Overview:
Quasi-Gut is an advanced multifilament nylon string meant to play and feel like natural gut, while maintaining better durability. Tourna Quasi-Gut is constructed from thousands of tightly wound microfibers, each permeated with and contained in a new thermo-elastic polyurethane resin. This high tech resin greatly increases the durability and weather resistance of the string without compromising its natural gut like performance.
Tourna Quasi-Gut is for advanced players who love the feel and performance of natural gut but need added durability, as well as to players who prefer a lively, responsive and powerful string, and players who suffer from tennis elbow or arm soreness.
In The Lab:
After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed stiffness measured 71 RDC units, representing a 8 percent tension loss. Our control string, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16, measured 78 RDC units immediately after stringing and 71 RDC units after 24 hours, representing a 9 percent tension loss.
In our lab testing of 833 different strings, we found that Unique Tourna Quasi-Gut has a stiffness of 185 lbs/in. and a tension loss of 15.59 lbs. Tourna Quasi-Gut is lighter than average, adding 13 grams to the weight of our unstrung frame.
Being soft, Tourna Quasi-Gut is a pleasure to string, although as with other polyurethane strings you have to be judicious when pulling the crosses to avoid friction burn.
On The Court:
The string was tested for five weeks by 36 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings from 3.5 to 6. These are blind tests, with playtesters receiving unmarked strings in unmarked packages.
Our playtest team found Tourna Quasi-Gut 16 impressive even for a soft nylon, giving it ratings in the top twenty in four separate categories: 5th overall for Touch/Feel, 6th overall (tie) for Playability, 7th overall (tie) for Comfort, and 11th overall (tie) for Power. Bolstering these results are the teams’ well-above-average ratings for Tourna Quasi-Gut for Control, Spin Potential, and Tension Retention. As a result, Unique Tourna Quasi-Gut 16 is tied for 16th overall out of the 140 strings we’ve playtested to date for publication. Additionally, our playtest team told us that Tourna Quasi-Gut 16 doesn’t sacrifice playability for durability or vice versa.
Conclusion:
It’s great to have a soft nylon score well in Touch/Feel, Playability, Comfort, and Power, with two of the playtest team comparing it favorablity to natural gut. That’s what you might expect from Unique Tourna Quasi-Gut 16. Then, out of left field, it also garners good marks for spin potential, and two members of the playtest team compare it favorably to polyester. According to our playtest team, this ain’t your father’s nylon string.
Playtest Comments:
“Wow! In 20 years I have not experienced a string quite like this. It combines the best qualities of a polyester and multifilament nylon.” 5.0 male all-court player using Wilson K Tour strung at 66 pounds CP (Luxilon TIMO 18)
“All day comfort. Big topspin from the baseline. Touch and placement are effortless. Very solid feel at impact. Great control.” 4.5 male all-court player using Wilson nTour strung at 58 pounds CP (Head Sonic Pro 16)
“As a polyester player, I expected this string to be too powerful. Not so. The control is great and the feel is crisp. Very little string movement. Adequate spin, especially on kickers.” 4.5 male all-court player using Prince EXO3 Rebel (hole inserts) strung at 62 pounds LO (MSV Focus Hex/Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 17L/17)
“Excellent playability. Firm and responsive. Great control from the baseline and net.” 4.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Wilson nTour strung at 58 pounds CP (Signum Pro Poly Plasma 18)
“This string has the control, power, comfort, and general responsiveness of natural gut.” 4.5 male all-court player using Volkl Power Bridge 1 strung at 58 pounds CP (Forten Dynamix 16)
“I am returning to the game from a hand injury. This string is exactly what the doctor ordered. Quiet and vibration free. Easy power.” 5.0 male all-court player using Head Flexpoint Radical MP strung at 53 pounds CP (Polyester 16)
“Good control despite the higher power level. Handles high tension very well. Decent bite and very little string movement.” 4.0 male all-court player using Prince O3 Speedport Pro White MP strung at 74 pounds CP (Wilson Sensation/Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 17/18)
“Wow! Now I understand what is meant by the term ‘controlled explosion.’ These strings are very ‘gut like.’ Comfort and touch are outstanding. This could easily become my string of choice.” 4.5 male all-court player using Wilson nPro strung at 60 pounds LO (Wilson Sensation 16)
“This is one of the best strings I have ever tested. One can’t help but notice the blend cocktail of power, comfort, and control.” 5.0 male all-court player using Head Liquidmetal 4 strung at 58 pounds LO (Luxilon Original 16)
“This is one of the best multifilaments I have ever used. Where do I sign?” 4.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Babolat Pure Drive Roddick strung at 63 pounds LO (Luxilon Alu Power Fluoro 17)
“Excellent feel. Surprisingly good durability for a nylon multifilament. Very responsive.” 4.0 male serve-and-volley player using Wilson K Six One (68 holes) strung at 60 pounds LO (Wilson NXT 16)
“Excellent bite and resistance to movement. This string has much higher durability than is common for the breed. It provides some of the advantages of polyester without the stiffness.” 4.5 male all-court player using Head MicroGEL Prestige Pro MP strung at 55 pounds CP (Luxilon Alu Power Rough/Head UltraTour 16L/17)
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