ISOSPEED Cream 16L/1.28 String
4.6
Overview
Isospeed Cream is an extremely comfortable control string, making it ideal for the big hitter who wants a more arm-friendly option. The low-powered response is perfect for the player who likes taking massive cuts at the ball without having to worry about over hitting. Compares very favorably to the softest co-polys on the market.
- Gauge: 16L/1.28mm
- Length: 40ft/12m
- Composition: Co-polymer Monofilament
- Colors: Cream
Note: Isospeed has changed the gauge on this string from 17 to 16L
Videos
Customer Reviews
Slick, Soft and Shock-Absorbent CrossI string a ton of Cream for rec players around 2.5 to 4.5 NTRP, mainly as a hybrid cross, paired with either synthetic/gut mains to increase control, dwell and snapback, or paired with poly mains to increase pocketing and shock absorbency. Aside from above benefits, a huge upside of Cream is comfort that lasts, as it's made up of about 50% rubber, which means it won't fully plasticize ("go dead") like a conventional poly, ensuring a minimum amount of arm comfort even as it ages and wears down. The main downside with Cream is shorter playability if you hybrid it with a string in the mains that is too firm, sharp and/or high in friction. A secondary knock is too muddy/vague of an overall feel if you pair it with a string that is also very rubbery/muted. With all that in mind, I've found the following to work best in the mains: natural gut, Tecnifibre Triax, Babolat synthetic gut, Topspin Cyber Flash, and Weiss Cannon Silverstring. Overall, a fairly unique and valuable offering from IsoSpeed, that fills its niche very well, provided you pair it with a partner string that makes sense and tension the combo reasonably.
Good alternate to Polytour ProI was looking for a something softer than Polytour Fire, which is my usual string and saw that this was similar to Polytour Pro. I break strings often and I'm in the market to buy a reel of something economical. I string on the tighter end of the spectrum, 55 with poly. This string broke off-center after exactly one hour of hitting. Up until that point it played pretty well, felt very comfortable. I think this string doesn't handle higher tensions well. 50 pounds and below I could see this being a really excellent string.
Great on the arm..butThis string is everything advertised, (feel, comfort power) but falls a little short in the control department.
Use this is a stiffer frame at the higher end of the recommended tension for more control.
Not just a soft stringThis string is great and very reasonably priced. It's super soft just as advertised, but I found it to also have great control and power. One thing I noticed is that the best way to use this string is to swing the racquet with a very relaxed swing. You will get a ton of free power. Haven't noticed any durability issues and the tension maintenance seems great. I played this at 50 pounds in a Clash pro and also 50 pounds in Technifibre TFight 300. Two very different racquets but plays great in both. I then tried my friend's Clash pro with Hyper G at 55 and immediately felt a huge difference. I could barely get the ball over the net with the Hyper-G at 55 pounds using the same swing as Iso-speed cream at 50.
Great Ball PocketingI am very happy I purchased this string. It is soft on the arm and offers excellent ball pocketing. Along with the good feel it offers I am able to take a big cut on the ball and keep it in play. I highly recommend this string to anyone who likes the feel of a multifilament, but wants control from a poly.
Arm friendlyI used this string at 16L at 55 lbs on a Wilson PS 97 v.13, and on my other Wilson PS 97 v.13 I have Solinco Hyper-G Soft 17g at 53, I must say no arm pain with Cream at all. But with the Solinco, I have a little wrist and elbow pain.
Soft poly with good tension maintenanceI like a full bed of poly, but my arm doesn't, especially as I get older. Was playing Luxilon 4G for several years, the stiffest of polys, and elbow/tendonitis problems started to appear. No surprise there, really, as even 20-something year old pros have arm problems with the stuff.
After a month off, I switched to Head Sonic Pro 16, which is a very soft poly that I'd used in the past a few times. It's fine just strung, but has massive tension loss rather quickly (50%+ loss according to TW string spreadsheet).
So, I looked for a string with similar stiffness and better tension loss, and Isospeed Cream 16L fit the bill. Works great. It's pre-tensioned (like 4G) and has half the tension loss of Sonic Pro. Also a tiny bit more pop, which is nice, and not enough to throw off your poly game. Like all polys it eventually goes "dead" due to loss of snapback, but it maintains tension even then. I'm getting 2-3 weeks out of it playing 3-4 times a week. Very happy.
Previous Feedback
Comments: Soft polyester, arm-friendly, but with control still and spin. Have made it hybrid and am very pleased. I expect it to help with arm pain.
From:Claudio, 4/30/21
Comments: Special string. Very comfortable polyester, has feel close to synthetic gut, tension maintenance of a multifilament, and almost as much control as stiff polyester. An innovative string with unique set of attributes.
From:JZ, 6/14/20
Comments: Tried this string in a variety of racquets. Plays great as a full bed -- much softer than full poly and quite similar in terms of feel and control to popular synthetic gut strings of the 1990s. I've lately favored this string as the main string in a hybrid setup with LXN Alu Power Soft and love that combo (the hybrid just firms up the string bed better than the full bed without compromising comfort and control).
From:Riaz, 6/22/19
Comments: This string is a perfect balance between a co-poly and a multifilament. For those who are looking for the first time to transition to a co-poly or those who cannot physically handle their current stiff co-poly, this is the string to get.
From:Eric, 3/29/18
Comments: Pros: softer than typical co-polys, making it very comfortable and easier on the arm; high elasticity allows better feel and ball pocketing. Cons: caution -- not for string breakers. I've strung four frames with this and broke each within 2 hours of play (16-gauge Prince Synthetic Gut lasts me around 4 hours). If the crosses don't snap early, then the crosses aren't far behind: they file down to a very thin filament and break before any notching can even set in. I bought in bulk (10 packs) to reach a cheaper price and very quickly regret doing so. Note: I'm a 30 year old, 5.0 player, using a Prestige MP 18x20.
From:Mike, 11/9/17
Comments: Good poly for those of us new to polys. Plays very well at 57 lbs in an OS frame. Really tames the power and keeps hard hit balls from launching. Probably the best poly for anyone with arm issues. However, don't expect this to cure your tennis elbow if you are still hitting with a stiff Babolat. Get a racquet with a RA lower than 65 and watch you TE go away. Good launch angle. Not too high. Just right. It's no Luxilon string but you can buy two of these for one Lux 4G soft. Seems to last a good amount of time too. It could become my poly of choice over my 18g Volkl Cyclone Orange which has about the same lab stiffness rating.
From:Mark, 4/21/17
Comments: Most comfortable monofilament poly based string I've played with. I'm a fan of soft polys like Polyfibre Viper or Black Venom but these loose tension way too fast, Cream is different in this aspect. Holds tension extremely well while maintaining most of its playability, especially in the comfort department. Great string to start for those coming from multifilaments. Also a fantastic option for people wanting a comfy and soft string but not wanting to sacrifice the spin and control polys give. If this string was sold under a brand like Luxilon or Babolat it would IMHO a bestseller for years to come.
From:Peter, 11/16
Comments: I have use a number of poly strings over last 10 years and have to say the Tennis Warehouse review is quite accurate. Cream is the most comfortable poly that I have played with. The string pockets the ball and there is no shock on off center hits. Cream was a bit too lively for the first 30 minutes then settled down quite with very predictable control on big swings. Cream could become my string of choice as I am looking for a solid control string that will not beat up my arm. Kudos to Tennis Warehouse for carrying such a high quality string for a reasonable price.
From:Ken, 6/16