Yonex Poly Tour Strike String Review

Control - Score: 89 / Power - Score: 60

Since polyester strings tend to have less power than other string materials (save aramids), it's not surprising that our team gave Poly Tour Strike a great score for control. It provided enough confidence for big swings, making it perfect for Michelle's power game. She explained, "I tested the grey version of Poly Tour Strike, and it definitely played like a control string to me. The power level felt similar to my string of choice, Solinco Hyper G. As a result, Poly Tour Strike fit right into my wheelhouse and required virtually no stroke adjustments. With it strung in the high 50s, I was able to hone in on this string's control elements without getting an overly harsh or dead response. I supply enough of my own power, so I prefer strings that help me remain controlled on big swings, and Poly Tour Strike did just that."

Although Chris got a tad more power than Michelle from this string, he still had enough control to attack the ball. He said, "Comparing Poly Tour Strike to other poly-based strings, I'd say it's pretty much middle of the road in terms of the power/control balance. As with the vast majority of polys, I got lots of control from this string. I could take a full swing at the ball and trust it would drop inside the lines most of the time. I found the grey version to feel a little more responsive and zippy than the black version, which felt deader and more controlled. Although there are softer and more powerful polys out there, I wasn't left wanting for power with this string in either color. I think I could flirt with lower tensions if I wanted more pop with the black version, but I was pretty darn happy with both at 52 pounds in my Tecnifibre TFlash 300 PS."

Spin - Score: 75

With its round profile, Poly Tour Strike didn't give our playtesters the sharp bite and heavy rotation of their favorite shaped polys. However, it did enable our testers to swing big and attack the ball at a sharp angle, which are the other crucial ingredients for spin. Michelle was ultimately a little surprised by how much spin she got from this string. She said, "It's a round poly, so I wasn't expecting outrageous bite, but it did have more access to spin than I expected. It worked just fine for my flatter groundstrokes. I definitely enjoyed the spin off my backhand side. I found myself leaning on that shot in points to pull my opponent out of position so I could step up and hit big into the open court."

Although it wasn't the best spin string he has hit, Poly Tour Strike got the job done for Chris. He described, "I got some solid spin with this string. I didn't find it quite as spin friendly as some spin monsters (like Weiss CANNON Rock N Power Hybrid and Solinco Hyper G), but I was happy with the level of rotation I was getting. I felt confident attacking the ball with topspin or slice and trusting I'd have enough spin to get my shots to drop on target. I liked the arc and curve I could put on my shots with this string in my racquet."

Comfort - Score: 69

With its stiff monofilament construction, Poly Tour Strike is designed to feel firm at impact, which means you won't find it atop anyone's list of comfort strings. That said, neither of our playtesters reported any discomfort with this poly. Predictably, Chris, who likes firmer strings, had no comfort issues. He said, "I felt Poly Tour Strike played pretty close to the middle of the stiffness range compared to most poly-based strings. I tend to favor stiffer polys, so I had no comfort issues here. I thought the string had ample give, and it never felt too harsh for me. If you're looking for comfort then you shouldn't be looking at poly-based strings, but if you like a firm and controlled poly stringbed, you'll have no issues here."

For Michelle, who never met a tension that was too high or a string that was too stiff, Poly Tour Strike was quite comfortable. She explained, "No doubt about it, this string felt more comfortable than many polys I typically use. The lab results indicated that it should be more comfortable than my normal strings, Solinco Hyper G or Luxilon Savage, and I could feel that on the court as well. I had zero arm issues, and I strung it up at 57 pounds. This is always a positive for me."

Feel - Score: 78

Our team gave Poly Tour Strike a great score for feel. Granted, it doesn't have the magical responsiveness of natural gut around the net, but it passed the poly feel test in that neither player had issues with harsh feedback, and there were no reports of a mushy feel or erratic trajectory as the string lost tension. For Michelle, Poly Tour Strike seemed to make all the right compromises in the feel department. She said, "Poly Tour Strike felt a tad softer than the strings I typically use, but it wasn't mushy or springy, at least not at 57 pounds. That said, it was firm and crisp enough to keep me connected to the ball. It felt nicely balanced."

Although Chris appreciated the feel of both colors, he ultimately preferred the black version. He said, "The difference for me between the grey and black colors was mostly in feel. The black version felt a little more muted and deader at impact. Conversely, the grey version was crisper and more responsive. It felt like the ball got in and out of the stringbed a little quicker with the grey version in my racquet. The difference felt slight, but was definitely noticeable. Although I wasn't quite as connected to the ball with the black version, it was my favorite of the two; the deader response gave me more confidence to stay on the gas in tight match situations."

Playability Duration - Score: 76

Poly Tour Strike is stretched under controlled temperatures during the manufacturing process. In addition to giving it a more consistent diameter and durable structure, this manufacturing process promises above-average tension maintenance and playability duration. According to our team, Yonex has definitely delivered on that promise. For Chris, this string went the distance and then some. He described, "I was very impressed by how long both colors of Poly Tour Strike felt playable in my racquets. I was still able to find control after three weeks of the test, which is rare. The surface of the strings also held up well, so they were still sliding and snapping back into place by the end of the playtest."

Michelle was also very impressed by how long this string lasted. She commented, "Playability duration was a standout feature for me. The tension loss wasn't very noticeable, and the feel and control stayed consistent over time. The durability was spot on!"

Overall - Score: 80