Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Babolat Pure Aero

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
I agree with your definition of racquet balance. But your explanation for the pure aeros higher swing weight is contradictory.

If the Pure Aero has the same 4 points head light balance as the 2013 APD, this means the balance point is the same. Which means it is not possible for the pure aero to have more weight concentrated towards the head.

I'm thinking it's just more weight spread evenly?
Jay, exactly what Karma said above. I wrote in other threads and maybe even earlier in this one the same thing, but I got a little lazy when writing to Ric. When I said more weight distributed to the head, I also meant the same amount of weight also distributed to the handle to counter balance. Which must mean that the throat is lighter than the previous version because the weight has to come from somewhere.
 

cknobman

Legend
Tore out the Spiraltek last night and strung mine up with RPM blast @50lbs.

Hitting tonight, looking forward to see how she plays with some quality poly :)
 

Jay_The_Nomad

Professional
From what I've been able to glean from various sources, it appears the Pure Aero has more weight (mass!) distributed towards each end of the racquet. So this suggests there is more weight in the handle, more weight in the hoop towards the tip, and less weight in the middle of the racquet (ie throat area).

Such a "polarised" weight distribution would allow minimal change in the Balance spec while allowing a noticeable increase in the SW.

I have done a similar thing by adding weight to the handle and tip of a 2013 APD. Retained close to original Balance spec, but the racquet is harder to swing. In my case the increased SW is a combination of increased static weight and where I've placed the extra weight (mass!).

Does that make sense?

That makes sense. Cheers
 

cknobman

Legend
This frame loves RPM blast in it.

Wonderful hit last night. Tons of spin, power, and surprisingly comfortable.

Blitzed a teammate 6-0 in my first singles set. I played 2 more singles sets and a doubles set but I was pretty tired from a lunchtime weight lifting session and the prior days 4 mile run.

No elbow or shoulder pain today which is a first for me when using a poly. Will hit a few more sessions with the RPM blast in it to see if the honeymoon goes away before I tear it out and try the M7.
 

jersey34tennis

Professional
Tennis experience/background: played a couple years in high school and a year in college. started when i was 16 and self taught player. overall i've been playing tennis for about 15 years now . i started off as a classic slice and dice junk baller , then a pusher, and a counter pusher. now i can honestly say i can minimally be described as a solid 4.0 all court player with little match practice.

Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley): at heart i'm still a junk ball/brad gilbert type player. can counter punch, serve and colley, play good defense but never really felt like an offensive baseline player

Current racquet/string: i'm all over the place with racquets. lately it's been head flexpoint instinct with neuman leather grips and silicon at 11.9 ounces. i also have been using pro stock prince nxg graphite longbodies. both with luxilon ace 18 gauge at around 62 lbs.

String set-up in test racquet:so far i've only hit with spiraltek. snapped after about 12 hours
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 12 hours give or take

Comments on racquet performance: out of all the aero racquets , the only ones i've ever liked were the aero tour and the aero pro tour sticks. i loved the raw feeling of those sticks in spite of their unfriendly responses outside the sweetspot. i've hit with all the aero midplus models though. this frame is actually a nice playing aero model. doesn't have the hollow feel of virtually all the 100 aero ones. i did play with the most recent version of the aero pro plus version with silicon in the handle and it was a nice baseline counter punching stick but failed to see it's virtue anywhere else on court. this new pure aero has a much more solid/plus feeling hoop and it feels like the weight is distributed more from 3 and 9 o'clock towards the tip of the frame but not overly cumbersome or head heavy . i can definitely swing this racquet faster vertically for topspin as opposed for driving the ball. i actually hit a nice one handed backhand with this frame, which is unusual because i can hit my two handed flat backhand better almost all of the time. so yeah, good for one handed backhand if you hit with more topspin than drive. this racquet slices really well on the backhand side. i can consistently knife the ball low and deep but the trade off is a little less touch of the finesse side of that stroke. stability is a huge upgrade compared to the previous 3 versions of the aero pros and i love myself a stable frame. there's power to be had and it's very spin friendly and i don't recally any unpleasant sensations of the plethora of my off center hits. someone who likes pure drives but maybe wants a little more stability without a huge difference in frame specs should try this out. i felt it played softer than the specs would indicate. maybe 64-66 stiffness but the spiraltek may have contributed to that. i'll post more after i restring it with the origin next.


-groundstrokes: groundstrokes were a lot of fun to hit with . lots of topspin and putaway power. a little harder to flatten out shots but slice was good if not great and stability was great considering how light the frame is , compared to what i'm used to. plus feeling and pretty crisp but not stiff.

-serves: slice serves were the best serves to hit with this frame. kick serves were about on par with most frames and flat was a little harder to come by. the balance makes the tip of the frame seem to come over the ball a little faster so i destroyed the tape on the net most times when going for flat.
-volleys: volleys were good with this frame. decent touch, power to punch the ball away. i could drop shot faster struck passes but struggled to find enough feel on the finesse shots that came at me with little pace
-serve returns: serve returns were also really good with this frame. maneuverability and stability were the two things that stuck out to me with this frame. i wasn't crushing returns but i was constantly getting the ball very deep without having to do too much. backhand slice returns were rock solid and i found more success hitting them and coming in for a short ball than trying to crush a return.

. overall the best update for the aero model in a long time. i'm looking foreward to putting my choice set of string in it and maybe some silicon in the handle to bring it up to my preferred specs. good job babolot and making a popular racquet a better frame playwise
 

caprivi

Rookie
Would like to hear more reviews from those whose current stick is APD (for more than 6 months). What's the primary difference? Are you switching?
 

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
Would like to hear more reviews from those whose current stick is APD (for more than 6 months). What's the primary difference? Are you switching?
Primary differences are higher swingweight, more plow and more power. Even though these features have been added, the frame does not feel slow. Take this from someone who tried the blade 18x20 this year which also had a 327 swingweight and I felt like it played like a slug.

Since I was given a frame, it was almost a given that I was switching. I was eagerly looking forwarding to this frame, so being on the playtest was just an added benefit. I was originally planning on demoing when it was available and was hoping that it played like a hybrid between the previous apd and the pure drive, and I feel like it is just that. Thus, I would have been buying it anyway since I have had great results so far.
 

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
I used the racquet again last night. Because of injury, rain, etc, I have not been able play as much as I would like but I was able to use it in a match for the first time last night. To give some background on the guy I was playing, I beat him using a Pro Staff 97 about two months ago when we first started playing together again this year, but he beat me several times since then while I was using PS97 and various other demo racquets. Playing musical racquets wasn't helping me, that's for sure. I am a 4.5 and he's a 4.0 but mainly because he admittedly gets frustrated and impatient against pushers and will lose some matches against weaker players with worse strokes whom he should beat. We are basically the same level and go back and forth.

Anyway, I was able to beat him last night 6-2, 6-4. He took the very first two games off of me (I am/was still getting used to the racquet), and after that I won the next six straight games to take the first set. The second set was a great matchup. We each held serve until I broke him when it was 4-4 and then I held serve to finish out the set. This was the best I have played in a while.

I was hitting a solid first serve percentage somewhere north of 50%. No aces, but I was probably only swinging 80% on my first flat serves because I was more concerned about controlling points than blowing aces by him. More importantly, I didn't double fault all night. My second serves had a ton of kick and lifted nicely over the net while still dropping down into the box.

I am a baseliner but when I did wander into the net, I was able to put a few volleys away and was successful with a drop volley. I also had a couple nice overheads.

Groundstrokes were solid, deep and had a lot of top spin, and this is even with the factory string that's still in there (spiraltek 16 - a multi). It is a little springy for my taste but usable enough and I adjusted by hitting with more spin. Once it breaks, I will string it with either a hybrid or full bed of poly, and I am expecting even better results. I have about 5 hours of play on this racquet so far.

I am playing the same guy after work tomorrow night, so I will let you know how it goes. For some more background on my buddy, he's 6'6 with a big serve and is more of a power player. He uses a pure drive + and has a full western forehand and two handed backhand, both like me. However, I am only 5'9 and don't have as good a serve. It's not horrible by any means, but he gets more aces and free points off serve as you would imagine. I am a more consistent player with more topspin but definitely not a pusher. He typically hits more winners, especially when he is beating up on me, but that didn't really happen yesterday...
Played my buddy again with the racquet last night. Was a much longer and closer match. I won both sets 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-2). He played better than he did on Monday, and I probably played the same or maybe a bit worse, but I am still loving the racquet. I was having a little bit of trouble with control at times, but I think that will be remedied once these syn-gut strings snap and I start using poly mains. Either way, I was looking for more power and plow than the last iteration, and I got it.
 
Tennis Warehouse Pure Aero review is up!

I also echo Andy's remarks: Welcome back Siobhan!

Watch Out! Two Kiwis in the same TW Racquet Review. They are going to be taking over the world soon enough.

For me, the two things that stand out the most from the review ...

Chris suggesting that he felt the Tour version is better suited to his style. Obviously, he isn't going to elaborate too much at the moment. I hope TW is going to do a separate review on the Pure Aero Tour version at some point. (Hank's review has confirmed pretty much what I'm expecting with the Tour version. But Chris's comment is icing on the cake for me.)

Andy commenting on the "control" aspects of the Pure Aero compared to the 2013 APD. Again, pretty much what I expected. Will be interesting to see how opinions of the new racquet change from the "control" perspective as players dial themselves into it.

Very clever move by Babolat to stagger the release of the Pure Aero range.

Save the best till last maybe?
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
I think it's one Kiwi and a South African - hence the Southern Hemisphere reference - but I could be wrong.
 
I think it's one Kiwi and a South African - hence the Southern Hemisphere reference - but I could be wrong.

I think Siobhan and Marco both hark from the loosely termed "Land of the Long White Cloud" more commonly known as New Zealand. (Or Aotearoa if you are Maori.)
 

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
But is it enough JonnyAbs? Or does it leave you wanting for more? You know ... "Tour version" more?
Honestly right now it does not. My mind might change in Nov when the Tour is released, but I don't feel my shots lacking in power or plow, and I might not want to sacrifice any more maneuverability for heft. Time and experience will tell.
 
Really good that both Chris and Andy did the Pure Aero review because they also did the 2013 APD review.

CHRIS (APD, PA)
Power 8.4 , 8.4
Serves 8.4, 8.5
Control 8.2 , 8.2
Groundstrokes 8.6 , 8.6
Maneuverability 9 , 8.3
Returns 8.5 , 8.5
Stability 7.5 , 7.8
Slice 8 , 8.1
Comfort 7.5 , 8.1
Topspin 8.4, 8.4
Touch/Feel 7.4 , 8
Volleys 8, 8.1
CHRIS OVERALL 8.3 , 8.5

ANDY (APD, PA)
Power 9 , 9.5
Serves 8.8 , 9.5
Control 8 , 7.3
Groundstrokes 9 , 9
Maneuverability 9 , 8
Returns 7 , 8.5
Stability 8.5 , 9.3
Slice 7, 8
Comfort 8 , 8.3
Topspin 9 , 9.5
Touch/Feel 7.5 , 7.7
Volleys 8.5 , 8.5
ANDY OVERALL 9.2, 9.2

Make of these numbers as you will. Of course, they are very player subjective. And I think the string configs were different for each review so that will affect the final results.

My take on it is that Babolat has delivered on what it was targeting. More comfort, a bit more plow through, more stability, more spin potential, and a bit more feel. But all that seems to have come with a drop in maneuverability and a slight drop in control (both of which can be compensated for by slight adjustments in playing style.)

As I mentioned previously, I really hope TW reviews the Pure Aero Tour. Of course, it would be unfair to compare that racquet directly with the 2013 APD but it will be really good to see the Tour version's numbers compared to the Pure Aero esp. if either Chris or Andy do a review.

(Disclaimer: I've double checked the published numbers and think I have them correct. My eye-sight isn't as good as it used to be so apologies if I have missed something. Just realised I can now EDIT my posts so I will fix any errors as they come to hand. Bartelby already picked one up for me. Thanks!)
 
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Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Less maneuvrability, more stability, feel and comfort for both

Less control, but more power, better seves, returns, slice and topspin for Andy

That's probably all you need to know.

Andy hits harder so I suppose control could be a greater issue whereas Chris hits with guile and control is less of a problem?
 
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mhkeuns

Hall of Fame
I can't wait to demo... Just picked up the APD French Open version..., and I also have the Plus and the regular version to compare to the Pure Aero... My kids commented on how nice looking it is from the video review. Definitely, the paint job is an upgrade.

BTW..., I have never played with the previous version, the GT version. How is that compared to the APD 2013 version? I've seen some video reviews that it was too powerful with lack of control, but Chris' comment made it sound like it was more similar to the pure Aero.
 

srvnvly

Hall of Fame
I can't wait to demo... Just picked up the APD French Open version..., and I also have the Plus and the regular version to compare to the Pure Aero... My kids commented on how nice looking it is from the video review. Definitely, the paint job is an upgrade.

BTW..., I have never played with the previous version, the GT version. How is that compared to the APD 2013 version? I've seen some video reviews that it was too powerful with lack of control, but Chris' comment made it sound like it was more similar to the pure Aero.

I've been playing with the GT model and, to me, the GT is better at volleys and overall plow through. I will demo the new version and see how it compares whenever 1) demos are available; and 2) the availability of the demos.
 

cknobman

Legend
As a playtester I agree with most of what the TW reviewers are saying.

I have never like Babolat racquets in the past but this one could sway my opinion. As a previous owner of an Aero Pro Drive I really like the increased swing weight.

Looking forward to writing my full review this time next week.
 

ArliHawk

Hall of Fame
I'm sure this is a good racquet and all, but I sometimes wonder if the ratings on racquets aren't a little skewed by what will sell. I have used the Aero in the past, and I agree it is a good racquet, but have since moved on to something else. I wonder if some bias is not built in to the fact that this is the best selling racquet in the world.
 

cknobman

Legend
I'm sure this is a good racquet and all, but I sometimes wonder if the ratings on racquets aren't a little skewed by what will sell. I have used the Aero in the past, and I agree it is a good racquet, but have since moved on to something else. I wonder if some bias is not built in to the fact that this is the best selling racquet in the world.

Normally I'd think the same as you. But since I am participating in the playtest, do not like Babolat racquets, and so far loving this racquet, I dont feel like there is any skewing of the rating TW gave this frame.
 

tribesmen

Professional
I'm sure this is a good racquet and all, but I sometimes wonder if the ratings on racquets aren't a little skewed by what will sell. I have used the Aero in the past, and I agree it is a good racquet, but have since moved on to something else. I wonder if some bias is not built in to the fact that this is the best selling racquet in the world.
Of course it is, Babolat is one of the strongest if not the strongest brand in tennis industry. I always take TW reviews with grain of salt ;-) I especially like the sentence: "it will be dangerous in the right hands" or something like that. Allmost all the racqutes get positive evaluation :) It's business before pleasure!
 

jonestim

Hall of Fame
Normally I'd think the same as you. But since I am participating in the playtest, do not like Babolat racquets, and so far loving this racquet, I dont feel like there is any skewing of the rating TW gave this frame.

+1. I've never been able to play with an APD or Pure Drive for more than a week or two (I've owned three), even with a hybrid setup. I am able to play this with a full poly setup. I'm still not 100% comfortable with the play style that this requires over my lower powered players sticks, but it really is a great racquet. If you play a Prestige Mid then no, you shouldn't expect to like this - but that doesn't mean that Babolat hasn't done a great job with this version.
 

cknobman

Legend
Of course it is, Babolat is one of the strongest if not the strongest brand in tennis industry. I always take TW reviews with grain of salt ;-) I especially like the sentence: "it will be dangerous in the right hands" or something like that. Allmost all the racqutes get positive evaluation :) It's business before pleasure!

Well of course it is business but I think you are over generalizing.

TW has given more than a few less than glowing reviews to racquets.

In reality I trust TW more than I trust either of their main competitors.

The fact that TW does playtests to the board members here is a clear indicator of their transparency.

I have been to both of the facilities MW and TE.

Having just been to MW I can guarantee you they are all "just about the business"
TE is a very respectable place but they just dont have the size and comprehensiveness TW has.
 
. Allmost all the racqutes get positive evaluation :) It's business before pleasure!

The way I deal with that is to compare the reviews objectively by looking at the numbers in a relative manner rather than an absolute one. That seems to work pretty well for me.

If you look at the numbers I published in a prev. post up the page (summarised from the TW reviews of the 2013 APD and the 2016 Pure Aero) and treat them in a relative manner, they are consistent with what many of the independent reviewers are saying about how the new racquet plays in comparison to the old model.

It's not really possible to ever say ... "XXX racquet is a GREAT racquet" in absolute scientific terms because racquet preference is such and individual choice based both on objective and subjective criteria (for most people it is usually more subjective than objective).

It is much easier and valid to say ... "XXX racquet is GOOD / BAD / DIFFERENT compared to YYY racquet". These comparisons will still be subjective but objective data supplied to substantiate the assessments will be more valid from a scientific viewpoint.

You would hope that the vast majority of racquets being manufactured today would garner positive evaluations. It is a very competitive market place and anyone bringing poor quality product to market isn't going to be around very long.
 

halepeno

New User
Wow. Wish I had seen this thread sooner. Would have been awesome to be selected for the playtest. Congrats to the Chosen Ones!

Looking forward to demoing the Pure Aero and Pure Aero Tour.
 

RLM

New User
I played with the 2013 APD (stock) for several years, and I just played with the Pure Aero Team. I had it strung with natural gut in the mains at 56 lbs and RPM Blast in the crosses at 53 lbs, which is what I strung my APD with. I used TW's matching service to get the highest static and swing weight of their inventory (11 oz static and 314 swing weight).

The feel is much softer, and the racquet plays significantly more powerful than my APD. The spin potential is great, but I struggled to keep the ball in play if I tried to flatten out my shot. I think I just need a little bit more time to adjust and regain the control I grew accustomed to with my APD.
 
I'm interested to know this as well.

I'm tempted to go for something a bit heavier. I rather not have to rely on lead tape.

Hankenstein has posted some comments about his experience with the Tour version in another thread. He has also commented about the string wear in these racquets. Rather than repeat him here, suggest you search out his Posts.
 

pfchang

Professional
I'm not part of the playtest, but I bought into the hype of the Pure Aero, and just so happened to get rid of a bunch of sticks beforehand to afford this gem.

Got the stick today, and it does like like quite the gem.

No chance to play anytime soon, but some thoughts after swinging it about:

Most important part is that it does feel much heftier compared to APD13 stock. I did use the APD13 and actually had to put 6g at 9 and 12g on the handle for it to be effective for me. Stock PA SW feels in the neighborhood of my older specs, a noticeable more polarized setup.

String spacing is definitely a margin larger than the APD13, which should really be the case for one of the world's best selling "spin rackets."

And at least bouncing the ball on the strings, it feels a bit more plush. Not talking RF97 level here, but more so compared to the APD13.

Should be interesting to see what this one hits like, and how my modded specs will compare to the PAT.
 
My Pure Aero is in the shop waiting to be picked up, didnt get a chance to pick it up today but I'll be getting it tomorrow so I'll let ya all know what I think!
 

Ric

New User
Not part of the playtest but bought my own frame. Just sharing my thoughts.

Tennis Experience - Played in high school and some in college. Currently rated 4.5. I hit with some spin but a bit on the flat side. Have been playing with APD 2013 since it came out.

Setup & Playing Time - Strung at 50lbs with Babolat Origin. Hit with it for about 2 hours. Will add more comments as I play more. I think I will add two more pounds next time I string it.

Things that are very noticeable - Great comfort. Very Powerful and solid feel. I was hitting long bit. Had to adjust and hit with a little bit of spin and leading more with edge, after that I was hitting amazing. I could really feel and see the difference the frame was adding to my shots. Shot placement was amazing, I could really hit exactly where I wanted when I would relax and hit the shot with spin. Amazing! Love the effortless power. The comfort is so much better than APD 2013. I am so used to putting my own power in APD 2013 so have to get used to letting the frame do the job and focus on form and hitting with spin. Bottom line, great power & spin. You hear about the power and spin but it is quite shocking how effortless it is if you have decent form on the strokes.

Slices - The slices are penetrating and the ball stay really low. Really noticeable grip and spin on the ball.

Serves - Was having a bit of a problem hitting first serves. I think it is nothing to do with the frame but more with my adjusting to it. On the other hand, kick serves were amazing, the spin that the frame imparts was making the ball jump like anything adding a very nice kick to the ball. I have never hit that good second serves with APD 2013.

Volleys - Nice crisp and solid. Felt really good. Needed to get in place on time with the heavier swing weight but it was great when you do and on the slight off center hits it was very stable.

I will add more comments after the weekend once I play more with it. Let me know if anyone has any specific questions. I will try my best to answer it.
 
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Just got some free time from school to add my two cents about the Pure Aero I just bought.

Tennis Experience: I've been playing for 12 years now, including lessons as a child, high school varsity, and I am now the number 1 club player at my college (that doesnt have a varsity team) I play 4.5 level tennis currently. I play an attacking style of tennis using heavy spin to back my opponents up, then hitting the angle so I can finish at the net. I come from using the AeroPro Drive 2013 and Pro Staff 95S racquets.

Setup and Playing Time: My Aero is strung at 52lbs with Luxilon Alu Power 16g. I've hit with the racquet for about 5 hours now.

First Impressions: When I first picked it up, I noticed a little bit more heft than my 2013 Aero, but it doesn't affect the swing too much as the aerodynamics really work well to keep the swing speed up with little effort. When I hit my first ball, I immediately noticed the exaggerated snap back that the strings can get out of the frame. For comparison, I almost felt like I was hitting with my Pro Staff 95S. The spin is monstrous coming off this frame. For my club team, I already hit a very heavy ball, this just added tons more spin. The added power you get out of this frame, however, balances out the extra spin.

Groundstrokes: As I said already: Spin Monster. This racquet definitely helps add RPMs to the ball if you hit with spin. You will definitely need it, however. The power this racquet generates is substantial, and I found myself needing to use extra spin to keep the ball in the court. As I usually use spinny groundstrokes it didnt bother me that much, but I needed a little bit of adjustment time to get used to that power when flattening out the ball. The racquet is definitely more stable than the Aero 2013, although definitely not to the extent of an RF97. Another issue I had with the frame is that it definitely swings faster than the Aero 2013 and it almost felt like it was a much lighter swingweight than described, definitely due to the aerodynamics.

Slice: Easy bite, thats all I can say. I found it easy to slice offensively and defensively with this frame.

Serves: I was crushing first serves with this racquet. I was hitting spots with ease, power, and precision. The balls we had for practice were all dead so I don't yet know how effective the racquet is for kick serves but I'll get back to you all on it.

Volleys: Volleys felt very nice. Compared to my Aero 2013, this is a much improved racquet for volleys. The racquet was very stable when I hit off center, even on the overheads my teammates pegged at me a few times (doubles).

Touch/Feel: This racquet felt much better than the Aero 2013 when I went for drop shots, short rolls, sharp angle volleys, and improv shots.

I very much enjoy this frame and look forward to many years with it! Any questions? I'll answer them!
 

spinovic

Hall of Fame
I'm sure this is a good racquet and all, but I sometimes wonder if the ratings on racquets aren't a little skewed by what will sell. I have used the Aero in the past, and I agree it is a good racquet, but have since moved on to something else. I wonder if some bias is not built in to the fact that this is the best selling racquet in the world.

Maybe there's a reason it's the best selling racquet.
 
Guys and Gals testing these racquets, some of us would really appreciate any comments you have on string wear and string durability as you spend more time with the racquets.

Where is most of the wear occurring on the string bed? How is the string durability? And how does the string durability compare with the 2013 APD - if you have experience with that racquet?

Thank You.
 

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
Guys and Gals testing these racquets, some of us would really appreciate any comments you have on string wear and string durability as you spend more time with the racquets.

Where is most of the wear occurring on the string bed? How is the string durability? And how does the string durability compare with the 2013 APD - if you have experience with that racquet?

Thank You.
Someone had mentioned snapping their spiraltek in about 6 hours. I hit with a full swing and a lot of topspin and mine have not snapped yet after 8-9 hours of play. I used a 2013 APD for a while and never snapped a string because I used a full bed of poly. I would have to cut it out due to a loss of control after 10-15 hours. I'll post back when this string snaps and how the strings start to wear when I have a poly or hybrid in there...
 
Someone had mentioned snapping their spiraltek in about 6 hours. I hit with a full swing and a lot of topspin and mine have not snapped yet after 8-9 hours of play. I used a 2013 APD for a while and never snapped a string because I used a full bed of poly. I would have to cut it out due to a loss of control after 10-15 hours. I'll post back when this string snaps and how the strings start to wear when I have a poly or hybrid in there...

@JonnyAbs, what surface do you mostly play on? I would expect better string durability on Hard Courts than on Har-Tru with Red Clay being the worst. Playing on Red Clay can reduce string durability signficantly (ie in the order of 30% to 50% compared to Hard Courts depending on string configuration.)
 

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
@JonnyAbs, what surface do you mostly play on? I would expect better string durability on Hard Courts than on Har-Tru with Red Clay being the worst. Playing on Red Clay can reduce string durability signficantly (ie in the order of 30% to 50% compared to Hard Courts depending on string configuration.)
Because points are longer and the balls are a little heavier due to the clay? I play on hard court, so that could explain why mine is lasting longer. I play tomorrow. We'll see if it snaps. That will take it over the 10 hr mark.
 
Because points are longer and the balls are a little heavier due to the clay? I play on hard court, so that could explain why mine is lasting longer. I play tomorrow. We'll see if it snaps. That will take it over the 10 hr mark.

Points are longer, balls are a little heavier, and the red clay grit that gets stuck on the strings increases the friction wear and diminishes string life.

But if you get 10 hours of play-ability out of them on HC, I would expect 6 to 7 hrs on red clay courts which is perfectly acceptable for me.
 
Tryed both the apd 2013 and the new pure aero. Gotta say that the 2013 is more manuverable. Did find the pure aero to be a bit sluggish but more stable. No need to upgrade in other Words.
 

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
When I say "racquet is harder to swing" what I mean is that I need to apply more force to swing the racquet at the same speed compared to my unmodified 2013 APD with the same Balance spec.
I see what you mean. but didn't Babolat say that by making this racket more aerodynamic, it will be Easier to swing even though the SW has been increased. Is this not the case ?
 

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
Tryed both the apd 2013 and the new pure aero. Gotta say that the 2013 is more manuverable. Did find the pure aero to be a bit sluggish but more stable. No need to upgrade in other Words.
I know exactly what you mean. However, there is always a tradeoff. 2013 is easier to swing and more maneuverable, especially on volleys. but then the New pure Aero is definitely more powerful on the Serves and help you generate more spin on the serves as well. this is due to higher SW. I did notice drop in Serve power with 2013 Aero pros. That was noticeable and I had to adjust to that. It is a dilemma. I guess there is no such thing as Perfect racket.......
 
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