Signum Pro X-Perience String Review

Control - Score: 87 / Power - Score: 57

With its firm monofilament construction and spin-friendly precision, it's not surprising that X-Perience earned an outstanding control score. The upshot for Kristen was more confidence when attacking the ball. She explained, "This was a very control-oriented string. It allowed me to really swing out with confidence and go for my targets, and it also absorbed and counteracted pace exceptionally well. As the playtest went on and the strings settled in, I was able to get a bit more power from the stringbed while still experiencing high levels of control and predictability."

"This string is deader than my typical poly," said Erik, who definitely appreciated what X-Perience did for his game. "It is quite a control-oriented string and very predictable on full swings. I loved how easy it was to place the ball when I swung all out. The control also enabled me to generate my own power on slices or whenever I would flatten out the ball."

Like the other playtesters, Suzy also appreciated this string's control. She said, "This was definitely a control-oriented string. I had a lot of control over the placement of my shots, and I could swing big without feeling like I had overhit the ball."

Spin - Score: 85

With its sharp edges, slippery snapback, and predictability at high stroke speeds, X-Perience was clearly built for spin. Not surprisingly, Erik was impressed. He said, "The amount of spin I got with this string was awesome. The string slid and snapped back throughout the playtest, and if I really accelerated, I could tap into some awesome power and spin."

Kristen enjoyed this string's combination of bite and snapback. She explained, "The spin I could generate with this string was great. Both topspin and slice felt effortless off the stringbed. The ball bite was definitely noticeable, and the slick nature of the strings supported great snapback."

Suzy used X-Perience's spin potential to tame her power and keep the ball inside the lines. She commented, "The string offers a lot of spin potential. It had good snapback, and even when I felt like I had overhit the ball, it dropped in at the back of the court."

Comfort - Score: 70 / Feel - Score: 80

With its stiff polyester base material, X-Perience isn't designed to provide the plush comfort of a natural gut or multifilament nylon. However, according to Suzy, this co-poly was definitely no slouch in the comfort department. She said, "This string was exceptionally comfortable for a poly. I’m used to playing with stiffer polys, so it was nice to see a string that still offers durability while being more comfortable on the arm."

Kristen also had no complaints with this string's comfortable feel. She said, "X-Perience offered high levels of comfort for a polyester string. It was definitely on the softer end of the co-poly spectrum while still offering great feel and connectivity to the ball. As someone who used to be drawn to the stiffest polys out there and subsequently often played through arm pain, I definitely appreciate polys that offer higher levels of comfort without sacrificing feel and control. I could really swing through my shots and put in long hours on court without any arm pain or soreness from the string."

"The feel of this string was really nice," added Erik, who gave X-Perience an impressive score in this category. "It was on the softer side of the spectrum but still crisp enough to make me feel connected to the ball."

Playability Duration - Score: 79

All strings lose tension over time, and X-Perience is no exception. Although tension loss can lead to control problems, it can also improve a string's feel and playability, especially with firmer strings, which tend to come off the stringing machine too stiff and dead. For Kristen, this co-poly was like a fine wine. It got better with age. She explained, "After about three hours of play I noticed a slight drop in tension, which proved beneficial when paired with the low-powered nature of my Prince Phantom Pro 100. The dip in tension brought a slightly livelier response, which helped me increase my power levels and achieve better arc and depth on the ball. Although it played a touch livelier after the first three hours, it maintained a high level of control, resulting in an ideal playability."

After an initial adjustment period, Erik was impressed by how well X-Perience held its playability. He said, "The playability duration of this string was very solid. Initially, the tension seemed to drop a little and settle in, so that took some getting used to. After the tension dropped, this string played nicely and seemed to maintain its tension throughout the playtest. I did, however, manage to snap my strings within a week and a half of the playtest, even when playing with a 16 gauge."

Suzy also noticed some tension loss, but she was ultimately satisfied with how X-Perience played over time. She said, "I noticed a bit of tension loss after the third or fourth hit and felt it getting a little springy on me, but it stayed pretty consistent from there for the duration of the playtest. This string struck a good balance between playability and durability."

Overall - Score: 86