String Review: Solinco Prototype Multi-filament
Solinco is testing a prototype multifilament I just got to try out. I don’t really know any specific details about the string from Solinco but it looks like it’s 16 gauge. No word on price. The photo above is from my friend’s racquet on a mishit break to show the filaments inside. As you can see it’s kind of a tan, almost latte like color on the outside, very similar to the color of Wilson Triplecore if you’ve seen that. The filaments inside look white. It has a lighter spiral line twisting around it, kinda like Prince Topspin and the surface is matte instead of shiny and slippery like on a poly.
PLAY UPDATE 1:
Have hit about 2 hours with it. My initial impressions are very positive. It takes about 30 min to break in and stabilize. Initially it felt like a somewhat stiff synthetic gut, but after 30 min it became distinctly softer and livelier. Even the sound of the ball impact seemed to improve after break in. It has a very crisp & sweet impact sound, like a stereotypical perfect sweetspot shot sound effect. It makes my poly setup sound thin and twangy. Comfort wise, even after break in this string is not as soft as your average multi and I attribute this to it’s relatively thick and ridgid outer shell. Comparing it to the latest multi I’ve used (Wilson NXT Control), the outer shell or wrap is at least twice as thick and hard. On the NXT you could actually gouge the string with your fingernail if you pressed hard enough, not going to happen with this Solinco. I’m guessing Solinco went for a mix of durability instead of outright comfort. Playability wise I think the best word to describe the feel is “crisp”, really crisp and punchy. I don’t think I was hitting a higher ratio of balls on the sweetspot, but this string made it feel like I was. I believe it dampens off-center shots and it feels terrific. I felt I could place the ball well and with really nice power. I definitely was getting more power from this than my usual poly setup, not needing to swing as hard to get comparable pace and depth. Volleys were punchier also. Spin was also terrific, actually surprisingly generous on spin considering it’s not textured at all, I wasn’t expecting that. I usually hit with Solinco Tour Bite or Pro Supex Blue Gear, both heavily textured, spin-friendly polys. But this string could hold its own with those other polys in the spin department. I think it has to do with the outer coating being a matte, non-slick surface. It creates more friction on the ball than a slick outer coating. I found a similar result with Technifibre Pro Red Code which also has a matte, untextured surface, but created immense spin. The strings will move around on you, it’s definitely not a poly but it wasn’t too bad. String movement doesn’t really bug me, but I did notice my friend was picking at his strings a lot using this multi. Durability and tension maintenance remain uncertain until I’ve get more time on these strings. If they can last a decent time, (I hope so because the compromise on comfort needs to pay some kind of dividend) and keep playing like they have been, I may consider switching to this string or at least hybridizing it with a poly.
PLAY UPDATE 2:
They broke after 6.6 hours of play. Considering I break polys at around 7 – 8 hours, this is quite durable for a multi. So the trade-off they made in comfort did in fact pay off in durability. The strings also played very consistently from beginning to end and without any significant tension drop. With more back to back comparison with my typical poly setup (tour bite/blue gear) under the belt I can say with more certainty these multis feel significantly more comfortable, powerful and and responsive than my poly setup. But the poly setup has a clear edge on spin production. Tour Bite & Blue Gear are of course spin polys so that’s no surprise. I’ve attached photos of the break point and notching detail.
