definintely planning on it. couple grams at the head + a few at the handle (maybe leather?) and i think we'll be good to go.
My Review of the Pure Aero VS (2020)
- Thread starter BabPlayer-JohnnyG
- Start date
definintely planning on it. couple grams at the head + a few at the handle (maybe leather?) and i think we'll be good to go.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Really doesn’t need much lead at all.
I personally haven't had a chance to get out with this racquet yet but had a buddy who bounces between a 4.5/5.0 give me his feedback. He switched out of Yonex into to the 3rd Gen Pure Strike 16x19 when it came out and recently demoed the new Pure Aero VS and this was his feedback: swings similar to the Strike but feels a bit heavier and more solid. I was generating big spin on my forehand and also a big improvement on the serve. It sounds like he ended up making the switch into the new Pure Aero VS so I'm excited to get out an give it a try myself once things in our area open up a bit more.
BabPlayer-JohnnyG
Rookie
To be honest, I haven't been able to get out to the courts much lately, but I really liked it in stock form (keeps growing on me), but I'm definitely not opposed to adding weight (tungsten tape). That's the best way to fine tune, and I know, especially hearing from others, that this stick takes the weight really well.
I added some lead in the handle and at 10&2 oclock. The racquet now weighs 11.9 oz and it really transformed the racquet. Made it more stable, especially on volleys and trading heavy groundstrokes. This racquet pairs well with Tour Sniper, which adds control with a decent amount of comfort.
tennisislife4622
Rookie
Nice! unfortunately I had to send the demos back before I could experiment with lead tape. Im now demoing the pure aero tour, looking for a racket that plays nicely in stock form. I'm not sure why but I could never get used to a racket with lead tape even after counter balancing etc...
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Customizing is not for everyone. Just like some people love to customize cars while others prefer to just drive a car and leave it alone.
that's my plan as well. having tried a lot of his modded sticks, they're very well balanced.
tennisislife4622
Rookie
Where do you prefer adding lead in the handle towards the top or bottom of handle?
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
I typically pop the trapdoor and add putty inside the handle and/or add lead tape to the inside of the trapdoor.
Moveforwardalways
Hall of Fame
Played the new 2020 Pure Aero VS. This is a much better racquet than the older PAVS for sure. While it is certainly not for someone who likes the heavy old school player frames, it does play more controlled than the regular Pure Aero. It is all around a much better racquet than the Pure Drive VS (which was a total flop IMO). I have a feeling that you will be seeing a lot of this racquet out on your local courts. As mentioned above it will fit in really nicely at 4.0 and below. At 4.5 or above it will need some weight added, but I think it is designed that way and it’s a great platform for customization.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
@Moveforwardalways i didn’t bother to try the pure drive vs. Why was it a flop?
The PDVS was a flop because it didn’t excel at anything and didn’t do anything extra that the PD didn’t do. Except, the PD has more power, more spin, and maybe even better control. You would think in a smaller package with thinner beam and smaller headsize, the PDVS would have offered at least better control but it didn’t. All it did was took away what made the PD fun to hit with in the first place, power and spin. But they sure kept the stiffness.
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Moveforwardalways
Hall of Fame
I agree here. It lost everything good about a Pure Drive while keeping all the downsides. If you are going to tolerate the negatives, you might as well play with a regular Pure Drive to get the positives.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Thanks.
So just came from stringing my 2 Pure Vs, I added mad dog setup ( 0.5(12) + 0.25(10)+0.25(2)) to one racket. I strung both with RPM blast rough 16 at 22/21kg. They weighted with tungsten + overgrip+dampener 336g and the other one without the tape and the dampener 334g. Pretty good weight, I will report my feedback on Wednesday. Can not wait!
Moveforwardalways
Hall of Fame
You know what? The more I hit with this racquet, the more I wonder if it is a re-release of the original AeroPro Drive. I haven’t hit with the original APD in a while, but I’m getting the same vibe.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
It is not. The APDO is a very different racket. Higher stock swingweight, more even balance, wider beam makes it feel clumsy and clunky to use. The APDO also had the signature babolat hollow feel on contact. The PA VS has a lower swingweight, very HL balance, thin beam and does not have the hollow babolat feel on contact.
when I hit with the APDO and 2013 APD which are very good racquets, the sound it makes on contact with the ball is a “bong” sound. The PA VS sounds and feels like a typical players frame on contact.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
You can only choose one frame to play matches, practice, drill with, etc- new Prestige Mid, or this?
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Damn. Tough choice. The prestige mid feels so good and hits a mean (heavy and penetrating) ball. It’s the stick to use to play first strike tennis.
the VS with its unrelenting, punishing spin is a stick that you use to wear your opponents down. it’s easier to defend with as well.
both are excellent but in different ways.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Sounds like I would prefer the prestige then. I can grind for a bit, but most tennis at 4.5 and down is what, 4-5 shots?
I have basically been trained for the past year to attack the weak side with my FH and come in as soon as I sense a weak ball coming over. Basically have to hit 50 plus i/i FHs in a row with no errors when I practice. Freaking tough but really helps.
I will have to see for myself. The Blade is a great fit for my game, and I am hoping the Prestige can play in the same way.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
I actually think the prestige plays better for me than the blade because of the balance.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
The only weakness of the Blade to me is it's tricky to volley with. So I can see how a little more HL balance can make things easier. For me, if its too whippy, its bad news. I like the head heaviness of the Blade but have to accept that volleys are tougher.
I want to throw 2 grams on the Prestige at 12 to get the balance a little closer to 5 points HL. I'm so used to higher SWs, and much prefer them. If I do that and can still baseline the same, the Mid could be a more complete frame. But that's a tall order. I don't mind spending a little time to to find out though. There will not be a lot of competitive tennis being played for a bit and I've been in training mode.,
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Try the prestige mid stock first. It’s more powerful and forgiving than the phantom 93p even with the lower SW. and it’s not lower by much. Also, the frame volleys really well. It’s just so stable.
the more I hit with it, the more I’m loving it.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
The SW is a hair too low for me. Its an adjustment. My Blades swing close to 340 and I much prefer that. Ill have to see when I get it, but even with 2 grams it will still swing lighter than my Blades.
Ok, so after 10WKS of confinement without playing tennis, today I went to play and test the pure aero vs, strung both with RPM blast rough 16 at 22/21kg. They weighted with tungsten ( 1g) + overgrip+dampener 336g and the other one without the tape and the dampener 334g . What a great frame, I played the whole 3 hours with the "modified" one, very solid feeling, no stability issues at all, good depth , power and spin. Really could not find any major flaws to this frame, it is very maneuverable and fast through the air, great racket and definitely my new go to frame. I am coming from the Tec T-flash 315 atp and was looking for something a bit lighter and more control oriented without sacrificing to much power, and this is the one.
BabPlayer-JohnnyG
Rookie
That sounds great! I'm so excited to get back out on the courts too! So glad you like it. I totally agree. It's a great frame!
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Great to hear. It really is a fantastic frame.
The more I hit with the PAVS, the more I like it. It’s usually the opposite for me. It surprisingly has been kind to my sensitive golfers elbow despite the RA rating. I think I found my perfect setup with lead in the handle near the top of the grip and 10&2 o’clock. Tour Sniper is awesome in this racquet and plays even better after some drop in tension. Fantastic control and comfort.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
TBH, I wasn’t expecting the control to be this good because the string pattern is still pretty open compared to my other preferred sticks. Just spent 2 more hours hitting with the PAVS with a new string setup. This time I strung it with prince tour xp 1.30/prince tour xc 1.25 at 47/45 on a CP machine using the JC method. Couple of observations: the stick plays better with more round strings. Strings that are gear shaped in this racquet seem to grip the ball too much. Also, this racquet plays better at lower tension. This string job didn’t play bad but i feel it would be even better at 45/43.
just had a hit with @mad dog1 and tried out his PA VS. it's definitely something else. for background, i've owned or tried every iteration of the aerostorm/aero vs as well as every pure storm/control/strike vs from the carbon xtreme version, and this stick is a departure from those rackets. this may be welcome news for some and not so much for others. in my case, i blindly bought 4 a week ago simply based on Mr. Dog1's description and i'm glad i did.
power & control: if you're looking for the same control as the older 16x20 sticks, this most likely won't be the stick you're looking for. power and control remind me of a smaller, more precise 2013 APD with a more predictable response off the stringbed. one of the biggest things i noticed is that you don't feel the woofer effect as much as previous babolats. there is almost none of that trampoline feel where you're not sure how the ball is going to come off the racket. this racket has a lot of spin and pop for a 98 sq in (probably more of both than any 98 i've tried) while retaining pretty decent control. for comparison, i would say it's more predictable than both the blade 16x19 and the PS97.
feel & stability: this was the biggest surprise. i won't say it doesnt feel like a babolat, but it's the best feeling babolat i've hit with by far. i can definitely see why others say it doesnt feel like a babolat, it's almost there imo. the feel is very similar to the awful previous gen pure aero vs tour in that it eliminates that genuine hollow babolat feel + woofer. the main difference between the new pure aero vs and the older aero vs tour is that this stick is rock freaking solid. considering the specs, it makes no sense for this racket to be this stable, and the solid feel is the cherry on top. this is one of those sticks where simply looking at the RA and running away would be foolish. yes it's a stiffer frame, but it does not feel like it.
conclusion: imo, this is the best racket babolat has released to date. this new PA VS is to the pure aero as the 2nd gen pure strike (Project One7) was to the pure drive. it's a more controlled version, but it has even better feel than the pure strike. i've been looking hard for a wilson 6.1 95 16x18 replacement since they were discontinued, and i thought the 2015 wilson blade 18x20 would be it because of its identical feel to my favorite 2010 blx 6.1 95. but after tonight, i've had a change of heart. it's been a while since i've seen such a similar combination of power, stability, control, spin, & feel, and i'll be switching for sure. i can't wait to string up the PA VS and get back on court.
power & control: if you're looking for the same control as the older 16x20 sticks, this most likely won't be the stick you're looking for. power and control remind me of a smaller, more precise 2013 APD with a more predictable response off the stringbed. one of the biggest things i noticed is that you don't feel the woofer effect as much as previous babolats. there is almost none of that trampoline feel where you're not sure how the ball is going to come off the racket. this racket has a lot of spin and pop for a 98 sq in (probably more of both than any 98 i've tried) while retaining pretty decent control. for comparison, i would say it's more predictable than both the blade 16x19 and the PS97.
feel & stability: this was the biggest surprise. i won't say it doesnt feel like a babolat, but it's the best feeling babolat i've hit with by far. i can definitely see why others say it doesnt feel like a babolat, it's almost there imo. the feel is very similar to the awful previous gen pure aero vs tour in that it eliminates that genuine hollow babolat feel + woofer. the main difference between the new pure aero vs and the older aero vs tour is that this stick is rock freaking solid. considering the specs, it makes no sense for this racket to be this stable, and the solid feel is the cherry on top. this is one of those sticks where simply looking at the RA and running away would be foolish. yes it's a stiffer frame, but it does not feel like it.
conclusion: imo, this is the best racket babolat has released to date. this new PA VS is to the pure aero as the 2nd gen pure strike (Project One7) was to the pure drive. it's a more controlled version, but it has even better feel than the pure strike. i've been looking hard for a wilson 6.1 95 16x18 replacement since they were discontinued, and i thought the 2015 wilson blade 18x20 would be it because of its identical feel to my favorite 2010 blx 6.1 95. but after tonight, i've had a change of heart. it's been a while since i've seen such a similar combination of power, stability, control, spin, & feel, and i'll be switching for sure. i can't wait to string up the PA VS and get back on court.
BabPlayer-JohnnyG
Rookie
Great review. Stoked you liked it. What are you planning to string with? Also, what do you like, tension-wise?
my pure control tours had volkl cyclone 1.20 at 52lbs. i've switched to TF ice code 1.25 and am considering 50 lbs for the first setup. will probably add a couple grams somewhere between 10 and 2 as well. might also look into a 1.30mm string since this pattern is pretty open.
Just came back from a light hit with my PA VS strung with ice code 1.25 at 50 lbs on a constant pull. It's definitely a good stick. I went out with the stick completely stock outside of overgrip and dampeber, and I found the trajectory of a slightly tighter stringbed to be much more manageable.
the stick does need a little bit of lead. The top end of the hoop feels a tad bit hollow. The one i tried last night had 1g of lead spread evenly from 10 to 2, and it felt much more solid. Looking at starting off the mods with 2g at 10&2. Btw, serves are ridiculous with this stick. It's a cheat code.
the stick does need a little bit of lead. The top end of the hoop feels a tad bit hollow. The one i tried last night had 1g of lead spread evenly from 10 to 2, and it felt much more solid. Looking at starting off the mods with 2g at 10&2. Btw, serves are ridiculous with this stick. It's a cheat code.
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BabPlayer-JohnnyG
Rookie
I just wanted to update this thread. I am absolutely loving this stick. I'm playing the Pure Aero VS stock and it's my fave. It's such a great stick that improves on the things the standard pure aero does well. Keep swinging away.
BBender716
Professional
What kind of string setups are people liking in this so far? I put confidential in and I don't feel like I get enough spin on it. My norm is Hyper G. Might try Alu Power or something else...
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JEDI MASTER
Professional
I have tried Hyper G and Alu Power at 52.. good pop and good overall.
i'd give the edge to Alu power.. more crisp.
gonna try the Alu Power 130 (16g) as soon as it arrives.
also tried with Confidential at 48.. a little too much power for me.. my shots are landing long... might try it at 52.
i'd give the edge to Alu power.. more crisp.
gonna try the Alu Power 130 (16g) as soon as it arrives.
also tried with Confidential at 48.. a little too much power for me.. my shots are landing long... might try it at 52.
I use rpm blast rough at 21/22 kg and works great, no issues with elbow and very good power. Very happy with the frame
BabPlayer-JohnnyG
Rookie
I'm loving RPM Blast in the low 50s, but I've also been hitting RPM Power in a couple pure strikes (16x19 and 18x20) and I think that string could pair very well with the new Pure Aero VS around 48-52 pounds.
BabPlayer-JohnnyG
Rookie
Did anyone switch over to the new Pure Aero VS? To be honest, I switched with plans of customizing a bit with tungsten tape, but I must admit that I'm loving it stock. The only thing I changed was to take off the syntec pro replacement grip and put on a syntec team with a vs original over grip as I mentioned in my review. Then I added a Bab dampener. It's exactly what I want and fits my game and preferences just right. This is a serious sleeper stick for Babolat going forward, which I'm kind of bummed about. It sucks that this stick came out during the whole shutdown and has probably not received the attention it definitely deserves. Just my thoughts! Well done, Babs!
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Got TE for the first time in my life from this stick unfortunately and had to sell them.
continued playing with my other regular sticks and the elbow pain went away.
BabPlayer-JohnnyG
Rookie
That sucks. I'm sorry it didn't work out. It definitely has some stiffness to it. In my opinion, a few things that help with that stiffness are lower string tensions with a hybrid string job (synthetic on mains, poly on crosses), potentially adding just a touch of weight to absorb some of the vibration, also making sure you've got the right grip size. For example, I've always liked L3's, but went down to L2 recently in the Pure Aero VS. Even then, I took off the Syntec Pro and wrapped a syntec team and vs original over grip. Now, it doesn't feel too big or too small. Just my thoughts. Glad the TE went away with your reg sticks.
Boubi
Professional
Just tested it this afternoon (luxilon 4g soft in it, tension unknown), it's a great stick !
Stable, comfortable, powerful, does not vibrate
Firm feeling but never unpleasant
More precise than my pure aero tour, more manœuvrable too
At net, Fan-Tas-Tic, i would say as good as rf97 !
Groundstrokes: plow through and precision...
Serves: good head speed
This racquet is the most serious contender of the prestige mid
Stable, comfortable, powerful, does not vibrate
Firm feeling but never unpleasant
More precise than my pure aero tour, more manœuvrable too
At net, Fan-Tas-Tic, i would say as good as rf97 !
Groundstrokes: plow through and precision...
Serves: good head speed
This racquet is the most serious contender of the prestige mid
BabPlayer-JohnnyG
Rookie
That's awesome. I haven't hit the mid yet, but I've heard awesome things about it. All in all, the pure aero vs is def a versatile frame that has that upside potential for high levels.
Found this thread a little late. I nearly made the switch to the pavs if not for a pingy sound I heard on contact with the demo racquet. I’ve used the pure storm tour as my main since it was released. Still on the elusive search to replace it. Closest I got is this and the ultra tour, can anyone confirm or deny that sound and if @mad dog1 has any recommendation on another pst similar?
Boubi
Professional
I did not hear it with luxilon 4D soft
