The American string brand Diadem comes with a new, promising string with a very direct response and the well-known 'star-shaped' construction for spin: this is the Diadem Elite XT 17 tested! Specifications: Brand: Diadem String type: Elite XT 17 Gauge: 17/1.20 mm Type: medium stiff control-oriented co-polyester string with star-shaped construction and a very direct response and feel Similar strings: Babolat RPM Blast, Luxilon Alu Power and Solinco Tour Bite Tested by: Name: Mike Playing strength: 4/4 Type of player: more classic player, flat groundstrokes, generates little spin. Had shoulder problems until recently Racket: Prince Textreme Warrior 107 (107 sq/inch, 16/19 stringing pattern) Stringing hardness: 24/23 kg with a stringing range of 23-27 kilos Testing time: 6.5 hours Favorite string player: Diadem Solstice Power 17

Rating: Durability: 8 Tension retention: 8.5 Spin/slice: 8 Ball feel: 8 Power: 8 Control: 8.5 Comfort/arm-friendliness: 7 String tension: The Diadem Elite XT 17 is slightly stiffer than my favorite string, the Diadem Solstice Power 17 . It makes little difference to stringing the string: you will notice that the string feels a little stiffer, but threading the width strings goes without any problems. Due to the texture of the string due to the star-shaped construction, it is useful to straighten the string before tightening the width strings. This gives the least friction. The clamps do not have to be very tight, the string is easy to grip in the clamps. Also useful, of course, as this keeps the 6-pointed shape of the string intact. After all, this provides a number of important playing properties of the string (see below). Diadem Elite XT 17 vs Diadem Solstice Power 17: To start, it is useful to know how the Diadem Elite XT 17 differs from the other 1.20 mm string of the same brand, the Solstice Power 17. The Elite XT 17 is the stiffer string of the two, which ensures a very direct response with the ball. The Solstice Power 17, which is a soft co-poly, lets the ball sink a little more into the string bed before it is, as it were, catapulted. The Solstice Power 17 has a softer feel (is also more comfortable) and offers more free power and a little more spin. This brand new Diadem Elite XT 17 is slightly more control-oriented and has a more robust feel. Players who put a little more power into their stroke and want to pull through without fear of overheating will like the Elite XT series the most.

Review: Fresh from the stringing machine, it was indeed noticeable that the Diadem Elite XT 17 is a bit stiffer than the strings I am used to. The string is a little less forgiving than my regular string, but if you hit the balls well, they will pop off your head. It is clearly noticeable that the ball-string contact is shorter. This makes the string feel very direct and precise. However, you do have to put a little more energy into it compared to the Solstice Power 17. The Diadem Elite XT series is very similar to the Babolat RPM Blast and Solinco Tour Bite in terms of stiff feel and direct playing feel, but certainly also in terms of spin potential. . The six-pointed (star-shaped) construction of the string largely ensures this. In terms of tension maintenance, the Diadem Elite XT wins over these strings. A nice bonus! After about 2 hours of playing I found the string settled a bit more, which made the string play even better for me personally and also gained some comfort. My advice is to string the string slightly lower than average. Compared to the Luxilon Alu Power, I think the Diadem Elite XT feels a little stiffer (the Alu Power a little softer) and offers a little more free spin. Both strings have a very nice, direct playing feel and excellent control. The tension maintenance of the Diadem Elite XT 17 is a real plus. After 6.5 hours of playing, the string was still far from finished. For me personally, the Diadem Elite XT 17 is a bit on the stiff side, given my recent shoulder problems. But for players who generate enough power themselves and are looking for the control in a string to hit full power without having to fear overheating, the Diadem Elite XT is highly recommended. From now on, the Diadem Elite XT 17 is available in sets and rolls exclusively in our webshop !