Babolat String Playtest-March 2010

I think tension has a lot to do with the effectiveness of the string. Mine at 54/52 is REALLY powerful. Overall, it's a good solid string; to me, but it's no game changer. The key is to try it yourself when you get a chance. I've learned the hard way that what different players like in a string isn't what I like ;)

BTW,I don't think it has to be used in a certain type of stick to be effective. I'm using it in a 21.5mm straight beam Radical which I would not characterize as hollow and it works well. An open pattern is probably a better fit with the 1.30mm size but not required.

Regarding the Prestiges, the Prestige Pro would be a solid fit for RPM and even the Prestige MP. Even the Mid would work well with a thinner gauge I think.
 
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UPDATE BELOW

Standupnfall said:
String: Babolat B-432C
Racquet: ProKennex Ki5, 16x19 Pattern, 100" headsize
Tension: 54 pounds strung on Wise2086, constant pull ON, NO pre-stretch
Surface: Hardcourt, 50-60 Degrees F, Beautiful NY evening :)
Player: 31 year old 4.0 all court player with big serve and classic strokes with a full mix of shots including moderate topspin. (Master Poacher and Smasher)

Upon Opening:
String was coiled tight and would spring wildly as others posted. I put a twist tie while opening and uncoiled gently as I measured and cut the the string for the 2 piece stringing method I prefer.
String measured 40' almost exactly ( I ALWAYS measure because Black Code has screwed me a few times)

Stringing:
The string strung like a medium stiff poly. Not too slippery but no binding. Knots were easy to tie for a poly, a little easier than MSV Hex but of course not as easy as syn gut. Overall easy to work with.

To the touch:
For reference I found it closest in stiffness feel to Black Code. The string is much softer than Gosen PolyLon, and a little softer than Polystar Energy and MSV Focus Hex. And those were 17g while this is 16G. Method for this was not scientific I just bent all of my spare strings that I keep from each string I use and compared it to the leftover from this job.

Now onto the good stuff, Playtest:
String had fantastic pop and spring to it. It felt quite comfortable and had extreme accuracy. My serve was huge compared to the Maxim Touch I have been using at 60 pounds.
Net play was nice and comfortable and spin potential was fine. The string seems to have a slight octagonal profile but is pretty smooth. The putaway shots were back that had been lost since switching to the less powerful Multi last month.

I found the comfort to be on par with PolyStar Energy at the same tension although the energy feels a bit more rubber bandy while this was slightly more crisp.

So far I have only played against a wall for 15 min and an hour of hitting with a fellow 4.0 all court player like myself.

I have a competitive doubles day planned for Saturday so I will see how I like this for real clutch play action.

Overall if I was to use a full poly this would deff be in my top 5 choices. Others in that 5 are PolyStar Energy, Unique Big Hitter, CyberBlue and Possibly Black Code or MSV Focus.

If it keeps up similar play characteristics for more than 5 hours I will certainly buy some.

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Update
Same racquet and stringjob as before: Ki5 54lbs
Hardcourt, sunny weekend in ny, 65 - 70 degrees.
Mixed doubles with lots of other 4.0's , 3 hours Saturday, 4 hours Sunday
Weekend Outcome: 11 out of 11 sets won in doubles, and 1 set singles 6-2.
This was a tough crowd with many close sets but I had a great weekend of tennis and had some great partners.

The string gave me phenomenal control and feel for crosscourt rallies, netplay and lobs. My serve was accurate but the sun was very strong so I had to use a lower toss resulting in lower power.
The strings had great feel on Saturday throughout the day and it was very easy to keep the ball deep to the baseline which resulted in lots of points won.

By Sunday the strings were much less crisp and I would say almost dead with much tension loss. This was after about 10 hours of play total and 5 or so days since being strung.

Overall I did like the strings control characteristics and overall playability without being too harsh or too much of anything.
I give the strings a strong 8/10 due to the positives of Control, Feel and Softness
The negative was the short life and the way it treated my arm (again this feels nice for a poly but compared to ALL strings it is still somewhat harsh)

I would bump my rating up to a 9/10 for a Poly but 8/10 against all strings taking the arm soreness I am experiencing into account

Sadly I think I will be cutting it out before the weekend since my arm is feeling the effects of Poly for 10+ hours of play the last few days
 
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Schap02's Babolat B-432C Black 16g Playtest

Brief Background:
All-Courter, like to S&V, prefer singles
OHBH
Big Forehand
Big Flat Serve
Sub-Par Kicker
Not too much Topspin but def not a flat hitter, work the occasional slice

Racquet = Babolat Pure Storm Ltd GT
Tension = 60 lbs - One piece
Hours = 11+

Sessions:
All Hard Court, Three 2 hour outdoors, Three 2 hour indoors
Avg Temp indoors, 50-70 outdoors, little humidity. Sessions include one hour of all-court drilling, one hour of practice sets. Indoor sessions w/ Nationally Ranked senior (50 +, in better shape than me @ 28, Outdoor sessions with local teaching pro)
The string broke indoors at the tail end of my practice set, snapped two mains - I would say the string felt very nice until about 4 hrs, from 4-8 it was mediocre at best, Post-Eight hours it felt like it was going to snap at any moment but for the sake of the playtest I kept using it until it snapped.
Here we go:
I couldn't have said this any better, Sorry, in advance, Drak but you were spot on here.
"Strings strongest characteristic is the cushioned feel and ability to absorb the impact of very heavy and spinny incoming shots. There was very little vibration/raw feedback delivered back to the hand on all strokes, and what was left was a very comfortable ride. The thick and cushiony feel of the string would be a great attribute for players looking for a poly that doesn't feel so stiff when playing, and is extremely comfortable." - Drakulie

In addition to the comfort listed above, Access to spin was fine but it wasn't "better" or "more" spin than say PHT or Lux, it was just pretty normal, power was definitely dialed down in my opinion, could have just been my desired tension? Last but not least, tension maintenance felt the same to me as many other popular polys, post 4 hours it was pretty dead, post 8 hours it was pure crap.

Serve:
Enjoyed the consistent pop from the string - you got exactly what you put into it, hard flat, wide kick, ect...aside from Volleys, Serves were probably the most fun.

Groundies:
String held up fine on both sides, harder to achieve the desired depth on FH/BH - the string was comfortable and the spin was there but it was very tough to take a big enough cut to place a hard, deep, low return. Access to slice from both sides was just average.

Volleys:
This was probably my favorite aspect of the string. It had a comfortable ride at net, able to place the touch shots and move the ball. I would have preferred to place the deep volleys a tad better but overall I was most happy with this string @ net



Positives: Smooth comfortable ride in the beginning, nice touch, not as harsh on the arm as some similar options

Negatives: Low-power (I know I could drop tension for more power but with the rapid tension loss I'm not sure it'd be worth my time?) Durability could be an issue for some bigger hitters/heavy spin ect...

Ideas: For me to stock this string as a regular for my customers it has to have an appealing price point. I don't think you can charge the same for this string as PHT or Revenge (unless when RPM comes out the drop the prices on others - Example - Adrenaline cheaper than ALU BB Rough) I would honestly give this string one more shot at 17g or maybe even 18g just to see what it felt like. Perhaps the thinner gauge strung @ 60 or 62 would provide some extra power/spin that everyone is claiming this string has?


Thanks TW and TT mods for allowing me to playtest this string. Keep in mind, my opinions are my own. If anyone has any direct questions, please feel free to drop me an e-mail.
 
Thank TW for including me in the string playtest! I must have landed right near the cutoff; I received a polite but disappointing rejection email, and so was pleasantly surprised when I got the string in the mail on Friday.

I strung it up late on Saturday. Out of the package the string wanted to tangle and twist, so I chopped it in half for a 2 piece. The string felt a little more rubbery than the standard plasticy copoly, and was pretty easy to weave. I put it in my heavy 16x19 Slaz X-1 at 54 lbs, the DT came out at 41.

I didn't get to play with it until Monday. I played inside, on a worn-down, fast hardcourt. The inside temp was in the upper 60's.

Going in, I didn't think I was going to like this string. I don't mind the new copoly's, but I like stiff strings, keep them just soft enough to survive it. I brought a spare racquet with Adrenaline that was about to break, and another with fresh ALU power. (normal setup) I didn't touch either one, although I wish now I had hit a little with my normal ALU for contrast.

The string was a nice control string, but still had a lot of comfort and touch. I would consider it low powered, but I really believe this is an individual perception more than a single string attribute. The string was noisy, which made me expect the ball to go longer than it did. It also seemed to be one of those lower angle strings. The combination had me aiming a little higher over the net, and likely hitting the ball a little harder. To me that equals a low power perception.

When I got it home, it measured 39 DT, which isn't bad for a day to sit and 2 hours hitting in drills. I am not a huge string breaker, and can usually get at least 10-15 hours playing time out of a poly string. There was light notching in the sweet spot, nothing out of the ordinary for the amount of hitting.

Overall, I really liked this string. It felt solid, but comfortable, and should do rather well in the softer, muted feel copoly niche.
 
* playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)

First- Indoor, Hardcourt Second- Outdoor, high 40's hardcourt, Third- Outdoor High 50's hardcourt


* tension it is strung
25 kgs/ 55 lbs

* String pattern of your racquet
16*20
* power (or lack there of)

I strung this at 55 lbs, which is what I normally string ALU Power at, and I found that ALU Power has a lot more power than this test string. I think that if I were to change to this string, I would have to string it lower to get what I want from it. I also have been using Genesis Black Magic 17ga at 55 lbs, and I feel that the BM has more power than this string.

* feel
I think that the feel of these strings is above average for a poly, because they feel very soft and comfortable. No harshness to the arm whatsoever. I havent used a poly that has had better touch, but it is obviously not like a multi or gut.

* tension maintenance (how long it holds its tension)
So far I think that the strings are holding their tension very well, and I will continue to monitor that as I continue the playtest. I have been playing for 6 hours now with these strings, and I haven't noticed a significant drop off in tension or playability.

I feel that these strings are able to produce huge amounts of spin which I think is a plus because i am able to hit out more.

I am thinking about switching to these strings, and if they release different gauges i think the 17 gauge will be the winner for me. More to come soon.
 
Played another 2 sets of doubles with these strings in cool (60's) weather on hard courts. I am a club player using a triple threat Stealth racquet (I know it's old and obsolete but I like it) strung at 54 pounds on both mains and crosses. I am not the most powerful player and I hit flat with very little topspin on both sides. I like to get to net asap, frequently use a bh slice as my approach and have a pretty good volley

I continue to like the spin potential of these strings. My slice approach and second serves were better than usual. I also found the strings somewhat underpowered. My strokes are fairly compact and I had to lengthen my swing to get the depth I wanted. Volleys also tended to lack depth. One of my opponents hit a high bouncing topspin heavy ball and I found it easier than usual to handle these balls. These strings were comfortable to play with. I now have a total of 5 hrs playing time logged and have not seen any deterioration in playability
 
Cup8489 said:
Playing Conditions: Session 1: Indoors (approx. 65F) Session 2: Outdoors (approx 60F)
Tension: 56 lbs strung on a constant pull machine
Racquet: Babolat Aero Pro Drive w/ Cortex (string pattern 16x19)

Ok, so my first impressions were this: When I opened the package, I found out there was no string tie, so almost lost control of it. i put a tie on until i planned to string, and when I did this i inspected and measured the string. I saw no kinks, deformities or the like on inspection, and the string measured 40'4". It had typical coil memory for a poly, though I thought it felt stiff (this is probably due to me exclusively using SPPP for so long, everything feels stiff compared to it :) ) I had no troubles with stringing, and definitely enjoyed the look of the stringjob when it was finished.

For my first session, indoors, it took me a good 10 minutes to get used to the string, since i am so ingrained with SPPP nowadays. I noticed a crispness not found with the SPPP, and at first it was putting me off. After i got used to it, I found that it gave ample spin, but not so much that my shots were landing short. It had some great feel, and my finesse shots seemed to be better than with the SPPP. Great power as well, seems like a typical babolat poly. Really fun first session.

Second time out it was a little breezy, and i felt that this string gave me more control than did my usual setup. I found i could hit deep with considerable spin, and the wind (up to 20 mph in gusts) did not adversely affect my game. I really liked this stuff the second time out, and it's definitely starting to grow on me. If they do decide to release this (which Im sure they already have) I may be considering a switch. Cant comment on tension maintenence, but I suspect it will be fairly good. The elasticity was also there, but not as much as with SPPP. normally this would put me off, but I actually liked this stiffness of this string.

Pictures:

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Update:

I've played with this stuff for about 12 hours now, had a good week of outdoor play with the boys tennis team. The tension is starting to drop rapidly and i'm starting to feel the stuff going dead. Seems like i got a good 11 hours of play out of it, which was a pleasant surprise for a babolat poly. Comfort and spin neve really dropped off, still one of the more comfy poly's i've tried. I would probably give this over all 8/10, mostly because the coil memory really put me off. if i could get over how often i'd be restringing it, i would definitely love this stuff. As it stands, I may give it a chance as a hybrid, should the string come to market. Really fun to playtest, i'm glad i was given the chance
 
PED said:
I think tension has a lot to do with the effectiveness of the string. Mine at 54/52 is REALLY powerful. Overall, it's a good solid string; to me, but it's no game changer. The key is to try it yourself when you get a chance. I've learned the hard way that what different players like in a string isn't what I like ;)

BTW,I don't think it has to be used in a certain type of stick to be effective. I'm using it in a 21.5mm straight beam Radical which I would not characterize as hollow and it works well. An open pattern is probably a better fit with the 1.30mm size but not required.

Regarding the Prestiges, the Prestige Pro would be a solid fit for RPM and even the Prestige MP. Even the Mid would work well with a thinner gauge I think.
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I think you may have nailed it - lower tensions may be key.Gauges too but not a factor in the tests(as yet). Not sure about prestige, I think you have to try it like Drak did, My limited experience with Radical LM tour(3 years) was that it played better with some polys but not all. And therein lies the problem. Everyone has a different feel, swing speed.
I suspect you have to really get this string moving to get performance and then this only lasts until the next ball change! For club players, not a cheap or viable option. I don't think any string is game changing you just find a set-up you like, dial it in to the racket and away you go. Until the next string, racket comes along! :)
The hype is slowly dying with each review on this string...just like it has with the pros...
 
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I will reserve most of my judgment until I have played with these strings a bit more, but so far here are my thoughts on this string:

Control Set-up: Ashaway Kevlar 18 @ 52 lbs. / Gosen OG-Sheep Micro @ 55 lbs.

Racket: modded Babolat Pure Drive Team + (330 g, 360 swingweight, 3 pts HL) [16 x 19]

Playing Style: hard strokes, heavy spin. I play in a USTA 4.5 league, but am probably closer to a 4.0.

Tension: 53 lbs. (strung on an Alpha Pioneer DC +, one-piece ATW). Strung up like a typical poly...felt a bit stiffer than most I have strung up.

Playing Conditions:
Day 1 - Indoor Carpet, 68 F, mixed balls, 1 hr hard groundstroke games
Day 2 - Indoor Carpet, 68 F, Pro Pen balls, 1 hr light hitting, 0.5 hr light singles, 1 hr moderate paced doubles

I took a look at the cross-section of these strings under a microscope and can't confirm or deny that these strings are Babolat RPM Blast. I can't imagine what else they would be though. The cross-section was octagonally shaped, however the corners were rounded and the sides were not concave as they appear in the promotional video. So is it RPM Blast...probably, but if so their marketing of the string might be deceiving (or I looked at a bad spot on my set of strings).

From the limited time I have played with these strings so far, they seem to have a moderate amount of power...a tad more than I care for, but it is just about right.

These strings seemed to really start coming through for me when I backed off a little on my strokes and started taking more fluid shots. When I was using my normal faster swingspeed I had a lot more trouble controlling the depth of my shots than with my normal setup...the spin seemed unpredictable. When I backed off a bit the control of these strings was very good. I was able to place my shots where I wanted them.

These strings seem to have a moderately high amount of spin potential...not as much as my normal setup though.

Although I haven't experienced any changes in playability, these strings do seem to have dropped a lot of tension...that is going based off sound though, so that just might be my imagination. While we are on sound I will say these are the loudest strings I have played with...that was the very first thing I noticed.

String movement is typical for a poly (i.e. there is none).

I haven't played enough to really comment on the feel of these strings yet, although they are a bit above average as far as comfort.

I also haven't taken enough volleys to really comment on that yet.

The one thing that I absolutely love about these strings so far is the serves. I am able to place my serves really well with these strings, and they have a tremendous amount of pace compared to my normal setup and a comparable amount of spin. I have much better control on my flat serve with these strings than with my usual setup, which is huge for me.

My biggest problem with these strings so far is that I am unable to control my shots when I go for it. I have to make sure I back off on the gas a bit even when going for a winner which takes some getting used to.

More to come later (probably in a week).
 
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someone asked tennis warehouse on their facebook site, "when will rpm blast be available on your website?" -- their response, "april 15th"
 
Play style : Baseliner, SW grip, Heavy top spin, 2handed backhand. Big shot is forehand and I do approach net to follow them.

Racquet : Dunlop 4D 200s and a Dunlop M-fil 200.

Tension : 60-62#s

Playing conditions : Sunny FL. 70 degree evenings.

I finally got a chance to hit with this string. I put it on my Mfil 200 and threw it in the bag. It was strung at 56#s.

This reminded me of a crisper Spin-x or Black Magic off the bat (not due to the color). It is a soft poly that is real comfortable. Hitting the sweet spot felt great.

Serves were excellent. I had a lot of power on serve, but not better then my current setup (in sig). I could easily get spin as expected with a full poly setup and slice and topspin serves bit the court aggressively.

On groundies I felt decent control. Not the level that I prefer. I could hit with heavy spin, but hitting my flatter SW forehand was a little tougher to control. I found myself reverting back to full western, which is not what I like to do. My 2 handed backhand had plenty of power and I could bring it back down on the court rather easily. The biggest issue for me was that I did not have the precision that I am used to.

To me, this poly was very nice, high quality, but is not something I would buy. I never really got into the softer stuff, and I prefer even crisper setups. I find a lack of precision when I string too low, and I have to use a full western grip. If you play full western all the time, then this string is going to be worth your while. You just have to keep it a low tension, and then of course it is going to drop. For me, it dropped after a few hours and I found myself swinging more aggressively with a more western grip to keep it under control. I personally, have steered my game away from that style of play, but if that sounds like your style, then this string is excellent.

Thanks TW for letting me try this string out.
 
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^^^Powerplayer, nice review. but how is it that you get lots of power on serves but not on groundies,,,that is odd.??
 
Fedace said:
60-62#. Drak had said this is low power string. so you disagree and think this is high power string?>>
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PP did his at 56lbs from his post.

I'm playing with mine this afternoon. Should be around 78 and sunny: that will be a good test for the control.

PP nailed it though: when you really want to flatten it out and hammer it "Fed style" you don't really have the confidence with the test string.
 
I am not sure what you just said but I'll take a shot:

56#s for me at full poly is always going to be high powered. It is just how I hit. I like my arm and shoulder, so I don't string full poly higher then this. Most polys are meant to be strung around 56 or less in a full job and then they lose tension on top of this.

I put 60-62 pounds because that is how I normally string my hybrid setup. I was simply profiling my normal setup like the other posters did.

And yes, for me this string was not low powered at 56#s. It compared to Black Magic or Spin-X like I said in my review.
 
Power Player said:
I am not sure what you just said but I'll take a shot:

56#s for me at full poly is always going to be high powered. It is just how I hit. I like my arm and shoulder, so I don't string full poly higher then this. Most polys are meant to be strung around 56 or less in a full job and then they lose tension on top of this.

I put 60-62 pounds because that is how I normally string my hybrid setup. I was simply profiling my normal setup like the other posters did.

And yes, for me this string was not low powered at 56#s. It compared to Black Magic or Spin-X like I said in my review.
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How do you think it compares to Proline 2 or Black code,,, powerwise. ?? thanks.
 
I finally got around to hitting with it. I played for 2 hrs on an indoor clay court. Temperature was around mid 70s it felt like, with somewhat humid conditions.

I got it strung up in my Babolat Pure Storm Tour at 54lbs. I usually play with 17g strings at 57lbs, but I thought I'd lower the tension a little this time around as its a 16g string and I wanted a little more power.

Now I don't know if it was because I lowered the tension a little, but I did notice that the string has some decent power for a poly. It is a fairly soft poly but doesn't feel muted at all. The string felt surprisingly crisp on groundstrokes. I usually play with Unique Big Hitter, and I want to say it was almost as crisp as that string. The string pockets the ball well and I was able to access the spin I needed. The feel of the string is pretty good for a poly as I was able to do some nice touch volleys. On serve, the string felt great for kick and flat serves. As for tension maintenance, it seemed to hold tension like your typical poly, nothing special to write home about.

Its a fairly good poly and I would be willing to buy more sets if its competitively priced. I've tried Tecnifibre Black Code, and I think the test string is better than that for sure.
 
staedtler said:
I finally got around to hitting with it. I played for 2 hrs on an indoor clay court. Temperature was around mid 70s it felt like, with somewhat humid conditions.

I got it strung up in my Babolat Pure Storm Tour at 54lbs. I usually play with 17g strings at 57lbs, but I thought I'd lower the tension a little this time around as its a 16g string and I wanted a little more power.

Now I don't know if it was because I lowered the tension a little, but I did notice that the string has some decent power for a poly. It is a fairly soft poly but doesn't feel muted at all. The string felt surprisingly crisp on groundstrokes. I usually play with Unique Big Hitter, and I want to say it was almost as crisp as that string. The string pockets the ball well and I was able to access the spin I needed. The feel of the string is pretty good for a poly as I was able to do some nice touch volleys. On serve, the string felt great for kick and flat serves. As for tension maintenance, it seemed to hold tension like your typical poly, nothing special to write home about.

Its a fairly good poly and I would be willing to buy more sets if its competitively priced. I've tried Tecnifibre Black Code, and I think the test string is better than that for sure.
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How did it compare to Blackcode ??
 
Ok I have since had to restring my racquet, so the test string is done. This was done in an APDGT. Here we go.

* playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface)
-Temperatures ranged between 60 to 80 degrees, all outdoor and on hard courts. I was able to use both in the day and at night.

* tension it is strung
-55 pounds

* String pattern of your racquet
-16x19

* power (or lack there of)
-For a poly I thought this string had good power. I'd put it on the upper end of the scale, personally.

* feel
-The feel of this string was quite good. Very comfortable, while at the same time feeling very solid with plenty of feedback. I was pretty impressed with how precise the setup felt.

* tension maintenance (how long it holds its tension)
-I think the tension maintenance was fine for me. I generally don't have a problem with a string, unless it really really drops off. The string will break before it goes too low to be playable for me. I got about 4 hours out of this string I think before it was on the verge of breaking and I just cut it out.

* likes/dislikes and why
-Overall, I really really liked this string, which surprises me a bit. I find probably 90% of strings not really worth playing with in any fashion (for me), and I would consider a switch to this string. For me, that's a strong endorsement. I thought it had a "perfect" mix of power, spin, and feel. The spin on this string was quite good IMO, and was pretty easy to get a heavy ball that would leap off the court at impact. I made a few people whiff on really spinny balls hit with a hard and fast arc. The power level felt just right, lots of punch, but not hard to keep it in while still being aggressive. Then you combine that with the rock solid feel offered by this string and you have a real winner for any kind of shot, groundstrokes, volleys, serves, what have you. Slices were also very, very strong.

I am looking forward to this being released. I am assuming it is RPM Blast, but whatever it is, if it is priced right, I will strongly consider switching to this.
 
Haven't played with PLII in some time, hard to compare. I like the power better then black code, not that it's "more" but more that it's "more right." To me it's a better version of black code overall, but everyone has a different take on it.
 
[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]Finally getting to post this review. It is a mixed bag. There are some very nice things about this string and then some things that are just average. Overall, I would rate the string probably a 7/10 for a co-poly.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]playing conditions (temperature, indoor/outdoor, court surface) -- Outdoor hard courts, 60 degrees. I spent two hours drilling with a former DII player who is now a teaching pro. Then an hour of singles with another of my hitting partners. [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]tension it is strung - 54 lbs on Alpha Revo 4000. Waited 48 hours before actually hitting with the racquet. [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]String pattern of your racquet - 18x19 Microgel Radical OS [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]power (or lack there of) - I would rate the power at a mid-level. In my racquet it played less powerful than Lux ALU power rough or something like WC TurboTwist. However, it plays more powerful than something along the lines of MSV Hex or SPPP. The power was sufficient to get good action and depth on my ground strokes, and yet I was still able to take big cuts at the ball. The power was average, but isn't a big deciding factor for me since it should be easily controled with a tension adjustment.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]feel - this one is tough for me because it depends on what you mean by feel. There was not a lot of feedback from the strings, which seemed to give the racquet a muted feel. However, the strings were very comfortable and soft. So I imagine it is a designed tradeoff. I noticed the lack of feel hurt to some degree on touch volleys and drop shots. However, the string performed well with backhand slice. Therefore, I wouldn't say the string lacks feel so much as the feel of the strings is muted. Not a bad thing. In fact, I noticed that balls hit at the top of the hoop, which typically are very jarring with my normal MSV Hex 1.10, was not jarring in the least. I would rate the string as one of the more comfortable co-polys I have played with and say it is comparable to WC TurboTwist in the comfort area. So if feedback is what you are looking for in the "feel" category, this is a little below average. If comfort and a muted string bed is what you want for feel, this string is excellent. [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]tension maintenance (how long it holds its tension) - tension maintenance from a playability standpoint is still good at the three hour mark. Plays similar to SPPP in that regard in that there is no noticable big drop in tension since the initial tension loss after stringing. I am due to play a match in the next two days, so I will report back after that on continuing playability. [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]likes/dislikes and why[/FONT] - I really like the comfort level of the string. I can get an ache in my elbow after hitting with some of the stiffer co-polys as a full job (MSV Hex, SP Tornado, MSV HeptaTwist, ALU rough). However, there wasn't even a hint of a problem after pretty heavy hitting with the string for the initial 3 hours. Also, I would say that the spin potential of the string fresh was on level with other co-polys such as SPPP. I personally can generate heavier balls with thinner strings like Hex 1.10, HeptaTwist 1.15, TurboTwist 1.18. However, I was still able to generate considerable spin. I suspect the thick string had the most to do with it. Also, a plus seemed to be that I had more consistency in my reflex volleys and blocks with this string. It had good control and I was able to direct the ball well. I enjoyed playing with the string so far, and think it definately will have a place in my inventory. What I have found is that the softer (or more comfortable) a poly string, the more the string seems to lack control. This string does both well. It is not overly powerful and had great control aspects. The only down side is that you sacrifice some spin potential for the comfort and need to be ok with a very muted feel on the string bed.
I have enjoyed playing with the string and will report back with more after this weekend.
 
Maybe my test string is PHT black....I hit for 90 minutes each day last weekend and then haven't used my test string stick since then. I went out for a 90 minute hit today, and the feel and touch were all gone (??) It dropped tension just like PHT used to do. Pretty disappointed as it went from too much power over the weekend and dead as doornail today. The temps were the same: 76 degrees.
 
PED said:
Maybe my test string is PHT black....I hit for 90 minutes each day last weekend and then haven't used my test string stick since then. I went out for a 90 minute hit today, and the feel and touch were all gone (??) It dropped tension just like PHT used to do. Pretty disappointed as it went from too much power over the weekend and dead as doornail today. The temps were the same: 76 degrees.
Click to expand...

The Babolat B-432C definitely is the RPM Blast!
 
PED said:
Maybe my test string is PHT black....I hit for 90 minutes each day last weekend and then haven't used my test string stick since then. I went out for a 90 minute hit today, and the feel and touch were all gone (??) It dropped tension just like PHT used to do. Pretty disappointed as it went from too much power over the weekend and dead as doornail today. The temps were the same: 76 degrees.
Click to expand...

Babolat is not going to make Pro hurr tour in black. coming directly from Babolat office in USA. RPM blast is the only black string they are going to release.
 
Fedace said:
Babolat is not going to make Pro hurr tour in black. coming directly from Babolat office in USA. RPM blast is the only black string they are going to release.
Click to expand...

that may or may not be true in the USA...there are samples of PHT Black
floating around though!
B-432C appears to be the string Babolat will release as RPM.
there are samples of both circulating..plus the stuff Nadal is using!:twisted:
Sorry...no photos.
 
Fedace said:
Babolat is not going to make Pro hurr tour in black. coming directly from Babolat office in USA. RPM blast is the only black string they are going to release.
Click to expand...

I was being a bit ironic: whatever string I got from Bab dropped tension FAST...just like pht used to. :)
 
PED said:
I was being a bit ironic: whatever string I got from Bab dropped tension FAST...just like pht used to. :)
Click to expand...

As of right now, PHT seems to be going out of fashion. Helix from Kirsch seem to be much more superior string with similar amount of spin. and I am yet to see how this RPM blast will play in my Yonex racket or babolat pure drive GT. :confused:
 
Fedace said:
As of right now, PHT seems to be going out of fashion. Helix from Kirsch seem to be much more superior string with similar amount of spin. and I am yet to see how this RPM blast will play in my Yonex racket or babolat pure drive GT. :confused:
Click to expand...

have you hit with helix yet?
 
^^PHT does seem to be on the way out a bit. The newer polys hold tension much better to my mind. My test string was VERY powerful for the first 2 days and I assume that it would have been powerful if I had used it on monday but it dropped major tension between sunday and thursday.
 
PED said:
^^PHT does seem to be on the way out a bit. The newer polys hold tension much better to my mind. My test string was VERY powerful for the first 2 days and I assume that it would have been powerful if I had used it on monday but it dropped major tension between sunday and thursday.
Click to expand...

I cut my poly string out after about 4 hours of play so that shouldn't be a factor for me. so RPM may work out for me afterall......we will see.
 
Fedace said:
Hit with it for 5 minutes with a ball machine. trying to go out for a hit next week. i have talked with guys that have hit with it many times now. they all say it is a superior string to Proline 2 with more spin.
Click to expand...

LOL Is this your spectacular review you promised?
Hitting with it for 5 minutes then "trying" to get out for a hit the following week before tension loss?
 
Fedace said:
So you thought it was powerful as well. if it is a good serving string then that is good, that is where i want the power most of all. my racket is stock and i don't lead it up cause i need it light for volleying in doubles. How was it on Volleys ?????
Click to expand...

As indicated in my review, I haven't really taken enough volleys with it to comment on that yet. I am playing a serious doubles match tomorrow though so I will comment on that tomorrow night or Sunday. As far as power goes, the power wasn't excessive by any means, it was a bit more than a typical poly is all...I would put the power of the string on par with Black Code...in fact, this string does play similar to it in my opinion...only time will tell if this holds up as well as that one. It was very controllable when I backed off a bit though.
 
Toad said:
As indicated in my review, I haven't really taken enough volleys with it to comment on that yet. I am playing a serious doubles match tomorrow though so I will comment on that tomorrow night or Sunday. As far as power goes, the power wasn't excessive by any means, it was a bit more than a typical poly is all...I would put the power of the string on par with Black Code...in fact, this string does play similar to it in my opinion...only time will tell if this holds up as well as that one. It was very controllable when I backed off a bit though.
Click to expand...

Similar to Black code ???????? ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,, i Hated BC. it felt like Plastic with only medium power level. was crap when volleying...
 
HAHa, i just spoke with Babolat rep. and she said RPM blast is definitely more powerful than the Pro hurr tour.... take that.
 
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