Tennis Warehouse: Babolat Pure Aero Tour Playtest

Doc Hollidae

Hall of Fame
Tennis experience/background: Currently 4.5 self rated, but mostly play with 5.0’s. Coming back from a ~5 year break, but have been playing since I was 5. Played for a high ranked HS team that had several D1 players, took a break during college, and now currently play USTA leagues and tourneys. Finished Top 15 in Norcal 4.5 Singles about 5-6 years ago.

Describe your playing style:
Serve and Volley in Doubles, Counterpuncher/All Court in
Singles. Strengths are volleys, kick/twist serve, return of serve, and 2 HBH.

Current racquet/string:
Prince Speedport Tour w/ Big Hitter Blue 17 at 54/52

String set-up in test racquet:
Spiraltek – Prestrung and RPM Blast – 54/52


How many hours did you play with the racquet? 15+ Hours mostly doubles.


Initial Thoughts Before Hitting:
Racket has some heft to it, I’d estimate the SW to be 330+, Grip Size is large (feels like a 4 ½), Balance seems right, love the matte paint job, was 11.9 oz prestrung with Spiraltek, TournaTac OG, and #64 rubberband.

Groundstrokes: This racket is a beast from the baseline. Depth and power are both easily accessible. The racket isn’t as whippy as I expected it to be. Feels very solid and stable, no shock or vibrations. Spin as expected was above average. I definitely had to tame the power at times, but overall I didn’t feel like I had to adjust my game to control the ball. Plow through is amazing and one of the racket’s best qualities. One of the few rackets that allows me to go from defense to offense with one stroke. The easy power is addicting, but this racket plays with a lot more control than other similarBabolat rackets of the past. Even if you wanted to hit flat with this racket, it still imparts a decent amount of spin coming off the racket. However, the racket really excels when hitting topspin. The string bed really bites into the ball and gives some nasty spin. Once I started to add a little extra topspin on my strokes, my hitting partner instantly noticed a heavier ball even though the depth was the same. The ball really jumps off the court with this racket. Had no issues hitting slice either.

Serves: The heft of the racket is noticeable, but once you get the racket moving it does the rest of the work by itself. Kickers had good spin and it felt like I had some extra pace on them. Flat serves were good, but spins serves really excel with this racket. Due to the heft, this racket is not for everyone. I can imagine players that are used to lighter rackets may have trouble with their swing speed and controlling the ball.

Volleys: Volleys with this racket were surprisingly good. The weight of the racket makes it very stable and gives plenty of power with reaction volleys. While this racket volleys well, it lacks the wand-like maneuverability that most volleying rackets have. I think having a more HL balance could really make this racket a weapon at the net. Volleying is one of my strengths and I really enjoyed volleying with this racket. Had no issues with touch when needed or putting the ball away with power.

Serve returns: Definitely a highlight of this frame. Due to the heft, it’s easy to handle pace and block the ball back with depth. On slower serves, I was able to step in and really rip returns. Returns are very predictable and solid. Never felt like my racket was being pushed back. For my game, it’s very important that I’m able to get good depth and pace off blocked returns.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: I am considering switching to this frame after this playtest. The weight and balance of this frame are perfect for my game. My one main gripe is that the grip size is larger than any other 4 3/8 from other companies. The larger grip definitely hindered me from being able to really whip through the ball at times. I expected this to be more or less similar to the Pure Drive Roddick, but it is vastly different. The Pure Aero Tour is pretty much better in every category. It feels/swings heavier, its feels more solid, control is superior, spin is better, better balance, etc. I always felt like I had to tame the power of the PDR which is not the case for the PAT. The PAT reminds me a lot of the original AeroStorm Tour, with more power and a larger head. It is also much more forgiving, but still has the same stability and heft. Much more of that player’s racket feel than the Pure Drive Roddick, though it is still not a traditional player's racket like Prestige or Prostaff.

I didn’t like the racket when strung with Spiraltek. I really dislike the feeling of syn gut and having to re-adjust my strings every point. I strung it up with RPM Blast 17 at 54/52 and while it felt good, I think I should have strung it a lb or two higher. Maybe 56/54. The racket feels a ton better with RPM Blast and really benefits from having poly in it. The strings notched more than I’m used to for a poly after just one 5.0 doubles match. The second time hitting, the strings seemed to have lost all their tension and the stringbed felt too mushy and was hard to control. I would have to try another set of RPM Blast, but this set was only good for a few hours of play before dropping a massive amount of tension and being uncontrollable. This is a string issued though, not a racket issue. I will be stringing up with my normal Big Hitter Blue 17 tonight at 56/54.

Compared to my Prince Speedport Tour, it definitely has more power and less maneuverability. The stability and plow through are about equal. The PAT may get a slight nod in plow, but not by much. Groundstrokes are surprisingly similar with the PAT having a little more power. I was able to get similar spin from both rackets and was little more consistent with the Speedport Tour. The Speedport Tour gets the nod in control, while not sacrificing much power. The Speedport Tour volleys better only because it is more maneuverable. Both are stable at the net and both perform well on touch and power volleys. In the long run, I currently play better with the Speedport Tour, but part of that is my familiarity with the frame. Most likely I see myself eventually transitioning to the PAT as my main stick.

I do plan on replacing the stock grip with a Prince Resithin grip with extra weight in the handle or a TW 1.3mm Leather Grip. My goal is to reduce the grip and make the racket a tad more head light.

To echo JohnBPittsburgh’s review: While I was leaving the club last night, the PAT was resting against the fence and when I was going to pick it up, it slid off the fence and fell to the ground. To my dismay it scratched the paint at the top of hoop a decent amount. Was kind of surprised it scratched so easily, but whatever, it was bound to get scratched while playing sooner than later.

I plan on hitting on Thursday this week so I'll provide some updates with the mods and string change.Thank you TW and Babolat for this awesome opportunity. Hopefully I can participate in future playtests as well.
 
Last edited:

stronzzi70

Professional
Tennis experience/background: Currently 4.5 self rated, but mostly play with 5.0’s. Coming back from a ~5 year break, but have been playing since I was 5. Played for a high ranked HS team that had several D1 players, took a break during college, and now currently play USTA leagues and tourneys. Finished Top 15 in Norcal 4.5 Singles about 5-6 years ago.

Describe your playing style:
Serve and Volley in Doubles, Counterpuncher/All Court in
Singles. Strengths are volleys, kick/twist serve, return of serve, and 2 HBH.

Current racquet/string:
Prince Speedport Tour w/ Big Hitter Blue 17 at 54/52

String set-up in test racquet:
Spiraltek – Prestrung and RPM Blast – 54/52


How many hours did you play with the racquet? 15+ Hours mostly doubles.


Initial Thoughts Before Hitting:
Racket has some heft to it, I’d estimate the SW to be 330+, Grip Size is large (feels like a 4 ½), Balance seems right, love the matte paint job, was 11.9 oz prestrung with Spiraltek, TournaTac OG, and #64 rubberband.

Groundstrokes: This racket is a beast from the baseline. Depth and power are both easily accessible. The racket isn’t as whippy as I expected it to be. Feels very solid and stable, no shock or vibrations. Spin as expected was above average. I definitely had to tame the power at times, but overall I didn’t feel like I had to adjust my game to control the ball. Plow through is amazing and one of the racket’s best qualities. One of the few rackets that allows me to go from defense to offense with one stroke. The easy power is addicting, but this racket plays with a lot more control than other Babolat rackets of the past. Even if you wanted to hit flat with this racket, it still imparts a decent amount of spin coming off the racket. However, the racket really excels when hitting topspin. The string bed really bites into the ball and gives some nasty spin. Once I started to add a little extra topspin on my strokes, my hitting partner instantly noticed a heavier ball even though the depth was the same. The ball really jumps off the court with this racket. Had no issues hitting slice either.

Serves: The heft of the racket is noticeable, but once you get the racket moving it does the rest of the work by itself. Kickers had good spin and it felt like I had some extra pace on them. Flat serves were good, but spins serves really excel with this racket. Due to the heft, this racket is not for everyone. I can imagine players that are used to lighter rackets may have trouble with their swing speed and controlling the ball.

Volleys: Volleys with this racket were surprisingly good. The weight of the racket makes it very stable and gives plenty of power with reaction volleys. While this racket volleys well, it lacks the wand-like maneuverability that most volleying rackets have. I think having a more HL balance could really make this racket a weapon at the net. Volleying is one of my strengths and I really enjoyed volleying with this racket. Had no issues with touch when needed or putting the ball away with power.

Serve returns: Definitely a highlight of this frame. Due to the heft, it’s easy to handle pace and block the ball back with depth. On slower serves, I was able to step in and really rip returns. Returns are very predictable and solid. Never felt like my racket was being pushed back. For my game, it’s very important that I’m able to get good depth and pace off blocked returns.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: I am considering switching to this frame after this playtest. The weight and balance of this frame are perfect for my game. My one main gripe is that the grip size is larger than any other 4 3/8 from other companies. The larger grip definitely hindered me from being able to really whip through the ball at times. I expected this to be more or less similar to the Pure Drive Roddick, but it is vastly different. The Pure Aero Tour is pretty much better in every category. It feels/swings heavier, its feels more solid, control is superior, spin is better, better balance, etc. I always felt like I had to tame the power of the PDR which is not the case for the PAT. The PAT reminds me a lot of the original AeroStorm Tour, with more power and a larger head. It is also much more forgiving, but still has the same stability and heft. Much more of that player’s racket feel than the Pure Drive Roddick, though it is still not a traditional player's racket like Prestige or Prostaff.

I didn’t like the racket when strung with Spiraltek. I really dislike the feeling of syn gut and having to re-adjust my strings every point. I strung it up with RPM Blast 17 at 54/52 and while it felt good, I think I should have strung it a lb or two higher. Maybe 56/54. The racket feels a ton better with RPM Blast and really benefits from having poly in it. The strings notched more than I’m used to for a poly after just one 5.0 doubles match. The second time hitting, the strings seemed to have lost all their tension and the stringbed felt too mushy and was hard to control. I would have to try another set of RPM Blast, but this set was only good for a few hours of play before dropping a massive amount of tension and being uncontrollable. This is a string issued though, not a racket issue. I will be stringing up with my normal Big Hitter Blue 17 tonight at 56/54.

Compared to my Prince Speedport Tour, it definitely has more power and less maneuverability. The stability and plow through are about equal. The PAT may get a slight nod in plow, but not by much. Groundstrokes are surprisingly similar with the PAT having a little more power. I was able to get similar spin from both rackets and was little more consistent with the Speedport Tour. The Speedport Tour gets the nod in control, while not sacrificing much power. The Speedport Tour volleys better only because it is more maneuverable. Both are stable at the net and both perform well on touch and power volleys. In the long run, I currently play better with the Speedport Tour, but part of that is my familiarity with the frame. Most likely I see myself eventually transitioning to the PAT as my main stick.

I do plan on replacing the stock grip with a Prince Resithin grip with extra weight in the handle or a TW 1.3mm Leather Grip. My goal is to reduce the grip and make the racket a tad more head light.

To echo JohnBPittsburgh’s review: While I was leaving the club last night, the PAT was resting against the fence and when I was going to pick it up, it slid off the fence and fell to the ground. To my dismay it scratched the paint at the top of hoop a decent amount. Was kind of surprised it scratched so easily, but whatever, it was bound to get scratched while playing sooner than later.

I plan on hitting on Thursday this week so I'll provide some updates with the mods and string change.Thank you TW and Babolat for this awesome opportunity. Hopefully I can participate in future playtests as well.

Very very Nice review !!!
 

atatu

Legend
Is the racquet itself really that underpowered? It is a pure aero/aero pro still...other users have said that it "bludgeons" the ball.

I think you have to take into consideration that the playtester uses a V1 OS, which is pretty much a rocket launcher the PAT is not built to be that type of frame. It's all relative to what you are used to.
 

Doc Hollidae

Hall of Fame
I think you have to take into consideration that the playtester uses a V1 OS, which is pretty much a rocket launcher the PAT is not built to be that type of frame. It's all relative to what you are used to.

Not to mention the weight and SW difference.
 

A_Instead

Legend
Hitting with the PAT recently inspired me to try another racket in this category...XT Extreme Pro. Somewhat similar in nature. PAT has more power/ spin / liveliness. XTEP has more feel/control.
 

JohnBPittsburgh

Hall of Fame
I guess different people have different experiences. Maybe he got a lower RA model (QC issue). Mine seemed to be powerful, especially when I played it back to back against other frames, several times. I believe swung at the same speed, the PAT will produce a heavier ball than my Prince Textreme Tour T (my PAT has more weight and is significantly stiffer. It also came in 8 grams over spec) But, I haven't compared the two with the same strings yet. My Text Tour T, has Nat Gut/Poly, and my PAT has had Spiraltek, Origin, and Gosen LuminaSpin, all full beds. I just finished stringing it with RPM Blast at 54 lbs. If it quits raining and the courts dry tomorrow, I will definitely log in my final hours on the frame (I will definitely keep it in my bag, because it really is a great frame and I play well with it)
 
Last edited:

Doc Hollidae

Hall of Fame
Have you played much with the 2013 APD?

Other reviewers are saying that the PA and PAT do not have the same levels of Control as the 2013 APD.

Nope I've tried other past versions of the apd and the majority of pure drives. I was mainly comparing it to the pure drive and apd lines though.
 

imajica77

Professional
Tennis experience: I am a 4.0. Have been playing for over 30 years. I play several days a week. Mostly singles lately but do play doubles also.

Playing style: I am more of a baseline player with first strike tendencies. I will come to the net when the opportunity presents itself.

Current racquet/sting: I play with a Volk Quantum 1 strung with Tecnifibre X-one biphase at 58 lbs. Have used this racquet for over 10 years (yes I bought a ton of them when I could since nothing last that long) and have used X-one for about three years.

String set up: Came with the Babolat Spiraltek @ 50 pounds. After two weeks changed it to Babolat Origin @ 54 lbs.

How many hours of play with racquet: I logged in around 50 hours with this frame. About 35 hours of singles and 15 hours of doubles

Groundstokes: I would give it 8/10. This frame really produced some serious heat. I felt I could crush the ball. Specially on flat strokes. I play one handed and had no problem with keeping the ball deep on forehand or backhand. In fact my backhand had more zip and with the smaller head size I found I concentrated more on the ball and didn't shank as many backhands as I normally do. I also found it was easy to put top spin on the balls and the raqcuet did a lot of the work for me. All in all it is a great frame. I really wanted to hate it but I couldn't. Babloat won this won. May even have a convert.

Serves: I would say 7/10. This may be more to me than the racquet though. I am used to a much lighter frame and being able to really snap my wrist. The Babolat felt a heavy for me. When I did connet properly the fame did it's job. I could get some serious pace on the serve. But I found I lost my finesse and then tended to try and over power my opponent with pace. Not always the best idea. Given time I am sure I could adjust. It just takes me longer to adapt at my age.

Volleys: For me this one was a 7/10 also. The volleys on this tended to act like they were bounced off a trampoline. It's funny but with my old oversized racquet I have no problems with volleys. In fact it's one of my strong points. This frame was hard for me to keep them in. I didn't have the confidence in it. Was harder to hit the angle volleys since it keep wanting to fly. This frame was strung at a lower tension than I normally play with. So I think that factored into it.

Return of serve: 9/10. This frame allowed me to to swing out on the serves. I found I was always putting the server under pressure on the returns. Was able to get great depth and angles. When I couldn't swing out I could very easily block/slice/chip the ball back into play. If fact it was easier to block the serves deep back into play with this heavy frame.

General reaction & comments: I had hit with one Babolat(Pure Drive) before about 10 years ago. I wasn't impressed. Times have changed. From the first hit with this racquet I knew this was totally different. This frame is a bit heavy but man it is a work horse. It really does almost every very well. I was also expecting it to hurt my arm or elbow since I wasn't used to it. I did feel some soreness after the first day. But after that I really didn't notice any discomfort. That's a big plus for a frame. I would also say the frame feels fairly stiff to me. But not an issue. All in all this is a great raquet for people who love to take big full swings at the balls. It does so much damage.

As most of you know it also has a beautiful paint job. One of the best looking raquets out there. If your looking for something new then this is worth checking out. I know I will keep working with this frame and see where it can take my game. Thanks again TW & Babolat.
 

Doc Hollidae

Hall of Fame
Put the TW 1.3mm Leather Grip on last night and the grip size did seem more in line with other companies 4 3/8 grip size. Racket is also more whippy. Unfortunately I don't have access to a balance board, so I can't measure the exact balance, but the balance seems more in line with my Speedport Tour. Will be hitting with it tonight and will report back.
 

Matchball

Semi-Pro
Put the TW 1.3mm Leather Grip on last night and the grip size did seem more in line with other companies 4 3/8 grip size. Racket is also more whippy. Unfortunately I don't have access to a balance board, so I can't measure the exact balance, but the balance seems more in line with my Speedport Tour. Will be hitting with it tonight and will report back.

It should be a clear 2 pts more HL.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
First off, I want to say thank you to TW and Babolat for doing this. Not only did I get to try the one frame I was very interested in for months, but I got to keep it as well. Plus free strings? Just awesome. Really appreciate you guys and I wanted to spend as much time with the frame as I could, hence me sliding this in before the deadline.



Tennis experience/background:
Currently playing USTA/Ultimate at 4.0. I fluctuate between 4.0 and 4.5 depending on how much tennis I am playing that season.

Describe your playing style:
Baseliner, but I crash net when I see a window.

Current racquet/string:
Head IG Extreme Pro - Volkl Cyclone 17 at 48#

String set-up in test racquet:
RPM Blast at 50# and Spiraltek

How many hours did you play with the racquet? 20

Initial Thoughts Before Hitting: First impression was that this is the best PJ in a racquet I have owned. Last time I said that was the infamous Black Drive and the graphene Prestige MP. Both awesome PJs, but this one is my all time favorite. A lot of matte black and a little bit of mid 90's Jimmy Connors flair makes it the best looking frame I have seen in years. Second thoughts were that this weighted a lot like my frame - the Extreme, but i was not sure about the handle.

Groundstrokes: Coming from the Extreme Pro, even the new PAT feels a little narrow now, so I had to get used to that, it was a small adjustment to go back though. The first impression is that this is not at all like an APD in feel. Gone is that hollow feeling and high frequency vibration on a mishit. This is a solid frame that plays like a club. It's not for hitting and giggling either. I would say you could hand this to most players even at the highest level and they could go out and play a match with it stock. The spin to me was good, I was told by a hitting partner that the ball was heavier. Slicing was easy. I had no issues there. The only thing I noticed was my frame was a bit sluggish. If I had to guess, the SW is 335 or so. It just swung slower than my Extreme and felt a little more advanced to use. The usual large sweetspot was evident on this frame. On contact it was still a nice trampoline from the sweetspot , but the usual crisp, bouncy woofer feel was replaced by a more thumpy, springy sensation if that makes any sense. In other words, if the old APD was more crisp and thin/hollow in feel, this is more dull and solid. It really does give off the vibe of being a powerful club that you can melee the ball with.

Serves: Huge standout for me. The serve power from this version was much bigger than prior. A flat serve feels like the ball is shooting out of the huge sweetspot and I noticed an increase in power there. Where the APD was once not thought of as much of a serving frame compared to the PD, I think things have changed. This frame has a lot of power on tap for serving and I believe the open pattern and wide grommets add to the trampoline sensation of when you really crack one.

Volleys: Very good and stable. To me the best volleying frames are closer to 12 ounces in weight and don't twist in your hand. This checks both boxes. Just get the frame in position and you are good.

Serve returns: a standout feature but not as good as the Extreme Pro, which I consider the best returning frame I have ever used. That is tough competition but the PAT performs just fine. It is a little slower to move and a little more oomph is required to get the serve back deep, where I am used to almost pointing and clicking the ball back deep with my Extreme.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: This frame to me will probably go down as one of the best Bab frames ever released. I say this because it has all the power and spin you could ever want, plus it has actual feel that is solid and how you would imagine a pro's APD would feel if customized. Much like a PT57A though, these frames are not meant for anyone. And by anyone, I mean those of us who are not playing at least 4-6 times a week and have at least 4.5 stroke technique. This frame is truly for 4.5 play and above IMO. The reason I say this is because it is a click more advanced than my Extreme Pro, which is considered a players frame already. It is still easier to use than a classic thin beam 12.5 95 though. And if you are a player who loves those types of frames and plays a lot, and wants to move to a modern racquet, this is the one to demo. Spend the time with it because it is that good. If you are a collector or someone who wants to know what a touring pro's modern frame may feel like - you will want to buy this frame. Not only does it look awesome,but it really is specced perfectly for anyone who plays tennis at a high level to just pick up and play with.

Since there are plenty of people using the RF97A who are under 4.5, I would not say this is impossible for anyone to use. Just like the RF97, is is most likely not optimal for you and your timing may suffer in the 3rd set, but it is not an impossible racquet to use. I am just setting expectations for those who think this is your standard APD - it is not.

Me personally, I can use this and I would if I did not have the Extreme Pro, which I prefer. I like the Head because the feel is more crisp and direct, it is a little easier to use and I prefer the grip shape. Now about that grip shape - I don't mind a 3/8ths grip and have frames in that size. But this is way too big and I never put an OG on it. I really like this frame a lot though and am strongly considering getting the handle modded to match my Extreme so I can use the racquet. This racquet is so similar to what I use that I would love to have it in the bag as my alternate frame to the Extremes. But the grip size is so large (feels like 1/2) that I would either go down to 1/8th in Babolat or get the 1/4 Head grip, whatever is easiest to do. Long story short, consider buying a grip size smaller than you prefer with this frame.

I hope this covered a lot for folks and feel free to ask me more questions if I was not clear about anything. Again thank you to Babolat for sending me a frame that will sell so many copies that I am not even sure why they needed my input :) But I am thankful to be selected and appreciate owning this great frame.
 

dgoran

Hall of Fame
First off, I want to say thank you to TW and Babolat for doing this. Not only did I get to try the one frame I was very interested in for months, but I got to keep it as well. Plus free strings? Just awesome. Really appreciate you guys and I wanted to spend as much time with the frame as I could, hence me sliding this in before the deadline.



Tennis experience/background:
Currently playing USTA/Ultimate at 4.0. I fluctuate between 4.0 and 4.5 depending on how much tennis I am playing that season.

Describe your playing style:
Baseliner, but I crash net when I see a window.

Current racquet/string:
Head IG Extreme Pro - Volkl Cyclone 17 at 48#

String set-up in test racquet:
RPM Blast at 50# and Spiraltek

How many hours did you play with the racquet? 20

Initial Thoughts Before Hitting: First impression was that this is the best PJ in a racquet I have owned. Last time I said that was the infamous Black Drive and the graphene Prestige MP. Both awesome PJs, but this one is my all time favorite. A lot of matte black and a little bit of mid 90's Jimmy Connors flair makes it the best looking frame I have seen in years. Second thoughts were that this weighted a lot like my frame - the Extreme, but i was not sure about the handle.

Groundstrokes: Coming from the Extreme Pro, even the new PAT feels a little narrow now, so I had to get used to that, it was a small adjustment to go back though. The first impression is that this is not at all like an APD in feel. Gone is that hollow feeling and high frequency vibration on a mishit. This is a solid frame that plays like a club. It's not for hitting and giggling either. I would say you could hand this to most players even at the highest level and they could go out and play a match with it stock. The spin to me was good, I was told by a hitting partner that the ball was heavier. Slicing was easy. I had no issues there. The only thing I noticed was my frame was a bit sluggish. If I had to guess, the SW is 335 or so. It just swung slower than my Extreme and felt a little more advanced to use. The usual large sweetspot was evident on this frame. On contact it was still a nice trampoline from the sweetspot , but the usual crisp, bouncy woofer feel was replaced by a more thumpy, springy sensation if that makes any sense. In other words, if the old APD was more crisp and thin/hollow in feel, this is more dull and solid. It really does give off the vibe of being a powerful club that you can melee the ball with.

Serves: Huge standout for me. The serve power from this version was much bigger than prior. A flat serve feels like the ball is shooting out of the huge sweetspot and I noticed an increase in power there. Where the APD was once not thought of as much of a serving frame compared to the PD, I think things have changed. This frame has a lot of power on tap for serving and I believe the open pattern and wide grommets add to the trampoline sensation of when you really crack one.

Volleys: Very good and stable. To me the best volleying frames are closer to 12 ounces in weight and don't twist in your hand. This checks both boxes. Just get the frame in position and you are good.

Serve returns: a standout feature but not as good as the Extreme Pro, which I consider the best returning frame I have ever used. That is tough competition but the PAT performs just fine. It is a little slower to move and a little more oomph is required to get the serve back deep, where I am used to almost pointing and clicking the ball back deep with my Extreme.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: This frame to me will probably go down as one of the best Bab frames ever released. I say this because it has all the power and spin you could ever want, plus it has actual feel that is solid and how you would imagine a pro's APD would feel if customized. Much like a PT57A though, these frames are not meant for anyone. And by anyone, I mean those of us who are not playing at least 4-6 times a week and have at least 4.5 stroke technique. This frame is truly for 4.5 play and above IMO. The reason I say this is because it is a click more advanced than my Extreme Pro, which is considered a players frame already. It is still easier to use than a classic thin beam 12.5 95 though. And if you are a player who loves those types of frames and plays a lot, and wants to move to a modern racquet, this is the one to demo. Spend the time with it because it is that good. If you are a collector or someone who wants to know what a touring pro's modern frame may feel like - you will want to buy this frame. Not only does it look awesome,but it really is specced perfectly for anyone who plays tennis at a high level to just pick up and play with.

Since there are plenty of people using the RF97A who are under 4.5, I would not say this is impossible for anyone to use. Just like the RF97, is is most likely not optimal for you and your timing may suffer in the 3rd set, but it is not an impossible racquet to use. I am just setting expectations for those who think this is your standard APD - it is not.

Me personally, I can use this and I would if I did not have the Extreme Pro, which I prefer. I like the Head because the feel is more crisp and direct, it is a little easier to use and I prefer the grip shape. Now about that grip shape - I don't mind a 3/8ths grip and have frames in that size. But this is way too big and I never put an OG on it. I really like this frame a lot though and am strongly considering getting the handle modded to match my Extreme so I can use the racquet. This racquet is so similar to what I use that I would love to have it in the bag as my alternate frame to the Extremes. But the grip size is so large (feels like 1/2) that I would either go down to 1/8th in Babolat or get the 1/4 Head grip, whatever is easiest to do. Long story short, consider buying a grip size smaller than you prefer with this frame.

I hope this covered a lot for folks and feel free to ask me more questions if I was not clear about anything. Again thank you to Babolat for sending me a frame that will sell so many copies that I am not even sure why they needed my input :) But I am thankful to be selected and appreciate owning this great frame.
Great review and btw if they are smart EVERY MANUF. SHOULD ASK YOUR INPUT you single handedly kept TW sales up during recession :)
 

Seth

Legend
I just wrote a novel of a review, but was logged off and given an error message after I logged in. -_-

My review will be posted shortly.
 

dgoran

Hall of Fame
I just wrote a novel of a review, but was logged off and given an error message after I logged in. -_-

My review will be posted shortly.
That's because you missed the deadline please return your pure aero tour at:

P.O.BOX
Did not review
Dgoran
Florida
 

dgoran

Hall of Fame
What got me head scratching reading reviews so far is that higest rated player so far gave the most negative conflicting review...wonder if qc is at play here...or was he simply conflicted since he was obviously a volkl fan...I almost felt his struggle reading his review like he wanted to like it but did not want to admit or give it too much credit

Have any of you had the chance to toss it on rdc?

Powerplayer maybe etennis can do you a favor?
 

dgoran

Hall of Fame
For what is worth, I leaded mine to the same specs as stock pat would be...as babolat official confirmed it is the same exact racquet with commercial weight added which in babolat speak usually means few inches or so stick of lead bar wedged in the handle approx 1-2 inches up from the butt and some undisclosed weights in the head most likely around top of the head so roughly 10gr in the handle and 5g in the hoop... Exact location in the head will vary depending of your starting specs... My stock pa was exactly 300g 32cm unstrung with strung sw of 320 and strung Ra of66

And my thought were that it is much smoother ride than stock PA but you have to have the game for it including stamina...not that it's that hard but it's kinda if like what rf97autograph was to reguLar 97...
For my game as a one handed I was little put off by beem width but leaded PA was certainly much better than stock and felt like feel was little bit better as well biggest problem I had was that in the same time I got pro no1 252 and I have a hard time dropping that one out of my hands...
 
Last edited:

ChadW

Rookie
Tennis experience/background: Played regularly for the last 10 years. Usually part of a couple doubles leagues and a singles league throughout the year. I play 4.0 doubles and 3.5 singles in the very active Atlanta tennis community. I have participated in a number of Talk Tennis playtests and enjoy the chance to try out new products. I purchased a stringing machine a couple years ago and spent the first few months trying a large variety of string set ups, which included test strings. I was also able to participate in the Babolat Pure Drive Play playtest that was detailed on this board a couple years ago.

Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley): As mentioned, I play doubles and singles. I prefer playing baseline points, but can hold my own at the net in doubles. I play with a lot of topspin.

Current racquet/string: Head Youtek Speed MP 16x19

String set-up in test racquet: I started with the Spiraltek that came strung in the racquet. It was surprisingly well suited to my spin-heavy game. I found that after a few hours though, I was losing control of the shots. I imagine that were I to string the racquet again using Spiraltek, I would go to a much tighter tension. After those first few hours of play, I restrung the PAT using the supplied Babolat RPM Blast at 45 pounds. I really liked the access to spin with RPM Blast. As a note, when I restrung the racquet, I didn't pay attention to the fact that there was a designated 'short side' and ended up with string going over and across the headguard instead of nesting down in it. I'll know better next time, and perhaps a professional stringer would have caught it, but it was a beginner mistake.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? All in I played 6 doubles matches (though on a few of them I needed to switch to my Youtek Speed for familiarity's sake), and two singles matches as well as 3 hours of doubles lessons.

Comments on racquet performance:
-groundstrokes: I felt very confident in the consistency of my ground strokes with this PAT. The weight was just right for me. I prefer a heartier racquet to plow through the ball more from the baseline and punch volleys at the net (my Youtek Speeds have added lead on the hoop and silicon in the handle). In contrast to the Babolat PD Play that I have used off and on for the last couple years, the PAT felt much more sturdy and less likely to be pushed around by a heavy hitter.

-serves: My flat serves were powerful and popped well with this racquet. Once I adjusted to the feel, I was able to hit spots and felt great control on flat serves. For my kick serves, I was able to hit with consistent control, but the spin was less than I'm accustomed to with my Head set up. My partners made comments about how well I was serving during a couple of my matches.

-volleys: I felt comfortable at the net with the PAT. The heft allows for even defensive volleys to be handled well and put away with force. The sweetspot was low on the racquet face, and volleys at the right position were untouchable. I've heard many argue that a light racquet is preferred at the net for maneuverability, but I don't find that an ounce in my hand slows me down at all, and I prefer to have the sturdiness lent by a heavier frame.

-serve returns: Whether blocking the return, or teeing off on a weak second serve, the racquet was predictable and controllable. I noticed, as with the PD Play, the sweetspot for the racquet is lower than I like. I could certainly tell when I hit it just right; the feedback from the shots were audible and sure. It requires a little adjustment, and I think I prefer the higher sweetspot as customized with weight on my Head Speed MP.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: My experience with Babolat consists of this test and the Pure Drive PLAY racquet. I really liked the technology incorporated in the PLAY stick, but couldn't get over the fact that it just didn't fit my game all that well. When I heard of a PAT playtest I got excited. This fits my swing and game so much better. It is firm, yet comfortable; solid, yet forgiving. An overall good offering from Babolat. One criticism I have is the thick beam on these racquets. There were a number of times that my vertical swing would strike the ball on the frame before the stringbed: sometimes this resulting in hyper-spinning mishit winners, but more often the ball would sail. I like the flex and comfort of a thinner beam.

I would recommend this racquet to anyone playing 3.5- and up. I will continue experimenting with different string set ups to see if I can reach max spin levels on my kick serve, but otherwise this racquet provides all I need to feel confident on the court.

As an aside: The paint job of the stick is gorgeous. I love the move toward a tennis ball yellow and away from standard yellow.

Many thanks to Babolat and Tennis Warehouse for this opportunity and their generous allowance to give to the tennis community.
 
Last edited:

Faker

Semi-Pro
Would be very appreciated if anyone who has used the PAT and regular pure aero could give an extended comparison.
 

Seth

Legend

I wrote this in a Word doc so that it wouldn’t get deleted (again).


First and foremost, I am grateful to TW and Babolat for providing this opportunity. It’s nice to know that companies value user feedback so highly, and continually grant opportunities to enthusiasts to share their opinions.


I don’t write a lot of racquet reviews, so I apologize if my thoughts are scattered. Feel free to ask me for any clarification.


Tennis experience/background:
I’m in my late 20s and have been playing for 14 years. Growing up, I was molded by my coach to be an all-court player. This was unusual at the time (and maybe still is) because other juniors were being taught to baseline bash at all costs and maybe come to net for a put-away. I am USTA-ranked 4.0, but have been playing and winning at the 4.5 level (Ultimate Tennis, USTA 8.5 combo league, 4.5 doubles mixers).


Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley):
6’5” lefty with a big serve. I tend to dictate from the baseline, but never turn down and opportunity to get to net. My biggest strengths are my serve, return, backhand, and volleys. My forehand is powerful and has a lot of topspin, but it can be erratic when I start trying to go for too much. I am working on transitioning to a more S&V style game. Ideally, I’d like to S&V on every point. I feel that many players in my age group have no idea how to S&V or even play effectively against a S&V player.


Current racquet/string:
Babolat Pure Drive 2015, Isospeed Baseline Control 16 @ 52 lbs, Tournagrip, Tourna SampDamp (old style that were sold with one black/one red to a pack). I have always been a fan of the Pure Drive line, but the 2015, with its new string spacing, is a real treat. As someone who likes to come to net, I appreciate the slightly more closed string pattern. Full disclosure: To get an even more precise frame, I am considering moving to the Pure Control Tour/Pure Control 95.


String set-up in test racquet:
Played the first few hours with the pre-strung Spiraltek, then restrung with Isospeed Baseline Control 16 for a better comparison to my current set-up.


How many hours did you play with the racquet?
A total of 16 hours spread out over 6-7 sessions. My first time on court with the PAT lasted only 30 minutes before the rains came. It was enough to get me back out the very next day.


First thoughts:
Upon opening the box, my first thought was that the frame was hefty. I’ve demoed the Pure Drive Roddicks in the past, but this seemed heavier. Indeed, after overgrip and dampener, the strung frame weighed in at 12.1 ounces.


The cosmetics aren’t my favorite, but then again my GOAT cosmetic is the Slazenger Pro Braided Trinity (a far cry from today’s bright colors). That said, it looks very nice in the context of the more modern frames. The matte black was a good choice. The yellow isn’t as neon-y as I thought it would be. The red accents indicating the Tour weight are a nice touch.


I like that the Cortex is now internal. It feels sleeker overall.


Comments on racquet performance:
A couple notes on performance below, but I wanted to mention that I have owned every generation of the APD except the 2013 (which I have demoed), so my experience with the APD line isn’t new.


-groundstrokes: As with previous versions of the APD, play from the baseline is effortless. For someone who hits a heavy ball with moderate topspin, I found that the PAT accentuates the RPMs. My strokes were consistently weighty and penetrated the court well. I found that, without changing mechanics, my groundstrokes landed a couple of feet deeper in the court with the PAT when compared to the Pure Drive. It is every tennis player’s goal to keep the ball deeper in the court, and the PAT made doing so easy. While power and spin were always present, I felt a dip in directional control. Compared to my Pure Drive, the string spacing change in the PAT was evident with the height of a topspin shot. Really interesting to see how high my forehand was bouncing. Using my Isospeed poly, I noticed a stark bite from the stringbed. Decent pocketing (largely dependent on strings), but certainly enough to feel the ball on the stringbed.


-serves:
First serves with the PAT were very similar to my Pure Drive. The big difference was with my second serve. Generally, I coat my second serve with that magic lefty spin. With the PAT, it felt unfair. My ad-court serve was kick like a mule away from my opponent. I even had good success with the sometimes-awkward lefty serve out wide on the deuce-court. While the ball didn’t kick away from the opponent, it certainly kicked into their body. Sometimes having to hit a second serve can make you feel vulnerable, but the PAT made it feel like an opportunity.


-volleys:
At net, I felt that the PAT left something to be desired. Let’s be honest: This is a baseliner’s frame. The APD/PAT line has always been marketed as spin machines, and with good reason. It would be wrong to say that the PAT didn’t volley well. A statement like that would be akin to saying a volley-er’s weapon, say a POG mid or 6.1 95 18x20, doesn’t hit groundstrokes well. Net play was enjoyable and volleys were largely effective. I just feel that, if you were going to be basing your strategy around your net game, there are probably better options. The weight of the racquet provided stability, and the solid feel made stick volleys feel like you were really clubbing them. I just think that the open, spinny string spacing is more conducive to a baseliner’s style of play. Then again, if you’re good enough, you can play with anything. I’m just getting caught up in the weeds. I think my lack of clarity/definitiveness shows my hesitation in saying this frame is bad at something.


-serve returns:
I love to return serves. I often take the ball on the rise (though no SABR for me) and like to surprise my opponent by going down the line. I get pretty aggressive on second serves. At my level, second serves are usually consistent but not intimidating. With the PAT, returns were especially enjoyable. The weight of the frame and the bite of the spin made slice backhand returns land deep in the court and stay low. Variety was the key with returns. I felt confident in deep topspin returns, short angles, and low slices. If returns were the only shot I ever hit, the PAT would be near the top of my list of racquets.


General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Great frame. In the past, I would go back and forth on my feelings toward Babolat. I would enjoy the benefits (easy power/spin), but hate the hollow feel some of them had. As a low-grade racquetaholic, I tried every version of the APD, but was always lured away by something else (often a 6.1 variation, which I was raised on). I then found the Pure Storm Tour GT, which to me in a Tier 1 Babolat frame. I then transitioned to the Pure Drive 2015, which I also think Babolat really hit their stride with. That lead to this playtest. Rumors about a redesigned APD had me curious. I was lucky enough to be chosen for the playtest and really enjoyed the experience. Gone is the hollow feeling. Gone is the board-y response. I certainly wouldn’t call it plush, but I would call it solid. While the cosmetics aren’t exactly my favorite, this IS my favorite APD/PA frame. The additional weight and club-like nature of this frame really reward a player looking to go on the attack. I can even envision a counterpuncher using this frame with success because the added heft help send the ball back deeper. If the drill pattern was more akin to the Pure Drive 2015, I would consider switching. However, it’s not supposed to be like it, because the PA/PAT line is meant for spin. And it provides that in spades.


With that, I will again say thanks to TW and Babolat. This was a fun demo. As I stated above, feel free to ask me any questions or to explain an unclear thoughts.


 

Doc Hollidae

Hall of Fame
What got me head scratching reading reviews so far is that higest rated player so far gave the most negative conflicting review...wonder if qc is at play here...or was he simply conflicted since he was obviously a volkl fan...I almost felt his struggle reading his review like he wanted to like it but did not want to admit or give it too much credit.

I read his review as well, and I think you have to take it with a grain of salt. While he is the highest rater player to review the PAT so far, you also have to consider his racket choice, style of play, and he is mostly a doubles player. He plays with an extended V1 OS, has a 2 handed forehand and backhand (ambidextrous), and is a counter puncher/retriever. The V1 OS is .6 inches longer, 10 sq in larger in the head, ~20-30 pts lower in SW, ~3pt more head heavy, ~ 1-1.5 oz lighter, and a thicker frame. The PAT and the V1 OS are on pretty much on opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of rackets. The V1 OS is for compact-medium strokes and the PAT is going be for long and loopy strokes. Any racket requiring long or loopy strokes is going to feel underpowered compared to a Big Bubba, V1 OS, etc. From what he described, I don't think the PAT would even be a racket he'd consider to demo if he were considering changing rackets.

If you had people that are use Prostaffs or Prestiges playtest a Big Bubba, Prince Premier, Wilson Profile, etc. I would imagine teh reviews would not be so favorable as well. So you really have to take into consideration the player's equipment, rating, and play style when reading these reviews.

Also, imo Spiraltek is pretty underpower compared to RPM Blast and other like polys. I hit with the Spiraltek for about an hour before cutting it out so I could get a real playtest experience.
 

swfh

Semi-Pro
Tennis experience/background: I currently play D3 college tennis and placed top 16 in my state when I was in high school.

Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley): At my core, I am a big 1-2 punch player. I love hitting a big serve and I look to hit a forehand winner off of it. If I cant, I work the point until I either get a short ball to finish or come in on. I am very comfortable at net, and I often rush the net a la Federer to put on pressure and mix it up.

Current racquet/string: Yonex Ezone XI 98 strung with Solinco Hyper G 1.25 at 55/53 on a Klippermate

String set-up in test racquet: Babolat RPM Blast 17 at 54 lbs.

How many hours did you play with the racquet?: In total, about 14 hours, 2 hours outside and the rest indoors. 2 of the hours were doubles.

Comments on racquet performance:

-groundstrokes: I will divide into sub sections.

Forehand: This racket hits a heavy ball. Way heavier than my Yonex, in fact. My hitting partner had trouble initially adjusting to the pace and spin that I was producing. The open string pattern produces a crazy high launch angle that did take some time to adjust to. My 16/19 yonex feels like an 18x20 after hitting with the pure aero.

The extra weight and higher swingweight definitely helps, BUT, when I was rushed or when I wanted to create more racquet head speed to kill a ball in the middle of the court, I found myself being a little bit late, and I usually missed wide.

Backhand: I consider my backhand to be a combination of David Ferrer and Novak Djokovic. Going crosscourt, I merely look to get the ball deep. When I go down the line I step in and pull the trigger. The Pure Aero Tour helped me go crosscourt because of the extra plow. All I had to do was let the racket do the work and I got excellent depth and spin. Going down the line wasn’t as bad as being aggressive with my forehand because I just let the racket guide the ball.

-serves: The open pattern produced some of the best kick serves I have ever hit. They bounced high and to the side, even towards the end of the string’s life. Slice serves moved a lot as well. Flat serves were bombs when I made good contact, but I didn’t jive with frame for some reason on flat serves. I think my racket head speed was lacking.

-volleys: Having a brief stint with the pure drive in the past, I know that babolat frames typically lack feel. The Pure Aero Tour was a big improvement in terms of getting a nice thud on the ball. My volleys were crisp and I could punch them deep. I was very pleased at the net. All I had to do was be a wall and the frame did the work.

-serve returns: This is where the high swingweight hurt me the most. Any return on my backhand side went wide trying to hit it inside out. I was just too late on the ball. On the forehand, when I made good contact the returns were excellent, but that was not something that I could control.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: I think a lot of my troubles stemmed from an awkward frame balance. This was in between head light and head heavy, either of which I can use successfully. My Yonexes are more headlight than this, and that is one reason why I can really use my left hand to maneuver the ball on backhand returns. It is also why I can pickup balls right off the bounce on the baseline. This babolat didn’t have enough weight in the handle or in the head for me to do that, and adding lead tape would’ve made the frame too heavy for me. As a whole, if I took a few weeks to really train with this, I think it would be an excellent frame. As it currently stands, Im interested in trying the non-tour model so I have more room for customization.


Thanks to Babolat and TW for letting me test out and keep this frame!
 

EuroTraveler

New User
Tennis experience/background: I currently play D3 college tennis and placed top 16 in my state when I was in high school.

Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley): At my core, I am a big 1-2 punch player. I love hitting a big serve and I look to hit a forehand winner off of it. If I cant, I work the point until I either get a short ball to finish or come in on. I am very comfortable at net, and I often rush the net a la Federer to put on pressure and mix it up.

Current racquet/string: Yonex Ezone XI 98 strung with Solinco Hyper G 1.25 at 55/53 on a Klippermate

String set-up in test racquet: Babolat RPM Blast 17 at 54 lbs.

How many hours did you play with the racquet?: In total, about 14 hours, 2 hours outside and the rest indoors. 2 of the hours were doubles.

Comments on racquet performance:

-groundstrokes: I will divide into sub sections.

Forehand: This racket hits a heavy ball. Way heavier than my Yonex, in fact. My hitting partner had trouble initially adjusting to the pace and spin that I was producing. The open string pattern produces a crazy high launch angle that did take some time to adjust to. My 16/19 yonex feels like an 18x20 after hitting with the pure aero.

The extra weight and higher swingweight definitely helps, BUT, when I was rushed or when I wanted to create more racquet head speed to kill a ball in the middle of the court, I found myself being a little bit late, and I usually missed wide.

Backhand: I consider my backhand to be a combination of David Ferrer and Novak Djokovic. Going crosscourt, I merely look to get the ball deep. When I go down the line I step in and pull the trigger. The Pure Aero Tour helped me go crosscourt because of the extra plow. All I had to do was let the racket do the work and I got excellent depth and spin. Going down the line wasn’t as bad as being aggressive with my forehand because I just let the racket guide the ball.

-serves: The open pattern produced some of the best kick serves I have ever hit. They bounced high and to the side, even towards the end of the string’s life. Slice serves moved a lot as well. Flat serves were bombs when I made good contact, but I didn’t jive with frame for some reason on flat serves. I think my racket head speed was lacking.

-volleys: Having a brief stint with the pure drive in the past, I know that babolat frames typically lack feel. The Pure Aero Tour was a big improvement in terms of getting a nice thud on the ball. My volleys were crisp and I could punch them deep. I was very pleased at the net. All I had to do was be a wall and the frame did the work.

-serve returns: This is where the high swingweight hurt me the most. Any return on my backhand side went wide trying to hit it inside out. I was just too late on the ball. On the forehand, when I made good contact the returns were excellent, but that was not something that I could control.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: I think a lot of my troubles stemmed from an awkward frame balance. This was in between head light and head heavy, either of which I can use successfully. My Yonexes are more headlight than this, and that is one reason why I can really use my left hand to maneuver the ball on backhand returns. It is also why I can pickup balls right off the bounce on the baseline. This babolat didn’t have enough weight in the handle or in the head for me to do that, and adding lead tape would’ve made the frame too heavy for me. As a whole, if I took a few weeks to really train with this, I think it would be an excellent frame. As it currently stands, Im interested in trying the non-tour model so I have more room for customization.


Thanks to Babolat and TW for letting me test out and keep this frame!
In what state did you go to high school?
Mind sharing your size (e.g. height)?
Do you normally have a longer swing or shorter swing (sounds like some of your issues were related to swing length, so curious)?
Did you find the grip size/shape unusual, like some of the other testers?
 

swfh

Semi-Pro
In what state did you go to high school?
Mind sharing your size (e.g. height)?
Do you normally have a longer swing or shorter swing (sounds like some of your issues were related to swing length, so curious)?
Did you find the grip size/shape unusual, like some of the other testers?

I went to high school in Ny. I'm 6 foot 155 at the moment. I model my forehand after wawrinka, so up to you to decide if that is short of long.
Also, I did find the grip to be a bit thick and short.
 
Tennis experience/background: Current 4.0. Schmke had me rated 3.995 at the end of last year and had me meandering above and below the 4.0 mark all season this season (not including Southern Sectionals which I played after getting his estimate). I played junior tourneys growing up (top 50 singles and as high as #2 in doubles in NC 16s). I took over a decade off after highschool, during which time I tore 2 ligaments in my playing shoulder. Didn't have surgery though, so started back playing 5 years ago with an incomplete shoulder.

Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley): 6'3" lefty. 35 years old. All court player, mostly doubles. I like to take every opportunity to get to net. Love to use my forehand in a variety of ways and spins. One handed backhand. Not really interested in points lasting very long.

Current racquet/string: POG mid (the tour version), which is 343g stock and i use a bit of lead as well. I have been using full bed poly for the past 6 months. Lots of different ones usually at 50 lbs +/- a pound or two, on a lockout machine. I use a tournagrip over the leather and don't use a dampener.

String set-up in test racquet: Spiraltek mid range, then Volkl Cyclone 18 at 51 lbs. My test frame was 336 grams strung. The grip shape is different than what I am used to, and maybe on the big side, but not to the point where it caused me any issues. In the past I have experimented with and chose to go 4-3/8 rather than 4-1/2, so really either could work for me.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? 12 hours (the flooding here kept the racquet from getting to me until 10/9 and then i lost at least 3 other playing opportunities to rain as well). I am going to keep testing though and will update.

Comments on racquet performance: Overall, i really like this racquet. I felt comfortable almost immediately with it. I had confidence to hit all shots and really only needed to adjust to the serve. Spin was impressive. Comfort was just fine, no issues there. I played against some pretty tough competition (hitting sessions with two 2 4.5s, two 4.5 doubles matches, and two 4.0 matches). So, i faced some big and tricky shots and gave out some of my own. I like to play in 4 dimensions (height, depth, angle, and time). This racquet gave me the depth that i am used to, but due to the spin i was able to find more fluctuations in height and angle. Time is really more about positioning and power, so the effect of this racquet there was not as easily seen.

-groundstrokes: Like others have said, this racquet loves to bash groundstrokes. Both wings felt natural, but i actually hit my backhand better and with more confidence than with my POG. I am a player that likes a target (think passing shots and approach shots), and this racquet did wonderfully. I don't hit every groundstroke with topspin, and that wasn't a problem with this racquet (as some have hinted). I was able to hit low slice and flat approaches, and was able to flatten out on inside-out forehands. Really no complaints here. I especially remember one shot that I missed, but it encouraged me: i was stretched wide to the forehand side and was in a defensive position in a singles match. I went high and heavy crosscourt trying to buy time. Only the ball came off the racquet better than i thought i could hit it and landed about 2 inches deep right at the sideline. I didn't think i could get the ball there from that position.

-serves: This was my biggest area of struggle, though i was able to work it out a bit. I like to use an eastern backhand grip and generally use my lefty spins, rarely hitting flat serves. It could have been the Spiraltek, but i was a bit high and deep with the serves at first. I was able to dial that in with the Cyclone and some more practice though. Still i felt like i was missing some pace and jump that I am used to. The last time on court, i hit a few buckets of serves and migrated over to a more continental grip and was able to find some of that pace that I was missing. I am encouraged though that my flat serves seem to be working better with this racquet as well and may have to use them a bit more.

-volleys: Volleys felt fine with this racquet. I am coming from a volley-centric racquet, so not much can be improved. The PAT though, was a bigger head and is lighter, so it gave me more confidence that i could maneuver during those quick exchanges.

-serve returns: My main goal for a doubles match is to be the best returner on the court. With the PAT, i was able to use a controlled aggression most of the time. This is probably because of the weight being a little lower than I am used to, but still stout enough to stand up to heat and spin. The open string pattern helped to find angles as well. Right at first I had trouble with slices floating deep, but that could have been a combination of 1st match, toughest server I faced with the racquet, and spiraltek. Those slices improved after that first match and i felt confident.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: Compared to the 14x18 pattern on my POG, this stick has more spacing between crosses at the center of the string bed, though it is close. The openness of the pattern was actually pretty similar to what I am used to, so i had no problems with launch angle. I don't use a vibration dampener, so i can hear differences in sound when i hit dead center. There is more of a thud on center shots and a higher ping on off center ones. Neither causes any discomfort and both still perform well...just an observation that I find as a positive one because I can try for that thud.

I am going to keep playing the PAT and it may become my permanent stick. I was ready to start testing different specs in search for a little more power anyways. This has definitely opened my eyes. My number one takeaway is probably that it is a fun racquet to play with. If you want to really whip some spin, you can. If you want to use all that power, you can. I don't think it has a weakness. I have been a Babolat and TW advertising machine with this racquet and owe a bunch of my friends some demo time. Thanks, Babolat and TW!
 

EuroTraveler

New User
I am liking the positive reviews so far from Prince users (I use the EXO3 Graphite 100). I have pretty much concluded I am switching to the PAT. I should be able to get my hands on a demo Monday, with the promise of my owns stick as early as Wednesday if I want it.
 

TW Staff

Administrator
EuroTraveler,

We will be playtesting the Jet shoes. However, the shoe doesn't launch until March (which is when the review will be posted!).

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
 

djNEiGht

Legend
Tennis experience/background:

High school PE and Intramurals. Goofing around with friends on summer break. Got serious when I met my wife who is from a tennis family. Now I play 3 or more times a week. Compete in interclub tennis at 3.5 singles and low 4.0 doubles


Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley):

Most of the games I play are doubles. Will move to the net as often as I can and trying to do so with serve and volley. Semi-western forehand, Eastern 1h backhand, and I depend on serves to be at top form.


Current racquet/string:

Thin beamed players racquet MP. Prefer around 12 oz and 6-8 pts HL. Racquet I was hitting with most often the past couple of months were Pro Kennex Redondo 98 Type C, Head YouTek Prestige Pro, and Head i.Prestige MP. 1.25g shaped poly most of the time. Latest favorite is Tier One T1 Firewire 1.25 full bed or crossed with IsoSpeed Baseline Spin 1.20 at 45-48 pounds. Strung on Gamma 6 pt, fixed clamps, Tennis Head Wise 2086 with 10% pre-stretch


String set-up in test racquet:

Hit with the pre-strung Babolat Spiraltek 1.25. Second string bed was Dunlop Hexy Fiber 1.30 55#. Latest string bed is Tier One Triump 1.30 / Volkl vStar 1.25 55/50#


How many hours did you play with the racquet?

Just under 20 hours. Estimated 40% of the time was singles


Comments on racquet performance:
-groundstrokes:


The racquet was easy to swing and had free power. That was the first impression that hit me. The next was the change of launch angle. I was previously hitting with an 18x20 98 si frame so that was expected. It was much more though that my other 16x18 frames. A couple of my opponents said that the ball felt heavier. I hit with moderate top spin that I try and get to land half way between the service and base line. Sweet spot seemed to be in the middle and if hit high you could feel a flutter. Hit low and it was a bit more stable than hitting high.

Forehands were just deadly with the added spin. I tried not to be timid and really swing out as if I was playing with my i.prestige / Redondo racquets. The ball seemed to fool the the opponent and make them think it was going longer than expected. The topspin would bring the ball down hard.

The 1st string I used was the Spiraltek and I was able to get good depth.

The 2nd string was Dunlop Hexy Fiber 1.30. I went with this string wanting to keep some comfort (with the high RA of the frame) and get some extra spin. This string did not play well for me and was also a low powered multi. I had to adjust my game to hit a bit higher. The lower power and the added spin seemed to barely get the ball past the service line. Once adjusted it was fine.

3rd string was a multi/poly hybrid. Tier One Triumph 1.30 55# / Volkl vStar 1.25 50#. I found the added power that I yearned for with the Hexy Fiber. This string bed had very good snap back. Durability is very low but I am not too concerned as the playability of this set up was very nice.


-serves:

1st serve bombs all day (when my toss was working). The ball jumped off and drifted a little for a first serve. 2nd serves had some nice heavy weight to it and a big jump catching receiver off guard. Hitting high in the string bed gave the same flutter as in my ground strokes


-volleys:

This was where I was disappointed. Granted I often play with thin beamed and head light racquet which are fast and stable at the net. The PAT seemed sluggish at the net even though it measured at 8 pts HL. On touch volleys it was surprisingly nice though considering it’s a power based racquet. I was able to make some nice drop shots. After a solid time with the racquet in stock form I built up the grip with a full size heat shrink and a leather grip. I have yet to re-weigh and balance but the racquet is much faster and stable at the net.


-serve returns:

I was very happy with the performance on return of serve. The mass added stability on very heavy serves. On other moderate serves I tried to play aggressive and was often rewarded with a good shot. Racquet swings fast through the strike zone and helped you get the racquet head in position even though your body/feet were late.


General reaction/comments on overall performance:

I have gravitated towards flexible player type racquets and don’t have much experience with Babolat. I do have a Pure Drive from 2013 and felt that it gave a hollow feedback. The PAT did not do that and was pleasant in feedback. The ball pocketing was also very pleasant It felt like the ball sat on the string bed a tad longer (could be my string set up). I am not a string breaker. In my other racquets I can play with a full bed of multi/synthetic for over a month. I broke the Spiraltek in a week and the Hexy Fiber in less. I attribute that to the wide grommet holes. The benefit of those grommet holes seemed to be where the extra power and spin was coming form. ***Edit - The extra power and the easy swing of the racquet let me play more and feel fresher longer.

My dislikes of this frame was that I got some shoulder and wrist pain. Even some elbow pain. I have had a bout with golfer elbow a few years ago but not for a while. I attribute this discomfort primarily from the smaller grip size (4 3/8 whereas I play with a 4 ½ or 5/8).

Another dislike is the low profile of the bumper guard. It seems that it is not tall enough to protect the grommets. I had a ground strike on a chip/charge and the grommet was partially covering the string.


In closing I have had very positive experiences with this racquet. I would like to try it in my appropriate grip size with a leather grip. I liked this play test so much that I am considering selling some of my inventory and getting one or two more.


Tennis Warehouse has been very good to the tennis players of the world. Babolat works well with TW and is very generous to make such play tests available. I am thankful for your time and consideration.
 
Last edited:
J

joohan

Guest
Tennis experience/background:

High school PE and Intramurals. Goofing around with friends on summer break. Got serious when I met my wife who is from a tennis family. Now I play 3 or more times a week. Compete in interclub tennis at 3.5 singles and low 4.0 doubles


Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley):

Most of the games I play are doubles. Will move to the net as often as I can and trying to do so with serve and volley. Semi-western forehand, Eastern 1h backhand, and I depend on serves to be at top form.


Current racquet/string:

Thin beamed players racquet MP. Prefer around 12 oz and 6-8 pts HL. Racquet I was hitting with most often the past couple of months were Pro Kennex Redondo 98 Type C, Head YouTek Prestige Pro, and Head i.Prestige MP. 1.25g shaped poly most of the time. Latest favorite is Tier One T1 Firewire 1.25 full bed or crossed with IsoSpeed Baseline Spin 1.20 at 45-48 pounds. Strung on Gamma 6 pt, fixed clamps, Tennis Head Wise 2086 with 10% pre-stretch


String set-up in test racquet:

Hit with the pre-strung Babolat Spiraltek 1.25. Second string bed was Dunlop Hexy Fiber 1.30 55#. Latest string bed is Tier One Triump 1.30 / Volkl vStar 1.25 55/50#


How many hours did you play with the racquet?

Just under 20 hours. Estimated 40% of the time was singles


Comments on racquet performance:
-groundstrokes:


The racquet was easy to swing and had free power. That was the first impression that hit me. The next was the change of launch angle. I was previously hitting with an 18x20 98 si frame so that was expected. It was much more though that my other 16x18 frames. A couple of my opponents said that the ball felt heavier. I hit with moderate top spin that I try and get to land half way between the service and base line. Sweet spot seemed to be in the middle and if hit high you could feel a flutter. Hit low and it was a bit more stable than hitting high.

Forehands were just deadly with the added spin. I tried not to be timid and really swing out as if I was playing with my i.prestige / Redondo racquets. The ball seemed to fool the the opponent and make them think it was going longer than expected. The topspin would bring the ball down hard.

The 1st string I used was the Spiraltek and I was able to get good depth.

The 2nd string was Dunlop Hexy Fiber 1.30. I went with this string wanting to keep some comfort (with the high RA of the frame) and get some extra spin. This string did not play well for me and was also a low powered multi. I had to adjust my game to hit a bit higher. The lower power and the added spin seemed to barely get the ball past the service line. Once adjusted it was fine.

3rd string was a multi/poly hybrid. Tier One Triumph 1.30 55# / Volkl vStar 1.25 50#. I found the added power that I yearned for with the Hexy Fiber. This string bed had very good snap back. Durability is very low but I am not too concerned as the playability of this set up was very nice.


-serves:

1st serve bombs all day (when my toss was working). The ball jumped off and drifted a little for a first serve. 2nd serves had some nice heavy weight to it and a big jump catching receiver off guard. Hitting high in the string bed gave the same flutter as in my ground strokes


-volleys:

This was where I was disappointed. Granted I often play with thin beamed and head light racquet which are fast and stable at the net. The PAT seemed sluggish at the net even though it measured at 8 pts HL. On touch volleys it was surprisingly nice though considering it’s a power based racquet. I was able to make some nice drop shots. After a solid time with the racquet in stock form I built up the grip with a full size heat shrink and a leather grip. I have yet to re-weigh and balance but the racquet is much faster and stable at the net.


-serve returns:

I was very happy with the performance on return of serve. The mass added stability on very heavy serves. On other moderate serves I tried to play aggressive and was often rewarded with a good shot. Racquet swings fast through the strike zone and helped you get the racquet head in position even though your body/feet were late.


General reaction/comments on overall performance:

I have gravitated towards flexible player type racquets and don’t have much experience with Babolat. I do have a Pure Drive from 2013 and felt that it gave a hollow feedback. The PAT did not do that and was pleasant in feedback. The ball pocketing was also very pleasant It felt like the ball sat on the string bed a tad longer (could be my string set up). I am not a string breaker. In my other racquets I can play with a full bed of multi/synthetic for over a month. I broke the Spiraltek in a week and the Hexy Fiber in less. I attribute that to the wide grommet holes. The benefit of those grommet holes seemed to be where the extra power and spin was coming form.

My dislikes of this frame was that I got some shoulder and wrist pain. Even some elbow pain. I have had a bout with golfer elbow a few years ago but not for a while. I attribute this discomfort primarily from the smaller grip size (4 3/8 whereas I play with a 4 ½ or 5/8).

Another dislike is the low profile of the bumper guard. It seems that it is not tall enough to protect the grommets. I had a ground strike on a chip/charge and the grommet was partially covering the string.


In closing I have had very positive experiences with this racquet. I would like to try it in my appropriate grip size with a leather grip. I liked this play test so much that I am considering selling some of my inventory and getting one or two more.


Tennis Warehouse has been very good to the tennis players of the world. Babolat works well with TW and is very generous to make such play tests available. I am thankful for your time and consideration.

May I ask you for a short summary about why are you considering getting two more PAT? Sorry to bother but I got mixed feelings from your review. I am in the same racquet category as you are - thin beamed, heavier frames with head light balance and lower power - but the PAT really intrigues me and you are the kind of player who can provide invaluable info to me. Thanks
 

djNEiGht

Legend
May I ask you for a short summary about why are you considering getting two more PAT? Sorry to bother but I got mixed feelings from your review. I am in the same racquet category as you are - thin beamed, heavier frames with head light balance and lower power - but the PAT really intrigues me and you are the kind of player who can provide invaluable info to me. Thanks

What mixed feelings did you get about the review? I can probably explain.

I often like to have at least x2 of a racquet that I play with regularly. I would consider x3 as these racquets are string eaters. THis is if I were to make this my primary racquet. I do need to thin the collection before I consider doing such.
 

JohnBPittsburgh

Hall of Fame
I actually liked LuminaSpin, better than RPM Blast. I got to hit with RPM Blast in my PAT for the last two days (and RPM Team in my Angell TC-100). So far, Kirschbaum Black Shark 17 is far superior to both IMO. After RPM Blast is done (and the playtest unfortunately) "Shark Week" will begin for me, in both frames. Definitely check out Gosen LuminaSpin as well (if you like shaped copolys that play comfortably and look bad @$$ IMO)

I actually didn't feel the grip problem that seems so prevalent among the other testers. I enjoy playing with the frame, but I will probably stick with my customized Prince Textreme Tour 100 T and TC-100. It isn't for everyone, but people should at least demo this one, just to see how it plays. Just my final thoughts on this frame/string playtest :) Thank you TW and Babolat, for this wonderful opportunity!

Edit: Shark week is here!!!
IMG_4796_zpsevykrouw.jpg

I will be stringing up my PAT tour with both Double AR Twice Shark, and Kirschbaum Black Shark!!! Both 1.25 :)
 
Last edited:
J

joohan

Guest
What mixed feelings did you get about the review? I can probably explain.

I often like to have at least x2 of a racquet that I play with regularly. I would consider x3 as these racquets are string eaters. THis is if I were to make this my primary racquet. I do need to thin the collection before I consider doing such.

Well, after a cursory reading I was not expecting you to order two frames at all and was quite surprised. Your review is quite "technological"(talking about strings etc), pointing out flaws(flutter) rather than praising benefits and in your summary there are two clear dislikes and two likes (pocketing and feedback). That's why I find your final conclusion - wanting another PAT - rather contradictory to the overall tone of your review. (P.S.: its not a criticism, I'm just curious and explaining myself).

Edit: other reviews that end with ordering another PAT or even switching to it are a bit more enthusiastic. But maybe I am being silly...sorry.

I would be very much interested in your match results, empowerments and benefits of the PAT vs. your regular, thin beamed racquets that made you pull the trigger on another two of them. In plain words - if it does not feel that good then why?
 

djNEiGht

Legend
I actually liked LuminaSpin, better than RPM Blast. I got to hit with RPM Blast in my PAT for the last two days (and RPM Team in my Angell TC-100). So far, Kirschbaum Black Shark 17 is far superior to both IMO. After RPM Blast is done (and the playtest unfortunately) "Shark Week" will begin for me, in both frames. Definitely check out Gosen LuminaSpin as well (if you like shaped copolys that play comfortably and look bad @$$ IMO)

I actually didn't feel the grip problem that seems so prevalent among the other testers. I enjoy playing with the frame, but I will probably stick with my customized Prince Textreme Tour 100 T and TC-100. It isn't for everyone, but people should at least demo this one, just to see how it plays. Just my final thoughts on this frame/string playtest :) Thank you TW and Babolat, for this wonderful opportunity!

Is the Lumina Spin 16L (as shown on TW)? One thing that might keep me from getting a PAT is the TC97 :)

Also I would want to demo again in my appropriate grip size and not play with a heat shrink. Or maybe get one the same as my demo and mod up to what my current PAT is at
 

djNEiGht

Legend
Well, after a cursory reading I was not expecting you to order two frames at all and was quite surprised. Your review is quite "technological"(talking about strings etc), pointing out flaws(flutter) rather than praising benefits and in your summary there are two clear dislikes and two likes (pocketing and feedback). That's why I find your final conclusion - wanting another PAT - rather contradictory to the overall tone of your review. (P.S.: its not a criticism, I'm just curious and explaining myself).

Edit: other reviews that end with ordering another PAT or even switching to it are a bit more enthusiastic. But maybe I am being silly...sorry.

I would be very much interested in your match results, empowerments and benefits of the PAT vs. your regular, thin beamed racquets that made you pull the trigger on another two of them. In plain words - if it does not feel that good then why?

I appreciate your questions.

The flutter I attribute to me hitting outside the sweet spot (high in the bed). This is something that would happen to the racquets I personally own but wanted to point it out. Some racquets have less flutter or a larger/higher sweet spot.

The positives of my review (I did an edit and is noted with ***) are that it was easy to play with, power, and spin. My dislikes where I noted that my arm felt discomfort might be fixed with a proper grip size (have been playing with a heat shrink for a week) and fine tuning with the string I felt performed to my liking in this racquet.
 

JohnBPittsburgh

Hall of Fame
Yes, I got 16L from TW. I actually got it, thinking it would be cool cosmetically, and hoping it played decent. It actually surprised me, and when I hit with RPM, I lacked some control, and spin. There were several shots that would have been in, that went long. The TC-97 looks awesome, and I am definitely going to be reading what peoples thoughts are.
 
Last edited:

EuroTraveler

New User
EuroTraveler,

We will be playtesting the Jet shoes. However, the shoe doesn't launch until March (which is when the review will be posted!).

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
New to the site. How do we sign-up for future playtests?

(I have been wearing Propulse and BPM for years. I am eager to see how the Jet compares.)
 

TW Staff

Administrator
EuroTraveler,


Playtests will appear at the top of each respected forum on Talk Tennis with information on how to apply. You will have to keep an eye out for the playtests as they pop up randomly throughout the month and normally fill up with playtesters anywhere from a couple hours to a couple days. We pick playtesters based on the playtest. Some playtests we have enough samples to give to everyone that has applied. Other playtests are more selective and we base them on several factors such as message board experience, message board posts and previous playtests.

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
 

tennisnj

Professional
I think you have to take into consideration that the playtester uses a V1 OS, which is pretty much a rocket launcher the PAT is not built to be that type of frame. It's all relative to what you are used to.
I may use a "rocket launcher", but with near flawless control it doesn't matter what racquet I use. I need something which gives me more power & this Babolat absolutely wasn't it. The weight & SW weren't actually as heavy as I was expecting it, but compared to my current stick, of course it's a big difference.
I wouldn't say I disliked the racquet---just not my cup of tea. Negative review? I respectfully disagree. I wouldn't go that far as quite often I've reviewed strings here & I just didn't agree or believe what everyone else was saying about them. My groundstrokes-the strongest part of my technical game had a noticeable dip in depth & power. I didn't bash or pan the racquet on my volleys or spin, something which most OS racquets don't always strengthen. Might I not have been the 'ideal' person to review this racquet? Possibly, but I'm not a 'typical' tennis player either. Since when do Open level players only have to play with Pro Staffs & Classic Graphites? Remind me to tell that to the guy who wins most of the Open level singles tournaments around here who (still) uses the Prince TT Viper OS. Just because 11 other people say a racquet is terrific doesn't mean I'm going to find it that way.
As I said in my review I'm always tinkering & yes I'm a longtime loyal Volkl user, but I'm not opposed to trying this racquet with other strings & letting other people I play with use it & see what they think of it.
 

Vignesh

New User
@TW Staff : I will be getting my Pure Aero tour 4 3/8 tomorrow and I have ordered Skin Feel grip from Tennis warehouse...I could see general concerns from members that 43/8 is bigger than usual. If i am going to replace the original grip with babolat skin feel grip solve my problem?
 

TW Staff

Administrator
@Vignesh,

The Prince ResiThin is a thinner replacement grip compared to Skin Feel. However, it will also depend on tight you stretch and put the grip on. The thinner grip will be less cushioned and you will feel the bevels more. However, the thinner grip will make the Babolat 4 3/8ths play more similar to a standard 4 3/8ths grip.

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
 
Top