Not long ago, Genesis sent me a batch of their latest copolyester tennis strings; in this batch was a blue colored Genesis True Grit string. This polyester tennis string features 10 sides and ever so slightly twisted in it’s construction. I was certainly looking forward to reviewing Genesis True Grit 17 in my Mantis Pro 295 (customized of course) tennis racquet.
Stringing Genesis True Grit 17
Upon opening the packaging of the tennis, it was apparent that I was going to have a heck of time installing this on my tennis racquet. The Genesis True Grit string is pretty firm, therefore the coil memory was pretty abundant. Unraveling this string was kind of a pain my butt, the string would twist and turn into itself and found a way to tangle itself even after I got one end to cooperate with me.
After finally getting the strings to cooperate with me, I was able to being the installation process; I opted for my usual 44 pounds of tension. Genesis True Grit is fairly easy to string…once you get it going. Because the string is shaped and twisted, I slowed down how fast I was weaving my crosses, I didn’t want to cause the string to wear before I got on court – So, a word to the stringers out there, slow down on the crosses, seriously.
Everything tied off nicely at the end and I was ready to get to hitting. The stringbed felt firm but also had an aggressive ready to rip look to it. I also liked the blue color of the string.
Hitting with Genesis True Grit 17
I started my warm-up like I normally would; short court then gradually getting to the baseline, eventually getting to full speed swings. All the while during my warm-up, I felt that I had strung string too tight, my initial thought of the stringbed being too firm was spot on. The Genesis True Grit felt really stiff, as if I wasn’t getting any pocketing.
When I got to hitting full speed shots at full court length, I was feeling a bit uneasy with the Genesis True Grit; I wasn’t getting much power from the string, the spin was there but I was really having to make an effort to get the ball to land deeply on the other side of the tennis court. It literally felt like I was hitting with a tension in the 60 pound range.
At this point I decided to put my tennis racquet on the ground and put some of my body weight on the stringbed, I was desperate to get the tension to drop a couple of pounds…preferably around 40 pounds. By doing this, I was hoping to get more pocketing and depth.
After I got the string tension to drop down, the Genesis True Grit showed me what it could really do! The strings offered me the proper depth but with incredible directional control. I started to gain my confidence back with this string, I was very impressed with the spin the 10 sided, twisted, blue string offered me! I have to be honest, the spin wasn’t like some of the other strings I’ve reviewed previously; however, the spin that was being produced was heavier than the others. Essentially, the spin was not kicking up into my opponent’s side of the court, rather it was accelerating through the court. This was difficult for my hitting partner to anticipate, so I was able to throw off his timing, this is a good thing.
While the Genesis True Grit tennis string is not hugely powerful, I was quite impressed with how much control was offered with this string. I was easily able to move the ball around the court, corner to corner, change of direction, down the line; you name it, Genesis True Grit was able to produce with a bit of good timing and solid contact. This string allowed me to get a little extra bit of “grit” going down the line with my one-handed backhand; even when I didn’t swing for power, the strings contributed for the depth and spin to get the tennis ball to drop just inside the baseline.
On serves Genesis True Grit definitely gave me the ability to add excellent placement on first and second serves. My kick serves were extremely lively, jumping up and away from my opponent! I found that if I slowed my service motion down, the Genesis True Grit performed better as the dwell time increased I had better spin production.
One other aspect that I found, and liked, was the tension maintenance. Genesis True Grit holds tension exceptionally well. I hit with this string for a good 6 hours (over a weeks’ time) and I felt very little tension drop. However, when the strings finally did drop tension, the strings began to move all over the place. I found that I was consistently adjusting my main strings to bring them back in place. I also noticed a decrease in control and the ability to place the ball where I needed it. Power did not suffer but power is useless when you can’t control it.
Genesis True Grit 17 final thoughts
While I very much enjoyed this string, I felt that I had missed the initial mark with my tension choice. If I had more of this string, I would opt for a starting tension of 40 or 42 pounds. I think that would allow for a stringbed that pockets more, this is of course my opinion. Though I strongly encourage players to drop their normal tension with Genesis True Grit when they first try it out.
The Genesis True Grit 17 gives plenty of comfort after the break in period; at first it was very firm but when it settled, it was a plush solid feeling string setup.
I would absolutely play with Genesis True Grit 17 again, probably more than a few times. I thoroughly enjoyed hitting with this setup. If you like spin and solid control, I highly recommend you try out Genesis True Grit in 17 or 16 gauge.
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