Pure Aero 98 Club

ajspurs

Rookie
I demoed an Ezone 98.

I don't know if the Ezone is more powerful. But it's a flatter, more piercing ball flight of the stringbed IMO.

So it may seem more powerful.

But I would say from a power standpoint, they're in the same tier.

I play an Extreme Tour, which is certainly softer more arm-friendly than both.

The Ezone 98 and PA98 are also kind of the same category here...not sure either can be said to be more arm-friendly without playing them extensively.

You might get different opinions from different people.

The Ezone 98 and PA98 have a feel that, to me, seemed very similar. I would guess that have a very similar stiffness rating.

Yeah to me it felt like if I didn't have or had never experienced a PA98, the Ezone would be a top contender, but if anything I did feel like I was getting a little less from the Ezone. The comment about a flatter ball is interesting, and I may use it more extensively next time to see for myself, but thinking back I do remember dumping some shots into the net that I didn't feel would have happened with my PA98 in hand, so maybe that reinforces that thought a little bit. I'm so used to getting quite a high launch angle in using the PA and PA98. Like I said before though, the biggest difference for me was the difference in swingweight.
 

Clarky75

New User
Played with my PA98 today, strung with Hyper G soft in the mains at 48lbs, and Poly Tour Pro at 46lbs, and was almost like a different racket. So much softer and comfortable on the arm, without the sacrifice of control. No arm or wrist pain for the first time in a while also. Really impressed by the increased comfortability.

Also played with an Ezone 98 strung with a full bed of Hyper G Soft at 48lbs, which felt nice too, but just not as 'solid' as the PA98. Will play with it a little longer to get more of a feel of it though.
What gauge did you use? 1.30 or 1.25
 

Djinn

Semi-Pro
Something isn't right with TW's 327 SW measurement. I bought 4 of these matched from TW MRT services a few months ago and the SW of all 4 across the board was 285-287, stringing them would bring them to 315-320 SW.

A few days ago, I placed another order for 4 matched Pure Aero 98s through TW MRT services and the matching specs they found are as follows:

1. 10.78oz, 9 HL, 287 SW
2. 10.80oz, 9 HL, 288 SW
3. 10.83oz, 9 HL, 289 SW
4. 10.83oz, 9 HL, 289 SW

Again, stringing these would not reach the average 327 proclaimed SW. For that to be true, unstrung SW would have to be around 295, however, through 8 matched sample sizes, I've only seen 285-289 so far. So either, TW MRT somehow keeps finding a lot of low spec matching racquets, or the factory unstrung SW is supposed to be 285-290 instead of 295. Anyone else have similar findings?
 

Vicious49

Legend
The TW SW measurements always seem high on most every frame compared to what I actually measure on my Briffidi. I think part of the problem is that they base it on their early demo model or the 1st batch they receive. For some reason they are consistently higher than later frames.
 
The TW SW measurements always seem high on most every frame compared to what I actually measure on my Briffidi. I think part of the problem is that they base it on their early demo model or the 1st batch they receive. For some reason they are consistently higher than later frames.
Anecdotally, I've had different swing weight machines give different readings for the same racquet...

I've got 3 and after matching from a reputable tech on an RDC, all are 327 strung.
 

topspn

G.O.A.T.
I ordered mine targeting 297+ SW and ended up with 299 and 300. They play really nice at that 330-332 strung SW.
 

Holic

Semi-Pro
I ordered mine targeting 297+ SW and ended up with 299 and 300. They play really nice at that 330-332 strung SW.
My strung sw is 333 with hyperg round, heaven. I am finally able to hit flat bombs on my spots of choice on the serve. Also to easilt target spots when i flat my forehand. Super spin friendly for a round string on a spinny frame as the aero98.
 

CosmosMpower

Hall of Fame
Picked one up and came strung with confidential. Weight is 322 which is on spec but balance is 33cm which is too head heavy according to the published spec. Any guesses on the swing weight?
 

ajspurs

Rookie
For people who have used this and the Ezone 98, does the Ezone feel like much more of a control racket in comparison? Of course people's setups can alter their experience, but I have two in very similar setups, and I feel like the Ezone has the better control, but also that the feeling off the racket is somewhat 'flat' in comparison to the PA98, and definitely with a lower launch angle. It just feels weird to me as I know the Ezone is meant to be fairly powerful too, but I feel like the PA98 just gives me that little bit more for free with every shot. The PA98 feels like more of a weapon in my hand, whereas the Ezone feels like more of a tool. I mean that in a positive sense regarding both.

I did feel like for those who can generate more pace on their own, I can see why they may favour the Ezone, but these damn Babolats are making it hard for me to adjust to lower powered rackets.
 

Kurt S

New User
Anecdotally, I've had different swing weight machines give different readings for the same racquet...

I've got 3 and after matching from a reputable tech on an RDC, all are 327 strung.
I ordered 4 Pure Aero 98 from TW Europe with the matching racket service and the swingweight measurements they sent me were all at 287-288. When I got them I measured them on my Head 3 in 1 and they were all 5 points lighter. I then asked them what machine they use and they said the wilson baiardo tune pro. So it seems all machines measure a bit different.
 

Djinn

Semi-Pro
I ordered 4 Pure Aero 98 from TW Europe with the matching racket service and the swingweight measurements they sent me were all at 287-288. When I got them I measured them on my Head 3 in 1 and they were all 5 points lighter. I then asked them what machine they use and they said the wilson baiardo tune pro. So it seems all machines measure a bit different.

I'm not sure what TW US measured my racquets with, but measuring the SW with my Briffidi gave me the same SW specs as the ones that TW had.
 
I ordered 4 Pure Aero 98 from TW Europe with the matching racket service and the swingweight measurements they sent me were all at 287-288. When I got them I measured them on my Head 3 in 1 and they were all 5 points lighter. I then asked them what machine they use and they said the wilson baiardo tune pro. So it seems all machines measure a bit different.
exactly
 

faded_lines

Rookie
For people who have used this and the Ezone 98, does the Ezone feel like much more of a control racket in comparison? Of course people's setups can alter their experience, but I have two in very similar setups, and I feel like the Ezone has the better control, but also that the feeling off the racket is somewhat 'flat' in comparison to the PA98, and definitely with a lower launch angle. It just feels weird to me as I know the Ezone is meant to be fairly powerful too, but I feel like the PA98 just gives me that little bit more for free with every shot. The PA98 feels like more of a weapon in my hand, whereas the Ezone feels like more of a tool. I mean that in a positive sense regarding both.

I did feel like for those who can generate more pace on their own, I can see why they may favour the Ezone, but these damn Babolats are making it hard for me to adjust to lower powered rackets.

I had a similar experience to you in regards to the EZ98. With the EZ98, the launch angle was definitely lower and more flat. This allowed me to go after the ball and whip up on it to generate high RHS and spin this way. With the PA98, it forces me to hit through the ball is a more linear swing path compared to the EZ98. These two are still my top 2, but I've been playing more of the PA98 as of lately. I'm really enjoying Toroline K-Pop @ 48 lbs. I just strung up some Toroline snapper @ 48 lbs and waiting for the weather to clear to test them out.
 

Djinn

Semi-Pro
Man I was just going through and added some lead to the 4 matched ones I just got from TW, it looks like the grips were wrapped by some drunk teenager. There is no consistency or attention to detail at all.

After removing the rubber band at end of the grip, I can see the finishing tape not even covering the pallet foam, which is visible. The replacement grips themselves are installed with no consistency, one racquet has too much overlap, making it feel close to a 4 1/2 while another has barely any overlap, making it smaller than a 4 3/8. Absolutely disappointing.

I’m probably going to install my own replacement grips and get it right.
 

nyc

Hall of Fame
I’m probably going to install my own replacement grips and get it right.

I hear ya. These get wrapped by factory workers in less than 10 seconds. I don’t blame them for getting it wrong every now and then.

I usually unwrap to the staple and re wrap to my liking ( no extra bulging on buttcap bevels) - I’m a stickler for symmetry.

2 minutes of work, and a lifetime of happiness…well, until I switch racquets, again.
 

Honza

Semi-Pro
For people who have used this and the Ezone 98, does the Ezone feel like much more of a control racket in comparison? Of course people's setups can alter their experience, but I have two in very similar setups, and I feel like the Ezone has the better control, but also that the feeling off the racket is somewhat 'flat' in comparison to the PA98, and definitely with a lower launch angle. It just feels weird to me as I know the Ezone is meant to be fairly powerful too, but I feel like the PA98 just gives me that little bit more for free with every shot. The PA98 feels like more of a weapon in my hand, whereas the Ezone feels like more of a tool. I mean that in a positive sense regarding both.

I did feel like for those who can generate more pace on their own, I can see why they may favour the Ezone, but these damn Babolats are making it hard for me to adjust to lower powered rackets.
The Ezone is nowhere close to the PA98 in terms of power.
Also i havent met one person in real life that is saying Ezone is a power racket. In stock it is so head light, you cant generate any pace.

I am a former competetive player and made the switch from PA98 to the Ezone 6 months ago. Without lead i couldn't play the Yonex.
 

Honza

Semi-Pro
How many grams of lead do you put on the Ezone hoop? Thx
Not only to the hoop. I have 3 matched sticks and its split between 12, 10 and 2 position. It should be around 6g.

Edit: if you can handle more, do it. I would maybe try 2 g more today.
 

ajspurs

Rookie
I had a similar experience to you in regards to the EZ98. With the EZ98, the launch angle was definitely lower and more flat. This allowed me to go after the ball and whip up on it to generate high RHS and spin this way. With the PA98, it forces me to hit through the ball is a more linear swing path compared to the EZ98. These two are still my top 2, but I've been playing more of the PA98 as of lately. I'm really enjoying Toroline K-Pop @ 48 lbs. I just strung up some Toroline snapper @ 48 lbs and waiting for the weather to clear to test them out.


Yeah that's the thing, it's attributes definitely have positives, but I do think I have to make adjustments to my swing that I'm probably too lazy to fully commit to doing. I can't play with it in the same way as I do with my PA98 as I think I'll be finding myself hitting short and into the net often. Very nice and comfortable frame though but yeah, like you I could see myself repeatedly gravitating to the PA98. I haven't tried K-Pop, but I had Wasabi at 50lbs in it which wasn't bad at all. Not the softest mind, but far from the harshest either.

The Ezone is nowhere close to the PA98 in terms of power.
Also i havent met one person in real life that is saying Ezone is a power racket. In stock it is so head light, you cant generate any pace.

I am a former competetive player and made the switch from PA98 to the Ezone 6 months ago. Without lead i couldn't play the Yonex.

I found the same. I was probably only expecting to feel some sort of power as multiple reviews on YouTube refer to it having so. I also typically use power frames, so wasn't sure if this was just underpowered to me because of that, but to people who typically use control frames it would feel powerful. I appreciate feeling like I can comfortably hit close to the lines, but like you say it's hard to generate pace.

I experimented with lead a bit the other day and didn't like how it felt with it at all. Although I don't generally customise rackets and I didn't counter balance it or anything as I thought it may still feel OK because of how head light it initially is.
 

faded_lines

Rookie
I have 3g @ 12 and 3g of putty in the butt cap on my EZ98. This brought the swing weight up to 321sw and I find it plays much better. It’s almost “too whippy” for me at stock form. Whereas my matched PA98 plays perfect for me at 329/330sw with a thin leather grip.
 

ajspurs

Rookie
Just a quick update on this, and sorry as it's not strictly a Pure Aero update, but I think I'm going to be making the switch to the Ezone 98. I finally had a few sessions with it where I was hitting the ball well, and I felt like I finally 'got it' with the EZ, as I've often used this (and the previous one) and been left confused as to why so many liked it so much. I was able to do what I wanted without fear of the ball going long, so I could really swing at the ball, but the biggest surprise for me in this racket is the amount of control it has, and it really allows you to hit away confidently. Most importantly though, I could swing away without my arm/wrist hurting at the end of the session. Only thing I have to adapt to a little bit is the lower launch angle, but I may try a 1.20mm string as I've always used 1.25/1.30mm.

The PA98 is still so good though, and with no arm problems I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even be looking at another racket. Playing with something that has the level of control that I feel the Ezone 98 has and without feeling overly-limited power-wise is very refreshing though.
 

Klatu Verata Necktie

Hall of Fame
Just a quick update on this, and sorry as it's not strictly a Pure Aero update, but I think I'm going to be making the switch to the Ezone 98. I finally had a few sessions with it where I was hitting the ball well, and I felt like I finally 'got it' with the EZ, as I've often used this (and the previous one) and been left confused as to why so many liked it so much. I was able to do what I wanted without fear of the ball going long, so I could really swing at the ball, but the biggest surprise for me in this racket is the amount of control it has, and it really allows you to hit away confidently. Most importantly though, I could swing away without my arm/wrist hurting at the end of the session. Only thing I have to adapt to a little bit is the lower launch angle, but I may try a 1.20mm string as I've always used 1.25/1.30mm.

The PA98 is still so good though, and with no arm problems I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even be looking at another racket. Playing with something that has the level of control that I feel the Ezone 98 has and without feeling overly-limited power-wise is very refreshing though.
When I first puchased my 2x Pure Aero 98s, I had them strung with different strings, neither which I was familiar with so that I could experience different string brands and make the switch. To my surprise, I wasn't blown away with either of the raquets, so I switched back to my trusty old Signum Pro Poly Plasma Pure and found the magic.

The experience leads me to believe that strings are at least as important as the frame, if not more so.
 

ajspurs

Rookie
When I first puchased my 2x Pure Aero 98s, I had them strung with different strings, neither which I was familiar with so that I could experience different string brands and make the switch. To my surprise, I wasn't blown away with either of the raquets, so I switched back to my trusty old Signum Pro Poly Plasma Pure and found the magic.

The experience leads me to believe that strings are at least as important as the frame, if not more so.

Yeah I can understand that mate. If I'm completely honest though, I've never really had a problem with the strings in the racket, I've loved it with every combination I've had and played good tennis with them. Unfortunately, I probably couldn't play with what I feel would be the best. The combination I currently have is definitely softer to a nice degree and was great at first, but even that leads me to a sore arm before a set is even done. For me personally, it's just not worth persisting with when there are so many rackets out there that I could use that don't put my arm at risk.

In fairness to the racket though, and I know it's caused others arm issues as well, but I do have a feeling this one was more self-inflicted, after a short period of tinkering with my forehand technique and using something that ultimately had me arming the ball way too much, and doing so with strings that had been in the racket too long, dead balls etc. It all coincides time period-wise, and I've used Pure Drive's, Pure Drive Roddick's and Pure Aero's for years with zero arm problems, as well as the PA98 for a fair while, so I'm not trying to pin everything on the racket. It's more so that when you do have arm problems, this racket certainly doesn't help.
 

Josaya

Rookie
How does the PA98 fare vs the PDrive100? I'm waiting to test out the PA100 (then PA98 which isn't available for a week) as the PD100 (hyper G) was great for flat and serves, but lacking spin (compared to a gen1 speedMP with syn gut, the ball was landing 2feet further) and I struggled with neutral and defensive slices.
 

yourtennisfit

Professional
How does the PA98 fare vs the PDrive100? I'm waiting to test out the PA100 (then PA98 which isn't available for a week) as the PD100 (hyper G) was great for flat and serves, but lacking spin (compared to a gen1 speedMP with syn gut, the ball was landing 2feet further) and I struggled with neutral and defensive slices.

Try the Pure Drive 98 - it has the same qualities as a PA98, but retains the Pure Drive genetics.
No lack of spin in my opinion either, but definitely a lot more stable and precise
 

TF40

Rookie
I have a PA98 and a PD100. To me PA98 is more string sensitive and SW sensitive. I first strung PA98 with PTP 53/51 LB, and couldn’t find the sweet spot, it felt very stiff. Then I restrung it with NG/poly at 52/48 and put 5g tungsten at 3&9, it turned into a beast. Last night I played the PD100 with PTP at 50/48, it really the most powerful stick I have ever hit, spin is great and control is decent not bad too. I’m actually squiring a PDT, I heard it’s a more stable version of PD.

Not sure about PD98 though, it sounds like it’s very stiff. But I’d love to hear other’s opinions.
 

Clarky75

New User
The PA 98 is very string sensitive, it does not do well with hybrids IMO. I have a full bed of RPM Rough, its the best so far, mind you I am yet to try re string zero or any of the Toroline offerings, probably try Wasabi and Re string zero next
 

yourtennisfit

Professional
I have a PA98 and a PD100. To me PA98 is more string sensitive and SW sensitive. I first strung PA98 with PTP 53/51 LB, and couldn’t find the sweet spot, it felt very stiff. Then I restrung it with NG/poly at 52/48 and put 5g tungsten at 3&9, it turned into a beast. Last night I played the PD100 with PTP at 50/48, it really the most powerful stick I have ever hit, spin is great and control is decent not bad too. I’m actually squiring a PDT, I heard it’s a more stable version of PD.

Not sure about PD98 though, it sounds like it’s very stiff. But I’d love to hear other’s opinions.

PD98 isn't feeling more or less stiff than the PA98 in my opinion - I do not understand what the logic or tech behind it is, but that's the way it feels
It is, however, more stable and precise, but still a rocket launcher

Niche for this racket is someone who loves the Pure Drive feeling, but wants a bit more control and stability
Surely the most powerful players racket by a good margin - eats strings like a knife cuts through butter though
 

Klatu Verata Necktie

Hall of Fame
Yeah I can understand that mate. If I'm completely honest though, I've never really had a problem with the strings in the racket, I've loved it with every combination I've had and played good tennis with them. Unfortunately, I probably couldn't play with what I feel would be the best. The combination I currently have is definitely softer to a nice degree and was great at first, but even that leads me to a sore arm before a set is even done. For me personally, it's just not worth persisting with when there are so many rackets out there that I could use that don't put my arm at risk.

In fairness to the racket though, and I know it's caused others arm issues as well, but I do have a feeling this one was more self-inflicted, after a short period of tinkering with my forehand technique and using something that ultimately had me arming the ball way too much, and doing so with strings that had been in the racket too long, dead balls etc. It all coincides time period-wise, and I've used Pure Drive's, Pure Drive Roddick's and Pure Aero's for years with zero arm problems, as well as the PA98 for a fair while, so I'm not trying to pin everything on the racket. It's more so that when you do have arm problems, this racket certainly doesn't help.
You've used Pure Drives and Pure Aeros of different stripes in the past withour arm issues, which indicates to me (obviously from afar) that the switch to the Pure Aero 98 may have adjusted your technique in some way that negatively impacted your arm health.

In my experience, arm health is directly correlated to swing technique. The better the technique, the more of the swing is dictated by the legs, hips, and shoulders, while minimizing the use of the arm. Sometimes and equipment change will throw off the rhythm of the full body swing and cause more of the motion to be centered on the arm. This not only causes a decrease on shot efficiency, but also causes more stress on the arm leading to health issues.
 

ajspurs

Rookie
You've used Pure Drives and Pure Aeros of different stripes in the past withour arm issues, which indicates to me (obviously from afar) that the switch to the Pure Aero 98 may have adjusted your technique in some way that negatively impacted your arm health.

In my experience, arm health is directly correlated to swing technique. The better the technique, the more of the swing is dictated by the legs, hips, and shoulders, while minimizing the use of the arm. Sometimes and equipment change will throw off the rhythm of the full body swing and cause more of the motion to be centered on the arm. This not only causes a decrease on shot efficiency, but also causes more stress on the arm leading to health issues.

Yeah 100% agree. Since then I've made a conscious effort to use the legs and hips more in particular and just really loosening the hand and arm during the swing, definitely made a difference and I don't think I'd have the arm problems with the PA98 if I didn't momentarily switch up my technique. I was noticeably getting way too tired also!
 

Klatu Verata Necktie

Hall of Fame
Reading through this thread, I got jealous of all the putty in butt caps, so I went ahead and shoved 10 grams of putty into my butt cap and threw 4 grams to the hoop at the 10 and 2.

I'll be taking it out for a test drive tomorrow.
 

Klatu Verata Necktie

Hall of Fame
So I weighted up the frame to 12 ounces strung and hit with it for a few hours this morning. The initial impression was that the feel was more solid than it had been before the modification. In fact, it reminded me more of the Yonex RDS002 Tour that I played with for over a decade. Shots were coming off the stick with more pace with the additional weight, and I felt as though I had a better feel for the head of the racquet.

Since both the static weight and the swingweight are now higher than they had been, my timing wasn't 100%, and that's something that I hope will improve as I continue to use the frame with these specs over the coming weeks. The plan is to give the modified sticks a chance for a month to see if improvements are noticable and consistent.
 

jlouie

Rookie
I demoed the PA98 recently (as well as the PA, PD, and PD98) and I found it to be incredibly frustrating to swing. To me, it felt heavy to swing and required a lot of work to hit a good ball. The PA was most punishing as I was getting tired and my swing was getting flatter. I felt this way about both the PA and PA98. With the PD and PD98, it felt effortless and I was still able to generate a ton of spin. And it handled my flatter shots at the end of my sessions way better.

I'll be demoing the Ezone 100 & Ezone 98 next, even though I have no arm pain I want to keep it that way as I get older and the Ezone from how users describe it seems to be the best fit (unless it is an unforgiving racket). However, a few posts on this page had me dive into some data between the 3 racket lines. First, I found that the PA98 has extremely high marks on TWU's Sweet Zone and Power Potential Tools. Actually, comparing most modern 98 and 100 sq in rackets, the PA98 is among the most powerful w/ the largest sweet spot. Based on their data, it has a larger sweet spot than the PA100 and a higher power potential than the PD100. For power potential, the Pro Staff 97 v14 was the only modern racket I found that was more powerful, but the search was not extensive. I'm a little surprised that the sweet spot and power potential ratings seemed vastly different than how most PA98 users described their experience with it.
 

maksp

Semi-Pro
I demoed the PA98 recently (as well as the PA, PD, and PD98) and I found it to be incredibly frustrating to swing. To me, it felt heavy to swing and required a lot of work to hit a good ball. The PA was most punishing as I was getting tired and my swing was getting flatter. I felt this way about both the PA and PA98. With the PD and PD98, it felt effortless and I was still able to generate a ton of spin. And it handled my flatter shots at the end of my sessions way better.

I'll be demoing the Ezone 100 & Ezone 98 next, even though I have no arm pain I want to keep it that way as I get older and the Ezone from how users describe it seems to be the best fit (unless it is an unforgiving racket). However, a few posts on this page had me dive into some data between the 3 racket lines. First, I found that the PA98 has extremely high marks on TWU's Sweet Zone and Power Potential Tools. Actually, comparing most modern 98 and 100 sq in rackets, the PA98 is among the most powerful w/ the largest sweet spot. Based on their data, it has a larger sweet spot than the PA100 and a higher power potential than the PD100. For power potential, the Pro Staff 97 v14 was the only modern racket I found that was more powerful, but the search was not extensive. I'm a little surprised that the sweet spot and power potential ratings seemed vastly different than how most PA98 users described their experience with it.
That's cause they use poly at 48+ pounds...try a hybrid or poly at lower 40's and see how big the sweetspot is ..my pa98 feels bigger sweetspot compared to Ez98
 
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Klatu Verata Necktie

Hall of Fame
I demoed the PA98 recently (as well as the PA, PD, and PD98) and I found it to be incredibly frustrating to swing. To me, it felt heavy to swing and required a lot of work to hit a good ball. The PA was most punishing as I was getting tired and my swing was getting flatter. I felt this way about both the PA and PA98. With the PD and PD98, it felt effortless and I was still able to generate a ton of spin. And it handled my flatter shots at the end of my sessions way better.

I'll be demoing the Ezone 100 & Ezone 98 next, even though I have no arm pain I want to keep it that way as I get older and the Ezone from how users describe it seems to be the best fit (unless it is an unforgiving racket). However, a few posts on this page had me dive into some data between the 3 racket lines. First, I found that the PA98 has extremely high marks on TWU's Sweet Zone and Power Potential Tools. Actually, comparing most modern 98 and 100 sq in rackets, the PA98 is among the most powerful w/ the largest sweet spot. Based on their data, it has a larger sweet spot than the PA100 and a higher power potential than the PD100. For power potential, the Pro Staff 97 v14 was the only modern racket I found that was more powerful, but the search was not extensive. I'm a little surprised that the sweet spot and power potential ratings seemed vastly different than how most PA98 users described their experience with it.
Numbers and data can put you in the ballpark, but they won't take you home. There are just too many variables that can't be accounted for in lab testing: swingweight preferences, swing technique, string type and gauge preference.

There are so many great racquets on the market today that I'm quite certain that I could play equally well with any of them once they were tweeked to my liking. I've tried the eZones and have been impressed, but it just happens that I gelled with the Pure Aero 98 just a hair more, so that's the one that came home with me.
 

topspn

G.O.A.T.
I demoed the PA98 recently (as well as the PA, PD, and PD98) and I found it to be incredibly frustrating to swing. To me, it felt heavy to swing and required a lot of work to hit a good ball. The PA was most punishing as I was getting tired and my swing was getting flatter. I felt this way about both the PA and PA98. With the PD and PD98, it felt effortless and I was still able to generate a ton of spin. And it handled my flatter shots at the end of my sessions way better.

I'll be demoing the Ezone 100 & Ezone 98 next, even though I have no arm pain I want to keep it that way as I get older and the Ezone from how users describe it seems to be the best fit (unless it is an unforgiving racket). However, a few posts on this page had me dive into some data between the 3 racket lines. First, I found that the PA98 has extremely high marks on TWU's Sweet Zone and Power Potential Tools. Actually, comparing most modern 98 and 100 sq in rackets, the PA98 is among the most powerful w/ the largest sweet spot. Based on their data, it has a larger sweet spot than the PA100 and a higher power potential than the PD100. For power potential, the Pro Staff 97 v14 was the only modern racket I found that was more powerful, but the search was not extensive. I'm a little surprised that the sweet spot and power potential ratings seemed vastly different than how most PA98 users described their experience with it.

I have always felt the PA98 sweet spot was huge. However mine are all naturally SW 299-300 unstrung and weighed them up with a leather grip. Lower SW will play different for sure
 

Klatu Verata Necktie

Hall of Fame
What strings are you guys using? What have you tried in this frame? What has worked or not worked, and why?

I'm looking to experiment with different strings. I've been playing with Signum Poly Pro Plasma for many years, and it's been soft enough to give me zero arm issues. However, I'm curious to try strings that might have better power and spin potential, greater snapback, and longer playability. However, I'm concerned that a stiffer frame like the Pure Aero 98 with stiffer strings might translate into arm pain. Thoughts?
 

TF40

Rookie
Yes, I actually don’t have elbow issues now. But somehow PA98 makes my index finger uncomfortable.
 

ajspurs

Rookie
I abandoned this due to arm pain and have demoed multiple rackets in the meaning, nothing has come close to this yet though. I, like I'm sure many others on this forum also, love trying out new rackets, but I'm actually becoming a bit fed up with doing so. I'm tired of worrying about what's in my hand more than my own game and what I may or may not be doing wrong.

Very close to just going back to this and trying to find a setup that works. In doing so, putting a lot of stock into the fact that I'd used this for a fair few months and other stiffer Babolats for years with zero issues.

Strangely as I was testing out theories, I tried a Pure Drive 2021 for a while and have very minimal arm issues with that and I felt like that may have been because I didn't have to swing anywhere near as aggressively with that racket. In fact, the first time I hit with it, it was probably the most fun I'd ever had with any racket. I felt like I could hit a winner from anywhere. Unfortunately that didn't really translate into match play, and all that power along with me being a little bit tight and wanting to feel my way into some points, didn't have things ending so well. I switched to a Head Extreme MP in that same session and the level of control I had over the Pure Drive and ability to be much more competitive was eye-opening. Of course the tension on the Pure Drive was possibly a bit too low also, but with my newly established arm history, I don't want to have to string a Pure Drive high to tame it.
 

iceman_dl6

Professional
I put 3g tungsten strips at 3&9, which dramatically increased power and sweet spot size.
I was hesitant to add weight there due to the high stock twistweight, but tried it and noticed the same benefits you mentioned! Racquet still feels very maneuverable!
 

Succession

Semi-Pro
6 months in with the 98 and I am in love.
Switched from the 18x20 Blade and never looked back.

The spin, control + potential for variety I get from this racquet are absolutely breathtaking. Experimented with adding weight but went back to stock form.
If your strokes and technique are able to generate fast racquet head speeds, the rewards are exceptional. When my strings (RPM Blast) are mint, I feel I can rip every shot in tennis history - nasty spin, amazing feel, slices are out of this world and flattening out for blazing winners works as well. Your technique and point of contact have to be on point tho.

Next level racquet in my opinion.
 
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