The Babolat Pure Aero VS in the special 'Stars 'n Stripes' colorway is a new version of the earlier Aero Storm. The racket is a unique mix of two racket lines: the Pure Aero series and the Pure Control series.
A Hybrid Racket
The name Babolat Pure Aero VS suggests a complement to the popular Pure Aero series, but that is not quite the whole story. In an earlier post we reported on two limited edition colorways of the Pure Aero: a Roland Garros edition and a 'Stars 'n Stripes' edition. Although the Babolat Pure Aero VS has the same colorway as the latter mentioned, it is still quite a different racket. The racket combines the Aero shaft with a classic, flat box-beam frame construction in the head.
Specs:
- Brand: Babolat
- Model: Pure Aero VS
- Head size: 98 sq/inch
- Weight: 295 g
- Balance: 32.0 cm
- String pattern: 16/20
- Length: 27 inches
- RA: 67
Promoted by Jack Sock
The American Jack Sock promotes the Babolat Pure Aero VS in a 'Let's rally America' campaign, a nod to the upcoming presidential election in America. The 'Stars 'n Stripes' colorway is also chosen with an eye on the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Playability and
In comparison with the Pure Aero, the Babolat Pure Aero VS is more difficult to play. The racket has less free power and a smaller ideal sweetspot, making it less forgiving. The smaller head size (98 sq/inch) and more compact string pattern (16/20) contribute to this. The box-beam frame construction gives the racket more feel than the Pure Aero, but you have to generate the speed yourself.
Compared to the earlier Aero Storm, the predecessor of this racket, the Babolat Pure Aero VS is more maneuverable and has a faster feel. The relatively small sweetspot, however, makes the racket somewhat unstable on off-center hits.
Conclusion
The Babolat Pure Aero VS is a unique racket in terms of construction and specs, but is not as versatile as the regular Pure Aero racket family. At Babolat, the focus will also lie more on the Pure Aero series and the new Pure Strike racket line, of which are the predecessors of the ProjectOne7 rackets we recently tested in the fore ground.
