Volkl Cyclone 19 String Review

Power - Score: 69 / Control - Score: 73

Thanks in part to its thin gauge and elastic feel, Cyclone 19 is not a dead poly. Our team reported a lively feel with a high launch angle, resulting in balls that occasionally slipped out of their trajectory and sailed past their target. This was no deal-breaker for Chris, who ultimately warmed up to the thinnest version of his favorite string. He said, "I love the 16 gauge version of this string, and going into this test I was worried that this 19 gauge version would be too powerful. However, it didn't take me long to adjust to the power level. The launch angle off the stringbed was a tad higher, which lead to more depth, but that was easy for me to adjust to. I also liked the way the string settled into the stringbed, and I thought my control improved both with the life of the string and with me getting more and more used to it. Although I had my doubts going in to this test, I quickly became a believer in Cyclone 19."

Andy, who also found extra power and more than enough depth, said, "This string had surprising power and liveliness for a polyester. The thinner gauge really allowed the ball to sink into the stringbed at contact and leave at a high, explosive trajectory. On flatter shots I found the ball flying a bit, but when I wanted to access more spin this string grabbed the ball very well and allowed me to have a bit more control."

Spin - Score: 98

With its ultra thin profile and exceptional pocketing, Cyclone 19 puts an ultra tight grip on the ball. This helps explain why our team gave it such an outstanding score for spin. Andy was impressed, saying, "Just like the other gauges of Cyclone, this ultra thin version possesses tons of spin potential -- maybe even more than the thicker, more traditional versions. I could feel the string bite the ball and slide out of position, injecting damaging spin on each aggressive shot. I could get the ball to dive down at the baseline with topspin or hug the court with slice seemingly at will."

"I really liked the spin I was getting with this string," said Chris. "I think the added spin was helping me control the added power and higher launch angle. I loved knifing through my backhand slice with this string, and I found I could hit a really driving ball with it. My topspin shots also had some nice hop to them, and I was getting ample spin to roll angles and lobs."

Comfort - Score: 72

The biggest downside of poly-based strings is their high stiffness level and relative lack of comfort (especially on off-center hits). Not so for Cyclone 19, which played with surprising comfort and responsiveness. Chris explained, "The ultra thin gauge really opened up the comfort of this string. It played noticeably softer and more forgiving than the 16 gauge version. I don't have any comfort issues with my regular 16 gauge choice, so this string felt very, very comfortable to me. Cyclone 19 has to be one of the more forgiving poly-based options."

Andy also found Cyclone 19 very comfortable, saying, "This super thin gauge really provided some nice comfort compared to the thicker versions. It's quite lively and not too jarring on the arm, making it perfect for players who want the spin and ball bite of a polyester without that stiff, dead feel. While it won't be as soft and comfortable as a multifilament or natural gut, it's certainly a comfortable option."

Feel - Score: 78

Compared to the stiff and dead polys of old, Cyclone 19 felt quite soft and lively. While this bodes well for intermediates in need of a more user-friendly control string, Andy would have prefered a slightly firmer feel. He said, Ê"Since this string was so much livelier than the thicker string I use I had a bit of trouble feeling the ball and controlling it off the strings. I felt a bit disconnected at times when I hit shots that didn't have a lot of spin, and the ball would take off on me a bit. The feel is slightly crisp and not too muted."

Chris liked the feel of this co-poly from beginning to end. He said, "I thought the feel from this string was great. It offered some nice ball pocketing and felt more elastic than a typical poly. I also liked the feel of the string toward the end of the test. Some poly-based strings can feel a little harsh toward the end of their life, but this one continues to impress."

Playability Duration - Score: 83

One of the most impressive features of Cyclone 19 was how long it stayed fresh and playable. For Chris, this co-poly not only went the distance, but he didn't need to cut it out after two weeks, which is often necessary with a polyester string. He said, "One of my favorite things about this string was how it continued to feel great throughout the test. I put a solid three weeks of hitting on my set, and I thought the string played great the whole time."

Newsflash! Andy, a former D1 collegiate player with ATP Tour points, was unable to break this ultra thin string. Like Chris, he also appreciated how long it stayed playable. He said, "I found the string to hold tension extremely well for a polyester, and its playability lasted throughout the entire three-week duration of the test. It softened up just a little bit at the end, but it did not get any livelier when it did."

Overall - Score: 86

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester String Setups

Review date: October 2012. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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