Tennis Warehouse: Babolat Pure Aero Tour Playtest

Doc Hollidae

Hall of Fame
Short update: I ended up swapping the original grip with a TW 1.3mm grip and it did reduce the grip size. Almost a little too much for me. So I ended up putting a Prince ResiPro on and the grip was still smaller than with the Stock Syntec Pro. I liked the balance with the leather grip and will be getting a 1.5 mm Leather grip to try out. The Prince ResiPro packaging list the thickness as 1.8 mm which is technically the same thickness as the Syntec Pro according to Chicago Jack's Grip Thread. Making the grip size smaller has also made the racket more whippy and maneuverable.
 

Vignesh

New User
Question : we all know the racquet is beefy but did anyone noticed shoulder pain after playing with the racquet?
 

Vignesh

New User
Hmmm interesting... I had shoulder pain when I played with the racquet but it is gone now ... Does it create any wrist pain or forearm discomfort ?
 

djNEiGht

Legend
Hmmm interesting... I had shoulder pain when I played with the racquet but it is gone now ... Does it create any wrist pain or forearm discomfort ?
I have wrist pain but I attribute that to the grip size being too small. Wrist pain is going away now that I've built up the grip.
 

JohnBPittsburgh

Hall of Fame
Other than the one day where I played a marathon of tennis, I have felt no pain whatsoever! That day, it wasn't the fault of the racquet either. I wish I had access to an RDC machine. Mine came in 8 grams over spec unstrung, and maybe mine is a little flexier or something. It feels beautiful. I will be hitting tomorrow with Black Shark, and I expect nothing but greatness from it.
 

EuroTraveler

New User
Let us know how the gripsize feels using the 1.5mm leather.
I used the Babolat Skin Feel, with is 1.55mm. The grip is exactly the same size with OG as my sons Wilson Steam 99s (4-3/8 stock). It plays a full size smaller than my Prince (4-1/2 stock).
 

Soul_Evisceration

Hall of Fame
Got a quick question for those who have already played with the Pure Aero to compare with the Pure Aero Tour:

I've demoed last night the Pure Aero with Powergy strung @ 57 lbs and added 2 grams of lead tape @ 12 o'clock and 4 grams @ 3 and 9 o'clock.

The racquet really really surprised me since I always play with 12 oz+ racquets but this was powerful, forgiving and some of the fastest serves I've ever hit with this racquet.

Even at the net and dropshots/lobs they were pretty good.

I wish I was a little more consistent with my DTL FH (that's not the racquet's fault) and I wish it was more stable.

Is basically the Pure Aero Tour just the added stability that I'm looking for but with the same features as the Pure Aero?
 

Doc Hollidae

Hall of Fame
Got a quick question for those who have already played with the Pure Aero to compare with the Pure Aero Tour:

I've demoed last night the Pure Aero with Powergy strung @ 57 lbs and added 2 grams of lead tape @ 12 o'clock and 4 grams @ 3 and 9 o'clock.

The racquet really really surprised me since I always play with 12 oz+ racquets but this was powerful, forgiving and some of the fastest serves I've ever hit with this racquet.

Even at the net and dropshots/lobs they were pretty good.

I wish I was a little more consistent with my DTL FH (that's not the racquet's fault) and I wish it was more stable.

Is basically the Pure Aero Tour just the added stability that I'm looking for but with the same features as the Pure Aero?

In short, yes. The PAT Tour is heavier and has a more HL balance. Feel wise the PA felt hollow and less stable, but I'm sure adding some weight takes care of that to an extent. However, adding weight will up the SW and I'm not sure you will be able to achieve the same SW as the PAT.
 

Soul_Evisceration

Hall of Fame
In short, yes. The PAT Tour is heavier and has a more HL balance. Feel wise the PA felt hollow and less stable, but I'm sure adding some weight takes care of that to an extent. However, adding weight will up the SW and I'm not sure you will be able to achieve the same SW as the PAT.

Sounds like the PAT will be a racquet I will definitely try out first but if it amazes me just as much as Pure Aero with the added stability, I will switch to that racquet over the RF97A. It was that good.
 
I wish I was a little more consistent with my DTL FH (that's not the racquet's fault) and I wish it was more stable.

Do you flatten out your DTL FH? Several players have commented that the higher launch angle of the PA / PAT (due to more open string configuration) makes it more difficult to flatten out shots compared to the APD.
 

Soul_Evisceration

Hall of Fame
Do you flatten out your DTL FH? Several players have commented that the higher launch angle of the PA / PAT (due to more open string configuration) makes it more difficult to flatten out shots compared to the APD.

Alot of times I flatten out my DTL FH and BH. I feel like I have to be more careful with the Pure Aero but other than that, it performed beautifully in many aspects.
 

EuroTraveler

New User
The PAT is a big hit. I let a couple of people hit with mine and both loved it. My son has decided to switch from his Wilson stick. So I have 3 more on order.
 

Babolat Official

Hall of Fame
The PAT is a big hit. I let a couple of people hit with mine and both loved it. My son has decided to switch from his Wilson stick. So I have 3 more on order.

Glad to hear it!

I've noticed several people talking about playing with leather grips and the grip size of the Pure Aero Tour. What I noticed on mine was that the handle felt a bit bigger near the bottom/butt than it did in the center. I ended up rewrapping the base grip and cutting off the excess. It feels closer to my preferred range now, but I still prefer a Grip 2 (this was on a grip 3 frame that I rewrapped).
 

Doc Hollidae

Hall of Fame
Glad to hear it!

I've noticed several people talking about playing with leather grips and the grip size of the Pure Aero Tour. What I noticed on mine was that the handle felt a bit bigger near the bottom/butt than it did in the center. I ended up rewrapping the base grip and cutting off the excess. It feels closer to my preferred range now, but I still prefer a Grip 2 (this was on a grip 3 frame that I rewrapped).

In my experience, Babolat rackets are the only rackets where grip size is a constant issue.
 
D

Deleted member 19728

Guest
I ordered a pair because I always dreamed of a heavier APD. The grip is a normal 5/8 on both....IMHO I think people beleive they are running large because so many other brands have made their grips super thing. If you put a Babolat syntec on say a Wilson RF97, the grip is going to feel larger than the leather, because the syntec is a pretty big grip. I love the grip sizes honestly, since they don't feel like they are running on the small size as with other brands.
 

kailash

Hall of Fame
Hmmm interesting... I had shoulder pain when I played with the racquet but it is gone now ... Does it create any wrist pain or forearm discomfort ?

I am currently demoing PAT, strung with a multi. No shoulder or wrist pain, but getting some pain in the elbow and some discomfort in the forearm. Need to try for few more days.

Everything about this racquet is awesome, except the stiffness for me. Someone on this thread mentioned about a PAT having 66 RA. That would be golden! How often the RA differs on Babolat racquets? Like weight matching, would the sellers do a RA matching/searching?
 

Doc Hollidae

Hall of Fame
I am currently demoing PAT, strung with a multi. No shoulder or wrist pain, but getting some pain in the elbow and some discomfort in the forearm. Need to try for few more days.

Everything about this racquet is awesome, except the stiffness for me. Someone on this thread mentioned about a PAT having 66 RA. That would be golden! How often the RA differs on Babolat racquets? Like weight matching, would the sellers do a RA matching/searching?

TW does racket matching.
 

Hankenstein

Hall of Fame
The version I got to try must have been one of the final samples. The color-tone is a bit different and it don't have "aeromodular" written on the side.
The grip on that version is also more round compared to the retail version that is more rectangular in the grip shape. My sample version also feels a tad more solid in the upper hoop compared to the retail version.

I bought grip 3 on the retail version and I tried it with original grip on with my preferred 2 over grips on top but it felt a bit to big. I installed a skin feel grip and then my two over grips and now it feels perfect. I also added about a total of 4 grams lead from 10 to 2 (2 × 2 gram strips) and now it feels very more like the sample version I have tried the last couple of montha
 

courtking

Semi-Pro
I just played with the new aero pro tour for a quick hit this morning. Very very nice racket. It was strung with solinco tour bite soft at 50lb which I felt too stiff. The grip is a little bit big too. I also bought one for my 9 year old son a 4 1/8 strung with yonex pro spin G. He is currently playing with the Babolat pure drive tour with same string set up. After an hour of hitting he said the pat has less power which surprised me. I will write a quick comparison between the two next couple days to see how the new pat play. So far it feels a very solid, stable racket
 

Babolat Official

Hall of Fame
Hey y'all, I posted this in the Bonjour from Babolat thread, but figured it would be appropriate here as well.

Based on feedback, I went ahead and grabbed a 4 3/8 APD 2013 from stock and a 4 3/8 Pure Aero Tour. I measured both, with the replacement grips on and off, and here are my results:

APD 2013 (4 3/8)
Grip on
-Middle of handle: 4 3/8"
-Bottom of handle/near butt: 4 3/8"

Grip off (bare handle)
-4" along entire length

Pure Aero Tour (4 3/8)
Grip on
-Middle of handle: 4 3/8"
-Bottom of handle/near butt: 4 1/2"

Grip off (bare handle)
-4" along entire length

In other words, the measurements of the two were identical, with the exception of near the butt of the handle.

Thus, it seems like the grip was wrapped with a bit more overlap on these Pure Aero Tours, and folks are finding it to feel bigger, especially if they hold their rackets near the bottom of the handle. Plus, like you said, these grips compress down, so people who are used to a compressed grip are using a new, noncompressed grip, which makes the grip size feel even bigger. I would say that it's probably a combination of these two factors.

I tend to hold near the bottom of the handle, slightly hanging off the buttcap. What I did with mine was rewrap the base grip with less overlap so it felt less bulky. I ended up cutting off the excess, and it feels much better. But, I still prefer the 4 1/4 grip these days.

Hope that helps!
 

djNEiGht

Legend
Hi ,

Anyone tried Gut/Poly Hybrid on PAT ?
I last played with Tier One Triumph 1.30 w Volkl vStar 1.25 55/50

Obvious durability is non-existent but the trade off was nice.

Nice power, decent spin (snap back lasted for a long time, probably 1/3 of the way notched), nice feel and control.

Downside I can tell is just durability. The performance of the string will last longer than the mains breaking. So far it actually has lasted longer than full bed Spiraltek (almost a week) and full bed Dunlop Hexy Fiber (3 days). I probably have about a solid week of singles and doubles. Went out of town and probably won't play for a week while on an extended vacation. I'm sure it's ready to snap.

Gut/Poly will probably last longer IMO
 

courtking

Semi-Pro
We had a 3 hrs drilling with the pat side by side with the pd tour this morning. All I can say is wow. My son was ripping the balls harder and deeper into the baseline. His serve also more consistent than his pd tour. The pat feels plush and softer than the pd tour. The only thing he did not improve was the volleys. I give him a week to get used with the new racket. He used to struggle a lot against my hard hitting strokes but this Pat give him confidence to hit back with interest. I will get him another one next week and make the pd tour as his back up. This is a much better racket than the pure aero
 

James1010

New User
I last played with Tier One Triumph 1.30 w Volkl vStar 1.25 55/50

Obvious durability is non-existent but the trade off was nice.

Nice power, decent spin (snap back lasted for a long time, probably 1/3 of the way notched), nice feel and control.

Downside I can tell is just durability. The performance of the string will last longer than the mains breaking. So far it actually has lasted longer than full bed Spiraltek (almost a week) and full bed Dunlop Hexy Fiber (3 days). I probably have about a solid week of singles and doubles. Went out of town and probably won't play for a week while on an extended vacation. I'm sure it's ready to snap.

Gut/Poly will probably last longer IMO

Thank You , djNEiGht.
 

EuroTraveler

New User
The 3 additional PATs I ordered are in and being strung/gripped. My son broke the NXT DUO II hybrid strings in 3 days, primarily due to following the recommendation from Wilson to put the NXT in the mains. So now we are back to our normal NXT/polymer blend with the NXT in the crosses.

I finally get two sticks to play with!
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
That grip explanation makes a ton of sense.

Is it possible to get the 3/8ths grip size closer to 1/4 using a real thin replacement grip?
 
Just a little update here as I have now played another 4.5 doubles match and a 4.0 singles match (both league matches and both very competitive). I am totally comfortable with this racquet. I like aggressive variety in my game and this stick is able to do it all. My backhand slice return gave the 4.5 doubles guys fits. My backhand slice return is a chip and charge, approach shot in singles and doubles most of the time. It has been working well with the PAT. I am very comfortable there.

I may have gotten a little wild with some forehands, especially during the singles match, but that might be more a problem with my head than the racquet. On the other hand, I hit one of my all time top ten passing shots on the dead run off a low ball. I hit it cross court and dipping and for a moment felt way better than I am. Perhaps I have to give credit more to the wand than to the magician there. I am not sure the other racquets I have played with would get the ball up and down that well.

I have to say, I am most surprised by how well I volley with the PAT. In both matches this past week, my volleys were some of the most precise and impressive that I have hit in the past year, probably.

For this past round of playing I went with the RPM Blast at 53 lbs on a lockout machine. I could have maybe gone a touch lower, but saw a bunch of reviews with tensions close to this high, so i upped it as well.

I very well may switch to the PAT. Right now I have 4 other TW demo racquets at home that i will try out. Winner takes all with the holidays coming up.
 

Anton

Legend
Not sure if this was already asked of Babolat Official but can you tell us if there is any difference between PA and PAT as far as the layup goes or is it only weight difference?
 

dgoran

Hall of Fame
I asked in babolat
Not sure if this was already asked of Babolat Official but can you tell us if there is any difference between PA and PAT as far as the layup goes or is it only weight difference?
official thread and he said it is exactly the same just commercial weights added

Basically if you add 15 grams of lead to the racquet you got the same racquet
 

Babolat Official

Hall of Fame
I asked in babolat

official thread and he said it is exactly the same just commercial weights added

Basically if you add 15 grams of lead to the racquet you got the same racquet

Not sure if this was already asked of Babolat Official but can you tell us if there is any difference between PA and PAT as far as the layup goes or is it only weight difference?

Hey @Anton, as @dgoran mentioned, it's the same layup, just different weight differences and slightly different cosmetic, of course.
 

JohnBPittsburgh

Hall of Fame
Vignesh, hopefully you have access to a digital scale, and a balance board (or homemade one, search Talk Tennis, there are several threads on how to make them). Due to spec variances, no one can just say add 5 grams here and 10 grams there and BOOM!! Pure Aero Tour!! (although that would be nice!) First, get the static weight of your frame (weigh your frame!), then find the balance point (points head light, or head heavy). Get specs of the Pure Aero Tour. Figure out how many grams of weight difference there are. Finally, look at the differences in balance, and that will tell you where to add the weight. There is a tool on Tennis Warehouse's website, that will help you calculate where to add weight (I forget the name of it, but I am sure someone who is familiar with it will chime in) You now have a Pure Aero that is customized to weigh the same as a Pure Aero Tour. This may sound difficult, but it really isn't. Take your time, and I am sure if you search the "lead tape placement thread" it will be a valuable resource.
 
could you please let me know where to add lead to make pure aero to pure aero tour?

Customising a Pure Aero to same static weight and Balance specs of a stock Pure Aero Tour will certainly change the characteristics of the Pure Aero but it won't turn it into a Pure Aero Tour.

To turn a Pure Aero into a Pure Aero Tour you would have to know the exact differences in weight (published at 15 grams) and more importantly, how that weight is distributed throughout the frame.

If Babolat has just added commercial weights to particular parts of the racquet (eg. inside the handle, and at certain points in the hairpin) then that would make customisation of a PA a lot easier. But unless Babolat publishes the actual frame specs to that level of detail, we can't know for sure. (Some of the additonal 15g in the PAT might be evenly distributed right around the hoop of the racquet rather than at specific points. Alternatively, much of the 15 might be in the handle, and the remainder at certain points in the hoop, or evenly distributed through the hoop. In that case customising a PA to that end might be a lot more difficult.)

Not that it really matters if the point of the exercise is to produce a heavier more stable racquet offering a little more plow-through and a some more cushioning from impact shock. In that case @JohnBPittsburgh's post gives you all you need.

I see it as a similar scenario to what we have done with 2013 APDs. We've turned them into much nicer playing racquets simply by adding a bit of weight to the handle making the racquets a bit heavier overall and changing the Balance specs to make them a lot more Head Light. Perhaps try doing that as a starting point with your Pure Aero.
 
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