Earlier this year Signum Pro unveiled three new string products.  Two of those will be available to US customers for the first time beginning next week, the Hyperion and the Tornado.  We have received nearly weekly requests asking about these products and they are finally available.

At first these products will be available in a single gauge.  Depending on sales the US distributor may bring in addition diameters of the string.  The Hyperion is reported to be a livlier and softer version of the Poly Plasma, but in a black color instead of orange.  This string will be available in a 17 ga, 1.24mm.  We will initiatially carry it in sets, but it is also available in 660′ reels via special order.

Also Signum Pro has once again won the acclaim of the German Tennis Magazine winning their 2009 playtest with the highly touted Signum Pro Tornado.  This is the same publication that announced the arrival of Poly Plasma to the world back in 2004.  Signum Pro describes the Tornado as:

– Color: anthracite
– Heptagonal shaped Co-polyester string
– Axially twisted
– Gives exceptional spin
– New optimized molecular structure
– Minimum tension loss
– Excellent ball control
– High dynamic power
– Excellent playability and comfort

Initially the Tornado will be available in a 17ga, 1.23mm diameter.  While we have not playtested either of these strings, we are making them available based on our long history with Signum Pro, our knowledge of their products, their proven record of success and customer demand.

Now for the bad news.  These new strings come at a premium price.  While not quite hitting the Luxilon pricing stratosphere, they are costly.  Hyperion sets will retail for $12.39 per set and $143.35 per reel.  The Tornado will go for $14.69 per set and $176.83 per reel…OUCH!  Because of cost, we are only introducing it via sets and can provide reels upon special order.  If there is enough interest we will stock the reels for our customers.

A brief history lesson.  In 2005 Guts and Glory Tennis introduced Signum Pro string and grip products to the USA as the exclusive distributor.  In 2006 when Luxilon sold distribution rights to Wilson, the US distributor for Luxilon lost that product line.  As such they needed to find another poly-based string offering and approached Signum Pro.  Ultimately they bought the rights to distribute Signum Pro strings in the USA.  At the time we were not large enough to match the offer of the new distributor…today it would be a different story and we would fight for the rights.  Because we are no longer the exclusive distributor for Signum Pro in the USA we are required to follow MAP pricing.  This means it is not possible for us to sell below the set MAP pricing.  We have no control over the pricing of Signum Pro strings and sell at the lowest allowable cost.

We have some questions for our blog readers.  Do you plan to purchase at these price levels?  Are you interested in the reels?  Are you interested in additional gauges, if yes, which ones?  We are here to serve our customers and if demand warrants the addition of reels to our inventory, we will definitely add them, but at $176+ clams, we just wonder…

We are currently accepting Pre-orders for these string sets.  They are scheduled to arrive next week.  If you want to be one of the first to hit with them, send us an email or give us a call.  Our contact information is on the web site, www.ggtennis.com .