Bonjour from Babolat: Part Trois

Karma Tennis

Karma Tennis

Legend
Mannarino is certainly not using a Retail version PA 2019.

I have been watching him very closely on Tennis TV at 1080p. His racquet is different from the PA 2019. It does appear to have the Woofer Grommets in the bridge.

It also has what appears to be a RED coloured Butt-Cap. It looks like it is a "Play" Butt-Cap but it is hard to tell. It certainly isn't the stock Black coloured PA Butt-Cap.

I guess if Nostradamus keeps posting pictures of players using Babolat PA pj's. He will eventually hit on one that is actually using a PA 2019 racquet.
 
Lavs

Lavs

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acapulco-mexico-27th-feb-2019-french-tennis-player-adrian-mannarino-returns-the-ball-to-us-john-isner-during-their-mexico-tennis-open-match-in-acapulco-guerrero-mexico-26-february-2019-credit-david-guzmanefealamy-live-news-RRR3F8.jpg


It is definitely APD, either GT (2010) or Cortex (2007).
As I mentioned, it is really weird that he, after using stock APD 2013 for quite a long time, switched to even earlier version.
 
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Karma Tennis

Karma Tennis

Legend
Lavs said:
It is definitely APD, either GT (2010) or Cortex (2007).
As I mentioned, it is really weird that he, after using APD 2013 quite a long time, switched to even earlier version.
Click to expand...

The 2013 had a lower Swingweight than the earlier ones. And the feel of the 2013 is certainly stiffer IMO.
Perhaps that swayed him? Seems to be working.
 
Lavs

Lavs

Hall of Fame
Karma Tennis said:
The 2013 had a lower Swingweight than the earlier ones. And the feel of the 2013 is certainly stiffer IMO.
Perhaps that swayed him? Seems to be working.
Click to expand...
The feel of APD2013 is softer than any other APD version and has some solidness in it.
But SW is definitely lower and that could explain why he switched to one of earlier versions.
One more reason could be that Babolat just does not produce APD2013 in new PA paint. @Babolat Official can help to clarify
 
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Karma Tennis

Karma Tennis

Legend
Lavs said:
The feel of APD2013 is softer than any other APD version and has some solidness in it.
But SW is definitely lower and that could explain why he switched to one of earlier versions.
One more reason could be that Babolat just does not produce APD2013 in new PA paint. @Babolat Official can help to clarify
Click to expand...

You are right about the feel comparison. I probably should have said the 2013 model appears to be a stiffer racquet however it feel softer because of the improved vibration dampening technologies supposedly used in it.
 
Lavs

Lavs

Hall of Fame
Karma Tennis said:
You are right about the feel comparison. I probably should have said the 2013 model appears to be a stiffer racquet however it feel softer because of the improved vibration dampening technologies supposedly used in it.
Click to expand...
Indeed, Active Cortex that had been implemented in APD2013 was big improvement over previous Cortex models, as it softens up the feel keeping it solid and not so hollow/muted as it was. To my taste, the first (original) and last (active cortex) versions of APD line were the best. It is sad Babolat decided to stop its production. Why the companies who start something good, suddenly stop it and switch to something wrong? There are bunch of examples
 
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jmacdaununder2

jmacdaununder2

Legend
Lavs said:
The feel of APD2013 is softer than any other APD version and has some solidness in it.
But SW is definitely lower and that could explain why he switched to one of earlier versions.
One more reason could be that Babolat just does not produce APD2013 in new PA paint. @Babolat Official can help to clarify
Click to expand...
If @Babolat Official is able and willing to comment on paint jobs, maybe he could tell us what's under Thiem's V.3 paint?
 
Lavs

Lavs

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jmacdaununder2 said:
If @Babolat Official is able and willing to comment on paint jobs, maybe he could tell us what's under Thiem's V.3 paint?
Click to expand...
I believe he actually uses real/new Strike. At least it looks bigger in head (100"?) and looks like have thinner beam. We can only assume it so far just by the fact that his RG2019 stick has different gromments (not those from his Original racket). Therefore, I have high doubts that it is just another new paintjob of his original Pure Strike 18x20. Also, in the beginning of the season he did thorough tests of some new sticks provided to him by Babolat. Most likely that was new Pure Strikes.
 
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Nostradamus

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
Lavs said:
I believe he actually uses real/new Strike. At least it looks bigger in head (100"?) and looks like have thinner beam. We can only assume it so far just by the fact that his RG2019 stick has different gromments (not those from his Original racket). Therefore, I have high doubts that it is just another new paintjob of his original Pure Strike 18x20. Also, in the beginning of the season he did thorough tests of some new sticks provided to him by Babolat. Most likely that was new Pure Strikes.
Click to expand...
WOW,, real pro that switched to real new racket. WOW also Adidas scanned his feet with 3D scanner to give him the perfectly molded custom shoes just for his feet............... how do I get service like this ?
 
J

Jster

Professional
Nostradamus said:
WOW,, real pro that switched to real new racket. WOW also Adidas scanned his feet with 3D scanner to give him the perfectly molded custom shoes just for his feet............... how do I get service like this ?
Click to expand...

get yourself in the Top 10 in atp...... or WTA . ok maybe top 20.
 
R

racquet_x-pert

New User
Looking good @g4driver

Here's a picture of a rehabbed frame I worked on recently with the 900096 bumper guard grommet replacement set (the one with the cutouts). My friend was in shock that it was brought back to life. Of course my friend already has some of the cutouts ripped. I will replace with 900021. Thanks Josh @Babolat Official for the multiple posts saying the 900021 can be used instead of 900096. Next time I will use that.
 
1990's Graphite

1990's Graphite

Hall of Fame
Given Nostradamus's long history here on tt dating back to 2007 I'd love to see him in the wta wearing this gear. Custom made pure drive 2012 mold with a strung swingweight of 310 painted in yonex paint. Custom shoes with orthotics, tour bite strings and sponsorship by some college team
 
J

Jster

Professional
1990's Graphite said:
Given Nostradamus's long history here on tt dating back to 2007 I'd love to see him in the wta wearing this gear. Custom made pure drive 2012 mold with a strung swingweight of 310 painted in yonex paint. Custom shoes with orthotics, tour bite strings and sponsorship by some college team
Click to expand...

Seems like SHE is too busy to answer any of my questions about his WTA career equipment, i guess Nostradamus is busy training for her WTA career so I doubt SHE will try to do something funny to answer some genuine babolat questions asked here.

Case closed.
 
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J

Jster

Professional
A proper 100% retail question to @Babolat Official... not to a "WTA" player here
Any chance of pro hurricane tour "rough" update?
What is " RPM blast power" about? is this a new receipe for RPM Blast line or Rpm Blast Team in another name ?
 
Babolat Official

Babolat Official

Hall of Fame
Hi Everyone,

I'm so sorry I have been AWOL for so long. I was at Roland Garros for 3 weeks, and when I got back, my manager left the company, and I have been swamped. I am unfortunately the only one who moderates the forum, and I apologize for not not being here. If there are questions you have that I never addressed, please let me know and I will do my best to get back to you. Thanks!

-Josh
 
Babolat Official

Babolat Official

Hall of Fame
Jster said:
A proper 100% retail question to @Babolat Official... not to a "WTA" player here
Any chance of pro hurricane tour "rough" update?
What is " RPM blast power" about? is this a new receipe for RPM Blast line or Rpm Blast Team in another name ?
Click to expand...

Hi Jster,

There are not any plans for an update of Pro Hurricane Tour to a rough version unfortunately. As far as RPM Power goes, it is a completely new string that should launch in early 2020. I do not know much in the way of specifics quite yet, but we will be doing a playtest here at some point, so stay tuned.

-Josh
 
C

Crozzer95

Hall of Fame
Hey Josh,

Hope you had a great couple of weeks at the French. Lots of new things coming this next year. Excited to see what Babolat brings to the table!
 
Harry_Wild

Harry_Wild

G.O.A.T.
A while back Babolat had to make a special run of non cortex Pure Aero for Rafa since he was running out! They also made a limited supply for their inventory too!
 
Karma Tennis

Karma Tennis

Legend
Babolat Official said:
Hi Everyone,

I'm so sorry I have been AWOL for so long. I was at Roland Garros for 3 weeks, and when I got back, my manager left the company, and I have been swamped. I am unfortunately the only one who moderates the forum, and I apologize for not not being here. If there are questions you have that I never addressed, please let me know and I will do my best to get back to you. Thanks!

-Josh
Click to expand...

@Babolat Official, Absolutely no need to apologize. Your presence on this Forum is always welcome. Babolat makes great products and it is great that the company goes to the trouble of providing a point of Contact here. Keep up the great work.
 
J

Jster

Professional
Babolat Official said:
Hi Everyone,

I'm so sorry I have been AWOL for so long. I was at Roland Garros for 3 weeks, and when I got back, my manager left the company, and I have been swamped. I am unfortunately the only one who moderates the forum, and I apologize for not not being here. If there are questions you have that I never addressed, please let me know and I will do my best to get back to you. Thanks!

-Josh
Click to expand...


Must be tough on you :(
 
T

tennisfan14

New User
Babolat Official said:
Hi Everyone,

I'm so sorry I have been AWOL for so long. I was at Roland Garros for 3 weeks, and when I got back, my manager left the company, and I have been swamped. I am unfortunately the only one who moderates the forum, and I apologize for not not being here. If there are questions you have that I never addressed, please let me know and I will do my best to get back to you. Thanks!

-Josh
Click to expand...
Hey Josh, just wondering whether than has been any update regarding the future of the Pure Aero VS? I recall you previously mentioning that you were waiting to hear about this, but just thought I would check in. Thanks!
 
Babolat Official

Babolat Official

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MattCrosby said:
Hey Josh,

Hope you had a great couple of weeks at the French. Lots of new things coming this next year. Excited to see what Babolat brings to the table!
Click to expand...
Thanks Matt! Definitely had a great time stringing at RG. I'm off to Cincy next week, so I will be awol for a bit again :confused:
 
Babolat Official

Babolat Official

Hall of Fame
tennisfan14 said:
Hey Josh, just wondering whether than has been any update regarding the future of the Pure Aero VS? I recall you previously mentioning that you were waiting to hear about this, but just thought I would check in. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Actually, I do have a little info at least. Nothing specific as far as dates or specs yet, but like we did with the Pure Drive VS, it will be a completely new racquet and not just an update of the current version. The team in France is still working on getting it just right, and they do monitor the forum, so they appreciate all the feedback and suggestions. Stay tuned for more info, hopefully in September-October.
 
dr. godmode

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
Wishes for Pure Aero VS:

65 RA.
Foam filled.
Low twist weight.
Available for single purchase.
16x20 string pattern.
305g very customizable.
Gloss paint.
Thin bean with Aero throat.
More control than Strike or PD VS.
 
AJvR

AJvR

Rookie
dr. godmode said:
Wishes for Pure Aero VS:

65 RA.
Foam filled.
Low twist weight.
Available for single purchase.
16x20 string pattern.
305g very customizable.
Gloss paint.
Thin bean with Aero throat.
More control than Strike or PD VS.
Click to expand...

And a Pure Aero VS Plus:
- Length: 27,5 inch
- SW: 330
- other specs same as Pure Drive Aero VS wishlist above.
 
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Karma Tennis

Karma Tennis

Legend
dr. godmode said:
Wishes for Pure Aero VS:

65 RA.
Foam filled.
Low twist weight.
Available for single purchase.
16x20 string pattern.
305g very customizable.
Gloss paint.
Thin bean with Aero throat.
More control than Strike or PD VS.
Click to expand...

@dr. godmode has come up with an incredible spec for a PA VS.

I would add ... 4 to 6 Points Head Light Balance (Unstrung) with a SW between 310 to 320 unstrung.
A Tour Version could be 10g heavier but with essentially the same Balance and SW specs.
I would prefer it to be either 99sq inch or 100sq inch hoop size.

I would also like the grommet holes to be parallel drilled and the string pattern to be a little tighter a la the 2013 APD.
Foam fill the handle but have a removable butt-cap trapdoor that permits the addition of extra weight inside the handle.

Give it the same PJ colourway as the current PA line.

And GLOSS PAINT ...YES !!! GLOSS PAINT !!!
 
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T

tennisfan14

New User
Babolat Official said:
Actually, I do have a little info at least. Nothing specific as far as dates or specs yet, but like we did with the Pure Drive VS, it will be a completely new racquet and not just an update of the current version. The team in France is still working on getting it just right, and they do monitor the forum, so they appreciate all the feedback and suggestions. Stay tuned for more info, hopefully in September-October.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the update! Have to say, I'm a little disappointed as I think the current Pure Aero VS is a unique frame in the current market. For me, it sits somewhere between classic thin beamed, low powered frames (e.g. a prestige), and frames like the Pure Strike and Wilson Blade. I'm a previous Blade user, and found it to provide the extra control I was looking for without moving to a frame like the Wilson Ultra Tour/Head Prestige, which weren't quite forgiving enough for me. Seeing the number of professionals moving towards this frame also seems to echo its unique characteristics.

If it does turn towards a similar style to the Pure Drive VS in terms of a 98 sq inch and slightly thinner mold of the Pure Aero, I'd love to see the RA go down further, along with a higher swingweight compared to what was done with the Pure Drive VS. I feel the Pure Drive VS is still too stiff and jarring to have it's own identity, and lacked weight behind the ball to compensate for the reduced headsize and thinner profile. In my view, a product to target taking users from would be the Yonex Ezone 98 - I find there aren't a lot of strong competitors for this frame, in that the competing frames (pure strike, head radical/speed) lack comfort. The Head Gravity line seems to be addressing this to an extent.

All in all, a little disappointing but still excited to see how this frame pans out!
 
dr. godmode

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
Basically I think the PA VS should compete directly with the Gravity. You would have FAA vs Zed both welding sticks designed for the modern game that have a classic feel.
 
R

ron schaap

Hall of Fame
dr. godmode said:
Wishes for Pure Aero VS:

65 RA.
Foam filled.
Low twist weight.
Available for single purchase.
16x20 string pattern.
305g very customizable.
Gloss paint.
Thin bean with Aero throat.
More control than Strike or PD VS.
Click to expand...
These VS frames are just relabeled old(er) models. The Strike VS is equivalent to the Pure control, the Pure aero vs is just like the Aero storm, isnt it?
 
808

808

Professional
Babolat Official said:
Actually, I do have a little info at least. Nothing specific as far as dates or specs yet, but like we did with the Pure Drive VS, it will be a completely new racquet and not just an update of the current version. The team in France is still working on getting it just right, and they do monitor the forum, so they appreciate all the feedback and suggestions. Stay tuned for more info, hopefully in September-October.
Click to expand...
Speaking of the Pure Drive VS – out of mere curiosity, is any Pro going to endorse this frame?
 
Nostradamus

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
Babolat Official said:
Thanks! It's always a great time working with the P1 guys. They bring in 5 or 6 more of us to handle everyone besides their usual players, and I look forward to it as much as I do RG :)
Click to expand...
this pure aero plus 2019 is a great racket but I am starting to realize some of its weaknesses. it is bit slow at fast volley exchanges at net. also on quick touch shot half volleys, it is bit slow, so puts the volleyer at more risk for poping up the half volley.
 
Karma Tennis

Karma Tennis

Legend
Nostradamus said:
this pure aero plus 2019 is a great racket but I am starting to realize some of its weaknesses. it is bit slow at fast volley exchanges at net. also on quick touch shot half volleys, it is bit slow, so puts the volleyer at more risk for poping up the half volley.
Click to expand...

Stuff a whole heap of extra weight inside the handle. That will make your racquet a lot more head light and much more maneuverable at net.
You could also enhance the effect by moving to 20 Gauge strings. You would have to go up in tension a little bit to maintain the control.
 
Hankenstein

Hankenstein

Hall of Fame
A fantastic idea would be a pure aero "control". Same frame as the regular pure aero, but the stringpattern of the aeropro drive line. That would make a frame that more tournament players would appreciate as the extreme open pattern of the regular pure aero is a tad to open
 
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