Is the current 2022 Babolat Aero G same mold/racquet as the original Nadal's Aeropro Drive?

[Stepanek2020]

Was just scrolling the Babolat's current Aero line and found out that they have this Aero G line also. It's a bit lower in weight (270 grams), but it seems to be exactly the same old mold as has been used for the older Aeropro Drive's. I wasn't able to find a high-res image for the original 2004-2005 Nadal's Aeropro Drive, but it looks really similar to a later version of the Aeropro Drive.

Are we still able to get the Nadal's racquet with Aero G (+ adding some weight) or is this just some cheaper made version with the old mold?

Tennis Racquets Aero G Strung | Babolat Official Website

Babolat Aero G Strung. for both beginners and professionals. Have fun and play your best game with Babolat!

www.babolat.com

- the grommets are same, new Pure Aero has spin grommets and doesn't have the "bridges" in the throat
- string spacing is same, new Pure Aero is wider spaced
- the mold is rounder like in old Aeropro Drives, new Pure Aero is much sharper

 

[Rafedovic]

Interesting, I’d better buy one.

 

[dgoran]

I think u are correct

 

[RobS]

Not saying you couldn't mod it and make a nice playing racquet but it's a little different than the AeroPro. I hit with one at a resort that had a few for guests to use on their courts. The head is 102". The grommets are the older style woofer grommets, the same you would find on their other, cheaper, 102" racquets sold at the big box sporting good stores. It could be an interesting experiment to weight one up but it would require around 20g in the handle and 20g in the hoop to bring it to 'Rafa Spec'. I'm not sure if it would hold up long term for a big hitter. A couple of the racquets at the resort were cracked. One in the throat and one in the hoop and the cracks didn't look like abuse or court damage.

 

[Stepanek2020]

Not saying you couldn't mod it and make a nice playing racquet but it's a little different than the AeroPro. I hit with one at a resort that had a few for guests to use on their courts. The head is 102". The grommets are the older style woofer grommets, the same you would find on their other, cheaper, 102" racquets sold at the big box sporting good stores. It could be an interesting experiment to weight one up but it would require around 20g in the handle and 20g in the hoop to bring it to 'Rafa Spec'. I'm not sure if it would hold up long term for a big hitter. A couple of the racquets at the resort were cracked. One in the throat and one in the hoop and the cracks didn't look like abuse or court damage.

Thanks for the insights. Really appreciated. Yeah, that's kinda what I was afraid that it might be made with a different layup that makes it more vulnerable for cracking. Although the Aeropro Drive's also tended to crack pretty easily. Babolat website says it's graphite composition, but maybe it has less carbon strips as it is lower weight? When I put the Aero G 102" and Aeropro Drive 100" on top of each other, it seems that they are both exactly the same size so I think they might have measured it outside of the frame.

 

[RobS]

Thanks for the insights. Really appreciated. Yeah, that's kinda what I was afraid that it might be made with a different layup that makes it more vulnerable for cracking. Although the Aeropro Drive's also tended to crack pretty easily. Babolat website says it's graphite composition, but maybe it has less carbon strips as it is lower weight? When I put the Aero G 102" and Aeropro Drive 100" on top of each other, it seems that they are both exactly the same size so I think they might have measured it outside of the frame.

Purely speculation but I would imagine that the weight savings is from a less robust construction.....fewer or thinner carbon plys. Just a guess. I'm sure they would hold up perfectly fine for their target market. For similar heads, the visual difference between 100" and 102" is pretty miniscule, around 1mm all around.. If they measured the G from the outside it would yield greater than 102" if the conventional measure was actually 100". I haven't compared them side by side or overlaid them, so I'm just speculating again. I wish the racquet were a little cheaper as it would be a fun experiment in the $99 to $129 range but not at $179 for me. I wonder if it has a urethane handle like the premium Babolat's or if they do the one piece racquet like Wilson does on their bargain lines?

 

[David Le]

Anybody has experience with it? Came across this thread and looking for something similar to the APDO. Hate the price point but wouldn’t mind experimenting it.

 

[Steve Huff]

Probably the same as the old C-Drive.

 

[Moveforwardalways]

If there was anything similar to the original APD on the market, Babolat would foolish not to say so.