***The Pure Storm Tour thread***

Cheers guys ^,

Well, after today's match I'm not so sure I need to go down the LT route. I'm so liking what I can only describe as the distinctive sniper's pop of this frame, as well as the topspin I'm finding on groundies (incidentally, one major factor in coming back to the Babs was a desire to hit with heavy topspin), I'm not sure I want to tamper with it now. I think my instinct is simply to stay with this great rod and get completely familiar with it - in stock form - and learn to unlock all its potential. Basically, it still is early days and I feel I'm only just beginning to get to know the PST (for example, as regards the backhand slice and the serve, I've still a load more familiarizing to go), so... maybe the lead tape experiments can wait.

R.
 
^^If it's working well, then I agree, leave it stock. That's the conclusion I came to on mine. BH slice is really nice with this stick.
 
i agree, i love hitting bh slices with this stick.

also, flat first serves are a JOY to hit.

the only other racquet that can do the same on flat serves (for me) is Kblade Tour.
 
Used my new PST in a mixed doubles match last night. Everything was really solid - I felt a bit better about it than I did Tuesday night. Serves were good - I need to adjust a bit more, but flat serves had some serious heat and kickers were jumping nicely. Groundies were really solid - I was able to make the ball dip really well. I'm looking forward to trying a poly hybrid on this frame - right now, it feels like a keeper.
 
So...count me in - decided I'd stick with the Pure Storm Tour over the Speedport Tour and picked up my new racquet today...now time (and technique) will tell if chose correctly between these two excellent racquets!
 
Slapshot, what strings were you using last night? Poly hybrids work great in that stick and full poly is nice as well since the PST is so soft. I've been using full ALU or BBO and that's really nice.

Ross C. I think you will be glad you took the PST. The SP Tour is a nice stick but I like the really sold feeling of the PST and believe me, it only gets better with time.
 
PED said:
Slapshot, what strings were you using last night? Poly hybrids work great in that stick and full poly is nice as well since the PST is so soft. I've been using full ALU or BBO and that's really nice.
Click to expand...

It came strung with Head RIP Control, and that's just a bit too soft for my tastes. I've got a couple of sets of Big Ace 17, and a set of Luxilon BB Ace that might do well in there.

I'm also going to try gut at a high tension, as I have a set of Klip Legend that hasn't been opened yet.
 
quick questions u guys.
i noticed that i can find the Pure Storm out there a lot.
but the PST is much harder to locate.
i got mine at the pro shop my old coach owned around my area.
they didnt even have it at one of the biggest tennis gear shops here in So Cal.

is it the same for you guys?
 
I'm sold on the PST. I had 4 matches this weekend, and played with the PST the whole time. I don't know that I've served better over a stretch of matches than I did this weekend - kickers were really jumping, my usual hybrid had some real heat on it, and my flat serves were bombs.

The two frames I was rotating were strung with Kirschbaum Proline II, and I love the feel, but not the tension loss. Now to experiment with strings. ;)
 
SlapShot said:
I'm sold on the PST. I had 4 matches this weekend, and played with the PST the whole time. I don't know that I've served better over a stretch of matches than I did this weekend - kickers were really jumping, my usual hybrid had some real heat on it, and my flat serves were bombs.

The two frames I was rotating were strung with Kirschbaum Proline II, and I love the feel, but not the tension loss. Now to experiment with strings. ;)
Click to expand...

Nice to hear of another convert! And good to hear of the success you're having with it when serving.

As for myself during the last week or so, well, actually, for some reason, my serve seems to have stopped being quite so effective (I'm getting not much of either flat bombs or jumping kickers... I know it's me experiencing technical difficulties though and not the frame...) On the plus side of things however, groundies just keep getting better and better (my fave shot incidentally is my inside-out fh which really is pretty bloody awesome with this rod), and I love it that as well as having such access to spin and booming, deep, penetrative g/strokes, you can also go more all court and volley, drop shot, etc with this racket.

A further thought: for me at any rate, it's taking a while to fully get acclimatized as it were to the frame, but it's definitely worth the effort.

R.
 
Hey pst users, i thought id chip in since i have 8 all strung with alu power mains 56 tonic crosses 58 grip 4 wilson pro overgrip no dampener

i upgraded to this from my pure storm teams which all broke (had 2). Obviously i plan to use these for the rest of my life. i liked how this racquet was solid in all areas.

groundstrokes have nice control and spin and i get as much power as i put into the shot, which translates to pinpoint control.

serves are good as well, surprising pop on flat bombs, and massive spin on both slice and kick serves, mainly due to poly mains.

volleys are more stable compared to my old racquet and drop volleys as well as angled volleys are a breeze with proper technique

my favorite attribute of this racquet is that it has improved what was already the best part of my game, returns. With the pure storm team, i would never miss a return and simply block it to either corner depending on my will. Now, I shorten my backswing and can add topspin and pace to the return which allows for better angles and more pace. Due to the added stability of the racquet, i can return any serve with confidence, power, spin, and placement.
 
I've just gotten a Pure Storm Tour, after a month or two of contemplating whether to get it. I've kept tabs on this thread and read about your experiences and my first experience was much of the same.

Like some of you have mentioned, the response is muted with this racquet, and it really isn't a problem, it's just I'm used to the loud noise I get from my n95's. I will say it feels a lot more control oriented then my n95's, and substantially weaker, and applying Big Banger Originals makes me really need to use all my power on my shots. Being a flat hitter myself, I felt this racquet hit nice, what I feel I will have to get used to is getting accustomed to the swing weight...it felt heavier than my n95's which was definitely something I wasn't expecting. Other than that it did not feel that heavy, and it worked well. I've heard about serving bombs with it, and I feel if I get used to the balance, that won't be a problem since I have a pretty reliable flat serve with my signature racquet.

Backhand will probably need some work, I'm not especially strong there. Are slices really that difficult with this racquet? I have a very second-nature backhand slice and I wonder if it will suffer with this stick?
 
I got mine on Saturday and played three sets this morning and they are solid. Very arm friendly but really light, added some lead tape at 3:00 and 9:00 and will play again tomorrow to test.

I played a friend that is demoing a variety of rackets and he used one of my PST for the last set and is sold on it and says he is going to pick some up.

I really like the racket, arm friendly and an overall solid racket.
 
Random question but has anyone with a PST tried out the storm limited. I swung one in the store the other day and was interested and was curious to how it performs with the PST.


Hueco, if you drop the tension to 55 or so with the BBO, your power will go up nicely without really any drop in control. I do mine at either 55/52 or 53/52 with the lux strings.

Regarding BH's, I've got some X1 in one of mine right now and I usually use a 2hbh but the extra pop from the X1 makes the one hander a nice option to have. The multi really adds to the feel and my BH slice is better with it as well. I still don't know which way I'll go in the end-full multi or full poly. I'll have to see how long the multi lasts.
 
PED said:
Random question but has anyone with a PST tried out the storm limited. I swung one in the store the other day and was interested and was curious to how it performs with the PST.


Hueco, if you drop the tension to 55 or so with the BBO, your power will go up nicely without really any drop in control. I do mine at either 55/52 or 53/52 with the lux strings.

Regarding BH's, I've got some X1 in one of mine right now and I usually use a 2hbh but the extra pop from the X1 makes the one hander a nice option to have. The multi really adds to the feel and my BH slice is better with it as well. I still don't know which way I'll go in the end-full multi or full poly. I'll have to see how long the multi lasts.
Click to expand...

PED, I'm glad you think the 55 tension will give me more pop, because that's exactly what I was going for when I strung it (see signature), as it would probably be with less pop if I had kept it at the same tensions as my n95's at 57. Big Bangers lose their tensions quickly, not that they live long anyway. I went for more control and so far, don't regret the idea.

But when I played with it, yeah, main concern was swingweight. I dunno if it really makes that much of a difference, or if it's just me, but my n95's are supposed to be heavier I am sure, and I don't seem to have that problem. Probably just the overall balance, as they differ in their headlight spec (PST at 6, n95 at 10)

But I got to say, I love the cosmetics. It plays just how it appears: Beautifully.
 
I think it probably is just the balance. You'll get used to the SW of the PST in no time at all though it is a bit heavy at first.
 
PED said:
Random question but has anyone with a PST tried out the storm limited. I swung one in the store the other day and was interested and was curious to how it performs with the PST.
Click to expand...

I demo'd it since I used to swing a FXP Prestige and really dug the PST when I demo'd that. I wasn't overly impressed - it really lacked a lot of pop, even when compared to the Prestige, despite the molds being identical.
 
Thanks for the info, I was not too wild about the tight string pattern and you confirmed what I feared.
 
hi guys,
i m getting really comfortable playing with the PST.
have 2 now, will probably get 2 more this month.
definitely a keeper.

got a questions regarding string set up.

i now use Luxilon Ace 112 (@59 lbs) on main and Head syn gut 18 (@ 61 lbs) on cross.

i would like to get more bite and spin on my kick serves.
any recommendations?

yes i know it's more about techniques, but any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
hey guys,

took my 2 PSTs to get customized to the exact same specs.

now they both are at 12.165 oz (with Yonex super grap) and swing weight of 326. forgot to ask about balance...
 
That sounds about dead on-I've got about 1g difference between the 2 of mine when they are strung up identical.

Right now I have full poly in one and full multi in the other. They weigh almost the same but the multi "feels" that little bit lighter.

I wonder why the SW is only 326 on yours KO. I've never checked the SW on mine-stock is supposed to be 333 I think. Thanks for the info :)
 
I own 3 of PST sticks and tried many strings (X-One Biphase, VS Team/Alu Power, Red Code, Optic Nerve etc.), suffered under arm pain from a few of them.

For me SPPP 1.23 strung with 24(mains)/25(crosses) kp is only one thing: AWESOME!!! No pain, maximum in precision, still enough power and a good touch.... No wishes anymore ;)
 
Thanks for the heads up, Swiss. I've played with SPPP in the 1.18 and liked it and have always wanted to give the 1.23 a go. I find I like the thicker strings in the PST.

I've been playing with full X1 this week and against bigger hitters, it did not give me the control that I needed. I comped it back to back with my full ALU and I found that I really preferred the full poly.

I cut out the X1 today and am going with one of my fav setups from the summer: cyberpower 1.30 mains at 54 and cyberflash 1.25 crosses at 51. Can't wait to give it shot tomorrow-hopefully the rain stays away.

Swissserve, how many months of the year does the weather allow you to play outdoors and do you play indoors in the winter...just curious. I've not been to switzerland in a few years and always loved visiting there :)
 
I'm just not feeling it with mine thus far. If anyone here is interested in some 4 3/8 in very lightly used condition let me know.
 
Hey everyone i have been playing with the pst at group clinics and i am blown away by this stick. Like people say the serves are huge, including kickers and you just rip the ball. Volleys are good but i can't dial in yet. I must say slices are hard to find the groove. I think this such a great stick and i plan on picking it up ( if the rds001mp doesn't sway me). Quick question what is a good string setup, is x1 and redcode a good choice.
 
HEAD/PRINCE RULE said:
Hey everyone i have been playing with the pst at group clinics and i am blown away by this stick. Like people say the serves are huge, including kickers and you just rip the ball. Volleys are good but i can't dial in yet. I must say slices are hard to find the groove. I think this such a great stick and i plan on picking it up ( if the rds001mp doesn't sway me). Quick question what is a good string setup, is x1 and redcode a good choice.
Click to expand...

i have a full x1 16 red setup and the ball FLIES off the racquet. its a great string but the only downside is that theres so much string movement, at least for me there is. cant comment on the redcode though, never used it.

oh yea, btw, a full red string setup looks sweet on the PST.
 
aaron 3000 said:
i have a full x1 16 red setup and the ball FLIES off the racquet. its a great string but the only downside is that theres so much string movement, at least for me there is. cant comment on the redcode though, never used it.

oh yea, btw, a full red string setup looks sweet on the PST.
Click to expand...

Use string savers to avoid excessive string movement............Babolat Elastocross string savers are the best :D
 
HEAD/PRINCE RULE said:
Hey everyone i have been playing with the pst at group clinics and i am blown away by this stick. Like people say the serves are huge, including kickers and you just rip the ball. Volleys are good but i can't dial in yet. I must say slices are hard to find the groove. I think this such a great stick and i plan on picking it up ( if the rds001mp doesn't sway me). Quick question what is a good string setup, is x1 and redcode a good choice.
Click to expand...


The X1/Redcode should be a nice setup. I think the PST plays better (for me at least) with some poly in there. I did X1/cyberflash and it was a great setup. The redcode is even stiffer than the CF but would work well with the softer X1. I think you can get away with stiffer strings in the PST since the overall flex is so soft.

How do you like that K Gut? I've got a set here to try, I think I'm going to hybrid it with some CF crosses.
 
Magnus_CA said:
Anyone else find this racquet underpowered? I also might of got a little too much feedback on a few swings. My demo was sporting some frayed 16g multifilament and lost some tension from heavy use. Not sure if it was the string or the racquet.
Click to expand...

depends on where you come from.

I used to use Prostaff 6.0 95, and PST is more powerful than that. For me, in a good way though.
 
Mercury_J said:
How do grip sizes on Babolats run? Im sure they're all the same, so not specifically the PST. Are they slightly larger, or smaller, then normal? And by normal Im sure you all know what I mean, if IM a 4 3/8, should I go a size up or down, or jsut stick to 3/8?

Thanks
Click to expand...

stick to 4 3/8.
 
Ross K said:
To all PSTers,

Any experiences and opinions re lead tape and the PST? I'm keen to hear about it! Plus also, specifically, anyone have a view on LT at the 2 and 10 O'clock locations?


KOtennis,

Could you possibly further describe its performance (pros and cons) with LT all over the handle?

R.
Click to expand...

no. default racket with a leather grip is the best balance I can find. :D
 
SlapShot said:
I'm sold on the PST. I had 4 matches this weekend, and played with the PST the whole time. I don't know that I've served better over a stretch of matches than I did this weekend - kickers were really jumping, my usual hybrid had some real heat on it, and my flat serves were bombs.

The two frames I was rotating were strung with Kirschbaum Proline II, and I love the feel, but not the tension loss. Now to experiment with strings. ;)
Click to expand...

definitely. My serve is my biggest improvement with this racket. of course, the spin on the forehand is also better to cut acute angles.
 
HEAD/PRINCE RULE said:
Hey everyone i have been playing with the pst at group clinics and i am blown away by this stick. Like people say the serves are huge, including kickers and you just rip the ball. Volleys are good but i can't dial in yet. I must say slices are hard to find the groove. I think this such a great stick and i plan on picking it up ( if the rds001mp doesn't sway me). Quick question what is a good string setup, is x1 and redcode a good choice.
Click to expand...

I think all of us here have the same feedback. :)
The slice is difficult to find because of its power, I think. It usually becomes a floater. A quick fix is to close the racket head more, but u still have to find your own fix.
 
Sorry to kind of go over old ground here but...

In ppls opinions what effect would relatively small amounts of lead tape at the 2 and 10 o'clock positions have on the performance of the PST? What might I expect? Even more power on the serve? Higher SW? A more sluggish frame to swing?

Cheers

R.
 
PED said:
Thanks for the heads up, Swiss. I've played with SPPP in the 1.18 and liked it and have always wanted to give the 1.23 a go. I find I like the thicker strings in the PST.

I've been playing with full X1 this week and against bigger hitters, it did not give me the control that I needed. I comped it back to back with my full ALU and I found that I really preferred the full poly.

I cut out the X1 today and am going with one of my fav setups from the summer: cyberpower 1.30 mains at 54 and cyberflash 1.25 crosses at 51. Can't wait to give it shot tomorrow-hopefully the rain stays away.

Swissserve, how many months of the year does the weather allow you to play outdoors and do you play indoors in the winter...just curious. I've not been to switzerland in a few years and always loved visiting there :)
Click to expand...

Hi PED! I never had a string job with a diameter less than 1.23 I think :)
Same here, I did not get enough precision with a full multi... Although I like the X1 (on other rackets) very much. I was scared of a full poly string first, but than I have appreciated the control level! Awesome this precision... Topspin strings are great too - I have one racquet strung with Cyberflash (not that powerfull imo) in my bag, just in case I would need more power from the stringbed during a match...

I think in the better case we are able to play outdoor from mid of April till end of September (or latest mid of October). But I have switched to indoor courts recently, as upcoming tournaments will be indoors... But I like to play indoor, b/c the faster courts comparing to clay ;)
Yeah, Switzerland (especially Zurich hehehe) is always a visit worth :) Let me know if you come over and let's go for an indoor session!
 
Ross K said:
Even more power on the serve? Higher SW? A more sluggish frame to swing?
R.
Click to expand...

Ross, I think you'll get all of the above...The SW is not that much higher unless you put a large amount on the head. You will get some additional pop on the serve. I think I could get used to having some lead at the top of the hoop but I like that lighter feeling of really fast racquet head speed to generate just that extra little bit of spin and control. I played around a little today with an MG Prestige Mid and it really came around nicely-you could really paste the ball with it.

In the end, it's all personal taste, one thing I will caution you on is that the paint on the PST is VERY soft-I've got a nasty bald spot on mine where I took the lead off and I was very careful about it. I've never had that issue before on any of my sticks so keep that in mind.
 
PED said:
Ross, I think you'll get all of the above...The SW is not that much higher unless you put a large amount on the head. You will get some additional pop on the serve. I think I could get used to having some lead at the top of the hoop but I like that lighter feeling of really fast racquet head speed to generate just that extra little bit of spin and control. I played around a little today with an MG Prestige Mid and it really came around nicely-you could really paste the ball with it.

In the end, it's all personal taste, one thing I will caution you on is that the paint on the PST is VERY soft-I've got a nasty bald spot on mine where I took the lead off and I was very careful about it. I've never had that issue before on any of my sticks so keep that in mind.
Click to expand...

Cheers for that. Simply because I'm so curious, I think I'll just have to give it a go next week.

R.
 
I just got back about an hour ago from a hitting session, and I tried the Pure Storm Tour for about the 3rd or 4th time.

And I can only say that I was amazed. I finally got into a groove with it and boy was I on. I don't think I've hit that good in a long time. Everything was easier, everything was perfectly placed, and with pace. I took the newest of n95's out for some hitting just to get acquainted with it, and it played fine (I'm very familiar with this stick). About 30 minutes into hitting, I decided to go for it again with my new Pure Storm Tour, and I can only say wow.

Everything went right. My forehands were deep and penetrating. Topspin or flat, it was easy. Even my backhand, the worst part of my game, was aggressive. I attacked with my backhand, and let me tell you that doesn't happen much with me! My slice was on consistently. The most surprising part was my serves, because I was serving bombs. When reading the review on TW, I was weary that this stick might rely too much on my power, but it was so easy and enjoyable, that I didn't pay it any attention.

What I loved about it the most was the amount of control I had with it. Lowering the tension on this baby to 55 seems like a great decision because I get just the right amount of pop I need. Everything else lies with me, and being on tonight really showed how amazing this stick really is. I put the ball wherever I wanted on the court. I played some of my best, most consistent tennis I had with it tonight!

My only regret is that I cannot get another one, due to the fact that I've spent enough money on tennis over the last few months, and I'm on a tight budget. But simply put, this racquet is crazy good.
 
curious,

some of you have trouble with bh slice using PST.
but for me, bh slice is the easiest and deadliest while using this racquet. beside the flat serves. :)

i can honest say that the only other 2 racquets that i can hit as good bh slices are AeroPro and K90.

by the way, just picked up a 3rd PST with 4 1/4.
plan to stick with this baby for a while.
 
I tried out a set of Luxilon BBO crossed with PSGD last night (55 on the lux, 58 on the PSGD), and I think I might have found the setup. I had lots of control - provided it doesn't lose tension like mad, this may be a mean setup.
 
SlapShot said:
I tried out a set of Luxilon BBO crossed with PSGD last night (55 on the lux, 58 on the PSGD), and I think I might have found the setup. I had lots of control - provided it doesn't lose tension like mad, this may be a mean setup.
Click to expand...

I don't do hybrids, but the Luxilon BBO @ 55 seems about right for me too. Just the right amount of pop and control.
 
SlapShot, Hueco, other PSTers,

Could someone please tell me how Lux BBO compares to Lux Alu Power in the PST?

Thanks

R.
 
Ross K said:
SlapShot, Hueco, other PSTers,

Could someone please tell me how Lux BBO compares to Lux Alu Power in the PST?

Thanks

R.
Click to expand...

Ross, well I can't tell you how the Lux Alu Power feel on the PST because I've only used BBO on mine. What I can tell you about how the BBO on the PST is that it certainly has lots of feel and control. My stringer suggested lowering the tension down to 55 on my PST due to the fact that the stick is a control racquet, and the Lux BBO are more control than anything (and longevity). At 55, I feel I can get the right amount of pop from the racquet, as well as a sufficient amount of control.

It's a crisp feel, the sound is muted but that's normal. I can really plow through the ball with this setup and still get the ball with sufficient amount of topspin, as well as flat winners when I need them. I can safely say that I don't regret getting the BBO on it, and I'm guessing if you have Alu Power, you'd be getting even more topspin from the 16 x 20 pattern.
 
Hueco,

Cheers for that ^. I confess I'm not so expert regarding strings and tensions etc. BTW, I should say I am very happy with the Alu Power (and you're right about it assisting with good topspin capacity.) Still, I was curious to hear how BBO compares.

R.
 
I've got ALU in my PST at the moment but that's just because I got a great deal on some. However, after my supply runs out I'll be back to using BBO. I think the BBO is a match for the ALU in every category except that the ALU has that extra "POP". Control, comfort, and spin are all top notch in BBO but what seals the deal for me is that BBO holds tension for much longer than ALU.

I love the lux strings and think they are the best but when ALU loses that elasticity, you end up swinging much harder to make up the difference (or at least I do) and the effectiveness goes down.

One final thought, in my 2nd PST, I using the hybrid of CyberPower 1.30 mains crossed with CyberFlash. It's a good combo as well and cheaper than Lux but it's lacking a little in the spin department and but the CP mains give some good pop. If you're looking to save some coin, it's not a bad place to go.
 
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