Why are so many pros using string hybrids?

Support us by using these links:
🎾 String Project strings: TENNISNERD5 for 5% off

[konstantingubanov]

Grapplesnake hybrid
Tour sniper - mains
M8 - crosses

🔝

[andrewhwang]

Jonas, can you do a video talking about what the effects of different tension between the mains and crosses are? You mention you string your crosses lower than your mains, but there are brands that sell hybrids (like Grapplesnake or Toroline) that on the package say they recommend stringing the crosses 2 lbs higher than the mains. Can you enlighten us?

[experientialtennispickleball]

Jonas, please make a video with string recommendations for juniors. Lately, I've come across several concerning cases where teenagers and rec-women playing with light weight rackets below 285 - which is ok -, but strung up with full-bed of board-like tight polyester. As a result, most of them have been experiencing TE and joint issues.

I get that full-bed of multifilament doesn't feel well after a few hits, as it tends to stay out of place, but I strongly recommend and insist on a soft round shaped polyester in the mains, but definitely a 1.30 multifilament in the crosses.

[Jingoa]

Been doing the shaped poly mains, round poly cross thing as well for a while now and it's great—it just makes sense. Crosses help direct the control and allow the mains to slide for spin without notching.

The advantage I've found is that my crosses break each time at the right moment. With two round or two shaped, the strings often notched and the mains were the ones that broke, but this was well after the playability went to hell. By alternating, the strings break themselves.

(Of course, this is a disadvantage if all you want is for your strings to not break—but I'd rather string more often than play with bad strings. This way, I never do.)

[unathleticremi]

Been using poly mains and multi crosses forever. Gets me all the benefits of poly with a bit more power and comfort.

[fearwolfbrewery]

I recently went for a hybrid like you recommended. Shaped poly in the main and round in the crosses. Kirschbaum Black Shark at 23 kg in the mains and Techifibre Ice Code at 25 kg in my Babolat Pure Drive. I have had arm issues due to other setups but this setup is pain free for me!

[anthonydabaco]

Thanks Jonas. Recently tried Restring Zero/Sync hybrid and thought it played super well, able to get excellent dip on the ball. Will def continue with this combo.

[CJZM]

I've been using multi mains with poly crosses for most of last 15 years. Technifre NRG2 16G multi mains at 52 lbs with Kirschbaum Max Power 17G poly crosses at 48 lbs is my typical setup and I go up 2 lbs in hot weather and down 2 to 4 lbs in cold weather on the crosses and mains. I play outdoors in the winter in 35-50 degree F temperatures. I've played gut/poly too and it is great but gut is a little too expensive. I find hybrids give a good balance of power, spin, control, feel and longevity. I like hybrids more than all poly. I play a combination of singles and doubles and am an all court player who likes to attack and volley.

[jimhaggerty]

I've been using a multi in the mains (Xcel, NXT or Velocity) at 55lbs, and a poly in the crosses (ALU Power) at 47lbs for over ten years on at least a dozen rackets (Wilson Blades, v7, 8 and 9, and Wilson Shifts 99 Pros) and have never seen any signs of "warping" of the frames. You hear people warn of that happening, but I've never seen or heard of a single real world example of it. The reality is stringing a hybrid like this, keeping with what are the recommended best tensions for each type of string (polys 10-12 percent lower than multis) results in a fabulous combination. It seems modern rackets are not so fragile as to be damaged by this difference in tensioning.

[AMstringing]

Aloha Jonas,
Great content, as usual! 👍

Have you experimented with a poly/poly hybrid of different gauges?

Specifically, the thicker gauge in the mains and the thinner gauge in the crosses. I've been using this setup for a while and like the control of the thick mains combined with the "pop" and snapback the crosses provide. I've also hybrided a shaped/textured main string in this setup, which has been well received by my clients.

[DaveTrammell]

Since gut holds tension so well even though ALU has poor tension loss specs, when used together it seems to play nice for me even after a month or 2. Weird huh? And I play almost every day but I do rotate between 2 equally strung rackets every side change. I've gone down in tension from 55/53 to 53/51 mains/crosses.

[artimtoska]

I’ve been using Wilson champions choice for three years on my prostaff and RF 01 rackets and love them. Put one racket with natural gut on mains@ 55 and alu rough @ 53 Also. Rf01 i put alu rough @ 52 & natural gut @ 55

[jean-pierreuys]

I have strung tighter recently with poly and it surprised me it didnt hurt my sensitive arm. I think there are more variables. I actually play it without my dampener now.

[GeraldVeeneman]

Multis indeed don't use to snap back. However some ones like Tecnifibre Multifeel contain a special coating that provides snap back.

[brunoalves]

Been using Poly Tour Spin on the mains and Poly Tour Pro on the crosses. So much better tension maintaince and less string movement

[amirjon]

Ive got lynx tour hawk touch on the blade. Excellent.

[LuisLunaTarazon]

Have you experimented using a hybrid with a shaped poly with a multifilament? If so, does that affect the snap-back too much compared to a round poly? For example, would I have to move the strings back into position with my fingers if I used Lynx Tour with Velocity MLT (Tell Dennis Fabian to make that a pre-packaged Hybrid, by the way)? I'm not too concerned with the durability, since it's better to break the string early because of the potential warping of the frame.

On that note, I've found ALU Power (and to a greater extent, ALU Power Rough) to be the worst string to Hybrid with for that warping issue. As addictive as that string feels, It loses tension too fast, and I've had rackets get a quarter-inch shorter after a couple of weeks. However, It's the cheapest way I know of extending a racket's length if you put the poly in the main.

[Golikov_]

Hi!
I really like to use full alu power rough or restring sync. Sometimes times i feel pain in my elbow, so i thought about to try hybrid with MLT.
I strung my main racket (LM radical tour), MLT/alu power rough, 24 kg
The fell was horrible!!! idk why.
Then i strung this racket with Champion Choice, it was better.

In my opinion, full-bad alu power rough or sync in 21-22kg is better, then velocity MLT+poly 24-25kg.

[T_-owsw]

I have recently used Technifibre NRG2 mains at 50# and Alu Power Soft at 45 in crosses in a Speed MP. It is a wonderful setup but the multi breaks too quickly (3 sessions) so going back to full Alu Power Soft at 47/45#. Are the multis you mentioned more durable?

[kylejeffery]

I've only recently decided to say to hell with it, and go for a natural gut hybrid. Touch VS and RPM Rough.

Poly bags out anywhere from 12-20 hours with me anyway. So if I can get long enough out of the gut, the cost won't be as much of a factor. Nothing feels like gut either. It's on another planet entirely.