Babolat X-Feel Review

A discussion in another thread discussed some recent Babolat rackets and the dearth of reviews for this particular brand. I will hereby review two of my most used rackets, the Babolat X-Feel Power and X-Feel Blast, used two to three times a week over a period of about a year since I bought them. Babolat is a French company which sponsors players like Tine Baum, Juliane Schenk, Joachim Persson, and Pi Hongyan.

First, some disclosures. I would consider myself an Advanced player, playing mostly doubles (and some singles) two to three times a week on weekdays and the weekend. I am also a racket whore, and have a stable of rackets that consists mainly of Yonex (VT80, Arc 10, Z-Slash, and Nanospeed 9900) and two Tantrum 300s. I will be comparing these Babolats to my other rackets where I see some similarity. I saw these two Babolat rackets in a store about a year ago, liked what I saw when I handled them, and decided to buy both. Both are strung to 28/28 lbs using BG-66 (as with most of my other rackets), even though the recommended maximum string tension is 26 lbs.

First some statistics from the Babolat website:

X-Feel Blast (3U)
Length: 26.57 in
Flex: Very stiff
Balance: 11.42 in (290 mm)
Weight: 3.10 oz (88 gm)

X-Feel Power (3U)
Length: 26.57 in
Flex: Very stiff
Balance: 11.22 in (285 mm)
Weight: 3.03 oz (86 gm)

My previous "go to" racket was the Z Slash, and I liked the weight combined with the long handle which resulted in a racket that had a lot of power without the associated fatigue that I tend to get with stiffer rackets like the Arc 10 or Voltric 80. I actually got used to the head speed after a while, but one thing that I never really got used to was the size of the head. In short I was looking for a something light, packed a lot of punch (head heavy/long shaft), and had a standard head size. Enter the Babolat. Both the Blast and Power were advertised as head heavy rackets which packed a lot of power at the expense of a bit of control. My first impression after using them for the first time was how light both rackets felt. That both were head heavy was apparent. The handle wasn't as short as some may make it out to be, but still short enough to give the impression of a lot of flex although the manufacturer's website listed both as very stiff rackets. What do all these translate to? Great baseline clears (both forehand and backhand) and great smashes without the fatigue of say a VT80. No they don't have the head speed of a Z Slash, but the control is a lot, lot better. Not as good as an Arc 10 or Tantrum 300, for instance, but good enough in my book.

Both Babolats use a peculiar stringing pattern (20 main/21 cross) for the isometric head which they claim to give a considerable increase in contact and spin. This may very well be true but lacking hard data I will not debate the merits of this string arrangement since other factors can contribute as well (string tension being one of them). However, I do find that smash clears using these rackets are much more effortless compared to the Arc 10, for instance. The shuttle gives the impression of just "bouncing off" the strings during a smash clear. They don't use grommets near the sweet spot, a technology they coined HG Tech, or Hybrid Grommet Technology. Carbon Xtreme is the name of their proprietary materials used in the frame to provide stiffness and stability. Of the two rackets the Blast is slightly heavier but during play one can use one or the other and not feel any significant difference in performance. Vibration was also minimum even strung at 28 lbs. There is no sound filtering or anything of the sort - just a good, honest racket designed to make play easier and a lot of fun.

In summary both rackets are suitable for basic and advanced players, and I would characterize these rackets as low work due to the low weight and power. For the price (slightly over 100 US dollars per racket) I think they're a steal, and they're some of the best and funnest rackets that I have ever used. It is suitable for my doubles game and is very, very responsive and I certainly don't feel the fatigue that I would get after a couple of sessions with the Arc 10 or VT80. I am not sure how much staying power Babolat will have in the badminton world but I will enjoy their product offerings for now and hope they keep making good rackets. Highly recommended.

Tine Baum with the X-Feel Blast.

 

As for power, I get slightly more from the Blast, due to the heavier balance. But make no mistake, both pack a lot of punch and are very light rackets, which add to the "fun" factor, especially during doubles sessions (and singles as well). If I had to choose one it would be the Blast, but having said that I wouldn't mind using just the Power. The Arcsaber Z Slash comes closest to the Blast, in terms of power output, but of course the head speed is very much different and I used to get timing issues when I first used the Z Slash. A perfect racket would be the weight and power of the Blast combined with the head speed of the Z Slash. Yonex tried this in the VT80, but I think that racket is just too stiff and head heavy for my use. The VT70 would be a closer comparison, although I have never tested it.

 

I think that is a good description of the Power. I have the NS9900 and a lot of times I wished it had more power output. The X Feel Power filled that gap and is a great racket.