Monthly Archives: December 2021
Racquet Review 2022 Babolat Aero Pro Drive
RAFA NADAL’s Longtime Racquet with a wild new look!
The first time I saw this new Babolat Aero Pro Drive I thought “VAMOS RAFA”. The Racquet looks absolutely crazy. I think your game will improve from just how cool this racquet looks on the court. Rafael Nadal‘s racquet of choice, the Babolat Pure Aero Rafa is here. This racquet features the same cosmetic as the one he plays with on tour. The Pure Aero Rafa features the same specifications as the 2019 Pure Aero of which I am the proud owner of 4 of those racquets. The driving force for the Aero series is the Aeromodular beam construction for less wind drag and increased racquet head speed. The Pure Aero incorporates Babolat’s Cortex Pure Feel to make the response a little more arm friendly at contact. The tech comes from a partnership with SMAC, a company with long standing ties to the aerospace industry specializing in shock and vibration reduction. SMACWRAP, a thin viscoelastic rubber has been placed at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions of the Pure Aero for outstanding feel and comfort. Babolat added the CARBON PLY STABILIZER to improve stability. CPly Carbon was developed by Chomorat, a French industrial company, and added above the throat of the racquet for more precision and stability. FSI Spin incorporates an open string pattern with oblong shaped grommets for easier access to spin while the established Woofer grommet system enhances the interaction between the ball and strings. The Pure Aero Rafa is just over 11 ounces strung, 27 inches long, and features a 16×19 string pattern. This makes for a very maneuverable, arm friendly racquet that produces a lot of spin and accuracy on all of your favorite shots. If you are looking to add spin, power and touch to your game, look no further than the 2022 Babolat Aero Pro Drive. Be on the lookout for the new Pure Aero Rafa RHx12 bag!.
Here is a video of my top spin forehand and backhand using the 2019 Babolat Aero Pro Drive. You can see lots of top spin action.
Problem with the Forehand. 5 quick fixes
- Get a grip. Make sure you are using the correct grip for the forehand. If you are a right-handed player a solid grip is the eastern forehand grip which would be bevel number 2 for the right-hander view. Same bevel number 2 for the left-hander view. The eastern forehand grip will steady your forehand stroke because the contact point is relatively flat and with the proper swing, the ball can be easily brushed up against to cause the ball to spin in the court.
2. Take back on your backswing too long. If your forehand continues to give you problems after correcting your grip you may be taking your racket back too far on your backswing. With the eastern forehand grip, a large backswing is not required as the contact point is flat and a simple brush up on the ball is all that is required for.
3. You are letting the racket head drop too early on the back swing. The racket head needs to stay above the shoulders on the backswing. As you progress towards the hitting the ball, the racket needs to make a loop from the backswing to the contact point causing the racket to brush up on the ball creating top spin and providing net clearance and depth on your shot.
4. You are not following through on your swing, and stopping your swing after you make contact. This will cause the shot to lose power and spin. This is a very common problem for beginners and even some intermediates. All of the effort goes into the grip, backswing, keeping the racket head up, but there is no follow through on the shot, thus canceling out all of the previous steps.
5. You are not getting to the ball and preparing early enough. If you have successfully corrected the first 4 steps and still struggling with the forehand, you may not be getting to the ball with sufficient time to get the right grip, take your racket back, keep the racket head up, follow through on your swing. There are many reasons why you may not be getting to the ball on top, but court position is key. You should always try to position yourself at the center of the baseline and standing a foot behind the baseline. This will ensure you can move laterally either way and the ball will be in front of you so you don’t have to back pedal.
In summary, give yourself enough time to perform steps 1-4 as you move towards the ball. If you get to the ball in time with proper techniques as listed, the forehand will soon become the ultimate weapon in your tennis game arsenal.
Hope before Christmas
Christmas is a time for peace on earth and goodwill towards man. It is also a stressful time organizing or attending the Christmas get together, last minute gift shopping, crowded malls, or waiting for that package to arrive. For many, myself included it has been a time of change. The last few years with the pandemic, restrictions, mandates, employment shortages have made life more challenging than usual. Many people are choosing to change their lifestyle, some are relocating to other states or countries, changing their careers, and really assessing what are the important factors for a happy and fulfilling life. Many people have also looked deep into their faith and formed a relationship with God and his Son Jesus Christ. I am also one of them. I wrote a blog about why the whole world celebrates Christmas, but this article is about hope. Feeling despair, anxiety, stress around this time of the year is heightened by the aforementioned changes and finding God and seeking forgiveness for past sins is like finding refuge from the craziness of the world.
A favorite bible passage about hope says it all for me;
“For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. JEREMIAH 29:11
In this passage, although things may not be going the way you hope, the Lord declares that your plans are already laid out and you will not be harmed but prosper with plans to give you hope and a future. I have realized that one I realized my plans were already laid out, I could relax and not stress about the future. Each day I wake up and have food and shelter provided and a sound mind I can relax and know that my future is filled with hope and prosperity.
