Polyester Strings
Polyester is a stiff and durable string material, originally intended for use by frequent string breakers. It took time for this string material to become popular, primarily due to its poor tension holding capability. However, players feel they are able to apply more topspin to balls while maintaining control with polyester strings. Polyester’s support for heavy topspin in particular has made it the most popular material in the pro tour. The increased topspin due to polyester strings has been verified with controlled experiments today.[11] The exact cause for the increased spin is not known but there is strong evidence that the low friction between strings is a factor.
From Tennis Warehouse:
“Pros
If you closely follow pro tennis, you may have noticed several players choose to use polyester strings. Pros and many advanced level tennis players opt for polyester strings for a variety of reasons, but mainly they are durable and provide lots of control and spin potential.
Because of their firm make-up polyester strings naturally are control-oriented, and the spin potential is unmatched. Many polyester strings come in a variety of shapes, which can help grip the ball for more spin. They also snap back into place reliably, and that can also help boost spin.
Cons
But all the benefits do not come without some drawbacks. As we noted, polyester strings are quite firm feeling, so they are generally not a good choice for players who are struggling with arm problems. Still there are ways to incorporate polyester strings into a softer string set-up. You could choose to use them in a hybrid set-up by mixing a polyester with a softer multifilament or natural gut. Polyesters also still play well at low tensions. Whereas you wouldn’t typically string other string types into the 40-pounds range, polyesters maintain their playability at those lower tensions.
If you’re not breaking strings very often, other string types might be a better option for you. Lastly, We recommend polyesters for advanced players who have the full, fast swings that are required to tap into the benefits.”
Considered by many to be the crem da la crem of polyesters. Used by so many professionals, it is THE standard of top tier polyester tennis strings. So many people consider this to have the perfect amount of stiffness and power. It also loses playability THE FASTEST. Average playability is around 1-4 hours (depending on...
So many companies have released a “soft” variant of their poly string because they are realizing that their strings are destroying arms. But the “soft” versions aren’t truly soft. They’re honestly worse. They hold tension worse and they go dead faster. However Solinco’s soft variant of their famed Hyper G is, in my opinion, JUST...
Solinco is an American company that is making waves in NCAA collegiate and also professional tennis. The Solinco strings I’ve chosen are pretty darn amazing for spin, tension maintenance and longevity. Yes, it lasts just a little longer than normal poly (a few hours of play) which, I think, makes it pretty special. Plus these...
Poly is infamous for 2 things: extreme stiffness losing tension Then came along Isospeed Cream! They also stopped calling it poly and gave it a new name: co-poly. That’s because there were so many additional ingredients they couldn’t simply call it poly. I dunno, I’m not a chemical engineer. Cream was one of the first...
One of the early soft polys, Head Sonic Pro 16g has proven to be a go-to choice for those who want the poly characteristics minus the harshness. It has the stiffness of a nylon “synthetic gut” however it loses tension quite quickly so it is best suited for high level competitive players who will restring...