Tuesday 29 January 2013

Wilson PSC 6.1 + Poly/Multi @ 58 / 48-52-56-52-48 lbs

My tennis partners often chide me for being extravagant. They feel I cut strings out too quickly.

Sometimes it is a combination I don't like. Other times, the strings are dead. Or the tension is wrong. To them, I am a spoilt brat with an never-ending demand for fresh strings!

But that's why I bought a stringing machine isn't it? To facilitate my search for a suitable set of modern strings. Just trying to balance these three variables of power, control (spin) and comfort is enough to wreck havoc on anyone's mind.

I admit. Even with my personal stringing machine, I do feel a sense of wastage from cutting out some strings. But wouldn't it be MORE wasteful to continue to use the strings, and:
1. completely don't enjoy the tennis game, 
2. waste my partner's and my own time on court playing shabbily,
3. waste money on court booking fees and balls, 
4. deprive better players from using the courts, and/or
5. develop injuries (ie tennis elbow) due to severe discomfort?

Well...

I cut out only the crosses from the full Big Ace job (link) and converted into a poly/multi hybrid. The same varied tension for the crosses at 48-52-56-52-48 was applied.

For those still harbouring thoughts of stringing full poly above 52lb... about 12 hours after playing with the high-tension full Big Ace, both my wrist and elbow were sore and painful. That is very unusual for me. I still think Big Ace is a good soft poly, but at more than 55 lbs, it just does not work for me.


Playtest:

- even after conversion to poly/multifilament, the racket still feels incredibly low-powered. Out of 10 shots hit from my baseline, only 1-2 got to the other baseline. All the rest hit the net.
- every shot feels like a numb punch. There is no feel anywhere at all.
- spin is weak. There are no high-kickers nor wicked slices.
- direction control is very poor. I could not aim anywhere with confidence.
- dead centre volley shots feel no different from frame hits!
- it is a mistake to pull Big Ace this tight!
- however, I will definitely recommend this stringing tension and setup to my competitors who bet matches with high stakes! (Ha ha...)

Just before I cut out the strings, I noticed that the red line on the cross strings moved a little, maybe 1mm away from the centre. Look at the 4 cross strings nearest the dampener.






Strings:
Pro Supex Big Ace Revo 1.25mm mains @ 58 lbs
Pro Supex Maxim Touch 1.30mm cross @ 48-52-56-52-48 lbs



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