Babolat Hybrid Pro Hurricane Tour + Xcel String Review

Control - Score: 65 / Power - Score: 75

This Babolat Hybrid not only gave our playtesters more power than they typically get from their full polyester setups, it also enabled them to adjust the overall response based on which string was installed in the mains. Andy explained, "This hybrid setup offered a nice blend of power and control. With the Hurricane Tour in the mains I found a lower-powered response and a lower ball trajectory off the stringbed. With Xcel in the mains the response was a bit livelier and the ball came off the strings at a higher launch angle. The power never felt unruly, but at times I didn't quite have the level of precision that I usually have."

"This hybrid provided more power than my typical full set of co-poly string," said Troy, who also found differences in playability depending on the configuration. "With Xcel in the mains I found slightly more power and a higher launch angle, and it was easier to keep the ball deep. With Pro Hurricane Tour in the mains I found the trajectory of my shots to be lower, and I was getting better directional control on my groundstrokes. Both configurations provided a more lively feel than my typical full-set of co-poly."

Spin - Score: 78

As we found with the power level, the spin potential of this Babolat Hybrid was also influenced by which string was installed in the mains. Troy explained, "Although I was pleasantly surprised with how much spin I was getting with the multifilament (Xcel) in the mains, I didn't quite get the ball to dip down in the court as much as I can with my usual string setup (Volkl Cyclone 17). I found less spin with Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour in the mains. I think this is because the Babolat Xcel crosses created a sticky surface that didn't allow the Pro Hurricane Tour mains to slide and snap back with ease."

Like Troy, Andy also found bigger spin with the softer, more powerful Xcel in the mains. He said, "The level of spin I was getting really depended on how I oriented the strings. With the Xcel in the mains I was able to generate lots of topspin and get the ball diving down at the baseline on my groundstrokes. However, with the Hurricane Tour in the mains I was struggling to get the same amount of spin, and I thought the spin potential was pretty poor. This disparity in spin potential was the main reason I preferred the Xcel mains setup."

Comfort - Score: 81

The vast majority of hybrids use a soft multifilament or natural gut string to temper the stiff response of their polyester counterpart. This helps explain why Andy, who typically plays with a full bed of stiff polyester, enjoyed the ride. He said, "I loved the comfort this hybrid offered! The Xcel offers a super soft and plush feel and complements the stiffer feel of the Hurricane Tour extremely well. Whether it was in the mains or crosses, the Xcel delivered a very high level of comfort."

Troy could not deny the comfort of this hybrid. He said, "Compared to my typical co-poly string, comfort was the greatest benefit of this hybrid. I found a slightly softer feel with Babolat Xcel in the mains. This configuration offered a comfort level similar to Wilson Champions Choice (Federer's hybrid), which I recently played with in a local doubles tournament. Also, there are times when a full co-poly setup can cause some arm soreness, especially when playtesting stiffer racquets. This is when hybrids come in handy. They provide a way to get comfort while still maintaining some of the characteristics that a full set of co-poly string delivers."

Feel - Score: 75

By combining a crisp and firm poly with a plush multifilament string, this Babolat Hybrid gave our crew plenty of options to manipulate the feel. After experimenting with both configurations, Troy's preference emerged. He said, "Out of the two configuration options, I preferred the overall feel with Hurricane in the mains. It felt crisper and slightly more responsive compared to having Xcel in the mains, which was occasionally mushy and too dampened. I also found this Babolat Hybrid more muted and less responsive than the co-poly hybrids I've tried with natural gut, like Wilson's Champions Choice. Although feel can be a very subjective thing, I still get the best response from a full-bed of co-poly, such as Volkl Cyclone. This is likely due to the fact that I have been playing with full stringbeds of co-poly string for many years now and my perception of feel is based on that."

Andy appreciated the balance created by these two very different strings. He said, "The stiffer feel of the Hurricane Tour is complemented perfectly by the soft, plush feel of Xcel. Xcel offers a slightly plusher and more muted feel than natural gut in hybrid setups, but it lacks the exceptional responsiveness of natural gut. However, I thought the comfort and 'softness' was similar, I just was a bit more disconnected from the ball than I would have been with natural gut."

Playability Duration - Score: 66

Time is cruel to all tennis strings. Eventually tension loss changes playability for the worse. This explains why Andy eventually started losing control with this hybrid. He explained, "The playability of this hybrid lasted for about a week and a half to two weeks before I started to notice a drop in tension and a change in the way it played. After the strings were in the racquet for that amount of time they got very lively, and I had a little trouble controlling my shots. I also noticed the strings stopped sliding back into position after a few hours of play."

Although Troy was impressed with this hybrid's longevity, it eventually got too lively. He commented, "This hybrid held tension better than most co-poly strings I've used. Once the tension started to drop on this hybrid string the stringbed became too lively for my liking. When my usual co-poly strings drop tension I still find a decent amount of control because they're low-powered in general. I didn't quite find the same amount of tension maintenance as a natural gut/ co-poly hybrid, but the playability of this hybrid was better than what I'm used to. Since this hybrid became too lively for me over time I would raise the tension a couple of pounds above what I strung it at initially."

Overall - Score: 80