GRIP IT! Babolat Babol XL Overgrip Review.

Whether it's choosing a new racquet, testing new strings or experimenting with lead tape, everybody has a different approach to it. Most will look at what their favourite pro use. Die-hard tennis fans will do whatever it takes to have the exact equipment pros have. But does it really work? Can you achieve that desired pro effect you want?
Take me for an example. I use to think Wilson's Pro Overgrip is the best OG there is because Federer and other top pros use. The thing is I have very sweaty palms so the thing loses its grip in 2 hours but I kept on buying them because Federer uses it. See the problem?
Then I started using other grips of similar type. I experimented with different brands and stuck to the Babolat Pro Tour grip (I don't remember the exact name) for some time. I even bought a 10-pack Tourna Grip because I heard its the best tacky grip on the market. I was wrong. None of them worked for me. Until I found this: Babol XL.
It has to be the most underrated OG ever. It's so cheap but it's extremely good. I bought this about 2 months ago and I still haven't regripped any of my racquets. So let's begin the review.

The XL is probably the cheapest Babolat OG I've seen in the Malaysian market. But I had my doubts when buying it bulk so I bought the 3 pack. Upon installing it I was sceptical about the way it feels. Turns out I was wrong as always. This thing has plenty of grip despite having that cheap plastic feel to it. Sweaty palms? No issues at all. During those intense moments I was still able to hold my racquet the way I wanted to hold it. With those 'pro' OG my racquets end up slipping all the time. Speaking of tremendous amount of grip brings me to its downside, there's so much grip it gave my palm and fingers blisters. You wouldn't want to shake hands with me after a match. Another bad point is the perforations on the OG surface. It's not a bad thing for some,  though but I dislike sweat getting into the base grip. Other than that I think I've found the perfect overgrip for me and won't be changing for a very, very long time.

**Yes I know the introduction is longer than the actual review. That's so me.**

Babolat Pro Hurricane/ N.Vy Hybrid Tennis String Review

Babolat Pro Hurricane/ N.Vy Hybrid String. Image retrieved from http://www.tennis-warehouse.com 6/7/2012 

I was in search for a new tennis string to replace my 2-year old setup. I've been using the Babolat Pro Hurricane (not Tour) for more than 2 years (plus) now and it was time for a change. I didn't agree with that decision at first. The PH has been an absolute wonder but I needed to experiment with other strings just for the fun of it. Before the PH, I used a couple of other strings like Ashaway Crossfire (Kevlar/poly hybrid), Wilson Stamina, Wilson Sensation and the Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour. I toyed around with them but somehow they never suited my playing style. So I picked up the PH and immediately it was love at first sight.
So I stuck with it for 2 years, varying in tensions and gauges until the last one broke. And so my search began...

With budget in mind I wanted a string provides me excess spin without the need to spend a lot of money. Sure there are strings like Technifibre Black Code, Babolat RPM Blast (next review, perhaps?), Gamma's polygon strings and so forth but they're all expensive. NOTE: Malaysian tennis scene isn't that big so the stuffs here are generally very expensive - a full Natural Gut bed costs RM250 average (that's like US$80).

Surveying a lot of tennis shops (retail and discount) landed me with this string: the Babolat Pro Hurricane/ N.Vy Hybrid. It was on sale and it wasn't far from my previous set up so I decided to give it a shot (cost around RM30 I believe). After 2 months of playtesting this, I was ready to write a review.

The Review
I didn't expect much from a budget string, to be honest. I never heard of this string nor did I check any reviews online before buying it (helps eliminate biasses). The setup is simple: buy 2 packs for both my racquets (Wilson K6.1 95 and Babolat AeroPro Drive Cortex) and string them with equal tensions. I'm no expert in string setups so cut me some slacks, okay? =)
I strung the mains with the PH at 50lbs and crosses with the N. Vy (which is Nylon by the way) at similar tensions.

Initially the power provided was excellent. I liked the way it feels though the I immediately noticed the lack of spin potential off the string bed. I kept a positive mind: I knew it wasn't a full fledge spin-friendly string so I kept going. It didn't take long before I notice that this wasn't the string for me. Here's why:

1) Power
Fresh off the stringing machine, this string has tremendous amount of power. Based on online reviews, it wasn't hard to see why juniors and people with strict budget chose this particular string. After 2 hours or so you'll definitely notice a difference in tension and a drop in power. Ball bite isn't really there either. If you're that type who loves being aggressive and enjoys playing with flat shots, this isn't the string for you.

2) Spin Potential
The PH and nylon's textures really helped in this department. For the first 30 minutes the string provides enough spin to (almost) always keep the ball in. It isn't as explosive as other spin-friendly strings but it's adequate for people who blend both flat and top spin shots together.

3) Durability
When it comes to budget strings, durability can play a huge role in deciding what to get for your tennis racquet. Whilst this string is average in power and spin, its long-lastingness isn't that great. My gripe about this string is that top spin shots can be abrasive to the nylon's texture and after a week or so I noticed some of the threads have snapped. I immediately changed my play style to flat shots (which I'm terrible at. I love top spin). I'm not a string breaker so it lasted almost 2 months before the entire thing snapped (and broke my K 95 in the process). My advice: Buy bulk and string often if you're planning to get this.

4) Feel
Another big issue about tennis strings is the way it feels off the racquet. Simply put it I didn't like how this one feels. It was rough and sounds horribly without a dampener (even worse on the APDC). If you're a fan of that 'stiff' feeling then this might be for you.

All in all, this string is for people who don't feel like spending that much on strings or tennis beginners feeling unsure what to buy. It's definitely not long lasting and the tension drops after 2 hours of play. The nylon's quality is atrocious and snaps after being abused to much. Over 5, I rate this at 3.5.

A closer look at the hybrid. Pro Hurricane in blue and N. Vy in white  

DEATH! Don't mind the dampener. Cheapest solution out there and it never comes off.  

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Album Review: Imaginaerum by Nightwish

Hey there! It's been a long time coming, really. I've been meaning to do this review after I first heard it but that would be biased. After listening to Nightwish's latest studio album for at least 100 hours I think I'm ready to write this review =)