Posts Tagged ‘Tennis’
Babolat Propulse 3 Tennis Shoes
March 3rd, 2011 by Ben RemingtonRecently, I picked up a pair of the new Babolat Propulse 3 tennis shoes, so I thought I would offer my thoughts. I was excited to get these shoes on the court as they are the same pair that Andy Roddick sports.
Right away, these pass the eye test. The brand Babolat stretched down the side of the shoe won’t ring a bell like three stripes, a swoosh or a capital N, but they still look pretty cool. I received the white version, and along with silver accents, you get a pair of shiny black straps in the front and back to lock your ankle into place, which it does. It feels sort of like wearing high tops, though these are low tops and on the back strap features a little Andy Roddick signature. Too Cool, unless you’re a Roddick hater, and I’m sure there are some of you out there. To top off the star power of the shoe, they added the Michelin Man on the heel, because of the Michelin outsole they use. The Michelin outsole provides excellent traction for moving around the court. Another cool feature between the heel and forefront outsoles, a composite connecting piece gives added support.
I have worn these a few times on the court and they have exceeded my expectations. As far as athletic movement, I can see the appeal here. This shoe locks you in hard and gives you the responsiveness that you need for the boatload of lateral movement needed in tennis. These are the best tennis shoes I have owned in a long time as they are comfortable and offer the support and stability tennis players expect. The Propulse puts the rubber to the road like no other shoe I’ve worn, complete with A-Rod and the Michelin Man in tow.
Although Babolat is not a household name, they are a premier tennis company. The Propulse 3 are not cheap at $109.99 for men and $104.99 for women, but if you want a top end tennis shoe the Propulse is for you. These shoes can be found at most specialty tennis retailers and Sports Authority will start carrying a sizable selection of Babolat shoes this spring. To find other retailers that carry Babolat tennis equipment near you, use Sportrabbit.com.
Prince Continues to Innovate Tennis Rackets
September 1st, 2010 by sourced“Of all the advancements in tennis rackets and sporting goods in recent years, that is what has Prince most excited now: the part of the equipment that is not there.”
Read the rest of the article at the New York Times.
Wilson BLX Tennis Racket Overview
May 19th, 2010 by Cale LokenHere is a summary of Wilson’s BLX Tennis Racquets. I am an avid user of Wilson rackets, always have been fan. They do a great job differentiating their rackets for different type, style and age of players.
BLX - have a revolutionary material Basalt which is a natural volcanic rock. It can be used in manufacturing where it is made into fine gold fibers with incredible vibration resistance. Wilson’s new technology, BLX, has used these basalt fibers and woven them longitudinally with [K]arophite Black to create one of the most advanced composites in the industry. These are their top of the line rackets. Wilson says the BLX racket delivers clean feedback and better sensation for the perfect feel. Many pros use rackets in the BLX line, with slight variations of what you can find in a retail store of course. These rackets are a tad heavier with a smaller head size to add more control for advanced players.
Wilson breaks down these rackets into three unique categories:
- Fire – Precise, Responsive and Consistent
These rackets include: Six One Tour BLX, Six One 95 BLX, Six One Team BLX, Six One Lite BLX, Pro Tour BLX, Pro Open BLX and Pro Team BLX - Water – Accurate, Forgiving and Balanced
These rackets include: Tour BLX, Tidal Wave BLX, Coral Wave BLX and Surge BLX - Air – Comfortable, Quiet and Easy
These rackets include: Cirrus One BLX, Khamsin Five BLX 108 and Khamsin Five BLX 98
Pricing – These rackets range from $179.99 to $269.99. The higher price indicates a larger head size. Keep in mind that the larger the head size the more power and less control.