Victor VS850 Review Soon Expect a review of these string soon from me, just another two hours or so of testing.
I heart VS-850 Just come back from a good three hour session with VS-850 on my T2 and I was impressed. I used 27/30 on my overclocked crank (and put a Li Ning skunk tail on to decorate it) - here are some inital impressions: Stringing 850 strings very like a watered-down BG80. It's rough, but less so, and doesn't twist up as much. It does have that classic BG80 SHRIEK when you pull crosses, though, which takes me back.... It's a bit less stiff than BG80, giving me more on the prestretch and more movement of the crank head at the same tension than BG80. In Play I've never gone this tight with anything under .70 so I was unsure what to expect, but my very first hit (a big lift from chest height) pretty much set the standard for the rest of the afternoon. The sheer feel of the stuff is unreal - when you hit the sweetspot you KNOW about it: it rewards you with a big, crunchy STAB of impulse, which is exactly what I look for first in a string. I'll push the boat out here and say this is possibly the best "feel" string I've ever tried (even better than my previous Z70 at 32). Power isn't really a concern for me with respect to strings - if it hits hard enough I'll take it - but the 850 has enormous reserves even at 30 lbs. I was smacking the shuttle to every corner wth minimal effort and hitting a lot more winners from the back than usual. This, coupled with the musical high-tension THWACK, made it a real pleasure to unload on the shot. The BG80-like surface gives excellent slice potential. I use some degree of slice in many of my shots, with driven service returns being heavily represented, as I slice over the top of them to keep them low. I tried a fair few of these today, and the excellent grip of the 850 really turned the shuttles and gave me some FLAT shots. The high tension was probably responsible, to some degree, for the precision of the day's net spinners, but I've certainly no complaints here either. Lastly: tension loss. It's probably to early to be able to get a bead on this, but I didn't really notice anything substantial between the first game and the last; the string performed pretty much identically throughout the whole afternoon. Based on today I would say VS850 is a winner. It remains to examine tension loss (and, ultimately, durability), but with respect to playability alone I can't fault it. It's not the most powerful string I've ever tried, but it definitely doesn't lack any power (and has the advantage of being reasonably thick) and for feel it's second only to Z62, which I now consider a freakish oddity so it doesn't count.
What color string? The black and blue have a tremendous texture. The white and yellow have significantly less texture.
Thanks to Mark, this Panda went out and bought some VS-850. It's a real winner, one of the best strings this Panda has tried. The blue and black color strings have a great texture to it. The white and yellow not so much. For some reason, the blue plays best. *Panda scratches his head* The sound: metallic, so nice. As for performance: Panda will go with what Mark said except for the "UNREAL" comments. Bottom line: it's among the top strings Panda has tried. Will do more testing and post in the String Review.
Panda will agree it's right up there, if not better. Have to do more testing to be sure...tonight and Friday.
If you were not such a good customer, I would KICK! you! ... Why do people make such remarks? Why can't people use what they want? Why does it matter what Panda uses? Why can't we all just get along? Facts: Panda carries at least 8 x T2 and (usually) 2 prototypes at any given time. 4 rackets are strung with ZM62/67/70 2 rackets with other string Panda is testing to go on the String Review 2 rackets are strung with prototype strings he tests for 1 of 3 companies. Oooops, too much info!
Came off my second session with the VS850 and it performed identically to Wednesday pretty much all day. I just, just started to notice a drop in the "crispness" during my last two games, but it was very slight. It may just need an extra pound or two (when my job lot of blues, yellows and blacks comes in); I don't think I'm on the limit yet
Try as I might, I have never been able to red ink to show up on black string; it always looks as though I've just varnished the logo on. @LD Rules - I'm amazed you could find ANY VS-850 over here, but I'm not surprised you've only found white. I'm getting mine from... a source in the US.
That's because Panda is a great source of info for ppl like me who can't restring and try everything new
Update: though VS850 is an excellent string, it has more tension loss than ZM62 and BG80. Also doesn't feel as crisp after a bit of use. It's still a top string but this Panda will tell you, he forgot how good BG80 is. And ZM62 is just still the ultimate string not counting durability.
Great: now I have to go back and try BG80 again, but this time at 32! At least BG80 comes on the reel (but it's OPTIC YELLLOW ONLY in UK - GAAAAAAAA!).
Haha I'm surprised the string lives long enough in the Panda's fearsome hold to show any discernable tension loss. That must be a testament to its durability right there.
