Hi guys looking for some advice on which strings to get for my babolat pure strike tour and pure drive. on the pure strike i've still got the factory strings (xcel) so looking for an upgrade for summer tournaments and on the pure drive i currently have luxilon 4g but it has lost all play ability as i have to hammer the ball to get any kind of power or distance on it.
on the pure drive i have previously had luxlion alu power rough which i loved ( but it only lasted about 2 months before the string snapped although that may be to do with my stringer rather than the string because my friends had strings snap quickly with him too.) and hurricane feel which i also enjoyed as i couldn't seem to miss the ball long!
i have a 9.1 rating (not that they really mean anything!) and my play style is mainly about being consistant and attacking off appropriate balls
Do you hit lots of top spin and have trouble with the strings breaking frequently?
Equally, do you want them not to break at all cost (because it costs too much and is too much hassle to get them newly done so often?).
You're young so I guess no tennis elbow?
What do you string to? (tension/pressure) (need it in kilos!) power or control?
ok i dont hit with excessive top spin, but it is there, i like to flatten the ball out, and dont break strings very often, say 2-3 times per year on average
im not fussed about them breaking occasionally, (1 per month at the most
yeh im 22 and the first time i got the alu power rough in the pure drive i had a sore arm but that was gone within an hour of play and never occured again
i usually go for 57/58lb on the pure drive, not restrung the pure strike yet though but i usually go for just above medium tension.
and i will probably be playing 3-4 times per week over the summer possibly more
Ok, I know this runs the risk of sounding awful and I ABSOLUTELY don;t mean it that way but, if I were to say it as I see it, : the sort of strings you chose won't make a huge difference, it's not a level where strings is where it at.
So, if your strings aren't causing you pain, or proving too expensive because they keep breaking, then really it's fine.
As you say, you're at a pretty 'medium' tension - maybe a little lower would give you a bit more power? Frankly, I think changing the tension would give you as much variation in the results as changing the strings themselves.
And changing them (even if they haven't broken or are fraying) is important if they've just been sitting there all winter is important (for comfort, as well as performance).
But different cross strings etc. is all a bit overkill.
What I mean is that if you spent the time that you're thinking about the strings on something like skipping, say, you'd almost certainly see a far higher improvement in your game. I don't mean it to sound harsh but I think that sports companies are guilty of over-selling the benefits of their technological differences.
That said, I'm a great fan of Head (also love Head rackets). And so I've always recommended people to go for Head, and to pick the right range (they split it into two, with the power, spin range and the comfort, playability range) and then to pick one within it, that suits your game (see their recommendations/write-ups - I find them very good). I don't know the strings you've mentioned - they might be excellent too.
I know that's not that helpful so sorry but that's the best I can offer. Hope it goes well !
