Construction: Co-polyester Monofilament (made with poly-polyether resins) 
Colors: Blue and Red
Gauge: 16G (1.30 mm), 17G (1.25 mm)
Length: 40 feet (12.2 M) and 660 feet (200 M)
Test Racquet / Tension
Yonex EZone DR98/16 G (1.30 mm) @ 50lbs
Intro
Increasingly, single string hybrids are becoming the newest trend in the tennis string market. Tourna is jumping into this trend with their innovative new polyester hybrid, Big Hitter Deuce. Made from a thermally bonded blend of their Big Hitter Blue and Big Red polyester strings, Deuce looks to blend power, control and comfort. It doesn’t hurt that the string has an eye catching blended blue and red color to it either. I recently got to spend some court time with Big Hitter Deuce and here’s how it performed for me.
Power/Spin/Control
Deuce sat as a medium powered polyester in my experience. I didn’t find it as lively overall as Big Hitter Blue, but it had more power than some of Tourna’s other offerings like Big Hitter Silver and Silver 7 Tour. There was ample power to pair with long fluid strokes, but it never felt like I was in danger of blasting balls to the back curtain. I was impressed with how controlled the string stayed even as my swing speed ratcheted up. The string has a very smooth slippery feel to it and I was impressed with its spin production, especially since it wasn’t a shaped poly. The strings slid easily along one another, allowing for easy snap back and spin production. This also meant that the string would likely perform well as a cross string in a hybrid with something like a natural gut main. I found the best spin to be on topspin ground strokes. It lacked a bit of the bite on my slice shots that I typically get with a shaped or sided polyester string.
Feel/Comfort
Feel from Deuce was crisp yet very comfortable. It had a little more spring to it than some polys, but was still firm enough on contact to inspire confidence. While I could feel the string flex on contact, I appreciated that it didn’t have the overtly springy nature that some softer co-polys are prone to having. Response on contact was well connected to the ball and I felt the string played with uniform responsiveness across the entire string bed. I didn’t experience any comfort issues while playing with Deuce and it should be fine for most polyester players, especially in the thinner 17g variation. Players with more sensitive arms could consider lower tensions or doing a hybrid with an even softer string in order to maximize comfort.
Durability/Playability
Durability was about average for a round, smooth polyester string. It started notching within about 2 hours of play and I broke the string just shy of the 10 hour mark for court time. Moving to the thicker 16g option would likely have given me a little more play time with the string, but I tend to trend the feel of thinner strings for a bit of overall durability. I was impressed with how consistently playable Deuce was. It played with similar response each time out, even as it lost tension with each hitting session. I was still able to take full confident strokes right before it broke and the string never lost large levels of control or feel.
Overall
Tourna’s Deuce string is a unique looking offering that mixes attributes from some of their different string offerings. It provides a bit of a power boost without giving up control, has solid spin production and offers consistent feel and response. Couple those factors with its above average playability and price point and it becomes even more attractive. Tourna Big Hitter Deuce is a great choice for anyone who wants a comfortable, controlled poly that is flexible enough to perform well in either full beds or hybrids at a very competitive price.
About the Reviewer: Matt Locke formerly served for 3 years as the Junior Programs & Development Coordinator for USTA-Idaho. He is a PTR certified coach and is an active USTA 4.5+ League and Tournament player.