Babolat Pure Aero Tour Review
Summary
We were wondering when Babolat would add a heavy weight option into their spin-friendly Aero line of rackets. After much anticipation, it is finally here, and we can say with confidence, the wait was well worth it. The Pure Aero Tour, the heaviest member of the Pure Aero, offers added plow through and stability. From the very first hit of this playtest, the feedback was positive. With almost everyone agreeing, the Pure Aero Tour provided higher levels of power, spin and depth compared to previous AeroPro Drives and the Pure Aero, which made it easy to dictate or defend. With such high praises from our playtesters and two of them feeling confident enough to take this racket into their next tournament, we think this racket could be a game changer for the modern player.
| Babolat Pure Aero Tour Racket | |
|---|---|
| Power | 86/100 |
| Control | 81/100 |
| Maneuverability | 82/100 |
| Stability | 85/100 |
| Comfort | 82/100 |
| Touch/Feel | 78/100 |
| Serves | 85/100 |
| Groundstrokes | 88/100 |
| Returns | 84/100 |
| Slice | 82/100 |
| Topspin | 91/100 |
| Volleys | 85/100 |
Overall 86/100
Groundstrokes - Score: 88/100
Thanks to the head light balance and aerodynamic beam, the Pure Aero Tour comes with a wonderfully fast and whippy feel, making it perfect for those who want the benefits of a heavier racket without losing the easy acceleration crucial to spin and pace. It offered excellent stability, great power, spin and enough plough through to handle heavy hitting. Our team enjoyed the solid response tremendously. Rarely did the racket exhibit any flutter and most of the time it felt rock solid. Coupled with a co-poly string this racket offered a devastating combination of power, spin and control.
Volleys - Score: 85/100
At net, the Pure Aero Tour didn't get pushed around, making it great for redirecting heavy pace. The added weight of the Pure Aero Tour compared to previous iterations of the Aero Pro Drive, really helped it shine for our playtesters at the net. We found a solid and stable feel and never felt like the racket was too cumbersome, and it was still easy to manoeuvre. It was easy to get good depth on volleys And this racket possessed a softer and plusher feel (compared to previous versions), allowing a more responsive experience at net.
Serves - Score: 85/100
Aggressive servers who can get the Pure Aero Tour moving fast will be rewarded with lethal power and plenty of free points. Our team all raved about the added power they found on their first serves and the spin potential they could tap into when hitting big kickers or sliding slice serves.
Serve Returns – Score: 84/100
Our aggressive playtesters found it easy to drive the ball powerfully through the court when returning with the Pure Aero Tour. There was also plenty of spin to be had thanks to the fast feel and open string pattern. The racket's fast yet solid feel proved to be a perfect combo on returns for our team. They were hitting returns with lots of power and found just the right amount of spin to keep everything under control. On defense, the racket's stability helped our team find depth and get them back into the point.
Likes:
Chris - “ I loved the solid response, spin, power and control. I also liked the way the racket felt in my hand. The weight/balance felt good and the swingweight was right in my wheelhouse. I could easily switch to this racket I liked it that much. ”
Troy - “ Loads of spin with FSI Spin technology. The plush-feel of this Pure Aero Tour compared to previous versions was a nice touch (no pun intended). ”
Michelle - “ I really liked this racket at the net and when serving. I felt I could be super offensive from the first ball strike. A great doubles racket for me. ”
Mark - “ No graphite diet here; I love the way the extra weight and all the other aspects of this new Pure Aero Tour came together for me. I definitely still got power from how firm the beam is, albeit with a much higher degree of comfort (relative to prior Aero Pro series frames). ”
Dislikes:
Chris - “ None. ”
Troy - “ With the stringbed being more open in the sweetspot, I found a lack of control when hitting flat. When I was trying to be offensive with my shots, I sometimes lacked the confidence to hit close to the lines, forcing me to have to hit to bigger targets. ”
Michelle - “ Something about this frame just didn't feel right for me on my groundstrokes and I was missing some confidence. ... Granted, I've been a bit off this month, it may be more between the ears than the racket. It may also be my flatter game just didn't line up with this spin-monster. ”
Mark - “ It is definitely not a dislike of the racket, but why did they wait so long to produce such a racket? ”
Comparing it to other rackets they've used, our testers said:
Chris - “ Very similar to the Pure Drive Tour (and Roddick's which predated it), this racket offers great power, control and spin. Other rackets which compete include the Prince Classic Response 97, Head Graphene Radical Pro and Volkl Super G 8 315. ”
Troy - “ The whole Pure Aero line of rackets is my favorite of the AeroPro lineage that Babolat has produced over the years. This Pure Aero Tour, possessing the added mass that I have always wanted in this line of rackets, was a pleasant addition. It has some similarities to the Head Graphene Extreme Pro, Volkl Organix 8 (315g), and Yonex Ezone Ai 100. This racket has some similarities to the Babolat Pure Drive Tour, although this Pure Aero Tour is softer, more plush-feeling, and more spin-friendly. ”
Michelle - “ I found it similar to the Graphene Extreme Pro in the way that this was a stiffer feeling racket loaded with power and spin. ”
Mark - “ If the Pure Aero weighed just a little less, I could compare it to several other frames. If the Pure Aero Tour had a slightly more dense string pattern, and/or a more flexible beam trait; again, I could compare it to at least a few other rackets. That said, this new offering sort of stands alone, with its combination of 12-ounce static weight, firm beam, standard length, balance, open pattern, and 100 square inch head size. I suppose the Tecnifibre TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP is as close as I can think of. ”
Playtester Profiles:
Chris: 4.5 all-court player currently using the Wilson Six.One 95S. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.
Troy: 5.0 lefty all-court player with a full Western Forehand and a two-handed backhand. Troy currently plays with a Wilson BLX Six.One 95.
Mark: 5.0 lefty all-court player with a one-handed backhand. He currently plays with the Wilson Pro Staff 95S.
Michelle: Open level baseline player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. She currently plays with the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph.
Review date: November 2015. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us. information.en@tenniswarehouse-europe.com.
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