Big Banger Alu Power is one of the new generation strings that is taking the pro circuit by storm. Although similar to a typical polyester in construction (monofilament) and high unstrung stiffness, it is actually a poly-ether-ether mixed with fluorocarbon (which gives it different qualities than a polyester). According to Luxilon, its characteristics include no noticeable tension loss, less plastic deformation than polyester strings, and durability. This combination of characteristics, along with Alu Power's imperviousness to atmospheric conditions, allow it to retain its playability until it breaks.

One of the concerns with poly strings has been that their stiffness could lead to arm problems in some players. Luxilon addresses this with their different formulation, along with a recommendation to string Alu Power 10 to 15 percent lower than you would string nylon, which mitigates this potential. With a nylon string, the combination of low starting tension and subsequent tension loss would result in an unacceptably low stringbed stiffness. Luxilon claims their special material and manufacturing processes have minimized tension loss over time. Even with the lower starting tension, the actual stringbed stiffness is roughly equivalent to that of a nylon string that was strung at a higher tension, but which lost more tension after stringing. Of course, few, if any, nylons are going to approach the durability of the poly.

Although it was almost unknown just a few years ago, as of April 2003 Luxilon tells us that more than 40 percent of the top 250 ATP-ranked players now use Luxilon string. Some of them use the string even though they are not sponsored, and some, including Andre Agassi, actually buy their own string. Luxilon says Big Banger Alu Power 16L is the most popular string on the pro circuit. Luxilon is hoping that this popularity among the world's top players will translate to sales to the rest of us, and so far, they seem to be correct. Luxilon string may not be for everyone, but it seems to be appealing to a quickly widening circle of players.

The two coils measured 40 feet and 40.25 feet. The diameter measured 1.22 mm to 1.27 mm prior to stringing, and 1.21 mm to 1.25 mm after stringing. We recorded a stringbed stiffness of 68 RDC units immediately after stringing at 60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 × 18 pattern) on a constant pull machine. After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed stiffness measured 61 RDC units, representing a 10.29 percent tension loss. Our control string, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16, measured 78 RDC units immediately after stringing and 71 RDC units after 24 hours, representing a 9 percent tension loss. We also strung up an identical racquet to the same tension with Alu Power 16L using the built-in "poly" setting that prestretches the string on each pull. In this test, the stringbed stiffness was 74 RDC units immediately after stringing, and 72 RDC units after 24 hours, for a tension loss of 2.7 percent. After three weeks (no playing), the stringbed stiffness was 69 RDC units for a tension loss of 6.9 percent. Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 16L added 15 grams to the weight of our unstrung frame.

Tested for five weeks by 35 USRSA playtesters with NTRP ratings from 3.5 to 6. These are blind tests with playtesters receiving unmarked strings in unmarked packages to reduce preconceptions and biases regarding manufacturers, type of construction, and materials. Testers were told, however, that the manufacturer recommended reducing tension by 10 percent from "normal." Average number of hours playtested was 26.1.

As soon as you clip the ties on a new package of Alu Power 16L, it becomes obvious that it has coil memory. It seems to explode out of its confinement and then snap to its preferred diameter. We didn't try prestretching it to see if we could convince it to straighten out, but it might be worth a try, even though Luxilon says this string does not need prestretching.

While inspecting the string before measuring, we noticed that both ends are cut to a point, a nice touch indeed. The string is also clean, without any residue or lubricant. While a little lubricant might make it easier to pull the crosses, the surface of the string is very smooth, so as long as you're not doing a hard weave, weave one ahead, and fan your crosses, there is little chance for friction burn. Blocked holes were no problem, and Alu Power knotted up nicely, although it was a bit more prone to kinking than seemed likely for a string that is this stiff-handling. Because of the low elongation, you need to measure your string carefully before starting on racquets that take close to 40 feet of string, especially when stringing two-piece.

Luxilon suggests reducing tension by ten percent compared to a typical nylon string.

Only one playtester broke his sample during stringing, 18 reported problems with coil memory, 4 reported problems tying knots, and 4 reported friction burn. Alu Power scored low on ease-of-stringing, as expected.

If you guessed that Alu Power rated highly with our playtesters in durability, you guessed correctly. They rated Alu Power second only to Ashaway Vectran (an Aramid fiber string) in this category. Our playtesters also rated Alu Power highly for tension-holding, and for resistance to movement, two key adjuncts to durability. Only three playtesters noted any notching, so with the monofilament construction, which is immune to fraying, you have a long-lasting, long-playing string that hangs in there until it is cut out of the frame.

After our experience with the vastly different stringbed stiffnesses due to different stringing methods (mentioned above), we were interested to see whether machine type -- i.e., lockout or constant pull -- would play a role in perceived tension retention. It did, but in a way exactly opposite to our expectations: playtesters with constant-pull machines gave an average rating of 3.3 for tension retention, while playtesters with lockout machines gave it a much higher average rating of 3.7. Our playtesters also gave good marks for spin, and above-average marks for power. Ratings were only average for playability, and poor for touch/feel and comfort.

Only two playtesters broke Alu Power, one at 9 hours and one at 35 hours.

As highly regarded as Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 16L is among the pros and would-be pros, it's not surprising that it didn't receive overwhelming accolades from our string testers. Given the prevalence of hard courts in the U.S., there's not as much call for a string that can withstand the abuse of clay-court play. As a result, players here have grown accustomed to multifilament strings. Even so, Alu Power received some positive comments from our playtesters, despite the fact that not one of them regularly uses poly string.

Another option is to try Alu Power Rough, which should play similarly to the Alu Power, but with more spin and a bit less longevity, or the Big Banger Ace 18 or Big Banger TiMo 18. In our lab tests, Big Banger Ace was stiffer than Alu Power, while TiMo was softer.

"An excellent string, especially when it comes to swinging away freely from the baseline. And although it plays like a 'dead' string, there was enough feel for touch shots. I really enjoyed playing with this test sample. It's the type of string that not everyone -- perhaps only a few -- will enjoy. But those who do will love hitting with it, and won't want to put it down. My only problem with it is that I had to slow down a bit during stringing to avoid friction burn." 6.0 male all court player using Volkl C10 Pro strung at 58 pounds CP (Gamma Live Wire XP 16/17)

"A pain to string, but worth it. A good string for durability, with the added quality of good touch and somewhat easy on the arm." 3.5 male all court player using Head i.radical strung at 57 pounds LO (Tecnifibre TrC 17)

"This string had excessive coil memory, and was stiff enough that it was difficult to weave in a tight pattern. On court, I really liked this string, and would switch to it if it comes in a very thin gauge. Great tension retention and resistance to movement. Solid feel and spin potential, and surprisingly good touch and feel for a highly durable string. Please e-mail me with the name." 5.0 male baseliner with moderate spin using Wilson Pro Staff ROK strung at 65 pounds LO (Wilson NXT Tour 17)

"The test string did have pretty significant coil memory, which made it more prone to kink, but it did not feel as wiry as most polyester strings. It has a very smooth surface, which virtually eliminated friction when weaving crosses. Like most polys, you have to be careful of sharp tips because it is stiff enough to puncture your fingers. The string had low elongation and the knots cinched up very nicely with very little pressure. Stencil ink did not adhere very well. On court, this string played better than most polyesters I have tried. I never break polyesters, but what was surprising is that I had it in my frame for four weeks and did not feel as though it was time to cut it out. I felt as though it actually played a little better with time. At first, it seemed to generate no depth. But after an hour or so of playing, I started to get better depth again. After several weeks of playing this string it still looked like new and I never needed to straighten my strings between points." 5.0 male serve and volleyer using Volkl Tour 8 strung at 60 pounds CP (Babolat VS)

"I had to watch closely to prevent kinks, and extra care is needed on the crosses to prevent burning. For a 'polyester type' of string, I was impressed. Normally I hate polys, but by reducing the tension 10-12 percent, the feel returned. It was a little stiff feeling on volleys but the groundies felt good. Lots of pop with very little string movement, even after six hours of play." 4.5 male all court player using Prince More Response OS strung at 52 pounds CP (Prince More Feel 16)

"This test sample had the typical polyester coil memory. A very satisfactory string. Initial tension loss was high, but playability did not suffer excessively. There wasn't excessive string movement with moderate top spin. Control remained very good even though tension loss was measurably high. I consider this a very good string and would recommend it to players requiring above-average durability." 4.0 male all court player using Babolat Pure Drive Plus strung at 52 pounds CP (BDE Performance 17)

"There was less coil memory than natural gut or polyester. Good durability without the harsh feel of Aramid or polyester. The string provides excellent control with a somewhat soft, muted feel. Beware, you must provide the power with this string. Great choice for hard hitters who like hybrid durability with a softer, more comfortable feel." 4.5 male baseliner with heavy spin using Pro Kennex 7g strung at 62 pounds CP (Prince Perfection 16)

"Stringing this test sample was like stringing polyester. A very stiff string. I would have strung my racquet at 60 versus 65 pounds had I known the characteristics of this string. I saw virtually no string movement nor tension loss. Extremely durable. I'm a chronic string breaker, but I couldn't break these strings. Nice playability for a stiff string. Goodbye Aramid!" 4.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Dunlop 200 G strung at 65 pounds CP (Prince Syn Gut w/Duraflex 17)

"With its coil memory, this is one kinky string! Despite the hassle with stringing, I liked how it played: crisp, nice punch, and very responsive. Lost ten pounds of tension but still played well. I would use it in the future." 5.0 male all court player using Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.1 strung at 62 pounds LO (Wilson Extreme 17)

"Nice string. Appears to belong in the Big Banger family. Good pop, good durability! Good thing it's a 1.25 mm string!" 5.5 male all court player using Volkl Tour 10 strung at 50 pounds CP (Multifilament mains / gut crosses 17/16)

"With this string being rather wire-like, it was difficult to do crosses, and I had to watch for kinking. On court, this was a nice string with a crisp feeling, which surprised me considering the wire center core. It seemed to maintain tension very well. As for durability, you probably could not break it." 5.0 male all court player using Head Ti.Radical strung at 53 pounds LO (Prince Syn Gut 17)

"This string was very difficult to string because it was so stiff. I found weaving to be especially difficult. I was surprised by how well it played though -- I did not expect it to feel as good as it did, given the stiffness. No trouble with power but it didn't have the control I get with Tecnifibre NRG. My serves really popped in. I seemed to play better at doubles than singles with this string." 4.0 male all court player using Gamma Diamond Fiber M-6.5 strung at 61 pounds LO (Tecnifibre NRG2 SPL 17)

"I had some difficulty tying knots because the string is hard to bend, and the string generally was more difficult to string because of its stiffness. In play, though, the string held tension well and was okay as far as playability. I regularly play with soft multifilaments so any other string feels 'hard' to me. The saving grace for this string was the gauge. It felt like a 17 or 18, which was nice. If the gauge had been any thicker, I feel it would have been unplayable. The test sample reminds me of the Big Banger polyester strings. I don't know, maybe I'm too old-school, but these newer, more brittle/course strings are just not appealing. Also, most of my clients are older and enjoy the softer strings." 4.5 male all court player using Wilson Pro Staff Tour 90 strung at 50 pounds LO (Tecnifibre NRG2 SPL 18)

"This string had excessive coil memory, and I constantly had to uncoil it during stringing. Overall, it played well. However, I was surprised by how much spin was produced. After 20 hours of play I still saw no signs of notching or fraying, which is very impressive." 4.5 male baseliner with heavy spin using Fischer Pro Extreme strung at 55 pounds LO (Babolat Super Fine Play 17)

"Stringing was a pain because of the wiry feel. The string had nice control and good power. Felt boardy and stiff. Excellent spin and durability. However, it felt dead after ten hours of play. Probably would be a good choice as for the main strings in a hybrid set, with a soft monofilament cross string." 4.5 male all court player using Prince Original Graphite OS strung at 56 pounds CP (Babolat VS Team / Prince Syn Gut Soft 17)

"This sample had plenty of coil memory, for which I compensated by doing a two-piece string job instead of my normal around-the-world. I appreciated the prepointed ends on the string; it's a nice touch. It's also nice that the string is dry (that is, without any lubricant), but there can be a fair amount of friction on the crosses. It also had an odd tendency to kink, considering how stiff it feels out of the package. On court, it plays similarly to other polys I've used, which is to say that at low racquet-head speeds it feels unresponsive, and at high racquet-head speeds it feels as if it's bursting with energy. I never did become comfortable with this Janus-like characteristic, although to be fair, it is far less noticeable with this string than with other polys I've used. The strings never budged, and even long after the strings were no doubt dead, the racquet still played acceptably well. I hope this string costs a lot, because stringers who install this in their customers' racquets may not see those customers again all season." 4.0 male all court player using Head i.prestige MP strung at 52 pounds CP (Pacific ClassicGut 16)

"I found this string to be quite an average all-around string. There was a major drop-off in playability after about 12-14 hours of play. The string showed no signs of notching, even after 25 hours of testing." 3.5 male baseliner with heavy spin using Head i.prestige strung at 58 pounds CP (Gosen JC 17)

"The string had excessive coil memory and was very stiff. I almost never use a dampener on my racquet, but this string was so tinny sounding it was a distraction during play. With a dampener installed it became a stealth string and was much more enjoyable to use. The test string had a very stiff, metallic feel that for the first couple of hours of play diminished the overall quality of play. I found that after the initial adjustment period it did offer a sharp, clean feel if you hit in or near the sweetspot. The string did hold tension exceptionally well." 4.0 male baseliner with moderate spin using Prince More Game strung at 56 pounds CP (Prince Wrapsure 17)

"My first reaction to this string was that I would hate it. I really don't have anyone I string for who needs this much durability. However, the string did play better than I anticipated, but I had to cut it out after four hours because it was beginning to irritate my arm." 6.0 male all court player using Prince More Precision strung at 63 pounds CP (Prince Sweet Perfection 16)

"The string played 'stiff' compared to my usual string. It has an attractive color which might attract some customers." 3.5 male all court player using Head Ti.S6 strung at 55 pounds CP (Prince Syn Gut w/Duraflex 18)

"This was a very interesting test string (my guess: Luxilon Big Banger TiMo). As recommended, I strung this test sample ten percent lower than my normal string. This string had plenty of power, and generated lots of spin, much more than my normal string. However, I had some difficulty with control. If I was at all late with my contact point, the ball would fly, fly away. With my normal string, I can usually get away with hitting the ball a little further back in my stance, but not this string. Perhaps if I had only reduced tension five percent from my normal tension, I would have liked this string better. It may also be interesting to try as part of a hybrid set." 4.0 male all court player using Pro Kennex Kinetic Charged strung at 58 pounds LO (Tecnifibre TrC 16)

"Great string for hard hitters. Not quite enough feel for me." 3.5 male all court player using Head i.radical strung at 50 pounds LO (Tecnifibre 16)

"The coil memory was very strong, and gut-like. The string was also susceptible to burning, so I had to slow way down. This is an average string with a nice feel and comfort. My normal string has much better spin potential. I used this string in a tournament and had many balls 'fly' -- I couldn't seem to grab the ball. Obviously this is a hi-tech string, but given the difficulty in stringing and lack of an outstanding characteristic, I can't see using it. There are many strings with as good comfort and touch and better scores in all other areas, so unless the price point is very low, I wouldn't stock it in my shop." 5.0 male all court player using Inova Handler strung at 42 pounds LO (Gamma TNT Fusion Plus 19)

"After approximately three hours of playing, string movement was excessive, and I had to adjust the strings after each point. Also, very little feel, especially on volleys and short balls." 5.0 male all court player using Head i.S6 strung at 56 pounds LO (Prince Syn Gut w/Duraflex 16/17)

"This string played a tad stiffer than what I'm used to. Overall it was firm, yet softer than a polyester. Average power, but no outstanding features." 4.5 male all court player using Volkl Catapult 4 strung at 54/52 pounds LO (Babolat Fiber Tour 16)

"A little stiff for my taste!" 4.0 male all court player using Babolat Soft Drive strung at 50 pounds LO (Prince Syn Gut w/Duraflex 16)

"Personally, not my kind of string. This string would be better suited for a hard hitter and possibly a stringbreaker." 4.5 female all court player using Prince More Control DB strung at 52 pounds CP (Tecnifibre NRG2 SPL 17/18)

"The test sample was an average string. It reminds me of a softer polyester. Not a good string for people with arm problems, but it will be good for constant string breakers. I found that the test sample did not hold its tension very well, even though it was a stiffer string, and I noticed a tension drop about three hours into playing with it. The stringing ease wasn't the greatest, either, nor was tying the knots, but it wasn't as bad as some of the polyesters on the market today. This string would probably play better with a synthetic for the cross strings. As for putting it on my shelf for my customers, I'll have to pass on this one." 4.5 male all court player using Prince More Control DB strung at 60 pounds LO (Prince Wrapsure 16)

"Too stiff of a string for my liking. No feel or touch on most shots. Seemed to loosen up after several hours of use." 4.5 female all court player using Gamma Diamond Fiber 9.0 strung at 58.5 pounds CP (Gamma Live Wire Professional 17)

"It was difficult weaving the crosses with this string. Despite stringing it at 50 pounds, the stringbed was too stiff for my arm to tolerate." 5.0 male all court player using Wilson Pro Staff Original Mid strung at 50 pounds LO (Tecnifibre NRG2 SPL 17)

"I barely was able to string my frame with the amount of string I received. The best part about using this string was cutting it out of my racquet. It had the touch of an average polyester with the feel of a low-grade aramid. Even at the lower tension, my arm was aching with every hit. Quite unforgiving in feel on off-center hits, and very little 'personality:' I like a string that moves around a little more!" 5.0 male all court player using Head i.radical strung at 50 pounds LO (Prince Syn Gut 17)

"I found it difficult to thread the crosses due to kinking of the string." 4.0 male all court player using Head Ti.Radical MP strung at 50 pounds LO (Any 18)

"The string was rather stiff and did not play well at all." 5.0 male all court player using Prince AirDrive 900 MP strung at 59 pounds CP (Prince Perfection 17)