Construction: Co-polyester Monofilament

Colors: Black, Blue or Yellow

Gauge: 16G (1.30 mm) or 17G (1.25 mm)

Length: 40 feet (12 m) or 660 feet (200 m)

Test Racquets / Tension
Dunlop SX 300 Tour/Dunlop Explosive Speed 16G strung at 50 lbs, and Wilson Blade 98S CV/Dunlop Explosive Speed 16G strung at 54 lbs.

Intro

Dunlop is adding to their Explosive String Series to give players a polyester that embodies velocity and power: Explosive Speed. It’s designed to give players more power and speed thanks to the smooth outside surface and ample snap back ability. It also maintains the good durability and power the Explosive line is known for. Here are my thoughts on this newly added string.

Power, Spin & Control

Dunlop Explosive Speed lived up to its name. Immediately, I noticed that it had more power than standard explosive strings. When I accelerated the racquet head, especially during forehands, the ball flew off my strings at a remarkably rapid pace. I was also able to generate consistent depth on my groundstrokes without sacrificing too much control. If you like this string, you’ll notice the power potential right away. So, you may need to have a slightly higher ball toss and take off a bit of pace to retain serve accuracy. But once you get in a rhythm, this string can keep you firing on all cylinders.

The only downside, to me, was the lack of easy access to spin from the baseline. I was hoping to get more topspin on my forehand and backhand angles going crosscourt. Still, this string provided impressive power, speed, and depth from all areas of the court. Ultimately, it surpassed my expectations.

Feel/Comfort

This string was a little softer than I anticipated. It was softer than Explosive Bite, but it didn’t match the comfort of Synthetic Gut strings. Also, Explosive Speed had more feel than Explosive Bite, but not the penetrating feel of Natural Gut strings. Like Explosive Bite, I would probably avoid this string if you’ve had arm or elbow problems in the past.

I really liked how it felt during serves — sharp, forceful, and dependable. Missed serves went long instead of in the net.

Durability & Playability

Dunlop Explosive Speed is a solid option if you frequently break strings. There were a few times when I had to adjust the stringbed between points. But, I thought the tension maintenance and durability was primarily good. The same goes for playability. After hours of hitting, there was no sign of tension or performance loss. High level club and tournament players will get timely, long-lasting execution from this string.

Overall

Dunlop Explosive Speed is a swift and durable string that’s geared towards advanced players. I thought the displayed power and tension maintenance made up for the lack of spin potential. After play-testing this string, I think it complements the Dunlop SX Racquet Series. If you’re looking to add power and pace to take your performance to the next level, then you need Dunlop's Explosive Speed.

About the Reviewer: Chris Griesedieck played high school tennis in the St. Louis area and competed in USTA junior tournaments in the Missouri Valley section. Today he is an active 4.5 USTA tournament player and is a PTR certified coach.