The Babolat Pure Aero is one of the most iconic tennis racquets on the market and has been since its introduction in late 2003. The racquet was named “Pure Aero,” referring to the aerodynamic frame style, which allows for faster swings creating more power and spin.
In this Babolat Pure Aero Review, I’ll cover everything about this magnificent racquet. The fruit of a collaboration between Babolat and Rafel Nadal, this racquet has since become one of the highest-selling tennis racquets ever. Babolat’s CEO Eric Babolat described the Babolat Pure Aero “When we understood how strong he (Nadal) would be, we decided to build a new racquet completely adapted to his game. A racquet that focuses on power and spin.”
As a Professional Tennis Coach on tour for more than 15 years, I can attest to the Babolat Pure Aero’s quality and popularity, which was being used by dozens of players on both the men’s and women’s tour.
The racquet itself has gone through 7 generations, and although it has seen radical changes to its design, the racquet still maintains its original heart and soul.
With continued collaboration between Babolat and Rafael Nadal, the Babolat Pure Aero retains its popularity amongst all players’ levels.
Babolat Pure Aero Review – An In-Depth Look
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The Pure Aero is genuinely one of the most technologically advanced tennis racquets ever manufactured. Years of research and millions of dollars of development have gone to keeping it at the top of the tennis racquet mountain.
The racquet is stunning and pops with its yellow and black design, giving it a very aggressive aura. The shape of the Babolat Pure Aero racquet somehow appeals to all levels of players, men, women, juniors, and recreational tennis players who aspire to feel and look like Rafael Nadal, even if it is just a dream.
The head’s shape and size make it perfect for creating vast amounts of spin, even for those struggling to create spin. The beam technology allows the racquet to change thickness at different points in the frame, allowing flex and comfort while still creating power and feel.
Talking with other coaches and players, the feedback has been positive, with detailed reviews on the new “cortex dampening” system redesigned after input from several Babolat Professional Players.
Pros
- Power
- Spin Potential
- Design
- Technology
- Lightweight
Cons
- Stiff frame
- Can be unforgiving
Babolat Pure Aero Specs
| Head | 100 in² |
| Length | 27 inches |
| Strung Weight | 318 g |
| Unstrung Weight | 300 g |
| Balance | 33 cm |
| Unstrung Balance | 32 cm |
| Swingweight | 324 |
| Stiffness | 67 |
| Cortex-Beam Width | 23 mm / 26 mm / 23 mm |
| Material | Graphite |
| String Pattern | 16 mains / 19 crosses |
| Recommended String Tension | 50-59 pounds / 23-27kg |
Design
Babolat has spent millions and millions of dollars on research and development, and it’s evident when playing with the Pure Aero. The iconic black and yellow frame makes it instantly recognizable, making it a popular hit amongst junior players looking to stand out in the crowd.
The aerodynamic frame makes it easy to swing and create maximum spin potential on groundstroke and serves. The Babolat Pure Aero is lighter than its counterpart, the Aero Pure Drive, adding to the playability and comfort level for all players, particularly those just starting.
With its aerodynamic design, the frame gives players a whole new level of shot selection possibilities. Sharp angle shots that require swing speed to create the angle are now made so much more comfortable with the Babolat Pure Aero racquet. Serving out wide with a slice or hitting the kick serve with heavy topspin is easy for the Pure Aero.
Weight
The Pure Aero is a solid racquet weighing 312 grams, perfect for stability and control. The weight is not overly heavy, which allows for increased racquet head speed helping create power, spin, and shot variation.
The Babolat Pure Aero places more weight on the racquet handle, enabling players to swing freely and fast due to the lightweight head.
An excellent racquet for beginners and intermediates looking for assistance in power and spin.
String Pattern
The Babolat Pure Aero comes with an open string pattern in the dimensions of a 16×19, which helps the racquet develop enormous amounts of spin.
The racquet comes pre-strung with polyester strings that give the racquet a soft yet stable feel when making contact with the ball. Many players had complained in years past the strings which came with the racquet were not of standard and let the racquet down in terms of quality and playability.
Head Size
With its aerodynamic frame and cutting-edge technology, the Babolat Pure Aero has a head size of 100 sq inches, making it a delight to play with, offering a large margin for error, particularly crucial for junior or beginner players.
The larger head offers an easier-to-hit sweet spot, which helps beginner players gain confidence in their stroke, ultimately making their experience much more enjoyable.
The Racquet head allows for an open 16×19 string pattern. This open string pattern gives the player maximum spin potential and power while still being easy to maneuver.
I have always enjoyed using racquets with much smaller head sizes and found them easier to handle than the larger, bulky head size. However, playing with the Babolat Pure Aero, I was positively surprised to see the racquet head was light and easy to handle and offered instant feedback, which many oversized heads do not.
Babolat Pure Aero Playtest Review
Let’s look at the racquet’s playability and how it plays across all strokes with all the technical jargon behind us.
As a Professional Tour Tennis Coach for nearly 20 years, I will give you my opinion on how the racquet feels and responds and whether it’s a racquet that can be used for all player’s levels.
Groundstrokes
Pure Aero is renowned for its aggressive power and spin nature. On the baseline is where the racquet comes to life and shows its true heritage of being a racquet developed with aggressiveness in mind.
Personally, I love the feel upon impact with the Babolat Pure Aero and the instant feeling of satisfaction it creates. The racquet, with its Coretex Technology, gives the frame a stable nature but is not so sturdy that it interferes with the racquet’s feel.
The light head makes it such a comfortable racquet to control, yet although light, it retains specific stability to the racquet allowing for fast swings with a controlled ball flight.
I created much more power and spin than I usually would using my regular racquet. The power and spin came quickly without much effort, and as time passed, I felt myself grow in confidence.
This allowed me to swing faster, imparting vast amounts of heavy spin on the ball. I genuinely felt like Rafael Nadal for a moment, even if it was for only a moment.
This is particularly true for those players using a western or even semi-western forehand grip. It accentuates the spin on the ball, resulting in a ball loaded with heavy topspin.
Remember, spin works both ways and when slicing the ball, I was able to create tremendous amounts of backspin, resulting in a deep and consistent slice. It’s important to understand that spin equates to tennis control, so the more spin you can create, the more control you will have.
The Volley
Surprisingly the Babolat Pure Aero felt right at home at the net, with the racquet displaying excellent control and maneuverability. In saying that, though, the racquet does lack the feel of other racquets and is something, Babolat could look at in the future.
For shoulder-height volleys, the Babolat Pure Aero offers crisp contact and good power penetration through the ball, resulting in a robust solid volley.
However, a softer touch with lighter hands is required for volleys below the net’s height. This may prove difficult for beginners and intermediates and is one drawback of the light head and slightly stiff frame.
Using a vibration dampener to the strings, the racquet did display a softer, more comfortable feel.
Overall the Babolat Pure Aero is probably not the best racquet choice for those players who spend a lot of time at the net. Although competent at the net, the racquet falls slightly behind in this category compared to similar racquets.
The Serve
The Babolat Pure Aero comes to the forefront on the serve, displaying control, power, and spin on various serves. The open string pattern allows for flat, slice, and kick serves, making it an absolute delight to serve with and giving the server maximum confidence.
Serving flat, the Babolat Pure Aero showed excellent power, and with the open string pattern, I could impart spin on the ball, helping with control.
The Babolat Pure Aero will help players who struggle to create sidespin or topspin on their serves. My slice serve has always been my most potent serve, and with the spin potential from the Babolat Pure Aero, I was amazed at how much spin is created.
With the open 16×19 string pattern, the ball grips the string to give you the most spin potential. You can not only feel the bite; you can hear the pop.
Overall the Babolat Pure Aero shines when serving all variations and spin options. The only negative point is that there was quite a bit of occasional vibration if contact was not made with the sweet spot. Here again, I would recommend using a vibration dampener to help limit the wrist and arms’ stress.
Return of Serve
The Babolat Pure Aero provides a larger, lighter head, which helps an aggressive return of serve, especially on a weaker shorter second serve.
It gives the player confidence to swing freely and without hesitation and promotes a very aggressive mindset. The open string pattern combined with the aerodynamic frame makes the Babolat Pure Aero an excellent return-serve racquet.
The more massive head provides beginner and intermediate players with a larger sweet spot and more margin for error.
Although comfortable and easy to control, the lighter frame struggles against bigger, heavier serves, and I recommend that players add some weight around the head of the racquet.
String Type
The Babolat Pure Aero is at its peak playability with low power strings but high spin potential.
For those players who prefer a softer feeling at impact, stringing the racquet with a good-quality polyester or multifilament string is recommended.
Be prepared to restring the Babolat Pure Aero regularly; this is due to the open 16×19 string pattern, allowing the strings to move around, causing friction and, subsequently, breakage.
Another tip for the Babolat Pure Aero is to change the strings out regularly, especially if you use polyester strings, which can deaden over time.
Who uses the Babolat Pure Aero 2023?
- Rafael Nadal, the 20-time Grand Slam champion and the king of clay
- Felix Auger-Aliassime, the young Canadian star who reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon 2023
- Benoit Paire, the flamboyant Frenchman, known for his flashy shots and unpredictable behavior
- Adrian Mannarino, the crafty left-hander who has won four ATP titles
- Jennifer Brady, the American power hitter who reached the final of the Australian Open 2021
- Caroline Wozniacki, the former world number one and Australian Open 2018 champion
Babolat Pure Aero Vs. Babolat Pure Drive
When comparing the Babolat Pure Aero with other racquets, such as the Pure Drive, most people recognize the Aero popularized by Rafel Nadal.
The main difference between the two racquets can be found in their names. The Babolat Pure Aero was explicitly designed to be more aerodynamic than the Pure Drive. It was intended to be used by players looking to create maximum amounts of spin potential.
On the other side of the spectrum is the Babolat Pure Drive, designed to create effortless power and spin.
When using the Pure Aero, players are forced to generate their power without much help from the racquet itself, while conversely, the Pure Drive helps promote effortless power without putting forth much effort.
Overall the Babolat Pure Aero helps players create more swing speed, and I see it as the perfect racquet for beginners and intermediates who struggle to generate spin on the ball. As I’ve said before, spin equates to control, so the more spin, the more control.
The Babolat Pure Aero is much more suited for players with fast swing speeds and who prefer maneuverability and quick movements around the court. With its weight and aerodynamic design, aggressive players who prefer a slightly heavier racquet will love the Babolat Pure Aero.
The Babolat Pure Drive, however, is aimed at the player looking for more power, and as the name suggests, the racquet doesn’t let you down. With the slightly heavier frame, the racquet allows you to generate more pop on the ball without feeling you must take big swings.
I would recommend the Babolat Pure Aero for beginners, while the Babolat Pure Drive is probably better suited to the intermediate and above levels.
Quick Word On Babolat Play
The Babolat Play system, introduced around 2015, allows players to transform their racquet into a technological “smart racquet,” giving them instant feedback on various data points specific to tennis, particularly their own game.
The Play system has revolutionized the way tennis is played, and the system itself has been the spark for a complete revamp in how players practice in terms of program delivery and design.
The system works by receiving information from a sensor that is found in the handle of the racquet.
After downloading the app, you can access information on critical data points such as how much spin you are generating, how many shots you hit, what type of shots you hit, and the power you generated.
This technology is perfect for those who want to delve deeper into the science behind tennis; however, I don’t read too much into the data as it can become paralyzing by analyzing so much information. Too much information makes it easy to forget you also have an opponent on the other side of the net.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Best String For Babolat Pure Aero?
As a professional tennis coach, I recommend stringing the Babolat Pure Aero with the RPM Blast strings manufactured by Babolat. The strings are black, very durable, and are known for their soft feel—a perfect combination with a racquet that is slightly stiffer.
Is Babolat Pure Aero Arm Friendly?
The Babolat Pure Aero has undergone a design change with new grommets and bumper guards designed to be more aerodynamic. Couple this with the introduction of Babolat’s new Cortex technology; the racquet has come leaps in bounds regarding arm and elbow comfort.
Which Babolat Racquet Is The Best?
Answering which racquet is best is always a tricky question to tackle. With variables such as body shape, height, fitness, tennis style, and play level, choosing the best racquet is almost impossible.
My advice is to demo as many racquets as you can get your hands on to determine which racquet works best for your play style.
Is the Babolat Pure Drive Good?
With most racquets only suitable for one skill level, the Babolat Pure Drive was designed with all players’ levels in mind, including beginner through to Professional.
It’s an excellent choice for those looking to get more out of their game.
Is the Babolat Pure Aero powerful?
Is a bear powerful in the woods? You bet it is! The Babolat Pure Aero is packed with power, just waiting to be unleashed. Its optimized design and cutting-edge technology help you deliver some seriously explosive shots. With this racquet in your arsenal, you might make your opponents feel like they’re facing Thor’s hammer.
Is the Babolat Pure Aero stiff?
Well, it’s not as stiff as my back after a long day on the court! But seriously, the Babolat Pure Aero does have a medium-to-high stiffness rating. This means it’s firm enough to provide excellent stability and control while still offering some comfort and flexibility for your arm. It’s a fine balance, just like my world-famous tennis puns!
Can you hit flat with the pure Aero?
Absolutely! While the Pure Aero is known for its spin-friendly nature, it doesn’t mean you can’t hit some mean flat shots too. With the proper technique and a bit of practice, you’ll be firing flat rockets that leave your opponents wishing they had a radar to detect them. Remember, it’s all about finding the sweet spot between power and control!
Does pure Aero give more spin?
The Babolat Pure Aero is like a spin factory on a mission to help you weave a web of topspin around your opponents. Its aerodynamic design, open string pattern, and FSI Spin technology all work together to ensure you add some serious RPM to your shots. With the Pure Aero, you’ll have your opponents spinning like a merry-go-round!
The Tie-Breaker
The Pure Aero is most at home on the baseline with its enormous power and spin potential. The racquet’s consistency gives players confidence when swinging away from the baseline, and the spin potential does make you feel like Rafael Nadal.
If you are a player who spends considerable time up and around the net, the Babolat Pure Aero is probably not for you. The lack of feel and comfort is a bit of a letdown, and those who enjoy volleying will not find this racquet the most playable choice out there.
The frame’s stiffness and unforgiving nature might be a concern for those with injury or who previously suffered from tennis elbow.
I have played with this racquet numerous times and have never felt any discomfort; however, keep in mind we are all different in terms of physical composition and the tennis styles we play.
The Babolat Pure Aero is one of the highest-selling tennis racquets of all time, and with its endorsement from Rafael Nadal, the racquet continues to be a game-changer. The Aero is loved by all levels of players ranging from beginner to professional, and this is one of the main reasons the Aero continues to sell models.
