Comments: I have been on a string journey for over a year and have landed on two strings: Gosen Sidewinder and Ytex Square-X Black. I need to experiment more on tension, but for a Yonex Vcore 100, the Gosen Sidewinder is awesome. I do have to go higher up than my normal tension of 48/46 because the string is too powerful and lacks a little control. At 52/52, it's perfect, but I have to give it a B- for longevity, as it gets too lively, too fast. It's good, but this is where the Ytex Square-X does a better job. I do love how the strings snap back on Sidewidwinder; you never have to straighten them out. The spin is perfect - not too much like Weiss Cannon Ultra Cable. Very comfortable, but also muted. I do wish it was a little more crisp, especially with all the added dampening in the new Yonex VCORE 100. I bet this string would suit a Wilson Ultra 100 nicely, or a Babolat Pure Drive.
From: Pip, Santa Barbara, CA 8/8/21

Comments: I am a 3.5 all-court player using a Prince O3 Beast 100, I have strung for 22 years. I use the Gosen in the mains at 43 pounds with Gamma Live Wire XP 17 as a cross at 43 pounds. This is the best set-up I have ever used. Firm yet soft. Would say most excellent Gosen holds tension very well, even playing 4- 6 hours per week strings, the strings feel almost fresh after 2 months.
From:Gary, 11/6/19

Comments: Strung this on Yonex Ezone 100 (2018) at 53lbs. Very soft poly, no arm/elbow issues with full bed. I'm used to using hybrid, multi in main and poly in crosses. These strings are softer than other polys I've used in the past. Even at 53lbs, it's very lively and gives pop on serves. Tons of spin potential with these strings. A lot of groundstrokes caught the line, just dives into the baseline. Overall, great string, definitely a keeper.
From:Michael, 9/20/18

Comments: I was given this string by and once I was 95% through stringing, one of the crosses snapped leaving me with a useless racquet that I had to cut out and re-do. I have been stringing for 5+ years and this has never happened before. All the grommets were intact. Would not recommend this string.
From:Christo, 8/17/17

Comments: As a cross with Natural Gut in the mains using a low powered 18x20 IG Prestige, I found this combination hard to beat. Stiff, high powered racquets with 16x19 patterns or even more open patterns won't find this setup as agreeable. That being said, the 18x20 holds tension like a vise. Even as your poly tension slowly drops, the gut won't and your sweetspot just opens up. It simply takes your low powered control racquet and gives it a high performance attribute. Spin is just nuts. 51 lbs Gut mains 48 lbs Gosen Sidewinder 17 crosses.
From:Tom, 4/1/17

Comments: I've owned a reel and have always found myself coming back to this string. There are things to love and hate about this string. Personally I find it excellent when fresh as the string is quite slick, which allows it to slide and generate some nice spin. Great power as it's a soft co-poly. Nowadays, I try not to string above 52 lbs but in the warmer conditions I have to string this at 56 lbs and it is not jarring on the arm. So the 3 main things I love are spin, power and comfort. For the dislikes, it's mostly due to its softness. As expected, this string feels a little muted, loses tension fast and then turns into a rocket launcher. It also notches rather fast and the great spin dies down. I don't think I've ever snapped this string because I always cut it out before it snaps. Overall, I love this string for match day but the downsides sometimes makes it difficult to justify the price.
From:Ken, 6/16

Comments: I did not like this string at all. It's very unpredictable as it plays different each time out. When I first installed it, it was the stiffest poly I've played with. 40 minutes in, it was the softest poly I've ever played. 5 hours later it was stiff again and needed to be cut as it was no longer snapping back and the comfort was gone.
From:JD, 4/16

Comments: After much experimentation with different strings and combinations over the last few years I am glad to say that I have finally found what works. I use Gosen Sidewinder 17 on the mains and Volkl Power fibre 17 on the crosses at 52 pounds in my Yonex AI 100s. I was using a full bed of Volkl and was impressed however it is lacking in control, you would get the odd fly ball sailing on you. So, the thinking was I am going to have to hybrid it with a poly, however having tried many of them I don't like the dead feel especially after a few weeks of use. The answer came by the TW lab, Sidewinder has similar stiffness to The Volkl Power Fiber 2 (TW Lab, energy return is 11% different). The result was good power, spin, touch and pretty good control. You could go tighter to get excellent control if you don't mind sacrificing power. Because of the nature of these strings I should get pretty good wear out of them and have found that having the Gosen on the mains is the best option in this set up, partly because the strings snap back into place very well and helps control. I am 44 years old, I used to play competitively at a reasonably high level, rely on an all court game, slice/kick, volley, the odd lob, big topspin forehand, slice/topspin backhand.
From:Mike, 1/16

Comments: I've used many polys (Luxilon, Tecnifibre, Babolat, Tourna) and this is definitely among one of the softer polys out there. Strung it at 57 lbs which turned out to be too tight for my liking. I would suggest 50-54 lbs for more pop. You need lots of racquet speed for this string to suit you well due to the texture, but it doesn't have nearly the bite as Solinco's Barb Wire. Of the textured polys I've tried, this is closest to Luxilon's Big Banger Rough, but cheaper and softer. Great alternative. Give it a try. I'm a former collegiate player and now play in 4.5 leagues.
From:Billy, 10/15

Comments: I was a Luxilon Alu Power (16L) user and I play 4.5 level. If you liked Luxilon ALU Power, you will definitely love this one. I got them on sale for $6.50 per set, and it's softer then Luxilion, since it's 17 -- it seems, but more spin. Just as durable as Luxilion. If you string yourself, it's as same as stringing with Luxilion -- meaning it's tough and doesn't bend well and stuff. I'll move to this for the price as well as for performance.
From:Changsu, 4/15Comments: Great string! I strung the GS 17 at mid range since I read that this string has good power. It was easy to string and this was the right tension for me. I typically use Cyclone, Tour Bite Soft and Poly Tour Spin in my various set ups. GS 17 will be a new addition to my arsenal. Control, spin and the soft feel sold me. A little pricier than some of the other soft polys but well worth a try.
From:James, 4/14

Comments: I strung my Head Graphene Speed Pro at 53 lbs and it felt perfect. Good power, very comfortable and good top spin. It's a must try if you are looking for these characteristics.
From:Jeremie, 12/13

Comments: Exellent control and spin with enough power to dictate play at the baseline and net. It can improve any game!
From:Anthony, 12/12

Comments: This is the best kept secret in tennis. It's the best string I have ever used. Spin, power, control, easy on the arm. Hard serves, serve placement, kick serves, touch shots, etc. There's no need to hybrid, as it plays best strung throughout the racquet. The only problem is that it isn't sold in a 660' reel!
From:Anon, 12/12

Comments: By far my favorite poly. Usually, with a full poly bed I can have arm problems and don't feel volleys off the strings but this soft poly it is softert and different. You might want to string this poly a little tighter and prestretch before hand. I have tried many polys (Babolat, Luxilon, Kirschbaum, Signum, Dunlop, Technifibre) but this is clearly my favorite.
From:David, 12/14

Comments: For years I was looking for a string like this one. After trying Prince, Babolat, Head and Wilson I got this new one and I'm very happy. I got tons of power, control and spin -- it changed my game for the better. I strung it at 54 lbs and I play 3 times a week and in a month I can't see any difference in the tension.
From:Rafael, 12/13

Comments: This string is the softest poly I've ever hit! Tons of power and spin, but loses tension pretty quick, hence the power increase. I would pre-stretch the strings a good three times and don't be afraid to lay back into the pulling of the string; you will be amazed how far they stretch! I strung it at 56 lbs and in one game the tension dropped to about 50 lbs. Next time, I'm going to try 60 lbs and I would bet it will be good after they settle down. I just re-ordered this string because they didn't aggravate my elbow tendonitis and nothing beats the spin of a poly string. The only other poly I'd reccomed is Volkl Cyclone 18g; they are a little stiffer but they rip the felt off the ball. I almost feel like Nadal with that killer top spin!
From:Tony, 7/13

Comments: This is by far the softest twisted co-poly I have tried among Tourna Big Hitter, MSV Hepta Twist and Genesis Typhoon. The first two offer 17g and Genesis only comes in 16L. All of them hold tension exceptionally well and they all provide great access to spin and control. But Gosen Sidewinder is truly the softest according to my ultra sensitive elbow.
From:Brian, 2/13

Comments: Firstly I want to say I hate polys as I find them lifeless and too stiff. I got this Sidewinder 17g because I felt that I have to have a little more durability as I no longer string my own racquets. I blended it with my (ideal) string, Isospeed Energetic! I am loving it! It's lasted long enough to keep me happy and its so much softer than I was expecting! I am not saying Sidewinder is the perfect poly but with this special offer of 2 for 1 it's certainly worth a shot!
From:Paul, 2/13

Comments: One of the softest polyester strings on the market. Very nice to hit, with lots of spin and control. The softer string means more power, so you need to string it a few pound higher if you are considering it. Tension maintenance isawesome.
From:Derrick, 2/13

Comments: Let me compare it to orange 16g; this one offers a crisper feel and more liveliness, wow, this one let me play faster at same level of predictability. After an hour of break-in time this one offers lots of ball pocketing for improved directional control and spin. Be aware, this string is light, hence it may decrease the overall swing weight of your racquet. I will buy a reel of this black edition once available as it is a great string for me!
From:Rene, 1/12