I would like to dedicate this blog to Ian. Despite all of the advances in strings over the years, Ian still professes his true love for Kevlar string. I be this dedicated to a string should inspire us all. So for Ian, and for all of you who might need to stop a bullet with your backhand… I will talk about “Original Hybrids.”



Prince Pro Blend
Back in the days before monofilament polyesters were such the rage, if you broke strings all the time, this was the stuff they put in your racquet. It didn’t matter how it played or how bad your arm hurt, you used it so you didn’t go broke paying for restringing.
That was then this is now… In comparison to todays durable strings, Prince Pro Blend is at the bottom of the barrel, but in it’s day (late 80’s early 90’s) you saw this in a lot of serious players racquets. I used it (or something similar) all the way through high school and college. And who is more serious than me?

A hybrid string is actually two different strings. One for the mains (up and down) and a different one for the crosses (side to side). In the case of Prince Pro Blend the mains are made of Kevlar, and the crosses are your typical everyday synthetic gut. The stiff Kevlar mains are made to last forever, while the softer feeling synthetic crosses provide a little more comfort and playability.
Kevlar strings are strictly for durability, and have little to no playability in them. They are extremely stiff and very uncomfortable. If this was the only string you put in your racquet you could have arm problems. Kevlar is also very expensive, so that might be another reason to only use half of what you need!
The synthetic gut crosses give you a little more comfort, but they are nothing to write home about either. They are very average… good playability, decent durability. Since they are in the crosses, and don’t absorb as much of the punishment, they don’t have to last forever. What normally happens with Pro Blend is that the synthetic gut crosses eventually cuts through the Kevlar mains, thus breaking your strings. So it is a matter of friction, not power, that makes breaks.
I would guess that most sales of this string are because players have been using it for years, and haven’t tried the newer hybrids. I do not recommend Pro Blend to frequent string breakers anymore, and I don’t recommend it to you either.
One thing that can be said about this string is that it paved the way for the higher tech poly hybrids that almost all of the pros are playing with today. Todays hybrids play much better than Pro Blend, but Pro Blend has its place in history as the old school hybrid

Ashaway Crossfire
Ashaway Crossfire is also a Kevlar/Synthetic hybrid, but I hold it in a little higher esteem.
Crossfire is one of many hybrid strings that are made for frequent string breakers. While the concept for this string is no different than Prince Pro Blend, the execution is much better.
The Kevlar that Ashaway uses for Crossfire is a much softer braid, thereby making it a little easier on the arm. The softer feel does not decrease durability, and the thinner 17 gauge of Crossfire gives you a better feel for the ball. Spin and touch shots are played much easier with the thinner gauge. You do lose a little durability on the crosses when you go with Crossfire 17, but in comparison to a non hybrid 17, you will be fine for weeks or months depending on your playing style. If you never break strings there is no reason to use this string.
I used this string fairly often through college, and I liked it more than Prince Pro Blend, but it is more expensive, and in college that was an issue! Now I use a hybrid that uses Polyester strings in the mains, and natural gut in the crosses, and the feel is much better. The amount of power that the poly/synthetic hybrid offers is off the charts, but you have a better feel than with Kevlar, and you give up none of the durability.
So in conclusion, while Ashaway Crossfire 17 is an improvement on the Kevlar/Synthetic Hybrid, it still has a lot to be desired in comparison to todays poly hybrids. But if you use Pro Blend, you should give it a try, because it is a step up in quality and playability.