Tecnifibre Pro Red Code String Review

Power - Score: 47 / Control - Score: 89

With its firm construction, Pro Red Code played like a classic control string. This allowed our two playtesters to maximize their swing speeds without having to worry about overhitting. For Chris, this meant more confidence when attacking the ball. He said, "I thought this was a solid playing string. The power level was pretty low, but the level of control was very high. It's one of those polys that gives me the confidence to go for my shots and really attack the ball. I also bumped my tension up for this string, which further enhanced my control. At my regular tension I was not getting the spin I needed for optimal control, but going up a couple of pounds got me where I wanted to be. I tried this string in a variety of racquets, but I liked it the most in the new Volkl Super G 7. The Super G 7 is a powerful racquet, and the control-oriented nature of this string made it a really good fit."

"This string really gave me the ability to take big swings at the ball and still maintain control over where it ended up," said Marco, who definitely took advantage of this string's exceptional control. "I was swinging fast and hard, with the ball going exactly where I wanted it. This isn't the liveliest string, and the power came from me being able to wind up on a swing."

Spin - Score: 74

Although it lacks the sharp bite of a shaped poly, Pro Red Code gave our team the needed control to attack the ball with explosive upward cuts. As a result, Marco was able to generate some effective spin. He said, "A good amount of spin could be generated with this string. Although I didn't feel the strings really bite the ball, I could still swing fast and generate enough RPMs to get the ball to land where I wanted."

Chris also found this string's control crucial for generating spin. He said, "When I had it strung at my usual tension I wasn't getting the spin I usually get. However, after bumping up the tension a couple of pounds everything got dialed in. The tighter tension made me swing faster, and the added racquet head speed helped me generate extra spin. The controlled feel of this string also encouraged me to swing fast, which helped with spin. However, this string lacked the bite of my favorite polys like Volkl Cyclone and Y-Tex Quadro Twist."

Comfort - Score: 60

Given that it is made primarily from a stiff material, Pro Red Code is not built for comfort. However, for our team of seasoned poly players, the stiffer feel was not a problem. Chris said, "I didn't have any comfort issues with this string. I was impressed because not only did I bump up the tension, but I also hit this string in some powerful racquets with stiffer beams. Pro Red Code is far from soft and plush feeling, but I found it to play with ample comfort in the mid-50 lbs range."

Marco had zero problems with the comfort level. He said, "Despite how firm this string is, I didn't experience any harsh vibrations or overwhelming shock. After a short break-in period it felt fairly cushioned when the ball hit the stringbed. My typical string is on the firm side, so Pro Red Code was right up my alley."

Feel - Score: 78

As we've found with the majority of heavy duty co-polys, Pro Red Code proved quite firm and somewhat dead. For Marco, the controlled response paired quite well with a lively racquet. He explained, "The feel was on the muted side, without a whole lot of power. It works great in power-orientated racquets where it compensates for a very lively frame. In more control-oriented frames it feels a bit firmer, and the ball doesn't leave the stringbed with quite as much liveliness."

Chris appreciated the firmer response because it provided the kind of direct feedback that makes him feel more connected to the ball. He explained, "Crisp and clean sums up the feel of this string for me. I felt pretty connected to the ball and was judging both depth and directional control very well. I felt especially connected to the ball on volleys. At net the response was very precise and upped the control of a power racquet very nicely."

Playability Duration - Score: 80

As with all strings, especially those made from polyester, Pro Red Code loses its fair share of tension over time. For Chris this translated into slight changes in the feel toward the end of the playtest. He said, "I thought this string lasted OK. Its feel stayed crisp and clean for almost two weeks. Going into the third week I thought the string started to lose its feel a bit. I was still able to control the ball well; I just didn't feel as connected to my shots as I did when it was fresh."

"The playability of this string stayed very consistent throughout the playtest," said Marco. "It was a very durable string, and it performed very well over several hours of play."

Overall - Score: 82

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester String Setups

Review date: June 2015. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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