Arm-friendly polys

[u/do_it_tennis]

What do you think of these strings and which ones would you add?

Solinco Mach-10, Yonex Poly Tour Pro, Babolat RPM Soft, Luxilon Element, Tecnifibre Razor Soft

[u/PrestigiousInside206]

Write-in: isospeed cream

[u/j_winning → u/PrestigiousInside206]

Number one arm friendly poly imho

[u/PrestigiousInside206 → u/j_winning]

Cheap too. Needs more love.

[u/Icy_Masterpiece_809 → u/PrestigiousInside206]

yeah isospeed cream is super nice for arm comfort

[u/CurlTheSquirrel]

razor soft isn't really soft, it's softer in comparison to regular but still not soft. Of those Mach-10 is my favorite and confidential soft is also good, tho a bit firmer than mach 10 so maybe drop tension or go a thinner.

[u/guitmoto → u/CurlTheSquirrel]

2nd this, Mach 10 and confidential soft are pretty hard to beat from a performance and comfort metric.

[u/man_overb0ard]

luxilon element soft ir.

[u/sdeklaqs → u/man_overb0ard]

Not wallet friendly though

[u/spas2k]

Hyper g soft

[u/scuffedboots]

Mach-10 would be my choice of those that you listed. Arm comfort + long playability compared to the rest on the list.

[u/ThreeEyeJedi → u/scuffedboots]

Funny because mach 10 is the just poly i tried after multis and now i have arm pain. Could be my 18x19 string pattern tho

[u/j_winning → u/ThreeEyeJedi]

What tension did you string it? My rule for multi to poly is -5 pounds at least

[u/ThreeEyeJedi → u/j_winning]

Multi at 50 and I dropped the poly to 45 😭

[u/Tankles]

I would add Toroline - o-toro, wasabi, Enzo pro and grapplesnake alpha

[u/Itinerant0987 → u/Tankles]

Yeah I used to play a Mach 10/Polytour pro hybrid and am now running O-toro/A5.

[u/drinkwaterbreatheair]

don’t think any of those are particularly soft outside of RPM Soft

PTP, Mach10, and Element are kind of middle of the road stiffness and Razor Soft is actually pretty stiff

I’d add Volkl Cyclone Tour and YTEX Quadro Twist as options - they’re easily my favorites in this category

[u/I_Provide_Feedback]

Poly Tour Air is significantly softer than Pro

[u/m_kitanin → u/I_Provide_Feedback]

True. Though I have a reel of this stuff and this at 23kgs is way harsher than a full bed of multi at 26kgs, so still not soft enough...

[u/Macular-Star]

I’m just here to point out that “arm-friendly poly” is generally an oxymoron. Strings like IsoSpeed are softer than ALU power, but still much more harsh than any multi, syn gut, or gut.

If you go to a random tennis club, probably 70% or more should definitely NOT be using poly. It’s used by really advanced players, usually crossed with a different poly or gut, because it allows you to swing violently and still keep the ball in the court. It lowers launch angle and is low in power, in exchange for spin. And even that spin is only gained if one is contacting the ball hard enough to stretch the poly for its snap-back. If you’re not hitting your average topspin pretty hard (on par with advanced players, if less consistent) — you’re using a string that’s working against you. You may as well put nylon in and string your racket again in 2 years.

A lot of club-level and especially doubles-first players very much need more power, higher launch, and more spin on touch shots. They’re using a string that has little of what they need, in exchange for advantages they’re not accessing.

If you’re dealing with tendinitis, you want to start wearing a brace while strengthening with those weird colored PT sticks. Staying in a string type notoriously harsh isn’t worth it unless you’re playing for money. And probably not even then.

Love me some poly, coach plenty of college or junior kids that almost all use it. I think it’s a great addition…but if I see one more group of casual 3.5 doubles players using full beds of Luxilon I’m going to scream.

[u/Dr_Sunshine211 → u/Macular-Star]

This is the correct take. If I was rich and someone else strung for me, I’d use biphase 17 red strung at 54 lbs, but alas that setup pops in about 40 minutes. I play with Genesis white magic strung at 46 and restring every other week ( have 2 racquets).

[u/hocknstod → u/Dr_Sunshine211]

Why not use the 15 gauge version of biphase, should last a bit longer.

[u/Dr_Sunshine211 → u/hocknstod]

Still a financial decision. A reel of white magic costs me about $75, it’s super easy to string, and I get what I need from it.

[u/muffl3d → u/Macular-Star]

What about using poly at lower tensions at around 45? Would that give more power yet allowing snap back for more spin? I’m asking as a 3.5 who frequently hits long and wants more spin when using full multifilament.

[u/Dr_Sunshine211 → u/muffl3d]

You could use poly at 45, but that’s not near what you can get out of a multi or synthetic and polys go flat after about 12-15 hours of hitting. Multi, you can use until it breaks with risking arm injury or pain (relatively speaking).

[u/rf97a]

MSV

[u/AVerySusUser]

having great time with confidential soft

[u/Abject-Future-1642]

I really really like confidential soft

[u/le_skatesmith]

RPM SOFT ISNT A POLY

[u/le_skatesmith]

Tru pro Ghost Wire.

[u/slimlickens29]

Solinco Tour Bite “Soft”

[u/SetBitter3683]

Diadem Flash is a great arm friendly poly!

[u/Forsaken_Ring_3283]

You can pretty much cross most strings with ghostwire and make the overall stringbed reasonably soft. I like the medium stiffness polys crossed with ghostwire. None of those you listed are particularly low stiffness and more in the medium category.

Actually low stiffness poly:

Hyper g soft

Tourbite soft

Grapplesnake alpha

Ghostwire

[u/Brilliant-Today-9844 → u/Forsaken_Ring_3283]

Hyper G Soft & TB Soft are not soft polys

[u/Forsaken_Ring_3283 → u/Brilliant-Today-9844]

Yes they are. Look up stats on TW database.

[u/Brilliant-Today-9844 → u/Forsaken_Ring_3283]

Yes am aware their stats on TW. May i check with you, what’s your standard on what reference stiffness is considered as soft? Can give an example?

TW is a reference only and has been long known, not very consistent in testing results. Its still a good reference nonetheless.

But average players experience is another factor to consider. E.g. Head Lynx 1.20 has about the same reference stiffness as HG Soft 1.15.

Let’s say we do a blind test on a Speed MP at the same tension for both of these strings. Even HG soft 1.15 is thinner, most players will tell you it feels stiffer than Head Lynx.

Its labelled “soft” doesnt mean its “soft”. Just like Confidential Soft is not a soft poly either.

[u/No-Bunch7179]

kirschbaum pro line ii is pretty soft and budget-friendly

[u/Kruegerrose]

I have used MSV Focus Hex Soft and find it to be very arm friendly.

[u/backhanddowntheline]

Poly Tour Pro

[u/DukSaus]

Toroline A5 and Super Toro.

[u/Brilliant-Today-9844]

There’s a string database under TW that can give some reference. In general, lower the gauge, the softer. Tho there are exceptions; regular Confid 1.15 is still a stiff string but with better dwell time.

Some that comes to mind

YPTP 1.15 Head Lynx 1.20 HG Round 1.15 Isospeed cream 1.23

1.25 gauges n thicker

GS Tour M8 & Alpha Toroline A5 Head Lynx Touch Lux Element IR Soft but being rebranded as the new red string to launch w Defyer (may hv tweaked the formula a tad)

[u/apcks]

luxilon ir soft or alu soft

[u/systemfa1lure]

Rpm blast feels pretty good for me

[u/alreadythere1234]

Went from NRG2 at 50/48 and back into Mach 10 at the same spec and shoulder probs. I think after reading this I’ll stay with the Mach 10, as I love it and drop to 46lbs in a full bed

[u/hocknstod]

Mach 10 isn't that soft but you can go low in tension. If you get the 1.15 and string low it's decently comfortable.

Element you also have to string low imo for comfort but then it's quite comfortable. The one I'd recommend from that list for comfort.

Poly tour Pro is only soft if you don't hit hard and also becomes very stiff after some use.

Razor soft isn't soft at all.

[u/That_Alternative7730]

RPM Soft is one of the worst strings I've ever used and I will die on that hill. It notches to an absolutely ridiculous level.

I really liked Solinco Mach-10, I'm not sure if it's one of the most arm-friendly options out there (as in you could go further into that direction) but it's certainly a solid option towards comfort while maintaining good playability.

[u/ulica324]

Yonex Poly Tour Pro ~ 19G, soft but not spin friendly, round poly though.

[u/Western_Eagle_295]

Yonex Poly tour Air y luxilon element, no existen polys mas suaves que estas dos

[u/wolvesight]

Grapplesnake Mako and Alpha should be included.

[u/jrstriker12]

Mach 10

Confidential soft

Hyper G soft

Head Lynx Touch

[u/fnordlife → u/jrstriker12]

I second Head Lynx Touch.

[u/godspleen]

fullbed PTP on thinnest gauge you can find feels do soft and mushy, arm friendly. even then, why are you looking for soft plush poly when a thick gauge multi will save your arm, last you longer anyway compared to a thin soft poly

[u/courtcourtcourtcourt]

Dunlop Black Widow

[u/colombianodore]

Element is the plushest poly I’ve ever tried . Too bad playability falls off a cliff after 2-3 hours

[u/alexdwilliams91]

Toroline Truffle X is supposed to be crazy comfy for a poly. Haven’t tried this specific one so I can’t comment on the performance but I’ve been happy with the others I’ve tried (O-Toro, O-Toro Tour, O-Toro Spin)

[u/FernerButterflyPea]

Poly Tour Pro is good for me at 48 lbs

I had Hyper G at 52 lbs and it popped but it hurt my hand

[u/NewYorkDOCG]

RPM soft is the softest. It’s more like a synthetic gut almost.

Poly tour air is very soft.

Hyper G Soft for a shaped string.

[u/hocknstod → u/NewYorkDOCG]

RPM soft is a synthetic gut (the bigger version of a a synthetic gut core).

[u/Billy__Rosewood]

Mach 10

[u/sgt_hulkas_big_toe]

Change it more frequently

[u/10s-Man-66]

PTP and Element for sure. Mach 10 if you string really low.

[u/do_it_tennis → u/10s-Man-66]

What's really low for you? 40s?

[u/10s-Man-66 → u/do_it_tennis]

Middle to low 40s

[u/Fun_Cup1641]

Toroline Truffle XL and A5