The Pure Aero VS
I’ve been on the Carlos Alcaraz bandwagon since the kid was a junior. With a single glance at hit forehand, you can tell that the kid’s potential is through the roof. Last year, when he switched to the Pure Aero VS, I knew I had to try the frame. So much about the PA VS lines up with what I like. As former long-time user of the 2013 AeroPro Drive, a deep appreciator of the previous Aero VS, a 16x20 stringbed enthusiast and a self-appointed spin-demon, I was beyond thrilled when one finally popped up on the Facebook marketplace.
Babolat Pure Aero VS with Felix Auger-Aliassime in the background. Beckett Chung. TennCom 2022.
Potential Energy
With an unstrung stiffness of 70RA and a healthy swingweight at 321 strung, this thing pops. Instantly, the Pure Aero VS filled me with confidence. Knowing that Alcaraz uses this stick (allegedly stock), you are filled with this immense desire to crack forehand winner inside-in. No matter how many I missed, I still felt like it was only a matter of time before a smoked one at over 1000mph.
Against most players, this frame offers enough power in stock form to keep up with big-hitters in terms of pace and spin. It delivers a relatively heavy ball with ease, and it does so with the consistency of a heavier racquet. The sensation of speed you get with this frame combines nicely with the plowthrough and stability to offer one of the most balanced hitting experiences, allowing the user to swing a relatively heavy racquet quicker than thy other wise might.
Potential Energy: 117
Similar Performers:
Head Extreme Tour: 112
2022 Yonex EZONE 98: 113
Yonex VCORE 98: 120
Stringbed Performance
The PA VS has a wonderfully balanced 16x20 stringbed that errs on thee side of spin and forgiveness due to a higher stiffness, resulting in a higher, yet still controllable launch angle. On neutral balls, the launch angle is definitely higher than the Extreme Tour or the EZONE 98. That said, the PA VS does not punish you for flattening it out, something I would experience with thee 16x19 Pure Strike and the VCORE 98. As demonstrated by the legendary forehand of Carlos Alcaraz, you will certainly be rewarded with sufficient levels of predictability and control on a cleanly struck, aggressive, flat balls.
The stringbed is good enough for slicing, but I definitely preferred my two hander here. A lot of this is due to the muted feel in the Babolat, as opposed to any unpredictability I felt from the stringbed.
Stringbed Performance: 106
Similar Performers:
Head Extreme Tour: 97
2022 Yonex EZONE 98: 100
Yonex VCORE 98: 110
Weight Distribution
For many, the weight distribution will be a stand out feature for this frame, but for me it was a deal breaker. Coming in at 14.6, the twistweight is quite high. This is phenomenal for off-centre hits, exemplified by the PA VS’s best-in-class off-centre performance. This is what makes this frame so confidence inspiring. Regardless of your contact point, off or on-centre, comfort remains strong and the racquet plows through thee ball without hesitation, rarely twisting on mild shanks.
For may game, the trade-off on maneuverability is simply too great. When I added lead, raising the swingweight to roughly 340, the racquet becomes unwieldy compared to my Extreme Tour. To start, I struggled to get into position in time, which can off course be remedied with better footwork. Unfortunately, the problem with maneuverability continues even after your adjust to the slower frame. On my forehand, retaining mobility with my wrist is absolutely paramount. I need the racquet to give me enough maneuverability so that I can manipulate the racquet face and adjust my contact angle and racquet head speed constantly throughout the swing. Racquets with twistweight much higher than 14 simply don’t work for this. I’ve always struggled with racquets like the RF97 and the V6/7 Blades for this reason. They force my to flatten out my swing and I can’t control the ball with spin as I need to for my game.
You can call me a shitty player with bad footwork and a lazy swing, but I know I am not alone. Low twistweights that offer ease of racquet-face manipulation are crucial for players like Rafa, who use a TW of only 12.67, yet a SW of 360. It’s not about being setup in time, it’s about how you control the ball. I control the ball with spin, so it’s paramount that my racquet-head speed remains high. I am simply not skilled enough to just block the ball back into to play when I get jammed, like a flatter hitter might.
Weight Distribution: 118
Similar Performers:
Head Extreme Tour: 104
2022 Yonex EZONE 98: 106
Yonex VCORE 98: 120
Final Thoughts
The Pure Aero VS is lovely frame. The feel is what you would expect out of a modern Babolat. Not my cup of tea, but not a deal breaker, consider the acceptable comfort level for such a high stiffness. For me, the deal breaker is the twistweight. It will be ideal for some, perfect even, but not for me.
