Babolat RPM Blast String Review

RPM Blast is on the firmer end of the stiffness spectrum, giving it a low-powered response that translates into phenomenal control. For Chris, the upside came in form of confidence. He said, "I find RPM Blast to be a low powered string, and because of that it is loaded with control. Like Babolat RPM Hurricane, the response of RPM Blast is firm. I was either getting power from my swing or from the racquet and relying on RPM Blast to provide a high level of control. I always feel confident with this string in my racquet because it allows me to take full cuts at the ball without fear of it flying long. No matter if I was looking to hit with tons of spin or deliver a faster, flatter ball, RPM Blast delivered a consistent and trustworthy response."

Troy also loved the controlled response and feel of RPM Blast, especially in the beginning of the playtest. He said, "Pretty much any racquet that I put this string in, I found plenty of control and a lot of confidence to attack the ball when ripping groundstrokes. I would say in terms of power, RPM Blast gives me a little bit of pop on the ball, specifically when it is still fresh I feel like I get some good zip on the ball. However, power isn't the primary characteristic but more so an afterthought. I will note that this string does start to develop a 'springy' feel once it loses some tension, and although this feeling isn't ideal, it does seem to maintain a decent amount of control. Even though it feels loose and springy after about like 10 hours of play, I didn't find that the ball was spraying on me too much; it just didn't feel great."

The highest score for this playtest was awarded for spin, which is unsurprising when you consider RPM Blast was meticulously engineered to grip and rotate a tennis ball. For starters, it has a low power level, which provides the needed control to take aggressive upward cuts at the ball. It also has an eight-sided profile, which, although slightly rounded, still grips the ball very effectively. Finally, the surface is treated with a cross-linked silicone coating, helping the strings deflect and snap back powerfully and multiplying the RPMs in ways that produce a heavy ball. Needless to say, Troy was impressed with the spin potential, especially the thinner 1.25-mm version. He commented, "I found the spin potential to be very good with Babolat RPM Blast. The snapback effect of the main strings seems to work really well. Having strung RPM Blast many, many times, I know that this string doesn't have super sharp edges, but I think it makes up for the having less of a grippy feel by allowing for a lot of slide and snapback. I felt like I could generate easy spin and kick on the ball, which I especially noticed on my forehands and when I was hitting kick serves. I will also note that I tried both the 16 and 17 gauges, and although I liked the control and feel of the 16, I was most impressed with the spin I was generating with the thinner 17 gauge. It felt like the 17 gauge was moving and sliding easier within the stringbed, making for a bit more spin potential."

"Spin was excellent for me," said Chris, who clearly had a blast shaping his shots with this co-poly. "I liked the way this string grabbed the ball, and when it came to spin, it had everything going for it. The snapback is great so I get that little extra kick out of the stringbed; the shape grabs the ball so I can feel the amount of spin I'm getting, and the low powered response lets me carry maximum racquet head speed so I can get the ball spinning as much as I can. I was able to hit hard shots yet aim high over the net and still have the ball hook well inside the lines thanks to all the topspin I was getting. I could also drive my slice backhand with good pace and keep the ball low off the bounce with lots of dirty slice."

The magic of RPM Blast flows directly from its stiff construction, which not only gives you a direct, connected feel but also supplies the control needed to trust your most powerful strokes. Thankfully, for our playtest team, the stiffer feel didn't rise to the level of discomfort. For Chris, who is no stranger to firm polys, getting the tension right didn't hurt. He said, "This string feels firm, and comfort is not one of its highlights. That being said, I had absolutely no issues while hitting this string. The firm response allowed me to drop tension quite low, which improved the sense of it being more forgiving. The slick nature of this string also makes it feel softer on spin shots because there's the feel of the pocketing before the snapback. Due to this I found the string most forgiving when hitting with lots of spin and a little firmer feeling when hitting flat shots."

Troy also appreciated the controlled feel of RPM Blast, especially in the early phases of the playtest. He explained, "The feel of this string is sort of night and day for me, from when it is fresh to when it starts to feel dead. I guess you can say that about a lot of strings, but it is very noticeable to me with Babolat RPM Blast. In the first five hours of play or so, I really enjoy the controlled and predictable feel of this string. I also liked how RPM Blast has somewhat of a plush feel, even though it is a firm and control-oriented poly. This is something we have discussed in the past, but I think that because I swing from low to high with a lot of brush on my forehands, the snapback and easy sliding of the strings makes for an elastic feel. After the string starts to lose some of its playability, usually between about five to 10 hours of play, the feel becomes dead. With that, it loses that little bit of pop and easy snapback that gives this string some plushness on topspin strokes."

One of the biggest downsides of polyester strings is their high rate of tension loss, and RPM Blast is emphatically no exception. For Troy, it played great the first few sessions, until the magic started to wear off. He explained, "Compared to the poly strings that I typically favor, I would say that this string is subpar on the tension maintenance and playability duration. Like I mentioned before, this string felt great for the first five hours or so while hitting with it, great control and spin, with a slightly plush feel. But once the tension started to drop and concurrently the playability, it just starts to feel loose and somewhat dead. That slick feel to the surface of the string and the easy snapback seem to dwindle away as well. I really enjoy this string when it is fresh and snappy, but the window of time that this string plays like that isn't very long."

"The drawback of RPM Blast for me is its playability duration," said Chris. "I love the response of this string when it is fresh. The playability is fantastic. After an hour of play there is a noticeable drop, and some control and spin feel is lost. Over the next couple of hours I tend to find the performance to continue to drop before stabilizing. In the right racquet I can get a couple of weeks hitting out of RPM Blast at which point I'm more than ready for a new set. If I'm using this string in a powerful racquet, I'm likely wanting a fresh set every week."