Today a string review of a 'new' brand for us. The YTEX Square-X 16L that we have tested , is a square string with an enormous amount of power and great spin!
Specifications:
Brand: YTEX
Type: Square-X 16L
Thickness: 16L/1.25mm
String type: medium stiff co-polyester string with square construction for low string-to-string friction for extra snapback of the main strings for more ball rotation. The square construction also provides extra ball bite. This string should feel thinner and livelier during play than the 1.25 mm thickness suggests.
Similar strings: Tecnifibre Black Code 4S , Solinco Hyper-G and Diadem Solstice Power
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 stringing pattern)
String hardness: 24/23 kg with a stringing range of 23-27 kilos
Test duration: 4 hours
Favorite string player: Diadem Solstice Power 17
Judgement:
Durability: 8
Voltage retention: 7.5
Spin/slice: 8
Ball control: 7
Power: 8.5
Control: 7
Comfort/arm friendliness: 7.5
Stringing the string:
Stringing the YTEX Square-X 16L is not very exciting. The (cross) strings are easy to 'thread'. The string set is packed quite compactly, so it is best to let it go first because otherwise the string will quickly curl up again. Furthermore, it was noticeable that the string, when you let it pass through your hands while stringing, feels slightly stiffer than my choice for the Diadem Solstice Power 17.
Review:
From ball 1 with this YTEX Square-X 16L it was noticeable that this is a rather lively string. The string is bursting with (free) power! Fortunately, the string also offers more than average rotation/spin to be able to control this power somewhat. In terms of spin and slice, the YTEX Square-X 16L just doesn't reach my favorite Diadem Solstice Power 17, but the string does offer more than enough ball rotation. The durability of this string was excellent. After 4 hours of play, I estimate that the string can still last another 4 hours. I must mention that I tested it in the hall on carpet, where the wear is of course not as fast as on the clay I normally play on.
Fresh from the machine, I initially found the string to sound a bit tinny. After half an hour of playing, however, I didn't notice this anymore. While this string excels in power and spin, the ball feel and control lagged behind a bit. The YTEX Square-X 16L is, as mentioned before, a square string. The thickness of 1.25 mm is calculated from point to point. The core of the string is therefore thinner. This should give the string the feel and touch of a thinner, for example 1.20 mm string. My usual Diadem string is also 1.20 mm, but there is a bit more feel and touch in it. It also feels a bit more elastic. In that respect, the YTEX Square-X 16L has the somewhat more robust feel of the Tecnifibre Black Code 4S.
The tension retention of the string was just fine. A possible extra 4 hours with this string (in the hall) should certainly not be a problem in that respect. The comfort was also certainly fine for polyester standards, only I missed a bit of the feel and touch, so to speak. But is power and big spin what you are looking for? Then the YTEX Square-X 16L is definitely worth a try!
