Babolat and Prince Have New Rackets

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 23rd October 2013

Babolat and Prince Have New Rackets

Denmark's Kenneth Carlsen inspects his racket during the match against Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan on Thursday, 25 September 2003 in the Thailand open ATP tennis tournament at the Impact Arena in Bangkok. EPA PHOTO/EPA/VINAI DITHAJOHN// |

Born out of research and feedback from players, Babolat has produced the new Pure Strike racquet.

Designed for “First Strikers” who have an attack-based game and take the ball early, this racquet offers reactivity and precision, thanks to a hybrid frame construction with specific technologies. The Babolat Pure Strike racquet will be available at authorized retail outlets starting mid-January 2014.

As a brand specialized in tennis, Babolat observed that the majority of players today are baseline players. These players fall into two categories based on their position on the line at the moment they hit the ball: “Punchers,” who hit the ball at the top of the bounce while staying behind the line, and “First Strikers,” who have a forward game, playing the ball on the rise.

“First Strikers” primarily play inside the baseline. They play forward, taking the ball early when it’s on the rise, and use the speed of their opponent’s ball to generate power. They need a racquet that is both reactive and precise, because they use every corner of the court to overwhelm their opponent and get the advantage. The Babolat Pure Strike is well suited for them.

“Thanks to a new hybrid frame construction (square and elliptic), the Babolat Pure Strike racquet offers more reactivity at ball impact than any other racquet in this segment. ‘First Strikers’ will find the perfect balance between reactivity and precision,” said Gael Moureaux, Babolat racquets product manager.

To complement the company’s best-selling racquet models—Babolat Pure Drive, Babolat Aeropro Drive and Babolat Pure Storm—Babolat now offers a new racquet with a sleek design: carbon grey paired with neon red.

With the future in mind, the Babolat Pure Strike integrates technologies developed specifically for maximizing reactivity and precision.

So that each “First Striker” finds a racquet perfectly adapted to his game, Babolat introduces four versions of the Pure Strike.

Babolat Pure Strike 18 x 20

Perfect for players who use the entire court to challenge their opponents, this 98 sq. in., 10.8 oz. racquet has the ultimate precision thanks to its 18 x 20 stringing pattern.

Babolat Pure Strike 16 x 19

Power and spin for players who use the speed of their opponent’s ball, thanks to a 16 x 19 stringing pattern. It also had a 98 sq. in. and weighs 10.8 oz. and will be available starting May 2014.

Babolat Pure Strike Tour

This 98 sq. inch heavier model (11.3 oz.)is for competitive players who play forward, hitting the ball immediately after the bounce.

Babolat Pure Strike 100

For players looking for a lighter racquet (10.2 oz. for better maneuverability and a larger head size (100 sq. in) for more forgiveness.

The Babolat Pure Strike will be available mid-January 2014.

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Prince announced the release of their Fall 2013 Racquet Collections including a Classics Series and new performance models featuring their latest technological innovation Extreme String Pattern (ESP) Technology.

“This is an extremely important launch for Prince as it marks the beginning of a new era for the brand and especially for the Prince consumer product strategy,” said Mike Ballardie, CEO of Prince Global Sports. “Our 2013 – 2014 racquet line will meet the needs of every player at every level.

“No longer will we be offering just one technology for all customers. We are listening to what the consumer wants, and this is evident not only in the Fall release but will also be followed through in the new product offerings planned for January 2014 and future seasons.”

With the Classics Series racquets, Prince is bringing back some of the most iconic, well-loved and successful racquets in its history – the Classic Graphite and the Classic Response. Played by legendary players such as Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter, Michael Chang and Monica Seles, these best-selling models are designed for players looking for enhanced spin and control. The Classic Series line will include the Classic Graphite 100, Classic Graphite 100 Longbody, Classic Graphite 107 and the Classic Response 97.

Prince will also introduce racquet models featuring a new Extreme String Pattern (ESP) Technology delivering an aggressive string pattern that is designed to provide up to 30% more spin. The benefits of ESP will be enhanced in these racquets with the inclusion of a built-in Double Bridge vibration dampener that reduces racquet shock and string vibration, and EXO3 Technology that provides edge-to-edge performance and a 54% larger sweet spot.

Racquets with ESP Technology will be available in the Premier Series, designed for the ultimate in power and comfort (Premier 105 ESP and Premier 115L ESP); the Warrior Series, all-around racquets with the perfect blend of power and spin (Warrior 100L ESP and Warrior 100 ESP); and the Tour Series, ideal for players looking for more spin and control (Tour 100T ESP and Tour 98 ESP).

“Tennis is a game that is constantly changing both on and off the court. Players are stronger and more athletic than ever before and advances in product technology are critical to ensure that our products are keeping up with this player evolution,” said Tyler Herring, VP of Product Design and Development for Prince Global Sports.

“With the new ESP technology, we have made a good technology great by incorporating Double Bridge and EXO3 in the frame. Players are able to hit harder, heavier and more consistent shots. And on top of that, pairing these racquets with our new strings will allow them to generate an insane amount of spin.”

Along with the ESP racquets, Prince will introduce a new string line as their racquets are now designed to take advantage of the performance benefits of using a polyester string.

Tour XC (Xtra Control), is a highly durable polyester string with low friction designed to maximize string movement and snapback. For even more spin, Tour XS (Xtra Spin) has a triangular shape to maximize spin with added bite and snapback.

In addition to the racquets and strings, Prince will release two new bag collections – an updated Tour Team Collection in two new colors and a retro inspired Classics Collection that will complement the Classics Series racquets.

Topics: 10sballs.com, Andre Agassi, Babolat, Babolat Pure Strike, Michael Chang, Patrick Rafter, Prince, Tennis, Tennis News

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ikesenmarble says:

October 23, 2013 at 9:18 am

RT @10sBalls_com: Babolat and Prince Have New Rackets: Born out of research and feedback from players, Babolat has produc… http://t.co/kW…