Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Babolat Pure Aero VS 2020
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mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
No.
g4driver
Legend
Feels smooth, more muted than a PA. But isn't hollow at all.
Lavs
Hall of Fame
Syntec Pro that comes with PA Vs is 2.2mm thick. Your leather is 1.5mm. That makes a difference. Try to regrip VS with what you use and see
g4driver
Legend
Waiting till I log my 10 hours in stock form per the TW instructions, then added length, weight and a Fairway.
marceloriosfan
Rookie
I put a Syntec Team (what comes on Pure Strike) on my PAVS
Lavs
Hall of Fame
How do you find the grip? Is it true ti size with Syntec Team? Or still feels bigger?
samprasbackhand
Semi-Pro
Agreed, I saw the review and felt like I noticed it as well. I'm not sure if the Pure Strike Tour that came out last year uses the same grip as the PA VS but the PA VS definitely feels noticeably bigger.
Moveforwardalways
Hall of Fame
Depends on what you mean. A little hollow? Yes, of course. It is a Pure Aero after all. The worst ever? No.
it is a little hollow at the top of the hoop in stock form. Definitely not as hollow as every other babolat racket. A gram or two of lead anywhere between 10 and 2 will fix that.
tennisgurl
Semi-Pro
I have had multiple sessions with PAVS by now using Hyper G. No issues with stability. It is working out great for me in stock form actually. Also I dont find it hollow feeling, tinny or brassy as some like to relate with Babolats. Decent power and control. Great for aggressive hitting and doesn't get pushed. Pretty happy with it so far, more in detailed review soon.
@g4driver agree with your observation. Grip size does seem to run big on this. I use 1/4 and this feels a tad bigger to me. I will probably swap with a thinner replacement grip later on maybe. I don't hit with a lot of topspin but those who do might benefit by switching to thinner replacement grips like maybe Syntac Team or Tourna Pro thin or something similar.
@g4driver agree with your observation. Grip size does seem to run big on this. I use 1/4 and this feels a tad bigger to me. I will probably swap with a thinner replacement grip later on maybe. I don't hit with a lot of topspin but those who do might benefit by switching to thinner replacement grips like maybe Syntac Team or Tourna Pro thin or something similar.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
What string and tension?
tennisgurl
Semi-Pro
Solinco Hyper-G 17 at 50 lbs.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Orion
Semi-Pro
Think I may be the last person in the be playtest to receive mine. It was delivered whilst I was dropping a 3rd set 10pt breaker. [emoji26]
Hope someone can gleen a little from my perspective.
Background: 48 year old, 4.0 player, 5 years removed from TFCC wrist surgery. Compound tear so bad Dr. said I probably wouldn't be able to play. I prefer a stiffer frame. Have trouble getting wrist under ball to generate topspin. hit a mean flat ball. Currently using Head Gravity Pros. I love em. They force me to be sound. The COVID layoff and working out has screwed with my timing and caused some wrist discomfort. Previous frames: Wilson Ultra Tour. Haven't hit with a Babolat since the Riddick PD 2005-2007. Glorious forehands and serves. Never found a comfortable level of control with it.
PAVS Initial Impressions:
The beam isn't as thick as I imagined it would be. Dry swings with the placcard still are smooth...doesn't feel like 70RA. A Babolat 4 3/8 feels like a 4 1/2.
String up tonight. Haven't decided on setup by will probably hybrid the string provided in the 44-47 range. I'll weight before stringing to see if I get 304.
Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
Hope someone can gleen a little from my perspective.
Background: 48 year old, 4.0 player, 5 years removed from TFCC wrist surgery. Compound tear so bad Dr. said I probably wouldn't be able to play. I prefer a stiffer frame. Have trouble getting wrist under ball to generate topspin. hit a mean flat ball. Currently using Head Gravity Pros. I love em. They force me to be sound. The COVID layoff and working out has screwed with my timing and caused some wrist discomfort. Previous frames: Wilson Ultra Tour. Haven't hit with a Babolat since the Riddick PD 2005-2007. Glorious forehands and serves. Never found a comfortable level of control with it.
PAVS Initial Impressions:
The beam isn't as thick as I imagined it would be. Dry swings with the placcard still are smooth...doesn't feel like 70RA. A Babolat 4 3/8 feels like a 4 1/2.
String up tonight. Haven't decided on setup by will probably hybrid the string provided in the 44-47 range. I'll weight before stringing to see if I get 304.
Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
marceloriosfan
Rookie
yes, friend who is Bab rep said dots make it hard to counterfeit... they had issue on PD and PA a couple years ago
warney
Semi-Pro
My PAVS came in at 304 gm unstrung like most of the playtesters however balance is little off. Strung balance is 31.5 cm which is basically listed as unstrung balance on the racquet. Strung with Velocity MLT mains and Cream cross @ 52/50.
I typically use PK Q+5x and APD plus (2013) as backup when I am tired or playing with lower level players.
Played last night (1.5 hours of Serve practice and 1 singles set) at stock specs. Only added a dampener. Initial impressions are overall positive.
Pros:
Power is good. I did not have any issue with depth on groundstrokes. Control is decent. Even though pattern is 16x20, the top cross is too high in stringbed (If ball hits first cross string then it's likely hitting the frame) and rest 19 crosses are very similarly spaced as APD's 19 crosses. Ball came off the stringbed really quickly, I did not feel much of pocketing. I think I may restring this soon in 40s.
Spin is ample for me (I am not biggest spin hitter). I could see good dip on groundstrokes even though I was not trying to hit loopier shot. Kick serves were getting good height (better than I typically get with my main racquet).
No issues with comfort. Racquet does not feel hollow though does not feel too solid either.
I don't want to comment on stability yet. I will be hitting with big hitter next time around.
Cons:
Not big fan on flat serves (I am used to hitting with extended length racquets so this could have played part). It's easy to get high racquet head speed, but I don't think flat serves track that well.
Difference in feel when hit in sweetspot (right in middle of racquet) vs. near top of the frame is more pronounced. I think this racquet needs weight at the top (at 12 or 10/2).
I will put few more hours in next couple of weeks at stock specs and then will extend with XTP buttcap with some lead tape at the top .
I typically use PK Q+5x and APD plus (2013) as backup when I am tired or playing with lower level players.
Played last night (1.5 hours of Serve practice and 1 singles set) at stock specs. Only added a dampener. Initial impressions are overall positive.
Pros:
Power is good. I did not have any issue with depth on groundstrokes. Control is decent. Even though pattern is 16x20, the top cross is too high in stringbed (If ball hits first cross string then it's likely hitting the frame) and rest 19 crosses are very similarly spaced as APD's 19 crosses. Ball came off the stringbed really quickly, I did not feel much of pocketing. I think I may restring this soon in 40s.
Spin is ample for me (I am not biggest spin hitter). I could see good dip on groundstrokes even though I was not trying to hit loopier shot. Kick serves were getting good height (better than I typically get with my main racquet).
No issues with comfort. Racquet does not feel hollow though does not feel too solid either.
I don't want to comment on stability yet. I will be hitting with big hitter next time around.
Cons:
Not big fan on flat serves (I am used to hitting with extended length racquets so this could have played part). It's easy to get high racquet head speed, but I don't think flat serves track that well.
Difference in feel when hit in sweetspot (right in middle of racquet) vs. near top of the frame is more pronounced. I think this racquet needs weight at the top (at 12 or 10/2).
I will put few more hours in next couple of weeks at stock specs and then will extend with XTP buttcap with some lead tape at the top .
Hit again with it and I must admit that it's growing on me. The racket hits a big ball, and I hit some nice serves with it. Going back and forth with this and my yonex, I still notice a big difference in feel, but it's not as drastic as the first time. I really like the way it grabs the ball. Makes me wish my racket was 16x19. Also, I agree with other posters that the grip feels big.
Lavs
Hall of Fame
Did you use it in stock form? Or did some customization? What did you mean by "big difference in feel"?
stock
downs_chris
Professional
it feels pretty solid...i sort of liked the Pure Drive VS...but this just feels more pleasant than that frame....there's this subtle flex that's nice to the aero vs...
the new Aero VS has a much more solid feel than the previous version (makes sense since the old one was 295g i think)
this racquet is definitely nice...i just picked it up and played 3 sets with it - with minimal adjustments and no customization...
sanister
Professional
I have had about ten hours now on my racquet.Played it stock,I am now thinking about adding some lead , throwing on leather grip.Not bad at all stock & I had no issues with anything in particular
In fact,I think I'll play 20 hours stock & then add weight & leather grip.Get an even better feel of the racquet in stock form before moving on to mods
In fact,I think I'll play 20 hours stock & then add weight & leather grip.Get an even better feel of the racquet in stock form before moving on to mods
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gutfeeling
Hall of Fame
Can you please compare it to the current Ezone 98 or any prior versions? Thanks.
downs_chris
Professional
it has a little more power / pop than the ezone 98 line...i'm a dr100 user and i would say this frame sits in between the ezone 98 and ezone 100 frames in terms of power
I'm going to get more time with the frame today....so i'll keep you posted!
gutfeeling
Hall of Fame
Sounds good. The current Ezone 98 is borderline too powerful/firm for me so I may steer clear of the PA VS.
McLovin
Legend
Thanks for the invite...
10iss_Nut
New User
Not at all. I hit with one at my club. The new Pure Aero VS is/plays like a regular Pure Aero with a smaller 98. A bit more control, a bit less spin... what you would expect. The old VS model was basically the original Storm with new paint. This is something totally new. I liked it. Could be a bit heavier though. I bit of tape would fix that quickly. It looks freakin cool...
downs_chris
Professional
of course
and i agree...the paint job is really nice on this...i thought the racquet played very well for it's weight - mine is 329g (that's strung with an overgrip and dampener)...
g4driver
Legend
Ha.. [emoji28]
am1899
Legend
This has been my experience, too. Overall it’s still a fairly firm feeling racquet, but feeling that little bit of flex really sets the PAVS apart from the PA, APD, PD, etc.
am1899
Legend
This has been my experience in general with Babolat frames for the last several years. I’m usually a 4 & 3/8 in most brands, but I’ve come to find a 4 & 1/4 in Babolat frames is a better size for me.
Before I realized the above, I was able to make a Babolat 4 & 3/8 work by replacing the base grip with a Skin Feel grip. But, this will absolutely make the feel of the grip noticeably firmer. Which won’t matter if you’re used to a leather base grip. But if you’re used to that little bit of “give” from a synthetic base grip, you might not be thrilled with the result. YMMV.
g4driver
Legend
I got 16 hours in stock form doubles and singles. Enough time to write my review.
Now it is time to change the grip, add some weight and extend it. Our courts are closed all next week for the 16 WTA players who are playing in Charleston for the Credit One Bank Invitational. I am out of town till Monday so will mod the frame when I get back in town.
www.tennis.com
Now it is time to change the grip, add some weight and extend it. Our courts are closed all next week for the 16 WTA players who are playing in Charleston for the Credit One Bank Invitational. I am out of town till Monday so will mod the frame when I get back in town.
Andreescu, Kenin lead 16-player team event set for June in Charleston | Tennis.com
The Credit One Bank Invitational will begin June 23, with Madison Keys and Bethanie Mattek-Sands serving as captains for 16 singles matches and eight doubles contests.
McLovin
Legend
Yes! Looking forward to this portion of the review, especially since @downs_chris seems to like this frame, and isn’t going to let me extend it when he’s done reviewing it.
I love my VCORE 98+s, but since the EZONE 2020 98+ was a dud for me, I’m still on the lookout for something new...
g4driver
Legend
I stock Kimoney grips and have several new Fairways 15/16" x 48 inches for my personal use. Will add one after the extension. Want to make this extension like the one in the video I post below.
IMO, the best part of this frame is the 16x20 pattern. The volleys and control are noticeably better than my PA+ frames. Must agree with @downs_chris and his thoughts that this frame sits between the Yonex DR EZone 98 & 100 as the mythical DR Ezone 99. [emoji28]
If anyone knows where to get the supplies used (or equivalent) in this video in the US, please reply.
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downs_chris
Professional
i'll probably replace the grip to the skin feel too...the stock grip thickness is a bit much...
McLovin
Legend
See my signature...
haqq777
Legend
Wish Babolat still made Skinfeel. I've played with the new Syntac Team (which replaces the Skinfeel) and felt meh about it.
sanister
Professional
Not at all.The power levels are marginally lower so you have good depth & pace on strokes meaning it isn't under powered, spin is outstanding because if you look at string spacing you'll see it being very similar to apd 2013 from bottom up maybe 3 quarters up & it is very easy to swing, kind of pick up and play.I didn't find it demanding at all.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I have about four hours of play on the PAVS and am ready to restring it lower. With the very good tension maintenance of Silver 7 Tour, it's just a bit too tight and doesn't feel like it will drop tension enough to get it to where I want it.
On the bad side, I've developed a bit of an elbow twinge. I don't always make great contact because the PAVS is an inch shorter and 30 grams lighter than my normal racquet. I'd expect that as our gyms become available and I'm able to do the resistance training, this problem will likely go away. There is no doubt that the low mass and stiff poly stringbed aren't kind to my old joints.
In the meantime, more hours have made the PAVS feel more familiar. I've weighted up my PDVS to the same weight and balance and there are small but important differences between the two. Playing without a vibration dampener, the PAVS is a bit more comfortable and muted, though there is still more than enough feedback to tell where on the stringbed I hit the ball. The ball feels like it sinks a bit more into the stringbed on the PAVS than the PDVS, and so there's a very slightly higher launch angle and what seems like a little bit more spin, but the PDVS feels more powerful on harder hit flatter shots and in the light serving I've done.
The PDVS has a bit more of a hollow, tinny feel which makes the sweetspot feel a bit smaller because even slight mis-hits will generate a little bit of frame buzz. That isn't there to the same degree on the PAVS so that gives the impression the sweetspot is larger, though I can't say with certainty that it really is. It just feels more forgiving overall, making it better suited to a high spin rate swing trajectory. I also prefer the PAVS when at the net. It might have a little bit less punch on the ball but the feedback it gives makes me feel more confident with it.
So I'll be restringing both the PAVS and PDVS at lower tensions, and rest up the elbow a little bit so it doesn't get more grumpy. I believe when I tested the PDVS, I strung it up with the provided RPM Blast so that lost enough tension that it softened up the response. Right now, the stringbed is too stiff on both racquets.
On the bad side, I've developed a bit of an elbow twinge. I don't always make great contact because the PAVS is an inch shorter and 30 grams lighter than my normal racquet. I'd expect that as our gyms become available and I'm able to do the resistance training, this problem will likely go away. There is no doubt that the low mass and stiff poly stringbed aren't kind to my old joints.
In the meantime, more hours have made the PAVS feel more familiar. I've weighted up my PDVS to the same weight and balance and there are small but important differences between the two. Playing without a vibration dampener, the PAVS is a bit more comfortable and muted, though there is still more than enough feedback to tell where on the stringbed I hit the ball. The ball feels like it sinks a bit more into the stringbed on the PAVS than the PDVS, and so there's a very slightly higher launch angle and what seems like a little bit more spin, but the PDVS feels more powerful on harder hit flatter shots and in the light serving I've done.
The PDVS has a bit more of a hollow, tinny feel which makes the sweetspot feel a bit smaller because even slight mis-hits will generate a little bit of frame buzz. That isn't there to the same degree on the PAVS so that gives the impression the sweetspot is larger, though I can't say with certainty that it really is. It just feels more forgiving overall, making it better suited to a high spin rate swing trajectory. I also prefer the PAVS when at the net. It might have a little bit less punch on the ball but the feedback it gives makes me feel more confident with it.
So I'll be restringing both the PAVS and PDVS at lower tensions, and rest up the elbow a little bit so it doesn't get more grumpy. I believe when I tested the PDVS, I strung it up with the provided RPM Blast so that lost enough tension that it softened up the response. Right now, the stringbed is too stiff on both racquets.
Another update after a couple more hours: I really like the free power on the forehand. I hit some nice flick passing shots with it, and my friend said that I was hitting a bigger ball with it. However, I cannot get the backhand to work. I think I will add some lead at 12 to get the balance more head heavy. I have not had any arm/elbow/wrist issues with the frame, which is a plus.
I also noticed that when I really wanted to swing out, the power was borderline uncontrollable. This frame makes we want to try the 16x19 310 version of my VCORE pro
I also noticed that when I really wanted to swing out, the power was borderline uncontrollable. This frame makes we want to try the 16x19 310 version of my VCORE pro
haqq777
Legend
Hi guys, I'm not on the playtest so I won't hog the thread and I'll let the playtesters give their feedback but just a quick observation that I thought I'd share here.
Since the grip size was under discussion above, I took two of my new Babolat racquets to test. One was the latest Pure Strike in Grip 3 (4 3/8) and the other was the latest Pure Aero VS in Grip 2 (4 1/4). Both racquets brand new with plastic on handles.
This is the measurement for Pure Strike grip. Pretty on par with standard Babolat Grip 3:
Now the interesting bit. Here is a picture from the new Pure Aero VS that is Grip 2:
So I wasn't off my rocker in thinking the grip for this thing came in bigger. The new PAVS is one whole size bigger and comes in flush at (4 3/8) in size, as you guys can see in the picture.
Granted this isn't a super scientific method, but still, I felt a significant enough difference when holding the racquets so definitely something worth checking out to see for yourself. It could also just be thinner Syntec Team base grip on Pure Strike versus the thicker Syntec Pro on the PAVS 2020 (not sure how that would work though).
Ok, I'll go away now. Look forward to play testers reviews. Happy hitting!
Since the grip size was under discussion above, I took two of my new Babolat racquets to test. One was the latest Pure Strike in Grip 3 (4 3/8) and the other was the latest Pure Aero VS in Grip 2 (4 1/4). Both racquets brand new with plastic on handles.
This is the measurement for Pure Strike grip. Pretty on par with standard Babolat Grip 3:
Now the interesting bit. Here is a picture from the new Pure Aero VS that is Grip 2:
So I wasn't off my rocker in thinking the grip for this thing came in bigger. The new PAVS is one whole size bigger and comes in flush at (4 3/8) in size, as you guys can see in the picture.
Granted this isn't a super scientific method, but still, I felt a significant enough difference when holding the racquets so definitely something worth checking out to see for yourself. It could also just be thinner Syntec Team base grip on Pure Strike versus the thicker Syntec Pro on the PAVS 2020 (not sure how that would work though).
Ok, I'll go away now. Look forward to play testers reviews. Happy hitting!
tennisgurl
Semi-Pro
Great post. Thanks for sharing. I just posted this in other thread too. I have a new 2019 Pure Aero that I have barely used in grip size 2, and it is clearly smaller than my grip size 2 Pure Aero VS 2020. Both these racquets have Syntec Pro so it isn't the grip itself. I think Pure Aero VS 2020 just runs bigger.Hi guys, I'm not on the playtest so I won't hog the thread and I'll let the playtesters give their feedback but just a quick observation that I thought I'd share here.
Since the grip size was under discussion above, I took two of my new Babolat racquets to test. One was the latest Pure Strike in Grip 3 (4 3/8) and the other was the latest Pure Aero VS in Grip 2 (4 1/4). Both racquets brand new with plastic on handles.
This is the measurement for Pure Strike grip. Pretty on par with standard Babolat Grip 3:
Now the interesting bit. Here is a picture from the new Pure Aero VS that is Grip 2:
So I wasn't off my rocker in thinking the grip for this thing came in bigger. The new PAVS is one whole size bigger and comes in flush at (4 3/8) in size, as you guys can see in the picture.
Granted this isn't a super scientific method, but still, I felt a significant enough difference when holding the racquets so definitely something worth checking out to see for yourself. It could also just be thinner Syntec Team base grip on Pure Strike versus the thicker Syntec Pro on the PAVS 2020 (not sure how that would work though).
Ok, I'll go away now. Look forward to play testers reviews. Happy hitting!
samprasbackhand
Semi-Pro
Just wrapped up my 10th hour with the racket. So far so good, I am really enjoying hitting with it so far but I think it definitely needs some lead. For the first 5 hours or so the racket felt quite plush but eventually started to feel somewhat harsh and jarring although it still hit a very solid ball. Usually my string of choice (Kirschbaum Pro Line Evolution) maintains a pretty consistent feel until it breaks but it might be different in the PAVS, not sure.
I've started to have some slight pain at the base of my thumb which is also something new to me. Not sure if it's racket related or from overexertion. I pretty much didn't play at all for 2 months but have started to ramp up the hitting a lot and I have a very whippy and wristy swing. Haven't gotten the chance to play any matches with the stick yet so can't comment too much on serves and returns but hopefully I will soon
I've started to have some slight pain at the base of my thumb which is also something new to me. Not sure if it's racket related or from overexertion. I pretty much didn't play at all for 2 months but have started to ramp up the hitting a lot and I have a very whippy and wristy swing. Haven't gotten the chance to play any matches with the stick yet so can't comment too much on serves and returns but hopefully I will soon
tennisgurl
Semi-Pro
Great feedback. What did you think about your Strike VS compared to Pure Aero VS so far? Have you gotten a chance to compare those two?
