Construction: Co-Polymer Polyester

Color: Anthracite and Lime Green

Gauge: 16G (1.30mm), 17G (1.25mm), or 18G (1.20mm)

Length: 40' or 660' (reel)

Test Racquet / Tension
HEAD Graphene Extreme / 53lbs

Intro
HEAD has been busy adding Graphene to all of their major racquet lines, but that doesn’t mean they have forgotten about the string market. Building off the successful introduction of their Hawk polyester earlier in the year, HEAD has another new string set to become a strong option for players. The all new HEAD Lynx polyester brings a wide variety of play attributes to the table. I recently got to log some court time with this bright yellow string so let’s take a look at how it performed.

Power
This string resides toward the lower powered end of the polyester spectrum. I found it to have slightly more power than HEAD’s Hawk string, but it still offers a bit lower pop off the ground compared to some other polys on the market. The biggest benefit of the lower power is that control is exceptional. I was able to take big, full cuts at the ball with confidence that the ball would stay in the court. Anything the string may lack in inherent power, it makes up for by rewarding racquet head speed. This attribute also made it easy to find the right range from all areas of the court. Again, I felt extremely confident that I could keep the ball in play from any position on court and accurately set myself up.

Spin
Spin production was on par with what I would expect from a round, smooth polyester. There is plenty of snap back in the strings so if you are hitting with topspin and solid racquet head speed, you will find good spin potential. I didn’t find quite as much height on my kick serve as I do with shaped polys, but I felt that the spin that was present still did a solid job of moving the ball through the court. This factor, when combined with the directional accuracy, made serving as powerful weapon for me. I could spot my serve and use the spin to drive the ball through the court quickly. Overall, while spin is not a major highlight of the string, it does add to the arsenal of shots you can create with the string.

Feel / Comfort
The feel of HEAD Lynx was very enjoyable. It had a clean feel on contact and provided good feedback without being harsh. I enjoyed volleying with it as it has nice flex and ball pocketing on contact. I was able to execute touch shots without that “boardy” feel that a lot of full sets of polyester tend to have. For me, this string was more comfortable than its sibling, Hawk. They share many similar attributes but Lynx plays like a softer variation of the same formula. It blends a crisp feel on contact with enough flex to play comfortably.

Durability
Durability and tension maintenance seem to be another strong suit of this string. There was noticeable notching at the 4 hour mark for me but it was not to the point that string breakage was imminent, and I added several more hours to it after that point. I expect that the string will be offered in multiple gauges so players will be able to find their optimal balance of playability vs. durability. The string also held tension well with no major drop off in response or playability across my hitting sessions. This reliability is yet another strong feature that makes this string appealing.

Overall
HEAD Lynx is a control oriented string that shares many features of the previously mentioned Hawk line. It adds slightly more power without sacrificing any of its exceptional control and directional accuracy. It also provides a more comfortable ride and has the right amount of flex to make it excel from any area of the court. Look for it soon at Tennis Express and up your game with a set of HEAD Lynx!

About the Reviewer: Matt Locke currently serves as the Junior Programs & Development Coordinator for USTA-Idaho and is an active USTA League and Tournament player.