Yonex PolyTour Air String Review

The Yonex PolyTour line of strings strikes the balance between control and comfort extremely well thanks to vibration damping technology.

The main component that contributes to this feeling is the HR Elastomer material, which is specifically designed to be responsive whilst also being consistent.

This means you get better snap back, power and comfort from PolyTour Air without sacrificing any of that familiar control or spin that are commonly associated with polyester based strings.

PolyTour Air is designed to be the softest in the line up. Compared to the popular Yonex PolyTour Pro, it does feel a little more forgiving and is definitely less harsh on the arm.

We are used to playing with polyester strings a lot here at Thetennisbros.com, so that firm feeling is something we are used to. However, when a more arm friendly string comes along, we definitely enjoy the added comfort!

On the court, the power levels of PolyTour Air are refreshingly high.

Most control oriented polyester strings naturally come with the trade off of lacking pop in exchange for the extra precision and spin.

This is not such a big problem with PolyTourAir. You get plenty of controllable power from this string, which resembles the likes of Luxilon ALU Power Feel, Prince Warrior Response or slightly more than Luxilon 4G.

There is enough power to add pace to more compact swings, but it is not uncontrollable. It sits pretty much middle of the road in terms of power generation for all strings, but is pretty decent as far as polyester strings go.

Control is a pretty solid factor for Yonex PolyTour Air. Afterall, it is a polyester string so of course it is great for hitting the ball with precision no matter where you are on the court.

There is enough spin to get the ball dipping into the court, but there is definitely more power than your average poly.

This combination of power and spin is great for the improving beginner to intermediate player that wants to improve their game.

This string will help players unlock more spin potential and pace in their shots, helping them to hit heavier ground strokes from the baseline. It is the sort of string that responds well to aggressive hitting.

It is supple enough to offer comfort when you need it, but is still pretty consistent in its response.

The control is not up there with the best such as Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour, as the power simply makes it too lively to compete with ultra control focused strings like that.

However, there is enough precision for players looking to improve their technique and add more spin to the ball to enjoy.

You can hit with confidence with this string, since it combines a number of playing characteristics extremely well.

There is predictability, enough controllable power and plenty of spin to allow big for aggressive swings as well as deft touch shots when you need to play them.

Touch is not always the most impressive category for most polyester strings. The way they are made and the materials used often leaves them feeling a little numb or void of feel.

However, the HR Elastomer that Yonex has used in their PolyTour Air really helps enhance the feel of the string, making it even more of an all rounder.

Yonex claims there is a soft and light feel to the string, just like the light blue colour. This is certainly the case in court.

For a poly the feel is pretty impressive, especially up at the net when you need to be delicate putting the ball away.

The technology Yonex has used does a great job of absorbing shocks too. The string is really well damped and this again helps with the feel of it.

Unlike many of the stiffer polyester strings out there, PolyTour Air offers a softer, more arm friendly feel which is great for players who prefer a stiffer racket.

There is enough crispness to give you a solid contact when you strike the ball, but enough cushioning to take pace off when you need to.

Naturally, polyester strings tend to produce more spin than multifilament, synthetic gut or natural gut strings.

This is simply because the material used to produce them is firmer, produces more friction and has a much better ability to snap back into position thanks to the slippery surface.

This is definitely still the case with Yonex PolyTour Air and it can add enough spin to get the ball dipping inside the baseline.

It is also not the most spin friendly string out there. There are other textured and shaped strings that do a much better job of generating more spin, but these are specifically designed to do so.

In the case of PolyTour Air, it is engineered with comfort and playability in mind.

You still get the durability, spin and control of a traditional poly, but with enough power to help out improving players with more compact swings.

As far as spin is concerned, PolyTour Air is pretty average for a polyester string.

Players that hit extremely heavy balls may need a more robust string that is less prone to notching and ultimately offers more RPMs than Yonex PolyTour Air.

However, this string is definitely comfortable enough to use as a full bed, even for a beginner player.

Overall string durability generally refers to how long a string will last before it breaks, whereas playability duration relates to the performance consistency throughout the life of the string.

These are two very different factors and, much like power and control, tend to be at odds with one another.

Softer strings tend to last for less time overall, but actually maintain their tension and performance characteristics more consistently throughout their life.

Whereas, a stiffer string will last for ages, but also tends to see a sharp drop off in performance and tension at some point during this time period.

PolyTour Air seems to strike a pretty good balance between tension maintenance and overall lifespan.

Since it is a softer polyester string, it does a good job of offering its power, spin, control and feel after a good number of hours just the same as when you first pick it off the stringer.

However, whilst there may be some notching for extremely heavy ball strikers, the overall life of the string is also pretty long.

For a beginner player that doesn’t hit with as much intensity as an advanced level player or professional, Yonex PolyTour Air would be perfectly durable enough.

Comfort is another area in which polyester strings tend not to be as strong, mainly because they are naturally stiffer and therefore less pliant than natural gut or multifilament strings.

The upshot of this is that some recreational players associate polyester strings with tennis elbow and actually steer clear of them as a result.

Yonex have sought to rewrite the rule book on this with PolyTour Air, striving to make it one of the most comfortable polyester strings out there.

This is something they have definitely achieved, as there is a light, comfortable feel to the string that many of its competitors simply can’t match.

It is not quite as comfortable as a synthetic gut or multifilament, but it gets pretty close! It is probably a little softer than Babolat RPM Power, which in itself is pretty comfortable for a control oriented poly.

Overall, Yonex PolyTour Air manages to blend comfort, power, control and feel extremely well for an affordable polyester string.

It builds on the success of the other members of the PolyTour family and opens up this line of strings to a wider audience.

It is the most comfortable and accessible option in the line up, making it perfect for beginner to intermediate players who are looking for a forgiving string that will help them make strides in their game.