The word “soft” is popping up everywhere; for good reason, we think!

Most juniors and high-level players we deal with have or are now switching to “softer” strings.

The following plot shows the difference between Luxilon Element 125 and Luxilon Element IR Soft 127. Looking at the slope, you can tell the Soft is softer than the non-soft, but by how much?

Element v Element Soft

A quick calculation says about 12.3% at 50 (22.68Kg) pounds of force.  If you follow the slope, you will see that at 100 pounds of force (45.36Kg) the strings intersect at a deflection of 54.8mm.

If you hit very hard and exceed the 100-pound mark, the “soft” will become slightly less soft than the “non-soft.”