Head FXP Tour String Review

Power - Score: 81

Even though FXP Tour is partly filled with polyester, our team found it to be far from dead. In fact, Mike thought it was quite lively, saying, "When I first strung the racquet it felt very powerful and dampened. I really had to adjust my strokes for the first couple of hitting sessions because the string felt like a trampoline, with tons of power. I had to focus on controlling the ball with spin, which made things a lot easier for me. I'm used to a low powered poly so this was a little different, but I actually liked the extra power and would recommend it."

Chris discovered a balance of power and control, not unlike the response of a hybrid. He said, "The power level of this string was pretty middle of the road. I was getting enough pop to help me get the ball away, but not so much as to make the string uncontrollable. Even at 5 lbs above my usual tension I had enough power from this string to find solid pace on the ball. It is definitely more powerful than the vast majority of poly based strings, and it plays very much like a poly/synthetic gut hybrid in terms of power and feel."

Spin - Score: 77

FXP Tour isn't a shaped and low-powered monofilament like the best spin strings, but our team was still able to get some good ball rotation from this string. For Chris it was all about sound technique. He said, "The level of spin from this string was decent. I would put it on par with a tightly strung multifilament or synthetic gut -- in that I get spin from the confidence to swing fast rather than from the string itself. The level of bite on the ball was also decent, but not poly-like in its grip and grab. For me, tension and racquet head speed are going to be the key factors for getting spin from this string. If strung tight enough, I'm going to be swinging fast enough to get lots of spin."

Finding a nice combination of power and bite, Mike was able to hit a heavy ball with this string. He said, "For having so much power, this string did bite the ball well and had a comfortable feel, allowing me to focus more on generating spin and placing the ball with angles wherever I wanted. This helped me hit heavier when playing people who hit the ball a little harder than me, like Michelle (ha ha)."

Comfort - Score: 84

For our team, FXP Tour provided a very smooth and comfortable ride. In fact, this is one of the more comfortable strings Mike has ever hit. He said, "Probably my favorite part of this string. Very, and I repeat, very comfortable. It honestly felt like soft creamy peanut butter; a weird reference, but I loved the feel of this string. I had no vibrations or discomfort. It's probably one of the softest strings I've played with."

"A fairly dampened string, this one offered a very comfortable response," said Chris. Additionally he offered, "The feel is firmer than a multifilament, but softer than a monofilament poly. The result is much like that of playing with a poly/synthetic hybrid. Compared to other strings with a similar build, Wilson NXT Control has a crisper/firmer feel while Tecnifibre X-Code and IsoSpeed Axon Multi are very similar."

Control - Score: 77

With its polyester core and durable coating, FXP Tour is designed to provide decent control. Chris, who prefers stiffer strings, was ultimately satisfied with the response. He said, "I found a solid level of control from this string. I liked how I could increase tension for more control without sacrificing comfort. I felt very dialed in when rallying from the baseline. The amount of spin I was getting allowed me to control passing shots and angles while still swinging aggressively. Although it's a tad too muted in feel to be ideal for drop shots and touch volleys, the response was very predictable off the stringbed, so I was able to dial those shots in without issue."

Mike had great control after adjusting to the lively response. He said, "At first I couldn't get a feel for the string, probably because of the high power, but once I got a feel for it I was able to place the ball wherever my little heart desired. I would consider playing with this all the time."

Playability Duration - Score: 75

Even with the expected tension loss, FXP Tour gave both our playtesters good playability throughout the playtest. For Chris, this string never lost its predictable response. He said, "I really liked the consistent feel throughout the test period. The drop in tension was gradual and the playability remained good. My opinion of what I felt and expected from the string never changed during the test. I always knew what I was going to get from this string, and that's a very good thing."

Also satisfied with how well this string held up over time, Mike said, "It felt good throughout the entire playtest. I did notice the power level went down a bit, which gave me a little more control."

Overall - Score: 75

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester String Setups

Review date: July 2013. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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