Luxilon Big Banger Original Rough 16/1.30 String

Overview
Slightly textured version of Luxilon's hugely popular string for improved spin. This one is made for big hitters who want maximum control and spin on big swings. It has a firm feel. Big hitters will notice a powerful snapback, giving them a very heavy ball.
- Gauge: 16/1.30mm
- Length: 40ft/12.2m
- Composition: Co-polymer (nylon) + Fluorocarbon resin
- Color: Amber
Previous Feedback
Comments: I agree with the long string of positive comments below. The feel is great. The pop is great. Best of all, these don't break easily, or at all. I just ordered another 5 sets to restring my 5 racquets.
From:TC< 7/15
Comments: I live in the Boonies, more than an hour away from a decent stringer, so durability is a major factor for me. This string gives me the spin I need for my topspin, great feel on the groundies and the best durability I have ever found in a competitive string. Highly recommended! I use a Wilson K Four strung a 55 lbs. I don't notice the loss in tension that others mentioned.
From:Reed, 5/14
Comments: Strung it on my Pro Staff 95 at 54lbs and its fantastic. I was using NXT Tour before and it has by far beaten that. The frame of my 95 is so flexible it doesn't hurt my arm like before (was using a six one 95 before, which is a stiff frame). Give it a go, I really like this string.
From:Joe Jackson, 5/12
Comments: I really love these strings. Unbelievable spin and control and great durability.
From:Ben , 5/12
Comments: I use a Wilson K Six.One Tour 90 and I string with this string on the mains with Wilson K-Gut strings on the crosses (both at 53lbs). The amount of spin you can get on your groundstrokes is phenomenal, great pop on the serve and on flatter groundstrokes. As another reviewer said though quick racquet head speed when hitting your shots is a must. I found that if my arm didn't move fast enough into the strokes, I was spraying shots well beyond the baseline. Great strings if you wanna be aggressive!
From:Babak, 9/11
Comments: The first 4 hours was heaven for me. After that, I fell from the sky like a burning rock into the deepest dark ocean. I don't know what happened. The string was strung at 55 lbs and just died on me a few hours after. Literally! I felt it was a waste of money.
From:Marc, 9/11
Comments: I love this string. My racquet has a dense string pattern and this string really helps me keep the ball in so I can focus on being aggressive. I strung it at 54/52 and it feels amazing. The strings never moving is an added plus.
From:Javier, Sunnyside, WA, USA. 5/11
Comments: Excellent strings!! I rely on power and spin for my game. I find these strings very durable. They lose tension in the first 2 days, consider this when stringing. I use them at 25 kg on my Babolat PD.
From:Fabio, Italy, 09/10
Comments: I use both Alu Power Rough and this one for more than 3 years now, in full bed setup. Both are outstanding strings if you are an aggressive and explosive player (these are control oriented strings with less power than the majority of other strings). And they are overall interchangeable as far as I am concerned. Alu Power Rough provides a bit more of spin and probably a tad more of feel. But Original Rough lasts longer and keeps the elasticity and tension longer too.
From:Christian, France, 08/10
Comments: I love this string, make sure you swing fast, you key in, man, really makes your baseline game money!
From:Jon, Lincoln, NE, USA, 08/10
Comments: The racquet I play with is a Wilson K factor K six-one tour 90. I have been using the Luxilon Big Banger rough 16 ever since I switched to this racquet. I am a 4.0 player with a big serve and big forehand. It has given my game more power and spin on the groundies and more pop on the serve. I don't see myself switching to another string anytime soon. It is a must have string for big-hitters and frequent string-breakers.
From:Ralph, Richmond, VA, USA, 09/09
Comments: Offers more power and spin than Pro Hurricane Tour but sacrifices a little bit of control.. Definitely more comfortable and arm forgiving than Pro Hurricane Tour. Worthy of try!! Gonna stick with it.
From:Adhitya, Jakarta, Indonesia. 8/09
Comments: THE BEST STRING EVER! Great spin and control. Used to use Prince Synth Gut and this Big Banger Rough added 25% more spin and control with no sacrifice in power (well, maybe 5%, but loss of power not an issue!). In six months of play 3x a week at 5.0 level, the strings still have NOT MOVED! Great strings. If you want a little more power and a little less spin, use the Luxilon hybrid. Lots of power and still very good spring.
From:Don, Pipersville, PA, USA. 3/09
Comments: Love this string. Once I found the right tension for this racquet, this string added so much power and spin. I will never ever ever switch to another string!!!
From:Darrin N., Houston, TX, USA. 2/09
Comments: Do not string 10% lower, or the string will be terrible and will feel really bad. If I get this again I will be stringing more like 3-5% lower rather than 10%. But besides that I liked the string. 53 pounds k 6.1 team.
From:Josh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. 2/09
Comments: I simply don't understand the fawning adoration these strings get. First I strung them hybrid at my regular tension (60), but that *killed* my elbow. Then I dropped it down to 54, per the instructions. So now I have a tension I don't like, and strings that *still* hurt my elbow. Tore them out, and won't use again. While they were in, felt OK, produced good spin, but the downside is too great for me - low tension requirements and elbow destroyers. Prior to using these, I had never had any elbow problems at all.
From:Anon, Miami, FL. 2/09
4.0 - 4.5
Comments: Editing from my last post, this string does not last long. Just one week and it broke right in the middle.
From:anonymous, san ramon, ca. 2/09
Comments: Just even looking back on the dates of these reviews, you can see how popular Luxilon (polyester in general) strings have become in such a short period of time, and how they have revolutionized the game of tennis. There was one review for Big Banger Original in 2003, two in 2005, and since 2007 there have been like 15. That speaks for itself. This in the mains at 59 with VS Gut 16 in the crosses at 57 is just unbelievable. The spin production is ridiculous, great feel, and supple power. What more could you ask for? Truly a great poly. I would recommend, though, that you string it significantly looser than you other non-poly strings. I used to use Tecnifibre X-one full stringbed at 64, but this stuff feels like a board that tight.
From:Anon, 11/08
Comments: These strings are the best strings around for a Western grip forehand. I take monster rips at the ball, right off the bounce, and it falls in every time. However, these strings are only for the serious player. When the ball hits, it flies at my tennis partner so fast. If you don't hit through the court and hard, the ball will land short. I used Wilson NXT Tours for years, but these strings, strung at 56lbs, are my new strings. Perfect strings
From:Robert, MD, USA, 09/08
Comments: I am a high school freshman and I hybrid strung this at 55 lbs with Tecnifibre X-One Biphase crosses at 52 lbs on my Dunlop Aerogel 200, and I loved it! It had great spin when I first hit it, but once I broke them in, I could get real power and control. I am a semi western topspin forehand and a one-handed backhand and my NTRP level is 4.0. The X-One wasn't very durable, and it broke after about 2 weeks (I usually break strings every 1-2 months). This time I am going to try stringing the whole thing with the Luxilon at 55 and see how it feels
From:connor, raleigh, NC, usa. 6/08
Comments: I have had this string for close to a year now. I had it strung before my high school season, and I used the same racquet and sting the whole season, and it never broke. This string has a great amount of power and control in it. I recommend this string for everyone.
From:Edmond, Green, OHIO. 6/08
Comments: I've played with a lot of polyester type strings. I've put a lot of ALU Power sets in my racquets, hybrids with gut and multis so I feel I know strings. Although the best stringbed out there is gut and ALU Power, if I am going with an all poly bed I go with Big Banger original. I've heard from a lot of people that this string is stiff and hurts the arms, but I didn't experience this at all. I strung it at 56 lbs, and it feels great. It's a great string for shot makers I really think. Guys like Gasquet and now Safin are using it. All the clay courters use it because they grew up with it and it's very durable, but I was amazed at how much control it has. With the first hit with it there was so much topspin, but once you break them in incredible shot-making can be achieved. You can really plow through the ball with this string. I will be sticking to this string for a while now. I am anxious to try it with a hybrid.
From:Colin, Seattle. 3/08
Comments: After playing with this string, I can see why clay courters could use this string for the amount of spin you can put on the ball. It also has a lot of control, and you can hit the ball in from any part of the court. I didn't find it too stiff like others here did. Definitely string it below 57 pounds.
From:Anon. 1/08
Comments: I'm a high school junior, and I just got these strung and played with them and they are all right. I use a Babolat AeroPro Drive racquet and strung these at 60 lbs. not perfect for me but are better than average. Personally I don't like them but I'm sure a lot of others will like these as they are very good strings. At 60 lbs on my racquet, they have excellent spin, but feel is not to my taste. They are somewhat soft on the racquet and provide a trampoline effect without the power. They do not move at all as I am a western gripped topspin hitter. On serves they are amazing, though, I am a continental flat or kick server (kick goes about 6 ft.) Overall, nice spin, nice power, nice on serve, and average on feel.
From:Anon. 12/07
Comments: I hybridize Big Banger Original 16 Rough as the mains with Wilson NXT 16 as crosses on my n6.1 95. This setup is great for me. I can feel the ball pocket in the stringbed, which gives great touch at net and plenty of spin from the baseline and on the serve. The Wilson NXT softens things up and wears remarkably well since the strings stay put. Compared to an all NXT string job, the addition of BB Original Rough allows me to swing out and have my shots fall just inside the baseline. I also feel I can control heavy serves and groundstrokes better with the addition of BB Rough.
From:Duane, Colorado, USA. 10/07
Comments: These strings are really good. For me they are very durable. The ALU power strings, the Babolat Hurricanes, the Tecnifibre Red Code and the Polyfibre TCS, all lost their tension completely after a month, and I can't play with a soft stringbed, so they weren't my cup of tea. But now I've found what rocks: The Big Banger Original Rough! I'm playing with a 29kg string in my Babolat Pure Storm Racquet.
From:Brett, Aalborg, Jutland, Denmark. 10/07
Comments: A lot of power, pretty good spin, fairly nice durability, loses tension quickly. Tension @ 59, Babalot AeroPro Drive... a 6.5 out of 10 for me.
From:Heath, Salyersville, KY, USA, 09/07
Comments: Used in a hybrid setup (Luxilon mains @ 54lbs & syn. gut crosses @ 52lbs) in my Wilson nCode 6.1 95. Compared to multifilaments it's not as arm friendly (stiff), lacks power, loses tension pretty fast but has great durability (no notching whatsoever in 2 months of play). Also, this lack of power allows you to hit fully without fear of the ball going out and control is superb, especially on touch shots. To new users of Luxilon: Don't go overboard on tension to avoid arm/wrist problems.
From:Thomas, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 08/07
Comments: I had my racquet strung with Wilson Reaction as well as my crosses, but I used 16 gauge with good results. Good combination of soft but crisp feel of the pre-stretched Reaction and the Big Banger Rough, which, though it does not actually feel "rough" texture-wise, it somehow does seem to add a good amount of spin to my relatively flat groundstrokes, which I'm pleased about. The combination has given me confidence to really swing out a little more aggressively, more confident that I will be able to keep my flat like topspin groundstrokes in. Enjoy!
From:Terry, 12/05
String Tension: 53lbs
Comments: I'm a 3.5 player and this string is a great string. It provides great spin and added power. If your having trouble with spin, this is a great string. You need to angle the shots wider outside to get it away from the middle though. I play w/nTour 105 @ 57lbs.
From:Taylor, Waipahu, HI, USA. 11/05
Comments: My doubles partner turned me on to it. I always used just regular nylon and said that string did not matter, but when I tried it balls that where sailing a foot out started falling in. I could tell by the way opponents returned my shots that it had made my serve and my groundstrokes a lot heavier. Plus it is nice not having to restring every two to three days and I did not think it had any less feel than the nylon I was playing with before.
From:Shaun, Burlington, NC, USA. 9/05
Comments: Like most of the Luxilon's 16g strings, this string lasts for a long time. I have been playing with the string for a month now and it has not shown any sign of breakage. It has adequate spin but I find it hard to hit a good sharp angled cross court because the string is too stiff. Overall, you get durability, adequate spin, but not too much in touch and feel.
From: Huey, San Jose, CA, USA. 9/03