Yonex Polytour Spin G String Review

Construction: Monofilament Polyester

Color: Dark Red

Gauge: 16L (1.25mm)

Length: 40’ 

Test Racquet / Tension

Head Graphene XT Speed MPA. 16x19 and 16x16 configurations/ 54lbs

Intro
Yonex has been experiencing a bit of a rebirth the last few years. With Aussie Open champ Wawrinka along with some of the brightest upcoming talents in their stable; their visibility is on the rise. In order to continue striking while the iron is hot, Yonex introduces Poly Tour Spin G as their latest polyester offering. Utilizing the already popular Poly Tour Spin construction, this string adds a silicone oil infusion to up the already lethal spin potential. Let’s take a look at how this new string plays on the court.

Power/Spin/Control
Power level is on the low-medium side for this string. While not as dead as some offerings, it plays low power enough to allow you to take very aggressive swings at the ball. I had little fear of hitting long and found myself attacking the ball from all areas of the court. The string’s five sided Giga Spin Structure provides tremendous bite for incredible topspin and skidding slices. The new silicone oil infusion makes the string very slippery and provides additional snap back of the mains along the crosses, further increasing the spin potential. Like other offerings with silicone and other coatings, it wears off fairly quickly, resulting a bit of increased friction on the string bed. I also noticed the coating seemed to attract all manner of dirt and other court debris, leaving me with a constant desire to be wiping the string bed off. Control was impressive off both sides and I had no issue directing the ball where I wanted it from anywhere on court.

Feel / Comfort
Don’t let the packaging that labels this string as “Hard +” fool you. Spin G plays very soft for a polyester. My first time out, I strung it too low, assuming it would be very firm, and it played with a mushy feeling that I wasn’t expecting. After changing tension the next go around, the string played with excellent feel. It had nice ball pocketing, allowing for a responsive, predictable string bed. Net play was above average for polyester string thanks to the softer feel. Volleys and touch shots were easy to execute and I felt very connected to the ball when executing them. Comfort was again, very solid for a polyester construction. The string got a little buzzy outside the sweet spot toward the end of its life but it was more an issue of feel than a reduction in comfort.

Durability
Playability was about average for polyester. It had a good size drop in tension the first time out and then leveled off and played with predictable response. The string bed was slightly more erratic over time in my more open 16x16 pattern but not enough to cause major issues. Durability seemed to be a bit of a weak point for Spin G. I played it in both 16x16 and 16x19 patterns and the most time I got out of it was 5 hours before I broke a main string. There is so much movement with the main strings that they saw through themselves pretty quickly. Players may see some increased durability in a hybrid but they would most likely be sacrificing the some of the spin this string generates as a result.

Overall
Yonex’s Poly Tour Spin G is a slight upgrade over the existing Tour Spin string. The addition of silicone oil to the formula does seem to up the spin potential but it wears off too quickly to be a long term factor in the string’s overall performance. The Giga Spin shape still generates most of the impressive spin this string makes. However, the softer feel and all court response make this a string worth trying for poly players who want more feel and comfort while not sacrificing the ability to drive opponents off the court with heavy spin.

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.