From the new Italian string brand String-Kong comes the Gorill-1 1.24 , a very user-friendly power oriented co-polyester string. Read on for the extensive test report!
Specifications: Brand: String-Kong String type: Gorill-1 Gauge: 1.24 mm Type: power oriented co-polyester string with good all-round playing characteristics and a nice bit of comfort Comparable strings: Diadem Solstice Power 16L , Yonex Poly Tour Pro , Luxilon Element 1.25
Tested by: Name: Mike
Playing strength: 4/4
Player type: somewhat more classic player, flat groundstrokes, generates little spin himself. Had shoulder problems until recently
Racket: Prince Textreme Warrior 107 (107 sq/inch, 16/19 string pattern) String hardness: 24/23 kg with a stringing range of 23-27 kilos
Test duration: 3.5 hours
Judgement:
Durability: 7.5
Voltage retention: 8
Spin/slice: 7.5
Ball control: 8 Power: 8.5
Control: 8
Comfort/arm friendliness: 9
Stringing the string:
Stringing the String-Kong Gorill-1 1.24 was actually nothing exciting. For polyester standards, the string is quite stretchy, which made threading the cross string nice and easy. What stood out on the packaging (besides the cute monkeys that show the playing characteristics of the string) is the recommended stringing range by String-Kong: 20-24 kg. This seems low, but after stringing my racket at 24-23 kg. it came out nicely with a Dynamic Tension of 37. My advice is to absolutely adhere to this stringing range. A second striking thing on the packaging is the slogan: 'Only ask for certified stringers'. String-Kong apparently likes quality, something I can completely agree with.
Review:
The first thing I noticed was the feel of the string. The string does not feel as soft as for example the Luxilon Element 1.25 we tested earlier, but it does offer a comparable comfort with a slightly more direct response of the string. Quite pleasant actually. The grip on the ball for spin and slice was good, but not where the string excels in my opinion, which the product description suggests. For maximum spin and ball bite I would choose the Diadem Solstice Power 17 or 16L . Nevertheless, just good spin and slice with this String-Kong string. What I really like about the String-Kong Gorill-1 1.24 is the excellent mix of playing characteristics. It is a fairly balanced string that is described as a 'power' string, but is not so jumpy that the balls are catapulted in such a way that you quickly lose control of the ball. In terms of control, the string performs almost as well as it does in terms of power, partly because there is enough (ball) feel in the string.
Bottom left the playing characteristics of the String-Kong Gorill-1 1.24[/caption] The durability of the String-Kong Gorill-1 1.24 is good. I have played with it for over 3.5 hours and there were no visible signs of wear. Also in terms of feeling there has been no real wear and tear, the string performed at the end of the test just as well as fresh from the stringing machine. This has to do with the good tension retention of the string. In this the String-Kong Gorill-1 1.24 should excel and I can absolutely agree with this. Finally, the comfort of the string, always an extra point of attention for me, because I have had shoulder problems in the past. Also in terms of vibration damping/comfort on the arm this string performs well: the string is not too soft and too jumpy, but also not too direct and too robust. I have been able to make my hours with the String-Kong Gorill-1 1.24 without any problems.
The String-Kong Gorill-1 1.24 is all in all a very versatile string that is at home in all markets. A pleasant introduction to this new Italian string brand! For an overview of string types from this brand, see our previous message about String-Kong .
