Why would Dominic Thiem switch from the pure strike 1st gen to 3rd gen, skipped widely loved 2nd gen?

[Deleted member 746200]

So I think a lot of people knows that Thiem is now using the newest pure strike under the newest PJ. After he joins Babolat he was using the 2014 1st gen pure strike (which is a very unique frame, a lot of people hate it but small amount of people love it )for a long time, then skipped the 2nd gen (which a lot of people absolutely love it including TW playtesters), and from the bridging of 2019 he switched to the 3rd gen pure strike. Just a very interesting story. Also another rising talent Felix Alliassime was using the 1st gen for his entire junior career, played with the same frame under the 2nd gen PJ for a couple months, and then switched to the Pure Aero VS, which is basically a Aero Storm with a different type of Cortex.

Just how interesting is that a widely loved frame for in most reviews and playtests but two of the major pro players stayed with the older one that not so many people like.


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[jmacdaununder2]

So I think a lot of people knows that Thiem is now using the newest pure strike under the newest PJ. After he joins Babolat he was using the 2014 1st gen pure strike (which is a very unique frame, a lot of people hate it but small amount of people love it )for a long time, then skipped the 2nd gen (which a lot of people absolutely love it including TW playtesters), and from the bridging of 2019 he switched to the 3rd gen pure strike. Just a very interesting story. Also another rising talent Felix Alliassime was using the 1st gen for his entire junior career, played with the same frame under the 2nd gen PJ for a couple months, and then switched to the Pure Aero VS, which is basically a Aero Storm with a different type of Cortex.

Just how interesting is that a widely loved frame for in most reviews and playtests but two of the major pro players stayed with the older one that not so many people like.


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Do you have any empirical evidence - other than '...I think a lot of people knows...' that Thiem is using a retail Gen.3 PS and not some custom hybrid and/or layup?

 

[dgoran]

I think it’s very clear. Most people are amateurs these two are not...

 

[Boubi]

So I think a lot of people knows that Thiem is now using the newest pure strike under the newest PJ. After he joins Babolat he was using the 2014 1st gen pure strike (which is a very unique frame, a lot of people hate it but small amount of people love it )for a long time, then skipped the 2nd gen (which a lot of people absolutely love it including TW playtesters), and from the bridging of 2019 he switched to the 3rd gen pure strike. Just a very interesting story. Also another rising talent Felix Alliassime was using the 1st gen for his entire junior career, played with the same frame under the 2nd gen PJ for a couple months, and then switched to the Pure Aero VS, which is basically a Aero Storm with a different type of Cortex.

Just how interesting is that a widely loved frame for in most reviews and playtests but two of the major pro players stayed with the older one that not so many people like.


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Maybe because they know there is no such a difference between old and new frames .... Not enough to justify a switch

 

[jmacdaununder2]

Sorry if I was a bit blunt, but unfortunately the excellent photographs don't reveal actual lay up - for example Fognini's low ra PD looks like a retail version of the same vintage; Thiem could be using retail, but then why doesn't Babolat declare this in marketing? Correct me if I'm wrong, but 'endorsed by' seems to be as far as they've gone so far?

 

[kailash]

Who said that he switched?

 

[henweezy]

He no longer has the x-sider grooves in the racquet if you look closely. So it's not a 1st gen pure strike.

 

[esgee48]

Grommet change does not really mean anything since all three gens are strung the same way. I suspect he may still be using the original under a new PJ.

 

[dgoran]

Grommet change does not really mean anything since all three gens are strung the same way. I suspect he may still be using the original under a new PJ.

It’s not just grommets mold is different

 

[borgpro]

Pro’s do not use anything like the retail frames at all, they are just painted like that. I can tell, I own a lot of real pro frames. They are heavier, more flexible, and have much higher swing weight than the ‘look alike’ frames that you can buy in the shop. Believe me Thiem neigter played with the old not will he ever with the new ones that are in the shops.

 

[TennisHound]

The reviews on the Project one seven were grossly overrated by the TW staff. So was the Wilson Clash. Just because a retailer inflates the reviews on overhyped products, doesn’t mean that it’s that good. And I agree with @borgpro to a slight extent that the pro’s racquets are very different than what is sold in stores.

 

[Soul_Evisceration]

The reviews on the Project one seven were grossly overrated by the TW staff. So was the Wilson Clash. Just because a retailer inflates the reviews on overhyped products, doesn’t mean that it’s that good. And I agree with @borgpro to a slight extent that the pro’s racquets are very different than what is sold in stores.

Not to forget that Thiem like a good portion of Pros these days has a custom made 27.25 inch handle instead of the regular standard 27inch which makes quite a difference as well.

 

[ron schaap]

Not to forget that Thiem like a good portion of Pros these days has a custom made 27.25 inch handle instead of the regular standard 27inch which makes quite a difference as well.

0.25 inch difference is less than 1% difference which is very small. You get the same effect with a deformed wrongly strung racquet.

 

[ron schaap]

Do you have any empirical evidence - other than '...I think a lot of people knows...' that Thiem is using a retail Gen.3 PS and not some custom hybrid and/or layup?

So buy one Thiems own recent racquets and cut it into piece only then you could possibly state that he is using custom lay up.
As a famous philosopher once concluded, " dont ask questions that cant be answered!".

 

[TennisHound]

0.25 inch difference is less than 1% difference which is very small. You get the same effect with a deformed wrongly strung racquet.

It makes a little difference (like hacking off .25" from a Burn 95 and playing with it).

 

[cluckcluck]

I have his current specs to compare to previous versions.

 

[jmacdaununder2]

So buy one Thiems own recent racquets and cut it into piece only then you could possibly state that he is using custom lay up.
As a famous philosopher once concluded, " dont ask questions that cant be answered!".

Oh, but the questions can be answered; it just that Babolat - specifically @Babolat Official - chose not to. I wonder why?

 

[haqq777]

I have his current specs to compare to previous versions.

Nice. Are you allowed to share them?

 

[uk_skippy]

Not to forget that Thiem like a good portion of Pros these days has a custom made 27.25 inch handle instead of the regular standard 27inch which makes quite a difference as well.

Unless his new frame is now 27.25", the previous one was a standard 27"

 

[cluckcluck]

Nice. Are you allowed to share them?

Weight: 317g
Balance: 31.4
Swingweight: 310

 

[Fairhit]

Oh, but the questions can be answered; it just that Babolat - specifically @Babolat Official - chose not to. I wonder why?

That doesn't confirm the fact that he's using something completely different, it could be a a modified retail version and we all would agree that he's playing with the same racquet we can buy any day of the week but from a legal standpoint even if it is a retail frame they cannot say it son candidly because it could carry repercutions for them, any one could say that they read in this forum a representative from Babolat stating that Thiem play with a retail frame, you and I will understand that he's playing with a retail and modified frame but I could give way to legal troubles if any one would want to read a little too literal a statement like that.

It's safer to never disclose that.

And, I would say that there are players that use retail frames but is a small percentage and not necessarily top 100.

 

[AMGF]

Thiem was playing with Head, one day he went into a store, demo’ed a 16x19 PureStrike, loved it so much called Babolat for a sponsorship. That’s the official story anyway and if real, Babolat has struck gold to land one of the best player outside the big three.

He played a modified PS 18x20 in the sense that he has a modified grip based on the Head shape and of course the extra lead visible in pictures.

He didn’t switch to the 2nd generation as the grooves (I don’t remember how Babolat calls them) from the 1st gen were very visible in pictures. The grommets were also first gen. It was just a pj over the 1st generation PureStrike, that’s a known fact.

Then it seems early this year Thiem moved to the 3rd generation. Stringers at tournaments can sometimes tell if the frame feel lile the retail version. It’s hard of course to tell of the layup is the same but it’s reasonable to think that if Thiem was involved in the development of the frame that he is using a retail version. Now, that doesn’t mean he’s using a retail frame that you can pick at any store as his frame are certainly hand picked with his desired specs, then the grip modified, any needed weight added and custom graphics added (I don’t know if he has any).

So in the end, no he is not playing with a store frame, but in his case it’s pretty close. Young players tend to play close to retail frames. Older players that used to play with frames that are discontinued will have access to these older frames. The players switching from other companies can sometimes ask for frames that play similar to their former brand and will have access to “pro stock” frames that are built for customization. Players don’t just happen to start playing with new magical frame once they reach the top 100. Most here know that, but some still believe that once you get there (Top100) you have to forget all the practice time of your last 20 years playing tennis and move to the secret prostock frames.

Regarding the 27,25in frame that’s the fitst time I’m reading about this. Maybe he changed to an extended frame with this new version. Some stringer will be able to confirm that. However, even if Thiem is known to try different strings throughout the year, I highly doubt he changed his racquet length mid-season.