Toalson Rencon Devil Spin 1.30mm Review

Toalson is a Japanese string brand I have previously written about, as they produce some great strings at very attractive price points.

But what about Toalson’s Polyester strings? Can they rival the big boys (aka the ones they make strings for under white-label agreements 😁)? Probably!

One of their main offerings is Rincon Devil Spin, available in three gauges and two colours. How does it play? Let’s take a look.

Toalson Rencon Devil Spin Specification

GET DEVIL SPIN

Toalson Rencon Devil Spin is a high performance elastomer in 6 monofilament cores, extruded together with a high viscosity polyester offering greater durability and better retention of string tension. In addition, three raised monofilament cores provide three rough surfaces for great spin on impact. Toalson’s Devil Spin Pitch

String Specs

Racket Setup for Testing

I used a single pack of Rincon Devil Spin in black for this playtest at 1.30mm gauge. It was a two-piece string job at 48lbs (21.7kg/cm²).

The racket used was an uncustomised older generation Yonex VCORE 98 (without the blue stripe on the throat).

I strung it on a crank machine and stringing Devil Spin was comparable to all stiff polyesters – a bit of a pain but tolerable. Coil memory is significant, so I’m glad I did it as a two-piece.

The black string has a translucent look with a white/grey-ish colour on some of the edges, which you can make out in the picture below.

Toalson Rincon Devil Spin Playtest

This playtest was done on an outdoor hard court and was the third time I’ve used Devil Spin but never in the 1.30mm gauge.

Playtest time was 10 hours across three hitting sessions.

Initial Thoughts and How It Felt

Having used Devil Spin in 1.20mm and 1.25mm a couple of years ago, I had a reasonable idea of what to expect from the string.

At 1.30mm, it was a very stiff feeling stringbed, and after the first few hits, I didn’t feel great about it. I don’t have any elbow issues, but even I found it quite jarring on the arm.

The VCORE 98 isn’t my racket of choice either, which doesn’t help, but given its open string pattern and those Aero Fin grooves and Aero Trench grommet system to aid with spin, I figured the string paired well with this frame.

Devil Spin has a crisp-like feel, with very little softness and feels quite wiry. That will suit some players, but it is not my cup of tea.

How It Played

Power is often misused or misinterpreted with tennis strings, especially polyester. All polyesters are low-powered strings, but they give you the potential to generate lots of power as you can hit as hard as you want without seeing the ball sail into the fences.

So in terms of allowing you to swing freely and hit the felt off the ball, Devil Spin is right up there, but it won’t give you any direct assistance in generating more mph on the ball.

Compared to other polyester strings I have used in recent months, it is one of the more low-powered strings on the market.

For those who want some comparisons, Diadem Solstice Power 130, Solinco Revolution 130, and Dunlop Explosive Tour Grey 130 are strings with similar power levels.

Control

Devil Spin should probably be called Devil Control, as that’s where this string excels. String movement is non-existent, and the stringbed almost feels locked into place.

It has a consistent response and responds very predictably when you take a full swing. So for control, it is up there with top-scoring polyesters and should be on your playtest list if your current setup isn’t offering you enough of it.

Comfort / Feel

Rincon Devil Spin is of equal comfort to most other 1.30mm gauge polyesters I’ve tried, and I’d describe it as the middle of the road.

I put Luxilon 4G 1.30mm as the least comfortable string and Solinco Tour Bite Soft 1.30mm as one of the most comfortable, with Devil Spin sitting halfway between the two.

Therefore if you have arm issues, avoid this gauge and only consider the thinner ones at lower tensions (if you must use poly)

As for feel, I was initially not a huge fan of Devil Spin. While I know a polyester, especially in 1.30mm, will never feel as good for the backhand slice as a natural gut, I feel much more comfortable hitting slice backhands with strings like Mayami Tour Hex Solinco Confidential and Head Lynx Tour than I do Devil Spin.

Over time though, once plasticisation had started and the tension stabilised, things improved, and the stringbed felt a little more to my taste.

Spin

Despite the name, Devil Spin is not some spin monster string and would rate it below average in the category.

While it is still much higher than synthetics, it is not off the charts as the name suggests.

Of course, to reap the spin benefits of Devil Spin, especially in 1.30mm gauge, you need to hit the ball harder than I do, but from my testing, Rincon Devil Spin is more suited to a flatter ball striker.

Think of someone that still produces decent RPM but not that 2-metre net clearance type ball, more of the Daniil Medvedev type shot where he’s generating spin but on a flatter trajectory.

That crisp, almost sharp feeling allows players to swing out yet still land the ball within the lines.

Durability and Price

You can pick up a single pack of Devil Spin for £7/$8.50/€8, up to 50% cheaper than some other polys, so the pricing is very attractive.

Durability is on a par with most polyesters, and I think hard hitters will get around 10-12 hours from Devil Spin before a fresh string job is required.

I’ve had it on for 10 hours now, and it played its best after 1 hour of use and still feels pretty good. In 1.30mm, I cannot see durability being an issue for many players.

Tension Maintenance

The picture above shows the Mini STT reading around 1 hour after stringing (left) and the reading after 90 minutes of play (right). So no drop recorded here.

However, the Tennis Tension app records differently, as you can see below. It was 42lbs around 1 hour after stringing (standard), then 35lbs after a 90-minute hit on the same day, and 34.2lbs after a 60-minute hit two days later.

So after that initial loss, tension maintenance is good. Some strings hold tension well initially, then drop off a cliff, with others dropping quite a bit initially, then hold a constant for a reasonable amount of time. Devil Spin 1.30mm is the latter.

Who is this String For?

This string is not for everyone, especially not in the higher gauges; you need high-level technique and a well-trained arm to make the most of it.

If you hit the ball like an ATP Pro and enjoy stiff, crisp polyester strings, then Rincon Devil Spin is worth a test, especially with a low price compared to other more highly marketed polyester strings.

So like most polys, when mounted on spin-friendly frames and with an open string pattern, it is ideal for the powerful player who makes spin and control the basis of their game.

It can also be used and appreciated by intermediate-level players if strung at low tensions in thinner gauges. Still, they won’t benefit from what the string is designed for, so even if it ‘works’, they would likely be better off using softer, synthetic strings.

Similar Strings

Final Thoughts

Toalson Rencon Devil Spin in 1.30mm is not a string I’d use personally, but it is one to consider for players who like that stiff, crisp, stringbed, with decent spin and oodles of control.

I feel that if you’re a flatter hitter who likes to go big on the forehand and wants the confidence to do that, this string is worth trying.

Players with elbow issues should avoid using it in higher gauges and at higher tensions as it will not favour you.

For most players, 1.20mm and 1.25mm will be better for comfort and spin potential.

Pros

Cons

Have you tried Toalson Rencon Devil Spin? Let me know in the comments what you think of it.