Is Felix’s racquet going to doom him?

T

tsurismo5

Semi-Pro
I feel like nadal is the only player who has been consistently successful with the APD pro stock or whatever that frame is. And it required his extremely unorthodox, unprecedentedly athletic game to make things work. Tsonga was quite streaky with it, and seemed to have problems on the return (it just doesn’t seem like a good returning racquet). Paire and querrey obviously have holes in their games and haven’t been consistently great either. Roddick, who also used a babolat, didn’t have great returns or backhand but at least compensated with an explosive serve and forehand. Thiem, who also uses babolat, had to develop massively powerful explosive strokes to really get the most out of his racquet.

To compensate for the relative whipiness of the APD, Felix seems to have adopted a berdychian “easy power” approach to his game (looks like either his strings or his wrists are very loose for max power) but that has seen him spray a lot or hit short when his timing is off. His game doesn’t seem relatively explosive off the forehand, rather consistently powerful, and I'm not sure that style will work with his racquet. Doesn’t seem to have the forehand passing shots or crafty slices of APD greats Tsonga and Nadal either. Just as Ferrer’s game was no bueno with babolat, I worry that Felix might be holding himself back as well.
 
Idk, it could be that he got used to it as a junior and remains superstitious? The easy power of Babolat frames is a draw for many kids, but anecdotally I've seen Wilson, Head, and Yonex eat up a significant portion of former Babolat-heavy groups. (Especially pros and college players)
 
MisterP said:
Felix is using the Pure Aero VS, which is nothing like an APD.
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That's true. I am a fan of his game. He has been to 6 finals; 2 of which were 500 level tournaments. It is a matter of time with this kid. Plus he won the 1000 series Paris master.

He needs time to develop as a player. I don't think he should switch racquets because he has the potential with what he has to win tournaments.
 
tsurismo5 said:
I see, it’s painted to look like the pure aero. But I wonder what stock frame he’s really using. I assume it will have traditional babolat characteristics.
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There is no such thing as ‘traditional Babolat characteristics’. Like every other racquet company, Babolat has always made traditional players racquets (thin beam, heavy, low-medium stiffness, high SW) along with racquets for beginners and imtermediates. Look at the complete range of Head, Wilson, Volkl, Yonex etc. and you will see the same variety. It just so happens that Babolat makes the two most popular tweeners in the Pure Drive and Pure Aero (formerly AeroPro Drive) and so their brand seems to be associated only with those racquets.

If you played only with 12 oz, thin beam, SW>335 racquets over the last twenty years from Babolat (as I have) like the Pure Control Swirly, Pure Storm, AeroStorm Tour, Pure Strike Tour, Pure Strike VS Tour etc., then your idea of what a typical Babolat racquet is would be completely different. I personally feel that the Pure Control Swirly, Pure Storm and Pure Strike Tour G3 are amongst the best players racquets released by any brand in this century.

Babolat’s uniqueness in my mind is that they have found a way to make lighter racquets feel more stable compared to other brands and many elite juniors, top women and advanced men with whippy swings like their lighter racquets that are between 10.5 to 11.5 ozs as they can swing them faster and still not suffer from instability against the heavy balls of their advanced opponents. So, you see more Babolat tweeners amongst advanced players than you see from other brands.

Felix has technique issues he needs to fix that cause FH errors and DFs at stressful moments late in sets and possibly mental tightness issues in tournament finals - I don’t think his Pure Aero VS is what is stopping him from winning tournaments where he has an unenviable 0-6 record in finals.
 
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socallefty said:
There is no such thing as ‘traditional Babolat characteristics’. Like every other racquet company, Babolat has always made traditional players racquets (thin beam, heavy, low-medium stiffness, high SW) along with racquets for beginners and imtermediates. Look at the complete range of Head, Wilson, Volkl, Yonex etc. and you will see the same variety. It just so happens that Babolat makes the two most popular tweeners in the Pure Drive and Pure Aero (formerly AeroPro Drive) and so their brand seems to be associated only with those racquets.

If you played only with 12 oz, thin beam, SW>335 racquets over the last twenty years from Babolat as I have like the Pure Control Swirly, Pure Storm, AeroStorm Tour, Pure Strike Tour, Pure Strike VS Tour etc., then your idea of what a typical Babolat racquet is would be completely different. I personally feel that the Pure Control Swirly, Pure Storm and Pure Strike Tour G3 are amongst the best players racquets released by any brand in this century.

Babolat’s uniqueness in my mind is that they have found a way to make lighter racquets feel more stable compared to other brands and many top juniors, top women and advanced men with whippy swings like their lighter racquets that are between 10.5 to 11.5 ozs as they can swing them faster and still not suffer from instability against the heavy balls of their advanced opponents. So, you see more Babolat tweeners amongst advanced players than you see from other brands.
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I’ve played with a few babolat racquets and several of them can more or less fit a certain category. The pure aero and pure aero vs are both head light, whippy, and weigh basically the same. 98 sq inch head plus 16 x 20 for the vs differs from the 16 x 19 100 for the pure aero. Less of a launch angle for the vs, and more plush in general. Users have reported a more predictable, stable stroke with the vs. Yet both racquets seem very babolat to me and I’m not sure Felix plays the right game for it. Yes, he’s still very young and clearly has not grown into his frame, and has had a tremendous amount of success, but I could see him struggling later on in ways his staunch proponents wouldn’t foresee based on his racquet.
 
It almost never the fault of the racquet. It is the player. Unless you are talking about something ridiculous dated, like using a PS 85 on tour now, or something like that. All about the player. Here in FAA's case, he is very young still, learning the game, developing a game plan to use his weapons etc... why do many want to write off a 20 year old? I don't get it
 
When you get to the level the pros are at, where you can blast 120+ mph serves and 80+ mph forehands, power and control comes mainly from technique. The most important characteristic of a racquet is the feel, since that can’t be altered. If Felix likes the feel of his racquet, and isn’t being limited by it in certain situations a la Fed’s backhand with the PS90, then he has no reason to change.

I’d like to hear some other opinions on this, but in his matches that I’ve watched this year I’ve seen a player that still needs to develop physically and mentally. His USO match vs Thiem is a perfect example. In the first set he came out with the same game plan he’d had in the previous rounds: play aggressive, try and hit through the opponent, and finish points at the net when given approach opportunities. The first set was competitive as evidenced by the score (7-6 Thiem), but Felix was hitting poor approach shots, not positioning himself well at net after approaching, and making unforced errors on key break points. Not to mention that physically he went down a level after the first 8 games, and failed to make a single adjustment as Thiem overpowered him in the tiebreak and for the rest of the match to the tune of 6-1 6-1. No racquet will make up for the physical and mental deficits that he currently has in comparison to the current crop of slam contenders. He’s young though, and I’m bullish on his upside.
 
tsurismo5 said:
I’ve played with a few babolat racquets and several of them can more or less fit a certain category. The pure aero and pure aero vs are both head light, whippy, and weigh basically the same. 98 sq inch head plus 16 x 20 for the vs differs from the 16 x 19 100 for the pure aero. Less of a launch angle for the vs, and more plush in general. Users have reported a more predictable, stable stroke with the vs. Yet both racquets seem very babolat to me and I’m not sure Felix plays the right game for it. Yes, he’s still very young and clearly has not grown into his frame, and has had a tremendous amount of success, but I could see him struggling later on in ways his staunch proponents wouldn’t foresee based on his racquet.
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The Babolat Pure Aero and Pure Aero VS are very different racquets.

Go out and demo the VS and you will have at least a better idea of what FAA is using (less the customization and other pro level perks), and be in a better position to discuss his racquet choice in relation to his game.

I'm not sure what other people think, but at the moment, your comments in this thread are reading more like general critiques of Babolat rather than an analysis of FAA's setup.
 
Subway Tennis said:
The Babolat Pure Aero and Pure Aero VS are very different racquets.

Go out and demo the VS and you will have at least a better idea of what FAA is using (less the customization and other pro level perks), and be in a better position to discuss his racquet choice in relation to his game.

I'm not sure what other people think, but at the moment, your comments in this thread are reading more like general critiques of Babolat rather than an analysis of FAA's setup.
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It would be interesting to play with but the underlying characteristics of the racquet are so similar to the APD and the fact that it’s geared towards the topspin baseliner seems to me to be odd given felix’s game. I doubt it’s “very different” from the apd (which I currently play with) but of course I haven’t tried it out. If it’s as light as reviewers and users claim, then it’s clear that Felix has added lead to the racquet to complement his easy power game. Playing with lead on the aero pro drive makes it surprisingly difficult to control but easy to produce power with. It also makes it difficult to hit good angled shots without going wide. A lot of the time it seems like Felix gets frustrated with both the low maneuverability and overpowered nature of his racquet and sprays errors. I feel like I’ve seen him spray long on a number of half volleys, for instance. He doesn’t seem to like playing powerful players like Thiem, nadal, and zverev. Also has a tough time with hitting passing shots (esp low ones) from out wide due to the maneuverability issue. If he can’t hit through an opponent, he tries to go for acute cross court angles that can often land wide. This is also likely due to the maneuverability problem of a leaded pure aero vs. I feel like he would benefit from a more naturally weighted and flatter hitting racquet.
 
I have a Pure Aero VS 2026, Felix's actual frame. Trust me. It doesn't play like an PA. Sweet spot is tiny, it doesn't have near the pop of a PA. It sports Babolat's signature aerodynamic design so if that's what you mean, then sure. But it's still noticeably different from the PA's. Some have said the PA VS is Babolat's answer to Wilson's Blade.
 
Down_the_line said:
I have a Pure Aero VS 2026, Felix's actual frame. Trust me. It doesn't play like an PA. Sweet spot is tiny, it doesn't have near the pop of a PA. It sports Babolat's signature aerodynamic design so if that's what you mean, then sure. But it's still noticeably different from the PA's. Some have said the PA VS is Babolat's answer to Wilson's Blade.
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PAVS mold existed in the form of Aerostorm back in 2010 or so, I believe. Just was popular enough to warrant them bringing it back in addition to filling a niche in their line.
 
The Pure Aero VS Tour is based on the AeroStorm Tour which was a thin, box beam, heavy racquet with zero to do with the thick beam, lighter Aeropro Drive apart from the Aero shape at the top of the frame.

Tennis Warehouse - Review

www.tennis-warehouse.com www.tennis-warehouse.com

It was a very low-powered racquet compared to the more popular APD and the Pure Drive. The OP didn't even know anything about the actual racquet that Felix uses, has some speculation about why a pro cannot play with the totally different Aero Pro Drive and goes on an anti-Babolat rant to explain the problems that Felix is having in winning tournaments. Pathetic analysis.

If Felix can play well enough with his Aero VS Tour to get into the finals of six ATP tournaments while he is just a teenager, it is certainly not his racquet that stopped him from winning those finals.
 
California said:
It almost never the fault of the racquet. It is the player. Unless you are talking about something ridiculous dated, like using a PS 85 on tour now, or something like that. All about the player. Here in FAA's case, he is very young still, learning the game, developing a game plan to use his weapons etc... why do many want to write off a 20 year old? I don't get it
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sound logic like that is going to kill this fun "what racquet" debate

(agreed)
 
socallefty said:
The Pure Aero VS Tour is based on the AeroStorm Tour which was a thin, box beam, heavy racquet with zero to do with the thick beam, lighter Aeropro Drive apart from the Aero shape at the top of the frame.

Tennis Warehouse - Review

www.tennis-warehouse.com www.tennis-warehouse.com

It was a very low-powered racquet compared to the more popular APD and the Pure Drive. The OP didn't even know anything about the actual racquet that Felix uses, has some speculation about why a pro cannot play with the totally different Aero Pro Drive and goes on an anti-Babolat rant to explain the problems that Felix is having in winning tournaments. Pathetic analysis.

If Felix can play well enough with his Aero VS Tour to get into the finals of six ATP tournaments while he is just a teenager, it is certainly not his racquet that stopped him from winning those finals.
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The pure aero vs is quite reminiscent of the original apd, so it’s frustrating to hear you call it “totally different.” The APD is what I was posting about before the discussion became about the pure aero which I don’t think any pro actually uses.

Making six finals if you’re a precocious talent does not preclude the negative effects of a racquet. Federer won 17 slams with a racquet many were criticizing him for using then decided to switch and suddenly found success against an old rival. Ferrer’s switch to babolat also happened to worsen his results; Dimitrov’s switch to the 93 was a lackluster experiment; Djokovic switched from Wilson to head and eventually won a lot of slams. Racquets can absolutely make a difference. I’m simply not sure Felix has the right game for his racquet based on those who had actual success with babolat frames (btw, even though I initially was just referring to the APD, there seems to be a trend where players who have had success with babolat racquets had at least one explosive ground stroke: Roddick, Tsonga, Nadal, Thiem, for example).
 
tsurismo5 said:
The pure aero vs is quite reminiscent of the original apd, so it’s frustrating to hear you call it “totally different.” The APD is what I was posting about before the discussion became about the pure aero which I don’t think any pro actually uses.
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But he's right...Played with all babolats and the pure aero vs /purestorm/pure control are really different compared to the rackets you assumed when starting the discussion (pure drive/apd, pure drive, pure strike). Different feel, much more control, much less power.

Nevertheless you could of course continue the discussion about that FAA should switch but your first statement assumed that he plays with a nadal/roddick/fognini/thiem kind of racquet which is really not the case and you cannot continue this argument as you have never played with a vs/storm before!
 
I think Felix has all the tools to be a top player, but I don't think it's the racquet holding him back. Every time I've seen him play he hits some amazing shots but also has some poor shot selection and doesn't seem to craft a very strong overall strategy. I think he's won on pure talent alone at the lower levels, but he'll need to be a bit more purposeful with his gameplan at the elite level if he wants success.
 
tsurismo5 said:
The pure aero vs is quite reminiscent of the original apd, so it’s frustrating to hear you call it “totally different.” The APD is what I was posting about before the discussion became about the pure aero which I don’t think any pro actually uses.

Making six finals if you’re a precocious talent does not preclude the negative effects of a racquet. Federer won 17 slams with a racquet many were criticizing him for using then decided to switch and suddenly found success against an old rival. Ferrer’s switch to babolat also happened to worsen his results; Dimitrov’s switch to the 93 was a lackluster experiment; Djokovic switched from Wilson to head and eventually won a lot of slams. Racquets can absolutely make a difference. I’m simply not sure Felix has the right game for his racquet based on those who had actual success with babolat frames (btw, even though I initially was just referring to the APD, there seems to be a trend where players who have had success with babolat racquets had at least one explosive ground stroke: Roddick, Tsonga, Nadal, Thiem, for example).
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Just take the L. It's obvious from your OP that you didn't know what racquet FAA plays with.
 
Slowtwitcher said:
Just take the L. It's obvious from your OP that you didn't know what racquet FAA plays with.
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It’s true I didn’t know it was the vs but based on what I’ve read about it, including reviews, I really don’t see any reason to change my original assessment of the racquet as it relates to Felix’s game. I’ll bet it doesn’t play too different from the apd and next time I demo a racquet, I’ll probably throw the vs in there to see how it plays bc I currently play with an apd and would be curious to see how it compares.
 
tsurismo5 said:
It’s true I didn’t know it was the vs but based on what I’ve read about it, including reviews, I really don’t see any reason to change my original assessment of the racquet as it relates to Felix’s game. I’ll bet it doesn’t play too different from the apd and next time I demo a racquet, I’ll probably throw the vs in there to see how it plays bc I currently play with an apd and would be curious to see how it compares.
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Take. The. L.
 
tsurismo5 said:
It would be interesting to play with but the underlying characteristics of the racquet are so similar to the APD and the fact that it’s geared towards the topspin baseliner seems to me to be odd given felix’s game. I doubt it’s “very different” from the apd (which I currently play with) but of course I haven’t tried it out. If it’s as light as reviewers and users claim, then it’s clear that Felix has added lead to the racquet to complement his easy power game. Playing with lead on the aero pro drive makes it surprisingly difficult to control but easy to produce power with. It also makes it difficult to hit good angled shots without going wide. A lot of the time it seems like Felix gets frustrated with both the low maneuverability and overpowered nature of his racquet and sprays errors. I feel like I’ve seen him spray long on a number of half volleys, for instance. He doesn’t seem to like playing powerful players like Thiem, nadal, and zverev. Also has a tough time with hitting passing shots (esp low ones) from out wide due to the maneuverability issue. If he can’t hit through an opponent, he tries to go for acute cross court angles that can often land wide. This is also likely due to the maneuverability problem of a leaded pure aero vs. I feel like he would benefit from a more naturally weighted and flatter hitting racquet.
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Fair enough. So would you think something like an older, weighted up radical, or returning to his original pure strike line would be a better option that what he is currently using?

What model of APD do you use? The 2013?
 
Subway Tennis said:
Fair enough. So would you think something like an older, weighted up radical, or returning to his original pure strike line would be a better option that what he is currently using?

What model of APD do you use? The 2013?
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I think he would benefit from something more a little less head light. Felix seems to have a very short swing path so perhaps something weighted more would help but definitely less head light. Also something with a tighter string pattern that would reward flatter hitting. Definitely was thinking about the radical in my head. Pure strike I’m not so sure since that would benefit from a bigger/less wristy swing path.

And yes, currently use the 2013 apd. Wouldn’t trade it for the pure aero. Previously used the 2010 APD GT. It’s a nice racquet but have definitely played with more powerful racquets, and it’s not the best for a OHBH. The pure strike was better in that regard but I still like the spin potential of the apd. Might switch to the pure strike or a less spinny racquet in the future though. With the APD, I had great plow through with lead at 12 o clock but not enough maneuverability. Currently prefer no lead.
 
tsurismo5 said:
The pure aero vs is quite reminiscent of the original apd, so it’s frustrating to hear you call it “totally different.” The APD is what I was posting about before the discussion became about the pure aero which I don’t think any pro actually uses.

Making six finals if you’re a precocious talent does not preclude the negative effects of a racquet. Federer won 17 slams with a racquet many were criticizing him for using then decided to switch and suddenly found success against an old rival. Ferrer’s switch to babolat also happened to worsen his results; Dimitrov’s switch to the 93 was a lackluster experiment; Djokovic switched from Wilson to head and eventually won a lot of slams. Racquets can absolutely make a difference. I’m simply not sure Felix has the right game for his racquet based on those who had actual success with babolat frames (btw, even though I initially was just referring to the APD, there seems to be a trend where players who have had success with babolat racquets had at least one explosive ground stroke: Roddick, Tsonga, Nadal, Thiem, for example).
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Couple of corrections. Dimitrov used a 93 from his early days. Didnt switch to a 93, he switched from a 93. Djokovic was with head, went to wilson who essentially copied the racquet, he made the 2007 us open final with his wilson racquet and won his first slam with a wilson racquet. Djokovic didn't switch because he had racquet issues, he switched for money.
 
Subway Tennis said:
Fair enough. So would you think something like an older, weighted up radical, or returning to his original pure strike line would be a better option that what he is currently using?

What model of APD do you use? The 2013?
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I think a lower RA prestige/radical mold would do him well. His issue is staying contained at a consistent high level. He's got tons of free power and uncanny strength for his age, but he seems to struggle to control it. A denser pattern and a lower RA might help.
 
bleno567 said:
I think a lower RA prestige/radical mold would do him well. His issue is staying contained at a consistent high level. He's got tons of free power and uncanny strength for his age, but he seems to struggle to control it. A denser pattern and a lower RA might help.
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Felix with a Prestige MP, or even Mid (I wish...), would be very cool. Even a Radical would suit him well!

Someone here made a great point here that Head hasn't been able to find a suitable face for the Radical. Murray himself wasn't the best match and now they've got....Schwartzman and Fritz as the top Radical endorsers. Felix would bring some serious pizzazz to that line.

All this being said, though, I'd still rather him switch to Wilson or Yonex if he was going to switch. That's just personal bias as I've kind of soured on Head. At least other manufacturers are getting more honest with their customers. Forgetting Pro Labs and all that, at least you know that a guy like Tsitsipas, though he's not actually using the latest Blade model, is using a previous retail Blade under the paint.
 
tsurismo5 said:
It would be interesting to play with but the underlying characteristics of the racquet are so similar to the APD and the fact that it’s geared towards the topspin baseliner seems to me to be odd given felix’s game. I doubt it’s “very different” from the apd (which I currently play with) but of course I haven’t tried it out. If it’s as light as reviewers and users claim, then it’s clear that Felix has added lead to the racquet to complement his easy power game. Playing with lead on the aero pro drive makes it surprisingly difficult to control but easy to produce power with. It also makes it difficult to hit good angled shots without going wide. A lot of the time it seems like Felix gets frustrated with both the low maneuverability and overpowered nature of his racquet and sprays errors. I feel like I’ve seen him spray long on a number of half volleys, for instance. He doesn’t seem to like playing powerful players like Thiem, nadal, and zverev. Also has a tough time with hitting passing shots (esp low ones) from out wide due to the maneuverability issue. If he can’t hit through an opponent, he tries to go for acute cross court angles that can often land wide. This is also likely due to the maneuverability problem of a leaded pure aero vs. I feel like he would benefit from a more naturally weighted and flatter hitting racquet.
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which underlying characteristics?
did you even bother to compare them?
beam thickness
stiffness
head size
balance
string spacing

do you have any idea how these characteristics affect:
launch angle
power generated by the frame assuming same swing
spin
control
and taking a step further, aerodynamic properties of the frame, which affects the RHS during swing, assuming that the player puts same effort
 
Keizer said:
PAVS mold existed in the form of Aerostorm back in 2010 or so, I believe. Just was popular enough to warrant them bringing it back in addition to filling a niche in their line.
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it also existed in-between
and the VS mold existed not only with Aero, but as well with Pure Strike series.
 
tsurismo5 said:
I feel like nadal is the only player who has been consistently successful with the APD pro stock or whatever that frame is. And it required his extremely unorthodox, unprecedentedly athletic game to make things work. Tsonga was quite streaky with it, and seemed to have problems on the return (it just doesn’t seem like a good returning racquet).
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Nadal is one of the best returners ever.
It's not the best racket for volley, or S&V, but it's certainly amazing for baseline play, return included.

tsurismo5 said:
Paire and querrey obviously have holes in their games and haven’t been consistently great either.
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If I am not mistaken, Querrey plays with a VS, which has almost nothing common with the Aero series.

tsurismo5 said:
Thiem, who also uses babolat, had to develop massively powerful explosive strokes to really get the most out of his racquet.
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Thiem actually learned to play with a Head Prestige if I am not mistaken.
And he became a top junior and was rising in ATP ranking with it.
He then switched to Pure Strike, so it is quite unlikely that he developped "massively powerful explosive strokes to really get the most out of his racquet".
If it was so easy, everyone would develop "massively powerful explosive strokes to really get the most out of" their racquet

tsurismo5 said:
To compensate for the relative whipiness of the APD, Felix seems to have adopted a berdychian “easy power” approach to his game
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If Berdych was playing with anything close to Head Instinct, that is essentially a copy paste of the Babolat Aero / Babolat Drive series.
But hey, I thought it is a sh*tty racket cause Tsonga, Paire, Querrey and Roddick can't return and essentially don't have a backhand? :eek:
 
blablavla said:
Nadal is one of the best returners ever.
It's not the best racket for volley, or S&V, but it's certainly amazing for baseline play, return included.



If I am not mistaken, Querrey plays with a VS, which has almost nothing common with the Aero series.



Thiem actually learned to play with a Head Prestige if I am not mistaken.
And he became a top junior and was rising in ATP ranking with it.
He then switched to Pure Strike, so it is quite unlikely that he developped "massively powerful explosive strokes to really get the most out of his racquet".
If it was so easy, everyone would develop "massively powerful explosive strokes to really get the most out of" their racquet



If Berdych was playing with anything close to Head Instinct, that is essentially a copy paste of the Babolat Aero / Babolat Drive series.
But hey, I thought it is a sh*tty racket cause Tsonga, Paire, Querrey and Roddick can't return and essentially don't have a backhand? :eek:
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“Nadal is one of the best returners ever” - there’s a difference between the return stroke and the return game. In order to achieve his great return, he benefits from slower surfaces generally and a unique ability to stand back and generate a nice heavy ball.

Also, querrey plays with an APD painted to look like a pure aero, so nice job attempting to invent facts to try to say his racquet has “nothing in common” with the exact racquet he actually uses.

If you think that the head instinct is a copy and paste of the babolat aero racquets, you’re basically trolling, which is surprising away from the GPPD section. You criticize my saying the vs is similar to the APD in certain playing respects, saying it has “nothing in common” with the APD, then you make this claim about the head instinct . Congrats on offering such a waste of an insight.

Thiem played with different racquets throughout his career - great. In order to be truly successful with the pure strike, he had to develop/have already developed his trademark explosive ground game.I believe his playing style suits that racquet. You say “if it’s so easy then everyone would develop“ those ground strokes - who’s saying it’s easy to play that way? In fact, my point was Felix might struggle with his racquet because he doesn’t have that game.

To your final point, can you imagine someone actually believing that high level pros “can’t return?” No, neither can I, and I didn’t say that. I indicated that they’re not the best returners, and those racquets aren’t returners racquets. Solid job paraphrasing and spinning poorly.

I absolutely think Felix should consider changing his equipment should he not be able to break through further, as I believe there are other racquets out there that would suit his playing style with fewer drawbacks than his current setup.
 
tsurismo5 said:
“Nadal is one of the best returners ever” - there’s a difference between the return stroke and the return game. In order to achieve his great return, he benefits from slower surfaces generally and a unique ability to stand back and generate a nice heavy ball.
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it's difficult to be one of the greatest returners without solid return.
if you give back weak ball after weak ball, even Nadal would be watching winners flying past him on serve +1, don't you think so?

tsurismo5 said:
If you think that the head instinct is a copy and paste of the babolat aero racquets, you’re basically trolling, which is surprising away from the GPPD section. You criticize my saying the vs is similar to the APD in certain playing respects, saying it has “nothing in common” with the APD, then you make this claim about the head instinct . Congrats on offering such a waste of an insight.
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I don't think so, I know so.
Did you ever play with both?
I did play with Babolat Aero, and I had a chance to hit with Instinct. Of course there are differences, as Instinct is a bit flexier, but overall it is a copy:
beam thickness
string pattern
shape

and the result of this being easy power and spin.
if I didn't know that I am hitting with Instinct, I would believe that I play with Aero or Drive ;)

tsurismo5 said:
I absolutely think Felix should consider changing his equipment should he not be able to break through further, as I believe there are other racquets out there that would suit his playing style with fewer drawbacks than his current setup.
Click to expand...

For example?
Please consider that the VS series has little to do with the Aero series.
 
Everything I've heard points to Instinct being a PD copy and extreme being a PA/APD copy. Of course, Head sticks are flexier than the Babs.
VS is completely different from PA and has nothing to do with FAA's problems.
 
blablavla said:
tsurismo5 said:
If you think that the head instinct is a copy and paste of the babolat aero racquets, you’re basically trolling, which is surprising away from the GPPD section. You criticize my saying the vs is similar to the APD in certain playing respects, saying it has “nothing in common” with the APD, then you make this claim about the head instinct . Congrats on offering such a waste of an insight.
Click to expand...
I don't think so, I know so.
Did you ever play with both?
I did play with Babolat Aero, and I had a chance to hit with Instinct. Of course there are differences, as Instinct is a bit flexier, but overall it is a copy:
beam thickness
string pattern
shape
Click to expand...

Maybe this was true of the later iterations, but the Instinct most certainly did not start off as an aero clone. The liquidmetal had an 18x19 pattern and played nothing like an aero. I always thought of the extreme line as more of an answer to the aero.
 
bleno567 said:
Maybe this was true of the later iterations, but the Instinct most certainly did not start off as an aero clone. The liquidmetal had an 18x19 pattern and played nothing like an aero. I always thought of the extreme line as more of an answer to the aero.
Click to expand...

I played with probably second last iteration, if we consider as the last iteration whatever was launched few days / weeks ago, or was supposed to be launched.
 
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