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Banana Bite is a new generation monofilament produced and marketed by String-Kong, an Italian brand specialized in tennis strings and accessories.
The newborn String-Kong is a co-poly of the latest generation with pentagonal sectionthat uses the technologies BRE Technology (a particular molding technology owned by String-Kong) and SSP Technology (a special surface coating to increase the flow of the strings).
It is a yellow colour and is distributed in sizes 1.19, 1.25 and 1.30 mm.
The price is about 9 euros for the 12-meter reel and 109 euros for the 200-meter reel.
The packaging of the 12-metre reel, as usual in the String-Kong style, is very nice and colourful. On the back you can see the string’s aptitude, the recommended tension range and the explanation of the applied technologies.
The main qualities of Banana Bite, i.e. control and spin, are immediately evident on court. Access to the rotations is immediate and guaranteed by a marked snapback effect. In fact, thanks to the application of a special surface coating (SSP Technology), friction is reduced, thus favouring the sliding of the strings. As a result we will have deep and “safe” trajectories obtained in a natural way and without having to exasperate the technical gesture. The ball comes out of the stringbed “heavy” but always under control.
Control is in fact the real strength of the Banana Bite. The progressive plasticization of the string increases the perception of control shot after shot and gives the player maximum confidence in the execution of shots.
The power is there but it’s not free. To return to the right level of power (especially for larger gauges) the Banana Bite must be stressed by strong and decisive strokes. Very pleasant and satisfying is the “full sound” produced by the impact on the ball, a real “burst” that resounds loudly on the playing court. Much more “playable” and easy to trigger (albeit with a slightly more metallic sound) the caliber 1.19.
Tension holding is at the highest level, especially in calibers 1.25 and 1.30. The string remains playable for about 14 hours, an excellent result when compared to the average duration of the competitive monofilament segment.
The comfort, being a monofilament intended for a competitive audience, is not very high. The stiffness of the string is quite high but not prohibitive and allows the Banana Bite to remain playable (especially in caliber 1.19) even for an audience not strictly competitive.
The Banana Bite, as anticipated in the field test, is a perfect string for the powerful player who makes rotations the focus of their game. The string also allows the player to hit the whole arm without going off turns.
More playable is the 1.19 mm calibre version, which is also appreciated by more “amateur” players while keeping the string’s characteristics intact.
The tests were performed by stringing the String-Kong Banana Bite on:
The String-Kong Banana Bite is a modern monofilament string with outstanding control skills and excellent access to spin. Top levels also from the point of view of tension holding.
We thank String-Kong (in the person of Ivan Buffoni) who provided us with the strings for our tests.
