The 16x19 string pattern, combined with the four-points head light balance of this updated Babolat Pure Strike 100, made it easier to hit with more topspin for ample net clearance and good depth in the court. Our playtesters all appreciated the blend of power and control they were able to achieve with this racquet. Chris said, "The Pure Strike 100 2024 felt so fast and easy to whip through contact that I was able to hit with lots of spin. I had fun hitting high arcing groundstrokes with pace. My consistency was good since I had lots of clearance over the net, and my shots were dipping well inside the baseline. The racquet felt a tad light for my backhand slice, but for the most part, I was able to replace racquet mass with racquet head speed."

"Because I have hit with every generation of Pure Strike, I am very familiar with the Pure Strike 100," said Brittany. "I am happy to report that this has been the easiest version for me to adjust to, mostly because I prefer a tad more control in my racquets than I used to. I found a good blend of power and control from the baseline. While this is the most powerful member of the Pure Strike family for me, it still lands slightly on the control side. It was easy to generate racquet head speed with the Pure Strike 100 2024. I felt very comfortable hitting a rally or neutral ball, and I could get into a good groove in practice. The launch angle was a little higher than the 16x20, which helped me get my groundstrokes deep in the court. There was enough power to tap into on put-away shots, but I did have to put in some extra effort."

Although she favors a denser string pattern to complement her flat shots, Tiffani valued the topspin and net clearance she got from this racquet. She said, "The Pure Strike 100 2024 was definitely the liveliest of the family. It offered easier depth and net clearance than the Pure Strike 100 16x20. It was easy to swing and offered a more user-friendly response as well. Although I preferred the 16x20 version for how it reacted to my flatter shots and added a touch more control, I appreciated the Pure Strike 100 when I was pushed back into a defensive position. The higher launch angle meant I could get the ball deeper with less effort and possibly get my opponent back off the baseline. I also liked the topspin I was getting without too much added effort."

Control and spin from the baseline stood out for Jason when he was testing the Pure Strike 100 2024. He said, "I thought this was a pretty easy racquet to swing, and it provided me with lots of control. It didn't offer a lot of free power, so I did feel like I needed to swing out more, but the control was very good. The amount of spin I was able to get was certainly above average because of the racquet head speed I could generate. I did notice the string pattern was a little denser in the sweetspot, which helped with control, but I thought it also made the launch angle a little lower than I'm used to with a 16x19 string pattern."

Our playtesters all agreed that the new Babolat Pure Strike 100 had good agility and maneuverability at the net, which allowed them to react quickly when hitting volleys. They did, however, think that the maneuverability came at the expense of stability, and they suggested adding a little weight to offset this. Tiffani was happy with the quickness at the net. She said, "This racquet offered a good blend of stability and maneuverability for me. I look first for racquets that move into position easily, and this Pure Strike 100 2024 was right on the mark. I thought that stability was sufficient, which led to good directional control. I like to keep it simple at net, and this racquet got the job done."

Brittany agreed, adding, "With the Pure Strike 100 2024 being easy to swing, it goes without saying that it was very maneuverable at net. This was great for quick volley exchanges and when I needed to react to a hard-hit passing shot. The feel wasn't my favorite, but I did feel connected enough to the ball and found a pretty forgiving sweetspot. This allowed me to hit a wide variety of volleys."

A little added weight would increase the stability for Chris. He explained, "I felt fast to react with my volleys with the Pure Strike 100 2024. The racquet was easy to get into position. I was able to cut an angle, cut under the ball or punch through it thanks to the maneuverable feel. Harder incoming shots did result in some flutter if my contact wasn't clean, and with the stock weight being a tad light for me, I'd add some tungsten tape at 10 and 2 o'clock in the hoop to beef it up. To figure out how much weight to add, I would start with small amounts until I found suitable stability without losing too much of the whippiness I enjoyed at the baseline."

Jason also thought some extra weight would help add stability. He said, "This Pure Strike 100 2024 felt pretty nimble up at net. I found I could reflex a lot of shots back into play, but again, I didn't have a lot of power to put shots away. I also would've liked just a bit more weight to help with stability. I did really like the touch and feel around the net, and I felt like I was hitting drop volleys and angled volleys well."

The new Babolat Pure Strike 100 2024 was easy to swing, and that helped our playtesters generate good spin and net clearance, giving them plenty of consistency on their serves. Slice serves were a favorite for Chris. He said, "I served consistently with the Pure Strike 100 2024. I was able to clear the net well and let the spin I was getting dip the ball inside the lines. My slice serve wide was working well and was my most successful serve. When I tried to win with pace, I found my serves were getting returned too easily. As with volleys, a little bit of weight would give me the penetration I need to hit more damaging serves."

Tiffani was pleased with the spin and control this Pure Strike 100 2024 gave her on serve. She said, "This racquet felt really easy to swing overhead, so I was not tiring out during long service games. The highlights for me on serves were the control and the access to spin. This Pure Strike 100 was not powerful like a Pure Drive would be on flat serves, so I most often opted to try for slice serves and placement to get myself into points."

Consistency was key for Jason. He noted, "I was able to hit a consistent ball with this racquet and serve at a high percentage. Was I hitting more aces or service winners with it? I don't believe so, but it offered a nice blend of control and spin that made my serves effective enough that I could start the rally off in a more neutral position."

Brittany compared the two Pure Strike 100 racquets. She said, "If you read my comments on the Pure Strike 100 16x20 and compare them to this 16x19 version, you will find a lot of similarities, including my thoughts on serve. I did find a little more power and maneuverability with the 16x19, but I still had to work for it at times. I will say that topspin generation, both on serves and the rest of my strokes, was average, but I was still able to hit a neutral second serve."

It was unanimous; our playtesters all enjoyed the freedom to swing big on their service returns with the Babolat Pure Strike 100 2024. Returns were a favorite for Tiffani. She said, “As typical for me, I preferred returning with the Pure Strike 100 over serving with it. Again, I thought this racquet offered good stability for its weight, and it also felt plenty maneuverable. I could get it around in time on full swings to get good depth, and I also liked to aim for the corners now and then because I was confident in the directional control."

"As I alluded to above, you can add the Pure Strike 100 2024 to the (very!) long list of racquets I prefer returning with over serving,” Brittany added. "I was able to start points confidently and aggressively. Since there is a little more control, I could take big swings without the return sailing long. The racquet came around my body pretty quickly, so I was ready for whatever serve came my way. My returns were also landing deep in the court."

The exceptional maneuverability of this racquet gave Chris time to change up his shots. He said, "My confidence was high when returning with the Pure Strike 100 2024. I had the most fun taking the ball early and driving it back. I liked how fast the racquet felt through contact. I had lots of options returning with this racquet because I could adjust at the last instant to alter the type of return I was hitting. Again, I was impressed by how much spin I could generate and how it helped increase my margin for error on fast swings."

The Pure Strike 100 2024 gave Jason the confidence to go on the offensive with his returns. He described, "I felt like I could stay in a more aggressive mindset when hitting returns with this racquet. With a lower powered response, more control and easy swinging maneuverability, I could swing out without fear of overhitting."