Rafa hitting with a non-Babolat?

Big_Dangerous said:
Last time Fed reached a slam final - 2015 US Open, and he reached two slam semi-finals in 2016 in the only two majors he participated in.

Last time Nadal reached a slam final or semi?

Yeah I thought so.
Click to expand...

Final? Semi? :rolleyes:

How about the last time each WON a slam?

Rafa 2014 RG

Fed 2012 WB

:rolleyes:
 
What's happening with Nadal's racquet testing? What's the scuttlebut? Suprised that this thread is only three pages.

This is potentially the biggest equipment-related tennis industry story in the last 5-10 years imo
 
Just imagine if he switches to a PT57a style control frame with a tighter pattern. Minds would be blown.

Pure speculation, but he may be looking to hit through the ball more than the aggressive brushing he has done. It would shorten rallies and save his energy.
 
More likely he's flirting with others to get most money from babolat than switching racquets. if he needs a different racquet, babolat can make it for him.
 
I wonder if it's a Dunlop?
I'd think they would be desperate to find more pros to endorse their new line of racquets.
They only have Robredo, after all.
 
You know what. So he's practicing with a head racquet. He'll just take what he likes from other companies and have Babolat make it for him. If he were to actually switch companies it would be out of character.
 
every7 said:
What's happening with Nadal's racquet testing? What's the scuttlebut? Suprised that this thread is only three pages.

This is potentially the biggest equipment-related tennis industry story in the last 5-10 years imo
Click to expand...
Despite what some here say, once players are spotted trying another company's racquet (Sharapova, Ljubicic, Tsonga) they switch. It isn't a ploy to get more money or a different frame from their current sponsor.
 
jackcrawford said:
Despite what some here say, once players are spotted trying another company's racquet (Sharapova, Ljubicic, Tsonga) they switch. It isn't a ploy to get more money or a different frame from their current sponsor.
Click to expand...

I agree with the last part: I highly doubt Nadal would test out Head rackets just to put some kind of pressure on Babolat. He's flush with cash, so his only goal here atm, is to be competitive at the highest level again. If that racket happened to be a Prince or Pacific with little to no endorsement, imo he'd use it anyways.
 
Nadal is not going to give a company free use of his name, so he is looking for a deal.

smalahove said:
I agree with the last part: I highly doubt Nadal would test out Head rackets just to put some kind of pressure on Babolat. He's flush with cash, so his only goal here atm, is to be competitive at the highest level again. If that racket happened to be a Prince or Pacific with little to no endorsement, imo he'd use it anyways.
Click to expand...
 
[QUOTE="The racket has a HEAD butt cap.[/QUOTE]
Seriously, look at the pic you are talking about. You cannot draw any conclusion from this. If this is the only evidence it is at best extremely weak.
 
Power Player said:
Lol..he's actually upset over this.

Be interested as Head is making a new frame that they will never release to the public and Pro Stock hunters will spend thousands on.
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It's a racket made for retail purposes actually

It is in prototypes rn so the retail frame may or may not be the one in nadals hands
 
Bartelby said:
Nadal is not going to give a company free use of his name, so he is looking for a deal.
Click to expand...

Yes. I was merely pointing out that he will choose what works best for his game and goals, and that imo, if he plays with a Head frame, it's to find out if that is the case, not to squeeze more $$$ out of Babolat. Didn't he try some Lux strings last year?
 
Too bad Volkl doesn't pay big endorsement money because that's the only thing that could save Rafa. Rafa is also old enough now to play with a Volkl - he is 1/2 as old as me.
 
jackcrawford said:
Despite what some here say, once players are spotted trying another company's racquet (Sharapova, Ljubicic, Tsonga) they switch. It isn't a ploy to get more money or a different frame from their current sponsor.
Click to expand...

So which manufacturer will he align with? If he does change it is going to be massive.

Nadal is potentially going to be talking about Head all through press conferences until he makes a decision on his future.
 
Bartelby said:
Nadal is not going to give a company free use of his name, so he is looking for a deal.
Click to expand...
I respect Nadal for not putting his signature on his racquet and it being massed produced like Wilson and RF AUTOGRAPH.

Seems like Nadal is humble and I respect him for that and he gives his all. Unlike Fed that has to have his face on a frame. What arrogance!!! I think he thinks he is God or something. He gets mad when people cheer against him like 2009 U.S. Open Final. I was wanting Fed to win, but when Delpo took him to push him and show belief, I really became a fan. Delpo, also humble. His winning speech was cut short by also another Fed worshiper, Dick Enberg. Could be the only Slam the guy wins and you just cut him off mid speech.

I don't want to give Fed too much press, because this thread is about Nadal, but Fed has been a cry baby since mid/late 2008. Unless he wins easily, he always sounds like some junior kid playing a tournament in which he came up short. Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda...

Hope Nadal gets back to health...
 
smalahove said:
Yes. I was merely pointing out that he will choose what works best for his game and goals, and that imo, if he plays with a Head frame, it's to find out if that is the case, not to squeeze more $$$ out of Babolat. Didn't he try some Lux strings last year?
Click to expand...
He actually switched to Big Banger Original for a couple of months this year (2016) before going back to RPM. A racquet switch would not be so easy to back out of, as it would likely come with a contract, unlike Luxilon which to my knowledge does not pay people to use it.
 
RafaBabolat said:
If you go back to page 2, you'll see the pic. The racket has a HEAD butt cap.
Click to expand...
It's not a very clear pic. Also, even if it is a head buttcap, it doesn't mean it's a head racquet. might be camo.
Car manufacturers often disguise new models during testing. maybe racquet manufacturers are doing the same thing?
 
Simon_the_furry said:
It's not a very clear pic. Also, even if it is a head buttcap, it doesn't mean it's a head racquet. might be camo.
Car manufacturers often disguise new models during testing. maybe racquet manufacturers are doing the same thing?
Click to expand...
Racquet manufacturer will not put a rival butt cap on their racquet. They just paint them black. Also the photo is clearly a HEAD butt cap ski tip logo
 
kabrac said:
I respect Nadal for not putting his signature on his racquet and it being massed produced like Wilson and RF AUTOGRAPH.

Seems like Nadal is humble and I respect him for that and he gives his all. Unlike Fed that has to have his face on a frame. What arrogance!!! I think he thinks he is God or something. He gets mad when people cheer against him like 2009 U.S. Open Final. I was wanting Fed to win, but when Delpo took him to push him and show belief, I really became a fan. Delpo, also humble. His winning speech was cut short by also another Fed worshiper, Dick Enberg. Could be the only Slam the guy wins and you just cut him off mid speech.

I don't want to give Fed too much press, because this thread is about Nadal, but Fed has been a cry baby since mid/late 2008. Unless he wins easily, he always sounds like some junior kid playing a tournament in which he came up short. Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda...

Hope Nadal gets back to health...
Click to expand...

The best tennis player ever deserves to have his face and autograph on his racket.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
every7 said:
So which manufacturer will he align with? If he does change it is going to be massive.

Nadal is potentially going to be talking about Head all through press conferences until he makes a decision on his future.
Click to expand...

So far, Rafa has not talked anything about Head. He was asked questions in Madrid this week.

On Monday, he replied: "One always makes tests and you don't know what can happen but I have nothing more to say on that." [Translated by GennySS]
http://tenis.as.com/tenis/2016/11/28/mas_tenis/1480366335_977307.html?id_externo_rsoc=comp_fb
 
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every7 said:
What's happening with Nadal's racquet testing? What's the scuttlebut? Suprised that this thread is only three pages.

This is potentially the biggest equipment-related tennis industry story in the last 5-10 years imo
Click to expand...

Rafa does not talk about that.
On Monday, he replied: "One always makes tests and you don't know what can happen but I have nothing more to say on that." [Translated by GennySS]
http://tenis.as.com/tenis/2016/11/28/mas_tenis/1480366335_977307.html?id_externo_rsoc=comp_fb
 
Last edited:
kabrac said:
I respect Nadal for not putting his signature on his racquet and it being massed produced like Wilson and RF AUTOGRAPH....
Click to expand...

Babolat has put Rafa's name on his personal racquets:

15219475_1196940187037871_2694608046254943688_n.jpg


ok-sign-smiley-emoticon.gif
 
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octobrina10 said:
Rafa does not talk about that.
On Monday, he replied: "One always makes tests and you don't know what can happen but I have nothing more to say on that." [Translated by GennySS]
http://tenis.as.com/tenis/2016/11/28/mas_tenis/1480366335_977307.html?id_externo_rsoc=comp_fb
Click to expand...

It makes sense to be discreet about it in some ways. People are desperate to know what will happen and if he says small informations before a decision it could end up being misinterpreted.

IF he changes, it will be the biggest equipment-related tennis industry story in the last decade.

@octobrina10 - As long as he plays well, does it worry you if Rafa changes racquet brands? It's a huge story but I don't care what brand racquet he uses as long as the racquet suits his game tbh.
 
Last time he switched (to another Babolat stick), what happened? Kept complaining he had no control any more. Hard to endorse that racquet model to the general public......My point, big risk for competitive and commercial failure here!
 
MAPE said:
Last time he switched (to another Babolat stick), what happened? Kept complaining he had no control any more. Hard to endorse that racquet model to the general public......My point, big risk for competitive and commercial failure here!
Click to expand...

Not the same thing. He said he had no control because the pattern of the prototype was super open. It's not just because he switched frames.
 
Power Player said:
Not the same thing. He said he had no control because the pattern of the prototype was super open. It's not just because he switched frames.
Click to expand...

My point 1: difficult to sell the racquet a racquet to the public when the guy who endorses it complains about lack of control. However, results never came in, the frame never hit the market and he switched back again.

My point 2: I fully understand he wants to try something new, great for him if it works out, but if it's not the magic wand, I'm not so convinced it will be a commercial success. Surely some people will jump on the bandwagon anyway, just because...
 
MAPE said:
My point 1: difficult to sell the racquet a racquet to the public when the guy who endorses it complains about lack of control. However, results never came in, the frame never hit the market and he switched back again.
Click to expand...
Wasn't the frame he was testing was his regular aero with the current commercial aero string pattern?
 
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