Although Xalt is more powerful than the stiff polyester monofilaments that our playtesters typically use, Babolat has done a great job giving it control. As a result, it enabled Chris to tap into his most powerful stroke speeds. He said, "I like low-powered strings that allow me to take full cuts at the ball without fear of overhitting. With Xalt, I found the control I seek. I found ample power on serves and was noticing more zip than I typically get from an all co-poly stringbed."

Mark also gave Xalt high marks for control, especially in hybrid form. He explained, "The full set of Xalt was less powerful than a multifilament like Xcel, but it played more lively than a monofilament polyester. I had enough control with Xalt in full-set form to confidently place the ball, but I found Xalt shone brightest in hybrid form (with Solinco Hyper-G string as the mains). The power level was very low (lots of control), and after more than 10 hours of play it hasn’t drastically dropped in tension."

When it comes to spin, multifilament strings simply do not grab and rotate the ball as effectively as their polyester counterparts. As a result, Xalt doesn't deliver the extreme angles and trajectories that polyesters afford. For Mark, however, it proved more spin-friendly than the multis he typically uses. He described, "Xalt features a friction-resistant outer sheath that allowed for decent snapback, and in full-set form, it exhibited better spin potential than I typically get from multifilament strings. It didn't give me the ball rotation of a string like RPM Blast, but in a hybrid, I felt like it was easier for me to develop a high degree of spin on the ball."

Chris found just enough spin with Xalt to hit his targets. He said, "Most of the time, I was able to coax enough spin out of the stringbed of Xalt to get the ball to drop inside the lines. I did not get the kind of grab and spin I get from a co-poly, but I found enough to help me control the ball in most situations."

Packed with pliable filaments, Xalt not only gave our playtesters an extremely comfortable ride, but it also delivered the direct ball feedback required for control. Needless to say, Chris appreciated the feel of this string. He said, "I found Xalt to be a very comfortable string. I liked the way the string pocketed the ball, giving a plush and soft feel at impact. I still had ample feel to help me hit my drop shots or place a short angled volley. I thought Xalt walked a nice line between crispness and plushness without having too much or too little of either."

Mark loved the feel of this string, saying, "Along with great comfort, it provided a predictable response and a great overall feel."

All strings lose tension over time, and Xalt is no exception. The real question is whether said tension loss negatively impacts feel and performance. To Xalt's credit, neither tester reported any performance issues as the test wore on. Chris explained, "Xalt lasted well for me. The level of playability felt very consistent during the test. I think this would be a great option for someone who doesn’t break strings often because they should find lasting performance from this string. I didn't notice any premature notching or fraying, and the string held up well throughout the test."

Mark added, "I didn’t notice any significant changes. Keep in mind that I do play with a tight 18-main frame, but after a little more than 10 hours on each setup, notching is pretty minimal for both stringbeds."