Babolat Xcel Gel grip
- Thread starter liftordie
- Start date
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
with these gel grips, they are great at absorbing shock vibrations but they keep shrinking as you use them, and grip becomes smaller and smaller which is very annoying
liftordie
Hall of Fame
At one moment it will stop shrinking... But when new does it add one grip size and is it not too round?
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
it adds maybe 1/2 grip size when new.
liftordie
Hall of Fame
And bevels are still here?
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
Yes, definitely you can still feel the bevels just fine. it works well, and is great at absorbing schock but only think I didn't like is the way it kept on shriniking. I am very sensitive person and that kind of thing bothers me.
liftordie
Hall of Fame
Are you using overgrip with it?
tennisfit45
New User
I'm glad there is at least one other person on this planet that is as sensitive as me with the grip feel. I'm a 45 year old male player (competition level equivalent to a 5.0 playing 3x per week on average throughout the year). I recently switched to Technifibre Tfight RS 300 and use a grip L3 ( 4 3/8) with a Prince Resi Soft 2.2 base grip and Head Prime overgrip (0.6mm). I manage to play 4 hours without getting the shrinking feeling (that starts setting in from the 5th hour onwards). I've just ordered two base grips to try out as my stringer thinks Babolat's base grips don't lose that much in thickness over time. I ordered Babolat Excel Gel (2.6mm) and also Babolat Uptake (2mm). Will try both out with the same set up and provide feedback. My current set up also involves my stringer adding some padding under the base grip itself. It seems like if the base grip was between a 3 and a 4 and it would have been the perfect feel for me.
The problem with the shrinking feeling is that the feel on the shots is completely different. I play with some spin but with depth in my shots. As soon as the shrinking feeling sets in though I feel my shots becoming much more spinny and worst of all my shots have much less depth than before. This is becoming a nightmare for me so hope one of these two base grips makes the difference.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
yes i do
tennisfit45
New User
Thanks for your quick reply. That's what I thought too but the problem with the leather grip (according to my stringer) is that it will add considerable weight to the handle. I used to suffer from tennis elbow and want to be very careful about adding weight to the handle as that will alter the balance of the racquet and I'm quite sensitive (also easily prone to re-igniting that tennis elbow issue).
This is why I ordered the Babolat Excel grip because apparently the weight is just like an average replacement/base grip.
This is why I ordered the Babolat Excel grip because apparently the weight is just like an average replacement/base grip.
SlowTiger
Professional
How's the Xcel grip working out for you? I'm considering getting some. I have the opposite issue as the stock grips are heavier then the Xcel and I don't want to put nails in the handle
tennisfit45
New User
My stringer dismissed it outright as soon as he tested the elasticity and saw that the supposed 2.6mm thickness was in fact 1mm. So I ended up reverting to my old base grip (Prince Resisoft 2.2mm Black grip - as the other colours bizarrely reduce the thickness).
SlowTiger
Professional
That doesn't sound right? What's the grip elasticity? Also, I can't think of any grips as thin as 1mm. I've seen 1.3mm grips and even Wilson feather is 1.4mm. I ended picking one up and opening it. I haven't installed not yet but the grip and layer of foam is pretty thick
tennisfit45
New User
This was a reply meant for Slow Tiger
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tennisfit45
New User
Thanks for your thoughts. By the way my level is certainly way below yours (I'm the European equivalent of a 5.5 player but practise with juniors who are semi pro) but I'm getting to a stage where the little things in terms of racket customization etc matter more than before. The funny thing is I'm 45 but play better now than I did 10 years ago. I guess you could say that I started loving and understanding the game much more after my 30s.
Yes I think my stringer was exaggerating when he said the 2.6mm compresses to around 1mm but basically the message he was getting across is that the 2.6mm gel spongy feeling of that grip (Xcel Gel Ultra Comfort) tends to shrink considerably to at least 1.3mm after a few hours of play. From my perspective, the direct consequence of a shrinking grip in play is that all of a sudden balls that had depth, lose that depth and instead there is more spin and angle on my shots but it becomes unnatural to my usual game (my shots are neither flat nor too spinny - somewhere in between).
I'm now trying babolat syntec Pro as a replacement grip which is 1.9mm but should have much less elasticity so the feeling of the grip size should be pretty much consistent across several hours of play. The other option I guess is going down the leather grip route but as I have a history of tennis elbow I prefer to use that as a last resort as it will add considerable weight to the handle.
I have also just ordered the new sky blue Yonex 98 305g in L4. Have been using Technifibre tfight 300 rs in L3 but essentially my stringer customised it so it's more like an L4 (I use Wilson Revolve spin the green version 1.3mm and string at 21.8/22.8 kg with a strip of gamma lead on 3 and 9).
I'm hoping that with the yonex, even if I end up facing the same "grip shrinking feeling issue" that I will not loose depth on my shots by using the same power, despite a shrinking grip.
As you're semi pro I would really value your thoughts on everything I've shared regarding my current racket set up.
Dawgtennis327
New User
Do you add an overgrip or play with just the replacement grip?
tennisfit45
New User
I use one overgrip overlapped (Head Prime 0.55mm) and under the replacement grip my stringer has added some cushioning so my current set up is more like an L4. The Yonex should be arriving any day so I'll provide some feedback next week hopefully. I just got back from playing someone who was playing like a semi-pro and I got whipped.
