Shaped vs. Round: Does it impact control and accuracy? |

[@TK-Tennis]

If you enjoy my takes, even if we don’t always agree, consider hitting SUBSCRIBE and LIKE! 👋 TL;DR: Using shaped, sharp poly strings (4-5 sided) can cause greater variation and reduced depth control on imperfect hits, often resulting in more shots landing in the net or sailing long. In contrast, round poly strings tend to offer greater consistency and less variation, even when strikes are not perfect.

[@alexsad1000]

@@TK-Tennis I tend to hit more flattish and thru the court as well. 3,4 and 5-sided polys tend to land my shots shorter (service line or so) while round ones provide much better depth and consistency. Also shaped polys are super inconsistent first few hours as they are slowly transforming into round poly, all the edges in the sweep spot are smoothening real fast. That’s why a lot of rec players string w Hyper G at 55lbs and hit with it for months until it breaks. 4-sided shape is a goner after 2-3hours of good hitting and 55lbs are like comfy 47lbs. Thanks for mentioning that 6,7, 8-sided polys is a good compromise if you want some extra bite while preserving consistency and if you restring quite often.

[@TK-Tennis]

@@alexsad1000 I want to pay more attention if the shape polys truly wear into a rounded state after more play. I have not paid close attention to this to see if it's fact or fiction. Thanks for watching as usual, it's nice to have regulars!

[@IntuitiveTennis247]

Thanks for the shoutout My personal experience with shaped polys is that I get less control bc I hit flat. I get more control with round. Agree with your assessment of less precise. I think shaped polys only make sense for players who utilize spin.

[@TK-Tennis]

Thanks for the sourcing on the F-Bomb video, that was cool. I get a lot out of your vids, keep up the great work.

[@macattack78]

Appreciate the vids from all the reviewers mentioned. I would have thought that shaped polys help those hitters who dont add enough spin themselves. The reason pros don’t need shaped polys is surely because they can generate all the spin they need using a round string. The other reason I’m guessing is many of them use gut in a hybrid, which if paired with a sharp shaped poly would snap it in 2 seconds the way they hit it! 🤙

[@Stu49583]

@@macattack78 Yes, but only a minority use a gut hybrid, maybe 30%. The rest of the 70% could potentially use shaped strings and many of them do so, such as Lynx Tour (6 sided), RPM Blast (8 sided - almost round). But it is true that a huge chunk of the pros use round round polys such as Poly Tour Pro, ALU Power, Hawk Touch. I think the shaped strings help with spin but introduce some inconsistency due to non-uniform string surface.

[@woo-youngchung7745]

Yor’re probably only one reviewer recognizing bias occurred during string revew , adjusting it with insights . Great comments !

[@DelZ3030]

I decided to take your advice in my recent restringing, and went with a round for the first time ever. Wow. I'll take the consistency from the rounds any day. I noticed it the most on my serve, where I struggled to get my flat serve to stay flat--it always had some funk on it using my previous favorite, ReString Zero. I guess that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I felt much more at ease feeling more connected between my actions and the results w/ the rounds. Vcore 98 w/ Polytour Pro @ 50lbs might be all I need now.

[@TK-Tennis]

Good deal, thanks for sharing. That slight improvement in predictability makes a notable difference in confidence.

[@msalvs]

Sums up my thoughts exactly. Round is more consistent and controlable. With shaped polys you often get unpredictable launch angles. I have no idea why shaped strings became so popular.

[@TK-Tennis]

My son was playing with Diadem Solstice (Sharp 5 sided) today and he came home saying exactly that. Sharp = Launchy = No beuno!

[@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten]

Because it helps when you hit with a lot of spin, if you're a flat hitter it indeed makes little sense to go for a shaped poly.

[@Drwatcherman]

I appreciate that you have a strict methodology to test strings. It reduces subjectivity, as you mentioned. It also has a lot of limitations. Testing strings with widely varying stiffness at the same tension gives very different overall stringbed stiffness (nobody strings gut and poly at the same tension for this reason). Similarly, stringbed stiffness depends on racquet RA and string pattern. Observations of a string in a low RA racquet with a 16x20 string pattern don’t really apply to stiffer RAs or more open or closed beds. Anecdotally, I’ve found toroline o-toro to be great in a Pure Aero Plus but meh in a Boom Pro. Looking at pro specs and setups for rec players is problematic. Many pros play with swingweights that are not possible for rec level players. They have excellent technique and do not need help with spin or power. I don’t know what the optimal/ ideal method is, just food for thought. Keep up the great work.

[@TK-Tennis]

It's a fair point and of course there may be some limitations or things I could miss using my method. The main problem is having the time and energy to add additional variables into every string test and I figure having such constraints is more beneficial than detrimental. However, what I didn't mention is that my son has a Blade v9 and he often tests the same strings as I am and I hit with his racquet, and occasionally I also hit with a Pure Aero 100 (68RA) and this summer I hit regularly with a Dunlop CX 200 18x20. In all these use cases, other than the different feel in racquets, the string sensation and attributes still apply. I understand the variation in overall string bed stiffness, but the characteristics of the string remain pretty constant other than the need to change string tension to the specific pattern or frame size. You bring up a valid point and I'll keep thinking about it. btw, stay tuned for me RAW video and 1st Rally with Tourna S7 Silver. I'm going to do a Q&A and this is a great comment to discuss on the video. Thanks for watching.

[@The4.0Guy]

Sunscribed. I like your methodology for testing strings to take out as many variables as possible. Do you think wear plays a role in the consistency with the shaped poly's? I heard that shaped poly's can wear faster and perhaps unevenly? ​@@TK-Tennis

[@TK-Tennis]

@@The4.0Guy As a universal statement, In my experience I not found shaped polys to wear all that much faster if at all. I break poly's consistently between 4-7.5 hours of play, and rarely do I feel the poly has worn enough to lose it's sharpness. I suppose it possible they wear more if someone breaks string less often and the strings have more time to wear down 🤷‍♂. It also likely depends on the specific string characteristics i.e, how sharp it is, if it frays, and/or how slick the coating is and how fast it wears-off. Personally the string fraying or losing responsiveness is more top of mind than any differences in wear. My 2 cents. Thanks for the comment, subbing and watching. Cheers 🥂

[@markmoorefineart7453]

Curious is the O-Toro in the PURE AERO was a full bed or a hybrid? If so, what tension were you stringing that you enjoyed it so much?

[@Drwatcherman]

@@markmoorefineart7453 full bed 48lbs main 46 cross. I should qualify with the fact that I don’t love the pure aero plus- I have a lot of trouble controlling it. It’s not my main/ usual frame. O-toro is a lower powered string that is arm friendly (pretty rare in my experience) with great spin. It’s been the best string so far in that frame for me.

[@Sinisterg60]

I agree with this. I always find more confidence in a round string. When I do use a shaped string, I get very inconsistent. It even gets that way with 6 sided. I do like 8 soded polys though. Seems to get my just enough grip on the ball but withoit the degrading trajectory consistency.

[@TK-Tennis]

In the back of my mind I've always felt this to be true, but it wasn't until recently it became very clear and to the front of my lobe. Seems like many players have realized this already 👍

[@GabrielMedeiros]

Thx for the video, i didn't even know about these differences in strings. In my short experience two strings are my favorite at moment: head lynx tour and solinco revolution, coincidentally both 6-sided. I tried a round poly (razor code) one time and the lower spin potencial messy my game.

[@72PMChambers]

Round polys make more scense for most. 1. Easier to string. 2. They slide better against crossed because of small contact area. 3. Last longer as the corners of shape poly eear faster. Note: depending on stringing shaped tend to slide on the face rather than point. 4. Do shaped slide on the edge or corner. That will change the friction. Thus consistancy 5. I dont believe square poly bites the ball any more. The ball flaters upon impact, it contacts maybe strings which deform to net the ball. I believe most of the dnsp back is due to string on string slippage and biting the ball. Hence a locked 18x20 eont generate spin as a 14x16. 6. Generally round is cheaper. Once the mains are knotched dhould be replaced. Note the string Nicola revommend is 1/4 price of top line poly. I bought a reel $AU90. Big brand are 4-5x that. 7. The string majes less impact on club players than, raquet, tension, moving better, hitting better, etc. A good cheap poly where not worried about cutting it out regularly is better. Im not against shaped poly, i love Hyper G but it diesnt last long and cost too much Depending where you live the cost of string can be less than restring. So even cost brvomes deminishing returns for somem

[@davech07]

Thanks for a really interesting video. I've got back into tennis after a break of a few years and I'm pretty much addicted to it. On a good day, I'm a decent intermediate and play an all-court game. I have a 2024 Head Speed Pro, which is a great all-rounder with an 18/20 string bed and a surprising amount of spin - not a dense string pattern. I've just blown a full bed of Hawk Power - nice crisp feel, but it got grooved quite quickly, as I hit fairly hard. I get a fair bit of spin from the my swing, but the Pro is also great for hitting flat and hard when you want to. I've been thinking about a blend of shaped string in the mains and round in the crosses, but I keep coming back to how much I value control of depth and consistency. This video has finally kicked me out of the uncertainty. I don't need more power or more spin - I want the confidence to swing out when I want to and touch when I need it. So I'm going for a full bed of Restring Sync. I also want something that stays playable for a good amount of time. Unless somebody tells me this isn't the right string for me ...

[@TK-Tennis]

Welcome back to Tennis addiction, not unlike other addictions that provide many highs and some lows ;-). Glad this provided some perspective and it seems most people have come to similar conclusions related to sharp polys. From my experience, Hawk Power is very similar to Restring "Zero" and I wasn't a fan of either of them, they both are a little hyper and not as consistent and precise as many other strings. Restring Sync is more similar to Alu Power and is very predictable. I had issues with longevity and fraying with Sync (I used 3 sets), but it seems many people have not experienced the same issues. It's worth a try.

[@davech07]

@@TK-Tennis Hi, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Interesting what you say about Hawk Power. I found it quite forgiving, but it did seem to behave differently on medium shots vs hard-hit. I've seen other people talk about Sync wearing quickly. My local stringer got some in for me, so I'll try a full bed of that and see how it goes. Is there a round poly you'd recommend? I'm an all-court player with a modern swing (in 2nd incarnation). I prefer 18/20 string bed and heavier racquets and I've got into lower tensions with polys - around 48lbs. I like to feel the ball on the strings, a sense of control and confidence to hit right through when I want to.

[@TK-Tennis]

@@davech07 You explained it better than I did. Hawk Power, Restring Zero and other similar string do behave differently depending on the commitment between medium and hard hits 100%. Do you prefer something soft, crisp, provides a little extra pop, more muted, more feedback oriented?

[@davech07]

@@TK-Tennis In an ideal world, I'd like a string with good pocketing and great feedback and feels crisp on impact. I really don't like the detached sensation some strings give you - like RPM Blast, which is accurate, but feels dead in my humble hands. I have a 2008 Prestige that I use occasionally - Alu Power mains & synthetic gut crosses. I can clearly feel the weight of ball right through the stroke. I'm not skilled or consistent enough for the Prestige, but I crave that sensation of being fully connected. So, pocketing, feel, control and a crisp impact if it exists in one string, or a hybrid. Thanks!

[@kusumoanang]

​@@davech07Try Grapplesnake M8 dude, superb quality, 8 sided almost round, high consistency, high tension maintenance, huge feel, power low to medium. I tried on radical Mp at 46lbs.

[@alexsad1000]

Agree with you and rocking full bed of round poly Enso Pro in 1.25 yellow or 1.27 green lately ❤

[@TK-Tennis]

Round FTW 👋

[@kiranshunpo3566]

The trajectory and depth consistency difference with shaped poly (when griped right or not will differ ) and round poly makes sense like you've mentioned and especially with recreational player level. I used to play with Tour bite but have now moved to natural gut and 4G soft on my Ezone 98 tour. Thanks for the video.

[@akbarberlian]

I play with Multi/poly in EZ98 lasted me 2-3 weeks.. interested in gut/poly.. how long that setup last? my cost will be 5x with stringing included

[@TK-Tennis]

Agreed, when striking the ball perfectly clean I don't notice any difference. When striking the ball imperfectly, the lack of accuracy of sharp poly's is more pronounced...that may be the better way to explain it. Imperfect hits provide more imperfect results.

[@TK-Tennis]

@@akbarberlian Why 5x? From my experience, a multi/gut hybrid is very detrimental for consistency of accuracy and a Poly/Gut hybrid will greatly improve overall control. With that said, last year I play tested a Poly/VS Gut hybrid for several weeks and even that was a fair amount less controlled than a full bed of poly. It felt and sounded really nice, but some loss of lateral control was very evident. Depending on whether you choose a soft or stiff poly, you should see a solid improvement in longevity although that's dependent on your play frequency and level of play.

[@akbarberlian]

@@TK-Tennis 5x because of location specific/ geographic. Maybe because of discounted price of multi as well. How about gut/poly? Instead of poly/gut

[@TK-Tennis]

​@@akbarberlian That's unfortunate! Are you not able to order from Tennis Warehouse Europe and get delivery to ID? For performance, Poly in the mains is better since the mains do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to spin/control. For longevity, Gut in the mains is the better way to go.

[@douwemonsma5874]

Good comparison, but you should ask your opponent which balls are more difficult to return. I found hitting against hyper G player tougher because the balls have more twist and spin. So. I'm playing with hyper G now also 😅. Regarding the higher difficulty playing with them... you adapt to it eventually, and you start relying on it for getting hard shots to dip. After a while, more hard shots go in because spin comes for free.

[@onlyfedrawr]

yes. my thinking exactly when i switched from Confidential to ISOSPEED (also for the price); if shaped polys were so good, pros would be using them - not to say there isn't a market for them but it isn't the end all be all of strings, maybe one day the pros will switch to them.

[@TK-Tennis]

I used Confidential for about a year, it was the most predictable shaped poly I've used to date, but ultimately gravitated towards round. Have not tried ISOSPEED yet!

[@kusumoanang]

​@@TK-Tennishi Tk I heard that super toro has a similar characteristics as Confidential. If true what are the differences between the two? I have used Confidential on Radical Mp at 50 for 3 months.

[@mikechan231]

I use Head Lynx Tour, a shaped Poly. I like it a lot, but I don’t think its spin potential has anything to do with its shape. The circumference of the ball is so much greater than the string that the “shape” of the string is a non factor IMO. I think what is more relevant is the dwell time, flexibility of the string, and the pocketing ability of the setup. Pseudo string texture is a non-factor.

[@LarzB]

Although i agree with the dept consistency where there is a difference between round and shaped, making an assessment based on the pros can be different. Shaped polys isn't so old yet and really ramped up in the last 10 years or so. Hyper g tour bite is very popular in the competitive younger base and as such i expect to see much more of the shaped poly in the tour in the next 10 years. I use a shaped 6 sided and twisted poly in my main and a round poly in the cross and to me that gives me great consistency. That is in a thight string bed as i play with control rackets. A shaped polyester in an open spinny oriented racket can result in erratic behaviors. So it really depends on what strings you use in what kind of racket as well. So your testing with 2 similar rackets is maybe not the whole story. You actually would have to test it in 2 sets of rackets 2 with an open string bed and 2 with a closed string bed.

[@TK-Tennis]

Some fair points in here, and time may tell the story. Or with the Tour Bite example, if they continue to use it they may have to quit tennis due to arm strain and we'll never find out ;-)

[@LarzB]

@@TK-Tennis when i used tour bite, i was using a thinner gage (1.15 mm) which is more forgiving and you have to string it lower, not above 22kg. Then it is fine for your arm

[@bigdaddy812]

Hey, I’m playing with the MP XL also. Try it with Head Lynx Touch -- it’s amazing. Soft, yet great solid feedback and holds tension. Thank me later!

[@TK-Tennis]

I use the MP-L, not the XL. I tried Head Lynx Touch and I did find it comfortably soft, but if I recall right it frayed on me and lost it's responsiveness relatively fast.

[@TheTennisDaddy]

A friend of mine spoke to a Pro stringer and they said pretty much this, Pros don’t like the inconsistent launch that you sometimes get from shaped strings…There’s also a Pro stringer on a KZbin podcast and he talks about how shaped strings don’t actually give more spin, just the illusion virtually because of the friction feel, slippery round strings with good snap back is where the spin is at and you can only benefit from shaped strings if you’re a strong enough player to distort the strings…was an interesting watch

[@TK-Tennis]

Nice additional validation. It's quite strange how this is not really common knowledge at this point. I've been around the game for a really long time and I myself have never heard this discussed. I'm glad I let my thoughts out into the wild. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheTennisDaddy]

@ same mate, I only heard of this really this year…Enjoying your videos TK👌

[@poqeteer]

I was just watching this video after seeing your more recent "snapback" video, and I'm reiterating myself, but I don't think looking at what the pro's use is very relevant. They tend to stick with what they know and grew up with and are, probably correctly, unwilling to change. I've been using shaped polys since I've returned to tennis about 10-15 years ago. As a kid, there was no such thing, but that is when we used wood rackets and nylon strings (I couldn't afford or talk my parents into getting gut). I agree I think, in one sense, there is a bit less control, but for the rec player, does it really matter? I suppose it does depend on the player, like most things do. Shaped polys make little or no sense for a flat hitter. If you hit with more spin, it makes more sense. I was basically a flat and slice hitter from my childhood, but when I came back, I forced myself to hit with topspin to get clearance over the net. As I've progressed the more spin I found I prefer. I don't think it has harmed my accuracy depth-wise. I think it has improved actually. It has allowed me to get more consistent depth without hitting out. Just my 2 cents. Again thanks for the videos.

[@TK-Tennis]

Many if not most pros do test various changes in racquet setups and string choices at the end of the season, although it's often confined to the company they are contracted with. I do believe sharp shaped strings "potentially" can help impart spin for certain players who are focused on maximizing spin potential, and also agree for people with flatter shots that it's futile to expect any string to provide any effective gain in spin unless they commit to changing their strokes/grips etc... Thanks for watching and your thoughts 👋

[@verlatenwolf]

I agree that it feels like I can aim better with a round poly like yonex poly. My kickservers are more impressive with a shaped. But I like playing more with a rounded because of what you describe so well.

[@bushmenaa]

i like round stings too, because of predictable feel that the ball will land in :)

[@TennisReboot]

I am no pro but I immediately felt the inconsistency in a 4 sided string but found six sided super toro to give the combination of bite sensation that is still totally consistent that I like. I would probably like a round poly with the same characteristics i just dont know what that would be.

[@TK-Tennis]

6-sided seems to be the crossroad between round polys and excessively sharp polys. Ideally 8 sided or round seems to be most ideal.

[@kluksmart]

Any Suggestion on a 8-Sieded poly wich is comfortable and has good playability duration/tension maintenance?

[@TK-Tennis]

@@kluksmart Grapplesnake Tour M8 comes immediately to mind. Search for my review on it, it's one of my favorite polys

[@Stu49583]

Poly Tour Pro, ALU Power are my favourite strings. I just wish their playability lasted longer because I need to restring so often with those. Hawk Touch is also round and seem to last longer but somehow I get less spin with that than PTP or ALU. But to be honest, for me the single biggest variable in stroke production is string tension.

[@TK-Tennis]

Spot-on assessment 👍

[@Stu49583]

@@TK-Tennis thanks 😊

[@gholland75]

Great analysis and I love the channel! Do you think this changes or is augmented by a strings playability duration? For example, a round poly that erratically or quickly loses tension would seem to create similar issues with variation and depth control. Also, would you describe your game as more on the flat-hitter end of the spectrum? Would a heavy topspin player be less impacted by this, provided your hypothesis is correct?

[@TK-Tennis]

Good point. Yes, any round poly that's get mushy after a few hours (Alu Power, Head Hawk Touch, Yonex Poly Tour Pro) does incur similar trajectory issues. When that same thing happens with a sharp poly, it's double trouble. My game is more towards the spin spectrum, let's say a 7 out of 10 between Flat being 0 and Heavy Spin a 10. I would agree that someone with a heavy spin game would benefit more from a spin oriented string opposed to someone who hits flatter and is looking for spin. Asking a string to give your game spin is pointless IMO.

[@CB-mr1ci]

I’ve never really liked round strings in a full bed. I played with head lynx for a while and when I switched to lynx tour it was so much better. Off course I should try round strings that are stiffer than head lynx, but shaped strings work for me so why should I you know ? Now I play with toroline super toro mains and wasabi x cross.

[@TK-Tennis]

Is your style of play heavy spin oriented? Thanks for the comment, it's good to hear opposing views.

[@CB-mr1ci]

@@TK-Tennis yes definitely heavy spin. Although my dad plays with kirschbaum orange so I’m gonna give it a shot soon.

[@clementstratford293]

Great video! My thoughts are do you think this only applies to full beds? I’ve been using hybrids with shaped poly mains and smooth poly cross and find that more predictable, Karue is a good example of this with K pop (although Caviar is slightly shaped I guess). More SnapBack = more control and with a full bed of shaped poly, it gets stuck more out of place? Let me know - love the videos!

[@TK-Tennis]

I went down this Rabbit Hole earlier this summer testing the shaped poly in the mains and round poly in the crosses as advocated by Toroline. At first it made good sense and the hype/theory made me prone to believe it (better mouse trap). However, after play testing many Toroline Blends (See videos) it became clear to me that there was nothing to it. In fact, when playing with full beds of Toro Toro, Super Toro, Enso, Wasabi all of which I also blended with Caviar and others, I always preferred to full bed version of all of them over the blended test.

[@TK-Tennis]

Also, the more snapback or faster snapback theory is something to be questioned. There is no doubt that full snapback is important to keep the strings in place to prevent a loss of accuracy when string don't return, but whether it's fast snapback from a hyper slick string with stronger elasticity or slower snapback from a dryer coating in my view is unclear. Two of my favorite strings are Kirschbaum Super Smash and Toroline Toro Toro, SM has a less aggressive return and Toro Toro more aggressive. Occasionally with the aggressive snapback strings of not fully committed to a shot, I get a sensation of what I refer to as pre-mature snapback (often when slowing my acceleration on imperfect strikes) and in these cases to ball seems to get spit-out and fly long. I've noticed it with Restring Zero and many of the Toroline Strings. It's something I am still reconciling in my mind. Thanks for watching and the props, means a lot 👍

[@kluksmart]

@@TK-Tennis Hi, great video. I also made similar fndings in the past. But i never constructed them this well. Right now I setteled for shaped string because i use the launch angle and higher trejactory to my advantage. Did you try round main and shaped cross? I would like to know if one could get a consistent hybrid in depth control from the round with an highr launch angle due to the shaped cross.

[@TK-Tennis]

​@@kluksmart The general rule is if you want to take advantage of a sharp shaped poly in a hybrid setup, it's best to place it in the mains. The main string is primarily imparting the spin when it's on it horizontal swing path. I played with many Shaped/Round blends earlier this year and the launch angle issue was still always prevalent. I really never found any benefit to using a shaped/round hybrid versus simply going with a full bed of shaped or round. That's just my experience and other people may feel otherwise. Thanks for watching and the props 👋

[@koreanoguy95]

interesting. I'm historically a shaped poly user and want to get into round polys. Any recommendations for a consistent round poly with good spin and low power? Crisp or on the stiffer side would be nice.

[@kluksmart]

I am also going down this rabbit hole. In addition I am searching for a comfortable string. Thats my top priority. But then it should also be presice, predictable (by beaing round) and at best with good tension maintenance. The only string advertising this all together is string project sirius. But I have no experience on that. Researching I also found lux element, msv co focus and head lynx black. Does anyone have other suggestions?

[@rendyonline]

Would you consider Gut, being round, having similar consistency as round polys?

[@TK-Tennis]

In short, No! Gut has a wonderful sensation but does not match the consistency and accuracy compared to Poly's. This is why there are still some pro's that use Gut/Poly hybrids but very few if any that use a full bed of Gut, in comparison to the 90+% of professionals who use full beds of Poly. The control and accuracy of poly is unmatched. Gut has more accuracy compared to a multi, but does not match a good round poly. Really good question! Thanks for watching

[@brendachen3627]

I like round polys I cannot lie. You shaped polys will never fly.

[@courtrage]

What's the difference in thickness between shaped and round .... Eg... a 1.20 hyperG it's equivalent to a 1.30 round.. What do you think

[@TK-Tennis]

All my tests typically use between 1.20 and 1.25 whether shaped or round for consistency.

[@milanantolic6414]

shaped strings become round with playing time.

[@goggleboy2464]

No polys