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Thanks so much mate! I’m glad you like it; this is the kind of stuff I’ll be focusing on even more as time goes by. The next upcoming vid is about a super niche equipment as well!

I would buy it directly from the YTEX website: www.ytexstrings.com/products/protour-blue?srsltid=AfmBOopwzrbXejDL3VQ6SPDoyefMMkpBkTxdd98NK4D90aPp7FXOGqp1 There's no soft poly other than PTB and M8 that I recommend (even M8 can play stiff if you string it too high; to get the best out of it you have to string low: ~40 lbs). I do have a recommendation that is not soft, but rather comfortably firm that you can make soft either by stringing low or by hybriding with a syn gut: Solinco Outlast. It's shockingly good for a round poly; both with spin and comfort. It's my favourite string from Solinco!

Hey, thanks! 1. If the coating has an effect, then it is very negligible because I didn't notice anything. 2. That would be my preferred way to play with X-Natural. I would actually pick something on the stiffer and lively end of the spectrum: Luxilon Alu Power Soft, Grapplesnake Tour M8, Solinco Outlast, etc.

The answer to both your questions is no, unfortunately. But there is nuance here. Some context: I'm not a string breaker; the only strings I break are multis, which is why I don't play with them. From a notching and locking perspective MGZX is no better than a soft poly where the stringbed locks up in ~4 hours. From a slipperiness perspective, it's not very slippery. In a full bed it actually behaves almost exactly like a full bed of gut, where the strings get locked out of place often and they make a 'clicky-clack' sound as you move them back in place. Most of the slipperiness comes from your choice of poly (in the case of a hybrid). The real reason to use MGZX is its softness and gut like feel. If you find that some other soft string is good enough for you then I would go with that instead of MGZX because it's likely to offer more snapback. If I were you I honestly would just give MGZX a try with your preferred poly. In your case one set could be split between two rackets and that will allow you to play around with the tensions a bit before deciding whether it's for you or not. Hopefully this helps!

Thank you! Yes I know about the knotting, I've done this myself, although never in a way where I wasn't able to salvage the situation.

@@11sweetspot11 Curious how you salvage it when it breaks at the knot?

It really depends on where the break happens. For me, all of my breaks happened when pulling tension on the knot, and there was still enough leftover past the knot itself that I could tie it to a separate piece of syn gut (which is itself tied to a floating clamp) that I used to pull to tighten the knot. I eventually learnt not to yank too hard while tightening the knot; it's best to pull gently and firmly with this string.

@@11sweetspot11 OK. Mine broke inside the knot, so the knot was not trustworthy. Also had one break as it crossed the frame on a non-grommeted hole, turns out that racket frame had a fracture and burr there, hard to see but enough to cut Zyex. It worked fine with Synthetic Gut. Zyex is particularly sensitive. I'm careful with Zyex string now and haven't broken another one. It demands an extra bit of care.

I haven't played with that specific stick so I can't say for sure, but I know it's very similar to V8 which I have hit with. I prefer lower tensions so 40 lbs is usually what I go with, especially in a lower powered frame. But I think most people would find TM8 really good at ~45 lbs. Just bear in mind that its awesome softness is best at lower tensions, and at higher tensions it acts more like a traditional lower-powered poly.

Yes, I mean hours of actual playtime! Good question, I should've clarified this in the video now that I think about it. 🙏

correct. May I ask if you tried the new Tour Mako string from Grapplesnake? If so, what did you think of it?

I have tried the Square X Sharp + Protour Blue combination, but I didn't necessarily like it better than this one. I don't care for absolutely insane levels of spin; my game is mostly based around deceptive manoeuvring of ball around the court so it's always hard to reach for my opponent. Spin plays a part in such a game, but it doesn't dominate it. I much prefer all-rounder setups. I have never tried any other colour of ProTour. If the black has more pocketing and feel then I'd definitely perfer that! I'll buy a reel once this one is done. Thanks so much for the tip! 🙏

Hey, I've tried it actually! And I loved it! Very unique and fun frame, possibly the one of two frames where I've been able to play at higher tensions or stiffer strings (I tend to prefer lower tensions and softer setups). This is unfortunately only available in Japan, although Prince is bringing it to NA sometime in 2025. The only difference between the NA and Japanese versions is the paint job; I feel the paint job on the Japanese is better. If you visit Japan you could grab one, but I feel most people are just better off waiting for the NA version since prices in Japan are always (much) higher than domestic prices.

Between XOB and PTB, I prefer PTB hands down. I know people say the XOB feels good, but I've never thought that. It is soft, but I don't feel that it's responsive enough for me. The durability is also trash. I'm not a string breaker (even with sun guts), but I always break multis in 4 hours or less. Try PTB at tensions between 34-42 lbs. You'll be surprised at how good this feels (assuming that you like responsive strings, and you don't mind the lower tensions too much).

I'm definitely interested in more of Grapplesnake's offerings, but not sure if I can get to them before next season. Temperatures are already dropping off here in 🇨🇦

I completely agree with your point on how M8 feels at higher tensions. I ended up preferring M8 at 42 lbs. If they made a thinner gauge of this I would be ecstatic!

I agree, strung at mid-40s tension, I liked playing with it a lot but sometimes found it a bit heavy on my arm after a couple of hours. I've moved to Diadem Solstice Power which I prefer; no discomfort, still soft but a tad crisper and smidge more power.

I think the tension is a big factor here. The behaviour I talked about is very prominent at low tensions. At higher tensions M8 can play like a traditional poly, so I wouldn't give up on testing the string. I ended up preferring mine at 42 lbs (I like lower tensions to begin with), and I think if you string 50 lbs or higher you might get the control you're looking for.

Can you please provide an update on Tour Mako. I also love Tour M8 and I am wondering how Mako is.

The low-powered nature of M8 really shows at higher tensions. At lower tensions (42 lbs or less) it becomes a lot more powerful. The behaviour I've described in my video is very prominent at lower tensions, which is where I like to play at. I'm interested in Mako too, but we'll see if I can get to it this season since temperatures are already dropping off in 🇨🇦

@@11sweetspot11 I’m also in Canada. Winnipeg actually. Play all winter indoors in a couple of ladders. It’s actually my winter sport oddly enough.

That's understandable tbh. For me squash is my winter sport; there's just a lot more people that play it as opposed to tennis in the winter.

I've been recommended Super Smash Orange a lot as well! I plan to try it out soon! Unfortunately, most polys are only really good for the first 6-10 hours (depending on how hard you hit the ball) and this is despite how well they maintain tension. I'm posting a review tomorrow for Grapplesnake Tour M8; it's very similar to PTB. It might suit you based on your soft poly preferences!

They’re in the same realm tbh, the difference is the ball bite. Because Solstice Power is so sharp it grabs the ball a lot more. I noticed it especially on slices.

@@11sweetspot11 durability wise? Ytex QT have a good durability

QT is more durable for me hands down. It does not notch and cut through itself as aggressively as SP. Where I really notice it is in spin generation. SP will give a lot of spin for shorter duration whereas QT will give me a little less spin for a longer duration. How much this makes a difference for you is really down to your style of play. For me it doesn’t matter as much, I just don’t prefer super sharp strings which is why I like QT better.

I did not; I actually didn't even know such a thing existed. I just lock the turntable on my machine and that does the trick. A little bit of a PIA, but not a big deal after getting used to it from my first few times stringing this racket. I personally feel that people online make too big a deal of the additional effort that is required to string this racket.

@@11sweetspot11 they string a lot of rackets lol. If you have to string a racket in 20 to 30 minutes and want to watch TV it's annoying having to either brake manually or use your hip which is a terrible thing on crank machines. It's nice when you can watch something and not have to look down as much at the racket when stringing.

I think the boomerang tool is long gone. I string a lot of O-Ports and use the table brake on the upper half of the crosses. They are a bit faster to string than regular grommets. I've also experimented with middle-out cross stringing which avoids the need for the brake. It took a little longer but probably would not once it was second nature.

@@alanb76 yeah it's gone, I talked to prince jp and they were like what even is this tool lol. I have a ghost 2 machine so I'm fine without it but I like the angle the racket sits at compared to the pulling head when the boomerang is used, it looks less straining than using the brake at a sharper angle

@@meowmixmeowmix One could almost certainly 3d print a tool if that was important, and there are old videos showing using a pen for a tool as I recall, but a good solid machine with a brake seems like the best solution. Stringing the crosses middle out is a little bit fiddly but reduces strain on the racket and I've heard that Prince approves middle out crosses and it avoids the need for a brake at all. I've tried it but not enough to get comfortable or fast with it.

Hey if you like PTB that much then you may not love the hybrid as much. It does play very nicely, but it does add quite a bit of stiffness to the setup. Here's an alternate: Grapplesnake Tour M8. It's like an in between this hybrid and a full bed of PTB. Hybriding M8 and PTB is also really good. I'm publishing a review of it in 2 weeks time so stay tuned if you want to hear more about it!

Good to hear! This is precisely what I mention in the video for hybriding pairings, including trying to re-create a much cheaper version of Federer's setup. Are there any cross strings you recommend as a good pairing with Monogut ZX?

​@11sweetspot11 one older gentleman is a 4.5 and uses kirschbaum max power 1.25 in the cross. Other guy buys the crossfire zx tour hybrid pack but does the monogut zx main 55 lbs and the monogut copoly at 52. I am going to be trying the ladder as the hybrid pack is 14 dollars. He gets about 16 hours of heavy play out of it.

I tried mine at many tensions: 50 lbs, 48 lbs, 44 lbs, 42 lbs, 35 lbs, 38 lbs and then eventually landed at 40 lbs as my ideal tension for this setup. To get the 40 lbs I initially string at 42/41lbs, and the strings settle in at 40 lbs and maintain it for as much as 20 hours for me.

@@11sweetspot11 i’ve never played that low in any racket and string combination. Currently I use a Yonex vcore tour with Solinco confidential 18 gauge at 50 pounds. It’s a pretty nice combo but I’m tempted to give yours a try. I’ll probably start at 50.

Hey, if that tension is what you're used to then definitely start at that. I tend towards lower tensions anyways, so 40 lbs is really just a preference thing. I think this setup played well at all tensions tbh.

Sorry mate, I haven't played with Poly Plasma before so I can't tell you. I did watch/read reviews on this after I read your comment and just based off that I think Poly Plasma is much stiffer than PTB.

Thanks! Let me know how it goes, hopefully you're experience is positive!

@@11sweetspot11 Thanks. I’ll let you know what I think. This may be a silly question, but can I have two rackets strung with just two packs of strings if they string them hybrid?

Yep, you can. I always do that when testing hybrids too. What stringers likely do is cut the string sets in half and use each half per racket.

@@11sweetspot11 Thanks so much!

Hey, I actually thought it maintained tension very well, much better than polys but not quite as well as natural gut. For me, it's 100% the cost. In Canada, where I'm located, one set of Babolat VS Natural Gut is $80 CAD (including taxes, VAT in Southern Ontario is 13%), and that's if you pick it up at a store and don't ship it for an additional cost to your home. Tennis is already such as expensive sport to play and there is no way I'm shelling out that much money. To me, Ytex ProTour Blue and Grapplesnake M8 get me 90% of the way there and they hold tension remarkably well. Even if I hybrid with Monogut ZX Pro I would pay way less than one set of natural gut.

@@11sweetspot11 wow that’s expensive. I’ve never tried natural gut but hear it’s amazing….but I didn’t realize it was that expensive

NG is definitely amazing, I would love to play with that alone. Definitely worth a try at least once; there's some folks I know who like it enough to remain committed to it despite the cost.

Where can buy sets from in Canada?

Ashaway tennis strings are unfortunately really hard to find in Canada. I bought my sets from the US when I was visiting there.

أنا لست لاعب كرة سلة لذا خذ هذا الرد بحذر. إذا كنت عرضة لالتواء الكاحل، فلا، ليس كذلك. ولكن إذا كان لديك حركة قدم جيدة، وإذا كنت خفيفًا على قدميك، وتعتمد على قوتك الخاصة في الحركة بدلاً من الأمل في الحصول على حذاء للمساعدة، عندها فقط أستطيع أن أرى أن هذا ينجح مع كرة السلة. Translation for those reading this comment later: I was asked whether the shoe is good for basketball or not. My reply is this: I'm not a basketball player so take this reply with a grain of salt. If you are prone to ankle sprains then no, it is not. But if you have good footwork, if you are light on your feet, and you rely on your own strength for movement rather than hoping for a shoe to assist, only then I can see this working for basketball.

@@11sweetspot11 شكرا جزيلا

I think a big factor with this string is that it is really old (been on the market for a long time). It's just been forgotten, especially in the wake of the poly trend that has overtaken tennis in the last two decades. Hopefully this video makes more people aware of this string, but I still do genuinely think that most people are not going to like it when they try it. It's a departure from how traditional strings play and that unfortunately is a big hurdle to cross. But you never know, I thought it had enough to offer to seriously consider this as my go-to string, and others may come to the same conclusion. Glad to hear you tried it out too! Give their Dynamite (multifilament version of this string) a try too. That one also plays pretty uniquely, it's more responsive than Monogut ZX!

As I said in the very beginning of the video, PTB is in the main and QT is in the cross.

@@11sweetspot11 spin string should be on the main right?

Not necessarily. It mostly comes down to what you're looking for out of your setup. If it's spin, then sure, that's probably the right way to go. For me, what comes first is getting ball pocketing, feel and control (the directional kind, not the pin-point type that is usually associated with control). This is why folks put natural gut in the mains, just as an example. Spin comes next, and I've always had to sacrifice a bit on this. So this entire string journey has been about not sacrificing on the spin front too much. While putting PTB in the mains and QT in crosses did give me a little less spin than the other way around, there wasn't a noticeable negative impact on my game, at least at the level I play at (3.5-4.0 player). If anything, the real downside is durability: PTB gets notched because QT is noticeably stiffer (that's a good rule of thumb - that the softer material always gets sawed into). But again, I'm mindful of the impact of polys on my arm and I restring my rackets (myself) every 8ish hours, so durability and decrease in spin performance is not much of a concern for me.

LOL, not quite as rich as gut, but fair point that it's not an inexpensive string. In hindsight I think I should've perhaps brought up the cost as a point of discussion in the video too. At the end of the day I don't think Ashaway moves too much of this string - so it might be harder for them to achieve even greater economies of scale in order to start bringing the cost of the string down.

I personally didn't experience a great deal of tension loss, but that also depends on what you consider as tension loss. For me, my tension dropped from 48 lbs to 44 lbs, stabilized there for the rest of my playtest .I didn't experience another tension drop after that.

It's not a poly. This is why it feels/behaves quite different. Personally, I'm not a string breaker and I didn't break this sting either. Do you mind sharing what poly mains you've used with Monogut ZX? Yeah I agree, a full bed of Monogut ZX is not for me either. It's funny you bring up kevlar because that's exactly what I wanted to try next with this string. I mean, there must be a reason why Ashaway sells a prepackaged set of Kevlar/Monogut ZX, right?

I'm not a string breaker, and I didn't break this string either. But I can tell you that the durability is FAR higher than in a multi. Multis are the only things I ever break, which is why I don't use them either (I also have never come across a multi I like the feel of). You do have to be careful when stringing this string though, especially when tying knots - you have to tighten knots very slowly. Everyone has complained about this, and I also snapped off the string when doing this (although I was able to salvage the situation).

Hey, that's great that you found a way to use this string that you're happy with! Do you mind sharing what polys you're using at the moment?

Yeah, it's a disappointing state of affairs. In my view, TW should be an independent verifier of string data, not the source of truth.

Thank you! 🙏 Lots more to come so stay tuned!

Hey, I didn't realize you had hit with this prior! I would've thought that you wouldn't like it because you like stiffer strings lol. I'm curious, what made you like it?

Hey, I actually completely understand why you would say that it's nothing close to natural gut. The sluggish responsiveness can make all the difference here. Most folks that I handed my racket to try landed on the same conclusion as me but had difficulty in describing the feel of Monogut ZX. Wow, ReString Zero flakes on you? I've never had that! I'm always super interested when folks experience things differently to me. What's your style and level of play? I'm curious as to what circumstances this flaking occurs for you. ReString Zero is a really good string; I reviewed it very positively myself, even though its not for me unfortunately.

@@11sweetspot11 Yeah. it's interesting to hear of other ppl's experiences. So I enjoyed your video. I really wanted a gut replacement that isn't fragile. I'm about NTPR 4, I'm an aggressive baseliner with top spin. Yeah Restring zero flakes like gut interestingly. Maybe ill give it a shot by mixing Monogut with Toroline next time

@@bmpjjaa Flakes? did you get a bad batch or what? never had a string flake but multi after months in the racket

@@robertgarcia2266 No. it flakes in a good way. It's so gut alike in perforrmance

@@bmpjjaa Racket head size and tension plus Gauge. Trying to find a good starting point for my 98. I remember restring zero being powerful on med strokes but not hard crushing shots. Its like the string has brakes unlike many poly that low power and high power the harder you hit or don't. But it could of been my tension.

Hey, I have only tried the GP Challenge One in the store, not on a court. I can't really go by that of course, but my initial impressions were not good mostly because I didn't feel a good heel fit. So I don't think I'll be buying those. I also already have 4 pairs of Zoom NXT lying around and want to go through them before buying anything else. There's another reason I want to avoid Nike shoes altogether now - they've become incredibly unreliable with scrapping and introducing new lines. It doesn't seem like there is a clear strategy, and it shows with most of their newer shoes getting very lukewarm reviews. Personally, I want what Asics does; a reliable shoe that keeps being iterated on instead of some new technology being shoved into a completely redesigned shoe. These are the ones I'm hoping to try once I go through my Zoom NXTs. - th-cam.com/video/4q4GWh2oQgQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=x5yZiI-9kUJ-cEIa - th-cam.com/video/pnUf-JU3HNs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ldLCOq_OEpqdonJE Hopefully this helps!

@@11sweetspot11 I’m from Brazil and here tennis isn’t a very popular sport, so the shops have only few models to try on. I always wanted to try this Mizuno. I play with a Wave Exceed Light (version 1) and I love them for the comfort. I found them to be so cushioned for its weight (it’s the lightest tennis shoe I’ve ever tried). Unfortunately they don’t last much. I didn’t play any sports before tennis and I’ve been playing since start of 2023 and never took lessons, so my level isn’t high and I can’t slide or anything like that. My previous shoe was an adidas game court 2.0 and it wasn’t nearly as comfortable as the Mizuno, but I played with it all 2023 and the sole is still ok. This Mizuno wave exceed light I bought in February of this year, and it’s almost unplayable because of the wear of the sole. Hope this enforce tour have a more durable sole. My NXT arrived, but I didn’t play with them yet because I didn’t found it to be as cushioned as this Mizuno I have, and I’m afraid to start feeling pain (I usually have ball of the foot pain on my right feet, the reason why I moved away from my original adidas). Thank you so much for the attention and the response, and please make a video when you try this other ones (I know you aren’t a shoes reviewer haha but your reviews are great in general!) keep the good work!

Thanks for such a nice and encouraging comment! 🙏🙏🙏 Unfortunately, the sole wear or wear of any kind is on a case by case basis. We all play and run differently so it's (usually) really hard to go by the wear pattern for someone else. All I can say is that if you see a lot of wear on your current shoe, then just simply move away from it. There's lot's of options for us casuals players; it's waaay harder for high level players who do have to stick to the shoe that works for them regardless of how fast they go through them. Keep trying shoes though, the right one for you is out there! The NXT is on the firmer side for sure, but at the same time that Air Zoom unit does a lot to cushion when you're actually playing; I can always feel it working. This has the benefit of giving good ground feel without being too harsh. One word of caution; the heel area in the Zoom NXT is unfortunately not cushioned very well. A lot of people have complained about heel pain with this shoe as a result. I luckily don't have any heel problems; I have decent footwork and I stay on my the balls of my feet pretty much all the time when I'm playing, but I do recognize that this can be an issue for those whose footwork tends to have them on their heels. So take the stock insole out, and put a better insole in this shoe instead. It does so much for your feet; I can literally spend twice as long on court because of this. Plus the added benefit is that it adds an extra layer of cushion for the ball of your foot (and heel in the case of the Zoom NXT). This is the one I personally use: move.one/en-ca/products/game-day-insoles-by-move I'll make a video when I try new shoes out, stay tuned! 😄

Thanks mate! A lot more to come so stay tuned!

I do find the same, that LP has the best ball pocketing among syn. guts for me, although I can also argue against that. I have a theory that there's many different 'flavors' of ball pocketing. I personally like the kind where the ball sinks deep into the stringbed and then comes out super quickly too (trampoline-like behaviour). So in short, super responsive, like PTB is. I have a friend I play with regularly who like the plush kind of pocketing; he doesn't care for the depth of ball pocketing, he just wants the stringbed to feel like a plush memory foam pillow (he always plays with multi hybrids). I personally don't like this, because to me this makes my stringbed feel 'sluggish'. To me, LP is more like PTB, although not quite as responsive. I still prefer OGSM the most for its versatility and that's why I recommend it the most to others looking for a good syn. gut, but prefer LP for my own personal setups. It's funny you bring up putting the softer strings in the mains because that's exactly what I'm experimenting with these days. I'm not sure I'm fully convinced yet, but I'm finding more spin than I expected for sure. Check out my latest hybrid video (Ytex PTB/QT) where I did the same, put PTB in the mains. I got really good spin with it, no different than when I put QT in the mains and PTB in the crosses (although I don't mention this in the video). And personally, I think slicker strings like Sync work even better for this, so you're probably likely to find even more success here than I did with my PTB/QT setup. Go for it and let me know how it goes! The only consideration is feel. Again, this is just a theory, but I find less feel with setups that have slicker strings that slide easy. Something about the friction between the strings and the tiny vibrations it produces is what adds to the feel of a string setup (I'm assuming rackets here stay constant). I've always wondered whether this is one of the reasons why natural gut gives such good feel.

@@11sweetspot11, I saw your PTB/QT vid, liked it and, yes, I think that setup reminded me of AM Stringer's idea. Am interested that you're experimenting with it. BTW, I too love OGSM's stellar responsiveness (and saw your vid on that too). But it takes a while for the stringbed to soften up. PLP, on the other hand, snaps back right off the stringer. I've played 5 hours with it, and still, it has yet to notch. And I personally like the feel of its 'slidiness,' and too, the way the ball catapults out of the pocket. I don't play poly because it looses tension too fast. But from what you said about PTB, that's not much of a problem. You have me thinking...

I understand what you're trying to say about OGSM. Sounds like LP is definitely the way to go for you. You should definitely give PTB a go. No guarantees of course that it will work for you, but if you like LP then I find it hard to imagine you not liking PTB either. Its tension maintenance is awesome, although it does notch quite easily, even on itself because it's so soft. Try it out, we all play and hit differently so experiences can vary. Come back and let me know about it, I'd love to know!

@@11sweetspot11 , thanks for the heads up about PTB notching. I'm considering a poly cross mainly for its notch resistance. So I'll stick with plan A (Sync) and let you know how it goes.

Hey thanks! I wasn't thinking too much about the racket choices that clay court specialists make, but I guess in hindsight it's applicable because David Ferrer also used a similar stick (I'm not sure about the specifics of what he used). Regardless, I'm glad you found the video helpful!

@@11sweetspot11 Not to mention Pablo Andujar... Btw, do you know a website which I could buy those o3 prince from? Im in EU and o3 are discontinued.Thanks!

Prince are coming out with a new version of the O3 Phantoms soon, and it will add to their current Phantom line (the ones with Zylon instead of Twaron). So you may have to wait just a bit if you're in North America/Europe. My guess is that it's going to be early 2025. The previous generation O3 Phantoms are all sold out now, and you can only get them second hand. Regarding the Japan editions: the new O3 Phantoms with Zylon have already been released there. The one I show in this video is the previous generation (with Twaron instead of Zylon). princetennis.jp/product-category/tennis/tennis-racket/tennis-racket-phantom-2025 I'm not sure how to get the Japanese versions imported here in North America. There are services in Japan that buy things on your behalf and ship them to you but they can cost a pretty penny and moreover, I haven't tried a service like this out myself so I can't recommend one (sorry!).

@@11sweetspot11 tyvm for all the explanations

Thanks mate, I’m still using it too!

That's definitely an interesting way of gripping a racket. Can't say I've heard of this before, but I'm never opposed to trying anything lol. I'm curious: how did you end up at this as a solution for gripping a racket?

@@11sweetspot11 I was needing an over grip in 2021 on my original racquet one from because the vinyl was peeling and I likes the size of the grip as is so as close as I could find was this tape I had. I also remembered that the end of the grip was not secured by anything so I used a waterproof glue I had on hand for a few other projects on the open end, having seen a few tennis pros in video in 1970's who used some kind of athletic tape for an over grip/replacement grip as modern rubber over grips besides leather/fake leathers were not available and having to between sets or matches add a little more tape for holding the grip down. I remembered some baseball players using soil/dirt on the tape becuse of sticky grip issues pre glove so I did the same and used some water for the speeding up process of feeling worked in (sweat) right after first initial bush off.