Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts

Babolat Pure Strike vs Babolat Pure Aero: First Impressions

How do you decide between the new Pure Aero and Pure Strike?

Our Babolat Aero and Pure Strike demos just arrived from TennisPoint. We also tested the 16x19 Pure Strike - the other online companies still needed to get them in stock.

We took them out each out for a few hours and then played a practice set or two to compare.

Brief History
Note there is a 2019 model with a deeper red/black paint job for the Pure Strike, but readers will find most of the same similarities to the 2017 version reviewed below. Read the "Saving Money, Losing the Paintjob" section below*.

Even with the latest 2023+ models, you will see a heavy discount on the Pure Strike (gen 3) models in the Fall. After years of injuries with the top model Dominic Thiem, it has been hard for Babolat to find a new player to headline it.

With the Pure Aero, it seems that Carlos Alcaraz may take over the mantle even if Nadal gives it up. As a fan of all 3 players, it is hard to go wrong.

Video Review:
2016-2017 Babolat Aero vs Pure Strike: Summary of Playtest and Review
WTA Pro Bethan Mattek-Sands using Pure Drive 100 (Compared to her Pure Drive)

Note: in 2023, she explains why she switched to the Head Gravity model for more weight on her shot 

Read our full review and comparison (Head vs Wilson vs Babolat).

Testing Setup:

  • We received these with polyester strings and white Wilson Pro grips.
  • Dampeners used were the Pete Sampras "O" (to maintain minimal weight to the frames).
  • Strung at mid-tension @ ~55lbs with Babolat RPM Blast 16 gauge on both the mains and crosses.

Babolat Pure Aero vs Babolat Pure Strike Specs
Aero vs Strike Models
Both racquets are Mid-Plus in size (100 square inches with 4 points Head Light balance). Weights are 11.1 oz for the Pure Strike and 11.3 oz for the Pure Aero.

These Babolat Racquets are currently being endorsed by Rafael Nadal (green Pure Aero) and Dominic Thiem (white Pure Strike).

Babolat's Best Seller vs New Kid on the Block

The Pure Aero has been the #1 best seller for a long time. But what if you need a tad more control and slightly more maneuverable? Welcome to the new 2017-2018 Pure Strike.

Also known as Project One 7 - at the Rome Masters in 2017 it started being used by World's Top 10 Dominic Thiem.

Babolat Pure Strike

Dominic Thiem's very aggressive and hyper-extended swing was designed for this racquet!

Really liked the spin/control and offers a decent defense when on the run. Shots such as the slice and squash forehand are easily accessible in dire moments. The low swing-weight really helps get the racquet around on wide shots.

Serve felt a tad underpowered; Returned heavy serves with ease. It contains and reflects power very well.

Transition mid-court Volleys were very silky smooth (felt the Babolat Woofer grommet system cupping the ball for great placement).

There is added power that comes along with the new FSI system that made the gaps between the strings near the corners a bit wider.


Its main weakness is when you are late on the swing or jammed without enough room to follow through, this racquet will tend to spray the ball out.

Tennis Magazine Review
"Babolat is positioning the Pure Strike as a compromise between the Pure Drive and Pure Aero"

Tennis Magazine 2017 - Best All-Around Racquet
The "Goldie Locks" Stick
Even hitting against hard, flat incoming shots - it can still return lots of arch/spin;

It definitely rewards Boldness and Aggressive racquet acceleration. Won a few practice sets easily 6-2 against 4.0-4.5 players using overwhelming shot "weight" - combo of spin and depth plus angles.

The main tactic was spreading the court with deep, heavy groundstrokes and coming in with angled approach shots, volleys, and put-away overheads.

Tennis Warehouse gave it very high marks for groundstrokes. Tennis Magazine gave the Pure Strike (98) the Best All-Around Racquet Award of Spring-Summer 2017.

Best Price on the Babolat Pure Strike 100 (on Amazon)

Babolat Pure Aero

Rafael Nadal has switched to this model starting in 2016.

Seriously, what's with coloring all tennis products optic green?
Do we need to have tennis shirts, shorts, and now tennis racquets have to offer a color option in Tennis Ball GREEN for everything?! 

Babolat's Aero Heritage
This is true to traditional Aero design like previous models. It is a very easy-to-swing racket. Aeros tend to be forgiving on many off-center shots with a large sweet spot.

It also provides much more spin potential and power, but slightly less control than the Pure Strike.

Your ball trajectory will be much loopier and more arch-shaped with the Aero, whereas the Strike, it tends to be slightly flatter using the same swing.

Lives up to its tweener reputation: the racket for the masses!
Good choice for a wide skill range of 3.0-4.5's. It can let you stay on the baseline all day long. This is the best selling tennis racquet line for good reason.

Just like the Babolat Pure Drive, the Pure Aero also needs a long, fast swing to do it justice. Simply pushing or blocking the ball will not deliver its full potential and will often land balls high but short in the court.

I enjoyed whipping it around to create all sorts of angles and dips. Gets pushed around a bit against a hard and flat ball, though.

If you wish to get one with a bit more weight, try the Pure Aero "Tour" version.

Best Price on the Babolat Pure Aero (on Amazon)

Best Tennis Shoe of 2016 - My Vote: Nike Vapor 9.5


Best Tennis Shoe of 2016

Nike Vapor 9.5 Tour

For those who value lightweight shoes (under 14 ounces) and rely on quick foot speed/mobility in your tennis game! I can recommend this shoe without hesitation. Put them on and give it about 1 week to wear them in.

They come in many different great colors, including the Federer's Gold / White edition pictured.

Nike Vapor 9.5 Tour
You will notice that they feel low to the ground, provide good lateral support with a very nimble push-off response.

Receiving a 4.7 out of 5.0 stars; review on Amazon; #1 tennis shoe for men.

See Vapor tennis shoe styles for women.

The Nike Vapor shoes are generally designed for those light on their feet and not designed for heavy serve-and-volley style players who stop and start, forward and back often.


Battle-tested "Performance" Shoes

I have won championship titles with these shoes in the past with good results. My game depends on great footwork and I NEED my shoes to perform when it counts.

Although the Nike Vapors are not cheap, I tend to be able to find them on sale for around $85-$100. They will last generally 5-7 months from regular usage and still stay very comfortable.

Beware the "Team" and "Advantage Ace" - discount versions of Vapor. These are priced lower than the "Tour" editions but tend to wear out much sooner and have lower-quality materials.

Many pros, coaches and players on tour wear the Nike Vapor 9.5 today.

Head Graphene Instinct and Head Graphene Speed MP Reviews

Head Graphene Tennis Racket Previews
- Graphene Speed MP and Graphene Instinct Models

The new Head Graphene Tennis Rackets are now available for demo and for sale to the public in 2013! Available from our sponsor, TennisTopia, in Rockville, MD.

Sincere Thanks! We were very fortunate to be able to demo the brand new Head "prototypes" courtesy of TennisTopia in Rockville, MD (voted #1 in 2012 and 2013 as Tennis Shop of the Year winner).

Check out our March 2012 review of the current Head IG line (Instinct, Speed, Radical, Prestige) for a comparison look. Many of these rackets are now going to be sold at a discount because of the Graphene Line coming out (another bonus to our tennis bargain hunters)!

Sneak Peek at the 2013 Head Graphene Models

For those who just can't wait, we at Tennis Bargains are again working tirelessly to bring you all the details, pictures, playtest reviews and videos here first! Below is a glimpse of what the future holds...think of us as your Tennis Santa Claus =)

2013 head speed mp logo

Austrian Engineering - 2013 head speed mp logoWhat has been our impression: Love the new sticks so far; this year Sharapova's Instinct might out-gun Djokovic's Speed racket with better pop and a well-rounded improvement on the IG models!

The new material they added is a carbon-based, creation called "Graphene". They can layer ultra-thin sheets of this material to strengthen the racket's structure. The graphics printed on the throat edge of the racket are supposed to be Graphene molecules...think of it as the next LiquidMetal for Head.

Graphene - 2013 head speed mpInitial Impressions

Although the Speed "Prototype" looked impressive, we felt that the structural density of the frame may still need a bit more tweaking before the final release. We are also still waiting for the Speed Pro (18x20) model, but at least now Head has officially entered the 2013 racket shoot-out.

Video Play Test Footage

2013 head speed mp racket capTennis-Bargains has playtested and film footage of the Head Speed/Instinct up against the Babolat AeroPro Drive (all are 100 sq inches, 16x19 open pattern)...which one did we like? which one should you buy in 2013?? Stay tuned...

We actually demoed and playtested the 2013 Head rackets on the court against the Babolat AeroPro Drives - YouTube Video coming out soon...

See how these new models do against each other as two 4.0-4.5 USTA players play each other. It's now "On like Donkey Kong" as they say... Check back for more updates and below for all our HD Closeup Pictures (below)...

2013 Head Graphene Instinct (16x19) and 2013 Head Speed MP (16x19) Pictures

2013 head instinct logo

2013 head speed mp and head instinct - graphene edition prototypes

Babolat AeroPro Drive GT - Rafa's New Babolat Racket Design? Video Review


We've been granted a hands-on preview of Rafael Nadal's latest racket of choice, the Babolat AeroPro Drive GT! Put some fresh RPM Blast on there and gave the prototype a full demo at the wall.


The live test was filmed before this racket was made available to the public.
Our tennis fans got a sneak peek at the Best-Selling Tennis Racket line ever in the USA

Our Sneak Peek:
New Features Video | HD Photos
More Info: TW Review / Playtest / Forum

Our Review of the Babolat AeroPro Team and AeroPro Lite versions.

2013 Babolat AeroPro Drive Review

Click for Full-Size Comparison Chart

Quick Summary

It offers an exceptional blend of maneuverability, stability, and all-around playability for a wide range of improving players. This "tweener" class or "between Intermediate and Advance" levels fits a majority of players between the NTRP 3.5-4.5 skill levels.

Babolat Base-lining

As with most Babolat rackets, it helps to have a medium to long, fast swing speed to take advantage of all maneuverability in these aerodynamic frames (Aero). It can generate fast racket head speed more easily than other rackets, and actually feels surprisingly light (compared to other rackets) when you're swinging it.

The racket's ease is due to its lowered "swing weight" - which was dropped from 331 down to 316, in its current form. Also for 2013, it has been updated with Babolat's "Active Cortex" feature for more comfort on impact, it also feels slightly stiffer than previous years' models but a bit more control on mis-hits.


Our Recommended DC Area Tennis Supplier:
TennisTopia (Rockville, MD) - one of the Largest *Babolat Authorized Resellers* on the East Coast!

Tip: Call ahead 301-230-9195 or email: info@tennistopia.com and mention "Tennis Bargains Promo" to reserve one first, with free stringing.

Nothing beats their face-to-face customer service and weekly deals

Sneak Peek Photos below

Review: Wilson Blade 98 (18x20)


Tennis Bargains Preview of Wilson Blade 98 (18x20)

  • Much more Control, solid feel on heavy shots
  • Lowered Swing Weight from 2012 (335 to 330)
  • AmpliFeel Grip - adds a bit more comfort; feels like a more perforated or vented handle
  • Great for heavy hitters and directing the ball with authority
  • Designed for stronger 4.0+ NTRP players

Cons:

  • Lacks topspin and slice, in comparison to the Steam 99S
  • Swing weight is a bit high, which may bother those with a slower swing
  • Not a lot of new changes from the previous year's Blade model
Wilson BLX 98 18x20 Comparison Chart
Wilson Blade 98 Comparison
Click to see enlarged chart

Main Changes

This new Blade for 2013 has a very closed pattern racket. Offering a good contrast to the Wilson Steam 99S we tested and reviewed earlier this week, Wilson is expanding the racket line to more advanced players.

One slight change was the racket's weight of 11.4 oz, which is about 4 grams heavier frame than last year's 2012 model...


Wilson Steam 99S - Review, Comparison and Video Playtests

Wilson Steam 99S Review - Pictures, Videos, Feedback and Video Review

Bonus Coverage: More 2013-2014 Racket Sneak Previews
(from Babolat, Head, Wilson, etc...)

Close-up HD Pictures of 2013-2014 Rackets

 Wilson 99 S

Research and Background Info on Wilson Spin Effect Technology (SET)

TW Playtesting:

ITF Testing Lab and Wilson's TV commercial:

Info on patented technology - 3000+ RPM averages with 4G Lux strings:

Tennis.com's interview with Wilson (TrackMan: Doppler Measurement of Spin)
http://www.tennis.com/gear/2012/09/gear-talk-wilsons-john-lyons-part-1/39374/#.UJdQeIWmCcY

Tennis Bargains Review of Wilson Steam 99S

Pros:

  • Lots of Spin
  • High Arch and Trajectory
  • Well Rounded Racket with Solid Defensive/Offense
  • Designed for 3.5-4.0+ players
  • For Flat hitters, racket adds safety with extra net clearance
  • Moon-ballers' dream; Ground stroke nirvana

Cons:

  • Less control in general, Open patterns typically are less precise than Closed pattern rackets
    • Steam 16x15 (open) vs Blade 18x20 (closed)
  • Must generate racket head speed for Spin to get control (requires moderate to fast swing speed)
  • Racket will break strings faster, requiring thicker gauge strings (15g or 16g)
    • Poly Luxilon 4G recommended
  • 1-Hand Backhanders' nightmare (for the opponent) :)

Head Tennis Racket Models Compared - Speed vs Prestige vs Radical vs Instinct

Tennis Demo Program
Got these Head IG YouTek rackets in just 2-3 business days after ordering.

They give you about 10 days to ship it back with the FedEx labels neatly tucked in with the 4 rackets. The best thing was they include all of this in the $14.95 price!

I took the 4 rackets to the tennis practice wall to get some rapid testing started. Racquets were all in very new condition and strung with the similar hybrid set up with a polyester string on the Mains and Crosses were Head FXP.

The tensions for all rackets were relatively similar (mid-50 lbs range). This consistency makes all the difference when picking out demo rackets, plus have some of the most competitive prices.

Update: I have found that Midwest Sports does a much better job with demo quality and offers better prices than Tennis Express and Tennis Warehouse. See reviews for the Babolat 2017-2018 Pure Strike and Pure Drive

Head Tennis Models
Control (high to low):Prestige > Speed > Radical > Instinct > Extreme

Power (high to low):Extreme > Instinct > Radical > Speed > Prestige

Too Heavy? Too Light?
Want a something Slightly Lighter? Go with the "S" model.
Slight Heavier? Get the "Pro" or "Tour" model.

Racket Impressions

Head Speed MP 18x20
Speed MP 18x20 - see "Customer Reviews"
This racket felt just slightly longer than the standard 27 inch, coming in at 27.3 but you do not really notice too much of a problem when hitting groundstrokes.

See our full Head Graphene Speed MP Review

It has good stability and similar swing speed and weight as the LM Instinct. Easy to volley, had good feel and "pockets" the volley well without too much frame tilt on contact. Serve is good all around, as was the returns.

Playing with this racket in matches, it performed the best for my hitting style. If I had to switch rackets today, I would go with this racket - same model as used by Djokovic.

11/2014 Update: I am now using the Graphene Speed MP which is the standard 27 inches in length.

Our Top Head Tennis Racket

The swing weight of 315 makes even this 11.7 oz frame feel nimble. It rewards you for using a full swing at the ball, with an "L5" swing pattern (the larger the number the longer the swing). The beam is 20 mm in thickness so it is a bit thinner which a lot of big swingers tend to like.

Tennis-Bargains Rating: 4.5/5

...see more Head racket reviews - Prestige, Radical, Instinct below ...

PracticeHit: Practice Tennis Indoors in the Winter


Tennis-Bargains PracticeHit Review
We were surprised by this simple yet effective tennis stroke trainer that works like a pendulum. The bands at the bottom can be adjusted to effect that the rubber ball's forward and backward pitch. Every time you hit the practice ball, it will snap back ready to be hit again.

Features

  • It comes in a standard 32" shaft size that is the perfect size for kids or adults with a lower strike zone.
  • To Adjust Height: consider putting the base on some cinder bricks to make it a bit taller.
  • Also, we recommend filling the base with sand (instead of water) so that it does not move.

Pros:
  • Great for beginners to develop rhythm on their swing
  • Lots of repetition in a short amount of time
  • Works on developing strike zone slightly in front
  • Allows players to practice moving your feet to the ball as you set up to hit
Cons:
  • Durability is good for only about 1-2 years of regular use
  • May not be useful for more advanced playersay see that the ball holder may start to break apart or the shaft itself will deteriorate from heavy hitting
  • Necessary to invest in a few replacement parts

Best String of the Year: Topspin Cyber Flash 17g

Tennis-Bargains Review: Topspin Cyber Flash

Tennis Magazine (Feb 3, 2011): "polyester string accounts for more than 70 percent of string sold in Europe, and the majority of the world’s top juniors are polyester or co-poly string players."

Andre Agassi: "polyester string, which creates vicious topspin has turned average players into greats, and greats into legends." (Open, p.343)


Topspin Cyber Flash
has almost all the benefits (the best spin, durability and power) of expensive Luxilon strings, at roughly half the cost when buying in bulk*

It is similar to buying a generic instead of a brand name.
My suggestion is to buy a set or two of Cyber Flash and try it out first. It works especially well if you like other polyester strings or hit a fast, hard ball. It is also good for the chronic string breaker who like to hit with topspin. String it at least 10% lower in tension than your normal non-poly string to get maximum spin.

Buying in Bulk - Save More with Free Shipping!
If you like the string and decide you want more, I would recommend that you get the jumbo reel of Cyber Flash 17 to save even more. Each package normally has 40 feet, but reels come in longer strands that you simply measure and cut only what you need to use. It is very economical and I buy reels in order to keep multiple rackets strung fresh a few times a month.

Package - Topspin Cyber Flash 1.25 17g - Tennis String Packages ($7.49/set)
Reel - Topspin Cyber Flash 1.25 17g 720 ft - ($74.90/reel...or just $4.16/set!)

  • Cyber Flash Reel (720') or 18x Packs for $75 [you save 80%!] with FREE SHIPPING
My Experience with Cyber Flash
I have been using the Topspin Cyber Flash 1.25 for several years now with great tournament results.  As you can see, I tried it and liked it so much that I bought a full reel myself. I switched from using a full set of Luxilon Ace 18 poly to now using the Cyber Flash exclusively in the mains for much more Spin and Power. The durability is also comparable to the Ace 18, but only at around half the price.
Topspin CyberFlash 17 user ratings (from 154 reviews on Stringforum.net)

Here is some other player reviews on the Cyber Flash 17 string from Stringforum.net, an international database of string ratings for almost every tennis string in the world.

This Cyber Flash 1.25 is the #2 Most Reviewed string on the entire site with 178 reviews, plus a huge popular following of over 70,000 viewer hits.

It also received one of the very best "Performance to Price Ratio" out of all strings.

Play-Testing results
My style of play is heavy topspin from the baseline and I enjoy creating angles with spin and control when counter-punching against stronger opponents.

Against heavy hitters and returning fast serves, the Cyber Flash strings are able to control and redirect the ball very well. Most players on Stringforum.net would recommend this string (actually 91% would recommend it..140 out of 154 who reviewed it)

My recommendation is that you string it at least 10% lower than your normal non-poly strings.  For me, I found that around 55-57 lbs was the ideal tension. Anything higher made it a tad stiff and lost its spin and power potential. Surprisingly, even after several days, as the tension got lower, it seemed like it would pocket the ball even better.

Spin (5/5)
The spin is incredible. Both Topspin and Slice, you get ridiculous amounts of each in my normal ground strokes now. Whereas before with other polys I could get a solid kick serve, with this string, I can use the same motion and it becomes almost an American Twist (lefty kick spin) serve.  Definitely a lot of fun to hit with and drives my opponents nuts.

Power and Control (4/5)
Like many other polyester strings, this has a decent amount of power.  I like that it is also a softer poly, which is arm-friendly. When I used Luxilon strings in the past (ALU power), I eventually developed tennis elbow even though it offered great performance. I now use only soft, thin polyester strings for normal play.

Durability (4/5)
These strings would usually last me 3-4 weeks (playing 10-12 hours a week) before they started moving or required changing because of the tension loss. I love that my Cyber Flash strings stay straight and I do not have to worry about them moving around or adjusting them between points.  I noticed that if I kept them in, they would eventually break after 5-6 weeks because I normally hit with a lot of topspin against strong players with fast serves.

Touch/Feel (3/5)
The main weakness of this string and most poly's is that it lacks a bit of touch and feel for dropshots and finesse shots like touch volleys because of the firm string bed.  I would recommend mixing this with a softer cross string like the Cyber Blue 17 if you want to have the best of both worlds.


Here are some close-up shots of the Cyber-Flash 17 strings (on the main).  On the picture to the right, you can see the Cyber Blue 17 strings for the crosses (which you can get 10% off as well with my promo code) - this is a very good cross string and very popular as hybrid for a softer feel/touch combo.  Here is our review on Cyber Blue (a bit less spin, more control for big hitters).

Topspin and Polyester strings discounts


From HolabirdSports.com, there is a Buy 4, get 1 FREE special
for TopSpin Cyber Flash and Cyber Blue Strings.

TheTennisDepot String Specials (Expires 12/31/11)
Free Shipping for all orders over $74!

Signum Pro Poly Plasma reels - "plasmabarg10"
Polyfibre Black Venom Rough sets and reels - "venombarg10"
Genesis Xplosion reels - "xplosionbarg10"
Genesis Spin X (Argentum color only) sets and reels - "gesx10"


Signum Pro Poly Plasma 1.18 Tennis-Bargains.com Review
Pros:
Some people prefer it over the Topspin Cyber Flash because of its "crisp" and lively feel. It also has a very distinctive  neon orange color. Soft yet powerful string.

Cons:
My only complaint was that I found that SPPP in 1.18 gauge is a bit easier to break than CF and the Black Magic strings...but if you get the 1.23 gauge it is a bit more durable.

Other reviews:
Below is a review of SPPP from Stringforum.net (132 out of 138 reviewers liked it)

Average rating on this site (156 ratings)
DurabilityPowerControlFeel
ComfortSpinTen.stab.Satisfied96% (132/138)

It is considered among the best co-poly strings among frequent stringers.

See our full comparison reviews:
TopSpin Cyber FlashTopSpin Cyber BlueGenesis Black Magic

Tennis Giveaways!

TennisFixation Free Giveaways

Our latest recommended "Top Tennis-Bargain Site" is TennisFixation - a fun and well-written blog for the everyday tennis fan.

Free Tennis Giveaways
Kim, the blog's author, also holds a weekly tennis giveaway on her website.

To enter and win, simply add a comment to her article. This past weekend, all that was necessary for me (J.C.) to win was to name my favorite tennis player ("Rafael Nadal"). A winner at the end of the week will be picked:
http://tennisfixation.blogspot.com/2011/05/we-have-another-winner.html

The prize last week?
A brand new copy of the video game TopSpin 4 from 2KSports! (Retail Value $39.99)
This video game has received some terrific ratings from Amazon reviewers.

TopSpin 4 is suppose to be much better than Virtual Tennis 4 and is graphically superior to the rest of the older TopSpin game series. Best of all, it has Nadal, Federer, Djokovic...plus Legends like Sampras and Agassi. I will have my own review posted for those interested.

Let's see how a Borg vs Nadal match at the French Open would play out?


Tennis-Bargains French Open Giveaway

To celebrate the French Open, we will be giving away free tennis strings from Genesis later in May. The winner will receive any two sets of Genesis string types of their choice (excluding natural gut).

Important Tip!
Get instant updates when our free drawings will be held and be the #1 to enter,
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