The Truth about Babolat's "GT Technology" Braided Graphite

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Hi I'm Ray

Professional
^^ I think the description of GT fibers being throughout the frame is for the 2012 PDs and not the old ones.

treo said:
Prince did the same thing with their Triple Threat series, using a patch of woven fabric under a clear coat. Then they changed it to a printed sticker that you could peel off.
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The GT "windows" or I should say sticker sections on the 2012 PD's are printed on too. I like the new PJ for the 2012 PDs, esp the PDR, but the new printed on GT sections really cheapen the look to me.
 
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H

Hi I'm Ray

Professional
I got a really bad paint chip on my APDGT the other day from a racket collision while playing doubles. The chip actually exposed one of the little gray filaments that are woven across the carbon fibers in the GT section. Well, I'm no expert on Tungsten, but I'm under the impression that a Tungsten filament would be like a wire. This exposed filament is somewhat reflective but feels and reacts much more some sort of plastic fiber, I can move it around and it snaps back to its original position. Maybe someone who knows more about Tungsten can chime in here. lol.

Well at least this GT patch or whatever it is under the sections that don't have clear windows (the paint chip is at 3 o'clock opposite from the clear window).
 
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WhereIsMacMac

WhereIsMacMac

Professional
Hi I'm Ray said:
I got a really bad paint chip on my APDGT the other day from a racket collision while playing doubles. The chip actually exposed one of the little gray filaments that are woven across the carbon fibers in the GT section. Well, I'm no expert on Tungsten, but I'm under the impression that a Tungsten filament would be like a wire. This exposed filament is somewhat reflective but feels and reacts much more some sort of plastic fiber, I can move it around and it snaps back to its original position. Maybe someone who knows more about Tungsten can chime in here. lol.

Well at least this GT patch or whatever it is under the sections that don't have clear windows (the paint chip is at 3 o'clock opposite from the clear window).
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bump bump bump
 
S

sundaypunch

Hall of Fame
Eightmarky said:
http://www.babolat.com/#/tennis/us/innovations/22

Here's what it says on the Babolat website:

"Hybrid material, combining braided carbon fibers and tungsten filaments, throughout the entire racquet. Improves racquet performance, based on the concentration of Tungsten fibers at various strategic parts of the frame."

The first sentence here appears to contradict your first claim but one could also claim it's not specific enough. The way I read this statement is that there is braiding throughout, with a higher concentration of Tungsten fibers at specific areas.

Personally, I find it misleading to have this type of language on the website describe the frame shown in the pics provided by the OP.
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The link you provide with the above text includes a video. It only shows the Pure Drive series and Pure Storm series. It does give an animation that shows the entire racquet being the GT material.

The Aeropro is not included in this video so one would assume that it does not have the GT material throughout the entire racquet.
 
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sundaypunch

Hall of Fame
EDIT---- Looking back at page 1, the OP is posting pictures of a Pure Storm, not an Aeropro as I mentioned on the last page.
 
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tennis_balla

tennis_balla

Hall of Fame
gavna said:
Again any dealer who knows their stuff will tell you the AeroPro line ONLY has the GT inlay at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions on the hoop. Every freaking Babolat rep knows this and it's part of the sales pitch - here in Texas ive seen Mike M one of the reps explain this in detail to a shop. The Pure Drive has it around he whole head.....and for the Pure Storm again only at certain spots.

That's the reason the Pure Drive and Aero Pro lines play so different as the GT changes the flex of the hoop.......Never has Babolat stated that the GT product was similar to braided graphite...etc.
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Exactly, I have the 2012 Babolat catalog in front of me here and it shows the placement of GT for each line of their rackets, Aero, Pure Drive and Pure Storm. If someone assumed it was all around the frame, well thats their fault.
 
ramos77

ramos77

Semi-Pro
BB_Saul_Goodman11.jpg
 
yonexRx32

yonexRx32

Professional
JesterMania said:
So am I correct in assuming that the point of contention here is that the entire racquet is not made from GT fibers? I'm not sure I quite understand as Babolat never claimed that the entire racquet should have GT. It seems from the pictures that GT was placed on the throat and in the upper hoop of the racquet. Does this not constitute that the racquet has GT "technology"?
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You're absolutely right... in your own world... you can also bet that the racket contains infinitesimal amounts of gold platinum and palladium, residuals of the industrial manufacturing process. Based on your logic Babolat could claim the racket has gold-platinum technology, and they wouldn't be lying.
 
v-verb

v-verb

Hall of Fame
levy1 said:
who cares? I don't. You either like the frame or you don't. It is a weapon to me and that's why I use it. I don't care if they used bubble gum for the braids. See me on the court and we will talk after the match.
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It is deceptive on Bab's part,

BUT

Yours was a great response!!! If it works, who cares.
 
v-verb

v-verb

Hall of Fame
levy1 said:
who cares? I don't. You either like the frame or you don't. It is a weapon to me and that's why I use it. I don't care if they used bubble gum for the braids. See me on the court and we will talk after the match.
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It is deceptive on Bab's part,

BUT

Yours was a great response!!! If it works, who cares.

BTW who is the smokin' chick on your avatar?
 
M

mcnota

Rookie
babolats quality has been declining every single year,
cheaper materials = larger profit for them, the last good babolat rackets were the originals, swirly..even the first aeropro drive was great, but since then, terrible.
 
T

TroutSc

Semi-Pro
On the apdgt that I hack sawed, the "GT" area was a bit harder to saw though. It appeared to more of a film, nothing interior to the frame...but was different than the other areas...harder, denser fiber.
 
babyhagrid

babyhagrid

Rookie
This might be a thread hijack, but how long will it be until some saws through one of the new Graphene Speeds or Instincts to check if there is any of this "magic" nano material in there. Obviously it would be hard to know for sure without a high power microscope.
 
T

TroutSc

Semi-Pro
babyhagrid said:
This might be a thread hijack, but how long will it be until some saws through one of the new Graphene Speeds or Instincts to check if there is any of this "magic" nano material in there. Obviously it would be hard to know for sure without a high power microscope.
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I'd like to saw through my volkl and see "dnx" but they are in good shape so I won't do that. Like i said, the gt area was different than the rest of the hoop. Still hollow but different. The cortex was like a plastic surround, slightly inset into the frame. I'm not sure what to make of it, good or bad, just what I saw. Those pix are on another thread.
 
chay337

chay337

Rookie
babyhagrid said:
This might be a thread hijack, but how long will it be until some saws through one of the new Graphene Speeds or Instincts to check if there is any of this "magic" nano material in there. Obviously it would be hard to know for sure without a high power microscope.
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IIRC, graphene is a very expensive material and it's only used in the throat area of the newer Head racquets.
 
babyhagrid

babyhagrid

Rookie
chay337 said:
IIRC, graphene is a very expensive material and it's only used in the throat area of the newer Head racquets.
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I guess my question should be, can we really know that its there or are we paying for a veneer that doesn't make a difference and is just marketing blurb.
 
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