The More Things Change……..

The More They Stay The Same!

Pursuant to and somewhat contradictory to my esteemed colleague Jeremy’s article I feel compelled to let all our readers in on a few trade secrets. Some will be obvious, some not so much. At the end of this article you will be a more informed consumer.

#1-We are in the business of sales! Shocking I know! Ian, Jeremy, and I, as tennis professionals are in the business of selling ourselves (not that way) and our services! We are also in the business of selling equipment, particularly of the equipment of whichever racquet manufacturer happens to sponsor us.

#2-The racquet companies in order to remain profitable need you to buy equipment on a regular basis. The industry’s preferred rate is a new racquet for every player every 1.5-2 years. You will also notice that the aforementioned time frame also coincides with the rate at which racquet technologies change and racquets are discontinued to make room for newer models. This planned obsolecence is a long standing industry practice that has been particularly perfected by Wilson and copied by everyone else. How do you explain discontinuing the best selling frame EVER!! (The Prostaff 6.1 Classic)

In most instances the changes that are made from one version of a racquet to the next are largely cosmetic. If one looks at the most popular frames that have stood the test of time the weight, balance, head size, swing weight, and playbility have remained the same despite multiple technology changes. Some great examples include: Volkl C-10 Pro & V1, Head Prestige & Radical, Wilson Hammer 6.2 & Pro Staff 6.0, and Babolat Pure Drive.

The reason that these racquet stay the same is that upper level players don’t want their frames to change, they want them to play the same way they always have and not to posses the qualities that new technologies supposedly bring. New technologies always propose to make the racquets stiffer, lighter, more powerful, and easier on the arm. Upper level players prefer to have their racquets be heavy, flexible, control oriented, and have a significant level of feedback. In conclusion, just because the company who makes your racquet introduces and newer, prettier version of your stick there is no need to run out and buy it because if you are using a players frame the only change you’ll notice is in the paint job!!

#3-If you like to sample new technologies and the benefits that they present then you need to step your game back. Class of racquets that receive the majority of the benefits of increasing technology is the Game Improvement sector. These racquet come and go and change far more than the Player’s Frames every will. G.I. racquets and the testing ground for new technologies, it is where the new techs can provide the most benefits and provide the most measurable improvement in on court results. In the coming weeks I will be playtesting and reviewing a number of G.I. Racquets, among the comments that you are sure to hear are: “Racquet X is much stiffer and more powerful than its predecessor” or “Racquet X is much lighter and easier on the arm and more than previous versions.” While I am 5.0 and play with one of the most bare bones frames that you’ll find, I can certainly appreciate the benefits that can be derived from new technologies in the Game Improvement sector.

Despite the fact that Game Improvement frames benefit the most from new tech changes, there is a significant drawback! Like any other tech driven business i.e. cell phones, tv’s, and cars, the more technology that is involved, the higher the price. Don’t be surprised to see the price tag on your newest G.I. frame to run in the $240-$250 range!

#4-For most people who take equipment seriously and do their research this will come as a thank you Capt. Obvious moment but it needs to be said anyways. When purchasing a racquet NEVER use the fact that your favorite player uses a particular racquet as a determinative factor. ALL pro tour players play with heavily customized frames that are specifically redesigned just for them by the world top racquet customizers. The racquet that Rafael Nadal uses is a similar to the Aero Drive at your local pro shop as a mountain lion is to your household cat. In order to find the racquet that will suit you best you must play test them, that’s why we keep demo in the proshops and in our teaching bags, so you can try’em before you buy’em!

Although this article isn’t about any particular piece of gear, hopefully it will help you make a more informed decision the next time you are considering making a racquet purchase.

New Sticks for Top Players

The last couple of months have been very exciting if you follow the equipment of the top pros! Since the Aussie Open we have seen the number 3 player in the world switch racquets, the top American player get an updated frame, and in a couple of weeks we’ll see the great British hope get a new technology.

Let’s start with Novak Djokovic’s all new Head YOUTEK Speed Pro. This is an all new frame for Head, and features YOUTEK technology powered by d30. Essentially what the YOUTEK and d30 technology does is change its stiffness for fast or slow swings, making your power shots more powerful, and your touch shots more uh… touchier?

Anyway, the Speed Pro is a 12 ounce, 98 square inch beast, but it feels less cumbersome than other similar weighted frames. In my opinion it is a well rounded frame. When you want to hit through the ball the frame follows along eagerly, and you can also downshift to a drop shot with nice feel and touch. A lot of people have compared this frame to the classic Head Tour 280, but I don’t think that is has nearly as much flex as the old blue monster. Either way I think that this frame is worth a demo for 4.0 all court players and above.

Somewhat lost in the shadow of the Speed introduction is Andy Murray’s new stick the YOUTEK Radical. Sharing the same technology as the Speed frame, the newest generation of Head’s best selling Radical line will be premiering during the grass court season. I have had very little court time with this frame, but my thoughts are that it is a new Radical, with a new technology, anbd if you are a Radical user you should like it. It seems like the bechmark for new Radicals in terms of playability is the Ti.Radical, and in my opinion this one falls short of that, but it might be the best Radical in a long time.

As always the YOUTEK Radical will come in three variations, Mid Plus, Oversize, and Tour version which Andy Murray will be playing with. The Tour version will be the heviest of the three, have a more open string pattern, and will come with a leather grip.

The final new frame we will talk about is the new updated Babolat Pure Drive GT. GT stands for Graphite and Tungsten, and that is the big change for the new series. Essentially this is a stability technology, not a huge change from the Pure Drive w/ Cortex, but in my opinion, a welcome one. The new Pure Drive has a much more solid feel to it, is a lot less “pingy”, and does not feel as hollow as it’s predecessor. I have really enjoyed the new update. The paint job is a lot less busy, and while the Cortex system is still present, it doesn’t look as glued on as the old model. Pure Drive fans should really like this update because it reminds me of the original Pure Drive. In fact I think I will be switching to this frame in the very near future.

Of course there is a new GT version of the Pure DRive Roddick as well. I will stick with the above review… Just add abount an ounce of extra weight. Both the standard and Roddick models also come in extended plus versions.

So if you are a 4.0 and up player, and looking for a new frame, you should give these frames a demo. If you don’t quite reach that 4.0 level though, rest easy… The new Head Speed racquets come in a Lite version, and in my opinion the star of the series the Speed Mid Plus. But we’ll save that for another day!

Jeremy Plumley is a certified Master Racquet Technician (MRT) by the United States Racquet Stringers Association, a designation that is only given to service professionals who demonstrate superior technical competence and product knowledge in racquet sports. In addition he is also a certified teaching professional at one of the most prestigious country clubs in the United States, where he also is the pro shop manager for racquets, shoes and accessories. His knowledge of tennis equipment and teaching background give him the ability to recommend the proper equipment for the type of player he is working with.

The New Babolat XCel Premium

Arm Trouble? Looking For Increased Feel? Try XCel Premium!!

While I am an extremly active proponent of durability strings and hybrid string beds, I am still a sucker for an nice soft string in my feeding racquet. I’ve used all the available comfort strings on the market and I am prepared to say that XCel Premium is (along with Gamma TNT Fat Core) one of the top two strings in its category. XCel Premium is about as close to natural gut as you can possibly get, XCel provides a soft feel, crisp response, and excellent power and no sacrifice in control. The latest version of XCel Premium has the added bonus of increased durability.

XCel Premium is exactly as its name implies, Babolat’s top of the line offering in its synthetic gut line. This multifilament string is the direct competitor of Wilson NXT, Wilson Sensation, Gamma Live Wire Pro, and Prince Premier. Unlike its competitors XCel does not have a glaring hole in its performance traits (NXT- Not Responsive, Sensation- No Durability, Live Wire- Stiff Feel, Premier- Not crisp response & control).

For players with chronic arm problems XCel Premium is, excuse the pun, just what the doctor ordered! The soft multifilament construction provides excellent shock absorbtion creating an unparalled comfort to the string bed. The players who’s racquets I have serviced and strung with XCel have come back with nothing but rave reviews! The most important comment that I hear is “my arm just doesn’t hurt now!”

However, anyone who is thinking that this string is just for older players with tennis elbow is sorely mistaken. Most professionals these days who play with a hybrid string bed us a Natural Gut in their cross strings. As a top tournament player or elite junior who wants to emulate the pros, but in the struggling economy has limited resources, XCel is a near perfect substitute! At half (or less than half in most instances) the price of natural gut you will be able to have two racquets strung with XCel and a good poly for the same price a one racquet with natural gut and recieve the same results!

Teaching professionals can benefit from using XCel as well, as I stated previously I string my feeding racquet with XCel Premium and the benefit is two fold. First, after a nice 8-9 hour day on the court my arm is in much better shape than it would be if I had my normal playing string bed (Pro Red Code mains, Prince Syn. Gut w/Duralex crosses) and I don’t lose any playability in the switch. Second, when I have students (young or old) who are looking for a soft string I can simply hand them my racquet and let them try it out, if they are not sold by the feel alone the fact that I am using it in my racquet usually gets the job done.

The new technique used by Babolat in binding the multifilaments and the replacement of polyurathene fibers with polymide fibers are the foundation for XCel’s increased durability. Along with the durability increase the string seems to hold initial tension about 10-15% better and holds total tension about 5% longer as well. When compared against the Previous version of XCel the new version lasts in the neighborhood of 13-15hrs longer. When compared to its competitors XCel has a 12-20 hour durability advantage. These may not seem like staggering numbers but they really are a big deal. If you are a recreational player and only playing 1-2 hours a week you will find the additional 6-10 weeks that you can play with these strings to be a fairly significant improvement.

For you stringers out there: this string is very easy to use, it uncoils well right out of the box and is smooth to work with. Like other strings of its ilk you will get the fraying and softening ends as you work so you’ll have to trim it down a couple of times as you work. Also like other premium strings you have to watch out for pre-burn and kinking (if it kinks and you pull it WILL break every time). Otherwise this string pulls easily and glides on the weave, is easy to tie off, and rarely slips.

Self stringers can order XCel premium for between $16-18 on the internet.

Non do-it-yourselfers can ask for it by name at your local shop and it will run you between $29-40 depending on where you live.

I recomend XCel premium for any player who has arm trouble or likes a soft string bed. I also recomend it for any player who is looking for gut like performance in their hybrid, but looking to avoid gut like prices!!

Jay Wiseman is a certified Master Racquet Technician (MRT) by the United States Racquet Stringers Association (USRSA), a certification that is bestowed upon only the elite racquet and equipment service professionals. Additionally Jay is a certified P-1 Professional by the USPTA and has served as the Head Professional and Pro Shop manager at multiple clubs on the East Coast and Midwest. Jay has previously spent 3 years coaching Division I collegiate women’s tennis and currently serves as a teaching professional at the largest tennis club in Toledo, Oh and is the Head Boy’s & Girl’s Tennis Coach at Sylvania Southview High School.

Hybrid Stringing FAQ’s

Lately there has been a lot of discussion on the Essential Tennis Forums (http://www.essentialtennis.com/forum/)about hybrid stringing patterns, so I thought that I would take the time to go over some of the basics, and hopefully answer some questions that you might be having. Here are some of the basics. 

Technifibre Pro Red Code

Custom Barricades from miadidas.com

Are you having trouble finding shoes to match you USTA team’s uniform?

The process begins by selecting your shoe size by sex. The brilliance of the site is that it allows the user to customize each shoe by size and width. This ability will allow people who previously required expensive custom shoes or inserts to order correct fitting shoes at retail pricing. Also the rare person who has feet of different sizes now need only order one pair of shoes.

Once you’ve sized yourself up you get to choose your base colors. This tab will allow you to select the color scheme for the midfoot outer, laces, lace-loops& claws (the metal tabs near the toes!), and the 3-Stripes. This process is done in Four phases:

1. Select your exterior side base colors (this is the leather portion that runs from the foot opening out to the toes). Users can choose from black, grey, pink, navy, gold, red, ‘slime’ (tennis ball), white and metallic silver.
2. Select the color of the laces. Users have the same choices as before with the addition of yellow!
3. Select your 3-Stripes color. Users have the same choices as in #1.
4. Select your lace-loops & claw colors. Users have the choice of gold or silver.

The next tab is the color scheme for the midfoot inner (all the fabric portion of the upper portion of the shoe) and the level of cushioning provide by the sockliner.

1. The midfoot inner choices allow the user to select from: black, grey, pink, navy, red and white.
2. The user has the choice of the standard sockliner or the thicker Comfort sockliner.

The next step is something new for most American tennis shoe purchasers. This customization tab will allow you to:

1. Select a Hard Court outsole or Omni Court outsole. This is significant because, generally speaking, in the United States we purchase only hard court outsoles. The Omni Court outsole is designed for artificial grass and clay. For all you dirt ballers from the South and summer clay warriors from around the country this means that you can get shoe specifically designed for the sliding and grinding of your clay court game! The second step on this tab is the much less exiting is the choice of outsole color, you are only given two fairly sedate choices and one bright color: black and white or red.
2. Once you’ve decide the fate of your sole! (bad pun intended!) you can choose your midsole color, this is the rubberized and cushion portion of the shoe between the midfoot upper and the outsole. Again the choice are limited here, black or white.

Finally we come to the personalization portion of the process. Here you are given two options for giving your shoes a one of a kind look!

1. Users now have the option of choosing the standard Adidas logo on the tongue or the national flag of one of 45 different countries. This is a pretty neat feature and depending on the color scheme you’ve chosen for the rest of the shoe give you the opportunity to really make your colors clash!!
2. Once you’ve chosen your tongue adornment you have the opportunity to have the heal laser etched with up to 10 characters of your choice. Users have the choice of black, red or white lettering.

Viola! You now have you own personalize pair of Barricades. The graphic display will allow you to check out your shoe from every angle by simply grabbing it and rotating it within the frame.

If you decided that you like the shoe you have the option of ordering it directly from the page for a cost of $140.

I was personally very excited when I was contacted by Adidas about the site, while it is a neat feature and a great idea I felt that it fell a little short. That is not to say that I think that users shouldn’t us the site. Far from it as a matter of fact. The short comings can be easily rectified to make this site the premier custom athletic shoe site on the net.

I was initially disappointed in the lack of selection available, while the Barricade V is one of the most popular shoes available, there is a large segment of the public who don’t like such a heavy shoe. I would have like to see the Genius, Feather, Pulse and Accelerator shoes offered on the men’s side and the Divine, Pulse, Tirand, and Ivy from the women’s side. Adding the selection of Adidas’ full offering of competitive level shoes would give the site much broader appeal and be more practical for players that might not be elite players.

My second disappointment was the lack of available colors. While there are several very cool colors I just felt like it fell short of expectations. I didn’t feel like there enough color combinations available to make the shoes totally unique from what can be purchased at your local pro shop or Internet retailer.

Finally I felt that the $140 cost was somewhat prohibitive. The retail price at most Internet retailers is $130 and most places have Barricade’s for between $79.99-$109. I understand that these are custom shoes but the since they are straight from the manufacturer I can’t quite justify the cost at $10 above standard retail. Wouldn’t $100-120 be more than sufficient to turn a profit?

My criticisms aside I found this to be a wonderful tool for adding personality and individual flair to your tennis wardrobe. The site is also incredibly user friendly and easy to use for even the most remedial computer user. If the changes that I suggest were made (Think about it Lyn!) this would without question be the top tennis footwear site on the net!

If you are ready to get your new custom pair of Barricade V’s go to www.miadidas.com!

Jay Wiseman is a certified Master Racquet Technician (MRT) by the United States Racquet Stringers Association (USRSA), a certification that is bestowed upon only the elite racquet and equipment service professionals. Additionally Jay is a certified P-1 Professional by the USPTA and has served as the Head Professional and Pro Shop manager at multiple clubs on the East Coast and Midwest. Jay has previously spent 3 years coaching Division I collegiate women’s tennis and currently serves as a teaching professional at the largest tennis club in Toledo, Oh and is the Head Boy’s & Girl’s Tennis Coach at Sylvania Southview High School.

Prince EX03 Rebel 95 & Rebel Team

Prince EX03 Rebel 95:

The Rebel 95 is a like the Prince Tour Diablo on steroids! I have been down on Prince for quite a while and I am not a fan of the O series of racquets. In spite of those personal feelings I found that while hitting with the Rebel 95 that I quite forgot that I was playing with a racquet that had gigantic holes in the side of it. The flexible response frame provides excellent control without sacrificing any of the power necessary to compete in today’s fast paced game. The updated O-ports are more squared than previous issues and boasts a string hole grommet system that, while still allowing the free string movement, reduces string vibration. The Rebel 95 still however, provides solid feedback for advanced player who like such things.

While the Rebel 95 is the heaviest frame in the EX03 line (12.3 oz, strung) it plays deceptively light. Where you will notice, and appreciate the weight is on ground stroke against heavy pace. The girth of the Rebel 95 allows for solid response to any manner of shots and is surprisingly sturdy on off center hits. The head light balance on the other hand provides quick response at the net and allows you to generate terrific racquet head speed on serves.

The new Resi Pro grip is one of the features that grabbed my notice immediately! It is both firm yet extremely absorbent! It also provides great tack without being ‘sticky’. I also was astonished by the soft feel and ease with which I was able to generate spin despite the 18×20 string pattern. Players of every style will find this racquet well suited to their needs with the caveat that you are at least a 4.0 player. (Lower and Sub 4.0 players see the Rebel Team). The balance, heft, and traditional feel will score high marks with with baseliners for accuracy and power while serve and volleyers will appreciate the maneuverability and rock solid response.

For the best combination of power and touch I suggest that the Rebel 95 be strung as a hybrid with any combination of the following:

Mains:

Technifibre Pro Red Code, Prince Poly EXP, Klip K-Boom, Babolat Pro Hurricane, Luxlion Big Banger Org. or Big Banger ALU.

Crosses:

Gamma TNT, TNT Fat Core, Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex, Prince Lightning XX, Wilson Stamina, Wilson Sensation, Babolat SuperFine Play, Babolat Excel Premium, or your choice of natural gut.

Comparisons:

Becker 11, Head MicroGel Prestige, Volkl Power Bridge 10, Dunlop AeroGel 200.

Final Analysis:

Players of every style will find many benefits to this extremely solid frame. This stick hearkens back to the 80′s & early 90′s when Prince was the only choice for players who eschewed the use of Wilson racquets. Good balance + Solid Feel + Superior Response = Terrific Racquet.

Frame Statistics:
Weight: 11.8 (unstrung)
Head Size: 95 sq. in.
Swing Weight: 337
Length: 27 in.
Balance: 9 pts Head Light
Beam Width: 20mm Straight Beam
Construction: 100% Graphite

Prince EX 03 Rebel 95 retails for $189 on the Internet or at your local Prince Dealer.

Prince EX03 Rebel Team:

While the Team version shares the Rebel name, head size, and cosmetic that is where most of the similarities end.

While the Rebel 95 is targeted towards high level tournament players, the Rebel Team is designed for the recreational player and the up and coming young junior. The Rebel Team is significantly lighter and stiffer that the 95 version. Weighing in at 10.7 oz (strung) the Rebel Team is not nearly as solid as its heavier 95 brother it also lacks some of the maneuverability due to its head heavy balance (1pt head heavy).

The hoop construction is the same as that of the Rebel 95 and they vibration dampening effect is also quite effective in creating a comfortable feel. The lighter construction of the Rebel Team will allow junior players who are still developing physically to use a control oriented racquet without dealing with the 11.5+ oz girth of most racquets of that progeny. Recreational & junior players alike will also find the Rebel Team more forgiving than the 95 on off center hits and more powerful from the baseline.

The head heavy balance is most notable at the net where the Team seems somewhat sluggish. Volleying also gives away the difference in the weight and solidity between the the Team & 95. While volleying is still effective, experienced serve and volleyers will feel a definitive difference. The missing weight can also be felt against big hitting baseliners where the racquet is just not as stable against extreme power. The head heavy balance was designed to compensate for this but is not entirely effective. I would suggest a similar stringing pattern for the Rebel Team as I do for the Rebel 95:

Mains:
Technifibre Pro Red Code, Prince Poly EXP, Klip K-Boom, Babolat Pro Hurricane, Luxlion Big Banger Org. or Big Banger ALU.
Crosses:
Gamma TNT, TNT Fat Core, Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex, Prince Lightning XX Wilson Stamina, Wilson Sensation, Babolat SuperFine Play, Babolat Excel Pemium, or your choice of natural gut.

Comparisons:
Head MicroGel Radical, Volkl Power Bridge 8, Babolat Pure Storm, Wilson K Surge or Wilson K Tour.

Final Analysis:
For the top level tournament player this racquet is a pass. However is you are a USTA League All-Star or a young up and coming junior looking for a control racquet that still provides solid power for all court play the Rebel Team is a solid bet. Players who are upper level 3.0-4.0 are in the ideal range for this stick as are 9-15 year old junior who are not quite at the elite or tournament level.

Frame Statistics:

Weight: 10.2 (unstrung)

Head Size: 95 sq. in.

Swing Weight: 329

Length: 27 in.

Balance: 1 pt Head Heavy

Beam Width: 20mm Straight Beam

Construction: 100% Graphite

Prince EX 03 Rebel Team retails for $169 on the Internet or at your local Prince Dealer.

Jay Wiseman is a certified Master Racquet Technician (MRT) by the United States Racquet Stringers Association (USRSA), a certification that is bestowed upon only the elite racquet and equipment service professionals. Additionally Jay is a certified P-1 Professional by the USPTA and has served as the Head Professional and Pro Shop manager at multiple clubs on the East Coast and Midwest. Jay has previously spent 3 years coaching Division I collegiate women’s tennis and currently serves as a teaching professional at the largest tennis club in Toledo, Oh and is the Head Boy’s & Girl’s Tennis Coach at Sylvania Southview High School.

Wilson K Pro Staff 88

The K Pro Staff weighs in at a staggering (by modern day standards) 12.8 ounces (strung) making it a the heaviest racquet on the market, the 17mm width of the frame belies its stability and head light balance (6pts. HL) makes surprisingly maneuverable for such a weighty stick. The benefit of such a heavy frame is that there is very little vibration even on off center hits. The downside of off center hits however, is that the head is so small that you’ll probably frame the ball if hit it off center! The classic leather grip is a throwback to the golden days of tennis where racquet control and sturdy grip superseded grip comfort and perspiration absorbency. If you like a firm grip and have solid calluses the grip won’t bother you, and if you don’t, you can always re-grip it!

Along with the tiny head (88 sq. in.) it has an equally small sweetspot. The return of the PWS (Perimeter Weighting System) helps keep the racquet head stable and firm. In the event that you are able to find the sweetspot with this baby watch out! You will see exactly why the greats such as Sampras, Edberg, and Federer swore by this frame. Precision control with surprising power! Flat serves jump from the strings with explosive power, returns and ground strokes land with great depth and pinpoint accuracy, and volleys land with superior depth and speed in the exact place you intended. That being said, I only found the sweetspot about 20-25% of the time!

The string pattern is 16×19 and due to the small head size seems relatively tight. Since most players who actually use this racquet will have flatter swings, string life should be on the higher end. Because of the weight and response of the racquet I would caution even top level players in using a hybrid stringing and absolutely advise against using polyester in both mains and crosses and I would advise for all players to use a softer synthetic gut or natural gut. I personally suggest:

Elite players:
If you must use a Hybrid:

Frame Statistics

Update: New Babolat Y Racquets

1. These are good looking racquets. They did a good job with the cosmetics. For The Y 112 and Y 118 there are two color options, a more masculine color scheme, and a lighter more feminine color scheme for the racquets that come with the Smart Grip.
2. The Y 112 Limited is the heaviest of the frames weighing in at 9.7 ounces unstrung. All of the other Y frames all weigh 9 ounces flat.
3. The 112 Limited is even balanced, while the 112 and 118 are 1 pt head heavy.
4. The extended yoke of the racquet (halfway up the head) is called the Side Drivers and is made of high modulus graphite, and the rest of the head has Crystal Graphite.
5. Crystal Graphite is so new and high tech that they haven’t even told the reps what it is!
6. The frames that come shipped with Smart Grip handles can be changed to traditional grips, and Babolat now sells kits to change traditional grips into Smart Grips. This is a great idea!
7. All Y demos will be shipped strung with VS Touch natural gut!
8. Ship dates are mid to late March.

If you are in the market for a light weight game improvement frame. I think that these will be worth a serious look. When I first saw the release video for these frames I predicted that they would be very expensive in the $280-$300 range, but they have kept the prices in check and the will run between $230-$250. I hope to have some photos for you soon!

There are also some bags and backpack slings to go with the new racquets. In addition, Babolat will be introducing a new Synthetic Gut to replace Super Fine Play, which will also be in a new Hybrid with VS Touch 16.

Babolat Introduces New "Y" Racquets

As I wrote about a few days ago, today was the big online launch of Babolat’s new racquets for 2009.

I had thought that this would be the time that they introduced the new Pure Drive and GT+ line, but alas I was wrong…

One of the major criticisms of Babolat as a company is that they focus too narrowly on juust advanced player racquets. To put this criticism to rest they decided to use their online launch today to introduce their new Y racquets.

Yeah that is the name, simply Y. There are five different Y racquets, the Y 112 Limited, Y 112 with a standard and smart grip, and the Y 118 in both standard and smart grips. As you might expect the numbers correspond to the head size of each frame. These are light (sub 10 ounce) big power, game improvement racquets, and feature some new features like a shaft similar to the new Wilson FX frames, and something called Crystal Graphite.

Dates for release were not mentioned, but I will see my rep this weekend and get more specifics, which I will share later. There is a lot more to learn about these Y racquets… Stay tuned for more!