Construction: Co-Polyester monofilament 

Color: Pure White

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

Length: 40 feet (12.2 M) and 660 feet (200 M)

Test Racquet / Tension
Yonex EZone DR98/17G (1.25 mm) @ 50lbs

Intro

Tecnifibre has been steadily energizing its brand in the wake of its partnership with Lacoste. With a new logo, new frames and a new brand identity, it only made sense for them to introduce a new string option to go along with all of their other changes. Adding to their stalwart polyester lineup, Tecnifibre introduces Ice Code. While it takes advantage of their longstanding Thermocore manufacturing to soften the structure, that isn’t the only technology Ice Code is sporting. It uses new HCD (High Crystallinity Degree) processing. This process slows manufacturing to better align the material’s molecular chain, resulting in enhanced energy return and improved feel. I took this fresh looking Diamond White string out for a test drive recently and here’s what I found.

Power/Spin/Control

Ice Code packed some serious firepower. Tecnifibre says it is 10% more powerful than Black Code, 18% more powerful than Razor Code and it showed. The ball absolutely exploded off the frame on contact with this string. I was caught off guard by how much power the string was capable of when I first started hitting. It took me a bit of time to adjust to the power level and find the right swing path, but once I did, I was consistently rewarded with easy pace and depth on my shots. The string did seem to have some hot spots with my frame and I still had a few more balls get away from me than I did with my normal, lower powered setup. Overall though, Ice Code had much more control than any of the soft, power focused polys I’ve tested recently. Spin production was solid, considering it was a round, slick string with no shaping to it. The string seemed to snap back well on contact, giving it good grab on the ball for bringing shots down into the court. I would have liked a bit more grip on my slice shots, but the string was easy to produce plenty of topspin on any shot I wanted to.

Feel/Comfort

The feel of Ice Code was a bit of a puzzle for me. It played with a firmer response than Black Code, but was softer on impact than playing with Red or Razor Code. My challenge was that I felt the string had an oddly muted response on contact. I felt like I got very limited feedback from the string on what the ball was doing. It simply flexed and sent the ball back the other way. This lack of response made me a bit uneasy when executing touch shots as I didn’t feel I had a strong enough connection to the ball to really know what it was going to do. From a pure comfort perspective, Ice Code was one of the more comfortable polyesters I’ve tested recently. It played without the buzzy sensation some polys have and didn’t send shock through to my arm the way stiffer, control polys do. Players who have needed a comfortable poly that didn’t sacrifice control to achieve it may finally have their answer with Ice Code.

Durability/Playability

Ice Code had solid durability and playability. Its low friction surface and easy movement effectively minimized notching and extended the string’s lifespan. I was able to get to double digit court hours with my 17g test set, which is usually a hallmark of solid durability for me with polyesters. Ice Code also stayed very consistent in its playability throughout its lifespan. It took the initial tension drop after my first hit (typical of poly) but then settled in and lost a minimal amount of tension each subsequent time out. This resulted in a string that was consistent and predictability every time I used it, right up until breakage. It was very comforting to pull it out and know exactly what I was going to get from it every time.

Overall

Tecnifibre has a very unique polyester option with Ice Code. It offers dynamic power while maintaining control better than any power poly I can think of. It also offers ample spin, comfort, above average durability, and consistent playability. Tecnifibre Ice Code is a great new string choice for anyone who wants power, spin and comfort from their string without having to constantly re-string or perfect their tension range.

About the Reviewer: Matt Locke formerly served for 3 years as the Junior Programs & Development Coordinator for USTA-Idaho. He is a PTR certified coach and is an active USTA 4.5+ League and Tournament player.