NXT vs. NXT Pre-Stretched vs. KGut

NXT versus NXT Pre-Stretched versus KGut

Since I played with 3 top end multi-filaments by Wilson, here is a quick comparison on all 3 strings.

Power: NXT -> NXT PS -> KGut
Control: NXT = NXT PS -> KGut (Very thin margin. Mostly the same)
Spin: NXT PS -> NXT -> KGut
Stiffness: KGut -> NXT PS -> NXT
Feel: NXT -> NXT PS -> KGut
Durability: KGut -> NXT = NXT PS (Very thin margin. Mostly the same)
Tension Maintenance: All about the same

From my experience, NXT performs better than KGut.

Wilson NXT (pre-stretched)

Wilson NXT (Pre-Stretched)

Setup
Main: NXT PS 16G 55lbs
Cross: Gosen Polylon Ice 17G 52lbs

Stringing: It is suggested by many stringers that NXT be pre-stretched before stringing. NXT holds massive coil memory in its stock form. If strung without stretching, the string tends to lose tension quicker and play much softer than anticipated.

I decided to give NXT a stretch and compare it to the stock form of NXT. Here is the quick comparison between NXT and NXT pre-stretched.

Power: NXT
Control: About the same
Spin: NXT PS by a slight margin
Stiffness: NXT PS
Feel: NXT
Durability: About the same
Tension Maintenance: NXT PS

NXT PS plays slightly with more spin and stiffness. For me stock form and stretching it did not make a huge difference in playability. Others may argue that stretching NXT makes a huge difference in play. Bottom line is I believe stretch or no stretch all comes down to personal preference.

Wilson NXT

Wilson NXT
Gauge: 16 (1.30), 17(1.24)
Price: $16/set
Color: White
Setup:
Mains Wilson NXT 16G 55lbs
Cross Gosen Polylon Ice 17G 52lbs

Stringing: Nothing special. Very easy to string. Watch out not to kink it.

Play:
NXT is considered to be one of the most popular premium multi-filament strings for players of all levels. You really get what you pay for in this string. The string plays lively compared to low end multi-filaments. NXT gives plenty of pop, control, and feel. The string is well rounded and overall the value is great.

Durability is on the low side. Again I am a string breaker and NXT lasted me about 5 hours of play. If you are not a choric string breaker, NXT will give you great playability for a reasonable price.

Quick Review (out of 10):
Power: 9
Control: 8
Spin: 8
Stiffness: 5
Feel: 7
Durability: 3
Tension Maintenance: 7

Wilson K Gut

Wilson K Gut
Gauge: 16 (1.32), 17 (1.27)
Price: $22/set
Type: Multi-filament with Fluorofibre
Color: Grey

Setup:
Main - Wilson K Gut 16G 55lbs
Cross - Pro Supex Big Ace 17G 52 lbs


Stringing:
The string has a very tacky feel to it when compared to other multifilaments. Other than that, just watch out not to kink the string when pulling through grommets.

Play:
Wilson claims that in a blind test, play testers agreed that KGut feels and plays very similar to natural gut than any other multi-filament. Previously I played with Head's natural gut and here is my comparison between the 2.

1. KGut plays much stiffer than Natural Gut.
2. Power is much lower.
3. Spin generation / ball bite is lower.
4. Feel is lower.
5. Ball pocketing is slightly less.
6. Tension maintenance is about the same.
7. Durability is better than natural gut.

When compared to other multi-filaments:
1. Power is lower
2. Spin generation / ball bite is lower.
3. Feel is on par.
4. Ball pocketing is on par
5. I still think this string is stiff for a multi.
6. Tension maintenance is superb.
7. Durability is poor.

My personal feeling:
KGut is similar to Natural Gut in ball pocketing and tension maintenance. I wish I could get more feel out of the string but again, this string IS NOT natural gut. Natural gut still is the king of tennis strings. Nothing can replace natural gut except natural gut.

As a multi-filament, KGut performs very well but the durability is very poor. KGut is easy on the arm if you have arm problems. Also if you are not a string breaker this string is one to try. The only drawback is the price. $22 a set is fairly expensive for a multi-filament. I think there are other multi-filaments that play similar to KGut but cheaper.

I was able to get about 6 hours of playing time out of KGut before it broke. I decided to hybrid it with a polyester because a full bed will be way too soft.

Quick Review (out of 10):
Power: 7
Control: 7
Spin: 7
Stiffness: 5
Feel: 7
Durability: 3
Tension Maintenance: 8

Wilson Enduro Tour - Take 2

I strung my second racket with Wilson Enduro Tour 17 and Prince Synthetic Gut w/ Duraflex like my previous one but... this time I went 5% lower on my crosses. Why? Well Yonex recommends that you string your crosses 5% lower than your mains for maximum performance. So I gave it a try.

Setup:
Mains Wilson Enduro Tour 17G 55lbs
Cross Prince Synthetic Gut w/ Duraflex 16G 52lbs

My honest opinion is... I am not sure. It feels like the sweetspot was increseased slightly and I got a little more power compared to my previous setup. But then again, it may be just the placebo effect taking place. Whatever the situation I will have to try different setups with the Yonex recommended tension and continue to evaulate the outcome. If it's going to improve my game because of the placebo effect so be it.

Wilson Enduro Tour

Wilson Enduro Tour
Gauge: 16 (1.30), 17 (1.25), 18 (1.21)
Price: $5/set
Type: Polyester Mono-filament
Color: White

Setup:
Main - Wilson Enduro Tour 17G 55lbs
Cross - Prince Synthetic Gut with Duraflex 16G 57 lbs

Stringing:
Enduro Tour has a very tacky feeling when running the string through your hands. Other polyesters that I have strung were very smooth and silky. Also Enduro Tour stretched quite a bit when pulling tension. Other polyesters that were strung before did not stretch as much.

During this setup I strung the crosses 2 lbs higher than the mains. Why? Because synthetic guts are softer and I decided to up the tension to stiffen the string bed.

For only $5 a set, this string performs very well. Power is average. If you are used to strings such as Luxilon Alu Power or Pro Supex Big Ace, you will be feeling that Enduro is very under powered. But you have to keep in mind that those strings are powerful strings. The spin generation on Enduro is very good. I was able to get very good ball bite and produce some wicked spin. On ground strokes, the spin came in handy for short wide angle shots. Very useful for kick and slice serves. Serves were kicking high and away.

This string is fairly durable initially. After 4 hours of play very little notching is present. But then about 10 hours of play its very close to breaking. Feel is average in the beginning but then dies in about 30mins to an hour. That's pretty quick in my opinion. Start to lose a lot of control and spin. The other complaint I have is string movement. After 30mins of hitting the strings started to move. That's pretty short in my opinion. But I guess for $5 a set what do you expect.

Quick Review (out of 10):
Power: 5
Control: 6
Spin: 8
Stiffness: 5
Feel: 5
Durability: 5
Tension Maintenance: 4