Touch with Babolat Racquets...

TripleB

TripleB

Hall of Fame
Which, if any, of the following Babolat racquets offer excellent touch (at net and for drop shots)?

- AeroPro Drive with Cortex
- AeroPro Drive GT
- AeroStorm Cortex
- Pure Storm Limited
- Pure Storm (non-GT)

In the past I've had problems with touch and dropshots with Babolat racquets. I'm not sure if it's the Woofer system or what but the feel I need for 'delicate' shots just isn't there. Wondering if any of the above four were any different.

Thanks.

TripleB
 
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I've hit with the APDC (and sold it), Pure Storm (non-GT; and sold it), Pure Storm Tour (non-GT; still got it) and Pure Storm Ltd (non-GT; bought two more), and I like the PSL best regarding touch and feel. I think it's the combination of the leather grip, thin beam and dense string pattern that does it for me.
 
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A guy like Leander Paes plays with a pure drive and has the most delicate touch shots.
The feedback one prefers is so individual that no "opinion" from any player will help.
Reviews can be somewhat useful when it comes to "swingability" of a racket...power/control when compared to other known ones...stiffness again, when compared to known quantities...and other things that are at least CLOSE to objective.
But when it comes to how a racket "feels" and/or performs on specialty shots and "touch", you really can't give useful feedback to anybody (IMO) because everybody will feel differently.
I might say a flexible racket gives "great feel" and the next guy will say that the flexible racket feels "mushy/like a noodle" and a stiff racket gives him great "feel/touch".
 
Of those, I've only played (owned it also) with the APDC and would not rate it high on the touch/feel scale, vs other racquets I've played with/owned. I think that pretty much jives with other comments I've read regarding it.

It does have other fine and well documented attributes however...excellent topspin groundstrokes for example.

I prefer my 2 current racquets feel/touch which are both heavier and more flexible than the APDC. Checking just now beam width is also thinner on my current racquets...so I guess that jives with rlau's comment. I do miss the easy spin from the APDC though (but not the elbow pain).
 
You didn't include the Pure Drive GT. But for what it's worth, I have been shocked to discover the the PDGT has a lot of touch. Especially for drop shots. My drop shots and delicate slices have never been better. I wasn't expecting this from this racquet at all, and didn't realize it while demoing. But after I purchased it and played with it the first time these shots became easier and better for me then ever. You wouldn't think you would get that from a "power" racquet, but I think the "GT" has possibly toned down the power and added more control and touch.

I did demo the APDGT and felt it to be very controllable and responsive, but to me I have better all around control with the PDGT to change up shots. It's all a personal preference.
 
The only babolat frame I've used that I would characterize as having decent touch is the Pure Storm Tour (non GT).

Also, I totally agree with 0d1n on feel/touch. Very personal.
 
jrod said:
Also, I totally agree with 0d1n on feel/touch. Very personal.
Click to expand...

VERY TRUE. I agree as well, and that goes for all racquet reviews. I was just stating that "for me" I have been very pleased with the PDGT in the "touch" area, and I wasn't expecting it from that racquet.
 
jrod said:
The only babolat frame I've used that I would characterize as having decent touch is the Pure Storm Tour (non GT).

Also, I totally agree with 0d1n on feel/touch. Very personal.
Click to expand...


Agreed. The Pure Storm Tour has great feel on touch shots for me.
 
good spins
 
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I've been using the PDGT+ Roddick and it does some things VERY well, but touch, for me, isn't one of them. I've never been a player with great feel or finesse but compared to non-Babolat racquets I've tried, my Babolat feels dead, no touch. The same applies to a APD GT that I used for a bit.

I'm sure strings do make a difference - I'm using BB Alu rough on the crosses and Ace BB 18 on the mains. However, this is the same combo used on other, non-Babolat racquets that gave me much more touch and responsiveness.
 
IMO - Strings make all the difference - I have yet to find a poly that feels right or has any touch for me. Of course I've only tried a couple and mostly played with Lux BB alu power.
 
rlau said:
I've hit with the APDC (and sold it), Pure Storm (non-GT; and sold it), Pure Storm Tour (non-GT; still got it) and Pure Storm Ltd (non-GT; bought two more), and I like the PSL best regarding touch and feel. I think it's the combination of the leather grip, thin beam and dense string pattern that does it for me.
Click to expand...

Rlau,

What strings did you find best suited for you in the PSL ?
 
TripleB said:
Which, if any, of the following Babolat racquets offer excellent touch (at net and for drop shots)?

- AeroPro Drive with Cortex
- AeroPro Drive GT
- AeroStorm Cortex
- Pure Storm Limited
- Pure Storm (non-GT)

In the past I've had problems with touch and dropshots with Babolat racquets. I'm not sure if it's the Woofer system or what but the feel I need for 'delicate' shots just isn't there. Wondering if any of the above four were any different.

Thanks.

TripleB
Click to expand...

In my experience those 2 have the best with the PSL having more feel than the Pure storm
 
smooveken said:
Rlau,

What strings did you find best suited for you in the PSL ?
Click to expand...

I have not experimented that much with strings in my PSLs (I have two in my bag and one safely in the closet). The one I strung myself and play most with has a poly/multi hybrid: SPPP 1.18mm in the mains (@ 21 kg) and IsoSpeed Professional 1.20mm in the crosses (@ 22.5 kg). The other one was a demo racket and came prestrung with a full job of SPPP, don't know which gauge and tension.

I'm thinking of buying Kirschbaum Pro Line II or Volkl Cyclone in 17 gauge and trying a full job of that next. But I also have some MSV Focus Hex here. KenC wrote in another thread that it might be a good idea to use a full multi string job to increase the power level a bit.
 
I find the most touch with the Pure Drive Cortex. Then Aero Pro Drive Cortex, and then the Pure Storm GT. I found that the Cortex had more touch than the GTs. The GTs felt way too stiff and not soft at all, and I love a soft feeling on my touch shots.
 
I've played with the Aero Pro Drive Cortex since it came out, and it has very good touch in my opinion. I also have the Aero Storm Cortex, and I think it has less control.
 
Inferno said:
I've played with the Aero Pro Drive Cortex since it came out, and it has very good touch in my opinion. I also have the Aero Storm Cortex, and I think it has less control.
Click to expand...

That can't be true. I play with both everyday (mess around with my friend's APDC, use my AS as my main). Aero Storm definitely has much more control.
 
Since we are mentioning all of these "good touch/feel" Babolat Models - which ones would be the most arm friendly, yet still have a good amount of power? If such a racquet exists.
 
Inferno said:
I've played with the Aero Pro Drive Cortex since it came out, and it has very good touch in my opinion. I also have the Aero Storm Cortex, and I think it has less control.
Click to expand...

This is a perfect example of an earlier post in this thread that mentions how something like touch and feel at the net is subjective to the user of the racquet. I disagree completely with this opinion but it is, in fact, the opinion of a user of both the APDC and ASC.
 
rlau said:
I have not experimented that much with strings in my PSLs (I have two in my bag and one safely in the closet). The one I strung myself and play most with has a poly/multi hybrid: SPPP 1.18mm in the mains (@ 21 kg) and IsoSpeed Professional 1.20mm in the crosses (@ 22.5 kg). The other one was a demo racket and came prestrung with a full job of SPPP, don't know which gauge and tension.

I'm thinking of buying Kirschbaum Pro Line II or Volkl Cyclone in 17 gauge and trying a full job of that next. But I also have some MSV Focus Hex here. KenC wrote in another thread that it might be a good idea to use a full multi string job to increase the power level a bit.
Click to expand...

I see. I still havent found the right string and magical number for string tension... anything strung over 50lbs makes it feel like a stiff board. I've tried full multi (nrg2), poly mains (sonic pro) and multi crosses (fxp power), and will soon try a multi mains, poly cross hybrid.

I'm trying to get that ultimate soft and ball pocketing combination out of this racquet and so far nothing is really working. I demo'ed this racquet and it came strung with a black poly? in a full bed and that actually had very good pocketing. I'm thinking it might have been a softer co-poly like black code or something strung very low.
 
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