WHY I'D PICK BABOLAT OVER YONEX
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- I highly respect Yonex, of course, yet it may turn out that I have more reasons to pick a Babolat over them. Especially if the main difference, all specs and so on aside, really just boil down to consistency of said specs. Maybe there are more important things to consider!
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:45 Quality Control
03:02 Don't Underestimate China
04:29 The Weird Silver Lining
08:25 Bigger Reasons
09:53 Crooked Crosses
11:53 It Matters To Babolat
13:15 Zero and Wasabi Strings
16:35 Babolat is Thoughtful
23:35 Thank You!
Recently discovered your channel and am loving the content! I purchased a PA98 last month and have been experimenting with strings. Really interested in trying the Wasabi Pro Hybrid and Zero. Would you recommend one over the other if I sometimes have elbow issues with stiffer/harsher strings?
Hello! Good to have to aboard this crazy ship haha. Hmm, I generally say wasabi is a little softer. However, currently, in my 2 PA98s, I have one of each (the pro hybrid and zero at 2lbs lower) and they feel very comparably comfortable.
But I guess generally I'd suggest the Wasabi.
I really enjoy listening your journey on the comprensión of rackets! Tks for all
Thanks for listening!
Hey man, first of all, love your content. I'm going nonstop on em.
I'm actually curious compared to the EZONE 98. First of all, how does it compare on these categories: power, spin, control, maneuverability, comfort, and feel?
Also, is there a big difference in spin? and would customizing the ezone98 give a similar spin potential to the PA 98 if the ezone has less spin?
Lastly, I've noticed that the power (or ball speed?) significantly decreased when not hitting the sweet spot on the pure aero VS (PA98 2020 version). Is the PA 98 or ezone 98 more forgiving in terms of this?
Seriously appreciated.
Hello! Thanks. Lemme try...
I actually feel like it's so similar to the EZONE but offers a bit better feel maybe and control certainly. Spin and all comparable if not a little better, actually. More stable. Everything good I have to say about the EZONE I feel like I could say about the PA98 but my list of good things would be a little longer and cons shorter for the PA98.
All in all, personally, I can't find a reason to strongly or slightly prefer the EZONE 98. I just don't have an angle to see it that way.
Oh and I feel like the sweetspot is pretty fairly sized.
I have two babalot pure drive 2021’s that I currently use (considering switching due to arm issues but I love them), and they play slightly differently and sound VERY different. One has a bit more power, the other a bit more control and consistency. It doesn’t bother me, in fact it actually helps my mental game a bit, but its a point for what you are saying
Interesting. Funny even sound different! Thanks for sharing
Recently switched to PA98 from a strike 98, around the same time you were making the PA98 review video. Just like you have mentioned below a comment, PA98 just seems to perform great in any shots. Btw, I really love your channel, and hope to see more great and genuine contents in the future!
Thank you! I have a good buddy that made the same switch recently. I was comparing the two for a while and I find the PA98 to be more stable and provide better spin especially when you start hitting harder and harder, it becomes more noticable.
@@time410s so true. Higher swing speed give you more stability and precision, and also the balance compared to PS98 give me a little more room for some emergency wrist flip shot lol.
I love the fast angles I can generate with that fast wrist flop. Heavy racquet with heavy handle is a clever setup.
Any thoughts on the PA 98 vs the regular 100? I'm a bit torn as which to go with - I'm 51 now but getting my singles game going where I'm close to getting bumped to 4.5. Really liked the new regular Pure Aero, but wondering if maybe better control / maneuverability with the 98 would be worth the tradeoff of better forgiveness of the 100
Hard to say. I've actually been comparing both and just uploaded a short that kind of made the decision for me regardless of anything like that. Either way the rackets will be very similar in some ways. On paper I'm more attracted to the idea of the extra cross and a thinner beam.
I still get insane spin with this racket and I'm not actually sure you'd get more or less with the 100. I imagine maybe a little more power more easily but that might be too much for me.
Awesome! Will you be including the Percept as well?
I imagine I should wait for it.
Crazy how you post this as I was looking into getting a pa98 this past month. I actually ended up getting the ez98 because of some of your videos lol until I recently tried my friends pa98 and it’s a lot more comfortab
Haha I'm sorry if I distracted from your path! At this time I would prefer the PA98 and don't see me going back to the EZONE.
I'm a big fan of Toroline Wasabi and looking forward to trying restring zero. Have you tried Caviar yet? I have that ready to string up next.
Nice! I have and it's just a typical good string to me. Nothing special. I'm sure it's unique in subtle ways but for me it's just another tour bite or hyper G style string with no distinguishing traits of much matter. Whereas zero and wasabi are pretty inarguably way ahead of the competition for spin and durability, two of the most important things to me.
So much to say. Hope he cares about how racquets play. My favorite attention to detail of the new Aero is how the strings stick out past the recessed bumper channel new. Prince O3 racquets allowed for more string movement from outside of the frame with O holes rather than ironically restricting it with small grommet holes. Ezone had offset crosses to account for crooked strings (Micro Offset Layout) entering/exit top/bottom of opposite cross holes (same with Aero), which had to be strung on one side. I would rachet the drop weight bar to horizontal when advancing strings for accurate tension.
Heyyyy you're the first person to identify that Yonex feature with a name! I was looking for what they called it. Thank you!
I like the small grommet idea as I feel it still has some give that acts as a compromise to the string actually being fully on the other side vs on the inside. It's like a floating section of the mounted end of a string. I like it in theory.
Definitely care how a racquet plays! So far I've honestly not felt my extreme preferences got in the way of what racquet would be best for me otherwise.
Only a few would really suit me super well and maybe it just happens to be a babolat. In my more formative years as a developing player, I was a babolat Aeropro user. So a lot of my technique still clicks with things about racquets like that.
So I think it's a lot of luck, in my case.
Thank You for doing this video
My pleasure!
I’ve just started getting into this last week. The tennis racket rabbit hole is crazy… Ur breadth of obscure knowledge and experience in rackets and strings is respectable. I think you’ve reached nearly the bottom of this arcane rabbit hole though, well done😂. One final thing, natural gut in the crosses, zero in the mains 😮 with a leather grip…? Ok, now we reached the bottom
Haha thank you! I think I've mostly reached it as well. It's been helpful in making me much more efficient in testing a racquet or even bothering to and the preferences I've acquired after so much testing and careful observation is pretty fun to have, even if I'm picked on a bit for it!
Lol, zero....that strings best features, for me, standout best in a full bed OR with Wasabi. But we now have Toroline coming out with some round Wasabi which is an awesome addition to these crazy spin friendly and durable strings which are second to none.
Very grateful for Toroline and ReString.
I've also never used gut for my own racquets. I just assume they will break too much, cost too much, be harder to string, cost me snapback...can't do it. Too many big sacrifices and idk what for.
But if you try it with zero, lmk!
PA100 would be more precise with good power when compared to 98 or 97 head shaped racquets?
I wouldn't necessarily say that.
ive used babolat pure drive for quite some time now and really enjoy the easy access to power and spin, but recently ive found it quite hard to control. would you recommend this racquet as a more controlled babolat without giving up too much power/spin potential?
Can always just embrace the pure drive for its pros and cons and just work on improving control. Or you could string tighter/switch to a more controlled string. The pure aero 98, pure drive 98, and pure strike 98 are all more controlled whilst still having good free pop on serves and putaway power
I would for sure look into changing strings or tension well before a new racket as a new racket is expensive and can mess with all your muscle memory and tecnique youve spent years mastering with the pure drive
I would, actually. It's going to be similar in many ways but might be a touch more of that control you want. Try it out!
I'm curious how you feel the PA98 compares to the regna? I'm currently playing with PAVS and like both the PA98 and Ezone, but want something with a little more feel if possible. Would you swap to the regna if the price and grommets weren't an issue or do you still like the way to PA98 plays more? If so why?
Good question! If Regna had the small grommet holes and no crooked crosses, it would certainly be a tighter comparison.
I imagine the PA98 still produces a bit more shape and spin. The pattern is still more openly spaced even with that extra cross.
Feel wise I certainly prefer the PA98 over EZ98. I actually don't know if there's much I prefer the other way around. I like the PA98 a lot.
Hard to say.
@@time410s That's good to know. I only had a the PA98 for a week but compared to my PAVS, the ezone just has a little bit of extra dwell time that I thought gave me a little more feel/control. My hope was that the regna would be an even better version of that without the trampoline effect that I sometimes felt with flat hitting on the EZ.
I liked the PA98 when I demoed it, but I think I've had second thoughts since then because I've seen mixed reviews as to whether it's actually less stiff than the PAVS which is what I'm looking for.
Interesting. I feel better dwell on the 98 but it could really depend how you string.
I have the pure aero 98. It has alot of power for a 98 because of the open string pattern. It needs a 1.30mm string size.
I like 17. But I know what you mean. Older pure aero regular was even more open! I can't, on those 😅
Which Vcore Pro were you looking at? Was it the 18x20?
All of them.
Also have you tried the Wilson Ultra Pro 18x20? Would probably be difficult to play with but it’s sexy AF in the newer blue paint job.
I have! It's a nice paint job.
@@time410s nice! How did it play or is that a future video?
It was fine. I didn't think to make content with it. Content is always tempting but I try to focus on what actually matters to me in the present moment. That way my heart is more in it and it's an actual timeline of my journey.
Do you prefer Restring zero over wasabi. I just got the PA 98 and looking for a new string
Haha I have a video coming out next explaining that but essentially, no. They are both so good but I explain the differences enough that you should be able to tell if one might be better for you. Still good to try both
I live in a country with little-to-no demo opportunities, and definitely no matching service. Most pro shops are coach affiliated and I doubt any but a few in the whole country have quality control of swingweight. Yonex having tighter spec tolerance matters for us when new rackets here are $450+, reduces the risk
Might be a nice country to have that sw tool! Everyone would want your matching services 😉
Perfectly agree
I put Alu Power Rough in my Gravity Pro. Is Restring or Wasabi better than Alu Power at tension maintenance? Alu Power Rough leaves me defenseless at the net with short slow balls. Little to no feel very boarding when there's cat and mouse at the net. It's feels different from Big Banger.Fine if changing racquets every 9 games like Pros. Unfortunately noticeably less time retaining tension. Another awkward but necessary question. Do either Wasabi or Restring have better power?
Zero has some of the best tension maintenance I've ever seen! Wasabi seems at least pretty average at worst. It's not bad but not something to show off like it is for Zero.
Power...I hear mixed things. You'll have to try for yourself. I think it's a bit on the lower side if you take all of the examples out there.
@@time410s I was using Head Hawk Soft in the Gravity Pro Demo. Some say almost as good as Alu Power. I'd say better in all honesty... Not gone on this Alu Power. It's got power but OOF! The worst* string for spin I've used in many a good year and I'm using Alu Power Rough. I should have put gut in the crosses, my mistake.
Yep I have Pure Aero 98, strung swing weight 313 tad off, but going to try Yonex Percept 305 18/19 they up the stiffness sounds tempting.
Those racquets are very different, an ezone or a Vcore would be more similar to the pure aero.
I'm sure I'd prefer the stiffer percept to the VCORE pros but we shall see!
@@time410s I just had a hit of Percept 100D and 100 straight off the stringing machine, the other models were gone already. They had a very clean crisp feel and are stiffer, I'd say the strings need to break in a bit but I'm recovering from tennis elbow and had no pain afterwards,, The weight of the 100D 305g with strings, dampner and over grip was 334g but was very fast to swing.
I bet I like the new gen better too
But actually do you feel that you play better tennis with PA98 vs Ezone 98 or these are just those preferences that made you switch?
Both. The preferences are very strong but I wrote off the EZONE quite some time ago anyway, before my most recent preferences.
Preferences make me want to prefer a racket. I think I'm getting very lucky here but maybe my preferences have merit to what I'm looking for sometimes.
@@time410s thanks, i'm ezone 98 user but maybe i'll try the PA98 one day
Nice. Yeah, the first time I tried this PA98 it was against the EZONE 98 and I still had great things to say about it at the time. So I liked it right away and just kept looking. Now, I'm back.
Can you try stringing the PA98 with solinco confidential 1.15 guage at 52lbs? Really interested to hear what you think of this set up
Hmm. I don't think so because I'm extremely loyal to my strings of choice largely because I know they will get better spin and last twice as long as confidential. However, many reference confidential as a string that feels similar to zero so zero might be worth a try for you if you like confidential!
@@time410s I've hit with both in the PA98. Better bite with Zero. Looks cooler. And definitely better snapback... I don't think you can appreciate just how well Zero maintains even mains and crosses and avoids notching until you try it. I don't break polys in the first 10-15 hours and that held true with Confidential, but I didn't get as much spin, I got some notching, and noticed uneven spacing after rallies between mains and crosses quickly.
Even after 15+ hours zero has pretty minimal notching and "shape maintenance".
And did I mention it looks cooler?
@@time410s i tried the zero and i found it not as good as confidential in 1.15 guage. I’ll try the zero again at a few different tensions. That’s why i was curious as to your opinion.
@@lyndseyandandrew5771 was it 1.15 guage in confidential? What tension you playing with the zero?
It also looks cooler! Haha I'm glad you see what I mean. Really nothing quite like it.
Have you tried the Pure Strike VS?
I have not but thought about it. Then I noticed a single grommet hole allowing for 1 crooked cross and I couldn't haha. I might actually have OCD a little bit or something.
I too don't seem to get along well with Yonex, but I did notice that while the weight and balance of my Ezones was about the same the swing weight between 5 different racquets varied a ton. This went the same for the prior version of the Vcore 98. Swing weight has a much larger impact on my hitting than either weight or balance. And unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing that you can do to reduce swing weight short of cutting the handle length. On the Ezone + the cutting 1/4" of the handle reduced swing weight by 9 pts, and you only lose 1g.
Yeah this is true. SW is the hardest meatric to stabilize. I feel like Yonex is a little better on average but not enough to matter entirely. Balance for me is a big deal but that can be adjusted more easily.
Off subject but curious if you have any thoughts on the new head gravity
I do but I guess I didn't do a video on it. I perhaps should!
@@time410s I find it so interesting that Head didn’t release the Tour in the US (I actually had one shipped to me from Sweden). I loved the pro, but ultimately it was too heavy, but the Tour feels like the sweet spot. I’m mostly curious to hear your thoughts on a video on “power” and the real differential between rackets. The gravity rackets are not known for power, but I’ve never been able to really tell if lower differential is a huge deal assuming you have competent strokes.
I actually went pretty deep to find a tour model as well! How's the spin vs gravity?
Waiting for your review of ezone 2022 100 with PTP
I dount players will a yonex racquet fot money ... Uktimately you have to win matches on the pro tour
Finally did you add to your babolaot pluses thry have caused a lot of arm injuries too ?
Dunno if I'll do that specifically with PTP or at all since the EZ series isn't of much interest to me anymore and I did a lot on the 98.
What are your thoughts on the PA98 vs the older PAVS?
I have 2 of both and imo the VS plays more solid. 98's feel hollower. But still play very well!
Haven't done a side by side. There are two generations of the PA VS, right? One with a tour model and then the one after. Now, this?
Grommets on the older one are different. I feel like I'd prefer these more...I hear it's a bit more comfortable and stable as well.
Think I should compare? It's kind of hard to come by now and I don't love that about it haha.
@@time410s you’re right, there are 2 generations of the PAVS. The 2016 and the 2020. I was referring to the 2020, which is the one i’m using as my main stick now.
I feel you on the difficulty with accessing older rackets. I had to specially import my 2 PAVS 2020 from different countries as i bought them towards the end of the product cycle and the shops where I’m at no longer had any stock left (and didn’t want to wait and gamble on the new PA98 being a good fit).
I’ve been keeping tabs on the PAVS 2020 and PA98 comparisons since. Been seeing highly varied feedback on stability, comfort, feel and power. So i’m not sure what to make of it. I’d be keen to get your thoughts on it! If you manage to get your hands on a PAVS
@@fingersm thanks for sharing your experience! I’ve heard a lot of mixed views on how solid/stable they are, i think because there are 2 different variables changed - stiffness and swing weight. The PA98 has a higher swing weight but lower stiffness, so for some the higher swing weight made it more stable while for others the lower stiffness made it feel less solid.
What’s your view on power/control and comfort?
I was mostly curious about that generation because of the "spin grommets" on the throat mains but I ultimately decided I might not prefer them anyway
I agree completely but I still bought a Percept 100D after playing with PD's for the last 11 years
Nice. Sometimes we just want something really different after a while, that's a fair reason.
Babolat should pay this channel some royalty on the PA98 sold. I'm one of the many viewers on this channel who recently switched to PA98.
Hehe thanks! It's ok. It allows me to be critical of their racquets as well. Best thing for me would be getting commission on a sale with a shop. Maybe I'll get a TW deal sometime but I don't think I'd be allowed to be so critical with such deals so I'm hesitant to get them.
Probably this video will clarify for everyone all the questions about quality and their importance.
ruclips.net/video/YVs-Suu-ljE/видео.html
Yonex best racquet is the Regna which is really good! but then its soo limited you cant count it. Their next best is the ezone which really depends on your playstyle. Yonex is a great brand but their racquets apart from the Ezone are bit specialized in someway so they don't target a wide demographic
I think percept opened up it's audience a bit more than the vcp did. I kinda know what you mean. EZONE probably widest coverage.
@@time410s I agree with you, the new percept has a lot more coverage than the old VCP. I think what I meant is the regna and the ezone are like the allrounders from Yonex...along with maybe one or two percept raquets in there.
That sounds right to me! The REGNA kinda plays like a percept while feeling a bit more like an EZONE but way better imo. Hard to describe that racquet.
Generally I really don't like Babolat racquets, but may try the Babolat Aero 98 now. It seems to play like the Ezone 98 2022 and Vcore 95 2023 baby...
I liked the EZONE but I like this a lot better.
I tested 3 aero 98 in the shop. All 3 way apart in everything. And they had only 3.
Not surprised. I got unbelievably lucky that mine happened to be matched. I picked them up from different shops as well haha, go figure.
It's funny how nearly every PRO is using either a Yonex V core...... or a Wilson Blade these days. I miss the good old Babolat days ;). I had a Yonex years ago and It just didn't mesh with my game style, so it's been a Pure Drive since 2003.
Fair but...do they actually? Because most of them are just paint jobs. Most aren't actually using a blade that have the paintjob. I think slightly more are using a vcore but a lot of those are painted only as well.
@@time410s I don't think any top 10s are using a pure drive anymore... lots of Aeros.. in saying that Rafa still uses a Aero Pro Drive frame from 2004-2005, with a paint job. Your right, lots of paint jobs around with the pros using different Gen frames.
@matmac888 yeah that line seems to have started for him. Soft drive? Something like that. I think he's using that same mold still. If I had to guess I think about 10% or less of the pros are using what it looks like.
Take Giron. He actually is using the 97D right now it seems but before that, it was the older VCORE 95 painted like the newer models.
I thought you said in previous video that you’re switching to Yonex vcore 98 as you loved it 🤣
Lol is this a joke
Used to be an 2022 EZ98 player myself but now I’m loving my PA98s, as it is such a versatile racquet! Can hit huge serves/groundies but also touch shots and droppers. Also has room for customization but also plays well stock.
Totally
I have 2 Vs and 2 98 all 4 are so close to spec it is amazing
Well said! Honestly it does everything well haha
Same I tried my friends PA98 and for some reason I’m starting too like it more then my ez98. I always had PA98 in the back of my head even before it came out but I wanted ezone to be my racquet
loll lemme know if you make the switch haha.
The aero is so trash...no feel whatsoever - everything just flies. If it feels like control your UTR just be at the beginner/intermediate level for sure
I agree. Babolat’s design is very good. Great video
It really is! Thanks for watching.
right decision 🎾💪
Lol thank you 😂
I'm interested in pure aero but am I the only one that hates the paint job?
I didn't love it at first. Then I went from not caring to kind of liking it.
Either way, if I pick these officially, it'll be getting a custom paint job.
Demo'd yonex ezone, vcore, and percept, head radical, and babolat pure drive. Winner for me was percept, second favorite radical, least favorite was pure drive.
Makes sense if you liked those two most! I really enjoy the new Percept lineup
I used to have 2 Pure Aero, one was 5 mm shorter and 10 gr lighter. Balance was different too. That's way too much error, it was a complete different racquet.
That's weird. Are you sure you measured the lengths unstrung? That level of weight discrepancy is normal but the length is usually extremely consistent. However some people measure one strung racket to another and don't realize that can change the length when not done perfectly. Or when the strings lose tension especially in a hybrid.
But I'm also willing to believe that your rackets were that off. It's not entirely unheard of. However it should be easier to control that vs controlling weight and balance etc. Length tends to be very consistent
@@time410s Well the comparison was between the "banana" 2019 and Aero Rafa 2021 and I never weight them unstung. With dampener, overgrip, and strings, the banana was 330g and the Rafa 340g. I didn't measure the length unstrung either, so It's also very possible that a tight stringing or bad stringing was the reason of those 5 mm shrinking.
I see! Yeah just as the strings loosen up they might loosen up differently between mains and crosses... That definitely happens. Mystery!
I want to know what the ezone 100 SL would play like heavily customized with its 16x18 string pattern
Dang probably way too launchy haha the 98 already is a bit powerful for my taste.
Post this as I’m debating the aero 98..
Good timing! What's the other one?
Samee😂
Marcelos Rios and Nalbandian played Yonex ,,, two of my faves, Hewitt and Hingis also Yonex,
That's awesome! I get excited for Shapo and really appreciated his backhand when I was interested in hitting a 1 hander. I like a lot of players on the Yonex side.
@@time410s i thought Shapo was going to be the nextgen breakout star, McEnroe picked him early. Why has he slid? I'm not following him but saw he is down in the rankings.
Yeah I'm not sure. I just love the potential of his tennis but realizing it is another thing. The talent and physicality is all there. But that's true for all the top players. Mentality, patience, things like that can add up to a few points here and there and that's enough of a difference to separate the great from the very best.
@@time410s MAC had the most deadly LH slice serve of his era (maybe of all time?) and MAC saw the Shapo slice as the weapon that would move the returner into the alley to open up the court for easy winners plus MAC liked other aspects of his game. Back to Nalbandian, among tennis junkies like myself he is the most talented player never to win a major. He had an early H2H edge against Federer and was known as the Fed Killer. His backhand is regarded as one of the most accurate of all time and he is regarded as a "pure ball striker." . And Nalbandian made his reputation with Yonex - and he wore the Yonex shirt and headband/bandana shoes I believe and so he was Yonex head to toe. Rios? Again, regarded as magical shot maker - he played the Yonex RD 7. If you have not seen it watch his title match in the Lipton Cup v. Agassi. One of the most fun vintage matches to watch - stands filled with Chileans waving flags and shouting for Rios who, by winning this match, became the no. 1 player ion the world. Perhaps Rios' finest moment on court. And his proud father in the stands, Marcelos' pretty young GF, his coach, the talented Larry Stefanki and the gushing announcers - Mary Carrillo and the rest. All under the bright Miami sunshine. Rios chucks his RD 7 into the crowd after he wins the final point. The entire match is online here are the highlights: ruclips.net/video/Q7YD9FfELEI/видео.html
Pa 98 is better than 100?
Think I prefer it. I mean, I have some things I look at that will make or break a racquet but if I put that a aside it would seem the 98 is more my style. Thinner beam and an extra cross string. That alone is big. I'll compare the two soon! Please stay tuned for that.
@@time410s Is a 98 head much less dynamic than a 100?
Dynamic is a funny word choice here because it could be taken both ways. I prefer the 98 because, to me, it's range of playability seems more diverse and therefore I would consider it more dynamic. But someone might think the extra bit of power from the 100 might mean it's more dynamic however I feel that corners you into playing or hitting a certain way more often than the 98 does. And the 98 already feels plenty powerful but perhaps some might want more of prefer it for different reasons than I would.
@@time410s you know I mean a single hit or is it felt when building action and finishing element
I'd say it always requires a bit more effort to keep it in the court, either with more spin or really good depth control. It's pretty powerful.
Yayaya i have two Babolats Aero 98 and different between 7 grams.... good luck
Haha yeah that's pretty typical.
Here's a problem I have with Babolat, if you buy two Aero Pro 98's, TW clams they will weight match them to within one gram of each other, so why aren't these tight tolerances maintained during the manufacturing process in the first place?
Well, matching isn't tolerance, right?
And having the factory actually match a given spec vs pair racquets close in spec would honestly maybe double the production time and cost everyone too much money down the line. That's largely what separates a pro stock from retail is that extra time taken.
@@time410s But doesn't Yonex have the highest tolerances in the business and there prices are still in line with the other manufacturers, except for the Regna of course!
They definitely do. Yonex takes the extra steps to ensure this and other companies just don't. It's very Japanese to do this haha. But they are a more industrious country than the other countries these racquets are made from. So it makes sense they outsource to China and Yonex does it in house.
@@time410s Have you tried any of the pro stock frames, besides the Regna?
Just in general? I've tried H19s and h22s. I think a TGT something from head and some Pro stock gravity I actually owned. It was 27.7 in with a slightly different layup and flex.
There are a couple more but I totally forget what they are called since the names are totally unmemorable.
Yonex all the way 🎉
I respect this
yuck.another yonex bandwagon. Ezone does nothing special
E zone is an upgraded pyre drive lol
upgraded? no stability or plow through but you do you boo@@tomathome77
Been looking at pure aero 98 for a while now 😩😊
What's stopping ya?
@@time410s I guess I need to demo it first.just been going crazy buying different racquets. Bought an Ezone 100 and was content with it on first few hits. Now I can’t keep the ball in so I’m wondering if it’s the tension or I was just in the honeymoon phase
@@time410s also I kinda don’t like using things that are overly popular like you lol it bugs me for some reason
Ha, that EZONE is honestly super powerful. I preferred the 98 because it had a bit less power and better spin for me. The 100 was a bit flatter hitting for me and more powerful.
Also, absolutely understand your resistance to super mainstream rackets. Anytime everybody is doing a thing, it kind of annoys me because I feel like they're doing it just because everyone else it and not thinking for themselves. Which is actually the case sometimes but sometimes it's just also a great thing.
There is data base which says it's not better then others strings. They count them in hours and is around 10-15. Lynx tour is listed for 15 hours. Zero is listed for 12......so a lot of marketing. I play with different strings and all last over 10 hours.
Odd how those all break twice as fast and lose tension more quickly. Idk what kinda tests they do. Totally incorrect compared to my personal experience. Plus, better is so subjective but durability or spin as an isolated quality of the string I find very hard to debate. Literally everyone I've had try it also agrees. Haven't had a single person say it's less durable or doesn't get as much spin as A or B. It's always more.
@@time410s playability and breaking strings are two different things. Usually I cut the strings before they break because of the tension loss.
I gotcha. I would break most strings before tension loss was really noticed. Again, for me, that meant a week or less.
I wonder what their metric for playability is. I just disagree with what I heard about them from this database you mentioned but that's ok to disagree. Fact is, I really like them and find them highly playable.
So since that is the reality for me, that's what matters to me. And that's the perspective I should speak from; mine
But it also happens to correlate with literally every example I know. Surely someone out there will disagree but it truly might be few and far between.
Just my 2 cents
Interesting to see a lot of ATP pros switching to Yonex these days
True! They definitely are. I wonder how much of it is them vs Yonex making some big moves with contracts to be a top player in the consumer market.
Quality control...More like tolerance control...
Great points made here! But it’s hilarious you’re advocating for more racquets not made on spec...
Lolol it's silver lining. Looking at the bright side. The reality is, it benefits me because I have the tools to select the one with the variation in my favor. For me, now, it would actually be a bummer to not have that variation. It's as if there's a pure aero 98 lite and pro out there and I'll be able to find it.
Indeed, funny.
Honestly maybe companies could just measure them and label it light or heavy. Idk. That would be more work and a lot of people don't care enough either way.
Crazy world. Idk what to say haha but I have my own way to navigate it now and I'm thankful.
Super strange
Babolats are great raquets, but they do come at the expense of your Shoulder, Elbow over time.
I feel like some Yonex ones could too like ezone and vcore. But I can see your point but I felt more that way a few years ago when their puredrives and so on was near 70RA.
The Pure Strike was not friendly to my arm after 3 years. Once I switched to the vcore pro a year ago, I’ve had no problems since
What you are describing is my story of life in a way. I loved their quality but unfortunately after DR line, duel G and Sv core and with the introduction of VDM they become so muted that they were almost unplayable for me. Whenever i was going back to my blades it was like i was having a feel/ball connection overdose. And when i say feel i also refer to how i feel the weight distribution….. yonex to me feels disconnected on so many levels….. even in the way i feel them swinging through the air. Seriously i don’t get the overhype for example of the latest v core 98….. better than previous model but still muted and you cannot in any way be safe with flat game. Ezone is a lot better but still it became more difficult to use. In general even Babolats despite their high stiffness have miles better ball connect than yonexes.
I have a theory about the isometric being a potential contributor to this as well. Planning that video soon... Hope to see you there!
That is also my main issue with Yonex racquets these days. After the DR they became too muted for my taste, so I ended up with the Radical MP. I should also add that for some strange reason Yonex grip size is usually bigger than it should be. The L2 grip on my Ezone has a circumference of 4 3/8". As @time410 said the the video weight and balance is more of a tolerance than quality issue, and I can agree with that, but an important quality issue can be paint quality. A few years ago I had serious issues with paint quality on Pure Aero racquets. I am not using Babolats lately, so they might be better these days from that regards.
@@solyomandras I prefer 360plus RMP over Auxetic version. It’s more raw and harsh. New one is way too soft for my taste and found it a little bit more muted. Also 360+ felt to offer more free power too. I would have switched to RMP myself too if it had a little bit more open pattern….. it’s top notch on hard courts but on clay courts i need a little bit more free spin :)
@@TheodorosKolokotronis799 I am using the 360+, and not planning to go for the Auxetic. I have a kind of "older & flat hitter" game style, so the control oriented string pattern of the RMP fits me fine.
@@solyomandras did you try pro staff, blade or extreme tour ?
Can't say yonex only has 3 series and then list the different head sizes of Babolat as equalling a series of racquet 🤣🤣🤣 if anything Babolat is the limited brand cause they just have two light powerful racquets and one semi control racquet. Yonex actually has heavy and 95s so far more variety.
Not to mention the different head shape which is unique to yonex - obviously they "care" about that in their engineering and design process.
How much did Babolat pay you for this video 🤣
Fair. But is the strike and pure strike vs different or same lineup? I get the lines are blurred.
Wow, what a strange concept: "It is better to choose o brand which has got bigger variation in specs ( due to not wery tight quality control) between same model of racquet as, if you test many enough racquets, you might find the exact racquet which match your style PERFECTLY...WOW😮 And then what If I need seccond and third identical spare racquet??? Good luck with that... test another " million " of them hoping to find another 2 identical to your first one...??? What about just buying 3 indetical racquets ( perfect quality and perfect controlled specs due to high standard quality control) and then you just add a few grams of weight there and there to suit you most . EASY🌞
It's a silver lining perspective. Is the only way to do what you express by buying Yonex? Because if it is then you're limited to Yonex and if not then what you're saying works for any brand which brings me back to the idea that this discrepancy isn't a big deal when you find ways to manage them.
And for me, with the tools and access to all kinds of racquets, it's actually nice.
Let me preface my comment by saying; I usually like your videos but you lost me on this one. I can’t tell if you’re shilling for Babolat, Restring-Zero, Wasabi or all three? I have the Aero 98 and it’s a fun racket to hit with but compared to the Ezone , it feels hollow and cheap. There’s a distinct difference In buying something that’s manufactured in Japan vs China. I believe the materials,quality and the manufacturing used by Yonex are superior and the hitting experience reflects that. However, choosing a racket is all based on preference. Just like choosing a girlfriend, a car, a house, etc. Everyone has a preference and not everyone is going to agree. This allows a lot of racket manufacturers to stay in business, despite some of these companies offering less then desirable products. If you’re a touring pro you can hit with anything and have success. The average club player is going to be a little more selective about what they play with, they’re looking for something that feels right, elevates their confidence and adds something to their game. That’s one of the reasons Yonex continues to impress me.
Interesting comment. I don't shill anything. I only use stuff I actually want to use because I want to use it. Generally because it's something I consider to be the best or my favorite. My opinions are not bought.
I also have to disagree with the comment about a touring pro and the implication they would be less picky. They have every reason to be picky when their professional career is on the line. Their reasons to be picky or the weight of their decisions are much heavier than a club player.
Both can be picky, both can also not be. It's highly personal.
I tried for a long time to stick with the EZONE but my annoyances with it persisted so regardless of whatever quality case can be made, the fact is that I still prefer the pure aero 98. It feels better, to me.
Not saying it's objectively a better racquet but I made a fair case about a level of detail that is found on the Babolat and not the Yonex.
I don't know how one would go about the truth in quality of materials. Japan is stereotyped as being better but that's sometimes just based on the old one of China being cheap.
It's actually more so the case that China has more updated factories and techniques because their suppliers are much larger and demand something more competitive and modern. Japan can more often afford to do things a more traditional way.
So it's not as simple as it's better because it's Japanese. On a broad scale, that would be an ignorant thing to claim. On the small scale of tennis racquets, what's the evidence? It "feels" better? Too subjective.
And tolerance control I separated from quality control and that's also something I'll stand by as an important distinction so hopefully you don't blur the lines too much there to make a case. They really should be separate but I can see why it might imply care... At best.
Long reply! Thanks for reading if you did and thanks for being a viewer.
I agree with you 100%. Always choose quality and consistency. When a product has got great quality " paint" and precise specs, the story about that product doesn't stop in " paint" ... it is everything behind the scenes: the original idea, the quality design done by experienced designers who cares about everything ....including the " paint"😊
@@Gabriel-MagicMusic I subscribe to his channel and I usually like the content, but this video was bizarre. I also don’t understand the obsession with grommet size and parallel drilling. I don’t know, I just didn’t get this video at all. I’m all about quality and I think Yonex is far superior to anything on the market right now, but what do I know?
@MrStudGuy I perfectly agree with you. I like his videos as well but this one felt off...something behind the scenes...🤔
Lemme put it this way: I would prefer if Yonex made this Babolat racquet but they don't. And all things considered I'd still take this Babolat over the yonex options because it suits my tennis better and it satisfies my obsessions, including small grommets and parallel drilling.
But I don't think Babolat is poorly made. Do you? They just don't take the extra steps to balance it out or make them weigh the same but they do sell matched rackets and Yonex does not! That's actually quite a bit deal, please consider that. And two matched Babolats will be closer in spec than 2 random Yonex ones.
i broke 2 babolat pure drives, i dont want to play with babolat no more
Oh dang! My friends broke during a hit last month but it was like 10 years old and he hits hard to I don't knock Babolat for that one
@@time410s also , i bought a wilson blade v7 to replace dr 98(my friend wants it back), do you think thats a good idea
i absolutely love de 98 but can't find someone selling a used one for cheap
That's only getting harder. Don't think it'll be easy!
@@time410s what does it meann
24 minutes of this my god
There will be more
Wouldn't be shocked if you were an Aero Press guy...
I'm not allowed to speak on that 😉
@@time410s closest I've gotten to that coffee shop taste at home!
Ohhhh you're making some next level jokes! I thought Aero press like I'm a press guy for Babolat hahaha. Maybe you meant both. I had no idea that Aeropress was a coffee thing. I'm far from being a coffee connoisseur but I do appreciate a good cup.
Babolat is way better in every way!
Even tolerance control?
Errrr….how many people get the chance to pick a racquet with the kind of tolerance variation they’re looking for. If you like Babolat, get a Babolat. But claiming that a wider tolerance is an advantage is just silly.
When you have the tools, how is it not an advantage? Plus it's a silver lining thing. I'm not literally saying you should get other brands specifically for that reason but it's a legit thing to appreciate when you want something below spec.
@@time410s even when you have the tools, how would that work? You buy a bunch of Babolat racquets, measure them, keep those that meet your needs and return the rest? Maybe the stores you buy from allow you to pick your racquets but where I’m located no store will allow you to do that.
Yeah either option. A bunch, could just be 3 and you pick 2 or 1. Depends what you need. Honestly when you care that much too get good swingweight you need to do this with Yonex anyway but maybe a little less often. I'll have to make a case about that in a future video. Balance and things might be closer but swingweight can vary quite a lot still.
vcore is def mushy. Zero plow and stability. Love my pure drive 2021
Haha those racquets are opposites! I like my PA98 and it's closer to that Pure Drive end of the spectrum but not quite all the way.
i also tried the ezone 98 and 100 and it didnt stand out to me. Also very diffcult to custimize with lead tape. Love the PA 98! I just bought it actually.@@time410s
Ayyyyee nice!!
how do I handle pace with this raquet? Short take back and complete the follow through? I have it currently strung with Hyper G at 52lbs. I find I don't have a complete swing it lands short. SHould I be going lower in tension?@@time410s
Yeah I love trash QC. Love 325 SW when i expect 316. More stable, who needs an arm lol
It is an annoying surprise. I got my SW1 for a reason. It's nice to be able to shop with more control over that factor now but I agree it's annoying. However, it's understandable. Only takes a gram or two to make that difference. Very tight tolerance.
OCD: Tennis Edition
...respectfully 😂. Really great channel, learning heaps
Lol someone might take offense. Maybe OCD is more like it if you insist on using debilitating mental conditions to reference passion in a video. But none taken here 😅
Yeah but goofy shape good :(
The isometric?
Interesting... this video is great propaganda for customizing junkies!
It's all a conspiracy to sell more of the SW1bl by Briffidi 😂
Ha, ha, hav...you are smart. You got it. I hope others got it, too.🤔
Imagine spending years buying and investigating minutiae in various racquets to end up with the most popular racquet with average club players - the aero98
Ha, even by the logic, though, there was no other way because this racquet just came out. Either way, no shame. I'm very impressed by it.
That knowledge really hasn't gone to waste no matter how popular a racket you end up with. At the very least you know you're making an informed choice. That's better than using a popular racket just because it's popular or because some people on a forum say great things about it or using a racket that gets your ego going rather than the logical side of your brain, with these approaches accounting for most players racket choices in the world, not including higher level players and pros (who make up a smaller percentage of the tennis population). It's probably not limited to that though. You have that knowledge. You can further grow it. Perhaps it leads to further tweaks/customisation to refine your preferences and juice more from your equipment for your personal game. You can probably help others along the way as well.
The end goal shouldn't be to find some hidden gem because it sounds more like something to go hand in hand with a fair bit of knowledge and experience. It should be to find something that actually helps you play the best version of your current tennis. You can't really choose what that will be. And funny enough, it could end up being one of the world's most popular rackets.
I myself have some knowledge when it comes to racket performance, customisation (what happens when you do what, the pros and cons of doing this and that) and I've successfully helped people find equipment that suits them. I'm also an advanced player. You know what my two favourite frames are? The Pure Drive and the Aero 98. Currently actually using a Pure Drive custom setup with matched rackets. It doesn't really play much like a standard Pure Drive. But I actually love the Aero 98 in stock at its average listed specs and if I'm being honest I play better tennis with it. The only reason I'm hesitant is that part of my process includes distributing weight where I want it and having silicone/blue tac in the handle, and the Aero 98 outside of getting my hands on some underspec shockers makes that a little hard to do.
Haha, good points! I made a comment in how I was a bit of an Anti-Babolat guy. That was largely for how they felt at the time but how annoyingly popular they were. They were so popular, I figured most are just buying it because they're popular! So, I wrongly assumed they are not great rackets (somewhat) but these days I'm more separated from that and I think today's babolat's are more to my taste anyway.