I’ve been using a full bed of the YTex ProTour Blue for years. Excellent ball pocketing and control. Not such a big fan of the Quattro Twist, but never tried the hybrid with the two.
Hey if you like PTB that much then you may not love the hybrid as much. It does play very nicely, but it does add quite a bit of stiffness to the setup. Here's an alternate: Grapplesnake Tour M8. It's like an in between this hybrid and a full bed of PTB. Hybriding M8 and PTB is also really good. I'm publishing a review of it in 2 weeks time so stay tuned if you want to hear more about it!
@@11sweetspot11 Thanks. I’ll let you know what I think. This may be a silly question, but can I have two rackets strung with just two packs of strings if they string them hybrid?
If you like spin and a little more control. I use Square X Sharp mains and protour black 17l cross. The black protour has a little more pocketing and pop and the rest of the protour line up is a little more control and feel.
I have tried the Square X Sharp + Protour Blue combination, but I didn't necessarily like it better than this one. I don't care for absolutely insane levels of spin; my game is mostly based around deceptive manoeuvring of ball around the court so it's always hard to reach for my opponent. Spin plays a part in such a game, but it doesn't dominate it. I much prefer all-rounder setups. I have never tried any other colour of ProTour. If the black has more pocketing and feel then I'd definitely perfer that! I'll buy a reel once this one is done. Thanks so much for the tip! 🙏
I’m so sorry mate! Life/work has been much busier than normal (in a good way, no worries) and I put a lot of time and effort into my videos so that they are detailed, say something unique, don’t waste viewers’ time and are something I can be proud of when I post. I promise it won’t disappoint when I do finally finish working on it. It’s VERY through! Thanks for interest in my thoughts and the encouragement so far mate, really! I’m super grateful 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
@@11sweetspot11 Man I completely understand, from a fellow stranger in the web, writing to you from Samborondon, Ecuador. I really appreciate how much attention you give to detail, and the esence, and how complete your videos are. It is such a difference when we talk about something that we really love. Hope you sort everything together. And bet I will really enjoy your vid when it comes out. On the other hand, I think you are going towards strategy and mentality during the game. Which is something I have seen little here in youtube. And what is the main thing of the tennis game. Am I right? God and the Holy Family bless you and your loved ones.
You're spot on about my interest in the strategy and mentality aspect of the game! My take is a bit out there but I hope it resonates; tbh I'm unsure of how these videos will be received. I do think I have some points worth considering. This is a series I'm working on, the first 2 videos in this series are 70% complete and I think there will be 12-14 more. I'm not abandoning my usual style of videos; there's lot's of things in the equipment review pipeline - it's just that I don't see any reason/value-add in doing stuff that: a - doesn't interest me b - others are already doing to a high standard c - doesn't make points that are different and insightful for the viewer d - does not make the best use of my limited time. So hold tight mate, I'll try and come out with the syn gut vid. as soon as I can. I appreciate the support and encouragement! 🙏✌️
@jorgeandrescoppiano.5715 Hey my guy! I just posted a video yesterday on a string that you would be interested in. It's the first in the series on synthetic guts. You can watch it here: ua-cam.com/video/bblH_-29C4o/v-deo.html It's not a syn gut but should basically be treated as one IMO.
QT stiffish and controlled? I dropped QT after changing from Blade 18/20 to Yonex Regna 98 (16/19), because it became way too launchy and powerful. Also, QT loses its elasticity after 10 to 12 hours of playing. And yes, it does feel quite mushy, making any dampeners absolutely obsolete. But the positives outweigh the drawbacks by a huge margin. A clubmate of mine bought my Blades and insists on this very string, which I found out to be the only playable option for this racquet. So I dare to disagree in some points regarding this string. Haven't tried Pro Tour yet, not very likely do do it anyway. Maybe my kids can do that.
I tend towards softer strings at pretty low tensions. You can watch this video for a bit more context: ua-cam.com/video/4h4-k8UmdIQ/v-deo.html Bear in mind that we're all different with different preferences so opinions can vary. This is one of the reasons I created this channel, as a home for folks who find themselves on the softer and lower tension side of things. This doesn't invalidate your experience of QT 😊, I'm always happy to hear how someone else perceives a string, especially if it's different to my own. What are you playing with these days? Any personal fav. string that you keep coming back to?
@@11sweetspot11 Thx for the reply. Ytex claim to have the very softest poly strings on the market. For that reason I was asking myself what should be any softer if QT is considered stiffish. And what a really stiff string would feel like If you tested it. My current string setup is ReString Zero / Sync. Not sure if it's any better than Zero full bed which I used before. Both Zero and Sync are stiffer than QT by quite some margin but not really on the stiff side of strings. That honor goes to things like Tour Bite or ALU Power after an hour of hitting (AP becomes a true arm breaker after some hitting). It is just that tad stiffer that I need to keep my shots inside the line after dropping the Blade 18/20. In a softer frame like the Phantom (which can absorb a lot of power from your swing) soft and elastic strings make sense. My current racquet is at 63 RA, Phantom is below 60, so my stiffer frame and the stiffer strings both equal out and vice versa. I tend to have too much power in my strokes and seek to tame that without breaking my arm. Others search for a little more power. And maybe they hesitate to test QT when it's advertised as stiffish. But if its power level suits you it is an excellent string. Just not for me any longer.
Yes, I know Ytex is supposedly the home of the softest polys, and personally I believe it is. But that doesn't mean every string is soft. QT falls in that camp where it's not quite soft but not quite stiff either. To be it's just a firm string that leans towards the traits that stiff strings exhibit. There are other strings in Ytex's lineup that are MUCH softer. My fav string, Ytex ProTour Blue, in one of them. Ytex Octo Twist is also decently soft. I've reviewed both of these strings on my channel, you can check them out if you're curious. I understand where you're coming from though. Your gear choice has to make sense for your game, and I believe you've found good options 👍 ReString Zero and Sync are really decent strings!
@@11sweetspot11 As you tested the Pro Tour and I haven't, I still have a question. Would you consider PT as livid as QT: I only know QT and it's too powerful for me. And a clubmate of mine needs a soft (arm issues) AND dead string both at the same time (his shots all sail long, he as well has way too much power in his arm). He accidentally got himself Yonex Poly Tour comfort and it's just impossible to tame.
If you think QT is too powerful then PT is going to be even more powerful. It is much, much softer than QT; almost syn. gut like, which is exactly how I describe it in my review: a poly version of syn gut that that gets better durability and snapback. Personally I think that anyone who loves hybriding with gut should give PT a very serious look. It's very hard to find a soft AND dead string. I have three suggestions for achieving this setup that I've personally tried, and they all revolve around using soft strings at higher tensions: 1. Solinco X-Natural - it is a multifilament that is incredibly soft and muted but has much better durability than other multifilaments I've tried by a wide margin. I think if you string it at a higher tension then you might get that soft, muted and controlled combo that will help you keep your balls inside the court. Bear in mind that some folks have complained about the string snapping while stringing at higher tensions so use the thicker gauge and tension the string slowly as you're stringing it. I didn't face this issue, but I could see why this complaint arose as I was handling the string while stringing this myself. 2. Solinco X Natural crossed with Prince Lighting Pro - In my opinion, LP is the best controlled syn. gut out there because it's stiffer than the average syn. gut while yet retaining the softeness that syn. guts are known for. If your friend finds a full bed of X Natural too soft then this might a way to remedy that. 3. Ytex Pro Tour Blue crossed with Gosen OG Sheep Micro - You already know my thoughts on PT. OGSM is the most versatile string I've ever come across. You can make it play any way you want if you just string it at the right tension. So if you put these soft strings together at a higher tension you'll get that control you're looking for. These strings also pair together in a way that makes them play more muted than you would expect. So for that an added benefit for folks with arm issues. Hopefully at least one of these works out for your friend. Let me know how it goes!
Not necessarily. It mostly comes down to what you're looking for out of your setup. If it's spin, then sure, that's probably the right way to go. For me, what comes first is getting ball pocketing, feel and control (the directional kind, not the pin-point type that is usually associated with control). This is why folks put natural gut in the mains, just as an example. Spin comes next, and I've always had to sacrifice a bit on this. So this entire string journey has been about not sacrificing on the spin front too much. While putting PTB in the mains and QT in crosses did give me a little less spin than the other way around, there wasn't a noticeable negative impact on my game, at least at the level I play at (3.5-4.0 player). If anything, the real downside is durability: PTB gets notched because QT is noticeably stiffer (that's a good rule of thumb - that the softer material always gets sawed into). But again, I'm mindful of the impact of polys on my arm and I restring my rackets (myself) every 8ish hours, so durability and decrease in spin performance is not much of a concern for me.
I tried mine at many tensions: 50 lbs, 48 lbs, 44 lbs, 42 lbs, 35 lbs, 38 lbs and then eventually landed at 40 lbs as my ideal tension for this setup. To get the 40 lbs I initially string at 42/41lbs, and the strings settle in at 40 lbs and maintain it for as much as 20 hours for me.
@@11sweetspot11 i’ve never played that low in any racket and string combination. Currently I use a Yonex vcore tour with Solinco confidential 18 gauge at 50 pounds. It’s a pretty nice combo but I’m tempted to give yours a try. I’ll probably start at 50.
Hey, if that tension is what you're used to then definitely start at that. I tend towards lower tensions anyways, so 40 lbs is really just a preference thing. I think this setup played well at all tensions tbh.
I’ve been using a full bed of the YTex ProTour Blue for years. Excellent ball pocketing and control. Not such a big fan of the Quattro Twist, but never tried the hybrid with the two.
Hey if you like PTB that much then you may not love the hybrid as much. It does play very nicely, but it does add quite a bit of stiffness to the setup.
Here's an alternate: Grapplesnake Tour M8. It's like an in between this hybrid and a full bed of PTB. Hybriding M8 and PTB is also really good.
I'm publishing a review of it in 2 weeks time so stay tuned if you want to hear more about it!
Great job! Going to try it out.
Thanks! Let me know how it goes, hopefully you're experience is positive!
@@11sweetspot11 Thanks. I’ll let you know what I think. This may be a silly question, but can I have two rackets strung with just two packs of strings if they string them hybrid?
Yep, you can. I always do that when testing hybrids too.
What stringers likely do is cut the string sets in half and use each half per racket.
@@11sweetspot11 Thanks so much!
If you like spin and a little more control. I use Square X Sharp mains and protour black 17l cross. The black protour has a little more pocketing and pop and the rest of the protour line up is a little more control and feel.
I have tried the Square X Sharp + Protour Blue combination, but I didn't necessarily like it better than this one. I don't care for absolutely insane levels of spin; my game is mostly based around deceptive manoeuvring of ball around the court so it's always hard to reach for my opponent. Spin plays a part in such a game, but it doesn't dominate it. I much prefer all-rounder setups.
I have never tried any other colour of ProTour. If the black has more pocketing and feel then I'd definitely perfer that! I'll buy a reel once this one is done. Thanks so much for the tip! 🙏
Appreciated the emergence metaphor - very philosophical. You must have spent some time in grad school.
Hey, thanks! 🙏🏽 I’m glad you enjoyed the metaphor!
Yes I did spend a lot of time with physicists in grad school. It was a fun time!
Hello Sweet Spot! So you wont bring the Syn Gut video!?!?! Don't make me cry! :(
I’m so sorry mate! Life/work has been much busier than normal (in a good way, no worries) and I put a lot of time and effort into my videos so that they are detailed, say something unique, don’t waste viewers’ time and are something I can be proud of when I post.
I promise it won’t disappoint when I do finally finish working on it. It’s VERY through!
Thanks for interest in my thoughts and the encouragement so far mate, really! I’m super grateful 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
@@11sweetspot11 Man I completely understand, from a fellow stranger in the web, writing to you from Samborondon, Ecuador. I really appreciate how much attention you give to detail, and the esence, and how complete your videos are. It is such a difference when we talk about something that we really love. Hope you sort everything together. And bet I will really enjoy your vid when it comes out. On the other hand, I think you are going towards strategy and mentality during the game. Which is something I have seen little here in youtube. And what is the main thing of the tennis game. Am I right? God and the Holy Family bless you and your loved ones.
You're spot on about my interest in the strategy and mentality aspect of the game! My take is a bit out there but I hope it resonates; tbh I'm unsure of how these videos will be received. I do think I have some points worth considering.
This is a series I'm working on, the first 2 videos in this series are 70% complete and I think there will be 12-14 more.
I'm not abandoning my usual style of videos; there's lot's of things in the equipment review pipeline - it's just that I don't see any reason/value-add in doing stuff that:
a - doesn't interest me
b - others are already doing to a high standard
c - doesn't make points that are different and insightful for the viewer
d - does not make the best use of my limited time.
So hold tight mate, I'll try and come out with the syn gut vid. as soon as I can. I appreciate the support and encouragement! 🙏✌️
@jorgeandrescoppiano.5715 Hey my guy! I just posted a video yesterday on a string that you would be interested in. It's the first in the series on synthetic guts. You can watch it here: ua-cam.com/video/bblH_-29C4o/v-deo.html
It's not a syn gut but should basically be treated as one IMO.
QT stiffish and controlled?
I dropped QT after changing from Blade 18/20 to Yonex Regna 98 (16/19), because it became way too launchy and powerful.
Also, QT loses its elasticity after 10 to 12 hours of playing. And yes, it does feel quite mushy, making any dampeners absolutely obsolete.
But the positives outweigh the drawbacks by a huge margin. A clubmate of mine bought my Blades and insists on this very string, which I found out to be the only playable option for this racquet.
So I dare to disagree in some points regarding this string. Haven't tried Pro Tour yet, not very likely do do it anyway. Maybe my kids can do that.
I tend towards softer strings at pretty low tensions. You can watch this video for a bit more context: ua-cam.com/video/4h4-k8UmdIQ/v-deo.html
Bear in mind that we're all different with different preferences so opinions can vary.
This is one of the reasons I created this channel, as a home for folks who find themselves on the softer and lower tension side of things.
This doesn't invalidate your experience of QT 😊, I'm always happy to hear how someone else perceives a string, especially if it's different to my own.
What are you playing with these days? Any personal fav. string that you keep coming back to?
@@11sweetspot11 Thx for the reply. Ytex claim to have the very softest poly strings on the market. For that reason I was asking myself what should be any softer if QT is considered stiffish. And what a really stiff string would feel like If you tested it.
My current string setup is ReString Zero / Sync. Not sure if it's any better than Zero full bed which I used before.
Both Zero and Sync are stiffer than QT by quite some margin but not really on the stiff side of strings. That honor goes to things like Tour Bite or ALU Power after an hour of hitting (AP becomes a true arm breaker after some hitting).
It is just that tad stiffer that I need to keep my shots inside the line after dropping the Blade 18/20.
In a softer frame like the Phantom (which can absorb a lot of power from your swing) soft and elastic strings make sense. My current racquet is at 63 RA, Phantom is below 60, so my stiffer frame and the stiffer strings both equal out and vice versa.
I tend to have too much power in my strokes and seek to tame that without breaking my arm.
Others search for a little more power. And maybe they hesitate to test QT when it's advertised as stiffish. But if its power level suits you it is an excellent string. Just not for me any longer.
Yes, I know Ytex is supposedly the home of the softest polys, and personally I believe it is. But that doesn't mean every string is soft. QT falls in that camp where it's not quite soft but not quite stiff either. To be it's just a firm string that leans towards the traits that stiff strings exhibit.
There are other strings in Ytex's lineup that are MUCH softer. My fav string, Ytex ProTour Blue, in one of them. Ytex Octo Twist is also decently soft. I've reviewed both of these strings on my channel, you can check them out if you're curious.
I understand where you're coming from though. Your gear choice has to make sense for your game, and I believe you've found good options 👍
ReString Zero and Sync are really decent strings!
@@11sweetspot11 As you tested the Pro Tour and I haven't, I still have a question.
Would you consider PT as livid as QT: I only know QT and it's too powerful for me.
And a clubmate of mine needs a soft (arm issues) AND dead string both at the same time (his shots all sail long, he as well has way too much power in his arm).
He accidentally got himself Yonex Poly Tour comfort and it's just impossible to tame.
If you think QT is too powerful then PT is going to be even more powerful. It is much, much softer than QT; almost syn. gut like, which is exactly how I describe it in my review: a poly version of syn gut that that gets better durability and snapback. Personally I think that anyone who loves hybriding with gut should give PT a very serious look.
It's very hard to find a soft AND dead string. I have three suggestions for achieving this setup that I've personally tried, and they all revolve around using soft strings at higher tensions:
1. Solinco X-Natural - it is a multifilament that is incredibly soft and muted but has much better durability than other multifilaments I've tried by a wide margin. I think if you string it at a higher tension then you might get that soft, muted and controlled combo that will help you keep your balls inside the court.
Bear in mind that some folks have complained about the string snapping while stringing at higher tensions so use the thicker gauge and tension the string slowly as you're stringing it. I didn't face this issue, but I could see why this complaint arose as I was handling the string while stringing this myself.
2. Solinco X Natural crossed with Prince Lighting Pro - In my opinion, LP is the best controlled syn. gut out there because it's stiffer than the average syn. gut while yet retaining the softeness that syn. guts are known for. If your friend finds a full bed of X Natural too soft then this might a way to remedy that.
3. Ytex Pro Tour Blue crossed with Gosen OG Sheep Micro - You already know my thoughts on PT. OGSM is the most versatile string I've ever come across. You can make it play any way you want if you just string it at the right tension. So if you put these soft strings together at a higher tension you'll get that control you're looking for.
These strings also pair together in a way that makes them play more muted than you would expect. So for that an added benefit for folks with arm issues.
Hopefully at least one of these works out for your friend. Let me know how it goes!
Which is cross and mains?
As I said in the very beginning of the video, PTB is in the main and QT is in the cross.
@@11sweetspot11 spin string should be on the main right?
Not necessarily. It mostly comes down to what you're looking for out of your setup. If it's spin, then sure, that's probably the right way to go.
For me, what comes first is getting ball pocketing, feel and control (the directional kind, not the pin-point type that is usually associated with control). This is why folks put natural gut in the mains, just as an example.
Spin comes next, and I've always had to sacrifice a bit on this. So this entire string journey has been about not sacrificing on the spin front too much.
While putting PTB in the mains and QT in crosses did give me a little less spin than the other way around, there wasn't a noticeable negative impact on my game, at least at the level I play at (3.5-4.0 player).
If anything, the real downside is durability: PTB gets notched because QT is noticeably stiffer (that's a good rule of thumb - that the softer material always gets sawed into).
But again, I'm mindful of the impact of polys on my arm and I restring my rackets (myself) every 8ish hours, so durability and decrease in spin performance is not much of a concern for me.
What tension?
I tried mine at many tensions: 50 lbs, 48 lbs, 44 lbs, 42 lbs, 35 lbs, 38 lbs and then eventually landed at 40 lbs as my ideal tension for this setup.
To get the 40 lbs I initially string at 42/41lbs, and the strings settle in at 40 lbs and maintain it for as much as 20 hours for me.
@@11sweetspot11 i’ve never played that low in any racket and string combination. Currently I use a Yonex vcore tour with Solinco confidential 18 gauge at 50 pounds. It’s a pretty nice combo but I’m tempted to give yours a try. I’ll probably start at 50.
Hey, if that tension is what you're used to then definitely start at that. I tend towards lower tensions anyways, so 40 lbs is really just a preference thing.
I think this setup played well at all tensions tbh.