Tru Pro Ghostwire Review: The Super-Soft Poly I Tested in Two Frames

The name sets you up for a translucent, disappearing-into-the-air kind of string. So the first thing I'll clear up about the Tru Pro Ghostwire: it's a solid white poly, not the clear "ghost" cosmetic the name implies. What actually earns the name is the feel. This is one of the softest co-polyester strings I've hit with in a long time, and the whole point of it is to give you poly control and durability without the board-stiff sting that comes with most control polys. I strung it up expecting a gimmick and came away thinking it's a genuinely clever string that happens to be pointed at a slightly different player than me.

If you've been shopping soft polys or hybrid crosses in Australia, the Tru Pro Ghostwire (sold here as "Tru Pro (Tier 1) Ghostwire," and known in the US as the Tier One Ghost Wire) has quietly become one of the better-value options. Let me walk through the specs, where the tension comes alive, how it played in two very different frames, and who I'd actually hand it to.

Tru Pro Ghostwire specs and construction

Here's what I could verify from the manufacturer and lab data before hitting a single ball:

• Construction: co-polyester monofilament, described by Tru Pro as a "new-generation polyester compound"
• Shape: round, with a deliberately slick, smooth surface
• Gauges: 16g (1.27 mm), 17g (1.22 mm), 18g (1.17 mm) and a very thin 19g (1.10 mm). The Tennis Store carries the 1.22 mm and 1.27 mm
• Colour: white
• Price: AUD $21.00 per set

The headline claim is softness. Tru Pro markets Ghostwire as "one of the softest co-polyester strings on the market," and that isn't just copywriting — the USRSA lab data the brand publishes backs it up. Stiffness comes in around 188 for the 16g, 181 for the 17g, dropping to 167 (18g) and 146 for the ultra-thin 19g. For context, plenty of "control" polys sit north of 200, and some firm ones push 240+. The 19g is soft enough that Tru Pro claims it plays like a 16/17g multifilament — an unusual thing to say about a poly, and the lab numbers don't make it look like a lie.

The round, slick profile is the other half of the story. This isn't a sharp-edged, shaped spin monster in the Solinco Tour Bite mould. Tru Pro built it to be smooth and low-friction, which is exactly what you want in a cross string that needs to let the mains snap back. As Tennisnerd notes in their Tru Pro overview, Ghostwire was "made to be the cross string in a hybrid setup" — and player feedback there echoes it, with people describing it as "plush and buttery" paired with a firmer main. Keep that hybrid framing in your head; it matters for how you should use this string.

Tru Pro Ghostwire tension — where it comes alive

Tension is the first thing I think about with any string, and it's more decisive than any racquet spec. With a soft poly like this, it's doubly important, because softness and low tension stack. String a soft poly too low and you don't get "comfortable" — you get mushy, dead and trampoliney, with no control and a launch angle that balloons on you.

I string my polys in the high-40s to low-50s lbs, roughly 10% under what I'd use for a multi. With this string I ended up wanting it at the upper end of my normal range — low-50s — precisely because it's so soft to begin with. That's where it came alive for me: enough crispness to feel the ball and hold a target, with the comfort still very much intact. Dropped to the mid-40s it started to feel disconnected and a touch pingy off centre, and my depth control went with it. If you're the kind of player who chases every last pound of pocketing, the good news is Ghostwire gives you comfort headroom to string a couple of pounds higher than you would a firm control poly, and you won't pay for it in the arm.

Tension maintenance is a strength here too — the lab tension-loss numbers are moderate for a poly, and on court the bed held its character across sessions rather than dying overnight. That's genuinely useful in a soft poly, because the soft ones are often the first to go dead.

How Tru Pro Ghostwire plays: my on-court test

I'm an aggressive baseliner who takes the ball early and on the rise. I want depth, pace and placement more than I want huge loopy topspin, and I like a string that feels crisp and connected — mushy, dead beds drive me up the wall. That bias is worth stating up front, because it shapes how I read a super-soft poly like this one.

Full bed in the Pure Aero 98

My first test was a full bed in the Babolat Pure Aero 98 (2026) at 52 lbs. This is actually a smart pairing on paper: the 2026 Pure Aero 98 is a stiff frame (RA around 66), and dropping a soft poly into a stiff racquet is a classic way to take the harshness off without going to a multi. That's exactly what happened. The Ghostwire soaked up the stiffness of the frame and gave me a comfortable, quiet response, and the round shape meant the launch angle stayed sensible — no ballooning when I took the ball early, which is a real problem for me with high-launch shaped spin strings.

The honest caveat: for my game, a full bed of Ghostwire felt a touch too soft and muted. I love a crisp, communicative control poly — think Luxilon 4G or Alu Power — and against that benchmark Ghostwire gives up some of that firm, connected "pop" I lean on when I'm flattening the ball out and pushing opponents back. It's not dead, and it's not mushy at low-50s tension, but it's mellow. If firm and crisp is your love language, a full bed here won't be your top choice. That's a player-fit thing, not a flaw — plenty of players are actively looking for exactly this softer response.

Where the spin sits

Spin is moderate and honest. Tru Pro themselves rate Ghostwire around 3.5 out of 5 for spin, and that's fair. The round, slick surface generates spin through soft pocketing and clean launch rather than by biting and grabbing the ball like an aggressive shaped poly. For me that's actually a plus — I don't want a sky-high launch angle when I'm hitting on the rise — but if you're a spin-first player who wants the ball to jump off the court, Ghostwire isn't the string built to deliver that on its own.

Tru Pro Ghostwire as a hybrid cross string

This is where the string makes the most sense, and it's how it was designed to be used. I set up a hybrid in my Tecnifibre TFight 305S — an 18x19 control frame — with a shaped poly in the mains and Ghostwire in the crosses at 52/50 lbs. The slick, round crosses let the mains slide and snap back, so I actually got more spin than the full bed produced, plus a big jump in comfort. The dense 18x19 pattern usually mutes spin strings, but the hybrid gave me the control that pattern is famous for with a softer, friendlier ball.

Pair it with natural gut in the mains and you've got a properly plush, arm-friendly setup that still holds tension — several players report the crosses lasting weeks in a gut hybrid. If you want to go deeper on this, our guide to the best hybrid tennis string setups for 2026 walks through pairings that actually work, and Ghostwire slots neatly into the "soft, slick cross" role in most of them.

A second opinion: my hitting partner's take

Because this string leans comfort and arm-friendliness, I handed a set to my regular hitting partner, who plays a very different game to mine. She's a UTR-7 club player who came to tennis later, hits with real topspin off both wings, and has a lower swing speed than I do — currently in a full bed of Solinco Tour Bite, which is a punishingly stiff shaped poly for an arm. I re-strung her Head Extreme MP L with Ghostwire in the 1.22 mm at 53 lbs to see whether a soft poly could give her a gentler ride.

Her verdict was more positive than mine. The comfort jump off the Tour Bite was obvious to her immediately, and because her open 16x19 pattern and topspin swing generate their own bite, she didn't miss the aggressive shape as much as a full-bed Tour Bite player might expect to. She did note the ball felt a little "softer" and less predictable on her flatter drives — the same muted quality I felt — but for a recreational player worried about arm comfort, that's a fair trade. Ghostwire suits her hunt for comfort better than it suits my hunt for crisp control.

Tru Pro Ghostwire vs the benchmarks

Placing it against strings people know:

• vs Luxilon Alu Power / 4G: both are the crisp, firm, control-poly benchmark. Ghostwire is the opposite temperament — softer, more forgiving, less "connected." If you love Alu/4G firmness, Ghostwire will feel muted.
• vs Solinco Tour Bite: Tour Bite is the aggressive shaped-spin benchmark and it's harsh. Ghostwire is round, soft and comfort-first — far easier on the arm, with less inherent bite.
• vs Babolat RPM Blast: RPM is the co-poly spin standard. Ghostwire trades some of that spin ceiling for comfort and tension stability, and works better as a cross than a full-bed spin bed.

The short version: Tru Pro Ghostwire is a soft, round, arm-friendly co-poly that is at its best as a hybrid cross or as a comfortable full bed in a stiff frame, and at AUD $21 a set it's honest value. It's available now at The Tennis Store with shipping across Australia, which makes it an easy one to try in a hybrid before you commit to a reel.

Tru Pro Ghostwire FAQ

What tension should I string Tru Pro Ghostwire at?

Because it's already a soft poly, I'd string it in the low-50s lbs rather than dropping it low. Going too low (mid-40s) makes it feel mushy and disconnected and hurts depth control. Low-50s keeps the comfort while restoring crispness and a sensible launch angle. As with any poly, string it roughly 10% below what you'd use for a multifilament.

Is Tru Pro Ghostwire arm-friendly?

Yes — this is its main selling point. USRSA lab data confirms it's one of the softest co-polys available, with stiffness figures well below typical firm control polys. If you're coming off a stiff string like Solinco Tour Bite and want poly durability with less harshness, Ghostwire is a sensible move, especially in the thinner gauges or as a hybrid cross.

What gauge of Tru Pro Ghostwire should I choose?

The Tennis Store stocks 1.22 mm (17g) and 1.27 mm (16g). Go 1.27 mm for maximum durability and a slightly firmer, more controlled response; go 1.22 mm for a touch more feel, comfort and spin access. The thinner it gets, the softer and more multi-like it plays.

Is Tru Pro Ghostwire better as a full bed or a hybrid cross?

It was designed as a hybrid cross, and that's where I liked it most. The slick, round surface lets the mains slide and snap back for extra spin and comfort. As a full bed it works well in a stiff frame for comfort, but firm-poly lovers may find it a bit muted on its own.

Who is Tru Pro Ghostwire best for?

Comfort-focused players, anyone wanting a soft, tension-stable cross for a gut or shaped-poly hybrid, and players in stiff frames who need to take the edge off. Aggressive early-ball hitters who prize crisp, firm control may prefer it strung higher, as a hybrid cross, or may lean to a firmer control poly instead.