An APD Hypothetical
 

How many people would use the APD if Rafa never touched one...? Just a question about the effectiveness of Babolat's marketing.

haha you and i are pretty much having private conversation on the threads tongith....truthfully i probably would not pay much attention to them if he did not, he is my fav player and i like his style of play...i used to play with all wilson racquets, still have a couple i hit with

Im sure I would still buy them even if Nadal never picked one up. Reviews mean more to me than a pro endorsement. I do pity weekend hackers who buy PS90's thinking they can buy Fed's game.

Their marketing is great because he doesn't even use the racket that everyone buys lol. For me, it is the best racket for my game and I would chose it regardless of who uses it. I had a Radical before the APD and I loved it, even though I have no interest in emulating Murray, the racket still suited me.

Honestly, I can't stand Nadal. I just play with what works for my game.

Heck, I might not have even picked up tennis if it wasn't Nadal. Tennis is generally difficult, and thus boring, to learn and get into. It's only enjoyable after you know how to hit. Nadal in 2008 was upbeat and inspiring and that's what it took.

Of the four top guys I must say Fed is the most boring guy to watch, no?

He can be a bit "cold" and emotionless at times. At least with Rafa, he wears his heart on his sleave. Maybe Fed has too many Basalt crystals in his DNA.

Fed plays a very efficient game. It's good for him but for us audience it becomes monotonous, wall to wall action that can be boring. Fed's matches are usually entertaining because of the other guys, eg Murray's frustration, Djokovic's screaming, going for broke, etc. Nadal's game is great for TV cuz he's a master of displaying grittiness and determination.

Anyway, it'd be very very hard for Babolat to sell the APD if Nadal wasn't in the picture. Racket like the APD is a dime a dozen and so is Fed's. Every single brand has an equivalence.