Better late than never to the Luxilon party

Luxilon is the company that began all this poly string stuff back in the 90's with the Original Big Banger. Gustavo Kuerten started it all when he strung up his racquet with the stuff and proceeded to win the French Open 3 times and get to number 1. When pros figured out that they could hit the ball as hard as they wanted and the ball would stay in the court, the poly floodgates opened. Heck, it was actually known as the "Luxilon dip" because of the pronounced dip the ball would take near the end on the court, seemingly on a string, and falling in at the last moment.

I'm sure that every tennis professional on the planet has tried Luxilon in one form or another, but I read and listened to the negative Nellys about these killers. I read about the horror stories about after hitting with them for only an hour, your arm will literally fall off! OK, maybe that's stretching the truth a bit but many people have avoided this string, some have been abused by this string but for those using it correctly, wow!

Many poly strings can cause arm issues if they are not strung properly. Too tight and the vibration will cause havoc with your tendons. Generally, you need to string any poly string 10% lower (or more) to reduce the effects these strings inherently cause. Also, not everyone SHOULD use poly strings. Beginners through intermediates shouldn't because they won't realize the benefits. They just don't have the racquethead speed to make it work properly. Also, if you have or are prone to have any arm issues, don't get any poly string in your racquet. It can mess you up for a long period of time. Face it, any tennis is better than no tennis due to arm problems.

The main reason for using this type of string is due to the low power they provide. They are generally more "dead" than synthetics and certainly more "dead" than natural gut. More on that later. The big deal with advanced players and pros is that they can swing harder and get more spin and control without fear of the ball going out.

On to my testing. I have been testing one of the most popular strings on tour, the Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power (I actually used the "rough" version but they are essentially the same string). Now, I have not gone all the way with this string as a full bed but rather, I used a hybrid in the cross. I used a soft, synthetic gut, Wilson Hollow Core. This does have a softening effect on the stiffer Luxilon. Using this combo, I was able to up the tension a bit to 55# in the mains (Luxilon) and 59# in the crosses (Hollow Core). Generally, for any hybrid, the main string will contribute 60-70% to the playability with crosses giving 30-40%.

After testing, I'm in love! This combination provides tremendous power, spin and control. I have never hit a more powerful, consistent and controlled serve. Also, my groundstrokes are powerful and quite spinny. The control is exceptional as I feel like I can put the ball on a dime no matter what position I'm in. All-in-all, this is a great setup and I have never felt a twinge in my wrist, arm or shoulder. I do plan to try this full bed and with other cross hybrids for comparisons.

When reading about Luxilon strings, durability problems have come up. When I say durability, I don't mean how long before they break. Poly strings are known for not breaking but they are known for "going dead". After a certain period of time, polys stretch out and won't return to the original position. Think of a rubber band stretching, coming back, stretching, coming back and finally stretching but not coming back. That's "dead". Most synthetics and natural gut strings stretch and come back for a longer period of time. Many felt like ALU Power strings go "dead" very quickly after only a couple hours of play. Obviously, this isn't a problem for the pros because they change racquets after only a few games. No big deal for them. But for the rest of us, durability is an issue, especially since these are not cheap strings. I was well into 12 hours of play and I did not detect any major changes in playability. Perhaps this was due to the hybrid effect since the Hollow Core will stay lively for a good amount of time in comparison to the Luxilon.

I must say that I am sold on this string and that it will stay in my racquet. At least until I find the next great string. ;) However, it's going to take a lot to top Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power. Sure, I may be late to the Luxilon party but at least there's enough time to have fun!