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Head Hawk Rough String Review

Price: $

Upsides

  • Control
  • Spin
  • Durability

Downsides

  • Too low powered for beginners
Video Review

Summary

With the introduction of Hawk Rough, Head builds on the success of both the original Hawk and Hawk Touch, two advanced co-polyester tennis strings that enable experienced players to swing big and crush the ball. Hawk Rough is defined partly by its textured surface, which is supposed to give players a better grip on the ball (think spin). Like other members of the Hawk family, this string has Crystal Core Technology, which is a manufacturing process that adds some welcomed dampening to an otherwise stiff material. After several weeks of playtesting Hawk Rough one attribute rose above all others, namely control. Indeed, this co-poly had even more control than its two very controlled siblings, Hawk and Hawk Touch. Although we can't say exactly how much extra spin Hawk's textured surface provided, our team gave this co-poly a respectable spin score. This is partly due to this string's remarkable control, which enabled us to execute explosive upward cuts without fear of the ball spraying into another ZIP code. Playability duration was impressive mostly because this string's comfort and overall response actually improved with a little tension loss. The biggest downside was in the power department. Each playtester struggled at varying times to get the ball moving effectively through the court. However, for the big hitter who wants the freedom to crush the ball with maximum stroke speed, Head Hawk Rough has a message for you: Bring it on!

Head Hawk Rough String Scores

Power 33
Spin 77
Comfort 62
Control 92
Feel 68
Playability Duration 87
Durability 83
Overall 81

Control - Score: 92 / Power - Score: 33

According to our playtest team, Hawk Rough is very low powered. This explains why the highest score for this playtest was awarded for control. However, the high level of control came with some downsides. Michelle explained, "I love a good low powered poly, but this took low power to a new level. I first tried this string in my RF97 at my usual high tension, 60 lbs. After hitting with it for a few sessions I was struggling to put anything on the ball. I was confused and thought my RF 97 racquet was letting me down. I was getting hurt quickly in points against players who don't often hit winners off me. This warranted some tinkering. I decided to install Hawk Rough in a Yonex VCORE SV 98+ at a lower tension, and everything changed. I was able to hit out with control and depth. I found sufficient put-away power and regained the needed confidence to dictate points. I also noticed that after three weeks in my RF97 and some lost tension, Hawk Rough was livelier and easier to use. Lesson learned -- while I can string most dead, stiff polys upward of 60 lbs, I found Hawk Rough to be best for me around 56 lbs, and I would probably try it below 55 lbs in my RF97."

Like Michelle, Chris also discovered exceptional control, but he too struggled with string tension. He said, "I found Hawk Rough to be a low powered, high control string. During the test I hit it side by side with regular Hawk in my EZONE DR 98+ racquets. Hawk gave me more pop and Hawk Rough felt deader and more controlled. In the lab the strings test pretty closely in terms of stiffness and energy return, but on court I found a much greater difference in the response than the lab numbers would indicate. Hawk Rough was so low powered I could take a full swing at the ball without fear of overhitting. I had the string installed at 48 lbs, but I would drop to 42 lbs if I used it again to see if I could get a little more pop from it. At 48 lbs I felt like I was leaving shots hanging a little, and I also found it a little tougher to get the ball away."

Spin - Score: 77

In addition to its textured surface, Hawk Rough's low powered response allowed our crew to attack the ball with the needed stroke speed required for effective spin. Chris had no complaints. He said, "I liked the amount of spin I was getting on my shots with Hawk Rough. I felt like several things were happening to make this a spin friendly string for me. Because it was low powered I was able to take an aggressive swing, so I had the swing speed to generate lots of spin. I also felt the string grabbed the ball well and helped me to get it spinning off the racquet. The level of spin further upped the amount of control I had on my shots, and I found it easy to get them dipping inside the lines."

Michelle got plenty of spin, but she remained skeptical about whether this string's rough texture made any difference. She explained, "While this is marketed as a spin-friendly string and has the word 'rough' in the title, I can't say I found it to offer a massive amount of spin, especially compared to sharply shaped polys. With that said, it seemed adequate in the spin department. The rough texture wore down and rubbed off quickly after my first hitting session with it, and while my flatter stroke style doesn't always test the spin limits of a given string, I do find myself trying to tap into some spin when needed, especially on defense. Honestly, if given the choice, I'd take a shaped poly over this texturized 'rough' one because those really seem to grip the ball and send it spinning without me changing my mechanics."

Comfort - Score: 62

Although Hawk Rough has a special molecular structure to increase dampening and improve comfort, it is a polyester-based string, making it quite firm. That said, Michelle had no issues with discomfort. She said, "Despite this being a low powered, dead string, I had no comfort issues. Even when it was strung up at 60 lbs my wrist and arm didn't suffer at all. This is one of the few strings I wouldn't bother stringing above 58 lbs, though, and would recommend stringing this one a few pounds lower than your normal tension of choice to unlock some power. But no issues with comfort."

As a fan of firm polyester strings, Chis predictably had no issues with discomfort or off-center shock. He said, "Although firm and fairly dead feeling in its response and power level, Hawk Rough never felt too stiff. It has a somewhat muted feel, so its response was a far from brassy. I could feel a little bit of ball pocketing going on, and I think that enhanced the feel of comfort in this string for me."

Feel - Score: 68

Our playtesters gave Hawk Rough a decent score for feel, if not a full throated endorsement. Chris found it to be on the muted side. He explained, "As mentioned in comfort, the feel of Hawk Rough was more muted than Hawk. It gave the string a softer, but deader, feel. I felt more connected to my shots with Hawk, and it also felt more responsive. It felt like the ball was getting in and out of the stringbed slightly faster. Hawk Rough was still a very confidence inspiring string, and I enjoyed its controlled response on tough/feel shots."

For Michelle, tension was an important variable for getting the right feel. She explained, "At 60 lbs in my RF97 this string felt boardy and dead, but it never felt uncomfortably stiff. Granted, there wasn't a whole lot of pocketing going, but that was partly due to my tension choice. Although the feel eventually improved in my RF97, I found Hawk Rough to be much more responsive in the SV 98+ at 56 lbs. The pocketing was a little better and I felt like I could do more with the ball. I'm glad I got to try it in a few different combinations and setups to really find what worked for my game."

Playability Duration - Score: 87

The second highest score for our Hawk Rough playtest was awarded for playability duration. This is a very notable finding because many modern co-polyester strings tend to become mushy and erratic with tension loss. Not so for Hawk Rough, which became softer, but never erratic. The control was there from beginning to end. For Michelle, this co-poly actually improved with age. She explained, "I found this string to be above average in playability duration. It lasted between three and four weeks, which is impressive. For me, that drop in tension was a good thing. The feel improved, and it allowed me to hit bigger balls. I struggled to get any juice out of the strings when they were fresh and strung at 60 lbs in my RF97."

For Chris, this string's standout feature, control, was immune to the ravages of time. He explained, "I managed to get a solid three weeks of hitting out of Hawk Rough. It did drop tension, like any string, but with it being so low powered it never seemed to lose much control. Comfort also remained decent throughout the test. With the string feeling good to go, I had no issues keeping it in my racquets longer than I would most other poly strings."

Overall - Score: 81

What type of player would you recommend this to?

Chris - "Hawk Rough is definitely best suited to advanced players or big swinging intermediates looking for a lot of control from the stringbed. I liked how it played in my old Pure Drive Plus, and I think it's a good match for players looking to add some control to a powerful racquet."

Michelle - "I would recommend this to players who string polys at lower tensions and to anyone who is not looking for power from their strings. Bigger hitters will appreciate the control and deader feel. This string definitely absorbed power, and I don't think it will aid players in the power department. I think this string would be a good option for steady, consistent grinders who keep their opponents moving and are looking for a consistent feel out of their strings. I think Hawk Rough would be better suited for steady players rather than players that rev up the power to put balls away."

Likes

Chris - "I liked the control and spin, and how long Hawk Rough lasted in my racquets."

Michelle - "Low powered and comfortable, with good tension maintenance."

Dislikes

Chris - "A tad low powered at my regular tension, so I'll be dropping it lower going forward."

Michelle - "I didn't think I'd ever say this, but at my normal tension Hawk Rough played too dead and low powered for my game. I was hoping for more pocketing from this string."

Comparing the string to others they've tried, our testers said:

Chris - "Hawk Rough compares well with Babolat RPM Blast. Both offer tons of control, great spin and leave the player to supply the power. Compared to original Hawk, it is lower powered and more muted in feel. Hawk has a crisper response that had me feeling more connected to my shots, but both strings offer tons of control."

Michelle - "Hawk Rough reminded me a bit of Luxilon 4G Rough. Hawk Rough didn't feel as stiff as 4G Rough, but it did offer similar levels of control."

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Chris' Scores
Power4Feel7.5
Spin8.3Playability Duration8.4
Comfort6.3Durability9.5
Control9
Overall8.4
Michelle's Scores
Power2.5Feel6
Spin7Playability Duration9
Comfort6Durability7
Control9.3
Overall7.8

Playtester String Setups

Michelle:
Playtest Racquet: Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph & Yonex VCORE SV 98+
Playtest Tension: 60 lbs & 56 lbs
Typical String: Luxilon Adrenaline

Chris:
Playtest Racquet: Yonex EZONE DR 98+ & Babolat Pure Drive Plus
Playtest Tension: 48 lbs
Typical String: Volkl Cyclone 16

Tension Diagnostic

Strung @ 55lbs on Tourna 600 ES Computerized Stringing Machine
Initial Stringbed Stiffness: 62 RDC Units
+24 hrs (unplayed) Stiffness: 55 RDC Units

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