Luxilon ALU Power is one of the most popular polyester strings on today’s pro tour, and it’s easy to see why. It is available in both ice blue and silver and is used by pro players such as Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Gael Monfils, amongst many others.
The string embodies the next stage of development in Luxilon’s Big Banger range and boasts a unique aluminum and co-polyester construction that gives it superior durability. If you’re interested in the Luxilon ALU Power tennis string, then you’ve come to the right place. Read on for the full review.
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Luxilon ALU Power Tennis String
Like pretty much all of the other products in the Luxilon Big Banger line, the ALU Power is a rather low-powered string, which may come as a surprise considering its part of a range called Big Banger. If you are just starting in the world of tennis, this may sound like a bad thing, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
This kind of string is meant for players who are already able to put a lot of power behind their swings and don’t need any additional assistance from an elastic string style, such as a natural gut or multifilament string. However, when it comes to polyester strings, the Luxilon ALU power does have some nice pop.
The string is more powerful than its predecessor, the Big Banger Original, and offers a crisp response off the string bed. You might be pleasantly surprised to learn that you won’t lose as much speed as you might expect on your serves, especially if you have a lot of natural velocity behind your swings.
Depending on what kind of player you are and your level of experience playing tennis, less power can be beneficial. It can help you find the court more often, rather than the back fence. There are not many strings out there that provide the perfect combination of power and control, but the Luxilon ALU Power certainly comes close.
Even when you don’t connect with the ball perfectly – like if your racket face is not quite square on the impact, for instance, you’ll still find the court more often than you miss when using this string. Though the ALU Power is meant to be a highly control-oriented string, you’ll find that you can access additional power when you need it by increasing your swing speed.
This string would greatly benefit someone that swings a powerhouse racket, like the Babolat Pure Drive range, for instance.
Who is This Product For?
If you have some decent experience playing tennis and don’t feel the need to support your swings with additional power from your racket strings, then the Luxilon ALU Power tennis string may be perfect for you. It does not provide an extreme boost to your power but still packs a decent punch.
We wouldn’t recommend it to beginner players, though, as when you’re just starting, you’re going to look for as much power behind your swings as you can get since you’ll be untrained and won’t be able to supply your swings with much of your own power. The ALU Power is better suited to intermediate players who are confident in their strength and ability and who can produce faster longer strokes.
Specifications
- 9″ x 9″ x 1″
- 10.58 ounces
- Low-powered string
As you probably already know, touch sensitivity is not the strong suit of any polyester string, so it should come as no surprise that the ALU Power only has adequate touch levels. If you are a net rusher, then you might want to consider another string, as although the Luxilon ALU Power was not designed for sensitive net play exclusively, it could work quite nicely in a hybrid. In this situation, the string would reduce some of the significant elasticity that the natural gut comes with quite effectively, saving you the need to string the gut extremely high.
- 16-gauge racket string for improving feel and ball control
The Luxilon ALU Power has some good potential for a polyester, round string when it comes to spin. With the thousands of shaped strings on the market these days, you might wonder if it is still worth using a traditional, rounder string type.
We should mention that the shaped strings do not have quite the same RPM effect on the ball that manufacturers would have you believe. It’s more of a marketing tactic than anything else. Every brand will try to convince you that their strings are the best on the market, but there’s not much difference between the spin production on most strings these days.
In terms of durability, Luxilon is known for making their strings extremely durable. The modern rackets and game is now focused on big, powerful hits, which is why it is essential for strings out there to be durable. If you love hitting the ball with all your might, then the ALU Power might just be the string for you.
However, with hard hits comes the inevitable loss of tension, but you’ll be happy to know that the ALU Power is very good at maintaining its tension. Because it is a 16-gauge string, it’s not going to break as easily as its 17 and 18-gauge counterparts, which is a nice bonus.
Most polyester strings are not going to feel super comfortable, as they are all naturally stiff compared to multifilament or gut strings. The Luxilon ALU Power is very middle of the road when it comes to comfort – it is still classified as a ‘hard string’ but is not the stiffest polyester string in the world.
Pros
- Suitable for intermediate players
- Crisp string bed response
- Very durable
- Comfortable to use
- Maintains tension
Cons
- Does not live up to RPM promise
- Only adequate touch levels
- 16-gauge racket string for improving feel and ball control
- Made of sturdy, resilient co-polymer fluorocarbon resin fibers
- Provides excellent touch and finesse without compromising power
- Used by more than 50 percent of the ATPs top 100 pros
- Aluminum fibers added
Final Verdict
The Luxilon ALU Power string is undoubtedly a top string and is an excellent option for polyester string users. There’s a reason that it is one of the most popular strings amongst pro players, and if you are an intermediate player looking for an intermediate string, then the ALU Power is perfect for you.
