Thinking of switching from the Aeropro Drive GT to the Pure Storm. I want to reign in my power a little and I'm looking for a little more touch and control. I tend to over hit quite a lot and I'm interested in a racquet that'll absorb a little of my power. Is the Pure Storm a good bet for this kind of agenda?
Babolat's Pure Storm series vs. Aeropro Drive
- Thread starter Charles
- Start date
My inner coach tells me to tell you to try string changes and much more importantly get your technique looked at if you haven't already as you should be able to get a lot of control out of a aero pro series frame,(esp b4 possibly wasting money on a new racquet) however the pure storm family do give a lot less free power so if all else fails and you want to splash the cash it might not be a bad place to start looking.
Thanks for the swift response! I currently string at 52. Do you think going up to, say, 59, would help my cause a lot?
Also, would stringing up with a hybrid help my cause? I currently string full bed poly.
USERNAME
Professional
Stay with full poly unless your arm cant take it at the higher tension. Going up 7lbs is a big jump, maybe try 55 or 56 first and see if it helps enough. If not go up to 59-60. The highest Ive seen someone string theirs is 67lbs, but this dude was 6'5" and built like a tank...
I demo'd the Aeropro and Pure Storm lines. My favorite of all those frames is the Pure Storm Ltd GT. It is certainly a lower powered frame but with the right strings it has plenty of power.
And while a dense string pattern it provides casually accessible spin, especially with the right hybrid. My backhand slice drop shot can bounce at a ninety degree angle to the initial direction of travel. Spin serves and top spin forehands are also very easy.
The Storm line also felt far more comfortable to me. I use the Wilson Shock Shield grip and the frame is as comfortable as my PB10 Mid.
And while a dense string pattern it provides casually accessible spin, especially with the right hybrid. My backhand slice drop shot can bounce at a ninety degree angle to the initial direction of travel. Spin serves and top spin forehands are also very easy.
The Storm line also felt far more comfortable to me. I use the Wilson Shock Shield grip and the frame is as comfortable as my PB10 Mid.
esgee48
G.O.A.T.
Charles, if you are thinking of 'upping' the tension, think about increasing the string, say from 17 ga to 16 ga. Or if you are using a lively poly, going to a deader one. I would not automatically up tension, especially poly. Hybriding by using poly mains and syn crosses will add to control. Here you could increase the tension in the poly mains and the syn crosses. But because the crosses are syn, your elbow won't feel the full effect.
Last edited:
Did you find the Pure Storm Tour GT as comfortable as the PB10 mid, too? Thanks.
mikeler
Moderator
I'm currently using Weiss Cannon Black 5 Edge mains at 48 pounds and Mantis Comfort Synthetic in the crosses at 52 pounds in my Babolat Pure Storm Tour+ (non GT). It works like magic for me when I can hit the strings...
mikeler
Moderator
Both the original PST and the PSTGT are demanding rackets for the serve. I did fine with mine for a year but got some weird shoulder pain one day and I've been battling it for months. Some days I can serve normal now while other days my serve is 75%.
mikeler
Moderator
Sometimes I feel like I have to do a Steffi Graf high toss in order to get my racket loop ready in time to hit the ball in the proper location with the PST.
TaihtDuhShaat
Semi-Pro
The reason I chose the PSL over the PST was because the PST felt so tough to serve with. Something about where it's weighted just didn't fit with my motion, maybe a lot at the top of the grip/bottom throat region? Otherwise great racquet all over the court with useable power, just never figured out the serve with it.
JasonPlaysTennis
Banned
Absolutely. I just switched back to the Aero Pro Drive from the Prince Tour 100 which i tried out for a few months. In the end I just needed to add some lead tape and string it tighter. Playing with a poly main and multi cross also gave me much more feel. I swear playing with something like Premier in the cross with a poly in the Aero Pro Drive, you really can't tell the difference between Premier and VS gut, it's very, very, very good.
How much lead and where did you put it?
I got a little (TE) and was wondering about the new comfort grips. did the shock shield grip add bulk or weight to the handle?
Hooked
Rookie
If you like the AeroPro Drive, but want to reduce the power, I would string it at 58-60 pounds. It will still give you a decent amount of pop, but will cut the springiness down quite a bit. If you still find too much power, try the Aero Storm Tour Cortex. It's a little heavier and less powerful with the same size head. You could also try the Pure Storm Limited which is a LOT less powerful and has a 95 inch head. I have all 3 frames and I find that the Aero Storm Tour is a nice balance between the AeroPro Drive and the Pure Storm Limited. It is also on sale right now, so the timing is good to try it out.
