Tecnifibre's new Polyester String: The Ice Code Cometh

Tecnifibre's Code family of polyester strings covers a lot of ground, from the soft feel of Black Code to the precision of Razor Code. Ice Code is the power option, built for advanced players who swing fast and want more pop without giving up control. We put it through two rounds of playtesting. Here's how it played.

A New Look and a New String

Tecnifibre released Ice Code in 2019 as the first product to carry the brand's redesigned logo, introduced to mark 40 years in tennis along with a new partnership with Lacoste. The string comes in a bright diamond white, a color with deep roots in tennis history.

Ice Code follows Red Code, Black Code and Razor Code, and Tecnifibre pitches it as a more powerful polyester for demanding, high-level players. In Tecnifibre's own playtesting, players reported 10% more power than Black Code and 18% more power than Razor Code, the brand's most control-oriented polyester.

The Technology: Thermocore and HCD Processing

Thermocore is a staple of Tecnifibre's polyester lineup. The brand varies the temperature during manufacturing to soften the material and structure of the string. Ice Code uses Thermocore, plus a newer step called High Crystallinity Degree processing, or HCD.

HCD slows the manufacturing process so the material's molecular chains line up, much like the structure of a diamond. Tecnifibre says that alignment improves energy return and feel.

In hand, Ice Code has a slick, round profile that feels surprisingly stiff. Tecnifibre promises "highly reactive" properties that help players produce more power, and the goal is controllable power, not one at the expense of the other. It's designed for players with elite racquet-head speed and excellent control.

On-Court Impressions

On court, Ice Code plays like a supercharged polyester. I can't say I completely understand the technology, but I can say it's an explosive polyester, which I didn't think was possible. Strung at 48 pounds, it delivered excellent touch and good spin. Two more things caught my attention right away: tension maintenance and resistance to notching.

Ice Code vs. Black Code

Black Code is Tecnifibre's softest polyester and one of the most popular soft polys around. It plays comfortably powerful. Ice Code feels a touch firmer than Black Code, but at contact it's incredibly explosive.

That doesn't mean the ball flies or control slips. It feels more like a controllable boost when you strike an aggressive shot.

Ice Code Revisited: 10 Days Later

After 10 days of play, Ice Code stayed remarkably consistent. The response of the string bed is easy to predict, and while the strings move and realign, they avoided any severe notching.

Ice Code is one of the most arm-friendly polyesters I've used. I don't finish matches with a sore elbow and shoulder, as I might with stiffer polys, and tension maintenance has been close to best in class for a co-poly monofilament.

With a softer poly like Black Code, you can get away with stringing a few pounds tighter for more control. With Ice Code, I got the best of everything at a low tension: control, surprising power and excellent comfort.

Who Should Play Ice Code

Ice Code is built for advanced players with fast swings who want more power from their polyester without losing control or comfort. If you're a fan of Black Code, Red Code or Razor Code, Ice Code is worth a try. Compare it with the rest of the family in our Tecnifibre tennis strings collection.

If you're still weighing your options, read our guide on how to choose tennis strings.