Racquet Preview: Babolat Pure Strike

The Pure Drive is designed to rock the ball. The Pure Aero wants to make it dance. Babolat fashions the Pure Strike for players who want to play attacking tennis—take the ball on the rise and use precision and creativity to finish points.

For this fourth generation of the frame, Babolat wanted to install even greater control. The racquet’s hybrid beam—combining the stability and feel of a square shape with the speed and power of an elliptical structure—has been softened by 2-to-3 RA rating points. This dials back some of the power while upping the command.

Additionally, the frame has two new innovations to further help better its control:

• NF2 Tech, which debuted in the latest Pure Aero frames, makes its way to the Pure Strike. Natural flax fibers placed at strategic points in the racquet filter out unwanted vibration. Not only does it improve the feel of the frame, but it produces a more muted sound at contact which Babolat believes gives the user a better perception of control.
• Frame String Interaction Control combines the more predictable response of a tighter string pattern with the extended dwell time of the brand’s patented Woofer system. The extended contact between the ball and the strings provides greater connection on to better manipulate shots.

All in all, there will be eight frames in the lineup. Babolat is excited by the newcomer to the group: the Pure Strike 100 (16x20).The slightly larger head size gives it added forgiveness, while the tighter string setup and a low flex rating—the lowest in the line and one of the lowest the brand has produced in years—give the racquet tons of feel and control.

Along with the racquets, there is a complete collection of accessories in Pure Strike colors. It includes the new white RPM Hurricane string, three bags (RH12, RH6, and backpack), and two shoe models (Jet Mach 3 and Jet Tere 2). Additionally, there’s a towel, tee shirt, socks, hat, and wristbands all featuring the Pure Strike cosmetics.

The fourth generation of Pure Strike frames will be available at tennis specialty retailers and babolat.com starting January 25. Check back in the coming weeks for more detailed reviews.