Review of Luxilon Alu Power 16L
One of the most well-liked polyester strings on the professional tour right now is Luxilon Alu Power, and for good reason!It is used by several athletes, including Gael Monfils, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic, and is offered in the colors silver and ice blue.
With its distinctive co-polyester structure with aluminum, this string represents the next development in the Luxilon Big Banger line.
As a result, the string’s suppleness is increased without loosing its distinctive control.
All of this creates a hitting environment that is genuinely fantastic and enables advanced tennis players to make enormous cuts at the ball without losing the court.
In my Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph, I (Tom) personally use this string in the crosses as part of my hybrid string setup.
Given my fondness for this string, as you can probably guess, I was thrilled to have Alu Power to test out in a complete bed for this playtest.
Power
Although Luxilon Alu Power bears the Big Banger moniker, it is actually (and this may surprise some of you!) a pretty low powered string.
That might sound horrible to those of you who are just starting out in tennis, but nothing could be farther from the truth.
Tennis players who can generate a significant amount of their own power already and don’t require any more assistance from an elastic form of string, such as a multifilament or natural gut string, should choose this type of string.
However, Luxilon Alu Power did have a respectable pop compared to other polyester strings.
By no means was I using a looser, more powerful tension; instead, I strung it in my Wilson RF 97 at a mid-tension of 55 pounds.
The string provided a beautiful, snappy response off the string bed and was undoubtedly stronger than Luxilon’s older cousin, Big Banger Original.
I continued to maintain a high rate of speed with my flat serve.
In my main strings, I typically pick a strong, elastic string like Babolat VS Team to balance off the weak reaction of my Wilson Pro Staff.
I was pleasantly delighted to discover that on the serve, I didn’t lose as much speed as I had anticipated. Since I have a lot of natural velocity on the serve and I only saw a tiny drop off of 5-7 mph, this was not a problem for me.
Less power may be beneficial depending on your skill level and type of player. It can make it easier for you to locate the court rather than the rear fence.
Control
There are no strings that provide the ideal balance of force and control, but this one must be getting there.
I adored the control of Luxilon Alu Power, regardless of the shot I was playing.
I’m extremely pleased I resisted the urge to hit with this setup the previous evening because it would have diminished part of the magic I felt during my playtest. My racket had been newly strung that morning.
I truly found it difficult to strike a ball far with this string on groundstrokes. I was hitting the ball with a strong forehand and a flatter, more accurate backhand.
I prefer to grind from the back of the court with my double-handed backhand to either set up my forehand or seek for a chance to run around it.
I still found the court more frequently than I missed, even when I didn’t make a perfect contact with the ball (if, for instance, my racket face wasn’t quite square on impact).
Although Alu Power is intended to be a string that emphasizes control above all else, I discovered that if I increased the speed of my swing, I could access more power when I needed it.
My racket is pretty low powered, so if I had to make a personal comment, it would be that I like a string that delivers a little bit more velocity out of my string bed.
But someone using a powerful racket from the Babolat Pure Drive Range would definitely benefit from this.
This might aid in containing some of the abundantly accessible power that these sledgehammers offer!
Touch
Polyester strings aren’t really known for their tactile sensitivity. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Luxilon Alu Power possesses only adequate levels of touch.
I would certainly go over our next review if you’re a net rusher like Pat Rafter or Tim Henman!
This string could function quite well in a hybrid with a natural gut or multifilament in the mains, despite the fact that it was never specifically created for sensitive net play.
The Alu Power would in this case effectively lessen some of the enormous flexibility that the natural gut has and save you from having to string the gut absurdly high like they did 30 years ago!
As there were no polyester strings like there are today, that was the only way to manage its trampoline effect back then!
That is not to imply that you cannot use this string to play at the net. It worked well for me and provided a constant volleying reaction off the string bed.
Simply put, it would be more effective if you only used the internet to make your point and avoided spending too much time there.
Spin
Luxilon Alu Power is a spherical polyester string with excellent spin potential.
You could be considering whether using your more conventional, rounder type of string is still worthwhile in light of the vast array of shaped strings currently available.
Here, it’s important to note that the shaped strings don’t nearly have the same impact on the ball’s RPM that the producers claim. More of a marketing gimmick, really.
While everyone is trying to offer you the “holy grail” of strings, case studies in the lab have shown that there isn’t a significant difference in spin production between the two.
There is a distinction, but it doesn’t fundamentally alter the situation.
You might believe that a string with an aggressive form will grasp the ball more firmly and keep it there for a longer period of time, boosting dwell time and, consequently, spin.
That is correct, I agree. but just a little.
The main strings slide against the cross strings, snapping back, and creating true spin.
I hear you saying, “But certainly an octagonal-shaped RPM Blast String will give more spin than Big Banger Original!”
My response would be “likely.” Yes. not by as much as you may anticipate.
The optimal string shape is not the most important consideration; instead, focus on honing your technique and obtaining top spin.
As a result, while Luxilon Alu Power’s spin potential wasn’t quite RPM Blast Level, it was still very impressive and earns a 7/10 from me.
Durability
Strings made of luxilon are renowned for their remarkable resilience. There needs to be a string available that fits the bill because the modern game and rackets are designed for huge, powerful hitting.
Although I am aware that the most of you reading this won’t be participating in the tour… To get the most out of this string, you must honestly assess the type and caliber of tennis player you are.
This string might be right for you if you enjoy pounding the ball.
You’ll be happy to know that I discovered Alu Power to keep its tension fairly well during the play test. Hard hitting inevitably results in tension loss, so you’ll be happy to hear that.
In addition, I discovered that it was quite playable the entire next week after my initial hitting session with it.
Given that it is a 16-gauge string, it will undoubtedly not snap as quickly as a 17-gauge or 18-gauge string.
Comfort
Given that all polys are naturally stiff in comparison to a natural gut string or multifilament, no polyester string will feel particularly pleasant.
Luxilon Alu Power had a very average level of comfort.
Even though it’s not among the stiffest polys available, it would nonetheless be categorized as a “hard string.”
Players who like the Alu Power’s performance but not its stiffness should think about lowering their tension. I strung the string at 55 pounds, which is not an incredibly tight tension.
When this string weighs 45 pounds instead of 55 pounds, it will feel significantly differently.
Unless you’re Jack Sock, I wouldn’t advise going that low, but you’ll find that reducing the string’s tension softens the impression of the string’s “harshness” and adds some much-needed strength.
Overall
The excellent polyester string Luxilon Alu Power is ideal for tennis players at the high intermediate and advanced levels.
It delivers a special fusion of strength, spin, and control, sending your shots kicking venomously into your adversary.
I could play with this in a full bed setup, though I do like a natural gut string in the mains for the added power.
In fact, I’ve decided to carry it out this winter whilst playing outside!
Where I play tennis, we don’t always have access to indoor courts, so this would be a great replacement for my pricey gut strings melting in seconds during the soggy winter weather!
For lower level club players who don’t yet have outstanding technique, I wouldn’t advise using this string.
Such a person would probably find Luxilon Alu Power frustrating owing to the lack of power, and even worse, injured due to their inability to manage the stiffness of the string.
Therefore, this string is all you need if you’re a good level player and appreciate intimidating your opponent from the baseline with a heavy ball.
Like I do, you might want to think about stringing it in a hybrid setup. This will obviously depend on your preferences for feel and how you want your racket to perform, but it’s something to consider.
Alu Power – What You Need to Know
This is the OG of Polyester strings and one could argue revolutionized/changed the way high level tennis has been taught and played. Amazing to think that this string has been around for over 20 years and is still a mainstay on the professional tours. It’s one of those strings I think any player who hits with topspin should at least try once. It is an amazing string and a string that, if I didn’t have a budget, would likely be my string of choice. The downsides are longevity and price. It’s not a string you’ll break frequently but I’ve always found that after a few hours the string just completely drops off in terms of tension and playability. The question is can you justify the expense? Luckily there are alternatives that I think have a much more appealing cost benefit analysis but there is no denying the legendary status of Alu Power.
Alu Power – What I Loved
In the first few hours pretty much everything. It doesn’t really require any break in off the stringer and from the response on that first ball it just feels good and performs great. Love the pop on serve and the spin potential on groundstrokes. I’ve even found that the response on my touch volleys and drop shots is superior to pretty much any other polyester I’ve tried. There’s a reason this string has stuck around for 20 years and is still so popular on both tours.
Alu Power – What I Hated
Honestly just the performance drop off after a few hours of heavy hitting (for me about 4 high quality sets). This string is no where close to Hyper-G in terms of how long it performs adequately (with that string I usually play until breaks). It’s painful to have to cut this string out after 5 hours but you really notice the drop off.
For me as well I’d like the string to be a bit stiffer (more control). I think Hyper-G is perfect for me but this is so personal and will be a case by case basis. I think for most players who swing with a bit more grace this is the perfect polyester.
Value
This is the most glaring weakness of Alu Power. It’s not a great value string. This is the sort of string where you wait for a sale (of which there are several throughout the year) and pick up a reel. Even though I love the string the limited amount of time this string plays amazing for just doesn’t justify spending $18 a set.
Who this string IS for
Players who take big swings at the ball and generate top spin. Really this string is suitable for players with more of a flat game but it certainly responds well to that low to high swing. This string is partially responsible for the aggressive top spin style groundstrokes that are so common today. It’s not as bad on the arm as many other polyesters and it’s surprisingly crisp on volleys and touch shots. I love the pop it delivers on all types of serve as well.
Who this string is NOT for
The usual suspects when it comes to polyester strings. Alu Power isn’t super stiff but you still need to be able to generate your own pace. It’s not called big banger for nothing. Also players on a budget would likely seek out a cheaper alternative of which there are a few (Genesis Typhoon comes to mind) but a little google searching with give you some alternatives to try.
Final Verdict
It’s a top string no doubt about it and a MUST TRY for polyester users. There’s no string that I’ve ever played with that quite compares especially in the first few hours. The pop, the control, the spin potential, it’s all there.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that this string is incredibly popular amongst professional players who can afford to restring after every match. If I had the time and budget that’s what I would do. Obviously most of us don’t have that luxury and that’s where the string falls short. Especially if you take a big cut at the ball this string will start to annoy you after a few hours. The tension drop is very noticeably and the feel that was once so good just goes away and you’re left with a springy unresponsive frame. It’s one of the few strings where I feel it’s absolutely necessary to cut out before it breaks.