Is This Racket The Real Deal or Not? | Babolat Rafa Origin 

Mine is 364 strung with same string I also was able to played with it way more than I expected. I’m sure 350 is even more usable!

Nice! I have bought rackets before just to overwhelm the flaws in my takeback. A heavy racket can help you to clean up little things about your swing. That and filming yourself can do a lot.

In a 16g is the string is quite heavy like lynx tour you can get a 370 swingweight

Nice, thanks for letting me know. TW is sure to adjust that then, I imagine.

Maybe over is better than under, as a warning! I can see that. It's really heavy. Better to think it'll be 370 and it's actually lower.

I've come to think balance can throw me off a lot more than swingweight.

I considered this as well. It did get my attention and was largely what I talked about in my first impressions as well. I wanted to see if I could handle it, what it felt like, etc. It is definitely a talking point. 370 somehow sounds a lot higher than 360, just because 360 is already crazy. So maybe it was strategic!

Nice! Yeah I'd go 17 if it was my stringjob but it was the demo. Still, I know the string well so it's all good. My string of choice would be Zero by ReString. I think it wildly outperforms RPM blast in all the ways that attract a person to RPM blast in the first place. It has a stronger shape but also has more snapback! Better tension hold and much more durable. Crazy how all that can be true in one string but I swear it is! I have a 10% off code I usually mention, it's in this video description. Try it out if you're an RPM fan! It has better control than the Hyper G. Less lively, I mean. That would be a good choice and fit the colors well too.

Maybe it's becoming a thing lol

Haha wait is your name a shoutout to that supplement? Yeah it stands to be my favorite feeling of the VCP but idk if I would switch to it. I have a video coming up next about these!

Dang haha. Yeah I think their target might be lower. Mine was ok but you really gotta cooperate with the weight. Get it going well ahead of time. Might be good practice lol.

So you plan to pick one if you like? Let us know what you lean towards.

@@ZeroLoveTennis will do. The pure Rafa was 309g strung the Rafa origin was 340g. This was measured using my coffee scale btw.

Those can be pretty accurate!

@@ZeroLoveTennis lol yes they are! 340g is what tennis spin measured their origin at. I really like the origin. It's a hammer, but feels so solid.

Yeah well Babolat has been doing that with the whole Rafa line ever since it was a thing but this one is a little extra haha. After all these years endorsing, NOW we get the "real deal?" Sure... And yeah, appreciate the soundscape of thy neighbors :)

I didn't but I'm not playing with it for hours. I feel like frames such as this, the stiffness if the least arm friendly part. If it's too heavy, it's too heavy. I really don't know how much difference the vibration dampening stuff makes for actual arm pain. I feel like it's much less than just getting a more flexy racket would do. The initial shock of a stiff frame is going to be higher than a lower flex frame. That is the primary shock. Anything else is very secondary. Strings can make a big difference too. If you arm shots a lot then this racket might punish you for it.

@@ZeroLoveTennis I initially had my PD+ strung with a full poly in the mid 50s and within one hour had some serious wrist pain. I use 15L gauge natural gut in the mains which is even better for absorbing shock than the thinner gauges. Gut might work well in the Rafa racket which has a stiffness rating of 70!

Dang. Yeah I also learned that plus rackets are less stable because they take weight out of the three and nine area to help bring the swing weight down after extending the length. I think that lack of stability can also exaggerate the feeling of shock. I think the origin gets a lot of its comfort from being so heavy. It goes through the ball so the mass of the racket does a lot to absorb. Now I'm not saying it's comfortable but I'm saying it's more comfortable then it would be if it were lighter.

@@ZeroLoveTennis I had to add lead tape at the 3 and 9 spots as well as the top of the handle to get the twistweight up, I'm sure the Rafa is rock solid!

Pretty solid, definitely.

Haha thanks but I don't really know what I'd be reviewing it for. I wouldn't switch to it. I'm barely getting around to reviewing the Regna! I'm pretty backed up. New rackets keep coming.

Huh so it sounds like you disproved this myth about the older models? I don't recall if I measured the TW but honestly it could be something that varies quite a bit and maybe or maybe not relative to the racquet. It's hard to say how much something might vary based on how much other stuff might vary.

@@ZeroLoveTennis yes that's another explanation I was considering. Maybe if the static weight, balance and SW already have some variation, being parameters that are normally specified by manufacturers and retailers, how much can TW vary when nobody even mentions it? Maybe the method is not accurate enough, but other rackets did score quite lower (Vcore 95 2021 was 12.85, strung!)

That is quite low. By the way some of my measurements especially for twistweight was very different from tw and I actually trust how I measure it more since I have an actual tool and they only measured theoretically based on some formula mostly based on swingweight measuring at 2 different angles. It isn't the same result. The Briffidi tool is much better at measuring such things.

@@ZeroLoveTennis WHAT??? My whole life is a lie!! 😂😂😂 Yes I also read somewhere that twistW is approximately the spinW minus the swingW, I also read that it's not actually a mathematically accurate formula and that there can be a considerable variation with the actual measured twistW (so yes, I think your Briffidi values are certainly more reliable too). What I didn't expect was for TW University to use such a clumsy method for his "official" Twistweight list. They have built quite elaborate setups for some of their tests and building a TW measurer is actually not that complicated. I was already quite suspicious about the string parameters they show in their string comparer tool, to say the truth.

@Maiqel I feel you. Yeah the thing is the the Briffidi tool is an actual tool for the measurement. So my swingweight numbers are pretty dead on with tennis warehouse (minus QC variance) but twistweight is not. But I think I'm the one getting better data in the case and theirs is flawed. You mean their spin string list?

Thank you!

Yeah the 18x20 gives a few extra strings, it will make a small difference but probably between 1-5 SW at the most. I really miss that racket!! I sent it back due to the grommets breaking on me so much but I look forward to it's official release. I don't own a racket at this time! Livin' on demos.

@@ZeroLoveTennis wow that’s crazy! No competitive league matches or tourneys?

I practice with the 4.5/5.0 guys sometimes but it's not my thing. I just like to hit. Playing to win is kind of limiting and you have to deal with annoying things all the time. Summers here are brutal too. They'll make you play when it's 120 out at noon with the sun in your eyes. I'm good. I don't need to pay money to play in those miserable conditions lol. I like playing and making content. I think I've found my thing.

I think it's too dependant on skill and hitting style to say so simply which one just based on being a woman or not. 290 might still be balanced in a way where the 317 isn't that much harder to swing and the heavier one might help deal with heavier balls more easily. That being said, I suppose the 290 leaves more room to weight up later and if their game is really slow paced and at a max of that 3.5 level or below, the 290 makes more and more sense.

Haha woah this is like one of the last racquets I'd suggest for a beginner. Really, you got the Rafa origin? The percept 100 or the VCORE PRO? You could get the pro since it's cheaper now but I'd only suggest the 100 from that lineup. Everything else too mushy.

the one I bought is this Pure Aero Rafa 290g and you have no idea how popular this model and the old one is here in Brazil for beginners. It was actually the most recommended, it was no surprise that I bought it Anyway, is there any adaptation I can make to try and use it for now? and what vcore pro recommended in a video a year ago, what would be the best weight?

I saw that the new models are not as good as last year, I'm afraid of buying the wrong one

I think the 100 is only one kind. I'd get that. I personally don't like the others at all.

@@ZeroLoveTennis Vcore Pro 100 or Percept 100 ?

Oh man that sounds pretty hard to find out haha. You might do well to call a racket tech at TW or messaging them. Styled? You mean like one would fit on the other? Either way I'm sure replacement grommets will be available for this racket soon, if not now.

@@ZeroLoveTennis 2016, 2019, 2023 versions of Pure Aero bumper guards are much shallower than the 2013 and before bumpers, which makes the strings around the hoop more exposed. I was hoping they bring back the old bumpers that protect the strings better in the Pure Aero Rafa Origin.

Ohhh. If you look on the TW page you get a closeup of that head guard area. That might be helpful in telling.

@@ZeroLoveTennis It turns out Babolat did bring back the deeper bumpers. Thank you.

Niiice

Thanks! A little higher than my sample. Haha everyone's measuring these! Yours closer to advertised.

Nice. You compared to the other options in that family as well?

@@ZeroLoveTennis i play with vcore 95 and vcore pro 97. Did try ezone and vcore 98 a few times. Hit with vcore pro 100 once. I think its a great option for women. Its a nice blend of feel ok power and spin. Feels good in a hand.

Do you get more power with the VC95? I did. I had to work hard for the power every shot but I could still get it. There reached a point on the 97 where I couldn't get any more even though I had more in me.

@@ZeroLoveTennis absolutely THE SAME experience! It feels like you hit a wall in power department. And can output only 90% out of 100. But it is a very comfortable range of power where i am feeling good and relaxed with my shots. Like im feeling rewarded hitting))) it is from 60% to 90% range (power). Im in love with the balance and feel. It feels like im holding a saber. When 95 is more like an axe with weight under red bumper guard. Despite having the same balance and weight. I struggled a bit at first with my timing. 95 definitely have more potential in power. And feels softer. But i can't say that it is harder to generate power with it tho. Yes, some how it requires to work a bit harder (that's what i love) to feel rewarded with a shot. But the racket not punishing you. For 97 i think you can get more rewarded with it if you possess a flatter shot. Then it shines! But i naturally hit heavy topspin and struggle with flats. I think i can work around 97th power by trying softer and more powerful string like PT Pro (which was the first string i tried in it and liked very much for my surprise) and lower tension (22kg). For now I have both strung with PT REV 24kg. Sorry for this long poem 😭🙏 But i was thinking a lot about my experience with this 2 frames and feel excited about you having similar thoughts!)

No worries. I read the whole thing. I've heard this from a few other people that tried that racket and hit hard. I'm glad to see that the experience is consistent. It's pretty validating and I think true. I get a little tired about hearing things like you need a generate your own power when I'm just trying to make a point about this racket reaches that maximum threshold sooner than others. I just wasn't willing to make that trade off. Unfortunately I still feel it with 100 but a little bit less so. Very Cool to see both of our experiences be so similar between both of those rackets! Thank you for your comment.

Which pure strike? I imagine the 16x19 (one of them) because I could not hit like that with the pure strike 18x20. I could hit ok spin and big heavy flatter balls but not anything really crazy topspin. I get way better spin with this Rafa Origin, for example. It's hard to suggest this racket, though, just because of the absurd weight. You can get a lot of what this racket offers in a more manageable package. I would probably pick the regular Pure Aero or 98 over this but it would be cool if those had less vibration dampening things in it, just to feel the difference. So if that's your kinda tennis this might be a nice one for you but you may decide it's too heavy after all. But maybe not!

@@ZeroLoveTennis it’s the 100, meaning a 300 g 16x9. But I do feel it’s underpowered and can’t really push balls through my opponents. I think I’m an intermediate-advanced player. I not really worried about the weight though, I think because of my playstyle it won’t be a problem. I am worried about the control. Plus I’m a big Rafa fan lol.

I gotcha. As my video stated it seems to swing well for how heavy it is. It actually felt a lot easier to swing than the pure strike 18x20 for example. If you end up trying this racket and not liking it, maybe then you should try rackets like the ezone 98 tour or the Pure Aero 98. You can absolutely plow through a ball with those. They also offer a pretty diverse play style. I also really loved the Wilson shift 315 but I'm waiting for that grommet defect to get fixed before I get it again. Just want to give you a couple of suggestions in case that origin ends up being too heavy or you're looking for a couple things to compare it to. By all means, if this is the racket you are attracted to, you should try

@@ZeroLoveTennis i see. Thanks a lot for the suggestions, cool video as well.

Yes, before that Rafa played with the Soft Drive if I'm not mistaken (either that or "standard" Pure Drive). Carlos Moya (his current coach) used the Soft Drive too. Only with a ton of weight in the tip (it was actually head heavy, one of the few pros if not the only to use such balance).

I think they prioritize what is consumer friendly. Nadal is a 1 in 1 player. Average tennis players are a dime a dozen and none of them could effectively use his actual racquet. It's a bad business model and wouldn't allow for changes down to line to motivate getting a few racquet. Those are a couple reasons.

Nice, I remember you from previous comments having the OG!

Well the racket will actually say! It's a subtle print but it will say it on the racket itself. In pink letters.

Rafa would take offense 😅

This is so subjective…i find it stand out from boring black and dull paint scheme racquets