Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Babolat Pure Aero 2023

On strings:

I preffer RS Lyon or KSB Max Power over ALU Power due to longevity. ALU Power is great for the first hour or two, bags out after that and pops quick. RS Lyon has great tension maintanace, remains playable, one of the most durable strings I've tried.

RPM Blast should also work well, but 17g provided is too thin for this racket imo. I might try it out with Cyclone 16 later.


I use proportional stringing method (with some factor adjustments) to get comfort and consistency straight off the constant pull machine:

MAINS: 55,55,54,53,52,51,50,49
CROSS: 45,48,50,51,52,53x7, 52.5, 52, 51.5, 51, 49.5, 49, 49
 
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Had a chance to hit at a higher level yesterday for about an hour, and it was mostly positive. The backhand slice felt really good - good depth and spin with minimal effort. Volleys felt similar - I'm not the most focused player, so I'll sometimes get a bit lazy on my volleys, but it was so easy to find the sweetspot on the PA that I was able to get away with some lazier form and still make solid volleys. Block and topspin backhands still feel really good, I think partially because my backhand swing is not that fast. I have mixed feelings about forehands for now - I have a really quick, modern forehand (full western), and I feel like, despite the low swingweight, the racquet just doesn't come around as quickly as a couple of other racquets that have a slightly higher swingweight (my Radical MP and Extreme Tour). So I feel like I really have to control my swing on the forehand side for right now. I can see how the previous couple of posters would benefit from a little bit of weight at the top of the hoop, it feels like a tiny bit more weight would help the racquet swing quicker. At the end of the playtest I might also test out some weight at the 12. I have another opportunity to hit later today, still not at my ideal level, but it's better than nothing. Hoping to hit with another former college player soon - that'll be the real test.

On a different note - not that this will mean much for most folks here - the PA is a great racquet for feeding and coaching. You can really put in minimal effort and get decent results haha
 
Played 4 hours of doubles last night... here's what I've learned so far:
SPIN and POWER are the staples of this racquet and they play out on nearly every shot. These two attributes stand out thus far.
Backhand (2HBH): Awesome. Able to absorb pace and redirect with ease. I was able to drive down the line with a low trajectory, crosscourt deep with a looping trajectory, short angles on shorter balls and topspin lob ( both traditional lob that went deep jumped out of the court and what call a driving lob - aimed just above an opponents racquet with more pace and more offensive). For me there was learning curve and I paid the price in the first half of the evening many times as my contact and depth was not adequate, but as I played the balance was in my favor.

Stability: Very stable and solid enough that the PA 23 let me dig out shots at my feet regularly. More stable but just a hare slower in this regard than my Pure Strike 98 16x19. I think quicker around for me than the Pure Strike VS.

Forehand: Not as quick as my PS 98, so I had to better prepare, but when I did the result was more dramatic. When I connected it was strong, powerful and penetrating ball flight. Again there was a learning curve, especially with dialing in the depth = or in my case lack of it as I hit a bunch of spinnier but shorter shots early on. It was also a confidence thing in a match and I had not played with this racquet enough yet to trust what I could do with it. Still, nice power and spin ( which helped control the power) and excellent stable / solid feel. Even when I could only muster a block the PA 23 usually helped put me in a good position.

Serve: Nice and controlled. The spin helped me find my spots and drop the ball in, when it didn't happen it was definitely user error! Flat serves were not really in my repertoire last night as I went with what I knew would work.
ROS: Really worked well on my backhand side, it gave me a feeling that I had control of the situation. The more pace on the serve the better. On my FH ROS I suffered with slower preparation as it is not as compact as my 2HBH. User error, but not something I suffer from with the PS 98. It think this will come around to as soon as I spend more time with it.

Touch: Not a strong suit for me last night. It think this may come as I spend more time with the PA 23. The stability did lend itself to some great punch volleys, through the court and angled. Overhead volleys mostly were horrible for me, because I was late. What was usually a strength was a liability for 1 night. Part of that was definitely on me and part of it was on me not being used to the PA 23 slightly longer time to get around vs. PS 98.
The stability / feel was noticeable again when I approached and was forced to hit a half-volley. The racquet felt good in my hand and allowed me to make nice contact leading to positive outcomes.

Attention: Everyone noticed this racquet and a bunch of the 15 or so guys I hit with were very interested in trying it out!

Overall Impression to this point: I am really liking this racquet. It strengths have me pumped to play with it and figure it out. On the other hand, since I haven't spent enough time with it yet this transition is not seamless. There were few time I was looking over at my bag longing for the comfort of my PS 98. All in all I think it is a better racquet for me, but I have to figure a couple things out.
 
Got to hit for a whopping maybe 30 minutes before the rain set in...:confused:..and it is an all day rain

First impressions: this is pretty nice. I'm not an Aero user and not sure the last one I even hit with, so I'm coming in totally fresh, which is good.

Ground strokes had nice power and depth. Spin to me, is very technique oriented with this racquet. I hit plenty of flat/lower trajectory balls with it because my swing is a little flatter/traditional. But I could access ample spin of course.

Since my hitting was cut so short, really just warmed up and hit groundstrokes from the baseline. Hit a few volleys here and there, not much. But the racquet felt solid and decently maneuverable.

Main takeaways, a tad muted feel but gives it almost a plusher response. Felt a little like the prince ATS racquet but a tad firmer and less dampened (but in a good way).
Again, I am using synthetic gut, so take it for what it is worth. Lower tension poly is likely the way to go. Maybe even a poly/syngut hybrid.
Supposed to have a doubles match tomorrow and looking forward to a more thorough road test.
 
Yesterday put on another 2 hours with it, played some points and was volleying quite a bit, nice stable and able to punch through the court. Took a lot of shots coming in down at my feet and out of the air, solid , powerful and decisive. Love the stability, power and spin. This racquet lets you be more offensive from defensive positions. There is a guy we all know that has been doing that for quite some time ! I can see why. That suddenness lets you sneak a passing shot in front of your opponent cross-court or just out of reach if they are leaning the wrong way. Like the overheads and pop I am getting on the volleys. I can hit powerfully with other racquets but this makes it easy power. Even with the softer RA, I am keeping watch on my joints, but so far so good. My hitting partner commented on the increased spin and power. This is with identical strings / tension. They say I am hitting more aggressively. Ha ha!
 
Also got more time in from my match this morning...
What I'm most impressed by, so far, is the volleying, racquet feels maneuverable and easy to control. Drop volleys are a little harder, albeit I am not a great drop volley-er, but it is easy to take pace off the ball when volleying. Very easy to punch them deep of course.

Serves were good, nice spin on the kick serve and pretty easy depth and good directional control.

Groundstrokes I am still calibrating because my natural swing is not vertical, but I feel like I have easy power and the racquet is easy to swing/maneuver. Control is not quite what I am used to as I typically use dense patterned or low-power control racquets. So I missed a few down the lines :confused: But I did have good control over angles and cross-court shots. Felt comfortable keeping returns away from the net player.

The other thing that stands out is stability and a good solid feel on contact. Ready to get some singles play in and definitely more court time in general!
 
Clocked a few more hours over yesterday and today, including some doubles sets, and I'm still very much enjoying the PA. Serves are easy, forehands and backhands (flat, topspin, and slice) all feel easy and comfortable. Volleys also feel great - the racquet is maneuverable and stable, and that's mostly what you hope for when volleying. I definitely don't feel the same accuracy and control that I do with my Radical MP, but it's so much easier to hit with that I don't really miss those things haha.
I will say that touch shots (mostly drop volleys, at this point) don't feel terribly easy to control. This isn't all that surprising to me, since the racquet has above-average power and stiffness. It feels like the touch should be better, though. That being said, my touch is less than ideal, so I think at this point it's definitely a combination of user error + racquet power/stiffness. I'll test out some more drop shots/volleys and report back. The backhand slice feels pretty good, and that's promising in the feel department.
 
BTW congratulations to Carlos!

According to many he actually uses the Pure Aero VS ( a 98" 16x20 stick) but they have done it up in the Pure Aero 23 cosmetic.
I am confident in saying the graphics had to account for something!! The Pure Aero 23 bag he uses looks pretty cool too.
Never hurts to imagine you're hitting like C. Alcaraz - even though reality is something different.

Carlos-Alcaraz-tennis-US-open.jpg
 
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Maybe it's just me or maybe it's because I'd used a couple Yonex frames recently but...
That's what the feel of this Aero is starting to remind me of, at least with the synthetic gut I have in it.
Feels a little muted and I'm not always sure exactly where on the stringbed I'm making contact. Sweetspot I can definitely feel, but I'd assume it is muted outside the sweetspot to make it feel "more forgiving."

The other thing I missed playing singles was that heavy frame power. Most of my recent frames were 340-350g, so this is an adjustment. Not necessarily a bad one as it makes me not be as lazy, especially for returns. I really have to step into my shot, which is good.
 
Aestheticsaboveallelse said:
Lower launch angle? Lol im demoing the PA 23 it automatically has the highest launch angle ive ever seen on every forehand
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This result your are seeing might be showing limitations in your technique, string setup, stringing technique, contact point or a combination of all these things.

The PA2023 has approx same launch angle as 2013 APD. 2016 PA and 2019 PA have a much higher launch angle.
 
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Yamin said:
If anyone who feels forehands are penetrating/powerful can provide a swing weight spec it would be appreciated.
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17g round string like Poly Tour Pro @ 320-322SW. Or a 7-8 sided string can work. Hit through for penetration. Brush up for elevated laugh angle and nice snapback spin. Round or many-sided string will keep launch angle under control when hitting through. 4-5-6 sided strings will be more dependent on your skill level.
 
gold325 said:
This result your are seeing might be showing limitations in your technique, string setup, stringing technique, contact point or a combination of all these things.

The PA2023 has approx same launch angle as 2013 APD. 2016 PA and 2019 PA have a much higher launch angle.
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It's a demo racquet from express... technique and contact point are the same as with all my other racquets I'm talking dropping a tennis ball in front of you and hitting forehands it reveals the highest launch angle I've ever seen, but it puts so much spin on the ball it easily comes down way before the baseline. I've owned the 2016 and 2019 PAs and tried some different strings in them. The 2023 PA is spinnier just like jason said on the playtest and along with that a much higher natural launch angle. Maybe its somehow the string hybrid they used on it but there's no doubt
 
Aestheticsaboveallelse said:
It's a demo racquet from express... technique and contact point are the same as with all my other racquets I'm talking dropping a tennis ball in front of you and hitting forehands it reveals the highest launch angle I've ever seen, but it puts so much spin on the ball it easily comes down way before the baseline. I've owned the 2016 and 2019 PAs and tried some different strings in them. The 2023 PA is spinnier just like jason said on the playtest and along with that a much higher natural launch angle. Maybe its somehow the string hybrid they used on it but there's no doubt
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Express Tennis only has multi demos - however they allow customer to change strings.. so maybe you got one of those. So it if a badly strung especially by a previous customer all bets are off.

I got a fresh demo (it even had plastic on the grip) on the day it was released from them and it was prestrung string with Addition multi from Babolat.
 
gold325 said:
Express Tennis only has multi demos - however they allow customer to change strings.. so maybe you got one of those. So it if a badly strung especially by a previous customer all bets are off.

I got a fresh demo (it even had plastic on the grip) on the day it was released from them and it was prestrung string with Addition multi from Babolat.
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Yea it surprised me you'd think lower angle with tighter string pattern. They also do poly multi hybrids sometimes I think this is one of those. I don't know about badly strung it played great
 
StringStrungStrang said:
BTW congratulations to Carlos!

According to many he actually uses the Pure Aero VS ( a 98" 16x20 stick) but they have done it up in the Pure Aero 23 cosmetic.
I am confident in saying the graphics had to account for something!! The Pure Aero 23 bag he uses looks pretty cool too.
Never hurts to imagine you're hitting like C. Alcaraz - even though reality is something different.

Carlos-Alcaraz-tennis-US-open.jpg
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Babolat US Open email about Carlos said he is using Pure Aero 98 and it's "coming 2023"
 
Aestheticsaboveallelse said:
Yea it surprised me you'd think lower angle with tighter string pattern. They also do poly multi hybrids sometimes I think this is one of those. I don't know about badly strung it played great
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If you can restring to a consistent known string. Otherwise you will be the only one I have heard so far who has a higher launch angle with 23 than 19.
 
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I was very excited to be selected as a play-tester for the all-new 2022 Babolat Pure Aero. I strung the racquet with my normal set-up of Solinco Tour Bite (51) on the mains and Solinco Syn Gut (56) on the crosses. It was immediately evident that the new string pattern is a lot more dense in the middle of the string bed than the previous generation Pure Aero. I also noticed that Babolat did away with the wider “spin” grommets the previous version had at the top of the head

Babolat has always done an outstanding job with their visual branding and the new glossy paint job of the 2023 Pure Aero is a home run. Babolat was smart to give Carlos Alcarez this new paint job for the US Open!
The weight and feel of the racquet in my hand felt almost identical to the previous version – but that is where the similarities stop.
My initial reaction after hitting with the racquet for 10-15 minutes was the extent to which this racquet feels more “muted” than the previous version. I read on Babolat’s website about their new NF2 technology which dampens the feel of the ball at impact and this was immediately noticeable. I also noticed the denser string bed creating a bit more spin but noticeably less power and depth into the court on my rally balls from the baseline.

One nice aspect of this new frame was I did feel more control on balls where I was “swinging out” …going for winners. The previous Pure Aero definitely generates a “heavier” ball, but is also prone to errors and missing spots on the court. I also noticed a lot more control and the ball stayed lower going over the net on my slice backhand. I felt more confident with more defensive shots.

I thought this racquet had a very solid/stable feel at the net and overheads were easy to place. Racquet feels very maneuverable and is stiff enough to make half volleys look easy.
Serving was interesting…there is no doubt this frame creates a enormous top spin on a kick serve. I felt confident in my 2nd serve despite swinging hard. For first serves it does lack some of the horsepower the previous version offered, but once again ability to place the ball felt more precise.

All in all this is a very nice frame and I’m sure Babolat will realize a lot of commercial success with it. But for more advanced, aggressive baseliners who have learned how to tame the 2019 Pure Aero, this new frame will be a tough sell. It would be like asking someone to trade in their Tesla S Plaid on a Mercedes E Class. No doubt the E-class offers a more refined ride and interior, but the torque and acceleration of the Tesla S is hard to beat.
 
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TennisHound said:
What is your SW spec?
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I did not measure, but all other specs on my Pure Aero 23 are at or near stock specs. so assuming SW is at or near stock as well. (322). String tension is 46/48 shaped (17g) poly / round (16l) poly. I find it to be powerful, solid and controlled (with plenty of spin) for me., especially in comparison to some racquets I've been using; PS 98 16x19 & PS VS. The Pure Aero generates more spin by far and more power unmodified with similar setups.
 
StringStrungStrang said:
I did not measure, but all other specs on my Pure Aero 23 are at or near stock specs. so assuming SW is at or near stock as well. (322). String tension is 46/48 shaped (17g) poly / round (16l) poly. I find it to be powerful, solid and controlled (with plenty of spin) for me., especially in comparison to some racquets I've been using; PS 98 16x19 & PS VS. The Pure Aero generates more spin by far and more power unmodified with similar setups.
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@Yamin I’m gonna say the SW on mine feels right around 323 - 325sh. There are times when the ball is penetrating and times when it lands shorter on the court. On high and low forehands, I’m able to get a penetrating drive. Forehands around the waist area land short.
 
Exciting time to be a Babolat enthusiast, the PSVS was a home run for me and these initial PA23 impressions are not helping my racquetholicism :)

At some point I'd love to hear some thoughts from the APD users up to 2013, it seems like there are a lot of good similarities, but would you consider the 2023 an improvement enough to actually prefer the PA23 over your APD racquets? I've played most with the 2013 and wasn't a fan of any of the models afterwards.
 
This new 2023 model has identical specs compared to the last model except for the stiffness rating. It went from 67 "strung" to 65 "strung". I keep hearing everyone saying that the power drop off with this new model is very noticeable. Hard to believe that there would be such a significant drop in power just because the RA dropped two points. It seems to me that a couple of grams of lead tape at 12 would easily make up for it and bring the power level back to where the older model sits.

I'm curious as to where the power level of this new Pure Aero sits when compared to players frames like the Pro Staff, Blade, and Rad Pro?
 
TennisManiac said:
This new 2023 model has identical specs compared to the last model except for the stiffness rating. It went from 67 "strung" to 65 "strung". I keep hearing everyone saying that the power drop off with this new model is very noticeable. Hard to believe that there would be such a significant drop in power just because the RA dropped two points. It seems to me that a couple of grams of lead tape at 12 would easily make up for it and bring the power level back to where the older model sits.
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If string pattern was just as open as the 2019 - I would have agreed with you.

The string pattern is significantly tighter. That reduces string movement and therefore reduces both power and spin. It can be recovered with a slightly lower tension say 10-15% tension reduction

Assuming 2019 and 2023 are at same weight balance and SW to begin with - adding 2 grams at 12 will increase SW by 6 points... Some people will not be able to handle that so the slightly lower tension to add a little power and a little launch angle is the more sensible route.
 
I've been hitting exclusively with the Pure Aero the past week or so and I am still impressed. Much easier to pick up than I thought and after a set I could feel I was getting a feel for how to take advantage of it. Also, it seems a little more comfortable than APDs of the past and hoping that slightly lower RA allows for the love affair to continue.

It is such a solid / stable racquet have been liking it on nearly all my shots; FH, BH, volley, overhead, serve, return and lobs. Touch shots are not there for me yet and short reaction forehands (from just outside the service line) have been problematic for me. It ( I am) is just a hare slower coming around and I haven't dialed in the combo of power and spin yet on short balls DTL.

Still, that's not bad for a week+ with the Pure Aero 23 and it is making me re-think my racquet choices. I keep asking myself why I stopped playing with my APD 13 and now I can't remember. I never remember this racquet feeling so solid.

Looping drives and lobs are definitely are benefitting from the pace and the added spin this racquet has compared to most. When I am hitting with depth I am getting weaker shots as a reply, which allows me to be more aggressive and come in. The problem for me is consistency of depth. As of now, I think my consistency with the PS 98 is greater, but the upside with the Pure Aero is higher. That being said, winning tennis is more about reducing errors than hitting winners - but where is the fun in that!

So, in the next week I'll mix in some play with my PS 98 16x19 and the PS VS for some side-by-side comparison. On paper the specs are not dissimilar - weight, stiffness, SW - but with different string beds, head sizes, beam widths, they definitely have different personalities.
 
StringStrungStrang said:
I've been hitting exclusively with the Pure Aero the past week or so and I am still impressed. Much easier to pick up than I thought and after a set I could feel I was getting a feel for how to take advantage of it. Also, it seems a little more comfortable than APDs of the past and hoping that slightly lower RA allows for the love affair to continue.

It is such a solid / stable racquet have been liking it on nearly all my shots; FH, BH, volley, overhead, serve, return and lobs. Touch shots are not there for me yet and short reaction forehands (from just outside the service line) have been problematic for me. It ( I am) is just a hare slower coming around and I haven't dialed in the combo of power and spin yet on short balls DTL.

Still, that's not bad for a week+ with the Pure Aero 23 and it is making me re-think my racquet choices. I keep asking myself why I stopped playing with my APD 13 and now I can't remember. I never remember this racquet feeling so solid.

Looping drives and lobs are definitely are benefitting from the pace and the added spin this racquet has compared to most. When I am hitting with depth I am getting weaker shots as a reply, which allows me to be more aggressive and come in. The problem for me is consistency of depth. As of now, I think my consistency with the PS 98 is greater, but the upside with the Pure Aero is higher. That being said, winning tennis is more about reducing errors than hitting winners - but where is the fun in that!

So, in the next week I'll mix in some play with my PS 98 16x19 and the PS VS for some side-by-side comparison. On paper the specs are not dissimilar - weight, stiffness, SW - but with different string beds, head sizes, beam widths, they definitely have different personalities.
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Yep, controlling depth on flatter shots is tougher vs more "player" style frames.

I don't even try it with this frame, just spin eveything, create the angle, pull them out wide, winners into open court.
 
Yamin said:
If anyone who feels forehands are penetrating/powerful can provide a swing weight spec it would be appreciated.
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At 321 stock it did not. At 331 it did. I’m hardly a lead weight shill, in fact I detest some of the ridiculous modifications many yammer on and on about. But yet for this frame, it truly helped.
Maybe I’m in for a great awakening to more customizing.
 
Still plugging away with this frame, and very much enjoying the playtest, but I did want to pose a question to other posters/playtesters here.

How do you all feel about the quality of the paint/grommets? I love the glossy paint, but so far it's been chipping super easily. I've been hitting with the racquet for a week, and I swear the frame looks as bad as my Radical MP that I've had for 5-6 months. I'm certainly not easy on my frames, but I'm not reckless either, and this paint sort of reminds of the first rubberized paint Wilsons, in terms of how easily it chips. Also the grommets - they're super shallow, to the point where I can see scuffing on my strings in a couple of places, and after less than a week, a tiny chunk of the headguard fully peeled off - normally it takes months of play before that happens (for me). Again, I'm not easy on my racquets, and I'm sure this will differ for some players, but I'm also not nearly as hard on my racquets as some other players.
I don't remember these issues with the '20 PD that I playtested.
 
@Chezbeeno
Mostly agree, the glossy paint is nice but I actually think it feels a tad cheap to the touch.
Also I have one pinhead sized chip from where the racquet slipped out of my hand (sweaty hand) dropped about a foot onto a clay court totally flat, no bouncing or see-sawing. That surprised me.

The actual grommet plastic (NOT bumper guard) feels a little thin. Hit a low volley where the racquet contacted the CLAY court and it bent one part of the grommet a little. Also surprising as it was clay.
Definitely don't have as much wear as you, but I get where you are coming from.
 
Chezbeeno said:
Still plugging away with this frame, and very much enjoying the playtest, but I did want to pose a question to other posters/playtesters here.

How do you all feel about the quality of the paint/grommets? I love the glossy paint, but so far it's been chipping super easily. I've been hitting with the racquet for a week, and I swear the frame looks as bad as my Radical MP that I've had for 5-6 months. I'm certainly not easy on my frames, but I'm not reckless either, and this paint sort of reminds of the first rubberized paint Wilsons, in terms of how easily it chips. Also the grommets - they're super shallow, to the point where I can see scuffing on my strings in a couple of places, and after less than a week, a tiny chunk of the headguard fully peeled off - normally it takes months of play before that happens (for me). Again, I'm not easy on my racquets, and I'm sure this will differ for some players, but I'm also not nearly as hard on my racquets as some other players.
I don't remember these issues with the '20 PD that I playtested.
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This doesn't sound good.
 
Chezbeeno said:
Still plugging away with this frame, and very much enjoying the playtest, but I did want to pose a question to other posters/playtesters here.

How do you all feel about the quality of the paint/grommets? I love the glossy paint, but so far it's been chipping super easily. I've been hitting with the racquet for a week, and I swear the frame looks as bad as my Radical MP that I've had for 5-6 months. I'm certainly not easy on my frames, but I'm not reckless either, and this paint sort of reminds of the first rubberized paint Wilsons, in terms of how easily it chips. Also the grommets - they're super shallow, to the point where I can see scuffing on my strings in a couple of places, and after less than a week, a tiny chunk of the headguard fully peeled off - normally it takes months of play before that happens (for me). Again, I'm not easy on my racquets, and I'm sure this will differ for some players, but I'm also not nearly as hard on my racquets as some other players.
I don't remember these issues with the '20 PD that I playtested.
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What do you guys do with your frames?! :D I've had mine for about 3 weeks now, granted only playing about twice a week, but it looks good as new still.
 
TennisManiac said:
This new 2023 model has identical specs compared to the last model except for the stiffness rating. It went from 67 "strung" to 65 "strung". I keep hearing everyone saying that the power drop off with this new model is very noticeable. Hard to believe that there would be such a significant drop in power just because the RA dropped two points. It seems to me that a couple of grams of lead tape at 12 would easily make up for it and bring the power level back to where the older model sits.

I'm curious as to where the power level of this new Pure Aero sits when compared to players frames like the Pro Staff, Blade, and Rad Pro?
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SW on the ‘19 is up slightly to 325 (‘23 is 322). While this may might look like much on paper, frames can have +\- 5 SW. Plus the string pattern on the ‘23 is significantly tighter. It still has power, just not as much as the ‘19.
As far as other racquets, it’s not close to any if the ones you’ve listed.
 
Hit with it for 30 mins today, just groundies. Definitely less stiff than the PA and PA tour I've used a a generation or two ago.

Much more control oriented than I was expecting, but still a power frame.

No issues with paint or anything so far.

Good first impression. I suspect it'll benefit from some tail weighting, but way too early to tell.
 
Chezbeeno said:
Still plugging away with this frame, and very much enjoying the playtest, but I did want to pose a question to other posters/playtesters here.

How do you all feel about the quality of the paint/grommets? I love the glossy paint, but so far it's been chipping super easily. I've been hitting with the racquet for a week, and I swear the frame looks as bad as my Radical MP that I've had for 5-6 months. I'm certainly not easy on my frames, but I'm not reckless either, and this paint sort of reminds of the first rubberized paint Wilsons, in terms of how easily it chips. Also the grommets - they're super shallow, to the point where I can see scuffing on my strings in a couple of places, and after less than a week, a tiny chunk of the headguard fully peeled off - normally it takes months of play before that happens (for me). Again, I'm not easy on my racquets, and I'm sure this will differ for some players, but I'm also not nearly as hard on my racquets as some other players.
I don't remember these issues with the '20 PD that I playtested.
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Haven't seen that yet. Scraped the court a bunch of times digging out short balls, no scratches.
 
Chezbeeno said:
How do you all feel about the quality of the paint/grommets? I love the glossy paint, but so far it's been chipping super easily.
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To this point I haven't had any issues. However, Babolat's new glossy paint scheme / process on the Pure Strike VS did chip without much cause. Mine chipped just from normal hitting. This paint / gloss seems nearly identical, so I've been keeping an eye out for this. So far so good. I am relatively careful/easy on frames / bumper guards, BUT I do use them to their fullest. I don't throw or drag them on the court and keep them in tennis bags when transporting / storing FWIW. I do think these will chip pretty easily and the bumper guard is definitely a hare shallow, much better than the early Pure Aero models though.

Really loving my 2HBH with it. The PA 23 gives me a lot of choices in launch, flatter (flat generally not being one) and heavier topspin). It drives the ball well - solid stable - and gives me the ability to (usually) get back to even when I am in a defensive position during a point or on ROS. That little bit extra pop and ability to change direction of shots is fun to see how it bothers opponents.
 
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To be clear - I do not abuse my racquets in the slightest. I also don't baby my racquets - if I need to scrape the ground a bit with a frame to make a good play on the ball, then I won't hesitate. If the difference between hitting an ok shot and a good shot is making some contact with the ground - again, I won't hesitate to hit the court. Hits and scrapes that result in imperceptible marks on my Head racquets, are occasionally resulting in noticeable paint chips on the Bab, and I don't love that. As much as I prefer glossy paint, ultimately I prefer paint that lasts better - it feels like a higher quality product.
 
I finally got the chance to measure and string up my playtest 2023 Pure Aero (Grip 3). Here are the measurements, stock with no mods:

Unstrung
Weight: 300.41g (with grip band), 298.48g without grip band (band = 1.93g)
Balance: 31.6cm (8.5pts head-light)
Swing Weight: 290 (via Briffidi SW1)
Twist Weight: 13.5

Strung
String: Tier One Black Knight 16 1.28 @ 56/54, lockout, 50 lbs. off the stringer
Weight: 317.27g (without grip band)
Balance: 32.7cm (5pts head-light)
Swing Weight: 322
Twist Weight: 14.9

Hopefully I'll be hitting it for an initial warm-up hit tonight. I'll be mindful that BK will be in its break-in period, so just looking to get a general feel for today. Excited!
 
On power:
Hit with a Tfight RS305 tonight, my Pure Aero is being restrung.

The Tfight definitely felt more powerful. It was strung with synthetic gut too but was easier for me to hit balls heavy and deep albeit flatter. Obviously the tfight has a higher swingweight but it probably also suits my natural swing better.
The downside is the tfight was much bulkier and less maneuverable in all areas.

All that to say, the Pure Aero is definitely designed for a certain style of swing to get the most out of the racquet.
I'm not saying these frames are comparable at all, just observations and data points.
 
Trip said:
I finally got the chance to measure and string up my playtest 2023 Pure Aero (Grip 3). Here are the measurements, stock with no mods:

Unstrung
Weight: 300.41g (with grip band), 298.48g without grip band (band = 1.93g)
Balance: 31.6cm (8.5pts head-light)
Swing Weight: 290 (via Briffidi SW1)
Twist Weight: 13.5

Strung
String: Tier One Black Knight 16 1.28 @ 56/54, lockout, 50 lbs. off the stringer
Weight: 317.27g (without grip band)
Balance: 32.7cm (5pts head-light)
Swing Weight: 322
Twist Weight: 14.9

Hopefully I'll be hitting it for an initial warm-up hit tonight. I'll be mindful that BK will be in its break-in period, so just looking to get a general feel for today. Excited!
Click to expand...
What is a grip band?
 
Have been trying the new Aero Pro 2023 for the past few weeks - I like it. Feels good on serve and think the power and stability levels are pretty good.

I was using a Blade V8 16x19 previously and this definitely has a lot more pop.

One thing I am pretty bummed about is that i have some elbow pain.... This is the first Babolat i've ever played with, so was wondering should i steer clear early or will i get used to it??
 
Rafasw19 said:
Have been trying the new Aero Pro 2023 for the past few weeks - I like it. Feels good on serve and think the power and stability levels are pretty good.

I was using a Blade V8 16x19 previously and this definitely has a lot more pop.

One thing I am pretty bummed about is that i have some elbow pain.... This is the first Babolat i've ever played with, so was wondering should i steer clear early or will i get used to it??
Click to expand...
What's your string setup?
 
Rafasw19 said:
RPM blast and Synthetic Gut at 52....
Click to expand...
I am surprised, most of us have found this new Pure Aero to be quite comfortable.
I've only used full syngut so far, but am having it restrung with full poly and will hit this weekend.

Are you making consistently clean contact in the middle of the stringbed? Your other option is drop tension. I used full syngut at 52lbs, a hybrid you could easily go to 50 or lower.
 
Sorry, i should have been a little more honest. My previous post should have read 'this is not the first babolat' I've demo'd (tried the Pure Drive beforehand), so perhaps that kicked it off..
 
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