Winter hybrid string setups

This winter I’ve been playing around with softer hybrid setups for a couple players. Both were up for straying away from full bed and giving up a little spin and control, in exchange for giving our joints and tendons a break for the frigid months.

Both are poly main with a syn gut cross. Since it’s cold and everything seems stiff we lowered tension just a few lbs for a little insurance from the cold, and to bring out the feel and some free power when swing speeds are lagging.

Left is PTP x ogsm natural which will play more like a traditional setup since it’s round, and ogsm in natural should complement that clean feel and predictable launch angle. A lot of people say PTP is a soft poly but I don’t think it plays like a typical soft poly. More like a regular poly with feel and good comfort for what it is – a lively, springy, pocketey, super slick round poly. Poly's that are labeled 'soft' usually have a damped response and muted feel – not really crisp.

On the right is Hyper-G Soft x ogsm but in black. Compared to above the black tends to play a little more muted, as does the "soft" shaped main, and should have a little slicker coating for that sharp hg to slide across. Hyper-G Soft will have a more aggressive, spinny, bitey feel, and should play loopier than the above.

No matter if you use a round or shaped main, eventually they'll eat away at the cross, the slick coating will fade, and snap back will decline. But this, in exchange for more comfort, and perhaps a longer playability duration than full bed poly (think slower, less fall-off-a-cliff decline in performance).

I've played with both, but so far I’ve had more thumbs up for the green than for the yellow, but only time will tell. You can always step it back up to full bed in the spring time when things get clicking again. For now just being able to get out there and play is everything.