Kirschbaum Black Shark 17G (1.25mm) Black Tennis String

On its own, the shark is great for spin and control. This is not the real reason that I use it though. Where it really shines for me is that I use it for my cross strings to compliment the Luxilon ALU power strings that I use on the mains. Luxilon by itself is hard on my elbow. If I drop the tension to relieve the pain, the tennis elbow goes away, but I start to get the trampoline effect and overcook to many shots. When I use the shark along with the Luxilon all of the pain is gone and I do not have to reduce string tension. There does not seem to be any loss in power or playability. Luxilon’s biggest weakness is that they tend to die quickly. Their playability/longevity seems to increase when the black shark are used in the crosses.

Big Upside: Grabs the ball and helps me to put where I want to like no other string. Small down-side: Needs to be re-strung on a regular basis. The strings will start to feel flat after a few months.

I'm a big fan of the spikey shark strings, great spin and feel at a very reasonable price

I tried these because they were on sale at a great introductory price. What I like about these strings is they can generate massive spin they put on the ball that dive into the court. Higher kickers and nasty slices are at you command. You'll definitely want to string 10% under your SG/Multi tension to enjoy the same level of power you might have. Once the string settles you'll have fun. The downside is the fun doesn't last that long. String bed looses its liveliness, you know that sweet spot pop, somewhere around the 12-15 hour mark of solid baselining. While still playable and the tension seems to remain fairly stable, the level of precise control starts fading rapidly.

I'm a big fan of the spikey shark strings, great spin and feel at a very reasonable price.