Solinco Hyper-G Review and Play Test
String: Solinco Hyper G (16L 1.25 mm)
Construction: Co-polyester Monofilament (Square Shaped)
Racket Used: Babolat Aero Pro Drive
Tension: 60 lbs (about 27 kg)
Previous String in Frame: Luxilon Alu Power
Cost: $12 a set
Hyper G – What You Need to Know
There is a lot of “hype” (pun intended) when it comes to Solinco’s line of Polyester strings and Hyper-G is no exception. Many people told me I needed to try this one and so I finally did. As I write this I have to say it would be on my Mount Rushmore of Polyester strings along with Luxilon Alu Power and Babolat RPM Blast. If you love the original Alu Power I think you’ll absolutely love Hyper G. I found that Hyper-G played better for longer, offers a little more control, and bites the ball better. It’s maybe slightly stiffer but it’s still very soft and makes a nice crisp sound coming off my Aero Pro Drive with a Sampras Vibration Dampener. It’s not as stiff as Solinco’s other big hitter, Tour Bite, and for me the control is comparable (maybe a little more spin potential and “control” from tour bite) but when it comes to feel and pop there’s really no comparison. For me it’s Hyper-G all the way especially on serve where it just felt really nice coming off the string bed. There are a lot of polyesters where my arm starts feeling fatigued fairly quickly on serve but with Hyper-G I didn’t feel that to the same degree and felt more confident really taking a crack at it.
All polyesters go dead after a certain point and then all start to feel and play the same (boardy, stiff, and generally unpleasant). I got about 9 really good hours out of Hyper-G before it started going dead. As a point of reference I find that Alu Power drops off much quicker (usually around 3 hours). This is an elite Polyester string and I ordered a reel of it which tells you pretty much all you need to know.
Hyper G – What I Loved
I just love that it’s basically a slight upgrade in nearly every category (with the exception of Pop) to my other go to Alu Power. A little more control, a little more power, plays optimally for a little longer, etc. I also really loved that I didn’t feel like my serve was being held back by this string. I’ve had a few shoulder issues before and usually with full sets of Poly I tend to hold back a bit or my arm starts fatiguing quickly. I actually felt pretty confident taking a full swing at my flat serve which is pretty rare but that’s a personal thing. I also had an identical racket strung up with tourbite which is another premier poly but I definitely preferred the feel of Hyper-G and found myself sticking to the racket with Hyper-G until the string died on me.
Hyper G – What I Hated
At a certain point the string drops off and it plays like all other Polys. On the plus side it did play better for longer than Luxilon Alu Power (another favorite of mine). I find that Alu Power drops off after about 3 hours whereas Hyper-G played well for about 8 or 9. But once it did fall off a lot of my balls that were just dropping in (late action on the ball) started to go long and the string just didn’t feel as responsive or powerful. I would have liked a tad bit more control without sacrificing the feel but you can’t have everything. I could experiment going a little higher on tension but usually anything higher than 60 in my racket and the string doesn’t respond well.
Value
Pretty standard for a Poly. Most “High End” Polyester strings run between $8-$18 so at around $12 a set this string is somewhere in the middle. It played optimally for about 8 or 9 hours which is actually a bit better than most Polys I’ve used. You’re probably not going to break this string regularly but if you do it’s probably breaking well after the playability has dropped off. Not a great value but in my opinion this string is definitely worth it.
Who this string IS for
If you’re already using a polyester and want to try something new definitely give Hyper-G a try. If you’re using a multifilament, don’t have any arm issues, and are looking for more control I’d also recommend you give this string a shot as your first poly. I personally didn’t find this string to be boardy coming off the stringer (something I’ve heard and read online) but maybe that has to do with the racket I strung it in. When it came to volleys I didn’t find Hyper-G to be as cumbersome as many Poly’s but obviously that’s not going to be a strength either.
Who this string is NOT for
If you have arm problems or need a string to generate a lot of power stay away. It’s on the softer side as far as Polys are concerned but it’s still a poly. Budget seekers and people looking for the most bang for their buck may also want to hold off because after 8 or 10 hours of play you’ll start feeling the need to restring.
Final Verdict
I bought a reel of this string from Racquet Depot and that pretty much tells you all you need to know. Not quite as stiff as Tour Bite (in my opinion) and plays a little better and lasts a little longer than my other go to Poly (Alu Power). It also comes in a bit cheaper to so it really was a no brainer for me. This is a must try string if you are a polyester user.