Carlos Alcaraz with pure aero VS in 2021
- Thread starter mikele
- Start date
FIRETennis
Professional
source?
FIRETennis
Professional
I tried to trace it and it looks like a game of telephone. Until someone has a solid source, there's no point trying to mess around with unknown specs strung or unstrung.
HeavyHitter
Rookie
Read my post. I replicated the static weight and balance to see what the swingweight would measure out to. It was a simple test I did to validate the specs. There isn't much room left to get to his weight/balance so the variance range of where the lead is added is pretty small. I did it on my 2 VS frames, and they both required nearly identical amount of lead to get his weight/balance. I also assumed that the lead was under the head guard since I didn't see any visible lead around the frame.
Conclusion - If the specs are valid, Carlos isn't using retail VS aero, its impossible to achieve his specs with the retail frame. Or the original poster of his specs is full of poo.
yes, I read it, I just didn't really agree with some of it, as I wrote, and people writing about specs in detail too often like to forget to include whether it's strung or with overgrip, so I don't bother answering to those posts.
similar to people asking about racquets and strings but forgetting to mention their level or fitness or age etc, as if it's all the same, tyre for a ferrari or for a bicycle, it's just a tyre right?
if I take my 3 frames and string them - stock - with 1.25 I get 315sw 32.3 and 328g so something somewhere doesn't agree. since I measured SW of my frames precisely, as other people did, I know I'm not wrong because I have the racquets here, and the 0.01g scale and a balance board
I think that it's often written on this forum that prostock frames come without the steel weight in the handle, and are customized with silicone or foam or whatever in the handle - depending on the player - so some discrepancy between prostock and retail might come from that, but I'm only guessing
and I also think that there's not much to find out guessing as I do here, we just need some more real info
similar to people asking about racquets and strings but forgetting to mention their level or fitness or age etc, as if it's all the same, tyre for a ferrari or for a bicycle, it's just a tyre right?
if I take my 3 frames and string them - stock - with 1.25 I get 315sw 32.3 and 328g so something somewhere doesn't agree. since I measured SW of my frames precisely, as other people did, I know I'm not wrong because I have the racquets here, and the 0.01g scale and a balance board
I think that it's often written on this forum that prostock frames come without the steel weight in the handle, and are customized with silicone or foam or whatever in the handle - depending on the player - so some discrepancy between prostock and retail might come from that, but I'm only guessing
and I also think that there's not much to find out guessing as I do here, we just need some more real info
What is more impressive is how much control he has with a light tweener, it goes against all dogmas the TTW nerds preach. Perhaps that is why no one ever came with more info on his racket specs.
StefanosWillSaveTheWorld
Rookie
Someone posted his tension as 23kg/25kg? He goes 4 pounds tighter on the crosses? is that right?
innoVAShaun
Legend
innoVAShaun
Legend
innoVAShaun
Legend
innoVAShaun
Legend
innoVAShaun
Legend
innoVAShaun
Legend
StefanosWillSaveTheWorld
Rookie
That makes more sense! Thank you.
christo
Hall of Fame
Maybe it's you. I use this frame and it all depends on how the individual and how you string it. Besides the Pure Strike it has more feel than any other Babolat frame.
HeavyHitter
Rookie
So I've been testing the Pure Aero VS for about 2months now. What an amazing frame! This frame hits massive heavy balls. The specs posted here now seems to make sense, this frame doesn't want/need high sw. The large open string pattern and huge oval grommet holes seems to exaggerate string movement and gives you free power and spin. It rewards spin players.
Its a string eater, I'm breaking RPM blast 16g strings after 2 practice sessions or having to cut it out as its holding on by a thread.
This frame hits like a tweener frame but with more forgiveness and feel, its like a tweener hybrid. Its not going to win any categories in feel/plushness compared to frames like a prestige,blade, ezone etc, its still a pretty stiff frame. It doesn't even sound good on impact but it does everything better and easier. Not just winning but destroying players is addicting and totally worth the trade-off from my Ezone tour and Blade pro. I'm switching!
Its a string eater, I'm breaking RPM blast 16g strings after 2 practice sessions or having to cut it out as its holding on by a thread.
This frame hits like a tweener frame but with more forgiveness and feel, its like a tweener hybrid. Its not going to win any categories in feel/plushness compared to frames like a prestige,blade, ezone etc, its still a pretty stiff frame. It doesn't even sound good on impact but it does everything better and easier. Not just winning but destroying players is addicting and totally worth the trade-off from my Ezone tour and Blade pro. I'm switching!
BabPlayer-JohnnyG
Rookie
That's awesome! It is a great frame! Cheers!
AverageForehand
Rookie
Great review and feedback - thx for that!
Did you modify it in any way (leather, lead, etc) or just playing stock?
I usually compare Babolat frames with knives, the best way to control them is by doing big cuts on the ball. If the player is not a topspin person he will have a hard time understanding how to make these rackets work.
IceBunDemon
Rookie
People need to stop thinking of it as generating own power Vs not generating own power. Why not generate own control if we're going that route? Think of it instead as energy return, and that may help paint a clearer picture.
You've also got the overall setup itself. A lot of younger guys now using far lighter setups than previous gens, so that might be a factor in equipment choices as well.
You'll notice a pattern among top pros. More often than not they use setups (so not just racket but overall setup including weight to swing weight etc) that enhance their strengths. Quite a few big servers have used extended length rackets. The guys on tour with the highest average forehand rpms tend to use spin rackets. Precision players tend to use precision rackets and so on.
The pure aero Vs is just about perfect on paper for the game Alcaraz plays. Pros can't choose equipment based on ego as their career is on the line. For them it's best to use what actually helps win them matches. If more amateurs did the same there would be even more tweeners or near tweeners doing the rounds.
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IceBunDemon
Rookie
Pretty much spot on. That or excellent timing, as there are some players, like Mannarino, who don't play with much spin yet use Babolat frames with success at the pro level.
As a Babolat user myself though I'm very much aware of how much control is gained through spin and lost through lack of spin, and it definitely plays a big part in how I swing.
innoVAShaun
Legend
I think photographers are beginning to notice public interest in player's gear.
HeavyHitter
Rookie
I don't want to take over the thread, as this is about Carlos's frame but it's not stock, slightly modded as my pair came in lower weight. My friend just picked up a pair, after trying my frames, his frames are 331gr 32.6cm with no mods, just strung with RPM and overgrip. I'm still learning the frame and testing different setups but I'm somewhere around 330~333gr and 32.5~32.6cm. Around 24kg with RPM 1.30mm. Tried a bunch of different strings but keep coming back to RPM on this frame. Comfort level is about the same as my ezone tour which is at 338gr 33cm with Polytour strike @ 24kg. I've been using the Swingvision to confirm my feelings, gained significant mph on all of my strokes. Hitting 80mph fh's in practice rallies! Feels like I'm cheating...
HeavyHitter
Rookie
Ask and you shall receive! @Babolat Official just replied to my request for Carlos's frame specs. Here it is, pretty much a stock frame! Just need to confirm that this is without overgrip, which I'm pretty sure it is.
Hi Heavy,
Here are Carlos's unstrung specs, and they are remarkably unremarkable!
Pure Aero VS, grip 4 (4 ½) with RPM Blast 130 (don't know tension)
Weight: 305g
Balance: 317mm
Swing weight: 293
Josh
Hi Heavy,
Here are Carlos's unstrung specs, and they are remarkably unremarkable!
Pure Aero VS, grip 4 (4 ½) with RPM Blast 130 (don't know tension)
Weight: 305g
Balance: 317mm
Swing weight: 293
Josh
Circa 1762
Rookie
For reference, I recently got 6 Pure Aero VS from TW, grip 3 (4 3/8), and measured all with the Briffidi SW1 and homemade balance board. The range was 306-309g weight, 31.2-31.4cm balance, and 281-285 swing weight (excellent QC), without overgrip. The balance board isn’t great, so that’s the spec I trust the least. But in any case, it looks like Carlos’s spec is at the head heavy/high swing weight end of stock or easily achievable with a few grams of weight in the head.
galapagos
Hall of Fame
probably before customizations as well xD
AverageForehand
Rookie
Just measured one of mine. Unstrung with overgrip and 2g total @ 2 and 10.
innoVAShaun
Legend
slipgrip93
Professional
thanks for sharing. I was amazed this racquet is still a 98sq in, and also 16x20.
I have a wilson steam 100 blx as a collectible, and the specs are interestingly similar enough.
Wilson steam 100 blx at 16x20, 23mm beam, 100sq in., balance 330mm, 295g unstrung/315g strung, swingweight 311-315.
Another comparison, to a 2010 Head youtek IG Prestige MP (98 sq in.), unstrung specs listed:
292 swingweight, weight: 314, balance 324mm, but 18x20 and 21mm beam.
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innoVAShaun
Legend
Don Felder
Semi-Pro
My other hobby is guitar playing. I’m not bad at guitar but I’m far better at tennis(5.0, former college player). In tennis, as with guitar, the nerds who get real into all this nuance about gear are almost always not very good at actually playing.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
i am assuming carlos is using the RPM blast and what is that Ruud string. looks like hybrid ?
Curtennis
Hall of Fame
And does that really matter? I make as much money off my tennis as you do, and I’m no 5.0 player.
everyones got different hobbies. Some want a perfect yard, others like to shoot a bullet a mile, some like to know all the silly numbers that can be attributed to a tennis racquet.
Don Felder
Semi-Pro
You do you. No problem with gearheads. I’m a bit that way with guitar. Just don’t go telling me what racquet I need for my game, let alone a touring pro. Just as I don’t tell Joe Bonamassa what guitar he needs.
jmacdaununder2
Legend
Thanks for the okay; I’m so happy that I can keep pontificating about tennis on a specialist tennis site...
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