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Babolat Pad Modification

For years I’ve extended the pads at 6 and 12 o’clock on my Babolat machines, because there are so many frames where the normal pads are just ever-so-slightly too short. Using the smallest “slide-over” adaptor can create some issues with needed room in the throat, in addition to the aggravation of removing the existing pad, and then mounting the slide-on adaptor.

The trick is:

1. Get two of the new yellow pads. You need at least one that has a “flat” side that goes against the frame. (There is one that is more rounded. Both come with the machine, and in the sets of replacement retainers.)
2. Trim the three pins on one pad flush. Make certain it’s smooth where you trim off the pins.
3. Clean the trimmed side with alcohol, as well as the front side of the flat “un-cut” pad.
4. Use any good “super glue” to bond them together.

This has worked well for me for many years now, and it makes mounting Völkl’s new V-Engine frames much easier. I can imagine there are numerous other frames that will be easier to mount with a little added length to these supports.

5 sets of Völkl Power-Fiber 18 to:

Tom Parry, CS, Bradenton, FL

From the June 2004 issue
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