ClubHoUno
Banned
I owned 3 Babolat Pure Storm Limited GT from November to January and I lovede a lot about the Ltd GT, but felt I lacked some POP on serve and heavy groundstrokes, when I was playing against heavy hitters. I'm a 4.5-5.0 player (we don't have NTP ranking in Europe, so take that for what it is) and I felt I had to rush the net when playing with the Ltd. GT versus heavy hitting 5.0 baseline players to win. However against attacking players, I didn't have problems like that........
The Ltd. GT had EXCELLENT feel and touch at the net and I only sold it because after the honeymooon period, I felt I needed to lead it up to avoid getting pushed around.
I tested the Ltd. GT with BABOLAT VS 17 full nat gut at 58 lbs and with VS 17 NAT GUT mains and Alu Power crosses.
I probably could have found the holy grail with the Ltd. GT by further experimenting with string type setup, hybrid setup, tension level and lead setup, but in the end I felt the Ltd. GT was too control orientated and I tested the new Wilson BLX 95 18X20 and preferred that racquet to the Ltd GT overall.
Bought 4 BLX 95 18X20 and thought I was donere buying new racquets........and for a while I was - 1 month later I buy 2 Völkl PB10 Mid
I simply had to buy the PB10 Mid to see if all the hype surrounding this racquet was true.
Here's is my comparisom of the Ltd. GT and the PB10 Mid - both unleaded:
**Stringsetup**
Völkl PB10 Mid:
#1 Babolat VS 16 MAINS @ 56 lbs and Luxilon Alu Power CROSSES @ 53 lbs
#2 Babolat VS 17 MAINS @ 58 lbs and Luxilon Alu Power CROSSES @ 55 lbs
#3 Tecnifibre X-One 1.24 MAINS @ 56 lbs and Luxilon Alu Power CROSSES @ 53 lbs
*Babolat Pure Storm Ltd. GT*
#1 FULL Babolat VS 17 @ 58 lbs
#2 Babolat VS 17 MAINS @ 56 lbs and Luxilon Alu Power CROSSES @ 53 lbs
At the net: The PB10 Mid is NOT quite as great at the net as the Ltd. GT. But both are VERY VERY good volley racquets, the Ltd. GT is just out of this world GREAT at the net. The PB10 Mid is superior on drive volleys though, where I feel I can put just about any ball away with the PB10 Mid like I was ballet dancing
Groundstrokes: I feel I get a good deal more POP and plowthrough with the PB10 Mid from both forehand and Backhand side. The Ltd. GT takes better almost perfect preperation to get good heavy groundstrokes from the baseline.
I would think it needs a fast 5.5 and up player to use this sticks with real efficiency from the baseline.
The closed 18X20 string pattern of the Ltd. GT really needs a solid great player to get the most out of it.
I tested my Ltd. GT on a fast indoor court and felt I got very good power from it at first, but that was partly because of honeymooon period, a very fast indoor court and playing against a player, which on that day couldn't push me around.
The PB10 Mid is better on groundstrokes overall, but it still takes a good player to get the most out of it from the baseline and you still have to create your own power from a full fluid swing motion.
I can't hit with the same power from the baseline with the PB10 Mid as I can with for instance my Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT, but I can hit with far greater precision and I can almost pin point where I will send the ball and outmaneuvre my opponent that way.
I feel like I THINK tennis more, when I use the PB10 Mid and also the Ltd. GT - i don't just HIT and forget like I do with other larger framed racquets. When I get into a good rhythm with my PB10 Mid, I feel like it is a surgical instrument in my hands, and I can guide the ball everywhere on the court with great precision.
Serve: The PB10 Mid overall gave me a little bit better power on flat serves, more spin on second serves and I could place the ball equally good with both racquets.
Grip shape: The Ltd. GT has a more round and larger grip shape, but I HATE Head grip shapes and eveyrone told me the Völkl has an even more rectangular grip shape than Head - but to my surprise I didn't dislike the Völkl grip shape like I HATE the Head grip shape. Don't know if I was lucky and Völkl had to use some grip pallets from the more round Völkl ATTIVA series or what, but the grip shape doesn't bother me like the Head grip shape does.
Paintjob: The Ltd. GT has a race color candy stick like black-red-white paintjob, which I like. I prefer the glossy identical version of this paintjob, which my Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT has, but the matte paint looks stylish on a real players racquet though, but I feel it will be more fragile in the long run.
The paintjob on the Völkl PB10 however is the best looking paintjob I have EVER seen on a racquet.
It's a combination of matte paint around the throat and glossy every where else. It's black and yellow and the design of the paintjob is second to none. EXCELLENT COOL CLASSIC PAINTJOB !!!
Weight: The PB10 Mid felt a little more heavy compared to the Ltd. GT, which felt almost too light in my view. You really need to lead the Ltd. GT up a bit with maybe 4-6 gram at both 9 and 3 and 4 gram at the handle to make it play more like a players stick. The Völkl PB10 Mid feels almost perfect stock, a tiny bit whippy though, but very soft on your arm and elbow.
Overall rating -
Völkl PB10 Mid 9/10
Babolat Ltd. GT 8/10
The Ltd. GT had EXCELLENT feel and touch at the net and I only sold it because after the honeymooon period, I felt I needed to lead it up to avoid getting pushed around.
I tested the Ltd. GT with BABOLAT VS 17 full nat gut at 58 lbs and with VS 17 NAT GUT mains and Alu Power crosses.
I probably could have found the holy grail with the Ltd. GT by further experimenting with string type setup, hybrid setup, tension level and lead setup, but in the end I felt the Ltd. GT was too control orientated and I tested the new Wilson BLX 95 18X20 and preferred that racquet to the Ltd GT overall.
Bought 4 BLX 95 18X20 and thought I was donere buying new racquets........and for a while I was - 1 month later I buy 2 Völkl PB10 Mid
I simply had to buy the PB10 Mid to see if all the hype surrounding this racquet was true.
Here's is my comparisom of the Ltd. GT and the PB10 Mid - both unleaded:
**Stringsetup**
Völkl PB10 Mid:
#1 Babolat VS 16 MAINS @ 56 lbs and Luxilon Alu Power CROSSES @ 53 lbs
#2 Babolat VS 17 MAINS @ 58 lbs and Luxilon Alu Power CROSSES @ 55 lbs
#3 Tecnifibre X-One 1.24 MAINS @ 56 lbs and Luxilon Alu Power CROSSES @ 53 lbs
*Babolat Pure Storm Ltd. GT*
#1 FULL Babolat VS 17 @ 58 lbs
#2 Babolat VS 17 MAINS @ 56 lbs and Luxilon Alu Power CROSSES @ 53 lbs
At the net: The PB10 Mid is NOT quite as great at the net as the Ltd. GT. But both are VERY VERY good volley racquets, the Ltd. GT is just out of this world GREAT at the net. The PB10 Mid is superior on drive volleys though, where I feel I can put just about any ball away with the PB10 Mid like I was ballet dancing
Groundstrokes: I feel I get a good deal more POP and plowthrough with the PB10 Mid from both forehand and Backhand side. The Ltd. GT takes better almost perfect preperation to get good heavy groundstrokes from the baseline.
I would think it needs a fast 5.5 and up player to use this sticks with real efficiency from the baseline.
The closed 18X20 string pattern of the Ltd. GT really needs a solid great player to get the most out of it.
I tested my Ltd. GT on a fast indoor court and felt I got very good power from it at first, but that was partly because of honeymooon period, a very fast indoor court and playing against a player, which on that day couldn't push me around.
The PB10 Mid is better on groundstrokes overall, but it still takes a good player to get the most out of it from the baseline and you still have to create your own power from a full fluid swing motion.
I can't hit with the same power from the baseline with the PB10 Mid as I can with for instance my Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT, but I can hit with far greater precision and I can almost pin point where I will send the ball and outmaneuvre my opponent that way.
I feel like I THINK tennis more, when I use the PB10 Mid and also the Ltd. GT - i don't just HIT and forget like I do with other larger framed racquets. When I get into a good rhythm with my PB10 Mid, I feel like it is a surgical instrument in my hands, and I can guide the ball everywhere on the court with great precision.
Serve: The PB10 Mid overall gave me a little bit better power on flat serves, more spin on second serves and I could place the ball equally good with both racquets.
Grip shape: The Ltd. GT has a more round and larger grip shape, but I HATE Head grip shapes and eveyrone told me the Völkl has an even more rectangular grip shape than Head - but to my surprise I didn't dislike the Völkl grip shape like I HATE the Head grip shape. Don't know if I was lucky and Völkl had to use some grip pallets from the more round Völkl ATTIVA series or what, but the grip shape doesn't bother me like the Head grip shape does.
Paintjob: The Ltd. GT has a race color candy stick like black-red-white paintjob, which I like. I prefer the glossy identical version of this paintjob, which my Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT has, but the matte paint looks stylish on a real players racquet though, but I feel it will be more fragile in the long run.
The paintjob on the Völkl PB10 however is the best looking paintjob I have EVER seen on a racquet.
It's a combination of matte paint around the throat and glossy every where else. It's black and yellow and the design of the paintjob is second to none. EXCELLENT COOL CLASSIC PAINTJOB !!!
Weight: The PB10 Mid felt a little more heavy compared to the Ltd. GT, which felt almost too light in my view. You really need to lead the Ltd. GT up a bit with maybe 4-6 gram at both 9 and 3 and 4 gram at the handle to make it play more like a players stick. The Völkl PB10 Mid feels almost perfect stock, a tiny bit whippy though, but very soft on your arm and elbow.
Overall rating -
Völkl PB10 Mid 9/10
Babolat Ltd. GT 8/10
