A great hybrid string setup

Sometimes you stumble upon a great hybrid string setup by chance. Guest writer Philip did so with Isospeed Baseline & Tecnifibre Razor Code.

Philip has a UTR of 9.51 (NTRP 5.0). He is a counter-puncher and a baseliner who tries to hit with heavy topspin. He is currently ranked among the best players in his country U16. Word over to Philip and how he found a great hybrid string setup.

As a junior tennis player, it is very hard to stay consistent with gear. There are always new rackets, strings, and shoes coming out, and each one of them seems better than the last. I pride myself on being able to know when I have found something that fits me perfectly. First, I found the Yonex Ezone DR 98. Next, I found my reference tension of 57 pounds. Finally, I found the string to complete the setup, or so I thought.

I was given a reel of Tecnifibre Razor Code 16, the string that is used by Daniil Medvedev (apparently.) I gave it a try in a full bed and absolutely loved it. I thought that it could not get any better than that. When I was running towards the end of my reel, I looked up the string to purchase online. The price was insane, especially considering how often I would be forced to purchase these expensive reels of string.

At the time, I had a reel of Isospeed Baseline 16 lying around. I decided to put it into my crosses and was stunned. Even though it was a mediocre string in a full bed, it was amazing in the crosses. It solved all the minor problems with the Razor Code, such as the feeling of the hard shot coming in, and the strings feeling like a wet noodle at the net. The Isospeed took the Razor Code to hyperdrive when it was already going the speed of light.

Even though this string combo is best suited for baseliners using a mid to low powered frame, it is still one of those combos that anyone can play with, but not everyone will fall in love with. I think that this combo is the pure definition of a player’s string. It takes an advanced player who does not need the crisp, lively, and full of feel response of stiff polyesters, does not need the spin of shaped polyesters, and just likes a dampened, soft, arm-friendly, marshmallowy feel (or lack of feel depending on how you look at it.)

Pros and Cons

Pros:
Extremely arm-friendly.
Great control.
Fairly durable.
Great at all tensions, but best at mid to high 50s.
Perfect launch angle.
Can play well in most rackets.
Very easy to string.

Cons:
Not very good tension maintenance. Better for players who break strings faster.
Might have a lack of crispness for less advanced players.
A string combo that is targeted towards advanced players.
May have a seeming lack of feel for players utilizing drop shots, volleys, slices, one-handed backhands, and other heavily touch-based shots.

For reference, this string review was done in a Yonex Ezone DR 98 at 57 pounds.