$400.00 … seriously??????

Dedans Penthouse

Dedans Penthouse

Legend
Upfront: love TW, and have bought from them on numerous occassions without a hitch (and will be doing so again shortly) - nothing against them….more about the manufacturer.

Babolat Aero PLAY (s/b named "PAY"):

While the absurd retail price of this woefully overpriced FOUR HUNDRED DOLLOR tennis racquet frame (before stringing) has not surprisingly dropped 25% from $400.00 (!) to $300.00 (still "$!!!"), it is astounding to think that a tennis player who would normally put two raquets in his/her bag would (at this initial "$400" outlay) end up--with bag, shoes, outfit--be looking at ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS.

Anyone for tennis?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB2f6-U72Zk

__________________
 
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AMGF

AMGF

Hall of Fame
I started playing tennis 30 years ago. My first (non-wooden) racquet was a Slazenger CS135 that cost 135$ back then. Then a couple years later I bought a Head Genesis for 250$.

All things considered, tennis racquets are really cheap. Prices on tennis frames didn't go up at all in 30 years. In fact my Head Prestige Pro cost less than my Genesis did some 25-30 years later. Same for tennis balls. They were 5$/can in the days and I get them for 4$/can today.

Babolat added some technology and charges for it. No big deal as if you don't want it, you don't need to pay for it. But if I'm not mistaken, if you buy the Sony Smart tennis sensor, it'll set you back 200$. Of course you only need one even if you have two frames, but the Babolat is integrated.

I don't understand why you'd like to have smart sensor and expect not to pay for it.
 
S

Sparky

Semi-Pro
AMGF said:
I started playing tennis 30 years ago. My first (non-wooden) racquet was a Slazenger CS135 that cost 135$ back then. Then a couple years later I bought a Head Genesis for 250$.

All things considered, tennis racquets are really cheap. Prices on tennis frames didn't go up at all in 30 years. In fact my Head Prestige Pro cost less than my Genesis did some 25-30 years later. Same for tennis balls. They were 5$/can in the days and I get them for 4$/can today.

Babolat added some technology and charges for it. No big deal as if you don't want it, you don't need to pay for it. But if I'm not mistaken, if you buy the Sony Smart tennis sensor, it'll set you back 200$. Of course you only need one even if you have two frames, but the Babolat is integrated.

I don't understand why you'd like to have smart sensor and expect not to pay for it.
Click to expand...


My sentiment exactly. Well said.
 
R

reds17

Rookie
Yes, the smart way to go if you really crave the feedback from a smart sensor is to buy the newer racquets that are compatible with a Sony Smart sensor, and buy ONE of the smart sensors. I would feel gauged buying multiple 400.00 racquets.
 
mavsman149

mavsman149

Hall of Fame
You could just buy one of the Play versions and just get the regular ones for backups. They are the same racket.
 
I

Ihatetennis

Hall of Fame
It's a training tool.... If you use the racquet then buy one and use it during practice only, but you don't need more than one of them
 
Hankenstein

Hankenstein

Hall of Fame
The last year the Swedish Kronor (SEK) have lost strength aginst the US$. Just some time ago 1 US$ was 6,50 SEK. Today it´s like 8,20 SEK for a $.

When it was 6,50 a dollar the list price of a top of the line frame like Prestige, Six One 95 or similar was 400 US$ (here in Sweden).

That is simply way to much money for a regular frame. The PD Play though, is a good teaching help and maybe not a frame you buy 3-4 of. It´s a gadget and imo worth it´s price. Sure there are more stuff on the market right now that cost much less, but they all change the weight and balance of the original frame. PD Play keep the original weight and balance and if you are very picky with your gear that is worth a lot
 
UCSF2012

UCSF2012

Hall of Fame
It's a fairly stupid tool for the foolhardy. The precise swing speed, ball rpm, and whatever doesn't matter. You can look at the way the ball flies through the air and determine whether you need to make changes. Ultimately, that's the only thing that matters. Specs are meaningless.
 
E

eaglesburg

Guest
UCSF2012 said:
It's a fairly stupid tool for the foolhardy. The precise swing speed, ball rpm, and whatever doesn't matter. You can look at the way the ball flies through the air and determine whether you need to make changes. Ultimately, that's the only thing that matters. Specs are meaningless.
Click to expand...

You could try to diagnose your off days. You could see where you are off center more and whether you aren't swinging as hard or hitting the ball flatter or more skinnier than usual. You can also use to see the improvement of your game over time in numbers.
 
The_Racketeer

The_Racketeer

Professional
It's a $200 racquet + technology in the handle. If you don't want the tech, just buy the regular racquet without it at normal racquet price. I don't see what the problem is. I'm sure people who have these only have 1 and use the regular one as backups. It's a learning tool.
 
Rabbit

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
Dedans Penthouse said:
Upfront: love TW, and have bought from them on numerous occassions without a hitch (and will be doing so again shortly) - nothing against them….more about the manufacturer.

Babolat Aero PLAY (s/b named "PAY"):

While the absurd retail price of this woefully overpriced FOUR HUNDRED DOLLOR tennis racquet frame (before stringing) has not surprisingly dropped 25% from $400.00 (!) to $300.00 (still "$!!!"), it is astounding to think that a tennis player who would normally put two raquets in his/her bag would (at this initial "$400" outlay) end up--with bag, shoes, outfit--be looking at ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS.

Anyone for tennis?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB2f6-U72Zk

__________________
Click to expand...

Yeah..!

AMGF said:
I started playing tennis 30 years ago. My first (non-wooden) racquet was a Slazenger CS135 that cost 135$ back then. Then a couple years later I bought a Head Genesis for 250$.

All things considered, tennis racquets are really cheap. Prices on tennis frames didn't go up at all in 30 years. In fact my Head Prestige Pro cost less than my Genesis did some 25-30 years later. Same for tennis balls. They were 5$/can in the days and I get them for 4$/can today.

Babolat added some technology and charges for it. No big deal as if you don't want it, you don't need to pay for it. But if I'm not mistaken, if you buy the Sony Smart tennis sensor, it'll set you back 200$. Of course you only need one even if you have two frames, but the Babolat is integrated.

I don't understand why you'd like to have smart sensor and expect not to pay for it.
Click to expand...

But when you put it like that....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
 
A

Attila_the_gorilla

Guest
It costs that much because enough people are willing to buy it at that price. If your budget is only enough for a Toyota Corolla, don't go into the Porsche dealership.
 
Bartelby

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
I think I'd prefer to waltz off to one of those smart courts that TW has from time to time, but alas they do not exist here as yet.

My fear is that this handle technology might forestall the spread of smart courts.
 
Muppet

Muppet

Legend
I can feel what kind of contact I'm making with the ball. I can see what kind of trajectory my ball has. I can tell how much and what kind of spin the ball had by how it kicks from of the court. Etc. What else will a smart sensor do for me? I feel like this technology is only serving to remove me one step further from the direct experience of my game.

The last thing was Racquet Tune. Why do we need to use an iPhone to track our string tension? Haven't we always done that really well by tapping the strings against the palm of our hand?
 
Chotobaka

Chotobaka

Hall of Fame
AMGF said:
I started playing tennis 30 years ago. My first (non-wooden) racquet was a Slazenger CS135 that cost 135$ back then. Then a couple years later I bought a Head Genesis for 250$.

All things considered, tennis racquets are really cheap. Prices on tennis frames didn't go up at all in 30 years. In fact my Head Prestige Pro cost less than my Genesis did some 25-30 years later. Same for tennis balls. They were 5$/can in the days and I get them for 4$/can today.

Babolat added some technology and charges for it. No big deal as if you don't want it, you don't need to pay for it. But if I'm not mistaken, if you buy the Sony Smart tennis sensor, it'll set you back 200$. Of course you only need one even if you have two frames, but the Babolat is integrated.

I don't understand why you'd like to have smart sensor and expect not to pay for it.
Click to expand...

True. Case in point, Prince Boron racquets were $500.00 back in the mid-80's. So, getting a current flagship racquet plus technology that has the ability to break down play data (unthinkable then) for $300.00 is a real deal for those who want it.
 
S

scotus

G.O.A.T.
Chotobaka said:
True. Case in point, Prince Boron racquets were $500.00 back in the mid-80's. So, getting a current flagship racquet plus technology that has the ability to break down play data (unthinkable then) for $300.00 is a real deal for those who want it.
Click to expand...

Regarding Prince Boron, Prince thought if they added an extra cross-stabilizer and a nice cover, the POG fans would gobble them up.

But that did not happen. $500 was only a fantasy price Prince had hoped to get.

Even the Prince CTS series, which had the sticker price of over $200 were selling for a lot less in the stores even when they were current. I remember getting my CTS Lightning for $120 when it first came out.
 
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Big_Dangerous

Big_Dangerous

Talk Tennis Guru
I don't know how the data is supposed to help you, because as far as I know the Babolat play doesn't measure the one stastic that most rec players might want to know, which is how hard you are hitting the ball in terms of miles or kilometers per hour. I don't see how knowing that you hit like 42/70 balls on the sweet spot helps you. It might be cool to know, but I guess it's a "way" of measuring your performance to get better. But typically you can feel when you hit the ball on the sweet spot or when you miss that area. Plus the sound it makes as well.
 
T

TennisCJC

Legend
Tennis racket market works well and it a model for a good capitalist market. If you don't want to pay $400 for Bab Play racket, you (the consumer) has power to make other decision such as buy another recent model new racket for $190, or buy an older model new racket for $90, or buy a used racket for $50. So, you can and do influence the suppliers because you control your demand. If what they supply doesn't appeal to you from a price and performance perspective, simply tell them to F-off and buy something else.

Tennis racket market works well as a capitalist market. Contrast this with healthcare where the consumer doesn't have F-off power in their decision making. If you have cancer or a compound leg fracture, you as the consumer cannot really tell the supplier to F-off unless you want to die or walk around with a bone sticking out of your leg. This is why healthcare markets must be heavily regulated and socialized as they do not work well in a supply and demand model since the consumer has very little F-off power in their decision making.
 
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max

max

Legend
Hankenstein said:
The last year the Swedish Kronor (SEK) have lost strength aginst the US$. Just some time ago 1 US$ was 6,50 SEK. Today it´s like 8,20 SEK for a $.

When it was 6,50 a dollar the list price of a top of the line frame like Prestige, Six One 95 or similar was 400 US$ (here in Sweden).

That is simply way to much money for a regular frame. The PD Play though, is a good teaching help and maybe not a frame you buy 3-4 of. It´s a gadget and imo worth it´s price. Sure there are more stuff on the market right now that cost much less, but they all change the weight and balance of the original frame. PD Play keep the original weight and balance and if you are very picky with your gear that is worth a lot
Click to expand...

I'm confused. By these commas, do you mean periods?
 
S

Steve Huff

G.O.A.T.
Even the Healthcare market COULD be a good Capitalistic model. If the information regarding outcomes was readily available, where people could see how well hospitals and doctors performed, then they would go to the better ones. Unfortunately, most of the information regarding how "good" a hospital is, is usually made up by the hospital itself.
 
UCSF2012

UCSF2012

Hall of Fame
Personally, why anyone would buy a Babolat for any price is beyond me. If they're dumb enough to pay $200 for one, perhaps they're dumb enough to pay $400 for one. You'll never know until you try....
 
S

Sparky

Semi-Pro
UCSF2012 said:
It's a fairly stupid tool for the foolhardy. The precise swing speed, ball rpm, and whatever doesn't matter. You can look at the way the ball flies through the air and determine whether you need to make changes. Ultimately, that's the only thing that matters. Specs are meaningless.
Click to expand...

UCSF2012 said:
Personally, why anyone would buy a Babolat for any price is beyond me. If they're dumb enough to pay $200 for one, perhaps they're dumb enough to pay $400 for one. You'll never know until you try....
Click to expand...


With a signature as yours, It doesn't take a genius to understand your motive for trolling this thread. (..another troll member blocked....)

I find the technology very useful as a coaching device.

.
 
Zoolander

Zoolander

Hall of Fame
Big_Dangerous said:
I don't know how the data is supposed to help you, because as far as I know the Babolat play doesn't measure the one stastic that most rec players might want to know, which is how hard you are hitting the ball in terms of miles or kilometers per hour.
Click to expand...

There was a guy on ***y selling an old tretorn speedgun racquet which allegedly does exactly that. I dont know what century they were made in but im guessing they are accurate to +/- 120kph. :)
 
West Coast Ace

West Coast Ace

G.O.A.T.
I saw the title and thought 'one hour hit and dinner with Anna Kournikova?' - I'm in. Another of life's disappointments.

I can see the value for the added tech for some players in some circumstances. But if someone has crummy strokes, is out of shape and has bad footwork, it's not going to be money well spent.
 
UCSF2012

UCSF2012

Hall of Fame
Sparky said:
With a signature as yours, It doesn't take a genius to understand your motive for trolling this thread. (..another troll member blocked....)

I find the technology very useful as a coaching device.

.
Click to expand...

Do you feel proud to mentally block someone? Does it make you feel like a better man? Please... A genius would realize the sarcasm, satire, and parody in the signature. I use Prince, not Wilson.

The technology has no scientific backing. We don't have any indication that it's accurate. It's like those speed guns that misread by 15mph. What good is it?

It's like Racquet Tune. String tension based on the musical note of a tennis racket.

The careful eye of a seasoned tennis player will tell you...pay attention to what happens to the ball. How much lift, how much air, how much speed. Do you drive, do you rally? You can feel the ball hit off-centered. The sensor at the butt-cap won't give you any useful information. What happens at the contact point is all important.
 
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Babolat Official

Babolat Official

Hall of Fame
UCSF2012 said:
The technology has no scientific backing. We don't have any indication that it's accurate.

It's like Racquet Tune. String tension based on the musical note of a tennis racket.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify, Babolat PLAY vibration sensors are built into the top of the handle. Different vibrations create different frequencies, which with today's technology and advanced algorithms, make it very easy to track impact location. We test this with high frame rate slow motion cameras.

Sorry, I can't speak to other products, I'm not familiar with the technologies that are based on sounds.
 
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