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Overview:
Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough from Unique is an advanced German-engineered monofilament string made with polyether. Polyether makes the string softer and more forgiving, increasing shock absorption and comfort, while retaining an incredible combination of power, durability and resistance to movement. The “rough” appellation means it is extruded with a pentagonal shape and then twisted, providing a string with serious bite and spin potential. Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough is designed for advanced players looking for a powerful poly that provides extra bite and superb ball pocketing.
In The Lab:
Big Hitter Blue Rough 17 measures and feels much thinner than Big Hitter Blue 17, but otherwise they feel similar during installation. Just about any shaped or textured string is going to be more difficult to install than a comparable smooth string, but Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough is at the high end of the ease-of-use scale for such strings. The spiral shape didn’t saw on the mains while installing the crosses, and the seemingly prominent ridges did not cause Big Hitter Blue Rough to kink, spin, or otherwise turn itself into a rat’s nest when pulling it past a blocked hole. If you have sworn off spiral strings because of headaches when installing the crosses, Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough makes the process painless. Speaking of weaving the crosses, Big Hitter Blue Rough has a similar feel to its cylindrical siblings, meaning that the string is dry without dragging on the mains, and smooth without being slippery. As with other Big Hitter Blue strings, the color is part of the string and doesn’t come off during play.
On The Court:
There’s not much to say about the playtest scores other than the fact that “Blue” blew the doors off the ratings, ending up in second place out of the 149 strings we’ve playtested to date for publication. As parts of this incredible overall score, Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 17 finished in first place in Spin Potential, in third place for Resistance to Movement, in fourth place for Control, in thirteenth place for Tension Retention, and in nineteenth place for Power. That’s five top-twenty finishes out of nine categories … for a “poly.” Our playtest team also ranked it well above average for Playability and Durability.
Conclusion:
In case you’re not impressed that Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 17 has the second-best ranking of all the strings we’ve ever tested, it might interest you to learn that the only string to better it in the rankings is a premium natural gut. And in the Control category, Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 17 is our highest-ranked “poly” string to date.
As for the top ranking Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 17 received in the Spin Potential category, some might say that the real test for a “spin” string is when your opponent notices something different in how your ball comes off your strings. Coincidentally, one of our playtesters mentioned this (as have others who have experienced Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 17 from the “wrong” side of the court), backing up another playtester’s comment that “kick serves bounce to the moon.”
Playtest Comments:
“Excellent combination of feel, power, and spin. This is a topnotch polyester.” 4.5 male all-court player using Head Liquidmetal Radical MP strung at 55 pounds LO (Babolat RPM Blast 16)
“This is comfortable polyester with very pronounced spin.” 5.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Wilson K Blade strung at 54 pounds CP (Wilson NXT 17)
“This string comes alive on big swings. The combination of comfort, control, and power is impressive. Polyester has come a long way.” 4.5 male all-court player using Wilson K Six One (68 Holes) strung at 54 pounds CP (Gamma Zo Magic 16)
People actually noticed my increased spin and control from off the court! This poly excels in every category.” 4.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Wilson K Four strung at 59 pounds CP (Gamma Live Wire 17)“This is a high-end polyester with excellent bite, power, and control.” 4.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Prince Triple Threat Hornet strung at 60 pounds CP (Tecnifibre Black Code 17)
“Great feel, spin, and control!” 5.0 female baseliner with heavy spin using Wilson BLX Pro Open strung at 57 pounds CP (Gamma Live Wire 16)
“This is one of the best strings I have ever tested. The balance between comfort and durability is perfect. The control and spin are impressive. This is not a niche poly. It complements a wide range of playing styles.” 5.0 male all-court player using Wilson BLX Six One Tour strung at 52 pounds LO (Wilson NXT 17)
“This string has a potent combination of power and spin.” 5.0 male all-court player using Dunlop Aerogel 4D 5 Hundred Tour strung at 60 pounds CP (Head Sonic Pro 16)
Excellent spin and control. Outstanding tension maintenance. As a multifilament nylon user, I find this poly to be very playable.” 4.5 male all-court player using Wilson nPro strung at 53 pounds LO (Wilson NXT 16)
This string has pronounced dwell time, which provides a cupping effect. The playability, control, and power are unusually good.” 4.5 male baseliner with moderate spin using Babolat Pure Drive strung at 60 pounds CP (Babolat VS Touch 16)
Stringing is effortless. Incredible touch for a polyester. More than sufficient power, spin, and control. I would recommend this to anyone I’m not playing against.” 4.0 male serve-and-volley player using Head Youtek Speed MP 70 Holes strung at 52 pounds CP (Genesis Hexonic 17)
Topspin and slice players will get a lot out of this string. Hitting out is easy because the ball comes down very dramatically. Kick serves bounce to the moon.” female all-court player using Wilson K Six One 68 Holes strung at pounds CP (Head Sonic Pro )
“Solid feel from the backcourt. Great spin control on serves. Players curious about polyester should start here.” 4.5 male all-court player using Wilson Khamsin Five FX strung at 62 pounds CP (Luxilon Original Rough 16)
“Great tension maintenance for a poly. Crisp but not boardy. This string has more touch than its peers.” 4.5 male baseliner with moderate spin using Head MicroGEL Prestige MP strung at 55 pounds CP (Head Sonic Pro 17)
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