power_backhand
Rookie
I had the pleasure of demoing the pure aero vs over the last two weeks. I decided to put it up against my weighted up Dunlop CX 200. And yes, I demoed it because Alcaraz and Rune are playing with it!
Before I start my review, I want to challenge an ongoing myth that Rune and Alcaraz play with the pure aero vs stock. I can say with huge confidence that they do not use this racquet stock. DO NOT BUY THIS RACQUET BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE ALCARAZ AND RUNE ARE USING IT STOCK! This racquet is so expensive that you need to be sure it’s for you. Why aren’t they using it stock? It’s both way to stiff and to light for them. They are now two of the fittest players on tour in their prime and have an experienced team of tour veterans and racquet technicians. You can expect that their specs are equal to or slightly above their peers. The pros are playing a different game with a completely different level of fitness than amateurs. As a rule, they never us the same equipment as amateur players. Whenever you hear an exception to this rule, be skeptical!
My background
5.0 (10 UTR) singles/doubles player. My strengths are my serve and backhand.
Specs
My CX 200 is customized with a leather grip and 4 grams of TW tungsten tape at 12. This is my favorite setup as it brings the spin and power out of the racquet while keeping some of the maneuverability.
I played with the Pure Aero Vs stock at first and found, (of course), that it was just to light! I was having trouble returning powerful deep shots (especially flat shots) and first serves with confidence. Also, I was simply finding myself swinging the racquet to fast (can you believe that). I needed to slow the swing down and get more plow through. I added about 4 grams at 3 and 9 and a vibration dampener. With the added weight, I was able to achieve my goal. I’m able to play my game with this racquet at a much lighter spec that my CX 200! That’s a huge plus! It doesn’t need the additional weight in the handle. That shaves off 15-20 grams.
Ground strokes
The main advantage of the pure aero vs is that it is light, fast, and nimble while maintaining some stability of a heavier racquet. This allows me to have a lot more time on the ball than with my weighted up CX 200. I found that my shots on the run improved in both singles and doubles. Also, because of the fast aero beam and more open string pattern, the racquet grabs the ball much easier providing easier access to spin. This is a huge plus in doubles because I can hit balls that dip at my opponent’s feet with ease. At the baseline, I got the sensation that I couldn’t miss. When I got a short ball, the nimbleness of the racquet allowed me to have a deadly transition game to the net. This was an improvement over the CX 200 because the light weight allowed me to get increased racquet speed on my approach shots. I did find that I played more of a counter punching style with the pure aero vs. On the plus side, this racquet wants you to come to net and is an awesome volleying racquet.
Net
The CX 200 was made for the net. I’m happy to say this also holds true for the pure aero vs. I felt I was more confident with touch shots inside the service line with the pure aero vs. This is probably due to the stiff racquet head that knifes the ball when at net. Again, the nimbleness of this racquet makes it deadly in singles and doubles. Of course, the CX 200 is also a great volleying racquet, and the added weight allows it to re-direct pass a bit easier that the vs. The aero vs is also amazing on overheads for the same reason.
Serve
This is where the aero vs really stands apart from the CX 200. I serve great with my weighted up CX 200, but I expend a lot of energy hitting my first and second serve. I can hit equally effective serves with the VS with less effort and a higher serve percentage. I also got a ton of confidence in my second serve with this racquet. I often go for big second serves when playing strong returners, and I had more confidence. A consistent theme Is coming up again and again. The decreased weight of the pure aero vs gives me an advantage in every area of my game.
Comfort
And here is where the CX 200 blows the pure aero vs our of the water. The CX 200 has a sweet feel to it and has ultimate comfort while still being reasonably stiffer than a racquet like the blade. It really is a sweet feeling racquet. I was feeling some discomfort in my wrist when mishitting volleys with the aero vs. You feel the stiffness. There is a risk here. Dropping $280 on a racquet that I might have to put down due to wrist issues would be a bummer.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I love the feel and comfort of the CX 200. I love the pure aero vs because it allows me to play my game in a much lighter, nimbler, and faster package. This gives me an edge in my transition game in singles, on the run shots, and quick exchanges in doubles. It’s also allowed me to hit my best shot, the serve, with more confidence and ease. It’s a winner for me. An awesome racquet. I also have a demo of the Dunlop CX 400 tour and will see if I can achieve a similar benefit with this racquet. If not, it’s a switch for me. Just need to suck up that it's probably over priced. But if it will bring me all these benefits, it may be worth it.
Before I start my review, I want to challenge an ongoing myth that Rune and Alcaraz play with the pure aero vs stock. I can say with huge confidence that they do not use this racquet stock. DO NOT BUY THIS RACQUET BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE ALCARAZ AND RUNE ARE USING IT STOCK! This racquet is so expensive that you need to be sure it’s for you. Why aren’t they using it stock? It’s both way to stiff and to light for them. They are now two of the fittest players on tour in their prime and have an experienced team of tour veterans and racquet technicians. You can expect that their specs are equal to or slightly above their peers. The pros are playing a different game with a completely different level of fitness than amateurs. As a rule, they never us the same equipment as amateur players. Whenever you hear an exception to this rule, be skeptical!
My background
5.0 (10 UTR) singles/doubles player. My strengths are my serve and backhand.
Specs
My CX 200 is customized with a leather grip and 4 grams of TW tungsten tape at 12. This is my favorite setup as it brings the spin and power out of the racquet while keeping some of the maneuverability.
I played with the Pure Aero Vs stock at first and found, (of course), that it was just to light! I was having trouble returning powerful deep shots (especially flat shots) and first serves with confidence. Also, I was simply finding myself swinging the racquet to fast (can you believe that). I needed to slow the swing down and get more plow through. I added about 4 grams at 3 and 9 and a vibration dampener. With the added weight, I was able to achieve my goal. I’m able to play my game with this racquet at a much lighter spec that my CX 200! That’s a huge plus! It doesn’t need the additional weight in the handle. That shaves off 15-20 grams.
Ground strokes
The main advantage of the pure aero vs is that it is light, fast, and nimble while maintaining some stability of a heavier racquet. This allows me to have a lot more time on the ball than with my weighted up CX 200. I found that my shots on the run improved in both singles and doubles. Also, because of the fast aero beam and more open string pattern, the racquet grabs the ball much easier providing easier access to spin. This is a huge plus in doubles because I can hit balls that dip at my opponent’s feet with ease. At the baseline, I got the sensation that I couldn’t miss. When I got a short ball, the nimbleness of the racquet allowed me to have a deadly transition game to the net. This was an improvement over the CX 200 because the light weight allowed me to get increased racquet speed on my approach shots. I did find that I played more of a counter punching style with the pure aero vs. On the plus side, this racquet wants you to come to net and is an awesome volleying racquet.
Net
The CX 200 was made for the net. I’m happy to say this also holds true for the pure aero vs. I felt I was more confident with touch shots inside the service line with the pure aero vs. This is probably due to the stiff racquet head that knifes the ball when at net. Again, the nimbleness of this racquet makes it deadly in singles and doubles. Of course, the CX 200 is also a great volleying racquet, and the added weight allows it to re-direct pass a bit easier that the vs. The aero vs is also amazing on overheads for the same reason.
Serve
This is where the aero vs really stands apart from the CX 200. I serve great with my weighted up CX 200, but I expend a lot of energy hitting my first and second serve. I can hit equally effective serves with the VS with less effort and a higher serve percentage. I also got a ton of confidence in my second serve with this racquet. I often go for big second serves when playing strong returners, and I had more confidence. A consistent theme Is coming up again and again. The decreased weight of the pure aero vs gives me an advantage in every area of my game.
Comfort
And here is where the CX 200 blows the pure aero vs our of the water. The CX 200 has a sweet feel to it and has ultimate comfort while still being reasonably stiffer than a racquet like the blade. It really is a sweet feeling racquet. I was feeling some discomfort in my wrist when mishitting volleys with the aero vs. You feel the stiffness. There is a risk here. Dropping $280 on a racquet that I might have to put down due to wrist issues would be a bummer.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I love the feel and comfort of the CX 200. I love the pure aero vs because it allows me to play my game in a much lighter, nimbler, and faster package. This gives me an edge in my transition game in singles, on the run shots, and quick exchanges in doubles. It’s also allowed me to hit my best shot, the serve, with more confidence and ease. It’s a winner for me. An awesome racquet. I also have a demo of the Dunlop CX 400 tour and will see if I can achieve a similar benefit with this racquet. If not, it’s a switch for me. Just need to suck up that it's probably over priced. But if it will bring me all these benefits, it may be worth it.
