Racquets BREAKING?

[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

I've been demoing this racquet along with the Head Youtek Speed MP. I loved the Pure storm's control and nice, solid feel at the net as well as groundstrokes, but the frame actually snapping in half?

is this common? With all racquets or is this one in particular bad? I could maybe understand a big hitting 5.0 to break it, but a 3.5 playing with 60 year old guys to break a babolat???

Does this really happen? I've never even heard of pros having this happen...but the frame of the big hitter Gonzo?

 

[mary fierce]

"Does this really happen?" Are you asking whether these two reviewers made the whole thing up? My guess is they are telling the truth.

 

[Arzon]

"Does this really happen?" Are you asking whether these two reviewers made the whole thing up? My guess is they are telling the truth.

not what a meant, but thanks for pointing that out. I meant to say is this common? With all racquets or is this one in particular bad? I could maybe understand a big hitting 5.0 to break it, but a 3.5 playing with 60 year old guys to break a babolat???

 

[nCode747]

Babolats aren't the strongest racquets, I hear more stories about them cracking then other company's. I was playing a guy who was using an APD non cortex and on a serve the racquet slipped out of his hand cracking in 4 places.

 

[Confusedaboutgear]

Babolats aren't the strongest racquets, I hear more stories about them cracking then other company's. I was playing a guy who was using an APD non cortex and on a serve the racquet slipped out of his hand cracking in 4 places.

yuuuup indian wells final roddick vs Ljubicic. forgot when but after a point roddick flicks his racquet onto the floor and it cracked at the 12 o'clock area. either that or roddick has too much wrist snapping power.

 

[Toad]

I guess it might be a problem with newer iterations of the frame, but my two 3rd generation Pure Drive Team + rackets (about 9 years old each) are still holding strong...and I play pretty aggressively with them. I never toss them though, which may be part of the reason they are holding strong after such a long time.

 

[pyrokid]

I've heard the same thing, and it scared me. I'm keeping some K90s in backup for this reason.

 

[Chezbeeno]

I've seen this happen in person with a PDGT I think, this guy went to serve and when he made contact with the ball the head of the racquet broke off and flew several feet, it was pretty funny actually (for me at least, I'm not much of a Babolat fan).

Wilson racquets are notoriously durable as far as thing kind of thing goes though, I've never ever had this happen to me with my 6.1's

 

[Ptrac]

I was hitting with my friend who uses the pdgt roddick and when he went to hit a fh the racket just snapped right at the cortex. What a piece of trash and over priced racket to be breaking like that.