Tennis Warehouse: Babolat RPM Blast Rough Playtest

We are definitely getting a lot more rain then normal in California. Here is my results for testing this string.



o Tension(s) used for playtest – 50#

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o Regular string set up - Solinco Tour Bite 15L 50# winter time and up to 65# during the summer.

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o Racquet used for test – Prince Tour 100T ESP

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o Power of test string – For me it played powerful for a poly so I would say it was on the upper end of the power level for poly.

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o Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?)- Started out crisp, but after an hour it felt a little mushy for me.

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o Spin – I got less spin with it compared to my current Tour Bite. I would say it was closer to my last string which was volkl cyclone tour string. Very good spin and snap back.

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o Comfort – Very comfortable and no shock felt even in colder weather.

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o Durability – Not all that durable for me. It started to notch after 15 minutes of warm up. It snapped during my second set of actual play.

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o Playability Duration – It got a little mushy before it snapped.

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o Control – Good control, but again I get better control with my current string. I had to adjust a little more when I went for flat shot winners.

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o Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?) – I went up 5lbs and it felt more crisp. It didn’t go mushy quite as fast but still snapped in the same time frame.

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o Compare to string used most often – It feels a little softer and provides a little less spin. It has a little more of the snap back which it kept up until it snapped. I don’t like when it gets to feeling mushy which would probably be even worse during the summer. For me overall it fits somewhere in-between my current string and my old string which I still use now and then.

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o List any additional thoughts (optional) – It’s a good string, just not good enough for me to want to switch to it. A big thanks to TW and Babolat for the opportunity to test this string out as I love exploring new products.
 
Tension(s) used for playtest: ~ 55 pounds and then ~58 pounds.

Regular string set up. Solinco Tour Bite 18 gauge mains and MSV Focus Hex 17L crosses at 55 pounds.

Racquet used for test. Vantage Custom 95. Same as Angell TC 95, 58 RA Strung, standard length, 12.1 ounces strung. Bought a year or two ago from JohnBPittsburgh. Thanks, John for hooking me up with the best racquet I’ve ever owned.

Power of test string. I was surprised by how powerful this string is. More powerful than any of the setups I normally use, and more powerful than the regular RPM Blast for sure. I have played with regular Blast a couple of times, and I thought this new string was very different than that.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?) Quite soft for a poly, and much softer than regular Blast as I recall. I remember RPM Blast feeling pretty stiff and harsh, but Rough feels nothing like it. I agree with other reviews that say the feel is muted, which doesn’t help much on touch shots.

Spin. I thought the spin level was great, maybe better than regular Blast, especially in the first few hours. I noticed some extra spin making my groundstrokes drop in at the last minute on my first couple of outings with the string.

Comfort. I am a full poly player without a history of arm trouble, so I didn’t notice any discomfort whatsoever. It felt very soft and comfortable compared to every string I normally play with.

Durability. Seemed plenty durable to me, but I am not a string breaker, and normally replace my string before it breaks.

Playability Duration. I do think that it dropped tension and lost playability for me quicker than the other setups I normally use. The amount of spin I was generating started decline around my fourth outing and I started hitting more shots long.

Control. I thought the control was good initially, but declined dramatically over time. The large amount of spin I was getting at first helped me to feel like I had good control, but I did struggle on some volleys and drop shots (I hit a lot of them).

Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?) I strung it at my normal tension of 55 pounds on my cheap Klippermate drop weight machine, which results in a looser tension than a constant pull or other machines. I felt like it was more powerful with less control than my other strings, so I restrung at 58 pounds. The tighter tension made me appreciate the string more, have better control, and extended the playability duration. Upping the tension three pounds from my normal tension obviously didn’t make that big of a difference, and I think I also just became much more comfortable with the string the more I used it.

Compare to string used most often. More spin, power, and comfort. More muted feeling. Less control and playability duration.

List any additional thoughts (optional). This string is 16 gauge, and I prefer to play with 17 or 18 gauge, so some of my findings admittedly might be partially related to the difference in gauge instead of the kind of string. This is the first playtest I have ever been a part of, and I really enjoyed it. I like the string, play well with it, and will consider buying it in the future. Thanks for the opportunity, TW and Babolat!
 
Babolat RPM Blast Rough 16g (Yellow) co-poly strings Play Test
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First of all, kudos to Babolat for coming up with such an excellent string. Also thanks to Babolat and Tennis Warehouse for giving me an opportunity to test this excellent string.
  • Tension(s) used for playtest
    • 1. First attempt 54lb mains x 52lb crosses
      2. Second attempt 56lb mains x 54lb crosses
  • Regular string set up
    • Ashaway Kevlar 16 mains @ 56lbs and Topspin Concept Pure 17 crosses @ 48lbs
      (For the last 4 or 5 strinings)
  • Racquet used for test
    • Wilson BLX Six One 95 18x20
  • Power of test string
    • More power than my usual setup. Also felt a bit more power than regular Babolat RPM Blast if I remember my days of using RPM Blast correct. For a poly I would say these strings are right around the upper middle region regarding power.
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?)
    • Crisp is the way I would describe it. I can feel the grab on the ball clearly on many controlled shots like topspin lobs. I won’t categorize the string as a touch/feel kind of string. But definitely provides a different feel on the hand, which gives you that confidence you need when using a powerful poly. Baseline to baseline hitting was a joy with this string. But lacks a bit of that “sweet” feel on dropshots or carful touches.
  • Spin
    • Excellent. I would describe it as effortness spin. Definitely the rough surface provides a bit more grab on the ball, which is more obvious on topspin lobs. On a high intensity rally, you dont feel the grab as much, but the string definitely does provide that extra rpms, as my hitting partner acknolwedged it.
  • Comfort
    • Very comfortable in the arm for a poly. Obviously I would not recomment this to a long term multifilament/natural gut string user. But anyone who knows and uses a bit stiffer strings would acknowledge this as one of the more comfortable poly strings. Even with the rough surface and the grab on the ball, plus the feedback it provided to arm, the string still does not fatigue your arm on a long hitting session.
  • Durability
    • I did not break this string after 8 hours of hitting on the first set. But had viscible notching on mains by then. Second set used only for 4 hours, and had minor notching, but noticable only by careful examination. Durability of this string should not an issue for most users. As expected the rough surface possibly grinds on each other causing some extra damage than regular RPM Blast. So I would expect string breakers to break this strings a bit sooner than regular RPM Blast. For me as long as the Durability (enough damage on strings or strings break) is longer than Playability duration, that is all I care. So for me, even though it maybe a bit less durable than some other polys, it does not matter.
  • Playability Duration
    • First hour of hitting kind of was a settling period for my rhythm. But maybe if I was using this string regularly it could be different. But from the second hour to about 6 hours was the top playable time frame for me. After 6 hours, I felt like the string started to go down on performance, and by the end of 8th hour I could feel the string lost its characteristics which makes it an excellent string. I could still hit with this string without causing arm damage, but no fun anymore.
  • Control
    • There is no issue with control expected for a regular poly user. Since my regular string was Kevlar on mains, I felt a bit awkward when starting hitting with this setup, and was spraying the balls a bit more than usual. But also note that I was in a different mind set up to test the ability of string as well. But from the second hitting session, I felt home with this, and felt confident go for more riskier directions and depth. I would say I felt a bit less overall control from my regular Kevlar setup, but better than average control for most full poly setups.
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?)
    • I think my first tension option did click (54lbx52lb). I tried a bit more tigher tension on my second try, but I did not like it at all. I believe different users will find different sweet spots on their tension, but I would say use the same tensions as your regular poly setups, even though this string may provide a bit more power. Even with the extra power, the string seems to provide enough spin to keep the balls in court, and so you will have added control and would feel confident from baseline.
  • Compare to string used most often
    • What I can say is that I still like the feel of the kevlar on mains than the RPM Blast Rough. But if I switch back to a full poly set up, RPM Blast Rough would be on top of the list.
  • List any additional thoughts (optional)
    • If I ever come back to full poly setup, with RPM Blast Rough on mains, I may try a different smoother poly string on crosses, in an effort to reduce the string-to-string vibration. Even though it is still really good as a full RPM Blast rought setup on both mains and crosses, I would think RPM Blast Rough opens up the door for some excellent hybrid options. With the second set I was going to try a hybdrid, but then changed my mind to try a different tension (which I think was a bad idea).
 
This is my review for my 2nd set strung up in a different racquet.

  • Tension(s) used for playtest- 50 lbs
  • Regular string set up- Cyclone Tour 16
  • Racquet used for test- Angell TC 95 18x20
  • Power of test string- Power was much less powerful in a 18x20 pattern than the 16x19 racquet I used with the first set
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?)- Not mushy but more dampened in a heavier more solid frame.
  • Spin- Did not get the crazy spin out of my first set in the 16x19 racquet, I think the extra spin advantage isn't there in a closed pattern still as good as my normal string of choice and on par with other co polys i've used in my 18x20 frames.
  • Comfort- Still very comfortable, no shock to the arm
  • Durability- Can't say as I only hit the strings about an hour, the racquet was too heavy for me to continue using
  • Playability Duration- See above
  • Control- Good control, point and shoot
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?) I strung it at the same tension due to the more closed pattern. I would say in an open pattern racquet string it a little higher and in a closed pattern normal tension is fine.
  • Compare to string used most often- Feels pretty similar to the Cyclone Tour 16, pretty soft, pretty comfortable, better than average power for a copoly.
 
Tension(s) used for playtest: ~ 52 lbs mains / 50 lbs crosses

Regular string set up. Tourna Big Hitter Silver 17G / Forten Sweet 17 G (52 lbs/ 50 lbs)

Racquet used for test. Dunlop Biomimetic M4.0 (100 square inches - 16 x 19)

Power of test string. I found the power of this string to be average. My regular set-up is more powerful than this full bed of 16G poly. Hard to compare this to my regular set-up since I am using a hybrid of 17G strings and one of them is a soft powerful syn. gut. I was very happy with the power level of this string. There was no hot spots and the power was there when needed. A very honest string response off this full bed of poly. So far I have not seen the power level go up. I am about the 8 hour mark and expect the string to start feeling more dead.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?). Crisp to be sure. Love the feel of this string. Not too stiff... not mushy or muted. The feel is somewhat better in the last few hours and it is a bit softer as expected. The feel is a bit better than my normal set-up. I have my set-up tuned to get more power spin and comfort as I am almost never at the net in singles and in doubles for limited action for finishing volleys.

Spin. Spin of this string is very comparable to my regular set-up so I was very happy with the transition to this string. The strings I have tested that had the most spin potential are Tourna Big Hitter Black 7 17G and Volkl Cyclone 19G. This string was not this category. Spin was there, but on par with a round poly and not a shaped or twisted poly. I think is a nice blend of spin and power string.

Comfort. Good for a full bed of 16G poly. Not as good as my regular set-up to be sure. I will be in interested to see the stiffness number on this one. I am thinking about 200 to 210.

Durability. Seems very durable to me, but I am not a string breaker, and normally replace my string before they pop. I can't see me breaking this stuff.

Playability Duration. This sample was excellent in my testing. The feel, comfort and playability was very stable over the testing period. All strokes responded well over the entire test period and I did not have to think much about the strings while testing. That is the bottom line. If you keep needing to adjust your strokes to accommodate changes in the strings.. that is a clear negative. This string was better than my regular set-up. Has me thinking about using a 16G or a 16G next time.

Control. Loved the control. If you struck the ball well, the ball landed in the court. Honest string. No hot spots. Very stable string bed. Better than my regular set-up.

Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?) Only strung the one set. Very happy with the tension selected. If I was playing this string in the hot humid weather, I would go up a few pounds. I got it right the 1st time..

Compare to string used most often. Addressed above..

List any additional thoughts (optional). I would love to test the 17G... but I had a very positive experience with the 16G. I can see this being a very popular offering from Babolat. The price point is a bit high for my tastes and game. This is a string I see working great the AeroPro Drive and Pure Drive. It was outstanding in my Dunlop Bio M4.0 which is sort of a poor mans Pure Drive. Thanks TW and Babolat for the string and the chance to play test...
 
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Babolat RPM Blast Rough 130 16

TENSIONS USED FOR PLAYTESTS - Strung two identical frames at two different tensions for playtest comparison. I chose to use two different tensions with my normal string tension as my baseline for comparison. For the first frame, I used my normal 50lb tension as the starting point. After the initial break-period with the first frame, I increased the tension strung the second frame to 53lbs. All were strung on a lockout machine.

REGULAR STRING SETUP - The regular setup of Dunlop Black Widow 17 gauge, 50 lbs x 50 lbs also strung on a lockout machine.

RACQUET BRAND AND MODEL USED FOR TESTS - Dunlop Aerogel 4D 200 Tour 95 is my regular frame and frames used for this playtest.

POWER OF TEST STRING - For a co-poly, this string comes with a really nice power level. This Babolat string started out about on the average side of power. Keeping in mind that it is a co-poly. While playing, the power characteristic increased noticeably as the strings settled in during the first hour or so. Not sure if it was from the string tension becoming lower or if it is simply how the strings break in or. Both string tensions had about the same couple hour long break-in period before settling in at a consistent feeling tension and an above average co-poly power level. The 50 pound frame had slightly more power than the 53 pound frame.

FEEL OF TEST STRING - For a co-poly string, these strings offer really good feel. I was able to easily control the depth of both drop shots, and slices. On topspin ground strokes, I was easily able to control varying depth of shots. Topspin lobs over net players were accurate and felt very lethal.

SPIN - There is a massive amount of spin available from Babolat RPM Blast Rough. The extra rough, textured surface seems to provide ball-bite in addition to the snap back that co-poly strings normally provide. The key for me was always taking a full stroke and always hitting through the ball, and use the spin to keep the ball from flying. The bounce off the ground on my kick serves was stupendous. Really a lot of fun to watch. Top spin and slice ground strokes were all very effective with bit tensions of this string.

COMFORT - Quite good here also. There was no uncomfortable shock coming from either string bed. They both felt like the string beds of co-poly strung racquets, but at no time was there any shoulder or arm discomfort. Also keep in mind that this is a pretty soft racquet. The sixteen gauge may contribute to the shock absorption aspect. One particular session went on for several hours and there were no lingering ill effects after that hit.

DURABILITY - This particular test included practice, drills and playing sets using both racquets about equally. The total was about twenty five hours with about half played indoors and about half outdoors. Neither set of the strings broke during the test.

PLAYABILITY DURATION (HOW PLAYABILITY CHANGED OVER TIME) - At different tensions, both sets of strings seemed to have similar playability duration. There was the normal break-in period, then both sets settled in and played predictably and consistently for ten to fifteen hours. Toward the end of that time, the predicable playability of both string beds were beginning to diminish a little but both sets continued to be playable. Not optimum, but playable. Still, the Babolat RPM Blast Rough offers a, more than acceptable, amount of playability duration for a co-poly string.

CONTROL (PREDICTABLE TRAJECTORY) - I had no problem with any aspect of control using these Babolat strings. The feel and power add to the control, but most of the control comes from the massive amount of spin that is offered by these strings. The ability and need to consistently take full swings to control the ball makes these strings fun to play with. The amount and type of control provided by the spin from strings like these are the reason that people play with co-poly strings.

TENSION FINDINGS - First Tension Finding, Second Tension Finding. At both tensions, the strings were quite playable in this frame. The first frame strung at 50 lbs had good feel, control, comfort, and touch. It did have have a noticeable higher level of power than the second set. The second set was strung at 53 lbs in an attempt to tine temper some of the power. The higher tension responded exactly as expected. The higher tension still provided plenty of touch and feel but the ample, yet lower level of power gave the setup more control and access to even more spin. These strings will work for different styles of players in different frames strung at a variety of different tensions.

COMPARE BABOLAT RPM BLAST ROUGH TO DUNLOP BLACK WIDOW - Black Widow gets the nod in the power comparison. Black Widow is also the clear winner in the area of overall comfort. I give RPM Blast Rough the win for control with it's higher stiffness and textured surface. With regards to spin, both strings offer a surface designed to bite the ball. RPM Blast Rough has a unique surface and a shaped poly like Black Widow gets much spin from the shape. I will call the spin comparison a draw. They were both quite similar in the area of playability duration.

LIST ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS - Babolat RPM Blast Rough is a very good quality string that will offer positive performance for a variety of different levels of players using different tensions, racquets, and styles of play. They are really worth a try. It offers mad spin potential and plays as expected and feels like another consistent, quality product that we expect from Babolat. The amount of control and spin potential could be a game changer, especially for advanced players.

Right out of the package, the yellow color was not my all-time favorite. Once I strung it in my predominately black and blue racket, it looked really cool. It is a bright enough color to be noticed, but no so much of a loud, blinding, attention-grabbing, day-glo brightness! Don't rule out this yellow color until you actually see it in your own frame would be my recommendation about that.

There was some difference in feel, power, and playability at the two difference tensions. It was a really great idea by TW and Babolat to provide two sets of strings for each playtester in this test. Sometimes, playtesters get their initial stringing tension a little, or very much wrong. The second set gave me the chance to move toward my own optimal playable tension. It gives all the testers another opportunity to more objectively play, review, and evaluate the string during the test. I think that it worked out very well for me. I would like to try this string in 17 gauge.
 
Tension(s) used for playtest: 55M/53X strung on an Alpha Ghost
Regular string set up: Volkl Cyclone Tour 16G 57M/55X
Racquet used for test: Prince Textreme Warrior 100 / 342 grams/325 SW/ 31.76 Bal or 8 Pts HL

Power of test string: 6/10 Seem to have more power than many polys I have used, but less power than both Cyclone and Cyclone Tour. Power was similar to Hyper G.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): Feels softer than both 16g Cyclone Tour (CT) and 16g Cyclone. The string was definitely more muted than either of those two Volkl strings. My net game took the most time to get used to as the string had less power than I am used to using and volleys tended to land shorter than I wanted.

Spin: 8/10 Spin, Spin, and more Spin. RPM Blast Rough produced more spin than polys I have used, and was on par or slightly better than CT 16g. I didn’t expect this, but was pleasantly surprised at the spin and the ability to swing fully without the ball sailing long until the strings started to stick out of place.

Comfort: 8/10 I had no comfort issues with this string in 11-12 hours of singles/doubles combined. I didn’t notice any harshness of this string whatsoever.

Durability: 8/10 I played roughly 11-12 hours and the strings did not break, but they were stuck out of place at the end of my sixth time playing.

Playability Duration: 7/10 Somewhere after 9-10 hours of play (after the 5th time I played) the mains were starting to stick and not snap back. This is the point I switch frames and use one that is freshly strung, but I played three more sets of doubles with RPM Blast Rough in my Prince Textreme Warrior. At the end of those last two sets of doubles, the RPM Rough was completely done, but not broken. Multiple strings on both sides of centerline stuck out of place, and most balls sailing long. I suspect the string would break soon had I kept playing.

Control: 8/10 After a half-hour of breaking in the strings, I found the ball pocketing and spin you hope to find in any string. Placement of spin and flat serves weren’t any problem, but seem to have less pop than CT. Spin on groundstrokes was easy to generate and flattening out balls was easier with RPM Blast Rough than my normal CT, with more pronounced ball pocketed. Through my fifth time hitting with this strings, the control from the baseline as exceptional.

Tension findings: Strung two pounds lower than my normal 57M/55X and had no issue with the 55M/53X that I choose for this playtest.

Compare to string used most often: Slightly less power than Cyclone Tour 16G even though I strung two pounds lower than my normal 57/55 setup , but softer than Cyclone Tour 16g. RPM Blast Rough feels softer, pockets better and produces as much spin or more than Cyclone Tour. The biggest question was : how long will it last? Unfortunately, RPM Blast Rough dies about 3-4 hours quicker than Cyclone Tour 16g, and that is the biggest downfall of this string in my opinion.

List any additional thoughts (optional): Stringing RPM Blast Rough was easier than I expected, as the string is softer than many stiff edged polys. My guess is Babolat will price this string at the same price of RPM Blast or perhaps slightly higher. For the Babolat enthusiasts who have matching frames with bags and only use Babolat strings, this is a very nice offering. Many RPM Blast users will likely try this string and switch. For guys like me who might play with a Babolat Frame, and might have an unmatched Babolat bag (me), I will not be switching to a full bed of Rough Blast. Why? Add .03 to the price of RPM Blast at $17.95 per pack, and it cost twice as much as a pack of Cyclone Tour for $8.99, and doesn't last as long. So the likely price point and the playability duration are the two factors that will likely keep other players from switching. That’s unfortunate, but it’s hard to argue that Babolat doesn’t know what it is doing as a premier tennis company. IMO, Babolat is the most successful tennis manufacturer in the business with product innovation, stringing machines, diagnostic equipment (their Babolat RDC), and gear (frames, strings, bags, grips, shoes and clothing). And what other company has given new frames out a playtest to TW’s members? I can’t recall any.

Kudos to Babolot for listening. Last year I made a comment to Babolat Official after purchasing a 2015 12 Pack Babolat Pure Drive Bag. I could not zip the bag with three 27.5” Babolat PD frames after a friend asked me to string his frames. When I went to put his frames in my bag, I couldn't close it with only his three 27.5" frames in the thermoguard compartment. I posted this predicament on this forum and asked if Babolat could make their bags slightly longer to accommodate their 27.5 frames. Not only did Babolat take the feedback, they updated their bags to hold three Babolat 27.5 frames on each side. I have Pure Strike Project One 7 frames and a new Blue/White/Black 12 Pack bag on order. Thanks Babolat!

I truly appreciate Babolat and TennisWarehouse giving me the opportunity to participate in this playtest. Thanks to Babolat, I still have one pack of RPM Blast remaining, and will test it in the mains with Wilson Revolve 17g in the crosses in one frame and Head Hawk 17g in the crosses of another. That test is on hold, while I transition to my PO7 frames, but will do it sometime this spring. This is where I think RPM Blast Rough will find a great yet unexpected niche, as a hybrid. Hopefully, the slick crosses of white Revolve and white Head Hawk, might extend the life of RPM Blast Rough in a longer lasting hybrid setup.
 
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Tension(s) used for playtest: ~ Full bed 56lbs, Laserfiber MS200 constant pull Stringer

Regular string set up. Genesis Typhoon 57lbs or Genesis Black Magic 54lbs

Racquet used for test. Head Prestige Pro Youtek IG, 12.8 oz

Power of test string. For the first 4 hours (2 hitting sessions in consecutive days) I felt that this string had good but not great power. I would say between this and my two normal setups that RPM Blast Rough is between the two in power but slightly closer to Typhoon than Black Magic. My ground strokes, especially my forehand, can normally pressure my hitting partners. With RPM blast Rough I feel like I didn’t have control of the point even when I was hitting well. For my serve I felt the same way. Even serving at 60 to 70% I didn’t feel as if I was getting the pace I normally get.


I played 4 more hours a week later and did not notice any drop in the pace I was getting from these strings.


Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?). Compared to Typhoon, which feels somewhat boardy, RBR initially felt incredibly comfortable. Until now I didn’t know what people meant when they said a string pockets incredibly well. The sensation I felt with these strings is one where the ball is almost caught by the strings and then comes off the racquet very smoothly. It’s not a trampoline effect where you don’t feel like you know where the ball is going.

Compared to Black Magic, where they both have that feel between crisp and muted, I would say that RBR is slightly more crisp. I liked that feel because it gave me confidence that I was in control of where the ball was going.

During my second 4 hour stretch I didn’t quite get the same “pocketing” feeling that I initially got (honeymoon period?) but it was still comfortable to play with.

Spin. This was an area I was definitely impressed with. If Typhoon is an 8 out of 10 and 5 out of 10 for power and spin respectively, RBR was a 6 for power and 7 for spin. Because I wasn’t getting the “power” off the string that I am used to I was hitting with a higher trajectory. While I wasn’t overpowering my partners they definitely noticed that the ball kicked up on them more.

As for my serves I think the Spin on these strings helped me control my first serve a little more and gave my second serve kick a higher apex. My serve percentage on my first serves jumped 5 to 10% during my 8 hour span of hitting these string. I don’t know if it was due to the lesser power or more spin these strings provided.

I do know that my kick on my second serves was noticeably higher.

Comfort. RBR is definitely more comfortable than Typhoon. I would say it was on par with Black magic.

Durability. I usually replace my strings every 3 to 4 weeks (20 hour mark). These strings seem as durable as my current setup.

Playability Duration.

I did notice a tad bit of shoulder discomfort (never had any arm or shoulder problems after 20+ years of play) after my second round with these strings. I don’t know if the pain had to do with losing that “pocketing” feeling I felt during my first hitting session. Regardless RBR felt very good and lively while I was hitting with them during both hitting sessions.
Control.

I really enjoyed the control I had with these strings. The pocketing combined with the semi crisp feeling gave me great confidence that the ball was going to go where I wanted it to.

Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?)

I tried to loosen the strings from 56 to 53 to see if I could gain any more pop. I did not like it as much(though I don’t generally play below 55lbs.). It felt a little less controlled and lost a little bit of that crispness.

Compare to string used most often.

Power: Typhoon >> RPM Rough >> Black Magic

Control: RPM rough > Typhoon = Black Magic

Feel: RPM Rough > Black Magic >> Typhoon

Comfort: RPM rough > Black magic > Typhoon

Tension Maintenance: Typhoon > RPM rough = Black Magic

Groundstrokes: Typhoon > RPM Rough > Black Magic

First Serves: Typhoon > RPM Rough > Black Magic

Second Serves: RPM Rough > Typhoon > Black magic

Volley: RPM Rough > Black Magic >> Typhoon

List any additional thoughts (optional).

RPM Rough feels really good to hit with though I am not sure I would use RPM Rough on a consistent basis. Even with my good RHS, the combination of a lower powered control racquet and RPM rough didn’t generate enough pace for me to dictate points the way I would like to. If I ever switched to a higher power racquet I would definitely consider this string.
 
Tension(s) used for playtest
52 pounds all around, full bed.

Regular string set up
Cyber Flash 17 mains with OG Sheep Micro 17 crosses, both at 55 pounds, but I usually knock a few pounds off it during winter play.

Racquet used for test
Prince Warrior OS.

Power of test string
This string started off a bit stiff and dead right off the stringer, but after an extended warm-up, it loosened up a bit and felt a more powerful. That’s relative to other poly strings, of course, so not really that powerful compared to gut/syngut/multi, but better than average for a poly. Still, as with most poly strings, you need to have a decent swing speed to make your own power, but I didn’t have to fight to get some speed on the ball.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?)
Somewhat boardy to start, but after a short break-in, it settled nicely to a smoother feel. Not really “crisp”, but still firm. Softer than a lot of other polys, but not with an overly bouncy, elastic feel, so more muted.

Spin
Oh yeah, this was a good one for spin. I often think textured strings offer little spin improvement over their round-profile counterparts, but this one definitely had an advantage. I do use a lot of spin on most shots, and this was very good, dependable spin. Kudos.

Comfort
Nobody uses poly strings for comfort, but these weren’t as bad as most other polys I have used. No problems here.

Durability
I hardly ever break poly strings, and I didn’t break these, so the real issue is the playability duration. There was just some minor notching, and the texture held on a lot longer than the edges on most shaped polys.

Playability Duration
These strings changed quite a bit over the course of my testing. Stiff at first, but that only lasted a half hour or so before it settled down to a more comfortable, predictable power. That lasted for a very nice 10 or 12 hours total over several sessions before I started losing control and confidence in the string. Ready to cut it out at 14 hours. So, not spectacular duration, but perfectly acceptable for a typical poly.

Control
I use spin to control depth, and these strings gave me good depth control on baseline shots. Side-to-side control was also excellent. This string rewards a fast swing, so slower touch shots weren’t as predictable. Up at the net, you need to punch through your volleys to maintain control. Drop volleys and blocking the ball back weren’t so easy to control.

Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?)
The tension seemed pretty spot-on for me, but this is winter, so I’d probably go back to my usual 55 pounds when it gets a bit warmer. Didn’t get enough playing time with the weather to use the second set, and the due date for these reviews is coming up.

Compare to string used most often
This string is both more powerful and spinny than Cyber Flash. I’d also give it the edge for control. Comfort was about the same, although the RPM has a more plush feel. The Cyber Flash seems to give me a few hours longer in playability duration, but the RPM performs better in most other areas. If it were as cheap as Cyber Flash, it would be a no-brainer, but I am sorely tempted to switch.

List any additional thoughts (optional)
The plastic packaging for these and other Babolat strings is definitely overkill. Sure, I’ll drop it in the recycling bin, but these strings would still be pretty special in a simple cardboard and cellophane package. But that’s just a quibble.

Thanks to Babolat and Tennis Warehouse for the opportunity to try out these new strings.
 
  • Tension(s) used for playtest - 40 lbs full bed drop weight, 55 lbs full bed drop weight
  • Regular string set up - Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 17g at 55 lbs Main, Volkl Power Fiber II 17g at 55 lbs Cross
  • Racquet used for test - Wilson Blade 98S, 1oz tungsten putty inside the handle, TW leather grip
  • Power of test string - 4/5 I enjoyed the effortless power from the baseline with tension 40 lbs. During a match, kick serves felt more aggressive than my usual setup, and I was able to make few winners with a flick of a wrist when off court wide. Tension 55 lbs wasn't so bad. I did had to wait for the initial tension to drop before playing a set. It was definitely less powerful than my usual setup, but it wasn't to the point where I wasn't able to play offense well.
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?) - Felt muted at tension 40 lbs. Felt crisp at tension 55 lbs. I didn't like the feel at the net with tension 40 lbs, and the ball came off a bit longer than I had expected. However, I enjoyed the touch with tension 55 lbs on volleys.
  • Spin - 5/5 The string bit the ball hard and generated tons of spin. It seemed to produce more spin than my usual setup.
  • Comfort - 4/5 Comfortable string at both tensions. No wrist or arm injury during the playtest.
  • Durability - 4/5 I recently changed my playing style to aggressive flat/sidespin groundstrokes from aggressive topspin baseliner, so the strings lasted longer than I had expected. I had to cut out tension 40 lbs after 9 hours of hitting due to tension loss. I am still hitting with tension 55 lbs strung, and it's been about 12 hours and the strings have minute notched. The rough shapes are still visible, but almost gone in the center. Forgot to edit: string broke around 18.5 hours of hitting.
  • Playability Duration - 3/5 Tension 40 lbs played amazingly for about 6 hours, then the launch angle went up and the ball went deep out of the court against fast paced balls. Tension 55 lbs held the tension well after an initial drop, which felt about 10 - 15 lbs of drop.
  • Control - 4/5 The only problem I had in control with tension 40 lbs was setting up for a point with a drop shot. Most of the time, the ball landed short where I wanted, but the launched angle was too high and gave my hitting partner enough time to get it back safely. I found this string to have excellent control with tension 55 lbs. Hitting topspin groundstrokes from the baseline cleared the net well and kept the ball in safely. Also flat groundstrokes with long full swings were easy on dept and angle control.
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?) - I did like my 1st tension, which was 40 lbs, but the tension dropped to the point where I was having very hard time with control. After restringing with tension 55 lbs, I found it to play a lot better after the break-in period.
  • Compare to string used most often - I recently switched from full bed Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 16g at 50 lbs to Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 17g Main and Volkl Power Fiber II 17g at 55 lbs, because I wanted better effortless and controllable power with higher tension maintenance. After using RPM Blast Rough, I noticed that tension dropped dramatically compared to my usual setup. RPM Blast Rough could be a great string for me when strung hybrid, but I am planning on sticking to my usual setup for awhile.
 
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Alright, finally got a chance to put this string through its paces. I played both sets until they broke, so hopefully I can provide some solid feedback!
  • Tension(s) used for playtest: 50 pounds and 55 pounds on a lockout machine
  • Regular string set up: Solinco Tour Bite 1.25 @ 50 pounds
  • Racquet used for test: Babolat Pure Control
  • Power of test string: Good for a poly. It's not polystar energy, but it's pretty lively, more than Tour Bite and Hyper G from Solinco. Once broken in, I found much more free pop than I'm used to, even at the higher tension. It's been awhile since I played regular RPM Blast, but it remember it being lower powered than this. This isn't necessarily a bad thing if you're a full poly player looking for more oomph on your shots because it was controllable too.
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): It was somewhat crisp from the get-go, and I felt like I could just point-and-shoot to hit my target. But, as the tension dropped after a couple hours, it got a little mushy. The mushiness added to what I perceived as dwell time, so I enjoyed coming to net later in the test, but control from the baseline suffered.
  • Spin: It does what it's designed to do. I enjoyed lots of spin from the baseline and on serve no matter the tension or point in the life of the string. I have not experienced this with regular RPM. I even had to adjust my second serve slightly because I was leaving it hanging with a little too much spin at times.
  • Comfort: Nothing to complain about here, but even Tour Bite, one of the stiffest strings around, doesn't give me arm pain. Off-center hits were pretty tolerable for a poly, and the sweetspot seemed a little bigger. I'd be interested to see the stiffness numbers on this string.
  • Durability: Pretty good for a 16 gauge poly. I got 9 hours from the 55# set and 10 from the 50# set. I get comparable longevity from pretty much every other 16 gauge I've tried lately.
  • Playability Duration: This was where I thought the string faltered. It was moderately crisp and nicely controlled at the start, but by the second session, it had dropped tension and gotten a little mushy. The mushiness continued until breakage, so I adjusted to it. The change in feel did not make the string unplayable, though, which was a downfall for regular RPM IMO. Spin remained high throughout the test, so that definitely contributed to my perception of its playability over time.
  • Control: With all of the spin I got, I had control throughout the test. When fresh, as is the case with most polys, it was firm and crisp enough that I felt more than comfortable hitting out and going for my targets. Later in the test, I had to rely on hitting some extra spin to keep the ball in the court, though this led to me playing smarter, higher percentage tennis.
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?): I liked the higher tension better, mostly because the lower one ended up too low after a couple of outings. If I were able to restring every session, I would play it around the lower tension because I had a little more feel and power to go with the spin. I found less of that at the beginning of the higher tension, but I liked the higher tension better post break-in.
  • Compare to string used most often: More power, softer feel, similar spin, worse comfort and playability duration than Tour Bite.
  • List any additional thoughts (optional): Big thanks to TW and Babolat for the opportunity to test two sets of this new string! I'm looking forward to what they have in store for the future.
 
  • Tension(s) used for playtest.. 50lbs my reg set up.
  • Regular string set up.. 50lbs Volkl Cyclone or lux
  • Racquet used for test. Babolat Pure Aero
  • Power of test string. nice power, avg power for a poly. not overpowered
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?). crisp and comfortable. more crisp than reg rpm blast.. reg rpm feels more rubbery when fresh. this has a crisper feel and sound on impact.
  • Spin. excellent.. i loved the spin. not an overload like tour bite. but inbetween a round and a super spin. so perfect blend of spin and control. i really liked the spin level.
  • Comfort. comfort was fine. i dont think polys in general are comfortable, but again, for a poly this was comfy. this wasnt a harsh ride like tour bite.
  • Durability. durability is fantastic. i can see club rec players using this string for a few weeks before needing to cut out. i used it for a few hours of heavy hitting. and i am fine. i would say at hour 10, needs to be cut out if you are a heavy hitter.
  • Playability Duration.. after an hour of play the string loses a little tension. but then settles nicely for several hours of play .. before losing its zing after about 8 - 10 hours.
  • Control. excellent. there is no better control string. again. .the ultra spinny strings are loopy so control is limited with those. then the round somethimes have a long trajectory. these fit right in the middle of those. so 10/10 for control.
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?)my first try of 50lbs was perfect for my game. crisp with great snap back. no need for a re string.
  • Compare to string used most often: compared to lux and volkl cyclone. this string is actually and instant favorite for me. i love it. its has better feel than cyclone. on par with everything else about cyclone. and has more spin and bite and feel than most luxilons. i really enjoyed this playtest.
  • List any additional thoughts (optional). dont go over 53-54 lbs max.. you will lose the characteristics of this string.
  • thank you Babolat and Talk Tennis for this great playtest. I really enjoyed this one. i have been on others that i wanted to cut the sting out withing one hour of playing. This string i will def use again in the future. this is a quality string. I can play my best tennis with this string.
 
Tension(s) used for playtest: 50/48 full poly. 47/45 gut/RPM. Strung on an Alpha dropweight
Regular string set up: Pro’s Pro Concept 50lbs
Racquet used for test: Yonex DR98 / 350 grams/ 8 Pts HL

Power of test string: 3/10 Way less power than many polys I have used. I like a powerful co-poly string. It helped when I switched to the gut hybrid


Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): Soft, but not softer than PP Concept. The string was definitely more muted and boardy. My ground game took the most time to get used to as the string had less power than I am used to using and shots tended to land around the service line.

Spin: 10/10 Spin. Unreal. I don’t used shaped/rough poly strings so when I started using this I saw my forehands top spin kick high. Even when I switched to gut/rpm spin was still very good

Comfort: 8/10 I had no comfort issues with this string in 11-12 hours of singles/doubles combined. Noticed slight harshness of this string after the playability duration ran out.

Durability: 10/10 I played roughly 11-12 hours and the strings did not break, but they were stuck out of place at the end of my sixth time playing.

Playability Duration: 7/10 Somewhere after 9-10 hours of play (after the 5th time I played) the mains were starting to stick and not snap back. It felt much harsher on the arm around the 11-13th hour. Around the 6-8 hour, I noticed the rough marks were worn down in the middle of the stringbed. Still produced great spin though

Control: 8/10 After 30 mins of breaking in the strings, I found the ball pocketing and spin you hope to find in any string. Placement of spin and flat serves weren’t any problem, but much less pop PP concept. Spin on groundstrokes was super easy to generate and flattening out balls was easy with RPM Blast Rough. Stringbed really felt like it stiffened up after it 11-12 hours, which for me is 2.5 weeks

Tension findings: Strung at the same 50/48 rpm/rpm and 47/45 gut/rpm. I would recommend and 48/46 full rpm and 52/50 for gut/rpm

Compare to string used most often: Way less power than PP Concept 1.22mm . RPM Blast Rough feels harder, pockets better and produces way more spin than PP concept. The biggest question was : how long will it last? Unfortunately, RPM Blast Rough dies about 3-4 hours quicker than than PP Concept 1.22mm , and that is the biggest downfall of this string in my opinion. I’m able to play with good enough control and comfort with PP concept almost up to 1 month. I did not feel as though I could reach that duration with RPM Rough.

List any additional thoughts (optional): Stringing RPM Blast Rough was easier than I expected, as the string is softer than many stiff edged polys. They slid very well when stringing the crosses

I truly appreciate Babolat and TennisWarehouse giving me the opportunity to participate in this playtest.
 
I know he's not around much anymore, but I would love to know what @drakulie thinks about this string. Also seems to be very conflicting reports about the playability duration, making it very difficult for me to decide whether to try or not! Have a tournament coming up in the spring, need to decide whether to try RPM Rough or Hyper G.
 
YellowFedBetter said:
I know he's not around much anymore, but I would love to know what @drakulie thinks about this string. Also seems to be very conflicting reports about the playability duration, making it very difficult for me to decide whether to try or not! Have a tournament coming up in the spring, need to decide whether to try RPM Rough or Hyper G.
Click to expand...

In your situation I would take Hyper-G; To me it has peak playability right from the start and then degrades linearly. RPM Rough I found to be dead-feeling for the first 1h then a tension loss where it becomes more lively (and more playable I thought) for the next 3h and then a significant tension loss with a loss in control and confidence in shots. That's my take at least on those two strings, given my racquet and style of play. But, as you said, there are lots of diverging opinions here.
 
YellowFedBetter said:
I know he's not around much anymore, but I would love to know what @drakulie thinks about this string. Also seems to be very conflicting reports about the playability duration, making it very difficult for me to decide whether to try or not! Have a tournament coming up in the spring, need to decide whether to try RPM Rough or Hyper G.
Click to expand...

I would think we are seeing conflicting reports about the playability duration because there are some real big hitters in the test group and some not so big hitters. Also, with any poly if you string in the upper limit for tension for the string it does not last as long. There is also the perception of each play tester, some are sensitive to a string changing over time and others not so much.

I have been testing strings for a while... This is not Babolat Origin .. nor is it Gosen Polylon as far as playability duration. I can see "me" getting 12-15 decent hours out of this string. Note.. I am not a big hitter, older player with med strokes and strung my sample at 50/48 lbs. I am guessing an open level player, DI.. etc would get about 8 hours max of decent hitting time. Since you are using Origin... do not expect the same playability duration.
 
SteveI said:
I would think we are seeing conflicting reports about the playability duration because there are some real big hitters in the test group and some not so big hitters. Also, with any poly if you string in the upper limit for tension for the string it does not last as long. There is also the perception of each play tester, some are sensitive to a string changing over time and others not so much.

I have been testing strings for a while... This is not Babolat Origin .. nor is it Gosen Polylon as far as playability duration. I can see "me" getting 12-15 decent hours out of this string. Note.. I am not a big hitter, older player with med strokes and strung my sample at 50/48 lbs. I am guessing an open level player, DI.. etc would get about 8 hours max of decent hitting time. Since you are using Origin... do not expect the same playability duration.
Click to expand...
+1 on playability duration. Well said. Different strokes for different folks and I agree that the varying reports are mostly because of how big and heavy different playtesters hit. I'm a former DII college player, 34, and still (relatively) young. RPM and RPM Blast are great strings for me but for just that specific period after the string has settled and has not gone dead yet. If I indulge in a slugfest and practice hard, either of them do not last me longer than 7 hours max. That's barely 3 full three set matches for me (or a couple of 3 setters and a practice session). I know people at my club who play with RPM that was strung last season and still be okay with it. Opposite end, I know some juniors who claim RPM will not last more than 4-5 hours for them. Just a matter of how everyone hits differently, in my humble opinion.
 
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I see that you are using RPM Dual/Origin hybrid. Are planning to continue with a hybrid even after swtiching to RPMBlast Rough? In general I don't think you will see "enough" playability duration benefits for switching to either RPMBlasRough/HyperG from RPMDual. If you are looking for a different feel and still in experimental stage, then try both.

YellowFedBetter said:
Have a tournament coming up in the spring, need to decide whether to try RPM Rough or Hyper G.
Click to expand...
 
M Pillai said:
I see that you are using RPM Dual/Origin hybrid. Are planning to continue with a hybrid even after swtiching to RPMBlast Rough? In general I don't think you will see "enough" playability duration benefits for switching to either RPMBlasRough/HyperG from RPMDual. If you are looking for a different feel and still in experimental stage, then try both.
Click to expand...
Hey sorry for the wait, I'm using it in just my newly acquired RF97, I've been using a full bed of Alu Power Soft in my APD's after previously using RPM Blast. I mostly chose it to retain the all black look since it's not my main racquet. I plan on getting an Aero VS soon which will be a whole other adventure, but for now I'm looking for something in my APD GT.
 
I will differentiate the two setups using normal text for the first (full bed) and italics for the second (hybrid with NXT).

Setups Used
I first strung up my RF97A with the full bed of RPM Blast Rough (Yellow) at 53/50 pounds on my dropweight that I have up at university.
The second setup in the same racquet had RPM Blast Rough in the mains at 50 pounds and NXT in the crosses at 53 pounds as a hybrid.

Regular String Setup
I usually use Solinco Tour Bite in the mains and Gosen OG Sheep Micro (white or natural) anywhere from 50/52 to 53/55 lbs.

Racquet Used
As stated prior, I used my Wilson RF97A for both setups for consistency's sake.

Power
Power was definitely on the lower end for me, especially during the break in period I had for the full bed. I felt I did need to compensate with my trajectory since I hit lower over the net with a flatter ball. After the break in period, I felt the power was adequate for the type of string this is. Swing hard, get lots of spin, and don't worry about the ball sailing long.
There was an immediate difference with the hybrid and I felt like I didn't need a break in period. The combination of lower tension and the softer, more powerful cross string boosted the power up quite a bit.

Feel
The string felt boardy and muted—I couldn't feel the ball well at all during the break-in period. Even after, I felt little to no pocketing. On drop shots and volleys, I wasn't compromising control, but the crisp pocketing I've gotten from my usual setup was obviously lacking. Not a big fan in this department, and a big reason why I use hybrids.
Felt good pocketing from the get-go and I could direct my drop shots and volleys a bit more precisely. Unfortunately, I felt this set up "opened up" pretty early and the trampolining affected the feel and pocketing adversely. Great feel when fresh, though.

Spin
Really good stuff here for this string. I noticed a lot of returns that my hitting partners would be so close to calling out drop right inside the lines. Doesn't get too much better than your opponent throwing their head back for not even taking a swing at the ball. The spin and power combined, however, had me consciously adjusting to keep my shots from landing too short within the court. With this much spin, I found some of my shot sitting up to get clobbered. I liked the string for creating angles and approaching on low balls, where the spin helps that extra bit. Enjoyed kickers and my rare slice serves with this one, where you can really carve the ball.
I had a fairly similar experience with the hybrid setup, with a bit less spin for a smaller amount of the time. For me, though this wasn't too bad and meshed better with my flatter strokes.

Comfort
I don't experience arm problems, but I felt the string was pretty boardy and muted as mentioned before. I would stay away from this string in a full bed if you have arm problems and stick to a softer alternative if you're set on using a poly.
As a hybrid, you shouldn't worry about developing any significant arm issues.

Durability
My mains of my first set popped about 11 hours in.
The crosses in my second set popped about 8 hours into play.

Playability Duration
A little subpar in this department for me, as I saw mains not snapping back fairly early on in my playtest. The etching of the string may accelerate the degeneration of the surface. Trampolining set in a couple hours before breakage and I found the need to adjust then as well. Overall, I didn't find the string very consistent throughout the playtest.
As a hybrid, the consistency was a little better, and when the strings popped, they didn't feel as dead to me than in the full bed. The lack of a long break in period was better, too, in comparison to the full setup.

Control
I wasn't too blown away in this category, and I think the spin is what really pulled this category up from being pretty subpar for a full bed of polyester. Directional control was about average, and I found the lack of feel and pocketing made it difficult to get consistency. On serves, the spin made controlling the shot easy and I was happy in that department. Volleys flew on me, or died early, once again due to feel I suppose. If you like spin and more spin, this works.

Tension Findings
I would stick with a lower tension unless you like very low-powered, boardy, muted stringbeds.
I liked the lower tension in my second playtest much better, and found that dropping a few pounds in the mains was a good choice. The lack of a break-in time and better feel warranted this.

Compared to Solinco Tour Bite/Gosen OG Sheep Micro
In a full bed, the RPM had better spin and lower power, with a much more muted feel. Durability was better, but comes at a cost of playability and consistency.
The hybrid played similarly, with similar spin and control, but with a slightly more muted feel. Durability wasn't too different either, but the playtest setup started to trampoline a bit quicker.

Additional Thoughts
I found this string plays a bit too muted and low-powered for my liking. I felt too disconnected for too much of the time playing, but I certainly enjoyed the spin and control from this offering. I really like the direction the Babolat development team had with embossing their logo into the string for extra ball bite, but it just so happened to not work for me. Cool translucent color choices as well. I did like it in the mains with a softer cross, though!

Thanks to Babolat and TW for this opportunity. Try this one out for yourselves guys, it's definitely a unique offering.
 
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Here is my review of the string. I will also post a video review I made as well shortly.
  • Tension(s) used for playtest: I tried the string at two tensions. 55lbs and 49lbs.
  • Regular string set up: Gamma Moto 17 gauge (black or yellow) at 52lbs
  • Racquet used for test: Babolat Pure Drive Tour (I also like to hit with the Head XT Extreme Pro)
  • Power of test string: Personally, I thought the string had a good bit of power. The string in my opinion rates higher from a power / durability perspective versus a control / playability perspective. Overall, I thought the string had too much power and at 49lbs I had to be real careful about brushing up. At 55lbs, I had a bit more control but this string really was powerful for me in the Pure Drive Tour. I feel like I would need to string it high to tame the power and at a higher tension (higher than 55lbs) I feel like it would have comfort issues.
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): For me, the string definitely felt crisp. I thought it felt crisp right out of the package. After about 6 hours or so of hitting, it started to make a pinging noise in which I cut it and tried it at 49lbs. At both tensions, I felt like the string was crisp.
  • Spin: Overall, I thought spin production was good (especially for a 16 gauge). I would love to try this string in a 17 guage to see how the spin would be but certainly this string has good spin. I found at 49lbs I would get more spin as the racquet and string could pocket the ball more therefore given me that 'dwell' time on the racquet to really impart spin on the ball. I could see it at times jump up off the court particularly as it relates to my forehand.
  • Comfort: Personally, I thought it was brassy and not too comfortable. I could definitely feel it in my wrist after I play tested the string. Even at 49lbs I thought the string was brassy. I would need to string this pretty low (below 45lbs) and at that low of a tension I would have control issues.
  • Durability: Never had an issue. I would rate durability very high for this string. After playing with both strings (about 6-7 hours at 55lbs and 6-7 hours at 49lbs) never did I see any indication of the string about to break.
  • Playability Duration: For me, about 6-7 hours. I cut both strings after that point. I started to spray more balls long and felt like I really had to brush up on the ball to get the control.
  • Control: Control was average to below average from my experience. I felt like at times it would be a bit unpredictable and I had to really be conscious of brushing up on the ball. Now, I am playing with a powerful racquet so would like to try the string in a more control oriented racquet but I don't really have control issues with Gamma Moto 17 in the Pure Drive Tour. I find it does a good job taming the power of the racquet unlike the RPM Blast Rough.
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?): Overall, tough decision. I liked 55 because I got a bit more control but 49 was more comfortable. If I were to play with this string, at this point, I would probably string it higher than 49lbs and hope that my wrist doesn't bother me because at 49lbs I struggled a bit with consistency.
  • Compare to string used most often: I play with Gamma Moto 17 most often. I get more touch / playability / control with Moto than I did with RPM Blast Rough. I also like the comfort better in Moto. Overall, as it relates to Babolat strings, I like Pro Hurricane Tour the best and would rate this string a distant fourth from Pro Hurricane Tour, Pro Hurricane and RPM Blast.
  • List any additional thoughts (optional): Overall, it is a good string but not great for me. It is not one that I will switch to but in all fairness I would like to try it in a softer racquet as well as trying it in a 17g. I string my own racquets and from a stringing perspective I thought it was pretty easy to string and it glides across the string bed fairly easy. Outside of when I opened it, I never did have any issues with the string knotting. I liked this about the string as some polys are very difficult to string (aka: black widow). :).
THANK YOU so much Tennis Warehouse and Babolat for this opportunity. I enjoyed play testing this string.
 
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A little about me: I am a strong 4.0 player (everyone always mentions I have the strokes of a 4.5/5.0, especially my serve--however I am hampered by health issues, and can't get around or last as long as I used to). I can hang with 4.5 players in baseline games or tiebreaker workouts, but after a set I can't keep up the intensity. I play an agressive game-although not always powerful. I can hit with heavy spin, and play an all-around game mixing up flat shots, chip and charge, and serve and volley. I play a one handed backhand and have a big flat serve and high kicking kick serve.
Tension(s) used for playtest: 54lbs
Regular string set up : Babolat RPM BLAST 16 or Hyper G 16l 54lbs
Racquet used for test: Prince Response Classic 97

Power of test string: Low-Medium. Compared to other poly, 7/10. On par with RPM blast, on spin strokes. SLightly more power on flat strokes vs. RPM blast. A little more power than Hyper G.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?) Firm, Crisp and muted. After about an Hour the strings became noticeable less crisp by just a little, offering a greater pocketing sensation (which I actually preferred.) These strings felt and behaved liked a firmer more muted GOSEN Lumina Spin (another shaped string).

Spin: I got great predictable spin on all shots with this string, even on flat shots. I really enjoy regular RPM Blast, but as someone who serves and volleys, mixes power and touch, and uses flat shots often besides my usual heavy topspin strokes--I have always felt that RPM blast is the best string for stupid amounts of spin on VERY fast swings and not much extra spin on slower swing speeds.BUT, RPM BLAST ROUGH offered a more linear amount of spin as swing speed increased. I give spin 9/10 on all types of shots, and regular RPM 7/10 on slow shots and 10/10 on fastest strokes.
Comfort: Comfort level was good for poly, especially on flat and blocked shots where regular RPM blast is a bit jarring at times. Off center hits were nice and comfortable without a huge drop off in power, too.

Durability: I couldn't break these strings they were showing notching after about 3-4 hours for me.
Playability Duration: Significant tension loss after 1 hour of heavy play. Spin level still remained good throughout playtest (7-8 hours on both sets). Strings started to really lose control after about 4 hours for me, but they were still playable. They didn't necessarily become more powerful over time, but they started to feel more like a catapult, instead of offering a slight pocket with a "pop" off the stringbed. This is about on par for me with RPM blast. I cut out RPM Blast around the 5 hour mark.

Control: Control was very good, especially on flat shots for a shaped/textured poly. Control is excellent for spin strokes. Depends on the feel you like in a string. The control was slightly less for me than Hyper G, but Hyper G also is less powerful and pockets more, but is also harsher.

Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?) Originally strung at 54lbs without prestretch, but after realizing I enjoyed the feel of the string better after an hour, I strung up the 2nd set at 54lb with a slight prestretch, and really enjoyed the better pocketing and slightly less firm feel.
Compare to string used most often: During this playtest and used regular RPM Blast 16 in my 2nd Prince Response 97, so I could give a good comparison. Power level is simliar between both Blast strings, the Rough is more comfortable, offers more spin on slower and average swing speeds. The Rough has a much better feel on flat and blocked shots. I also felt that the Rough added more spin to flat strokes.
List any additional thoughts (optional): If you swing super fast with heavy spin all the time, and love RPM Blast, I don't think the Rough version will offer any more spin on hard and fast strokes. If you love RPM Blast, but have been looking for a more versatile string with a little more pocketing and better feel on flat strokes and off-center hits, then definitely give RPM BLAST ROUGH a try. ROUGH is a better all-around string.
 
Last edited:
  • Tension(s) used for playtest
    • 55 lbs on constant pull tensioner. My go-to tension in the racquets I used in testing
  • Regular string set up
    • Poly – Diadem Solstice Power 17
    • Hybrid – Gut / round poly
  • Racquet used for test
    • Angell TC100 63RA
    • Prince POG OS
  • Power of test string
    • Medium high for full bed of poly. I was hitting consistently about 2 feet shy of the baseline and the launch angle wasn’t very high off of the string bed.
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?)
    • During break in it felt muted/boardy
    • After break in it was a little crisper. The muted feel went away
  • Spin
    • Very good spin and probably one of the highest spin strings I’ve played with
  • Comfort
    • Comfortable at this tension while using a flexible and foam filled racquets during the prime playability of the string. I would not go any higher than 55 lbs though on these racquets. In my 16x19 98si or less I would string at 45-48 and my 18x20 racquets I would start at around 43-45 lbs though
  • Durability
    • I am not a string breaker and the durability seemed very high. It did not notch as much as other rough/shaped polys I have used. The stamped Babolat logo kept its shape through play test.
  • Playability Duration
    • I played with the string for about 7 hours of doubles and 2 hours of drills. After initial break in (which I suspect was about 20 minutes during warm up), the playability duration lasted about 7 hours. Last 2 hours was a 3 set doubles match where I felt the string was a bit brassy. Ball action was still good but the feedback was different and I did not like it. Common for my experience with poly. I will often play with the poly till the snap back has diminished, texture is gone if a shape/rough string, or the feedback is unpleasant
    • Prince POG OS had 2 hours of doubles play
  • Control
    • Good control and hitting the corners or windows in passing shots on ground strokes. First serves I was able to hit the corners well at times. The launch angle wasn’t as high as maybe a 17g string and was able to hit fairly well from one side to the other of my opponent.
    • POG OS (for me) requires me to string poly strings at 55 lbs on average to tame the power and help with the control on flat shots. The RPMBR did not dissapoint
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?)
    • This tension worked well for me in this racquet. 2nd string set went into the Prince POG OS at the same tension. Both racquets are fairly comfortable and powerful and I was happy with it for the most part. I would probably go down 3 lbs on either racquet though. The 55 lbs mark is often for 17g and I go down 2-3 lbs with a larger gauge or stiffer string. I decided to go with my benchmark though of the 17g tension.
  • Compare to string used most often
    • The string kept its shape better than Diadem Solstice Power. That is probably because it was a stamped/rough string versus a star shaped/rough string. I felt I had slightly more control with RPMBR. Power for a 16g might be slightly less than Diadem at 17g. It’s hard to tell as I did not play it back to back
    • RPMBR had less power and comfort than my gut/poly set up.
  • List any additional thoughts (optional)
    • I have been told by teaching pros and other USTA tournament players that I play a 3.5 singles game and can play as well at a 4.0 doubles level. I have suffered from GE. I’m currently facing a weird discomfort in my hand and could be early onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis. During the playtest I had one day where I just hit for 30 minutes because I felt I could not hold the racquet very well. I played later that day and was able to do about 2 hours of heavy hitting and drills with a solid 4.0 player but had to take longer water breaks to massage my hand. I consider my serve to be my biggest strength and weakness. I can enjoy getting into a rhythm on the baseline but I also love to make my way up to the net. I have moderate topspin on my forehand and one hand back hand.
    • My go-to racquet when in tip top shape is a Head i.Prestige MP with gut/poly
    • This string performed very well in the racquets I used it in. I chose these racquets to test in because of the fairly open spacing and comfort of them. I also chose these racquets as they are ones that I consider forgiving in play when I am not in tennis shape (currently climbing out of a slump and winter hibernation). I liked that snap back duration and the decent comfort for such a durable string at the tensions I put it at. I would like to try it in 17g in the same racquets as well as my other racquets I own. If I were to hybrid I would go with a synthetic gut in the crosses in my 98si or less. I do not plan on hybriding with a smooth poly which I have done on some other strings like Tier One T1 Firewire and Diadem Solstice Power as the snap back was excellent and the notching wasn’t as severe with RPMBR.
    • Like many polys, the playability factor and comfort play a big role for me. Some plateau whereas the RPMBR really fell off at the end. This could also be enhanced due to the SoCal winter temps. Had it been warmer, maybe the brassy feedback wouldn’t have been so much.
    • For the most part, the string behaved similar in both the TC100 and the POG OS. The POG OS is a better kick serve racquet for me. I was able to get some nice 2nd serves with the TC100 as well but this served better on 1st serves for my game.
  • Babolat and Tennis Warehouse does it again. Helps serves us tennis fanatics by providing us an opportunity to test and geek out on gear. Thank you so much.
 
djNEiGht said:
    • The stamped Babolat logo kept its shape through play test.
Click to expand...

I want to stress that this feature was really nice. I think it will last long compared to other shaped strings and will probably give a good fight to rough strings that hand dimples and impressions. This alone is making me interested in purchasing a couple more sets as well as in different gauges to further test.

The fall off at the end of the durability was drastic and is something that I did not like. Granted...it is a poly string.
 
  • Tension(s) used for playtest: 46 lbs for the first set, 42 lbs for the second set
  • Regular string set up: Babolat Tonic+ 16g in the mains at 50 lbs, Yonex Poly Tour Pro 16L in the crosses at 47 lbs
  • Racquet used for test: 2014 Wilson Pro Staff 90
  • Power of test string: The power was definitely lower than what I am used to with gut/poly. Even stringing it at 42 lbs, which is 8 lbs lower for the mains and 5 lbs lower for the crosses that I normally have, didn't even the gap to the power I am used to. I would probably need to try another set at 40 lbs or lower to see how it compares in other areas when the power matches up.
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): The string was stiffer than the gut/poly I am used to, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I enjoyed the string on my backhand drop slice, but I really did not like the feel at the net. The stiffness of poly combined with the launch angle made volleying very lackluster for me. I am an all-courter and I enjoy approaching the net, but if I use a full bed of RPM Blast Rough I wouldn't want to rely on volleying to win me matches.
  • Spin: Like it's older brother RPM Blast, RPM Blast Rough gave me a lot of spin. I did have an adjustment period. I have an extreme eastern grip forehand grip and eastern backhand grip. Combined with my normal string setup, I had to change my racquet position a little bit to get the ball to the height I normally get. Once I did, I was very comfortable sitting back and getting into long rallies and win wars of attrition. I had some forehands and kick serves that made me just stop and laugh because of the amount of spin I could get on the ball.
  • Comfort: Like I said earlier, the string was stiffer than what I normally use but not uncomfortable. I could play three hours of singles in a day and ten hours of tennis in a week without it bothering my arm.
  • Durability: The strings in the sweet spot dug into each other a little bit, but I got the feeling that I could play with them for at least twenty five hours without breaking. I cut out both sets after eight to ten hours.
  • Playability Duration: The strings for me had a break in period. With the first set, I ignorantly strung them too tightly at 46 lbs and the strings did not play well for me until around three or four hours of hitting. I played with the set for another six hours and found my balls to go longer than I wanted around hour nine. With the second set, the strings were still a little too tight at 42 lbs. They broke in nicely around an hour or two of hitting. They played well for the next five hours, but the last hour (eight) was when the strings loosened up too much.
  • Control: This string was very good for groundstrokes. I didn't have as much precision as I would with gut/poly, but I was still hitting my spots on the court with relative ease. There were a few points here and there that I lost because I didn't have the control I wanted, but I could remedy it by just changing my gameplan to rallying until I find an attackable ball. I had really good control on my serves too. I was still hitting T, wide, and body serves on command.
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?): I absolutely hated my first tension of 46 lbs for the first three or four hours, but it felt better for the next six. My second tension at 42 lbs was much better. It still needed a one hour break-in, but after that it played much better than the previous tension. I still didn't have the power I wanted, but I'd need a third try with the string to see what it's like in all areas when the power does match what I want. I definitely recommend stringing this string low. Most people's tension will be higher than mine though because they use larger head sizes than my 90.
  • Compare to string used most often: I get more life out of my gut/poly hybrid than I did out of RPM Blast. From an economical perspective, my gut/poly also has a lower cost per hour of use. The RPM Blast Rough costs $18 and I got 8 to 10 hours out of it. That's approximately $2/hr. Half a set of Babolat Tonic+ is $18 and a half set of Yonex Poly Tour Pro is $6. I get around 20 to 25 hours from that setup which is approximately $1/hr to $1.20/hr. From a performance perspective, I like my gut/poly more than this string. I am an all-courter who tries to play the open court and shorten the court as much as possible. When I can't reliably volley, my game is restricted and I turn from an all-courter to an aggressive baseliner. With RPM Blast Rough, I would be playing too many neutral balls because it is naturally lower powered than my setup and my game would suffer from longer points.
  • List any additional thoughts (optional): Many thanks to Tennis Warehouse for selecting me for this playtest, and many thanks to Babolat for providing us these strings. I recommend this string for anyone who is a baseliner with a bigger racquet than mine. I think this string will be very popular with anyone who plays the modern game.
 
Tension(s) used for playtest : First set 52lbs | Second set 45 lbs
Regular string set up : Prince Tour XC 17L @ 52 lbs
Racquet used for test : Prince Textreme Warrior 100
Power of test string: Power was fairly high for a 16g poly.

Feel : When I strung the first racquet at 52 it was a bit stiff for the first 30-45 minutes of play. After that it opened up, became more comfortable and leaned towards more muted than brassy. I strung the second set at 45 and it felt great right off the stringer. Soft and muted, which is what I like.

Spin : This was one of the string's strong points. Great, consistent spin. I felt comfortable hitting deep rally balls all day with both my forehand and backhand. Slice was not as flat as usual, but I wasn't hitting slice all that often.

Comfort : I had some elbow discomfort when strung at 52. I broke my elbow 10 years ago and it is sensitive. After day three in a row and 7 hrs I had some tenderness that lasted a day or so. I took a couple days off and then played a couple more with my normal setup. I then switched back to the RPMR and played another 8+ hours over a week and a half with no discomfort . Second stringing (45 lbs) had zero problems. The couple times I played regular RPM I had more discomfort and cut it out after 8 hrs or so.

Durability : I generally don't break my string and cut it out first. No difference here.

Playability Duration : I put 13-15 hours on the first set and it was losing it's magic. That's about average for me. Durability on par with Tour XC and Tour Bite. Much better than BHB7 or Ultra Cable which usually get cut around 8ish.

Control : I would not call this a control poly. It has great spin and above average power, but average control for a poly.

Tension findings : I felt a bit more confident with the placement of my strokes at 52, but 45 had much better comfort/feel and a more consistent loopy spiny rally ball. I generally have more issues with placement than keeping rallies going so I would probably string it at 49-50 if it were my go-to, and 52-53 if I hadn't broken my elbow.

Compare to string used most often : Lately I have been using Tour XC 17, which I would call a slightly above average string in most areas. RPM Rough is more powerful, has more spin, a little less control and less comfort.

List any additional thoughts (optional) :
  • I generally use 1.20-1.23 strings in this racquet. I think this was the first 16g I have put in it. I am really interested in trying this in 17g and stringing at my normal 52.
  • I have never hit as many aces as I did with this string @ 52. On average I hit about one every other time out. I was feeling confident enough with this that I had a couple games that I aced multiple times. That just is not normal for me. I know it's not all the string, but it was very confidence inspiring on serve.
  • I have a soft spot for bright yellow strings. Two thumbs up.
  • It is an expensive string, but I feel like this one may be worth it. I usually try to play with $8-$10 strings, but this one actually has me considering paying more.
  • Great job on the string. I think it's a winner.
 
So far I've had 4 1-hr practice sessions on this string, about 4 hours of playing double sets, about 2 hours of playing single sets.

  • Tension(s) used for playtest: 52lbs
  • Regular string set up: Full bed of Hyper-G 16L, or RPM Blast 17
  • Racquet used for test: Pure Strike 100 (new model), modded with weight in the handle to 11.8z strung
  • Power of test string: good level of power, but didn't blow me away. Probably a 7/10
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): to me, not as stiff as RPM Blast 17, but not as muted/soft as Hyper G 16L, somewhere in between. It does have what I consider a 'just right' crisp when I contact the ball.
  • Spin: this is where the string absolutely shined. On some of the first hit, I just went through my normal hit motion and the ball popped visibly much higher than my usual shot. I had to make an effort to tame down the spin. During single sets against a solid 4.5, ex-D2 player, this string helped me create a tons of spin and dictate the play with the placement. My opponent commented that even when he thought he got to the ball with some time to spare, the ball popping up caused him to mistime and either return the ball back short, or miss the ball
  • Comfort: not harsh at all. Again, not the most muted feel, but I have no issue playing on this string for extended period
  • Durability: so far, after about 10 hours of play, no sign of breakage yet
  • Playability Duration: the string plays today (after 10 hours) mostly like it was when I first strung it. Maybe the loosen tension give the string a bit more power, a bit less control than fresh, but not a big variation by any stretch
  • Control: average. When I took a big swing at the ball without putting spin, it does fly. The spin on this string helped tremendously with the control. A big swing with topspin (which is easy to do on this string) allowed the balls to go dip inside the line most times, with some great placement.
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?) I like the 52lbs tension. I did not restring yet
  • Compare to string used most often: of RPM Blast, Hyper G-16L, and RPM Blast Rough, I prefer RPM Blast Rough because of the ease of generating spin it offers. Hyper-G while offering better pace on the ball, and slightly softer feel, does not generate as much spin, especially that effortlessly like in the RPM Blast Rough. RPM Blast felt very stiff and slightly harsh on the Strike 100, and is probably one that I will not play with on the Strike 100
  • List any additional thoughts (optional) So far I have a lot of good successes with the RPM Blast Rough on the new Strike 100, so much that I'm tempting to consider switching to it from Hyper G even though I just bought a full reel of Hyper G. The string is very user friendly, especially to ones who prefer spin. If I goes back to playing on my PA, I may consider getting a thinner gauge (17) since I already got plenty of spin on that racquet. Thanks TW and Babolat for the playtesting opportunity.
 
Some background about my string preference: I like shaped polys the best bc of their spin potential and it suits my game perfectly. I have used a few strings that are textured such as tier one strike force rip and tecnifibre ruff code. Had high hopes for both strings and did not enjoy either of them at all. Both of them were actually felt remarkably similar; same string perhaps? I think the divets did not allow them to SnapBack and move as much. But rpm blast rough has terrific coating so I believed this one would change my thoughts on textured strings.
  • Tension(s) used for playtest- 53/51
  • Regular string set up- I have been recently using Genesis typhoon 54-52
  • Racquet used for test- Head Graphene xt speed pro
  • Power of test string- I found his string to have a good amount of power. I strung it a pound lower than my usual set up bc of the thicker 16g but found this string to have more power than expected. It was kind of uncontrollable at times if I tried to hit a flatter shot but that can be fixed with an increase in tension. I will string up my second set soon at 55/53 and update this.
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?)- I didn't find this one stiff at all. Had a pretty solid feel; not too crisp or mushy at all. Not as solid as typhoon or tourbite but felt good. For sure not as stiff as tourbite. I felt connected to the ball
  • Spin- considering it is 16g 1.30 mm and I tend to use 1.25 to 1.20 mm, this string had a heck ton of spin. Never used the original rpm blast but you could feel the SnapBack on these. The string is very slick; the slickest I have ever used honestly. There is a light texture of the babolat logo; maybe it helps the spin a little but we'll never know for sure. Occasionally I felt this string didn't have enough penetrating spin. A lot of times I found my self hitting straight into the net because of the spin
  • Comfort- I am blessed to not have arm problems yet, so I thought this was quite comfy for a copoly. Compared to say hyper g, I thought this was a tad softer.
  • Durability- I use an 18/20 and with this 1.30 mm string, so it'll be pretty difficult to break it. For reference, I tend to break typhoon 16L in a week and a half to 2 weeks. For tourbite it's 2 weeks and hyper g a week and a half. Even less if I have a tournament. Have only used for about 4 hours and it is still looking good.
  • Playability Duration- after 4 hours it has lost some tension, but not enough to make it unplayable. Will update.
  • Control- I had trouble controlling the depth with this one occasionally. Sometimes it would fall into the net because too much spin and sometimes it would go a foot long but that is probably because I strung it a bit too low. Will update when I test on 2nd set again.
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?) I liked the effortless power I had at 53/51 but I found it to be unpredictable. I will string it at 55/53 for my second set and update.
  • Compare to string used most often- compared to typhoon, this string had more spin, but the spin seemed to make the ball sit up more. It has less control and more power than typhoon.
  • List any additional thoughts (optional)- String this at your usual tension even if it is a thicker gauge than your usual set up. I really enjoyed this playtest. Great string
 
  • Tension(s) used for playtest: 46 full bed
  • Regular string set up: Depends. Usually between 46 and 61.
  • Racquet used for test: Babolat Pure Drive Tour Plus and Prince Tour 98 ESP.
  • Power of test string: I found RPM BLAST ROUGH to be less powerful than regular RPM BLAST and RPM BLAST TEAM.
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): Stringing it and the first few hours playing with it, I thought it was just a tad outside the "crisp" range. Touch/Feel was good to average for a poly.
  • Spin: Spin was good, but nothing great. Maintained good snapback.
  • Comfort: Comfort was good.
  • Durability: Durability I found was very good.
  • Playability Duration: Got 2 weeks out of it. I play usually twice a week, and my sessions go about 3 to 4 1/2 hrs. So I'd say 10+ hrs.
  • Control: Good, but nothing better than other strings I use.
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?): I did not like 46 on a Babolat Pure Drive Tour Plus. I tried the string again @ 58 on a Prince Tour 98 ESP and liked it very much!
  • Compare to string used most often: If I had to compare this string to anither, I would have to say Kirschbaum Spikey Shark. Feels almost the same in regards to the actual stringing process and tension maintenance on both is about the same. The only real difference is Spikey Shark is shaped whereas RPM BLAST ROUGH has an embedded/stamped texture. RPM BLAST ROUGH has better snapback than Spikey Shark probably because it's not shaped like Spikey Shark and the stringbed doesn't lock up like you get with a shaped poly.
  • List any additional thoughts (optional): Was very glad I was selected for this playtest and hopefully I will be able to do more. Thank You Tennis Warehouse for the opportunity to do this and hopefully my feedback can help others who are looking at purchasing this string. Babolat makes good products and I am very fond of the color of the string! Thanks
 
Tension(s) used for playtest: 52 lbs on a constant pull machine

Regular string set up: Head Hawk 17 at 52 lbs

Racquet used for test: Head Graphene XT Extreme Pro

Power of test string: medium powered for a poly

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): feel was crisp but pretty muted, not much feel even for a poly,

kind of dead feeling, I think a thinner gauge would help with this

Spin: above average spin for a poly, more than Hawk, but less than Tour Bite

Comfort: above average comfort for a poly even though it felt stiff and wiry while stringing

Durability: durability was great, I usually end up cutting out 16 gauge polys before I break them and

this was no exception

Playability Duration: playability duration was great for a poly, I played about 8 sets of doubles before I

felt any loss in tension, even after the tension loss, the string still played fine, I

ended up cutting them out around the 12 hour mark because they were pretty

heavily notched

Control: this is a great control string, I felt as though the faster I swung, the more control I had, so I

had a lot of confidence with it, groundstrokes and serves felt very controlled, but I had a

tough time controlling volleys because of the deader response of the string, this is a great

heavy spin/ball bashing string

Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?): I think

I nailed the tension on the first try, I had a feeling that it was going to be similar power wise to

my preferred string (Hawk) so I strung it at the same tension

Compare to string used most often: compared to Hawk, the RPM Rough has more spin but less feel,

which is pretty cool being that it is thicker but provides more spin, I suspect that a thinner

version of RPM Rough would have better feel, the 16g just felt too thick and dead

List any additional thoughts (optional): I think this string will appeal to mostly baseliners/singles

players, it has great spin and control while hitting groundstrokes



I would like to thank Tennis Warehouse for giving me the opportunity to test this string. I really love this sport and trying new things and you guys always deliver. You guys rock!
 
Now that this string is fully available to the public I would love to know how people think the 17g version plays. If it's like the original it will be quite a noticeable difference.
 
Tension(s) used for playtest: 50 pounds on first try, then 46 on second try.

Regular string set up: Pro's Pro Strategem 8 at 53 pounds

Racquet used for test: Babolat Pure Aero

Power of test string: Power was above average for me in this string. It had a good pop to it, but not as much as I would have liked as compared to PPS8 or a Dunlop Black Widow. Still, it was on the higher end in terms of power. 8/10

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): Initially the string had very nice crispiness to it for about the first 6 hours. I consider the crisp it's selling point, at least to me. As the playtest went onwards, it did start to stiffen up a bit and become a bit harsh, and by the 20 hour mark it was dead. Even as it lost its tension, it did not really get too mushy or muted, surprisingly. Overall, excellent crispiness while it lasted. 8.5/10

Spin: I had never played with textured poly before, so I didn't know what to expect. It was a much different sort of ball bite than a shaped string such as PPS8 or Diadem strings. It gripped onto the ball really well, but did not force me to change my stroke mechanics as do other strings. The fact that it had good control also let me swing freely with my extreme grip knowing that my ball would dip in at the last second. This is another of its key selling points in my book. 9/10

Comfort: As with any poly, it wasn't exactly the friendliest to those with more sensitive arms, but it had acceptable comfort. The fact that it is textured also helps a bit in that it softens up the string a bit, as well as the crispiness kills the harshness a bit. Right around the 10 hour mark is when the string started to drop significantly in comfort, and by around 20 hours it was REALLY dead. Overall, a bit above average for a poly. 7.5/10

Durability: I am not a chronic string breaker, so in these playtests the string did not break on me.

Playability Duration: It had less than average playability for me. Notching happened almost immediately at a couple of hours in, and around 10 hours it started to die off quickly. Playability was nice while it lasted, as is such the case with most polys out there .Overall, it was an "eh" for durability. 7/10

Control: Here is where the string really shines for me along with its spin. It had excellent control, but without the muted or dead feel that most control strings have, such as Volkl Cyclone. The texture helped me swing big knowing my balls were gonna dip in. It also surprisingly helped me with my serve. It didn't have as much comfort as I would have liked, but it helped me place my kick and slice serves exactly where I wanted them to be. 9.5/10

Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?): I've always like 50-53 for my polys, but when I stepped down to 46 on the second run, it sort of nullified the negatives and positives for me. I lost some control and feel, but gained playability duration and pop. 46 was interesting, but I preferred my 50.

Compare to string used most often: It was a bit stiffer than PPS8 and had less bite, but it wasn't so much of a bad thing. It had better feel and consistency, as well as not such as erratic as PPS8. I might just have to buy a set to hybrid them up and get the best of both worlds :)

List any additional thoughts: Overall, a nice addition to Babolat polys. I wouldn't say it is gonna be a flagship string, but who knows, it might take off just like Hyper-G did. Excited to get my hands on a 17g and compare them again for myself. Thanks Babolat and TW for the chance to playtest these strings!
 
Tension Used: 52#s on a Prince 3000 Stringer

Regular String Set Up: Volkl Cyclone 18 at 52#s

Racquet Used: Volkl Organix V1 MP

Power: Compared to Cyclone, I thought the string had a little more pop to it. I was able to hit deeper shots and my serve had more pace on it. The best part is I still felt like I had control.

Feel: In my opinion, I felt like it was pretty muted compared to other polys. It felt like it pocketed the ball better than cyclone. Spin was about the same but this was a 16 gauge versus 18 gauge which is what I normally use. I would like to try the 17 gauge in the future to compare.

Comfort: I have had arm problems in the past and felt no discomfort with this string. It felt about the same comfort as Cyclone. There are several polys that I cannot use but this one was not a problem.

Durability: I do not break poly strings so it is difficult more me to compare this to other strings.

Play Duration: I got a good 10 hours out of this string which is average for a poly.

Control: I felt like it pocketed the ball really well and I was able to swing away with confidence. The spin was very noticeable and I was dialed in from the first shot. I normally stay away from 16 gauge so this one was a pleasant surprise. I have tried 16 in Cyclone and did not like it.

Tension: I felt 52#s was right for me. However when the temperature and humidity picks up in the South, I would probably go to 54#s. Since it was a comfortable string, I don't think I would have arm issues raising the tension in the warmer months.

Compared to what I use: I thought they played pretty similar but there were some differences. The power of RPM Rough is definitely higher than Cyclone. I really liked this string more on my serve and at the net.
The ball seemed to stay on the string bed longer. From the baseline I would maybe give Cyclone the nod but again, I would be curious to try RPM Rough 17 to get a better comparison. This was a solid string.

Additional Thoughts: This is an overall great string. It offered pop, spin, and control. I think it would be a great choice for all types of players. As I mentioned before, it felt great on serves/volleys but I also liked the control I had from the baseline. Thanks to Babolat and TW for the opportunity to test this string. It was fun playtest and I will be trying the 17 gauge in the future.
 
Sorry my reviews a little late! School got crazy yesterday and the review slipped my mind. I hope you all find it helpful!
  • Tension(s) used for playtest: For this playtest I strung up my frames at 52lbs and 45lbs
  • Regular string set up: Volkl Cyclone 17g at 45lbs
  • Racquet used for test: Pure Strike 16x19 (2014)
  • Power of test string: The string was pretty low powered overall, at 52lbs it was nice to be able to swing out on the ball without fear of the ball going long, but it was sometimes inconvenient when I wanted to go for the winner and I couldn't find the easy power I'm used to. After stringing up another Strike and playing them side-by-side however, I found a generous increase in power without loss of much control, and it was much easier to access the power I wanted without overswinging.
  • Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp?): While the string felt softer than what I can recall RPM Blast feeling like, I would't call it soft by any means. I found RPM Blast Rough to have a crisper feel than what I am used to playing with and it was great for when I wanted to hit my drop shots and slices, as I felt very connected to the ball on thoses shots.
  • Spin: Best part about RPM Blast Rough by far. You can really feel the rough texture bite the ball as it sinks into the stringbed and launch the ball off with some extra rpms on the ball. While I noticed it the most on my forehand, I could definitely see the increase in spin across all of my shots.
  • Comfort: While softer than RPM Blast, I wouldn't call this a soft string. I have a recurring injury in my elbow that acted up while playing with the string at 52lbs, but it was fine once I lowered the tension. Not too much jar, just a noticeable pain after extended play.
  • Durability: The string has yet to show any noticeable wear and tear after playing about 7-8 hours on each setup.
  • Playability Duration: The string hasn't shown that much decline in playability throughout my playtest.
  • Control: This would be my favorite aspect of RPM Blast Rough after the spin. I found it to be very point and shoot even at lower tensions, angles came pretty easily thanks to the spin and control and I found it very easy to hook my opponents off the court.
  • Tension findings (did you like your 1st tension? Did you restring? What happened on 2nd try?): After playing with the string at a more traditional 52lbs and then a much lower 45lbs, I found that I preferred playing with the lower tension. Reasons for this being the comfort got a lot better once it got lower, and also the power came much easier. The sweetspot opened up a bit more as well and I found it much easier to play with overall.
  • Compare to string used most often: As much as I enjoyed playing with RPM Blast Rough, I gotta stick with my Volkl Cyclone. I find Cyclone to play a little softer and with a little more power than RPM did. Although RPMBR played with more spin and control, I find that I need the comfort and power that Cyclone provides more in my game. Although, this could also be a case of different guages between the two.
  • List any additional thoughts: Overall I found this to be a great string to try for any player that plays with RPM Blast or similar poly strings. It provides much more bite and a crisper feel, and players will find more spin and control than power and comfort for me. In the future I would test playing with this string at 17g to see if it plays more to the attributes I look for in my own strings
 
When I read - 'school got crazy...you all' I must admit to thinking - 'oh oh, here we go, Millennial/speak.' But I found that to be very well written and informative; nice work. :) I also use Cyclone or Cyclone Tour strung in the low to mid forties, which made the review even more elucidating.
 
YellowFedBetter said:
Would anybody who's tried this string say it lasts as long as Alu Power?
Click to expand...
Yes. I did not break the string during my playtest. But from the wear on the mains, and comparing that with my experience I remember on ALU I would say it is comparable (regarding breaking the string). More usable period I would lean towards "RPM Blast Rough" though. I want to add that the last time I used ALU power was probably at least a year back, and so the comparison is from what I remember.
 
After my playtest, I borrowed my racket with the RPM Blast Rough on it to a friend of mine, since he was interested to change strings, and was trying different combos. My friend loved these strings (even though when I gave him mains were starting to notch, and did not have the same feel and freshness). Eventually he got a new set after a few sessions, and just told me he is moving to these strings for good. I found it interesting that, he likes them after loosing a lot more freshness on these strings. For me the top performance period of the string was 2hrs-6hrs or so.... but he thinks he likes them better after his third session (5hrs+ !!!).
 
Last edited:
M Pillai said:
After my playtest, I borrowed my racket with the RPM Blast Rough on it to a friend of mine, since he was interested to change strings, and was trying different combos. My friend loved these strings (even though when I gave him mains were starting to notch, and did not have the same feel and freshness). Eventually he got a new set after a few sessions, and just told me he is moving to these strings for good. I found it interesting that, he likes them after loosing a lot more freshness on these strings. For me the top performance period of the string was 2hrs-6hrs or so.... but he thinks he likes them better after his third session (5hrs+ !!!).
Click to expand...
Perhaps freshness is a lot of times all in the head
 
Just got my two PS97 sticks strung with RPM Blast Rough at 52lbs...one in orange and one in black. Interesting the orange is more crisp and the black is more muted. They play the same in terms of power/control but the feel is different. Anyone else experience this?
 
Yanger said:
Just got my two PS97 sticks strung with RPM Blast Rough at 52lbs...one in orange and one in black. Interesting the orange is more crisp and the black is more muted. They play the same in terms of power/control but the feel is different. Anyone else experience this?
Click to expand...

given the rough texture of the string, do they slide across for snap spin or are they locked/stuck?
 
WhETHANs said:
They slide across each other very well bc of their slick coating. Not sure how much effect the texture has honestly
Click to expand...

I agree. The snap back is great. I haven't played with the regular RPM for a while but overall this string had one of the highest ball action that I have played with in a while.
 
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