Perhaps it would have been better to compare RPM Blast vs gut and wilson champions duo in a video seems more comparable to me...but great video guys :)
I love this comparison. Some are saying it's apples to oranges, but that's really more useful. It shows the strengths and weaknesses of truly different set ups, rather than the minor differences between different brands. Could you guys do a hybrid comparison? Maybe poly/gut compared to gut/poly?
Recreational players will choose rpm blast and string it once a year It is not good for their body at all Recreational players should choose multifilament and play till it snaps
It's an interesting comparison, but the result depends on the racket too. The Champions Choice goes well with the low power of the Wilson RF and the RPM blast goes well with the medium power of the Babolat Aero.
@Hugo Jimenez, Glad to hear it is working out for you! The Champions Choice has much better comfort, and I think it is worth the investment, because of the playability duration. Troy, TW
Some hilarious comments saying about comparing theses two strings, Its just a fun play test between what Rafa and Fed use, yeah the strings are different but I think its a nice explanation into what two of the best pro’s use. I thought it was interesting and informative.
I’m a hybrid of Roger & Rapha. I use Wilson natural gut in the mains 55 & RPM Blast ( or Kirschbaum Proline II) in the crosses at 52 in my Ezone 100. Oh, and I’m a lefty.
Great comparison.... string set ups should fit the player and playstyle. Imagine nadal using wilson champ instead of rpm blast? haha.. personally, I tried champs choice twice and felt its a good set up but I just had more confidence with rpm blast or any copoly in general. Fresh rpm blast is the best string set up for me... I wished it would last longer though.
I use Wilsom Champions Choice Duo and it doesn't compete with RPM Blast. It is just their natural gut with Alu Power. Babolat vs Touch in the Mains with Alu Power in the crosses is what it competes with. ;) All Wilson did was put their natural gut (we are so lovely to animals) in a wrapper with Alu Power. This is just synthetic vs a Natural Gut with synthetic. Expensive strings to break. :) Their strings aren't the store bought and tweaked for them. Control vs Power. Still, a good review. Durability should be a catagory, unless you get free strings and stringing.
@Raven05R6, I settled on a tension of 47 lbs with RPM Blast, and 52 lbs with Champions Choice. It shows my preferred tensions at 1:01 in this video. Troy, TW
For me champions choice was not good way to lively, had it strung pretty high to mains gut 59 crosses alu power 57. Just bought rpm blast never used it before so I will see how it performs, going for 57 pounds cross and mains in my Wilson pro staff k factor tour 90..
@juanchoja If you go with the natural gut in the crosses, you should get a bit more control, and possibly a bit more durability, from having the co-poly in the mains. Whichever string you put in the mains, the overall feel will be a bit closer to that string, as a full-bed. Troy, TW
What do u think is a more important choice , ( within reason) is it more important to get the right string , or the right frame for your game, is u could only choose one
@sushruth ravishankar, They are both important choices. I would lean slightly more on the frame, but as Brian mentions you can make a lot of frames better with slight modifications. When it comes to strings, I know I prefer co-polys, but there are likely a hundred or so on the market that I can use, and be totally content with. I think that when it comes to certain strings, especially co-polys, it is important to re-string frequently, keeping the strings fresh. Troy, TW
That might be difficult to do as there are three different strings between those two packs. You could swap out the RPM Blast for the ALU Power Rough, and put the natural gut in the mains, that could be a good setup. Troy, TW
Hi TW, I’ve been using the champions choice for a few days now, natural gut in the mains at 59 lbs and alu rough in the crosses at 57. i’m coming from volkl cyclone tour in the mains and nylon in the crosses, both at 57. after switching to the champions choice, i noticed i huge increase in power but a decrease in bite. would swapping the main and cross in champions choice help? or switching to a smooth poly?
Hello TW, what is the softest co-poly string available to buy in the UK? I want to stick with a co-poly because I like the durability, I have heard kirschbaum make soft co-poly. Any advice and recommendations would be appreciated :) I sometimes get a little bit of elbow pain after playing 2 hours. I am currently using luxilon adrenaline at 51 lb
Yes, if we were wanting to compare the most similar of the two brands, but we thought it would be fun to do a comparison of Roger and Rafa's strings. Troy, TW
@Barry Mizrahi, It shows my tensions at 1:01, and Chris's tensions at 1:23, in this video. I went 47 lbs with the RPM, and 52 lbs with the Champions Choice. Chris went 50 lbs with the RPM, and 55/53 lbs with Champions Choice. Troy, TW
We found it to offer good durability, but then again durability can vary for each player. How often do you break strings typically, and what type of string do you typically use? Troy, TW
Tennis Warehouse i us usually use volkl cyclone tour in the mains, and a synthetic gut in the crosses - once in a while i’ll break a string but most of the time i end up cutting them out because they’re dead. i’m around a 4.0 player, 13 years old
@@randomperson7445, Then you should get a good amount of durability out of the Champion's Choice. That said if you are concerned about the durability, as it is not a cheap string, then you might consider making your own hybrid, with Babolat Touch Tonic (which is thicker), or the Luxilon Natural Gut, which is a more durable gut, designed specifically for hybrids. Troy, TW
What do you guys think of Monogut ZX mains with poly crosses? The ZX is "sort of" gut-like in it's energy return, so the combo can be an affordable alternative.
@Mathew Crosby, If we wanted to do more of a direct comparison, we would have done it with the Babolat Hybrid RPM Blast + VS versus Wilson Champions Choice. We wanted to go more in the direction of a Rafa versus Roger string set-up. Troy, TW
It is if stringing at traditional tensions. But string it lower around the mid 40lbs range and it comes alive and comfort is quite good. Lower tension with poly has been the trend even amongst the pros over the past few years.
The main factor of control is spin generation gut mains / poly cross string gives the most spin especially the fact fed uses Alu Rough textured strings shred the gut but once again produce more spin considering the amount of rpms these guys are hitting your original statement would be correct.
SkyreeXScalabar that’s the main factor yes but a textured string will give you a slight advantage in comparison to a smooth or five sided string in the case of rpm
Perhaps it would have been better to compare RPM Blast vs gut and wilson champions duo in a video seems more comparable to me...but great video guys :)
this is a fed vs rafa so using natural gut doesn't make sense in the rpm blast
I love this comparison. Some are saying it's apples to oranges, but that's really more useful. It shows the strengths and weaknesses of truly different set ups, rather than the minor differences between different brands. Could you guys do a hybrid comparison? Maybe poly/gut compared to gut/poly?
As the law of economics states, recreational players would always choose the rpm
Recreational players will choose rpm blast and string it once a year
It is not good for their body at all
Recreational players should choose multifilament and play till it snaps
@@chung729chung keneth if u play with a multi a year it will be trampoline with tension very low.
Great review! Surprised to see Troy went for the Champions Choice.
It's an interesting comparison, but the result depends on the racket too. The Champions Choice goes well with the low power of the Wilson RF and the RPM blast goes well with the medium power of the Babolat Aero.
Miguel Barahona I used champions choice with my aero and it takes a lot to control the strings, but once you get used to it it’s amazing
Would love to see a comparo of Babolat Hybrid pack (VS & RPM Blast) vs the Wilson Champion's Choice.
fanman71 i was reading somewhere that the gut in Champions Choice is the gut made by Babolat so its more like Alu Power vs. RPM Blast
I appreciate your reviews but lets face it, you're comparing Apples with Oranges.
more like Lambo with a bike, poly can't beat gut even if it's just in the mains
Haha. Basically everything we already knew, right?
You mean oranges to giraffes. If you need spin and control mostly and hit everything out, Blast would be better to "control" the players awfulness.
Power string = you are weak
Ninja JapJap you don’t hit hard on every shot so power strings can help your normal rally shot
I Just change my rpm strings to Champion choice because I had an elbow pain. Im pretty happy because the pain disapair and I improve my game!!
@Hugo Jimenez,
Glad to hear it is working out for you! The Champions Choice has much better comfort, and I think it is worth the investment, because of the playability duration.
Troy, TW
Some hilarious comments saying about comparing theses two strings, Its just a fun play test between what Rafa and Fed use, yeah the strings are different but I think its a nice explanation into what two of the best pro’s use. I thought it was interesting and informative.
I’m a hybrid of Roger & Rapha. I use Wilson natural gut in the mains 55 & RPM Blast ( or Kirschbaum Proline II) in the crosses at 52 in my Ezone 100. Oh, and I’m a lefty.
Great comparison.... string set ups should fit the player and playstyle. Imagine nadal using wilson champ instead of rpm blast? haha.. personally, I tried champs choice twice and felt its a good set up but I just had more confidence with rpm blast or any copoly in general. Fresh rpm blast is the best string set up for me... I wished it would last longer though.
I use Wilsom Champions Choice Duo and it doesn't compete with RPM Blast. It is just their natural gut with Alu Power. Babolat vs Touch in the Mains with Alu Power in the crosses is what it competes with. ;) All Wilson did was put their natural gut (we are so lovely to animals) in a wrapper with Alu Power. This is just synthetic vs a Natural Gut with synthetic. Expensive strings to break. :) Their strings aren't the store bought and tweaked for them. Control vs Power. Still, a good review. Durability should be a catagory, unless you get free strings and stringing.
I'm interested to know what tension Troy liked best in each string setup. Great video guys.
@Raven05R6,
I settled on a tension of 47 lbs with RPM Blast, and 52 lbs with Champions Choice. It shows my preferred tensions at 1:01 in this video.
Troy, TW
For me champions choice was not good way to lively, had it strung pretty high to mains gut 59 crosses alu power 57.
Just bought rpm blast never used it before so I will see how it performs, going for 57 pounds cross and mains in my Wilson pro staff k factor tour 90..
What is the difference when using the Champion's choice if I put the natural gut in the crosses instead of the mains?
@juanchoja
If you go with the natural gut in the crosses, you should get a bit more control, and possibly a bit more durability, from having the co-poly in the mains. Whichever string you put in the mains, the overall feel will be a bit closer to that string, as a full-bed.
Troy, TW
What do u think is a more important choice , ( within reason) is it more important to get the right string , or the right frame for your game, is u could only choose one
sushruth ravishankar i would choose the string, you could always lead up the frame to adjust the specs.
@sushruth ravishankar,
They are both important choices. I would lean slightly more on the frame, but as Brian mentions you can make a lot of frames better with slight modifications. When it comes to strings, I know I prefer co-polys, but there are likely a hundred or so on the market that I can use, and be totally content with. I think that when it comes to certain strings, especially co-polys, it is important to re-string frequently, keeping the strings fresh.
Troy, TW
What if I make a hybrid of champions choice and rpm blast? If it works then where should I put rpm blasts and where should I put champions choice?
That might be difficult to do as there are three different strings between those two packs. You could swap out the RPM Blast for the ALU Power Rough, and put the natural gut in the mains, that could be a good setup. Troy, TW
Tennis Warehouse thx Troy
Great review!
Hi TW,
I’ve been using the champions choice for a few days now, natural gut in the mains at 59 lbs and alu rough in the crosses at 57. i’m coming from volkl cyclone tour in the mains and nylon in the crosses, both at 57. after switching to the champions choice, i noticed i huge increase in power but a decrease in bite. would swapping the main and cross in champions choice help? or switching to a smooth poly?
Yes, ALU Rough in the mains will help with control a bit, and provide some added ball bite. Troy, TW
Tennis Warehouse what would putting in a smooth poly do?
Hello TW, what is the softest co-poly string available to buy in the UK?
I want to stick with a co-poly because I like the durability, I have heard kirschbaum make soft co-poly. Any advice and recommendations would be appreciated :) I sometimes get a little bit of elbow pain after playing 2 hours. I am currently using luxilon adrenaline at 51 lb
@Peter Colwell,
I don't know if it is available in the UK, but we would suggest taking a look at Polyfibre TCS.
Michelle, TW
Thanks Michelle I will take a look :)
What tension did u have the Chamption's choice at gents? Ta
I went with 52 pounds for both mains and crosses in the VCORE 95, and Chris went with 55 mains/53 crosses in his TFlash 300 PS. Troy, TW
it would make more sense if you compare Wilson Champions Choice vs Babolat RPM Blast + Touch VS
Yes, if we were wanting to compare the most similar of the two brands, but we thought it would be fun to do a comparison of Roger and Rafa's strings. Troy, TW
imagine how much more spin Rafa would get in an 18 gauge...(but then his shots would spray a bit more)
Rafa would break the 18g within 10 mins of hitting lol
Rafa would break a 17 or 18 gauge string pretty quick. But yeah, the spin would be even greater for sure if they held.
What tension did you guys use for each string set?
@Barry Mizrahi,
It shows my tensions at 1:01, and Chris's tensions at 1:23, in this video. I went 47 lbs with the RPM, and 52 lbs with the Champions Choice. Chris went 50 lbs with the RPM, and 55/53 lbs with Champions Choice.
Troy, TW
is the champions choice durable? i don’t want to be spending this kind of money only to have to restring every few weeks.
We found it to offer good durability, but then again durability can vary for each player. How often do you break strings typically, and what type of string do you typically use? Troy, TW
Tennis Warehouse i us usually use volkl cyclone tour in the mains, and a synthetic gut in the crosses - once in a while i’ll break a string but most of the time i end up cutting them out because they’re dead. i’m around a 4.0 player, 13 years old
@@randomperson7445, Then you should get a good amount of durability out of the Champion's Choice. That said if you are concerned about the durability, as it is not a cheap string, then you might consider making your own hybrid, with Babolat Touch Tonic (which is thicker), or the Luxilon Natural Gut, which is a more durable gut, designed specifically for hybrids. Troy, TW
Any idea what strings is Stan Wawrinka using?
He was using RPM Blast 16, but not certain if he still is, or if Yonex has made him something similar. Troy, TW
So what was the tension Troy settled with in the champions choice?
@John King,
52 pounds, same tension on mains, and crosses. Troy, TW
Just got my order in Australia, stuff looks awesome, sole boost review eta?
@Josh Rec,
Unfortunately, not sure when our SoleCourt Boost review will be ready, we will need a few weeks to test their durability!
Michelle, TW
@@tenniswarehouse yeah hopefully it's similar to my barricades, takes me a year to go through em
I really thought that Troy would pick RPM and Chris would pick Champions Choice. Seems strange to me that it was the other way based on playing style.
yeah, me too. It was literally the only thing in the review that was surprising since I knew both of those string setups very well.
What do you guys think of Monogut ZX mains with poly crosses? The ZX is "sort of" gut-like in it's energy return, so the combo can be an affordable alternative.
Don't understand how you can compare a hybrid with a full poly. interesting.
@Mathew Crosby,
If we wanted to do more of a direct comparison, we would have done it with the Babolat Hybrid RPM Blast + VS versus Wilson Champions Choice. We wanted to go more in the direction of a Rafa versus Roger string set-up.
Troy, TW
Ah cool, fair enough Troy. It was a great watch. Interesting to see how you both reviewed the strings.
@Mathew Crosby,
Thanks! It was a fun playtest.
Troy, TW
The RUclips thumbnail has rpm rough instead of rpm
I just fixed it, thank you!
TW William
Im still stuck between the 2. Lol
Tried rpm blast once. Felt too stiff. I usually have Hyper G 16L 58-59 lbs.
@vasDcrak Gaming,
I prefer the tension maintenance of Hyper-G over RPM Blast. That said, I string Hyper-G about ten pounds lower than you do.
Troy, TW
full bed of RMP is too hard for the average layer.
It is if stringing at traditional tensions. But string it lower around the mid 40lbs range and it comes alive and comfort is quite good. Lower tension with poly has been the trend even amongst the pros over the past few years.
@@tegg02 still at low 40's an hybrid is recommended for many recreational players, specially if the're going to use 15L poly.
Is Chris wearing Bombas?
RPM Blast is awful. If you want poly, go Yonex...anything from poly tour strike to poly tour rev.
Funny how when you think of control you think Federer and power you think of Nadal. However this video says otherwise ahaha
The main factor of control is spin generation gut mains / poly cross string gives the most spin especially the fact fed uses Alu Rough textured strings shred the gut but once again produce more spin considering the amount of rpms these guys are hitting your original statement would be correct.
@@jamisdog797 spin is based more on technique than string
Who thinks of nadal as power
SkyreeXScalabar that’s the main factor yes but a textured string will give you a slight advantage in comparison to a smooth or five sided string in the case of rpm