Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Babolat Pure Aero 2023

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Got PA #2 and its on spec as well, with the SW at 294 I think. This one is strung with 1.20 Hyper G Soft (322 strung SW), so I have 2 now with different gauges of HGS. The ideal way to test what guage I prefer.

Here is the interesting thing - my PA#1 yellow color is more of a tennis ball green while the PA I just received is more of a natural yellow. I put them next to each other in direct sunlight and you can clearly see the difference. It's pretty cool, I am not sure which I prefer, but the natural yellow seems a little better if I had to choose right away.

I guess Babolat tweaked the paint color a little with different runs. Curious if anyone else has noticed this with theirs.
 

esm

Legend
Got PA #2 and its on spec as well, with the SW at 294 I think. This one is strung with 1.20 Hyper G Soft (322 strung SW), so I have 2 now with different gauges of HGS. The ideal way to test what guage I prefer.

Here is the interesting thing - my PA#1 yellow color is more of a tennis ball green while the PA I just received is more of a natural yellow. I put them next to each other in direct sunlight and you can clearly see the difference. It's pretty cool, I am not sure which I prefer, but the natural yellow seems a little better if I had to choose right away.

I guess Babolat tweaked the paint color a little with different runs. Curious if anyone else has noticed this with theirs.
Got mine about 2/3 weeks apart, so I think these came from the same (UK) run/batch. I can’t check the serial numbers atm as they are on travelling somewhere on the Atlantic or Indian Ocean atm.. lol

I have them side by side and it seems the colours are same/similar, not considering the direction of the light source in this pic.

 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Got mine about 2/3 weeks apart, so I think these came from the same (UK) run/batch. I can’t check the serial numbers atm as they are on travelling somewhere on the Atlantic or Indian Ocean atm.. lol

I have them side by side and it seems the colours are same/similar, not considering the direction of the light source in this pic.


Very cool thanks for looking. I’ll take a pic of mine tomorrow in the sun and show you the difference in mine.
 
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krautfox

Rookie
Alright, so I tried my PA23 strung with Solinco Outlast 1.25 @21 kg for a total of 3h training session, 1 practice match and 1 tournament match; here are my initial thoughts...

It immediatly reminded me of my Prince Textreme Tour 100P (2019) in terms of directional control and how it comes off the string bed. I forgot which one of you mentioned this earlier in the thread, but it really does play quite similar. So the tighter 16x19 pattern plays close to a more open and forgiving 18x20, which is nice. You could definitely place the ball pretty accuretly with the PA23, albeit not as precisely as my Blades, but that was to be expected. But it does have a nice direct feel to it since the ball comes off really fast off of the string bed.

The spin was nice, and the launch angle was nice and controlled; the ball had a nice bounce to it on the other side, you could see accelerate pretty well. In the practice set with one of my hitting partners (we were playing on clay), I asked how he felt my shots with the PA23 compared to my Blade and he said that there is more spin, but less "linear speed", as he puts it. So although I have just a tad less spin with my blade, since the "linear speed" is more important, he feels a heavier ball. Was not expecting that, and I got to admit that the power was a little underwhelming, which I guess was a good thing since I don't really gel with power frames, but I was expecting a tad more on groundstrokes. Overall, on groundstrokes, it felt really nice on the forehand side, and a little weird on the backhand side. I'm guessing that's more due to the frame geometry combined with my 2HBH stroke that I need to get use to. So we'll just say it's a timing issue there.

The PA23 is nice frame for defense, when you're really on the run struggling. That's where I feel like the more controlled launch angle really helps. Your ball doesn't just sit up for your opponent to crush the ball, it stays nice and low. I really enjoyed the defensive and offensive slice as well. Really allowed me to construct my points nice and relaxed.

Volleys were extremely nice with this frame. Not as precise as my Blades, but you just need to block your arm and BAM, it's a put away volley nice and deep. Touch volleys were harder though... need to release my inner Benoit Paire or Mannarino for that !

On serves however, the power was amazing. My flat first serves were bombs, it was addicting. And the kick and slice serves were awesome too (felt like Mannarino, really ;) ). So no problems here !

Maneuverability was only ok, but that's just because I'm more use and prefer thinner frames that cut through the air better.

And lastly, the feel is better than the 19 for sure, but it's really nothing compared to the buttery smoothness of the the V7 Blade. And that compared with the maneuverability means I don't really gel with the PA23 yet. I lost my practice match against my buddy because it was hard to trust the frame which made me make silly decisions and mistakes. But since this is a completely different type of frame from what I'm used it, it's normal. I won my tournament match though 7-5 6-4, but didn't feel right throughout the match. My opponent was making more unforced errors, so I just had to keep the ball in play and make him run a bit, but again, couldn't really dial in exactly where I wanted to place the ball.

Overall, this is a great frame, no doubt about it. Not sure if it's the right fit for me, considering I really leveled up my game this year since switching to the Blade and I really feel at home with it, but the PA23 does give some advantages, like putting less effort to keep the ball in play, easier defensive shots and volleys as well as bombing serves... Guess it's just a matter of taste and preference
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Alright, so I tried my PA23 strung with Solinco Outlast 1.25 @21 kg for a total of 3h training session, 1 practice match and 1 tournament match; here are my initial thoughts...

It immediatly reminded me of my Prince Textreme Tour 100P (2019) in terms of directional control and how it comes off the string bed. I forgot which one of you mentioned this earlier in the thread, but it really does play quite similar. So the tighter 16x19 pattern plays close to a more open and forgiving 18x20, which is nice. You could definitely place the ball pretty accuretly with the PA23, albeit not as precisely as my Blades, but that was to be expected. But it does have a nice direct feel to it since the ball comes off really fast off of the string bed.

The spin was nice, and the launch angle was nice and controlled; the ball had a nice bounce to it on the other side, you could see accelerate pretty well. In the practice set with one of my hitting partners (we were playing on clay), I asked how he felt my shots with the PA23 compared to my Blade and he said that there is more spin, but less "linear speed", as he puts it. So although I have just a tad less spin with my blade, since the "linear speed" is more important, he feels a heavier ball. Was not expecting that, and I got to admit that the power was a little underwhelming, which I guess was a good thing since I don't really gel with power frames, but I was expecting a tad more on groundstrokes. Overall, on groundstrokes, it felt really nice on the forehand side, and a little weird on the backhand side. I'm guessing that's more due to the frame geometry combined with my 2HBH stroke that I need to get use to. So we'll just say it's a timing issue there.

The PA23 is nice frame for defense, when you're really on the run struggling. That's where I feel like the more controlled launch angle really helps. Your ball doesn't just sit up for your opponent to crush the ball, it stays nice and low. I really enjoyed the defensive and offensive slice as well. Really allowed me to construct my points nice and relaxed.

Volleys were extremely nice with this frame. Not as precise as my Blades, but you just need to block your arm and BAM, it's a put away volley nice and deep. Touch volleys were harder though... need to release my inner Benoit Paire or Mannarino for that !

On serves however, the power was amazing. My flat first serves were bombs, it was addicting. And the kick and slice serves were awesome too (felt like Mannarino, really ;) ). So no problems here !

Maneuverability was only ok, but that's just because I'm more use and prefer thinner frames that cut through the air better.

And lastly, the feel is better than the 19 for sure, but it's really nothing compared to the buttery smoothness of the the V7 Blade. And that compared with the maneuverability means I don't really gel with the PA23 yet. I lost my practice match against my buddy because it was hard to trust the frame which made me make silly decisions and mistakes. But since this is a completely different type of frame from what I'm used it, it's normal. I won my tournament match though 7-5 6-4, but didn't feel right throughout the match. My opponent was making more unforced errors, so I just had to keep the ball in play and make him run a bit, but again, couldn't really dial in exactly where I wanted to place the ball.

Overall, this is a great frame, no doubt about it. Not sure if it's the right fit for me, considering I really leveled up my game this year since switching to the Blade and I really feel at home with it, but the PA23 does give some advantages, like putting less effort to keep the ball in play, easier defensive shots and volleys as well as bombing serves... Guess it's just a matter of taste and preference

Yeah personal preference here. I have gut mains in a PA23 and also a PA23+ and it will give you a poiwer boost for sure, but it's controllable. In terms of big time power, the + version delivers the heaviness more than the standard. I am leaning towards the + as my go to. The serves are much bigger than the PA23 and that is saying a lot, since the PA23 is a fantastic frame to serve with.

If you want to get that touch back on volleys, try gut poly at around 56-58 pounds gut mains.

Other setup I like a lot is thing guage full poly at 1.15. It will lighten the frame a little, which may not be your thing, but the spin and control increase will be noticable. That said, the control is surprisingly nice for me with gut mains, so I am going to keep using that.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
@Power Player - In your gut/poly setups, what brand/gauge of gut and poly are you using and how many hours are you getting per string job, typically?

I am trying 1.25 in Klip on the PA23 and 1.30 in Babolat VS Touch in the PA+. I will update you on hours. I have played 4 hours total so far and the string bed is still in excellent shape. Hoping for a 20 hour setup if possible.
 

Trip

Hall of Fame
I am trying 1.25 in Klip on the PA23 and 1.30 in Babolat VS Touch in the PA+. I will update you on hours. I have played 4 hours total so far and the string bed is still in excellent shape. Hoping for a 20 hour setup if possible.
Nice. What poly cross are you using?

If you have trouble with gut longevity, try to get ahold of some IsoSpeed Rexxxer to use as a cross -- the oval profile, which lays flat on the gut, can boost longevity up to 200%, no joke.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Nice. What poly cross are you using?

If you have trouble with gut longevity, try to get ahold of some IsoSpeed Rexxxer to use as a cross -- the oval profile, which lays flat on the gut, can boost longevity up to 200%, no joke.

I keep reading about Rexxer. It sounds amazing. I need to try it. For now I have 4G Soft and Polybreak on the list, plus Cyberflash 1.20 for 1.25 gut. Currently in one set is Head Hawk and the other is Rs Lyon, both 1.25.

If it matters, I like a crisper feel but still comfortable. So that is why I don't use something like Cream or Ghostwire.
 

krautfox

Rookie
Yeah personal preference here. I have gut mains in a PA23 and also a PA23+ and it will give you a poiwer boost for sure, but it's controllable. In terms of big time power, the + version delivers the heaviness more than the standard. I am leaning towards the + as my go to. The serves are much bigger than the PA23 and that is saying a lot, since the PA23 is a fantastic frame to serve with.

If you want to get that touch back on volleys, try gut poly at around 56-58 pounds gut mains.

Other setup I like a lot is thing guage full poly at 1.15. It will lighten the frame a little, which may not be your thing, but the spin and control increase will be noticable. That said, the control is surprisingly nice for me with gut mains, so I am going to keep using that.
Yeah I def need to try gut hybrid, haven't come around to it yet. Is it worth it to have gut as a cross rather than main ? Or is having gut in the main really the way to go ?
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Yeah I def need to try gut hybrid, haven't come around to it yet. Is it worth it to have gut as a cross rather than main ? Or is having gut in the main really the way to go ?
It’s super expensive to use gut as crosses because it’s around a 9 hours stringbed. Gut mains is going to last much longer so I think that is the way to go, at least for me.
 

krautfox

Rookie
Had about a month with it and my initial comments still stand basically, so long story short, will not be switching. I just feel too at home with my Blades...

HOWEVER... I did have a hitting session with my dad this weekend, who's a strong 3.5 player, and he absolutely loved it. He comes from a Wilson Burn CV and found a little more pop off of the stringbed and an overall better feel. From my side of the court, I felt he had more spin on his shot (he hits relatively flat) but the most suprising was how consistent he was. He also had a little more pop on his serves and the frame gave him confidence to go for certain shots. He was laughing and smiling and it was awesome seeing him like a kid on christmas. I just had to give him the frame.

So it was his first outting with it, and obviously there's a honeymoon phase, but if any of you have friends, family members around the 3.5 level, the PA23 is a terrific frame to put in their hands :)
 

brentzki

Rookie
Is it just me or has the SW gotten lighter?

I just had a racquet shop send me specs for 10 racquets, saying all of them were around the 283 SW unstrung range. Which also matches up to the SW of another local store where the 2 they had were 283...

That's like only 311-2 SW strung with a 1.25mm poly?

The heaviest ones they found were 287 SW....
 

Curtennis

Hall of Fame
Is it just me or has the SW gotten lighter?

I just had a racquet shop send me specs for 10 racquets, saying all of them were around the 283 SW unstrung range. Which also matches up to the SW of another local store where the 2 they had were 283...

That's like only 311-2 SW strung with a 1.25mm poly?

The heaviest ones they found were 287 SW....
In my experience a 1.25 poly usually adds 29-31 swing weight points. Splitting hairs though.
 

brentzki

Rookie
In my experience a 1.25 poly usually adds 29-31 swing weight points. Splitting hairs though.
So strange - I really like the racquet and the demo I played was 319 SW strung, which is good but still a touch light. I just can't believe a full 10 racquet re-stock and they couldn't get one that was 290 SW......
 

brentzki

Rookie
These are the final specs of the 2 heaviest matched ones from 10 racquets they just got ordered in:

"
Hi Brent,

No worries at all.

The specs are:

304.6g / 318mm / 287 SW
305.8 / 319mm / 287 SW.

Kind regards,

Jason
"
Same swingweight and 1mm balance difference is pretty bloody good though!! Even being 3 pts underspec for SW. Guess I just pull the trigger....

Anyone strung one up with RPM blast 16? How many pts does it add?
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
These are the final specs of the 2 heaviest matched ones from 10 racquets they just got ordered in:

"
Hi Brent,

No worries at all.

The specs are:

304.6g / 318mm / 287 SW
305.8 / 319mm / 287 SW.

Kind regards,

Jason
"
Same swingweight and 1mm balance difference is pretty bloody good though!! Even being 3 pts underspec for SW. Guess I just pull the trigger....

Anyone strung one up with RPM blast 16? How many pts does it add?
around 33. Also you can put 1.5 or so inches of lead under the bumper right at the tip when you get the frames. It’s easier to remove the grommets and put them back on if they have not been strung. Thats what did on my pa+.
 

brentzki

Rookie
around 33. Also you can put 1.5 or so inches of lead under the bumper right at the tip when you get the frames. It’s easier to remove the grommets and put them back on if they have not been strung. Thats what did on my pa+.
Cool! Have you strung with RPM blast 16? What do you currently string yours with?

I'm looking to maybe put 1g of lead at 12 under bumper to bring up to around 290-1 SW unstrung. I'm also probably going to add 5 or so grams of tungsten putty under the buttcap and try bring the balance closer to 320mm strung.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Cool! Have you strung with RPM blast 16? What do you currently string yours with?

I'm looking to maybe put 1g of lead at 12 under bumper to bring up to around 290-1 SW unstrung. I'm also probably going to add 5 or so grams of tungsten putty under the buttcap and try bring the balance closer to 320mm strung.

I use gut poly - Babolat VS and am trying different crosses. I found that the regular PS doesn't need any mods for me, as my unstrung SW is 294 on mine. I had a PA+ come in at 290 unstrung SW so I added a little lead to get it to 295. That range for me seems to play well.

If you just put 1-2 grams under the bumper and use an OG you probably won't need to add putty in the handle. You could try it without to start. You may like the balance as is.
 
Ohhhh mahh goodness. This thing a monster with 1.15 PTP blue at least when fresh I just got it strung today and played it completely fresh for about 30 minutes... Crazy good spin, jumps off the court high so easily, a lot of power very good control and super comfortable. I used to play with 1.25 PTP blue and as I remember it loses playability pretty fast is the only problem but I don't care I like to sacrifice playability length for better play.

Oh forgot to mention 48 lbs, but I don't think the tension matters too much
 

brentzki

Rookie
I use gut poly - Babolat VS and am trying different crosses. I found that the regular PS doesn't need any mods for me, as my unstrung SW is 294 on mine. I had a PA+ come in at 290 unstrung SW so I added a little lead to get it to 295. That range for me seems to play well.

If you just put 1-2 grams under the bumper and use an OG you probably won't need to add putty in the handle. You could try it without to start. You may like the balance as is.
With 2g of lead under the bumper and 1.30mm blast, SW of 328, perfect.
Balance came in at 32.8cm, so I'm thinking of putting 6g under the buttcap to bring the balance towards about 32.2cm
 

Snipe

Rookie
Got PA #2 and its on spec as well, with the SW at 294 I think. This one is strung with 1.20 Hyper G Soft (322 strung SW), so I have 2 now with different gauges of HGS. The ideal way to test what guage I prefer.

Here is the interesting thing - my PA#1 yellow color is more of a tennis ball green while the PA I just received is more of a natural yellow. I put them next to each other in direct sunlight and you can clearly see the difference. It's pretty cool, I am not sure which I prefer, but the natural yellow seems a little better if I had to choose right away.

I guess Babolat tweaked the paint color a little with different runs. Curious if anyone else has noticed this with theirs.
Did you ever post the pics? I'm curious but didn't see them in the thread.
 
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Deleted member 798581

Guest
A bit late to the party but I have been trying out the PA23 this week (having normally used Prince TT 310s). Great depth and lots of power and spin, sometimes I have to reign as I get a bit excited and hit the fence. Good manoverability, not as precise as the TT, but I feel the extra pace I can consistently generate makes up for it.

I always play with a leather grip and over grip, anyone else that does this would you recommend putting a wee bit of lead at 12 to counterbalance the weight increase?
 

StringStrungStrang

Professional
A bit late to the party but I have been trying out the PA23 this week (having normally used Prince TT 310s). Great depth and lots of power and spin, sometimes I have to reign as I get a bit excited and hit the fence. Good manoverability, not as precise as the TT, but I feel the extra pace I can consistently generate makes up for it.

I always play with a leather grip and over grip, anyone else that does this would you recommend putting a wee bit of lead at 12 to counterbalance the weight increase?

Great racket the Babolat PA23 ! If you look through the playtests, with or without a leather grip, it is nearly unanimous that this racquet performs better with a bit of lead tape @ 12 or 10 & 2 etc. It really brings out its best characteristics.
This is a well-rounded PA and it does a lot of things well. Great at volleys too!
 
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Deleted member 798581

Guest
Great racket the Babolat PA23 ! If you look through the playtests, with or without a leather grip, it is nearly unanimous that this racquet performs better with a bit of lead tape @ 12 or 10 & 2 etc. It really brings out its best characteristics.
This is a well-rounded PA and it does a lot of things well. Great at volleys too!
Thanks for the response!

I did read through all of the thread but it seems none of it really sunk in, I blame tiredness (we just recently had our first child). I have ordered some, I vaguely remember someone on here saying to go at really small increments?

It does seem a good racquet, a lot more controllable than the PA19 I previously used as well, just readjusting to the more ‘brush up’ ground strokes coming from the TT!
 

Nadal - GOAT

Hall of Fame
Hi,

I recently started playing with full multi and was previously playing with full poly for many years.. The switch from poly to multi was primarily because of arm issues and also me looking for more power.

I am now trying a poly/gut hybrid pattern for my PA 23. Now I know gut mains and poly crosses seem to be the more popular and logical setup. However the weather here is very humid currently and am worried that gut main won't last long.

How will poly mains / gut crosses play out in the PA as opposed to full bed of multi or full bed of poly? Yes I can go for cheaper cross but let's leave the cost part out for now. Or should I rather try full Gut?

Will appreciate the guidance.
 
Anyone still sticking with this racket? I am liking it a lot with 16G RPM blast 55 lbs. I feel like it’s needing a little lead tape. Anybody have theirs customized? I feel like it needs it at 3 and 9 but I might try 12 o’clock to start off
 
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Deleted member 798581

Guest
Anyone still sticking with this racket? I am liking it a lot with 16G RPM blast 55 lbs. I feel like it’s needing a little lead tape. Anybody have theirs customized? I feel like it needs it at 3 and 9 but I might try 12 o’clock to start off
I just got my second through. I’m using hyper-g at 51lbs, with a leather grip, and 3G at 12. The lead really transformed the racket.
 
I just got my second through. I’m using hyper-g at 51lbs, with a leather grip, and 3G at 12. The lead really transformed the racket.
I just got my second through. I’m using hyper-g at 51lbs, with a leather grip, and 3G at 12. The lead really transformed the racket.
thanks for the feedback, I’ll probably add 2G at 12 and see how it plays. Have you felt the need or try weight at 3 and 9?
 
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Deleted member 798581

Guest
thanks for the feedback, I’ll probably add 2G at 12 and see how it plays. Have you felt the need or try weight at 3 and 9?
You know what, I am not a massive lead user usually but I felt putting it at 12 really seemed to help me with a bit of extra depth by slowing my swing slightly. I haven't really felt the racquet to be particularly unstable (which is what I believe the main reason of putting it at 3 and 9 would be?), but I can only compare with a few other rackets I have used.
 
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Deleted member 798581

Guest
I just got my second through. I’m using hyper-g at 51lbs, with a leather grip, and 3G at 12. The lead really transformed the racket.
How did you get on with the PA?

I varied with lead at 12 and then at 3 and 6 and actually have come back round to no lead at all, just leather grip and over grip.
 
How did you get on with the PA?

I varied with lead at 12 and then at 3 and 6 and actually have come back round to no lead at all, just leather grip and over grip.
Same here. Tried everything but have settled with 1 g at 12 and Wilson Overgrip and babolat dampener. I have both of mine strung with RPM 16 at 55 lbs and the feel is not great and it kind of feels dead toward the tip. I just order a pack of T1 Black Knight and will string that at probably 53 lbs or lower. Still haven’t figured out my BH with this racket, it’s my flatter side and I seem to hit long far too often trying to dial that in.
 

StringStrungStrang

Professional
I was on the playtest for these - and they are awesome racquets. I did prefer a little lead in the head to give it a touch more stability, power and plow through. Groundstrokes are a pleasure and with a touch of lead find their way deeper into the court, great serving and volleying racquet too. Since I play an all-court game I felt the Pure Strike suited my game just a bit more - but it was very close. The Babolat PA23 cosmetics are awesome too! I preferred it strung in the upper 40s.
 
I was on the playtest for these - and they are awesome racquets. I did prefer a little lead in the head to give it a touch more stability, power and plow through. Groundstrokes are a pleasure and with a touch of lead find their way deeper into the court, great serving and volleying racquet too. Since I play an all-court game I felt the Pure Strike suited my game just a bit more - but it was very close. The Babolat PA23 cosmetics are awesome too! I preferred it strung in the upper 40s.
What did you string it with? Where was the lead tape and how much was enough for you? I have 1 G at 12 but debating adding a little more
 

MaiTai

Rookie
I really liked the PA23, but, unfortunately, after about three and a half months, it did a number on both my elbows – ended up with tennis elbow in both arms (2 HBH). Before the PA, I played with the Extreme MP for six months with no problems at all.
I even went for a looser string setup and switched to Ghostwire Cross when my forearm started feeling sore.
I also cut back on playing each week, but as soon as my left elbow started hurting too, I had to ditch the PA. I've had a history of tennis elbow thanks to my time with the Speed 360+ MP, not-so-great backhand and serve technique, and using dead strings for way too long. I managed to sort it out by switching to the Gravity MP, using softer strings, lower tension, working on my technique, and even stringing my rackets myself.
Since then, I've had no problems with rackets like the 360+ Tour and Pro, Gravity Pro, Auxetic Extreme MP, and EZ98.

The PA feels great in the sweet spot, and even when you don't hit it dead center, it's not too harsh. It seems to dampen vibrations pretty well. But there's something about its design that just didn't agree with my elbows. I played some really good, aggressive tennis with that frame and even won my club final against a bunch of 4.0 players in the Men's 30 category.
But my right arm got worse and worse, and even after trying different string tensions and using softer polys, my left arm started hurting too. WTF.
I had to throw in the towel, switched to the Vcore 98, and once I got the hang of it, this racket is a blast to play with and is much gentler on my arms. I'm still in the honeymoon phase with it, so I won't blabber on too much.
Perhaps the PA23 feels a tad cushier than the earlier version (which I haven't tried), but if you've had arm troubles before, you might want to tread cautiously with the PA. I gave it a shot based on all the reviews that claimed it was softer than the previous iteration. This being my first Babolat and having a longstanding curiosity about it, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, it just didn't pan out.
 
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Deleted member 798581

Guest
Still haven’t figured out my BH with this racket, it’s my flatter side and I seem to hit long far too often trying to dial that in.
I get what you mean, I’ve lost some consistency on that wing that’s for sure, although when I do get it right, I find great depth and power with it.
 
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