Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Babolat Pure Drive PLAY

[Babolat Official]

D R A F T

Tennis experience/background:
I think I'm a 3.5 although I might have to revise that after seeing my "Technique" score and realizing how inconsistent I am:

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I used to play mostly from the baseline but I am forcing myself to be more of an all court player (with poor results) now. I am trying to move to the net more often where I usually shank most of my shots...

Current racquet/string:
Before the Babolat Pure Drive Play, I played with an AeroPro Team GT and a bit with a Volkl Organix 7. I have been experimenting with strings quite a bit but I tend to like ultra-thin soft co-polys at low tension. I am now trying out a few tensions with Babolat's Pro Hurricane 18 gauge: 48 lbs now but stringing to 50 tonight. It's a lot softer than the Co-Focus Soft I used to string my Aero Pro Team with. I'll probably try RPM Blast as well. I keep going back to MSV Co-Focus Soft 18 at 44-46 lbs.


How many hours did you play with the racquet?
So far 14 hours. I will update this review as I get more hours of play.


How easy was the racquet to use (turning on/off, syncing with app)?
Very easy. I have used Android mostly, but iOS too. The android app works great on my Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy. I encountered only a known issue that Babolat had already solved on the forthcoming release of the app. I have not used the widget to sync from laptop/desktop computers so I cannot comment on that. The fact is that I just cannot resist the temptation to download my session soon after playing so I don't manage to get home before I download the most recent data...


How did the racquet play (if you have used a Pure Drive in the past, did it play similarly)?
I have really enjoyed the racquet so far. It's so manouvrable on my 1 handed backhand. I was surprised I liked it so much even with the Excel multifilament it came with. I tested the regular 2012 Pure Drive before but with high (for me) tension poly and thought it was too advanced for my game.


How easy was the app to use?
Very easy. I have beta tested for software before and trust me this is definitely not a beta version but a rather polished piece of software.


What did you like about the app?
The app makes excellent use of screen real estate on Android. It looks good on both my phone and 7" tablet. Not all features available through the web are currently available on the app, but what is available is very easy to access and read. I think more features will be available on the app in the near future as they are greyed out now


What did you dislike about the app?
The iOS app on the iPad does not look optimized for the large screen. That's it not a big minus but if I had to write something in this section that would be it. Having said that, you can see the website from your table without any problem...


Was there anything you thought was missing?
Here are just a couple of things I would add:
1. Add the possibility to include notes with your sessions. Some days are more important then others and one might want to save a few words. I think tournament players might like that too. This option could be switched on and off with a control like the one used for singles/double.
2. As all smartphones now have GPS, add to the app the ability to "guess" where you played and select default court type and inside vs outside for you. Of course this could be manually changed. As not all people download their sessions on the court like I do This might not appeal to everyone. You could also save a list of names for the various locations where you play. These data could also be anonymised (after the users agree to it) and shown on the Babolat site as web map to highlight countries with more endurance, countries with more technique, among the many options.


How did you use the data you received from the app?
The Pure Drive Play showed me things I already knew about my game like the fact that I just turn on my forehand too much:

But I actually know now that I hit 2 forehands for each backhand. That would not be a problem in itself if I were quick enough moving around the court. The problem is that often when I move on the forehand I have to hit a defensive shot since I am not in the right position and that defeats the purpose of hitting your best shot. I will push myself to hit more backhands supported by the numerical evidence coming from the Pure Drive Play.

What the racquet showed me is also something I did not know quite as well about my tennis: the fact that I hit so high on the stringbed. I think i was aware of that for my serve:

But I wasn't quite as aware of how high I tend to hit balls on my groundstrokes (see second image from top). I am now monitoring this aspect and I'll see what I can do to improve.


Overall, I am very impressed with this product, I'll keep playing with the racquet and provide more feedback as I play more sessions....

More screenshots and paintjob shots are here:
http://palmero.smugmug.com/Other/Tennis/Babolay-Pure-Drive-Play-playte

awesome job, just posted some of this on the Babolat Play facebook page

 

[aced_Tezuka]

i don't think so. the Strike/Control playtest is a typical TW racquet playtest.

the PDP playtest was more of a beta test for Babolat rather than a typical TW playtest. we were supposed to find bugs, suggest enhancements, etc. in exchange for our time and efforts, babolat was generous and kind to let us keep them.

I emailed them last night. They have confirmed that playtesters will get to keep their Pure Strikes/Controls. Very happy atm!

 

[mad dog1]

I emailed them last night. They have confirmed that playtesters will get to keep their Pure Strikes/Controls. Very happy atm!

very cool! as a pure storm user, i would have loved to be a part of this playtest. and i would have produced a dope review!

 

[palmerop]

awesome job, just posted some of this on the Babolat Play facebook page

Thanks! More thoughts to come. I first want to see how I did in the past sessions...

 

[Babolat Official]

I emailed them last night. They have confirmed that playtesters will get to keep their Pure Strikes/Controls. Very happy atm!

We appreciate you guys!

 

[themitchmann]

We appreciate you guys!

Thanks to Babolat for the generosity!

 

[WhyNotLetItFly]

Thanks to Babolat for the generosity!

Absolutely. Not many companies that are willing to invest in the tennis community like this and I hope it pays off big. I know I appreciate it and hopefully I can help sell some Play frames in exchange.

 

[the_faceless_player]

Anybody get a follow up email yet about the Play servers being back up and running and the new app build?

 

[djNEiGht]

I haven't. Also couldn't log in today.

 

[swfh]

I can still use the app on my iphone, but I don't want to sync with the frame if it will not save. Daniel, what should we do?

 

[djNEiGht]

i goofed/got excited that the app was finally on my phone and got x3 days of play...synced to my phone.

 

[mad dog1]

i haven't received any emails about the new build or the completion of the server migration either.

 

[palmerop]

We appreciate you guys!

Yes thank you very much!

 

[mad dog1]

Babolat Pure Drive Play

Tennis experience/background:
4.0-4.5

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
All court

Current racquet/string:
1. Original Aeropro Drive modified – Static weight: 11.7 oz Balance: 31.7
2. 2011 Pure Storm GT modified – Static weight: 11.7 oz Balance 31.8
3. 2011 Pure Storm Team GT modified – Static weight: 11.8 oz Balance 31.7
4. Angell TC-95 Static Weight 11.7 oz Balance 31.8

How many hours did you play with the racquet?
~8 hours (beta server has not been available for the past 6 days)

How easy was the racquet to use (turning on/off, syncing with app)?
Powering the racquet on and off was very easy. There’s a power button on the buttcap to depress. Given that this was a beta test, I actually tried to use the device on my PC, iPhone5 and Samsung Galaxy S3. I had no issues hooking up the racquet to my PC via the USB cable that was supplied and sync’g with the Play app. In order to use it with Smartphones, the racquet must first be paired with the Smartphone via Bluetooth. Pairing the racquet with my iPhone proved to be very straightforward and easy. Pairing the racquet with my Galaxy S3 was unsuccessful. I continued to try over the course of the 3 weeks that I’ve had the racquet and to this day have yet to be able to pair it. After the racquet is paired with the Smartphone, you are able to record a hitting session and during break you can download the session via Bluetooth to your phone and review the results. The download takes place very quickly. There are 2 buttons on the buttcap. 1 is the Power button. The 2nd button is a dual function button. 1 function is to activate the Bluetooth to connect w/ a Smartphone. The other function is to insert a break between sets. The 2nd function was not ready in time for the beta test but is supposed to be available in the Production version. To charge the racquet, you just plug the included USB –> micro USB cable from your PC to the racquet. I was concerned that I would forget to charge the racquet, but quickly realized that this wouldn’t be an issue because I discovered that accessing the application via PC provided more detail than accessing it on my iPhone5 so I preferred connecting my racquet to the PC.

How did the racquet play (if you have used a Pure Drive in the past, did it play similarly)?
The racquet played fine. If felt just like regular Pure Drive. It came strung with Excel 16 @ 55#. I’m not a big fan of full multi and I prefer stiff racquets strung at lower tensions. At 55#s, I was afraid the stick would feel too stiff and boardy. This turned out to be the case. Not wanting to waste a good set of premium multi, I hit with it for 5 hours and cut it out. By the time I cut it out, the crosses were badly frayed and the mains were notched over halfway through. I decided to restring with full poly at 44/46# on a CP machine. With the multi, the racquet was too powerful. When taking a big cut at the ball, it was just too easy to hit long. A full bed of poly certainly helped tremendously. The racquet in stock form was also lighter than I preferred so next step was to add lead under the grip and 2g lead at 12 to get the static weight up to 11.6 oz and make the racquet more HL closer to my preferred balance. I was rather surprised at how comfortable this stiff racquet was even in stock. If you’re currently a user of the PD, this should be an seamless transistion. I’ve always had a bit of trouble taming the power of the PD and the PDP was no different. It’s a stick that makes it easy to get the ball back deep when out of position. It hits an excellent quality rally ball when hitting at 60-70%. But when I’d start swinging out, the ball would fly long more often than usual. My 4.5 hitting partner, eager to try the PDP, also commented about the additional power compared to his racquet. I’ll continue to experiment with strings, tension and lead to see if I can find a setup that works for me because I used to find the APDs too powerful until I stumbled upon polys at low tensions for the racquet.

How easy was the app to use?
The app was very easy to use on both PC and Smartphones. While I was unable to pair the PDP racquet with the Galaxy S3 to download my sessions, I was able install the Play app on all 3 of my devices meaning I was able to review my sessions by logging into the Play app from any one of my 3 devices.
Initially I assumed that the app provided the same information on all devices, but I discovered that the PC user interface offers more detailed info. One of the things that is very useful on the PC is that the app captures and displays data in intervals of time. I can’t remember exactly how many seconds are in each interval as I can not access the Play app on my PC currently since Babolat is migrating everything from the Beta environment to the PROD environment. I think the intervals are in 15 second blocks. On the PC, the user can see how many shots he/she hit in each 15 sec interval. They can see the average power and spin for the interval.

What did you like about the app?
There’s a lot to like about the app and this is just the 1st generation. I’m sure Babolat will continue to refine this in subsequent versions. It records the total time of the sessions, the total number of strokes, the shot breakdown (fh vs bh vs serves, etc), stroke breakdown (# of topspin, flat and slice), average power for each type of stroke, average spin (based on how many dots on the spin meter and not an RPM value), impact locator, and trending. The impact locator is very useful. I know that I hit the ball towards the upper part of the hoop and the app confirmed this. I also know I get much cleaner contact and more power on my FH than my BH which the app again confirmed. It’s good to see empirical data supporting my impressions. Also because the power levels are captured in intervals, I can see if am really hitting the ball harder and cleaner 30 mins into my hitting session after I’m warmed up. Something you might think you’re hitting harder and cleaner after you’re warmed up but you really can know for sure. It’s easy to corroborate with this racquet and app on the PC.

What did you dislike about the app?
not a deal breaker, but the racquet did not always record stroke type accurately which is pretty hard to do. The Community rating is pretty meaningless. You earn points based on how much you play and not based on how good you are. In other words, you could be a complete beginner with the ugliest form but as long as you play a lot, you could hold a higher rank than a 5.0 player who plays twice a week.
Another thing I found myself doing was trying to hit harder and with more spin than usual to see if I could achieve a higher power and spin level rating rather to playing within my limits for consistency. This isn’t really a knock against the app or racquet. It’s just because I now have something that can compare my power and spin with pros that I was consciously trying to hit hard to see if I could come close to attaining the speed and spin of a pro struck ball. it also doesn't always capture the type of stroke hit completely accurately.

Was there anything you thought was missing?
I wouldn’t say there’s anything missing, but I did offer some suggestions to Babolat on some things that would be nice to have that would improve the experience.
1. The racquet records the number of strokes, type of stroke, amount of power and spin and calculates the average power and average spin. Since this data is being recorded on a stroke by stroke basis and calculated to come up with an average, I thought it would be even more helpful if the data could be displayed on a shot by shot basis. This way you can take the session recorded by the racquet and compare to a recorded video if the session was captured on camera.
2. Currently the sessions are all downloaded , validated and saved to the owner of the racquet. I was unable to create multiple users so when I let my friend try the racquet. While his session was discretely recorded and captured, I could not keep it from being averaged into my sessions. It would be nice to be able to create different user profiles and be able to assign their sessions to their profiles. In speaking w/ Stuart Miller who is a writer for the NY Times, he mentioned that this will be a capability available in the production release. This feature would be useful for those households with multiple tennis players. All the members could use 1 racquet. It would also be a nice feature for coaches to use . They could create different user profiles and assign each students’ lesson and show the student how he/she is downing. This could be a free marketing tool for Babolat to spread the word about this technology.
3. It would be nice if the technology wasn’t fixed & embedded in the handle of the racquet. In other words, it would be great if the technology was portable so I could apply it to my other sticks. Currently, I like the Storm and APDs. If I wanted this technology in each racquet, I would need to buy one of each which could get rather expensive. It would be nice if the recording device was modular and interchangeable across all of Babolat’s racquets. This way you can buy 1 recording device and install it in different Babolat racquets.

How did you use the data you received from the app?
As I approached this playtest with more of a beta testing mindset, i didn't really use the data. I was more focused on uncovering the bugs and finding as many issues as possible.

Thank you, Tee-Dub & Babolat for this beta playtest opportunity!

 

[YesTennis]

EXPERIENCE/BACKGROUND: I currently play at the 4.0 level. I play with my local team and league play.

PLAYING STYLE: All court player.

CURRENT RACQUET/STRING: I’m currently playing with the Babolat Pure Drive(2012) with Tecnifibre X-Code mid tension. I’ve played this past year with the Babolat AeroPro Drive (2013) and Tecnifibre 315 Ltd. Most recently the Head Graphene Speed MP (Sonic Pro 16 at mid tension).

HOW MANY HOURS HAVE YOU PLAYED: 6 hours to date. Have a lot of court time scheduled the next 2 weeks and will report back.

HOW EASY TO USE: I found the racquet very easy to use. Turning on both the racquet and the Bluetooth functions were very easy. I used the racquet with both my iPhone 5S and iMac. No problems whatsoever with either.

HOW DID IT PLAY: I found it to play essentially the same as my regular Pure Drive. The Play was strung with Xcel full bed. This isn’t my preferred setup. It did seem somewhat too powerful to me. I’m going to replace this with my preferred string set-up and will report back.

HOW EASY WAS THE APP TO USE: I found the app very easy to use. I had no problems with either my iPhone or iMac. I had one initial problem, that was corrected within a day. No problems since then.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT THE APP: I really found the app to provide helpful information. I used the racquet for 2 lessons, in addition to my other court time. I found the data to pretty much validate what was told to me during my lesson. I found it helpful to see the amount of topspin versus flat shots, etc… I initially was trying to hit too much topspin and trying to improve my numbers for the app. I think it will be more helpful when relaxing and playing more naturally.

WHAT DID YOU DISLIKE ABOUT THE APP: I have noticed that the app has difficulty distinguishing between serves and smashes. Hopefully this will be corrected before the version in released to the public.

ANYTHING MISSING: I would like to see the possibility of having multiple uses be able to use the racquet. In addition, the ability to transfer the device to other Babolat racquets would be great.

HOW DID YOU USE THE DATA: I took the data, and have tried to use it to improve some of the areas that I’m working on. This includes adding more topspin. The data give quantitative numbers to help making certain adjustments.

Thank you to TW for selecting me to be part of the playtest.

Thanks to TW for allowing us to keep the racquet. I think this is a valuable product that will be well received by the market.

Will provide continued updates.

 

[Babolat Official]

Server is still down, we have a call with apple tomorrow....finger crossed!

 

[dgoran]

Got email that its going to happen tomorrow They got the final approvals from Apple and Google just app dev needs more time (till tomorrow)

Cant wait

 

[JDMasFCK]

JDMasFCK's Review

Tennis experience/background: I've been playing tennis for as long as I can remember. I'm currently the Head Coach for girls' tennis and boys JV coach at my local high school. 4.5-5.0 NTRP

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court

Current racquet/string: Head Prestige IG MP (customized)

How many hours did you play with the racquet?: 40+ hours

How easy was the racquet to use (turning on/off, syncing with app)? The first racquet that I received did not charge/turn on at all. I sent it back to Babolat and they were VERY helpful and sent a replacement out the next day! Could not be more happy with Babolat's customer's service, primarily David! Anyways, the second racquet came, and worked flawlessly. The racquet charged perfectly. It uses the same cord as most modern day smartphones and tablets (Galaxy S2, Nexus 7 etc). Just be cautious of how hard you're pressing on the buttons, a light press is needed to turn on the device. Syncing the device was flawlessly for me. I'm synced my racquet with my phone (Samsung Galaxy S2) and my tablet (Nexus 7) without a problem. The only thing glitch I found was that you needed to have internet connection initially or else you won't be able to sync after you don't have connection anymore. For example, I do not have data (internet connection) on my phone. I use my home's wifi as internet. So I have to let my app "sync" with the wifi to get all of my previous sessions. Now when I go onto the court, my app already has all of my previous sessions and now it will use the bluetooth connection to transfer the data from my racquet to the app. If I haven't sync'd the app with wifi before I left the house I will be UNABLE to sync my racquet with my app. Don't know why this happens though. If you have data (internet connection) on your phone/tablet then this won't be a problem for you!

How did the racquet play (if you have used a Pure Drive in the past, did it play similarly)? The racquet played AMAZING! I used the Pure Drive in the past and I couldn't even tell the difference between this one and the one I used. I even went to my local pro shop, picked up and swung the Pure Drive Play and the regular Pure Drive and they were IDENTICAL! Kudos to Babolat for being able to engineer this! Anyways, I had to custom my Pure Drive Play because I tend to like racquets with more weight in the handle. I added 10 inches of 1/2 lead tape onto the bottom of the frame. I also added the Technifibre ATP 2 gram lead tapes to 3/9. I also added a heat shrink wrap to build the grip size to 4 3/8 (I was sent 1/4). BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU ADD THE HEAT SHRINK WRAP! You want to quickly brush over the cortex and the handle of the frame with the heat gun! DO NOT LET THE HEAT GUN SIT OVER THE CORTEX OR HANDLE, or else you risk damaging the racquet! The overall weight of the frame is at 12.2 oz strung after the customization, with most of the weight in the handle. I LOVE this racquet, my serves were AMAZING! So much pace and spin compared to my Prestige. The control was decent and contrary to popular belief the racquet felt good. It wasn't causing any problems with my elbow nor did it have that harsh feeling that everyone was complaining about.

How easy was the app to use? The app was fairly easy to use. I'm very proficient with electronics so it was a walk in the park for me. But I would imagine it not being to difficult for those who aren't accustomed to using apps on their smartphones/tablet. The app is very straightforward, it features sections for pulse, analyze, skills, records and community. You can also change your settings as well.

What did you like about the app? I liked how it broke down each of the sessions and I was able to identify and differentiate each sessions. It also gave an in depth look at my sessions. It showed how many forehand/backhands I was hitting, as well as the power and spin level for each of those categories. It even shows you where on the racquet you were hitting and breaks it down by percentage! Also your color on the app will change depending on the level you achieve (light colors for beginners and darker as you progress) I also liked how the app included a "skills" section. It shows you the percentages of forehands/backhands/smashes/serves you need to achieve to "level" up.

Here are some pics:

What did you dislike about the app? Some things I dislike about the app, is that it's slow on start up. Not a big deal, but it's very irritating at times. I REALLY wished they included measurements for spin and serve/ground stroke speed instead of using "ball indicators". I also wished they included a section for volleys. As of right now, volleys are being logged as groundstrokes. Also sometimes whenever I feed the ball to start a rally or use my racquet to pick up the ball, it counts that as a groundstroke (I believe Babolat is working on a fix for this). Also, I thought this was going to be constantly giving you LIVE time feedback, but it does NOT. You have to manually sync each session. I was really disappointed, but Babolat did it this way because the ITF does not allow live updating. So I guess that's fine.

The thing I hate the most about the app is the Pulse. The pulse is an average score that combines your "technique", "endurance" and "power". The reason why I hate the Pulse so much is that, no matter how much you play with the racquet and no matter how good you hit with it, your pulse is ALWAYS going to be low each time you sync with the racquet. Some of you might not know, but I held the #1 ranking for quite some time. After awhile I noticed my pulse slowly started to decrease the more I started to sync more sessions in. The weird part was that each session I logged in had great results as well! (888 energy used, 20 shot rallies etc) but my pulse started to decrease regardless! I'm currently ranked 24 in the world right now! This is really frustrating for me because I didn't know why I dropped that much! So if you're planning on using this device as a competition to see where you stand in the world, be warned!

Here's a pic of me at my #1 ranking:

Was there anything you thought was missing? There needs to be section for Volleys! Other then that, it's good.

How did you use the data you received from the app? I used the data that I got to fix where I was hitting on the racquet. 89% of my shots were landing high above the sweetspot. I also corrected my technique because I was only getting 49% topspin on my groundstrokes! (I thought my spin was decent, but I guess not haha). My power level was low as well! (51%). The serves were my highlight, mine clocked in at (75%) with almost maximum spin! (4 balls) Overall this racquet is a MUST have for coaches. You are finally able to see how your players are hitting and you can fix accordingly.

Conclusion
I would also add that this racquet enhances the coaching experience because it gives you real time data and numbers (can't lie with that! lol). The only downside is that this racquet will retail for $400! (ouch!) Also this shows how you were hitting with this particular racquet only. For example, if my player hits with this racquet it may show a higher serve power/spin then their own racquet because Pure Drives tend to have more power. So use the data carefully. I cross reference the data of my players and see how their technique is and adjust accordingly. I DO NOT SOLELY RELY ON THIS DATA. Especially if you or your player plays with a different racquet. If your current racquet of choice is the Pure Drive, more power to you! You get to actually see REAL stats because it's your personal racquet. But for people switching over, the stats may be skewed when using this racquet compared to their personal racquet. If you haven't tried out this racquet and seen your stats, you have to some day! It's very fun and informative to see your stats! Some good news is that Babolat is going to expand the Play future to their other line of racquets in the future! Overall, I'm VERY pleased with this racquet and this playtest that I decided to switch over the Pure Drive Play as my current stick of choice!

Thanks again Babolat and Tenniswarehouse for giving this opportunity to playtest a great racquet!

 

[Babolat Official]

UPDATE: iOS app in stores now, android will be up in next 24 hours.

 

[themitchmann]

Daniel, the reset password page is not fully loading on my iphone, FYI.

I will try from my computer and report back if there is a problem.

Also, the recovery email went straight to my spam folder again.

 

[themitchmann]

Here is what I am getting on my computer:

 

[palmerop]

Just installed the app on iOS AND Android! Has anybody managed to Sync? I have some 8 hr of tennis on the racquet that I wouldn't want to loose...

 

[the_faceless_player]

Just synced mine. I tried on my iPhone but it said the racquet needed new firmware and had to be plugged in by USB to a computer. My home PC still does not like the racquet and won't recognize it. Plugged it in to my laptop and it synced up and all the data new and old is there!

Also, everyone needs to remember to completely uninstall the program and the app and then re-install them!

 

[palmerop]

Just synced mine. I tried on my iPhone but it said the racquet needed new firmware and had to be plugged in by USB to a computer. My home PC still does not like the racquet and won't recognize it. Plugged it in to my laptop and it synced up and all the data new and old is there!

Also, everyone needs to remember to completely uninstall the program and the app and then re-install them!

Thanks! Can't wait to sync! Now, why didn't I think to bring the racquet to work today?

 

[Babolat Official]

iOS, Android are up now. Widgets are being finalized.

Make sure you completely delete the beta versions and download new ones from www.babolatplay.com (links also on fb/twitter).

 

[Babolat Official]

The racket needs a firmware update (simply download the new widget from babolatplay.com).

I just checked with the team, if you have not downloaded/validated sessions, they will be lost (has to do with transferring app from staging server to main server). However, your data from previously validated sessions should be there.

 

[Babolat Official]

Here is what I am getting on my computer:

can you email me and describe how you got here (i.e. logged in, trying to change password, etc.)? dbecker@babolat.com

 

[palmerop]

I have synced without loosing any session....

This is new isn't it?

 

[parasailing]

Daniel - Will Babolat be releasing a Play version for the Aero Pro or Pure Control anytime soon? I really don't like the Pure Drive but would welcome having this technology in the Pure Control.

 

[mad dog1]

Daniel - Will Babolat be releasing a Connect version for the Aero Pro or Pure Control anytime soon? I really don't like the Pure Drive but would welcome having this technology in the Pure Control.

i recall Daniel mentioning that the APD is the next racquet to incorporate the Play technology.

 

[JDMasFCK]

The racket needs a firmware update (simply download the new widget from babolatplay.com).

I just checked with the team, if you have not downloaded/validated sessions, they will be lost (has to do with transferring app from staging server to main server). However, your data from previously validated sessions should be there.

I can't install the new widget on my PC. Whenever I try to open it up, nothing happens. I even tried re-downloading it and still no luck And whenever I try to sync my sessions with the new app, the app crashes...

 

[Straight-Arm-FH]

TW, or Babolat,

Is there a version for APD or any other Babolat rackets coming out? Frankly PD is not my cup of tea.

 

[sea port]

Hi JDMasFCK,

I had something similar as well.

I installed the Babolat Play Android Version. After turning on my bluetooth and initiate the pairing process, the app stopped and the screen turned black.

The message displayed was "Unfortunately, Babolat Play has stopped".

I had uninstalled the Beta Version downloaded from Test Flight prior to installing from Google Play.

Anyone had similar issue or has any suggestions to remedy?

Thank you.

 

[palmerop]

I think they updated the android app today, they probably fixed the issue...

Hi JDMasFCK,

I had something similar as well.

I installed the Babolat Play Android Version. After turning on my bluetooth and initiate the pairing process, the app stopped and the screen turned black.

The message displayed was "Unfortunately, Babolat Play has stopped".

I had uninstalled the Beta Version downloaded from Test Flight prior to installing from Google Play.

Anyone had similar issue or has any suggestions to remedy?

Thank you.

 

[ironicqueery]

Can you use a vibration dampener on the racquet or does that mess up the stats?

 

[palmerop]

Can you use a vibration dampener on the racquet or does that mess up the stats?

Yes you can use one, no problem.

 

[ironicqueery]

Thanks!

Any idea how long it takes to fully charge the racquet?

 

[T21D]

^^^^ about an hr or so


APD's "should" come out summer 2014. Rafa is testing out 4 different versions

 

[palmerop]

Thanks!

Any idea how long it takes to fully charge the racquet?

I usually do not discharge the racquet completely but only to 65% capacity at most. It takes less than two hours in my case.

 

[the_faceless_player]

Anybody else get weird numbers after downloading all the new stuff?

I mean I'll consider that I might have had an exceptional day but 100% technique score with over 90% of contact in the sweet spot is how shall I say, a bit "abnormal" for me

 

[themitchmann]

Not sure if this has been asked, but is there a way to see the battery level with the Mac/PC Widgets? I think that would be useful.

 

[ironicqueery]

Can anybody comment a bit about the Power aspect of the stats? How does this percentage translate into something a bit more concrete? For example, if you are hitting serves at 50% power, what exactly would that mean? Or if your forehand has 50% power?

 

[McNasty]

Can anybody comment a bit about the Power aspect of the stats? How does this percentage translate into something a bit more concrete? For example, if you are hitting serves at 50% power, what exactly would that mean? Or if your forehand has 50% power?

The Power number is in relation to what the top 20 on the ATP hit at. So 50 % power means that you are hitting at half the power of a top 20 ATP player.

 

[ironicqueery]

The faq on babolatplay.com states "Try and maximize your speed and spin as mush as possible. The more speed and spin the more power. Our Power index definition: 100% corresponds roughly to a 220 + km/h flat serve."

So does anyone know if that is somewhat accurate? Can you judge your serve speed and such by this? Anyone compare it a radar gun?
If you are serving at 50%, would that mean you have about a 65 mph serve?

Sorry for the small questions - just wanting to wrap my head around this better

 

[McNasty]

Ok, I removed all the old apps on both the PC and iPhone. Downloaded new apps and i'm ready to rock. I tried synching with the iPhone a it tells me i need a Firmware version update. I plug it into the PC and nothing happens. anyone have any ideas.

 

[McNasty]

Ok, I removed all the old apps on both the PC and iPhone. Downloaded new apps and i'm ready to rock. I tried synching with the iPhone a it tells me i need a Firmware version update. I plug it into the PC and nothing happens. anyone have any ideas.

Found my problem, the USB port on the racket is broken. I sent an email to Babolat, hopefully it can be replaced.

 

[swfh]

I think that i also may have a USB problem. This happened just now when I tried to update the firmware. It appears that I pulled out the part that the cable goes into. Racket also does not charge.

Daniel, I'll email you this as well.

 

[rk_sports]

This technology is very exciting indeed.
Although, I'm not a current Babolat user, I'm interested in trying this racquet for the feedback features.

Couple of questions before I venture into a DEMO,
- Does the app only work with iPhone/Android? I've a Windows phone!!
- Does the app work on PC?

Thanks!

 

[anubis]

I finally got it working. Played with it for a couple of hours, but it ran out of juice. I think I need to charge it longer.

Not quite sure how to interpret the findings, but it's neat all the same!

I'm going to be playing another match on Sunday, so I'll make sure it's fully charged so it can capture the whole match.

http://imgur.com/a/lPUPG

 

[McNasty]

I think that i also may have a USB problem. This happened just now when I tried to update the firmware. It appears that I pulled out the part that the cable goes into. Racket also does not charge.

Daniel, I'll email you this as well.

Exactly what happened to mine. I sent an email on the Babolat play website and was contacted immediately by the warranty department. They are sending me a new stick.