Switching to BABOLAT, can't believe it!

[Mick3391]

I have such an emotional attachment to Wilson, such a heritage, and to play a French Raquet with no soul.......I just like "Old School", small heavy racquets like our 90.

Yet I can't deny the playability. We demoes a Pure Drive GT, you can hit ANYTHING with it, I mean I can hit anything with any racquet, but it's just SO MUCH EASIER. Heh, I'm not going to compete anymore, why not make it easy on myself.

Much more importantly was when my son played it. Normally he plays the 90 and me the 95, but he was hitting everything, I mean running me around, so we are going to order two with bags.

Incidentelly, I tried the Steam 99S, sorry, but what a joke. I can get more spin with my wood racquet. If you want to hit with huge spin real high and land in at the baseline, and that only, that racquet if for you. Slice I have to admit was awesome, I could hit slice from both sides almost as hard as flat or topspin shots. Just a weird racquet, didn't break the strings thank goodness.

But yea that Bab is awesome, it has no flaws.

[ArliHawk]

Loved my aero pro drive until it started to give me some trouble in my elbow. The free power is great.

[Lilguy1456]

Enjoy...until it hurts too much to play...

[Mick3391]

Originally Posted by Lilguy1456

Enjoy...until it hurts too much to play...

Thanks both, not too worried about my arm, but thanks anyways

[Lilguy1456]

Originally Posted by Mick3391

Thanks both, not too worried about my arm, but thanks anyways

Or your son's arm apparently

[Mick3391]

Originally Posted by Lilguy1456

Or your son's arm apparently

Well heh he's young and this IS Tennis

It feels incredibly stable, I forget the specs but seems to have good weight. I like the round head, it's like my K95, but more stable, it was just awesome.

When I see my son hitting everything it's time to switch depite my dislike for Bab and love of Wilson.

[Boredsurfer]

What about the new Head Extreme Pro 2.0 - easier on the arm, more solid feeling. Also the new Pro Kennex Q5...... both good alternatives that achieve the same result but much easier to play with physically.

[gavna]

I switched to the 2013 APD+ this fall after my Jr son went over to it as well and wow what a great stick......the arm issue I'm sorry to say is so overblown! I'm stringing VS mains and RPM or Lux 4g crosses at 60lbs and not one issue. My 15yrs old is using Alu Power Spin at 26kgs....nothing. Also soooooo many of the older folks I play with (45 yrs +) making the switch or did so as well again no one having issues with arm pain.

My opinion for what it's worth is all the younger folks I watch and see playing with he APD and trying to hit every shot as hard as they can with huge crazy spin is what causes arm issues. Yes it's a stiff stick and plugging in a stiff poly is not a perfect match for comfort but the stick itself not the issue.

I was EVER an APD fan in he past - I had used the PSLtd + for years and had just started using the Blade 98 18x20 in Sept - until then that was my fav stick.

[Lilguy1456]

Originally Posted by gavna

I switched to the 2013 APD+ this fall after my Jr son went over to it as well and wow what a great stick......the arm issue I'm sorry to say is so overblown! I'm stringing VS mains and RPM or Lux 4g crosses at 60lbs and not one issue. My 15yrs old is using Alu Power Spin at 26kgs....nothing. Also soooooo many of the older folks I play with (45 yrs +) making the switch or did so as well again no one having issues with arm pain.

My opinion for what it's worth is all the younger folks I watch and see playing with he APD and trying to hit every shot as hard as they can with huge crazy spin is what causes arm issues. Yes it's a stiff stick and plugging in a stiff poly is not a perfect match for comfort but the stick itself not the issue.

I was EVER an APD fan in he past - I had used the PSLtd + for years and had just started using the Blade 98 18x20 in Sept - until then that was my fav stick.

Fact of the matter is...these chronic arms problems that thousands of players have now didn't exist before people started using these types of racquets (and polys for that matter).

[Mick3391]

Originally Posted by Boredsurfer

What about the new Head Extreme Pro 2.0 - easier on the arm, more solid feeling. Also the new Pro Kennex Q5...... both good alternatives that achieve the same result but much easier to play with physically.

I don't know the racquet, but I presume like most Head models it's more of a oval head than round, like the "rounder" surface of the K-95 and the Bab PD.

Thanks!

[Lilguy1456]

Originally Posted by Mick3391

I don't know the racquet, but I presume like most Head models it's more of a oval head than round, like the "rounder" surface of the K-95 and the Bab PD.

Thanks!

I would think a "monster 5.5" would be more familiar. The Extreme Pro 2.0 is incredibly round in shape.

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Head...AD-HYTIGX.html

[Mick3391]

Originally Posted by Lilguy1456

I would think a "monster 5.5" would be more familiar. The Extreme Pro 2.0 is incredibly round in shape.

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Head...AD-HYTIGX.html

Yea, 5.5's know every single racquet under the sun, what a loser you are, why don't you do something constructive?

[Lilguy1456]

Originally Posted by Mick3391

Yea, 5.5's know every single racquet under the sun, what a loser you are, why don't you do something constructive?

See...round...not oval...round...not OVAL....ROUND

[TennisMD]

Originally Posted by Lilguy1456

Enjoy...until it hurts too much to play...

A lot of " the rkt especially a Babolat hurt my arm" I am a firm believer in technique hurts you more than the rkt. Tennis elbow was around in the wood rkt era, talk about heavy and flexible you certainly were there in the wood age.
I am an above 50 yo player and have used the PDR often since July and on vacations playing 2 to 3 hrs x 7 days and routinely play 5 to 6 hrs a week otherwise, I have had zero elbow issues.
Of course I cross train inluding weights regularly and use very soft string at stiffest champion series with gut in mains at 55 mains and 53 crosses.
So I would not be so quick to castigate the OP and lack of concern for his son( dangerous territory)

[Lilguy1456]

Originally Posted by TennisMD

A lot of " the rkt especially a Babolat hurt my arm" I am a firm believer in technique hurts you more than the rkt. Tennis elbow was around in the wood rkt era, talk about heavy and flexible you certainly were there in the wood age.
I am an above 50 yo player and have used the PDR often since July and on vacations playing 2 to 3 hrs x 7 days and routinely play 5 to 6 hrs a week otherwise, I have had zero elbow issues.
Of course I cross train inluding weights regularly and use very soft string at stiffest champion series with gut in mains at 55 mains and 53 crosses.
So I would not be so quick to castigate the OP and lack of concern for his son( dangerous territory)

A 50+ playing with a PD is one thing, as those guys probably aren't taking as full/aggressive swing as they once were. These guys can finish off their twilight years with a PD and not regret it too much...

On the other hand, a young boy starting his tennis career with a PD and continuing to use it might feel the effects a bit more once he logs in some years...I think that point is pretty well substantiated on these forums...

[DustinW]

Originally Posted by TennisMD

I am a firm believer in technique hurts you more than the rkt.

Well said!

[Lilguy1456]

Originally Posted by DustinW

Well said!

Then how would you explain players having arm problems with one racquet and then NOT having it with another. I guess these players ONLY use poor technique when playing with Babolat racquets, then magically swing correctly when using a softer ProK...get real guys.

[Venetian]

Originally Posted by Lilguy1456

Then how would you explain players having arm problems with one racquet and then NOT having it with another. I guess these players ONLY use poor technique when playing with Babolat racquets, then magically swing correctly when using a softer ProK...get real guys.

Just like any other form of tendonitis, some people are much more susceptible to it; and the stiffer racquet could aggravate their arm, while having no effect on someone who is not susceptible to tendonitis.

I have Insertional Achilles tendonitis, and wearing overly flexible shoes without much padding causes me great pain, while other people can go their whole lives wearing those types of shoes and not have any issues.

It's just genetics. Now at the same time I've used extremely stiff racquets for the last 12 years with absolutely no elbow issues.

[isilra]

Pure drive and APDGT are good racquets as long as you have a right technique and not arm the ball, also using the right string setups. If you are just arming the ball like %95 of the tennis players do and use one of that babolat frames, than you will not play tennis for a long time.

[Mick3391]

Originally Posted by TennisMD

A lot of " the rkt especially a Babolat hurt my arm" I am a firm believer in technique hurts you more than the rkt. Tennis elbow was around in the wood rkt era, talk about heavy and flexible you certainly were there in the wood age.
I am an above 50 yo player and have used the PDR often since July and on vacations playing 2 to 3 hrs x 7 days and routinely play 5 to 6 hrs a week otherwise, I have had zero elbow issues.
Of course I cross train inluding weights regularly and use very soft string at stiffest champion series with gut in mains at 55 mains and 53 crosses.
So I would not be so quick to castigate the OP and lack of concern for his son( dangerous territory)

Exactly, people play then turn around and blame everyone but themselves.

I started with a wood racquet, never hurt myself, right technique and growing into it, no problem.

Bottom line, which I can't believe I'm saying, is that we are playing BABOLATS, have to admit they are AWESOME, never thought those words would come out of my mouth.