Babolat Pure Storm GT cracking problems?

[Arzon]

These are two customer reviews from TW on the Babolat Pure Storm GT

Comments: Love the racquet, even though it's slightly head-heavy. The big problem is this makes 3 Babolats in a row with loose/creaky butt caps, and two in a row have broken from normal use. The latest one after only 2 sets cracked on the inside where the throat and bridge meet. Now it feels terrible! It's very frustrating! Obviously, I'll be looking for a similar feeling, higher quality frame. For nearly 200 bucks each, c'mon people.
From: Calvin, USA. 03/10
String type and tension: Luxilon big banger rough
NTRP Rating: 5.0

Comments: My fifteen year old son traded a Roddick Pure Drive that was replaced by Babolat because he broke the throat of the racquet returning a forehand. He loved the new Pure Storm for a month until the racquet shattered at the frame right in the middle of the word "woofer" when he returned my serve in the center of the racquet. We were playing doubles with three of my contemporaries (60 year olds). This racquet was strung on a constant pull machine with Yonex Spin 15L at 53lbs. This is two pounds less than the recommended tension. We are questioning the quality of Babolat frames.
From: Stu, Albany, NY, USA, 01/10
String type and tension: Yonex Spin 15L at 53lbs.
Headsize: 98
NTRP Rating: 3.5-4.0

Has anyone else experienced similar problems? I love everything about the Babolat Pure Storm GT, but I don't want to buy a racquet that is going to break in any less than 2 years. I'm a pretty hard hitting 3.5 baseliner and I play about 3 days a week and 5 days a week during HS tennis season. I never smash my racquets EVER; My racquet never touches the court for the most part besides returning low balls with a backhand slice. Once I get the racquet, I would probably string it with syn gut at mid tension.

 

[Topspin24]

Yeah, I wouldn't get it. Although I have the PST, I'm afraid mine has cracked because whenever I hit with it, a weird unstable shot is produced. I have had my PST for about 3 months

 

[ClubHoUno]

I have had 6 Pure Storm Tour CarbonX and 6 Pure Storm Tour GT - and have so far never experienced any of these issues.

I might have been lucky.....so far...... all mine (exept two) have been ordered through the Babolat Tour department in Lyon, so this could the reason why I haven't had any issues yet......:?

Still find the Pure Storm Tour GT to be the best racquet I've hit with since the Wilson pro Staff Tour 95 in the mid 90's.

So certainly hope Babolat will adress these issues and begin producing high quality racquets for all their customers and not just the Tour customers

 

[Arzon]

Wow...this is really annoying.
The one racquet I feel is perfect in every way shape and form. Love how it feels, perfect weight, cosmetics, and everything and it happens to be the most fragile racquet. Does babolat have any kind of warranty for these kinds of things? Will a pro shop replace the racquet if there is a crack from regular play?

 

[ClubHoUno]

Wow...this is really annoying.
The one racquet I feel is perfect in every way shape and form. Love how it feels, perfect weight, cosmetics, and everything and it happens to be the most fragile racquet. Does babolat have any kind of warranty for these kinds of things? Will a pro shop replace the racquet if there is a crack from regular play?

If you buy them through TW or TW Europe, I think you can expect VERY good customers service - and they should exchange it for you, no problems.

 

[Zefer]

I think Babolat racquets are lovely, just a slight problem with the recent quality. I know a guy who smashed a non-cotex APD, and I know a guy who smashed two cortex APDs. I've never seen any other racquet make break so much from abuse. However, it's still abuse so it shouldn't count, right? Eh, operator error I'd say... still not as durable as what some racquets are though.
The only thing that's worn down quick on my two Babolat racquets (APD Cortex and PDGT) is the paint, the latter being less durable, but that's the case with a lot of racquet paintjobs of late (due to, from what I've heard, the financial situation in recent times).

I don't think the racquet will have any MAJOR damage so long as you look after it. Mine have paints chips and scrapes all over them but still hit great.

 

[ODYSSEY Mk.4]

have had 3 pure storms, 3 aero storms, 3 pure storm ltd and never had an issue the word normal play is so vague all it take is someone throwing there racquet and ta dah its cracked but go with the story of bad quality to get it replaced and there are those occasions with bad QC but that can happen to any of the big company's

 

[Arzon]

I was just curious that maybe the GT might be the issue..
It seems that everyone with the old pure storm don't have as many problems as the new gt version.

Any more opinions?

 

[surfsb]

I have 5 of the PS (model before GT) and 3 of them had to have the butt cap re-stapled because they came loose and started creaking like crazy. But i've never had the frame crack or any other problems. Though I can't vouch for the GT since they might have separate issues with that model.

 

[strokee]

Just had the buttcap on my PSLGT glued and stapled yesterday...apparently the buttcaps coming loose are EXTREMELY common on these.

 

[karophiteblu]

3.5 baseliners dont break rackets. put it this way, if u dont break strings often, ur more likely to not break ur racket. unless u abuse ur racket, which a lot of people do

 

[Puredrivetennis]

my teammate from school experienced similar problems... cracking at the 6 oclock position in three frames

 

[liehssahmster]

The slightly used PSTGT I bought two months ago just cracked. I found a dealer who will return it for me. Hoping to get it replaced by Babolat.

 

[CaptJamie]

I just cracked a second Pure Drive GT + last night. Strung at 60 with Lux Alu Ruf and Bab N. Gut. This is the second racquet that I've cracked at the 2 and 10 locations. This is where the GT (grafite/tungsten) interface is. The 1st one Babalot replaced no issues. I hope they honor the second as well.
No it wasn't thrown or dropped.

 

[tennis007]

Babolat quality issues?

See Australian Open site of Agnieszka Radwanska returning a server and her Babolat Pure Drive Lite GT Racquet brakes. What about that? I would suggest to Babolat to get the quality control and racquet exchange policy reviewed and improved.

 

[tennis_enthusiast]

I bought three Pure Storm GT back in October, and one of mine cracked at about the 2 o clock position on the frame. A small crack to start, but I sent it in to Babolat a few weeks ago and got my replacement today. Very impressed with Babolat's customer service, but other than this racket I have never had a problem with Babolat's racket and I've had the Pure Drive Roddick + Cortex, Aeropro drive + cortex, babolat pure drive roddick gt, and babolat pure storm tour gt. I will comment on the loose butt cap though, I had that in one of my frames and I just used some electrical tape in between the logo piece and the actually cap. No problems since then.

 

[dustin85]

I just got one but now im super worried this will happen