Volkl Power Fiber Pro String Review

Control - Score: 79 / Power - Score: 83

With its multifilament construction, Power Fiber Pro has more power than the stiff monofilament strings our playtesters typically use. That said, Volkl has done a great job adding control to this string. As a result, it gave Michelle the confidence to attack the ball with her powerful strokes. She said, "In all honesty, I wasn't 100 percent sure if this string was a multifilament. It was fairly soft, but it also felt lower powered, more muted and deader than most of the multis I've used. It definitely wasn't too flighty or powerful for me. Although not as controlled as my typical poly setup, I still felt like I could attack the ball without overhitting, which isn't always the case with multifilament strings. With a pre-stretch, I was able to get an even more connected feel.

"I like my multis to be focused more on control rather than power, and that's exactly what I found here in Power Fiber Pro," said Chris, who appreciated this string's response. "Don't let the name fool you, this string has plenty of control to go along with some power. I was able to take a good whack at the ball without fear of it flying long, which is not always the case with multifilaments. I had a solid sense of what I was getting on the ball, which made both depth and placement very predictable. I found ample power when looking to hit a winner, and although it is not as powerful as something like Tecnifibre's NRG2, there was more than enough pop to get the job done."

Spin - Score: 63

Power Fiber Pro does not have the sharp bite of a polyester monofilament, nor does it have the slick and durable surface that enables the strings to snap back powerfully during impact. That said, Chris found enough spin to land the ball on target. He explained, "I was able to generate decent spin with Power Fiber Pro in my racquets because the lower power level enabled me to carry a lot of racquet head speed on my shots. I was getting just enough grip from the 18x20 stringbed of my racquet to get the ball spinning and dropping inside the lines. I liked the feel and connection I had to the ball on my slice shots. I felt very dialed in both when driving my slice and when floating it to my targets."

For Michelle, Power Fiber Pro had decent spin potential. She described, "I think the area I felt that this string played more like a multifilament was its spin potential. While I could still generate spin with my mechanics, there were a few times it was pretty evident that Power Fiber Pro doesn't generate as much spin as a spin-friendly poly or co-poly. I mainly was craving more spin on deep balls that I would try and flick back or quickly block and hit back. They often flew past the baseline instead of arching inside. It was a bit frustrating in point play. I also noticed a lack of ball grab when going for extreme angles and dippers at my opponent's feet."

Comfort - Score: 87 / Feel - Score: 72

Although Power Fiber Pro is firmer than the average multifilament, it still has a lower stiffness level than the polyester strings our playtesters typically use. For Chris, the result was a comfortable hitting experience. He said, "Power Fiber Pro was loaded with comfort. I found the stringbed of every racquet I played with Power Fiber Pro to feel very forgiving. I would rate the feel as soft, plush and controlled rather than crisp and lively."

Michelle found plenty of comfort with Power Fiber Pro, but she needed to pre-stretch it during installation to get the feel just right. She explained, "Similar to the power levels, I wasn't sure right away what type of string this was. The stringbed wasn't incredibly soft, but it did feel softer than the polys I typically use. Power Fiber Pro was comfortable the first time I playtested it, but it left me feeling disconnected from the ball. After that, we decided it would be best to try it pre-stretched, and I enjoyed the playtest after that."

Playability Duration - Score: 78

According to our team, Power Fiber Pro held its playing characteristics quite well over time. It also satisfied Michelle in the durability department, which is high praise coming from a person who typically uses 16-gauge polyester. She said, "I thought the durability was good. I was waiting for it to notch and break, but it held up well and never broke. With a pre-stretch, it held tension relatively well and stayed in position. Unlike some multis, the coating remained strong through the playtest and didn't break down."

"I found the feel of this string to be nice and consistent once it had settled in," added Chris. "The string did notch and start to get stuck out of position in the open-patterned racquets I hit it in, but it worked out better for me in an 18x20 pattern. In both instances, Power Fiber Pro is a string I could play until it breaks, which would happen quicker in a 16x19 stringbed, where the string noticeably notched faster."

Overall - Score: 78