Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
I play with a 2013 stock frame (size 2) with a leather grip. Although lately I've been going back to the normal one.
Sock uses the 2012 Aerostorm, note sure on his grip size or weight (but I believe it is customized).
Bonjour from Babolat
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I play with a 2013 stock frame (size 2) with a leather grip. Although lately I've been going back to the normal one.
Sock uses the 2012 Aerostorm, note sure on his grip size or weight (but I believe it is customized).
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
There are many who claim to be an authority on our products, I often learn things even the company didn't tell me.
Aerostorm: gone
Pure Storm: new line for 2014 (minimal changes, don't have exact specs)
what I'm calling the hybrid frame: new line for 2014 (can't release details yet)
No PD teams in stock...
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
I've found the looser the poly is, the more it can move against itself...and the more spin it imparts. Everyone has that range that feels best, mine is 46-50 lbs.
I use an over grip on top of the leather or stock grip.
Sadly, we normally don't make special cosmetics of the + versions.
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
There is.
One of the biggest complaints we got from top coaches was that advanced juniors had to play with take downs of rackets (lower quality, less technology, etc.).
Traditionally, because kids outgrow frames so fast, most companies feared trying to sell an exact replica of an adult frame, thinking most parents purchase on price point vs. quality for young children.
We do offer take downs like our competitors (cheaper, lighter, etc.) but the Pure Drive Roddick Jr (26) and Aeropro Drive Jr are simply smaller versions of the adult frames. Thus, when the young players are ready to transition to a 27 in frame, the racket feel and sensations will not be foreign.
As with our adult frames, we offer less technical racket at lower price points.
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
I had not heard that, but I'm not in the EU market. I'll have to check next time I'm over there.
xeropwnage
New User
APD Junior 26" vs APD adult
I just purchased an APD Junior 26". Spec-wise, it is 70g lighter and only 1" shorter than the adult version yet nearly half the price. The TW website says that the junior has all the same technology as the adult, but the Babolat website says that the adult is composed of graphite/tungsten while the junior is composed of 100% high-modulus graphite; does this mean the junior doesn't have "GT" technology?
Being that much lighter, does this mean that less material is used in the junior's production? If that's the case, does this make the frame inferior to the adult version? If not, what is the reason(s) for the difference in price?
Also, I noticed that Xcel was the recommended string for the junior frame. Is this because the frame is predominantly targeted towards juniors? Is poly not recommended?
Thanks.
I just purchased an APD Junior 26". Spec-wise, it is 70g lighter and only 1" shorter than the adult version yet nearly half the price. The TW website says that the junior has all the same technology as the adult, but the Babolat website says that the adult is composed of graphite/tungsten while the junior is composed of 100% high-modulus graphite; does this mean the junior doesn't have "GT" technology?
Being that much lighter, does this mean that less material is used in the junior's production? If that's the case, does this make the frame inferior to the adult version? If not, what is the reason(s) for the difference in price?
Also, I noticed that Xcel was the recommended string for the junior frame. Is this because the frame is predominantly targeted towards juniors? Is poly not recommended?
Thanks.
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
We've found that jrs need a lights frame than adults. It does feature GT technology (check out the technology section here: http://www.babolat.com/product/tennis/racket/aeropro-drive-junior-26). I'm not on the product team, but we make adult racquet of different weight (APD, APD Team, APD Lite, etc.).
We only recommend poly if you break strings every 8-14 hours. For almost all juniors, it is better to use a soft poly or natural gut.
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
GT, Aero frame, Cortex, and Woofer
dgoran
Hall of Fame
Is there somebody I can email and ask?
great! Im all good though... I think the guy i over heard talkin about this stuff, were still salty
because i remember him pushing me to get a Dunlop or Yonex? i cant really remember but either way Im not gettin anything other than Babolat
M
Momentum
Guest
Babolat Official said:
I am really excited concerning that new line.
Do you know if there will be a racket within that line which has decent weight ( 320g-330g unstrung)?
I am asking because I would have liked to give the APD a go but with around 300 grams it was/is simply too light without heavy customization.
Stevo Karlovic
Rookie
Babolat Official,
Is your exact job description to just be on this message board and answer comments/questions pertaining to Babolat? Or do you just make sure to set aside many hours of each day to talk about your personal racquet setups? If it's the former, could you tell me how and why the PR folks at Babolat thought it to be a good idea to air (in the U.S.) that commercial with Nadal and Tsonga hitting out all the lightbulbs in that warehouse with tennis balls, while jamming out to the cool sounds of French pop/rock??
A piece of advice my brother: become cooler.
Is your exact job description to just be on this message board and answer comments/questions pertaining to Babolat? Or do you just make sure to set aside many hours of each day to talk about your personal racquet setups? If it's the former, could you tell me how and why the PR folks at Babolat thought it to be a good idea to air (in the U.S.) that commercial with Nadal and Tsonga hitting out all the lightbulbs in that warehouse with tennis balls, while jamming out to the cool sounds of French pop/rock??
A piece of advice my brother: become cooler.
MauRod
Rookie
Frame that is currently using Verdasco, right?
ghgh (i know you'll never answer me )
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
In addition to the message boards, I interview athletes, manage our social media content, coordinate athlete appearances at the grand slams and masters events, etc. For a more in depth discussion, feel free to email me. Or I'll buy you a beer if you're at the coming US Open, AO, French or Wimbledon.
Thanks for the feedback on the brand piece, we'll pass it on to the global marketing team.
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Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
There are a variety of frames ranging from mid 290s to 320 (last I saw).
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
I'm not a pro at the customizing but they are some experienced users on the board who can probably chime in.
tdhawks
Professional
Wouldn't this change it from HL to HH? If I were wanting to keep it close to 4 pts HL, would it make more sense to add lead to 3 and 9 o'clock?
chris_short1
New User
how similar is the current stock Aero Pro Drive racquet to Nadal's actual Aero?
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
We customize his static and swing weight, etc. There are multiple forums and theories on this. I don't have the exact specs off hand.
Stevo Karlovic
Rookie
You win this round... :evil:
Stevo Karlovic
Rookie
Just go easy on my boy Ivo. There's no way the APD would've ever suited his game. One of your brass should've played Johnny on the Spot with a PS or PS Tour for his sampling. Could've easily avoided five years with the spray-painted, Babolat stenciled Head Instinct.
Add some weight to 12, and change the grip to leather grip. Add more weight to the bottom of the racket if you think it's still to head heavy. That will help with the balance.
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
as long as we're playing tennis, we're all winners
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
pumped to see the big guy healthy, back in action, and winning. if you don't follow him on twitter, you should. pretty entertaining.
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
yeah, probably need to get on this
guedoguedo
Semi-Pro
babolat official, how would you compare your APD to the pure drive roddick (if youve used it). it seems like the APD used to be flexier but now they are seemingly equally stiff rackets. particularly interested in differences in spin but also all around differences? thx
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
I have used the Pure Drive Roddick. More power and stability, but not maneuverable enough for me. I feel the APD flexes more at the throat, which I've taken a liking to.
Correct, APD gives more spin.
There have been Babolat sticks called "Aero Strike" in the past, and looking at the specs of those, I don't think it would fit the type of frame that has been described. Then again, I'm just a consumer speculating, so what would I know?
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
There is a new line in addition to the Pure Storm update. That is all I can say at this time. More info in the next 8 weeks.
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
Awesome! Glad to have you. What string set up are you going with?
Thanks Daniel i understand. I'm changing racquet and i asked you to know if i have to wait this other line or if i can buy immediately new frames...
Just another question, i felt the pure drive too stiff for me and a friend of mine told me that aeropro feel a little more flex. This is the same RA. What is your opinion about this?
Just another question, i felt the pure drive too stiff for me and a friend of mine told me that aeropro feel a little more flex. This is the same RA. What is your opinion about this?
No idea at this stage. Gotta get the rackets first and I'll go from there. I'm used to high tension (around 58lbs) stiff poly, so probably something along those lines.
I think you guys knocked it out of the park with the new APD. The older versions and some PD's I tried out had a "tinny" feel on mishits but I have not experienced that with the 2013 APD. I'm playing the APD + with 18g Blast @ 57 pds and really loving it. Extremely maneuverable, stable, and controllable power. It's solid in every facet of the game for me.
Came over from a Youtek IG Pretige Pro and I won't say the APD is that plush but it's plenty comfortable and has a sweetspot the size of the grand canyon compared to the Prestige. It's just a lot less work and making my court time a little more enjoyable.
Great advise on strings by the way. Refreshing to see a company official admit you can't have you cake and eat it to. Poly is great fresh but loses is favorable characteristics very quickly. I refuse to play with poly with more than 8 hours on it. Save your arm and cut that dead poly out folks! I spent one year on the DL rehabbing from surgery for a torn labrum. 3 metal suture anchors were drilled into the bone to reattach the labrum. Fresh poly I don't feel even the slightest twinge. Dead poly feels like a ball peen hammer is tapping my shoulder with every strike of the ball.
Came over from a Youtek IG Pretige Pro and I won't say the APD is that plush but it's plenty comfortable and has a sweetspot the size of the grand canyon compared to the Prestige. It's just a lot less work and making my court time a little more enjoyable.
Great advise on strings by the way. Refreshing to see a company official admit you can't have you cake and eat it to. Poly is great fresh but loses is favorable characteristics very quickly. I refuse to play with poly with more than 8 hours on it. Save your arm and cut that dead poly out folks! I spent one year on the DL rehabbing from surgery for a torn labrum. 3 metal suture anchors were drilled into the bone to reattach the labrum. Fresh poly I don't feel even the slightest twinge. Dead poly feels like a ball peen hammer is tapping my shoulder with every strike of the ball.
guedoguedo
Semi-Pro
Im thinking of buying the plus version. How the heck do you make 18g last more than 2 hours? With this racket could you do tension in low 50s and manage the power with spin?
Well this is my first go round with RPM Blast and have about 3 hours of singles and 4 hours of doubles on one set and only an hour or so of doubles on another so the jury is still out on how durable it will be for me. I actually went with 18g because I want it to break before it goes dead and it has more feel for volleys. I used to get 7 or 8 hours out of Luxilon Ace in mixed play between singles and doubles. I play with a pretty good amount of spin but it hasn't broken yet so I'm expecting about the same out of RPM. I can only get a couple hours out of 17g when using a multi in the mains. I think 18g poly holds up longer than 17g multi for sure.
Not sure about managing power strung in low 50's. Haven't tried that with the APD +. I usually string thinner gauges higher so went with 57 pounds since it was 18g. It feels so good from everywhere on the court I don't have a reason to change it. It's a very comfortable feel with no harshness for me. If all I did was play singles and roll balls from the baseline only coming in occasionally to put away a floater I imagine low 50's would be manageable with spin.
I'm honestly very surprised by how well this set-up is volleying. In doubles I'm coming in even behind a second serve 90% of the time so I end playing some volleys out of my feet and half volleys. I also like to have the ability to chip service returns low at short angles and hit drop volley's etc. Most full poly set-ups don't lend themselves well to that but the 18g RPM in the APD + has surprised me. I'm really digging it so far!
PureDriveFan
New User
Great thread! Thanks for all of your insider info 'Babolat Official'.
Played with Pure Drive since the 'Team' model.
Couple of quick questions if you have the time:
How long will the PD GT French Open model be available?
For greater control with aggressive swings (compared to the PD), would you recommend a switch to APD or PS? (300g models)
Will there be a PD version of the Babolat Play?
Will Babolat ever offer a 300g unstrung racket with 18/20 string pattern?
Lots of questions, thanks for any feedback!
Played with Pure Drive since the 'Team' model.
Couple of quick questions if you have the time:
How long will the PD GT French Open model be available?
For greater control with aggressive swings (compared to the PD), would you recommend a switch to APD or PS? (300g models)
Will there be a PD version of the Babolat Play?
Will Babolat ever offer a 300g unstrung racket with 18/20 string pattern?
Lots of questions, thanks for any feedback!
Daniel, I've been having an issue with my apdplus 2013.
I have always been a one handed backhand player from the beginning and a few weeks ago I started training in advanced lessons where people hit quiet hard.
For some reason I have a pain in the shoulder since then trying to follow up with the class, specially when I do the 1HBH motion.
Could it be that the racquet length, stiffness or any other variable is not the best suited for a 1HBH? I have been considering demoing the Pure Storm line..
I have always been a one handed backhand player from the beginning and a few weeks ago I started training in advanced lessons where people hit quiet hard.
For some reason I have a pain in the shoulder since then trying to follow up with the class, specially when I do the 1HBH motion.
Could it be that the racquet length, stiffness or any other variable is not the best suited for a 1HBH? I have been considering demoing the Pure Storm line..
mavsman149
Hall of Fame
Any thoughts on switching back to the old string stencil? I personally think the old stencil all the way across was classic and looked much nicer
BABOLAT PLAY will be legal under ITF Rules...
http://www.itftennis.com/technical/...hanges-rules-to-permit-‘smart’-equipment.aspx
Congratulations to Babolat on getting the new technical racquet legalised!
Now it will just be a matter of selling enough of them, getting the best technical feedback from the racquet.
http://www.itftennis.com/technical/...hanges-rules-to-permit-‘smart’-equipment.aspx
Congratulations to Babolat on getting the new technical racquet legalised!
Now it will just be a matter of selling enough of them, getting the best technical feedback from the racquet.
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
I play with the new APD and I think it plays stiffer than the old one. But I get a little more control from that so I like it. I do think it flexes more than the PD (but some on the board don't feel the same).
The new line will be more of a classic/hybrid frame. We'll start releasing info on it in the next couple months. It will be in between the APD/PD and PS lines.
Might be worth waiting to demo.
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
shhhhh. nice find.
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
Nope. It took me a while to get used to it. But it grows on you. Or maybe it doesn't.
Babolat Official
Hall of Fame
My gut reaction would be RPM & VS.
However, the more popular hybrid in the office (D1 level college players) is PHT and VS.
Both are pretty nice, really can't go wrong.
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