Tennis-Bargains Review: Topspin Cyber Flash
Tennis Magazine (Feb 3, 2011): "
polyester string accounts for more than 70 percent of string sold in Europe, and the majority of the world’s top juniors are polyester or co-poly string players."
Andre Agassi:
"polyester string, which creates vicious topspin has turned average players into greats, and greats into legends." (Open, p.343)
Topspin Cyber Flash has almost all the benefits (
the best spin, durability and power) of expensive Luxilon strings, at roughly half the cost when buying in bulk*
It is similar to buying a generic instead of a brand name.
My suggestion is to
buy a set or two of Cyber Flash and try it out first. It works especially well if you like other polyester strings or hit a fast, hard ball. It is also good for the chronic string breaker who like to hit with topspin. String it at least 10% lower in tension than your normal non-poly string to get maximum spin.
Buying in Bulk - Save More with Free Shipping!
If you like the string and decide you want more,
I would recommend that you get the jumbo reel of Cyber Flash 17 to save even more. Each package normally has 40 feet, but reels come in longer strands that you simply measure and cut only what you need to use. It is very economical and I buy reels in order to keep multiple rackets strung fresh a few times a month.
Package - Topspin Cyber Flash 1.25 17g - Tennis String Packages
(
$7.49/set)
Reel - Topspin Cyber Flash 1.25 17g 720 ft - ($74.90/reel...or just $4.16/set!)
I have been using the
Topspin Cyber Flash 1.25 for several years now with great tournament results. As you can see, I tried it and liked it so much that I bought a full reel myself. I switched from using a full set of Luxilon Ace 18 poly to now using the Cyber Flash exclusively in the mains for much more Spin and Power. The durability is also comparable to the Ace 18, but only at
around half the price.
Play-Testing results
My style of play is
heavy topspin from the baseline and I enjoy creating angles with spin and control when counter-punching against stronger opponents.
Against heavy hitters and returning fast serves, the Cyber Flash strings are able to control and redirect the ball very well. Most players on
Stringforum.net would recommend this string (actually 91% would recommend it..140 out of 154 who reviewed it)
My recommendation is that you string it at least 10% lower than your normal non-poly strings. For me, I found that around 55-57 lbs was the ideal tension. Anything higher made it a tad stiff and lost its spin and power potential. Surprisingly, even after several days, as the tension got lower, it seemed like it would pocket the ball even better.
Spin (5/5)
The spin is incredible. Both Topspin and Slice, you get ridiculous amounts of each in my normal ground strokes now. Whereas before with other polys I could get a solid kick serve, with this string, I can use the same motion and it becomes almost an American Twist (lefty kick spin) serve. Definitely a lot of fun to hit with and drives my opponents nuts.
Power and Control (4/5)
Like many other polyester strings, this has a decent amount of power. I like that it is also a softer poly, which is arm-friendly. When I used Luxilon strings in the past (ALU power), I eventually developed tennis elbow even though it offered great performance. I now use only soft, thin polyester strings for normal play.
Durability (4/5)
These strings would usually last me 3-4 weeks (playing 10-12 hours a week) before they started moving or required changing because of the tension loss. I love that my Cyber Flash strings stay straight and I do not have to worry about them moving around or adjusting them between points. I noticed that if I kept them in, they would eventually break after 5-6 weeks because I normally hit with a lot of topspin against strong players with fast serves.
Touch/Feel (3/5)
The main weakness of this string and most poly's is that it lacks a bit of touch and feel for dropshots and finesse shots like touch volleys because of the firm string bed.
I would recommend mixing this with a softer cross string like the Cyber Blue 17 if you want to have the best of both worlds.
Here are some close-up shots of the
Cyber-Flash 17 strings (on the main). On the picture to the right, you can see the
Cyber Blue 17 strings for the crosses (which you can get 10% off as well with my promo code) - this is a very good cross string and very popular as hybrid for a softer feel/touch combo. Here is our
review on Cyber Blue (a bit less spin, more control for big hitters).
Summary:
