Solinco Confidential String Review

Control - Score: 93 / Power - Score: 42

With its firm construction, Confidential is not designed for the player who wants easy or "free" power. It is designed to give experienced players the control they need to take massive cuts at the ball. In other words, it is ideal for Michelle's big strokes. She explained, "Confidential's stiff and low-powered response was perfect for my game. It had the characteristic I look for from strings, which is the confidence to hit out and play without fear of overhitting. Because I tend to lean toward more powerful, stiffer racquets, and I know I can hit out at times, I really rely on my string setup to help with control and keep my balls landing inside the baseline."

Although he found increased power over time, Troy gave Confidential high marks for control. He said, "My impressions on control and power changed somewhat over time. Initially, this string felt very control-oriented, somewhat dead and low powered. I adjusted tension a couple of times, and I finally settled on 47 pounds with a lock-out machine. I thought that the firm low-powered feel had to do with me stringing too tightly, but even when I dropped the tension, the initial hitting sessions felt somewhat firm and very control-oriented. I noticed that the string settled in tension-wise after about 3 to 4 hours of hitting, and I started to find a nice pocketing feel. There was also some added pop to this string as time went on."

Spin - Score: 90

With its grippy shape and high level of control on explosive upward cuts, Confidential is built for spin. Needless to say, Troy was impressed with this string's spin potential. He said, "Spin was great throughout the playtest, much like I find with Solinco Hyper-G. I could feel the edges on my fingertips while stringing it in my racquet, but it wasn't overly sharp. I noticed on court that I was getting plenty of grip on the ball, and the main strings snapped back into place with relative ease. Overall, Confidential gave me what I look for in a shaped co-poly, and that was easy access to spin from all areas of the court. When I needed to hit passing shots or cross-court dippers, this string gave me the confidence to keep the ball inside the lines."

Although she doesn't play with a lot of spin, Michelle was impressed by Confidential's bite. She said, "Although I have flatter mechanics, I do access spin at times, especially off my backhand wing. I was definitely satisfied with the grab Confidential offered. I could get the ball dipping down reliably, and I felt like I could change up the pace of a rally by adding a good amount of arc. I often access more spin when I'm on defense and trying to get myself back in the point."

Comfort - Score: 63 / Feel - Score: 83

Given its high stiffness level, Confidential is not meant to deliver the plush comfort of a natural gut or multifilament string. In fact, it is precisely this string's firm construction that gives it the connected feel and control that big hitters like Michelle crave. She explained, "I liked this string's firm feel and predictable response on big swings. I felt very connected to the ball, which helped with control. I'm known to string in the high 50s and low 60s, and there are a handful of strings I can name that definitely inflame my arms and leave me a bit sore. I have never had soreness with Hyper-G, and I haven't given Tour Bite the chance I should, so I can't comment on the comfort from that string, but Confidential didn't cause me any problems. I definitely wouldn't recommend this string for someone with arm issues or anyone looking for a soft poly. However, it was a comfortable option in terms of low-powered, deader polys."

As a longtime poly player and big fan of Solinco polys, Troy predictably appreciated the feel of Confidential. He described, "I liked this string's direct feedback and overall responsiveness. I found it to have a medium comfort level compared to other co-poly strings. I know that Solinco may have been targeting a slightly more comfortable feel with this string, but it is still definitely firmer and crisper in nature. I think that Solinco did a great job giving this co-poly a bit more pocketing and elasticity without making it feel soft or mushy. I wouldn't put Confidential in my top picks for comfort-oriented co-polys, such as Volkl Cyclone Tour, ISOSPEED Cream or Solinco Tour Bite Soft. I also wouldn't say it's as firm as Tourna Poly Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour, Luxilon 4G or Solinco Tour Bite.

Playability Duration - Score: 88

All strings lose tension over time, resulting in changes to the feel and playability. Typically, those changes create control problems, but sometimes a little tension loss can be a good thing. Troy explained, "I actually preferred this string after it lost a little tension. It played a little softer and had slightly better pocketing. Like most of the Solinco co-polys I've tested, Confidential settled in nicely and maintained a consistent feel and response for the majority of the playtest. It never got mushy or erratic. I am going on 10 to 12 hours with the 16L (1.25) in my Yonex EZONE 98+, and it is still playing great."

"I was happy with the playability duration," said Michelle. "It felt great for two weeks for sure, and the stringbed played consistently through the playtest. At one point I noticed a tinnier feel, and that may have subsided as soon as the string went dead, but it really didn't affect the playability. Thankfully, the string did not get mushy or trampoline-like, since I hate when that happens. I would say Confidential was above average in terms of playability duration."

Overall - Score: 89