Babolat FiberAce Tennis String Review

Reprinted with permission of the United States Racquet Stringer's Association

Fiber Ace is one of Babolat's new French-made Fibergut strings using their exclusive Air Jet technology. It's a multifilament string with 1120 "high resilience fibers and co-polymer matrix." Its main benefits, according to Babolat, are excellent playability and control, combined with unmatched tension maintenance for a multifiber synthetic string.

BENCH TESTING

The two coils tested measured 40'5". The diameter ranged from 1.29 mm to 1.32 mm. Stringbed stiffness of 81 RDC units was recorded immediately after stringing at 60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern) on a continuous pull machine. After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed stiffness measured 74 units, representing an 8.64% tension loss. Our control string, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16, measured 80 RDC units immediately after stringing and 73 RDC units after 24 hours, representing an 8.75% tension loss.

THE TESTERS

STRINGING

Fiber Ace is easy to string, although it does have above average coil memory. This is likely due to Babolat's new packaging which requires strings to be coiled tighter. Unlike some other multifilament strings, it doesn't tend to kink nor does it mush out when passing through blocked holes. Weaving crosses is helped by Fiber Ace's smooth double coating of metallic dioxide. Knots tied nicely and cinched up well. At 40+ feet, Fiber Ace is long enough for most racquets on the market.

PLAYTESTING

As expected from a multifilament string, Fiber Ace is very comfortable from the first shot. Even off-center hits are forgiven. It provides plenty of power but isn't "springy." This, combined with its softness, makes Fiber Ace suitable for stiff, widebody racquets or for players suffering from tennis elbow. Hard hitters can also benefit from Fiber Ace's control and double coating of metallic dioxide, which effectively reduces notching. Perhaps due to this coating, Fiber Ace feels slightly muted and doesn't generate as much spin as some other 16 gauge strings. Tension maintenance is impressive for a multifilament, and overall durability is above average. Nineteen playtesters (70%) indicated they would carry Fiber Ace.

There were seven reports of breakage after 2, 9, 10 (3), 17 and 20 hours of play.

CONCLUSION

Fiber Ace is Babolat's most comfortable and responsive synthetic yet. It competes well with other "performance" synthetics in the $8-$10 price range, offering comfort and power without sacrificing durability. It's definitely worth a try.

COMMENTS

(The string most commonly used is in parentheses.)

"For playability, this was one of the finest strings I have ever hit. My shots were crisp and accurate and the sweetspot felt twice its normal size. I was most impressed. Maybe I was in the zone, but when I find out what kind of string this is, I'll switch." 6.0 all court player using a Wilson Ultra II strung at 63 lbs. (Gamma XL 16)

"I found this string to play similar to Gamma XL 16, only a little stiffer. The string does begin to peel in the sweetspot, though not much. Overall I liked this string. If it were priced under $6.50 per set, I would carry it. During stringing some friction burn occurred." 6.0 all court player using a Wilson Pro Staff 4.2 95 strung at 65 lbs. (Gamma XL 16)

"I was disappointed after feeling the string while stringing. I thought it would have a soft but lively feel, it was soft but not lively. It might be good for powerful widebodies." 4.0 all court player using a Wilson Pro Staff Original 85 strung at 49 lbs. (M's) and 54 lbs. (X's). (Babolat VS Power)

"This string played like a typical 16 gauge multifilament string. Initial play is comfortable, but the string loses its liveliness after 5Ð10 hours. Coating provides good notch resistance." 4.5 all court player using a Yonex Super RD Tour 95 strung at 63 lbs. (Prince Synthetic Gut 16)

"Springy feel, lively and held tension well with minimum string movement." 5.0 all court player using a Prince ThunderBolt OS strung at 65 lbs. (Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 17)

"I liked this string at first (I felt as if my serve had a little more power), but it quickly lost feel. It's much more durable than my normal string. It's not suitable for those who have low string tensions." 5.5 serve & volley player using a Dunlop Max 200G Pro strung at 36 lbs. (Babolat Synthetic Gut 17)

"Seemed to cradle the ball for an extra moment and then propel it with extra power and control. Absorbed shock and vibration on off-center hits. A thicker gauge than I normally prefer, but really enjoyed the way it played." 3.5 all court player using a Wilson Pro Staff 4.5 95 strung at 56 lbs. (Gosen Aramid 18 M's, OG Sheep Micro 17 X's)

"String lacked power, touch and feel. Didn't have many good qualities except the soft feel." 4.5 doubles player with moderate spin using a Prince Precision Response MP strung at 63 lbs. (M's) 60 lbs. (X's). (Gamma TNT 16)

"String played very stiff, and the coating was so thick that the stencil ink would not stick." 5.0 all court player using a Wilson ProStaff 6.1 95 strung at 60 lbs. (Tecnifibre TR Pro 16g)

"This string ranks with the Wilson Sensation as one of the best soft synthetics." 3.5 all court player using a Slazenger Silhouette 95 strung at 56 lbs. (Gamma TNT 17)

"The string seemed a little stiff, but it had a crisp, solid feel. Durability was slightly above average." 5.5 baseline player with heavy spin using a Yonex RD-7 strung at 63 lbs. (Ashaway Crossfire II)

"I didn't think I would like this string when I was stringing it up. It didn't 'feel good' going into the racquet. But when I played with it, I was pleasantly surprised. Good power with adequate spin, feel and control. There were several areas on the string that seemed to have rough spots." 4.5 all court player using a Wilson Pro Staff Stretch 110 strung at 75 lbs. (Gamma XL 16)

"Good string for young topspin players. It's durable and resistant to string movement." 5.0 all court player using a Dunlop Max Enforcer strung at 55 lbs. (Alpha Viper 17)

TESTER STATS

Results from 27 playtesters

EASE OF STRINGING

(Compared to string used most often)

much better	2
somewhat better	9
about the same	10
not quite as good	6
not nearly as good	0