Luxilon 4G Review: The String That Refuses to Go Dead

There's a specific frustration that every frequent player knows. You string up a fresh set, it feels great for the first few sessions, and then — somewhere around hour eight or ten — the string loses its edge. The tension drops, the response gets mushy, and you're essentially playing with a dead string until you finally get it restrung. Luxilon built the 4G specifically to solve that problem, and it does it better than almost anything else on the market.

I've hit with the 4G extensively in my Babolat Pure Aero 98 and Head Gravity Tour, and my honest take is that this is one of the most polarising strings in the Luxilon lineup — players either love it or find it too stiff. Here's the full picture.

What Is Luxilon 4G? Construction and Key Technology

The 4G is a round monofilament polyester. Nothing exotic about the shape — it's the same circular cross-section as Alu Power. What's different is the compound. Luxilon engineered the 4G to prioritise tension maintenance above almost all else, and they back that up with a claim of roughly 30% better tension retention compared to Alu Power.

That's a meaningful number. Alu Power already holds tension reasonably well by polyester standards, so a 30% improvement puts the 4G in a different category entirely. The trade-off is feel: the 4G is stiffer than Alu Power and has what I'd describe as a wire-like, locked-in response. It's muted. Firm. There's no extra pop, no elastic liveliness in the stringbed. The ball goes exactly where you put it, and the string gives you almost no additional information back through the frame.

Some players find that deadness unsatisfying. I find it useful — particularly when I'm taking the ball early and hitting flat, because I want predictability, not a live stringbed that adds unpredictable variables to my timing.

Luxilon 4G vs Alu Power: Which Should You Choose?

This is the comparison everyone reaches for, and it's worth being precise about it. These two strings feel genuinely different, not just slightly different.

In the first few hours of play, Alu Power wins on feel. It has better pocketing, a more elastic response, and that characteristic "thwack" that makes it satisfying to hit with. Players who love Alu Power love it for this reason — it feels alive. The 4G in the first hour feels stiff and muted by comparison.

But this is where the story flips. By hour eight or ten, the Alu Power has dropped tension noticeably and the feel that made it appealing has softened into something looser. The 4G at hour ten feels almost identical to the 4G at hour one. That consistency is its entire selling point. If you string every two to four weeks and you're not breaking strings, the 4G will reward you with a much more stable performance window than Alu Power.

If you string frequently (every week or more) or you break strings regularly, Alu Power is probably the better choice because you'll replace it before the tension drop becomes an issue. The 4G is built for players who want longevity from each setup. Read our full Luxilon Alu Power guide if you're still deciding between the two families.

Is Luxilon 4G Arm Friendly?

Straightforward answer: no, not especially. The 4G is on the stiffer end of the polyester spectrum — comparable to Solinco Tour Bite in stiffness. If you're already playing with full poly and your arm handles it fine, the 4G is unlikely to cause new problems. But if you're arm-sensitive, or if you've had elbow or wrist issues, the 4G is probably not the right choice. The 4G Soft variant (covered below) addresses this somewhat, but for genuinely arm-sensitive players I'd point them toward a softer co-poly or a hybrid setup instead.

String it at the lower end of your normal tension range. The 4G plays firm, so going even a couple of pounds lower than you normally would gives you a slightly more comfortable response without sacrificing the control and tension stability you're choosing it for.

The 4G Variant Range: Which Version Is Right for You?

Luxilon stocks the 4G in four versions, and they're meaningfully different from each other rather than just cosmetic variations.

Luxilon 4G Original

The benchmark of the family. Round profile, maximum stiffness, best tension maintenance, most control-first response. This is the version for players who want everything the 4G concept promises without any softening or spin-enhancing modification. Available at thetennisstore.com.au.

Luxilon 4G Rough

Same compound and tension maintenance profile as the original, but with a textured surface treatment. The rough finish adds friction on ball contact, which increases spin potential meaningfully — probably 10-15% more spin-friendliness in practice. There's also a slight softening effect from the surface texture, so the feel is marginally less wire-like than the original. If you want 4G's durability and tension maintenance but your game needs more spin, start here. Available at thetennisstore.com.au.

Luxilon 4G Soft

Around 10% softer compound than the original. This doesn't transform the 4G into a comfortable string, but it takes the edge off the stiffness for players who found the original too firm. Tension maintenance is still excellent — better than most polys — and the control character is preserved. For players who want 4G's longevity but found the standard version too boardy. Available at thetennisstore.com.au.

Luxilon 4G Desert Bronze

This is cosmetically different from the original — the distinctive bronze/gold colouring — but the construction and performance are identical to the standard 4G. Pure aesthetics. If you like the look of a bronze-coloured string in your frame, this is the version to go for. Available at thetennisstore.com.au.

Who Should Play with Luxilon 4G?

The ideal 4G player is someone who strings every two to four weeks, hits hard and flat, and values string consistency above all else. They've probably been frustrated by strings that feel great in session one and uninspiring by session four. They care more about the string performing reliably on week three than about maximising feel on day one.

It suits big hitters with full swings who don't need the string to add anything — no extra spin from a shaped profile, no extra power from an elastic compound. They bring the power and the spin themselves, and they need a string that stays exactly where they put it.

It's not the string for arm-sensitive players, for players who want feel and feedback, or for players who string very frequently. Those players would be better served by the Alu Power family or a softer co-poly like Hyper-G Soft.

Tension Recommendations for Luxilon 4G

Because the 4G is firm, most players should string it 2-4 lbs lower than their standard poly tension. For context: if you normally string Alu Power at 52 lbs, try the 4G at 48-50 lbs first. The tension maintenance is so good that the string won't drop much, so the starting tension you put in is close to what you'll be playing with for the life of the set.

In a tight-patterned frame like a 16x19 or 16x20, the control is very high, which most players find comfortable. In a more open 16x18 pattern with a powerful frame, the 4G can feel almost too controlled — ball landing shorter than expected.

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Frequently Asked Questions — Luxilon 4G

Luxilon 4G is available now in Australia from The Tennis Store, including the original, Rough, Soft, and Desert Bronze variants with fast shipping Australia-wide.