and dependability, there are some classics and newer strings to consider: HEAD Lynx Tour, Babolat RPM Blast, Luxilon 4G, Solinco Hyper-G and Tour Bite, Tecnifibre Razor Code. The issue is the comfort and power, so avoid stringing these strings too high in tension (55 lbs or above can be seen as a high tension, but it also depends on the racquets).

Final words

Don’t overthink your choice of strings. When you find something you like that doesn’t hurt your arm, you can just stick to it. Buy a reel or two and focus on your tennis. That tends to be my advice for gear in general. For personal help, check out the Tennisnerd courses, books or consultations.

Sometimes a new string comes along that makes you smile. Zero from Restring is such a string. Here is my Restring Zero review.

Restring Zero Review

My Restring Zero review started in an unusual way with the founder visiting Marbella, Spain (he lives in Washington, D.C.) to hand-deliver some test sets. Don’t get me wrong, he didn’t come here just to give me some strings to test, but it was a nice coincidence and gave us a chance to meet up.

Juan is one of the co-founders of the company alongside Nick. You can read about the Restring founders on their official website. You can also get a 10% discount on your string purchase with the code TENNISNERD10.

I had heard many good things about Zero, but I am always skeptical going into a play test. There are so many brands that just slap a logo onto an already existing string and call it something new. This is not exciting to me, at all and seems just like a money-grabbing approach or perhaps a fun hobby project.

Restring Zero is, as far as I can tell, a new string, a passion project, and something the founders (high-level players) use themselves. This is the way it should be in my old-fashioned head.

What is Restring Zero?

Zero is a six-sided, or hexagonal, if you want to sound fancy, bright blue polyester string. It is lubricated for more string movement, which is supposed to increase spin potential.

It comes in two different gauges, 1.23 and 1.28. Go thicker for durability and control and thinner for more power and comfort.

I would say it is a medium to soft poly. It plays a bit like Hyper-G and Lynx Tour but feels more comfortable and a little livelier. The comfort level would be around Yonex Poly Tour Pro, in my estimation.

How does it play?

From the first hit, you notice that Restring Zero has an excellent impact feel and sound. The ball leaves the racquet fast and the string offers a pretty good bite. For a relatively comfortable string, it offers good spin potential and tension maintenance. It remains controlled longer than so-called soft poly strings like Hyper-G Soft and Wilson Revolve Spin.

I tried the string with a few different players and in a number of racquets and tensions. HEAD Extreme Tour (1.28), HEAD Radical MP (1.23) Auxetic and Babolat Pure Aero Rafa (1.28).

For more powerful racquets, I prefer a deader, more control-oriented string because I felt like Zero was relatively lively. But I am a player who sometimes doesn’t put enough spin on the ball, so it might just not suit me. Personally, I would use this string to get some more action and power from 18×20 control racquets like my old Prestige MP. For me, it worked absolutely best in the Radical MP. I got good performance, confidence and comfort from it. I feel like it’s a string that would give me enough confidence to take into a tournament, but it might not be my number-one choice due to the slightly lively feel.

Since it’s not a stiff poly, I felt I could string it up to 55 lbs without issues.

Summary

Restring Zero is definitely one of the better recent string tests I’ve done. It looks great and plays great. I think players who want a poly that offers spin potential and tension maintenance and is not to tough on the arm, will find something to like in Restring Zero.

I also like that they give 5% of their profits to sustainability initiatives. I will curiously follow their upcoming strings and progress as a business.