Two of the most popular polyester strings on tour, but which one belongs in your racquet? We’ve tested both extensively over the years, and while they’re both round polys with solid reputations, they play completely different. Here’s everything you need to know about these top tennis strings.
The Tale of the Tape
Luxilon Alu Power Profile:
- Round Stiffness: Medium-stiff (firmer than Poly Tour Pro)
- Colors: Iconic Silver (also Black, Orange, Ocean Blue, Lime Green)
- Gauge: 1.25mm (also 1.15, 1.20, 1.30) Price: Premium ($15-18/set)
- Used By: Roger Federer (hybrid with gut), Novak Djokovic, countless pros
Our review for the Luxilon Alu Power strings.
Yonex Poly Tour Pro Profile:
- Round Stiffness: Semi-soft (softer than Alu Power)
- Colors: Yellow, graphite gray, orange, black
- Gauge: 1.20mm, 1.25mm, 1.15mm (for 1.20 only)
- Price: Budget-friendly ($8-12/set)
- Used By: Nick Kyrgios, Ben Shelton, Marton Fucsovics, Belinda Bencic, Naomi Osaka
Review for Yonex Poly Tour Pro.
Feel & Pocketing
This is where Alu Power earns its legendary status. The ball pocketing is just special. It offers a crisp but not harsh feel and communicates exactly where you are in the string bed. Many brands have tried to imitate the formula of Alu Power, but haven’t quite nailed it. The pocketing and feel for a stiff string is quite unusual.
Poly Tour Pro offers more cushion on impact. It’s semi-soft with a bit more give than firmer strings. The feel is good but less distinctive than Alu Power’s signature pocketing. It’s somewhere in the middle of a softer and a firmer poly and plays with a good blend of control, feel and comfort. Some would describe it as slightly muted.
Winner: Alu Power for precision and feedback. Poly Tour Pro for comfort.
Control
Alu Power is literally the benchmark. It’s what other control polys are compared against. The firm nature means you can swing big and trust your placement. It’s predictable, reliable, and gives you 100% confidence to go for your shots. This string drops tension relatively fast, but can be played also at lower tensions with good control thanks to the stiffness.
Poly Tour Pro gives you good control when fresh – better than soft polys like Tour Bite Soft or Cyclone Tour. But it’s not in the same tier as Alu Power or Luxilon 4G. It’s a solid choice for a softer poly, but it is not quite as dependable as I would like.
Winner: Alu Power by a significant margin.
Spin Potential
Alu Power is round, not shaped, so it’s not a spin monster. But it generates solid spin for its category – better than Poly Tour Pro. For maximum spin, pros go for Alu Power Rough (the textured version).
Based on my testing, Poly Tour Pro actually has the least spin of all the polyester strings in the Yonex string family. The string lacks the snapback and bite that I look for in spin strings. That’s why tennis pros who use it often pair it with more spin-friendly strings in hybrid setups.
Winner: Alu Power, though neither is a spin specialist.
Comfort & Arm-Friendliness
Alu Power is firmer than Poly Tour Pro. It’s not a comfort string, though I’d describe it as crisp but not harsh. It’s not ideal for beginners or players with arm issues. There are softer, more forgiving options if comfort is your top priority (look at HEAD Lynx or Solinco Hyper-G Soft).
Most players who need comfort use Alu Power in a hybrid with natural gut or Element. This is Poly Tour Pro’s biggest advantage. It’s semi-soft with a softer feel that’s easier on the arm than firmer polys.
Winner: Poly Tour Pro for comfort. Alu Power isn’t uncomfortable, but it’s definitely firmer.
Tension Maintenance & Durability
This is Alu Power’s Achilles heel. It drops tension quickly – often losing 10%+ in the first hour, then continuing to drop. After the tension drop, it can feel a bit “dead” or springy, which undermines confidence in placement. Physically, it won’t break easily. But performance durability is poor. You need to restring after 10-15 hours max to maintain that special feel.
If Alu Power’s tension maintenance is bad, Poly Tour Pro’s is worse. When I’ve used it in poly/poly hybrids, the setup plays well longer than a full bed of Poly Tour Pro, which usually just lasts a few hours for me.
Winner: Alu Power (but only by default — both are poor).
Price & Value
Alu Power costs $15-18 per set. It’s one of the most expensive polys on the market. Given the poor tension maintenance, you’re looking at $15-18 every 10-15 hours. That adds up fast.
Poly Tour Pro costs $8-12 per set. Nearly half the price of Alu Power. Even with the faster tension drop, the lower price makes it more palatable for recreational players who restring often.
Winner: Poly Tour Pro for value. Alu Power for “you get what you pay for.”
Installation
ALU Power is a bit of a diva during stringing. It coils aggressively and has some memory, so stringers beware. Pre-stretching helps tame it a bit if you’re doing a full bed. Expect your stringer to charge extra or grumble a bit.
Poly Tour Pro has no special installation issues. Standard poly stringing.
Winner: Poly Tour Pro for easier installation.
The Hybrid Strategy
I regularly use Alu Power mains / Element crosses – it’s one of my favorite setups. Benefits include Alu Power control and precision in the mains, Element comfort and power in the crosses, and it’s more arm-friendly than full bed Alu Power. This hybrid is also used by Emma Raducanu and Gael Monfils. The classic Alu Power (or Rough) mains / Natural gut crosses is what Roger Federer uses. It gives maximum feel and comfort from gut, control and durability from Alu Power, and extends playability versus full bed Alu. Expensive but worth it for serious players.
For Poly Tour Pro, the interesting approach is using it as a cross string with firmer polys in the mains. This is the reverse of traditional hybrids, but it works:
- Ben Shelton: Poly Tour Strike mains / Poly Tour Pro crosses (53/56 lbs)
- Casper Ruud: Poly Tour Spin mains / Poly Tour Pro crosses
The firmer, more spin-friendly string in the mains provides control and bite. Poly Tour Pro in the crosses adds comfort and cushion without losing too much performance. The setup feels stiff, yet forgiving and plays well longer than a full bed of Poly Tour Pro.
When to Choose Alu Power
Perfect for advanced players (NTRP 4.5+) who value precision above all, want benchmark control and can afford frequent restringing, or are looking for that special pocketing feel you can’t get elsewhere. Also good for players who don’t break strings often (physical durability is good) and those willing to pay premium for premium performance.
Best used in control racquets at 47-52 lbs (Blade 98, Prestige, Gravity Pro), power racquets at 52-55 lbs (Pure Aero, Pure Drive), or hybrid setups with Element or natural gut for better playability. Skip it if you have arm issues (go softer), you’re on a tight budget (restring costs add up), you rarely restring (performance drops fast), or you want maximum spin (get a shaped poly).
When to Choose Poly Tour Pro
Perfect for intermediate to advanced players looking for comfortable control, those who want a softer poly without going all the way to Tour Bite Soft, players on a budget who need to restring often, or anyone using it as a cross string in poly/poly hybrids.
Best used in spin-friendly racquets at low tension (Clash, Ezone, Regna) at 46-50 lbs, as a cross string with firmer polys like Poly Tour Strike or Poly Tour Spin, or in 16×19 string patterns where it can breathe. Skip it if you need elite control (Alu Power or 4G are better), you want maximum spin (Poly Tour Strike or shaped polys are better), you need tension maintenance (this drops fast), or you want the best feel regardless of price (Alu Power wins).
The Tension Guide
For Alu Power in powerful racquets (Pure Aero, Pure Drive), I recommend full bed at 55 lbs (25 kg) or hybrid with Element/gut at 51/51 lbs. In control racquets (Blade 98, Prestige, Gravity Pro), use full bed at 47-50 lbs (21-22.5 kg) or hybrid at 50-51 lbs. The stiffness allows you to string lower without losing control.
For Poly Tour Pro in spin racquets (Clash, Ezone, open patterns), use full bed at 46-50 lbs (lower than Alu Power) or as cross string at 48-51 lbs. In control racquets, use full bed at 49-53 lbs, though I’ve found it works best in more forgiving frames. The key is using lower tension to access its comfort and feel benefits.
Budget Alternatives
Want Alu Power performance at Poly Tour Pro price? I recommend Weiss Cannon Silverstring (an excellent competitor to Alu Power), RS Lyon (really close to Alu Power, a little softer, significantly cheaper), or HEAD Hawk Power (very similar to Alu Power with good pocketing and feel). All cost $8-12/set versus Alu Power’s $15-18. Want better performance than Poly Tour Pro? Try Poly Tour Strike (firmer, more control, better tension maintenance – Naomi Osaka uses this), Poly Tour Force (new Yonex option between Strike and Pro for more power), or HEAD Lynx Tour (medium stiff with better control and tension maintenance).
Summary
I list both strings among my favorites, but in different contexts. Luxilon Alu Power is my reference standard – “the icon, semi-stiff.” Yonex Poly Tour Pro is what I use when I want more comfort – it’s “semi-soft.” My most used setups include Alu Power 1.25 mains / Element 1.25 crosses, various spin strings (Hyper-G Soft, Lynx Tour, Toroline Caviar), and Poly Tour Pro occasionally for comfort. Alu Power gets more playing time in my racquets, but Poly Tour Pro serves a specific purpose.
Do You Need Either?
Neither is the absolute best at anything specific (spin, comfort, control, tension maintenance etc).
So why are they so popular? Alu Power is the gold standard. Not the best at any one thing, but excellent at everything. The feel is truly special. Pros love it. It’s the racquet tester’s reference point. Poly Tour Pro is good enough at everything while being budget-friendly and comfortable. Perfect middle-ground poly. Works great as a hybrid cross.
Buy the strings here: