I have been testing a new string from HEAD called HEAD Experimental Tour. It will be released in January as “Lynx Tour” (as far as I know).
HEAD Experimental Tour is a champagne-colored string with a hexagonal profile. It plays with a nice blend of control and spin. Some players who have tested this string have called it quite soft and powerful, while I think it is more crisp and controlled – similar to a Luxilon 4G. But it often depends on what racquets you test a string with. I have been playing around with this string for a couple of months in racquets such as my HEAD LM Radical Tour, the HEAD Gravity Pro, and a Prestige.
Not a string for beginners…
If you like control-oriented, firm strings, I am pretty sure you will like the HEAD Experimental Tour. In a softer racquet, it firms up the string bed just enough and gives you a crisp, controlled and spin-friendly feel. In a stiffer string bed, for example in a tighter 18×20 string bed, I think it can get a bit stiff. I would then use it as a hybrid with a multifilament string such as HEAD Velocity MLT.
If you are a beginner or early intermediate player, my recommendation would not be to use a full bed of polyester (monofilament) strings at all but to look at hybrid options or a more control-oriented multifilament. But if you are an advanced player and you need a string to provide you with a nice, crisp feel, good control, and spin, HEAD Experimental Tour is as good as they get.
How it plays
I like this string best in a full bed on a softer racquet such as the HEAD Gravity Tour or Pro (click the link for my review). I also used it in my heavily-leaded up Babolat Soft Drive and it played great. In a tighter string bed such as my 95 sq inch Radical Tour, I would go with a softer multifilament in the mains and the Experimental Tour in the crosses. Then you get a softer response, but still sufficient control and spin.
Due to my elbow and wrist issues, I am trying to avoid a full bed of poly (unless it is for testing purposes) and if you suffer from arm pain, I would much rather go with a full bed of HEAD Velocity MLT
(link to Amazon) than this string. But if you have no arm issues, you possess nice strokes and can hit with power – then you should definitely give the HEAD Experimental Tour a go. I really recommend this string for big hitters.
Have you tried the HEAD Experimental Tour? What did you think about it?
5 comments
Hi Tenisnerd. I am sorry not for the subject, but I would like to advise you on a certain issue. I recently bought Prince Textreme Tour 100 310g. The racquet is !great outside of volles. I added 3 grams at 9 and 3 grams at 3 (total 6 grams). Unfortunately, I still have a lot of dirty volleys. What would you advise to feel better at the volleys? Thank you in advance and best regards
Hi Martin,
I think I replied to you on another post. Not sure really what you can do perhaps besides considering another racquet. I think the racquet volleyed fine, but racquets that volley better:
HEAD Gravity Pro
Wilson Blade 98 V7
Tecnifibre TF40.
Regards / J
PS. If you feel like my advice is really useful, please consider becoming a patron for $2 at patreon.com/tennisnerd and get exclusive content every week. DS.
Hi Jonas,
Have you ever tried the Oehms Black Pearl Rough 1.21? Considering your arm and elbow issues, mine all went away playing with this string. And it also plays great! Kind of muted and I can play without a dampener.
I prefer it over all the polys (Alu Power, 4g, Ace, Ice/Black code, Hyper G, Cream, Velocity MLT…) that I’ve tried.
It’s also very cheap. Well, I’m playing it in my Prince Phantom Pro 93p 18×20 and I love it. Coming from the Head Prestige 600 after a 20 year break, there was no other option but this racquet… haha. I’m back to full competition. I really dig it. It really feels very natural in my hands whereas the bigger sq inch racquets do not.
Best regards from Germany.
Hi Zeki,
I haven’t tried Black Pearl Rough, so I will put that on the list!
The Prince 93P is a great stick! Enjoy and good luck / Jonas
Z.K. got to hit with the Oehms Alu Pearl Rough 1.21 at 23kg with the Diadem Nova FS 100 just yesterday. It’s maybe the best string I’ve played so far. I want to play a few more hours of course, but first feedback is great. It doesn’t feel rough (?!). Exceptional control in all my shots.