Babolat Pure Aero Plus 2019 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 87

Our playtesters thoroughly enjoyed the bump in power and spin they experienced while wielding the Babolat Pure Aero 2019 from the baseline. Chris put it simply, stating, "Big power. Big spin. Lots of fun! That pretty much sums up hitting groundstrokes with the Pure Aero Plus 2019. Since I used to use the Pure Drive Plus, I found it easy to quickly get in the groove with this racquet. I really enjoyed it on my backhand slice. I was able to use the racquet's response and added length to manipulate the pace, spin and direction of the ball with little effort. I felt very relaxed with my slice backhand, which freed up my creativity. I also had fun hitting big forehands with this racquet. I was able to tap into some extra pace when I wanted. The downside was I found it easier to get carried away and overhit. Even when holding a little back, though, I could rally aggressively and take control of the point."

Mark was more than pleased with the Pure Aero Plus 2019's performance from the backcourt. He described, "The baseline is where I spend most of my time on the tennis court, and it's also where I form most of my opinions about any racquet I'm playing with. Suffice it to say, hitting from the baseline is probably where a racquet's specs are most important to me. I used the same string setup for both the prior and the new iteration of the Pure Aero Plus, and I had a virtually seamless transition from one to the other. Stability against heavier shots with the 2019 version was stellar, and its inherent combination of power and control was top notch as well. I was able to disguise and hit my backhand slice well, and I could effectively use topspin off both wings to change the direction of the ball. It's one of the most versatile and effective racquets I have ever played with from the baseline."

Troy found this Pure Aero Plus to play faster than other extended-length racquets, and he enjoyed the generous access to spin. He noted, "My initial impression when hitting from the baseline was that I was able to achieve easy depth on my groundstrokes. I also found that the relatively high launch angle made it easy for me to get good net clearance. That, combined with a high level of spin potential, let me generate a lot of arc on my groundstrokes, which resulted in some heavy topspin balls for my opponents to deal with. Although the swingweight on this racquet is similar to what I usually play with, it felt very maneuverable. This Pure Aero Plus felt faster and more maneuverable than the Yonex VCORE 98+, which I recently playtested. I found a bit more response and feel here than in the previous version of this racquet, so I felt more confident taking big swings from the baseline. I was surprised at how much I liked this racquet on my backhand slice. With thicker-beamed 100-square-inch racquets my slices tend to float and do not penetrate the court very well. With this Pure Aero Plus 2019, the feel and the plow through allowed me to hit deep, penetrating slice backhands. The only knock was that there were times when I tried hitting forehands on the run, and I couldn't maneuver the racquet effectively. This would cause me to get to the ball late and send some shots flying. I found it much easier to buggy-whip my forehand and hit the cross-court dippers with the standard-length Pure Aero 2019."

The Pure Aero Plus complemented Michelle's attacking game style. She said, "It's no secret that I have been loving all the extended-length racquets lately! I had a feeling I would like this one, too. However, I barely hit with the updated standard Pure Aero because I loved the original version and didn't think I would enjoy the new feel. With that in mind, I wasn't 100 percent sure how this playtest would go. I tested this racquet next to the Pure Aero Tour and have to say I was very content with both racquets. The Plus offered me lots of mass and power, and I really had a good time attacking big with it. I could ramp up the MPHs easily, which made the racquet feel like a weapon in my hand. I didn't have any of the launch angle issues that I had with previous Aero racquets, but I could still miss big with this racquet at times. Sometimes I felt in control of the ball, and other times I would be a tiny bit late or off and miss by 20 feet — whoops! Other than that, the Pure Aero Plus 2019 was fun to grind with during long hitting sessions, and it was awesome when attacking short balls. My only complaint from the baseline was that although the racquet was fairly maneuverable, I really struggled to dip angle shots off the court."

Volleys - Score: 80

The Pure Aero Plus 2019's aggressive nature carried over to volleys, which allowed Troy to transition seamlessly when moving forward. He explained, "I was finding easy power and stability when coming to net. I appreciated the fact that I could block my volleys back deep in the court with little effort. The sweetspot felt big and forgiving, which allowed me to be aggressive on my volleys without fear of mishits. In doubles, I was making good use of the extended length by covering a lot of court and poaching a lot of my opponents' returns. I typically find extended-length racquets harder to maneuver when reacting quickly up at net. This Pure Aero Plus 2019 didn't feel sluggish on my volleys, and I was able to manipulate the racquet with ease during quick volley exchanges. When trying to hit drop volleys and precise angles, I wasn't as completely dialed in as I am with my Yonex VCORE Pro 97 (330). With that said, I found a plusher feel and some added touch on my volleys compared to the Pure Drive Tour Plus."

The praise continued from Michelle. She said, "I thought this racquet volleyed well. The extra reach was appreciated and utilized, and I felt confident moving forward. It was stable and fairly maneuverable, which made it easy to get into position to execute the shots I wanted. This racquet also held up well when I had less time to react."

Chris found great feel on his volleys and enjoyed the point-and-shoot nature of the racquet. He elaborated, "I enjoyed the crisp response of the Pure Aero Plus at net. My volleys felt very direct. All I had to do was line the racquet up with my target, and the ball would zip away to it. I also get a little more touch out of the Pure Aero Plus than I do with the Pure Drive Plus. I felt a little more connected to my shots. The sweetspot of the Pure Aero Plus 2019 was a tad more on-off, whereas the Pure Drive Plus feels a little more forgiving off center."

Mark quickly got dialed in at net. He said, "The volley is the shot where the specifics of a racquet matter the least to me. That said, I am optimally looking for a racquet that is maneuverable and light enough for me to get it into position on time, yet heavy enough that it will feel stable if I am a little off center on ball contact. Overall, the specs and feel of the Pure Aero Plus made my volley the easiest shot for me to hit during this playtest."

Serves - Score: 89

The Babolat Pure Aero Plus 2019 proved to be a true powerhouse on serves, giving our playtesters a significant advantage when starting the point. "This was my favorite part of the playtest," said Michelle. "I have found that the Pure Aero line of racquets helps me open up all the power on my serves, and this update was no exception. Sometimes, extended racquets can feel sluggish to get up and over my head, but I had no issues with the Pure Aero Plus. If my mechanics were correct I could consistently bomb big first serves to my targets. I found great depth into the service box, and my serves were pushing my opponents back."

Chris also reveled in the power he could generate on his serves. He said, "The Pure Aero Plus was a great racquet for serving. I found all the power I could want. Fortunately, I could also get lots of spin to help me control that power. The added length was a great fit for me as well. I felt like I had a greater margin for error while also getting a boost in power, with no additional effort required. I was very confident hitting two aggressive serves with this racquet and never felt like I had to hold much back on my second serves."

There were no surprises for Mark when it came to serving. He said, "I got precisely what I expected when serving with the Babolat Pure Aero Plus 2019, which is easier access to pace, direction and spin. My serve motion has been a work in progress lately, and I can say that I am almost happy with it at this point. This frame definitely made my serve a little more effective with the same relative level of effort."

Troy found the right blend of characteristics to start his service points effectively. He described, "With easy power, added reach and good maneuverability, the Pure Aero Plus 2019 had me feeling in control on my service games. I was able to generate a lot of spin and get my kick serve jumping off the court. There are times when I struggle to generate spin on my serves with extended-length racquets, but this one was maneuverable enough that it was not an issue. I was able to generate easy power on flat first serves, and the maneuverability made this racquet feel easy on my shoulder when I tried to crank up the power. The precision wasn't quite at the level of my VCORE Pro 97 (330), but I was able to pick my spots effectively. My favorite serve to hit with this racquet was my lefty can-opener on the ad side. The extra reach, together with the maneuverability, helped me generate a sharp angle on those serves, which let me execute the one-two punch with my serve followed by a put-away shot."

Returns - Score: 85

As with serving, the Pure Aero Plus 2019's extra reach was a highlight on returns. According to Troy, this racquet boosted his return percentage. He commented, "The extended length enabled me to get a lot of returns back in play. Anytime I was stretched out, this Pure Aero Plus 2019 helped me generate easy depth and muster an effective shot. When I had the time to step in and take a swing I could crack a return with a lot of pace, pushing my opponent back. As with most extended-length racquets, I loved the extra reach and easy power on my two-handed backhand returns. The backhand chip return was working well with this racquet too; I could slice the return deep with little effort, keeping the ball low at my opponent's feet. My only knock was that the Pure Aero Plus 2019 felt a bit firm on my arms if I mistimed my returns."

Chris also enjoyed the ease of returning with the Pure Aero Plus 2019. He explained, "I was able to put the power and leverage of this racquet to good use when returning serves. Again, my backhand slice was working well. I liked how I could drive the return deep with what seemed like merely a flick of the wrist. The racquet felt fast, which allowed me to accelerate it easily and get all the spin I needed to control the power."

This racquet gave Mark some added confidence in his return game. He noted, "This was the one part of the playtest where I thought I might regret saying the 2019 Pure Aero Plus hides its extra length well. However, to my surprise, I was able to swing over the ball more often than is typical for me. There was no doubt that I had a longer-than-standard frame in my hands any time a serve was aimed wide, but I did not have nearly as much of a problem returning body serves as I had expected. Although my serve return is not the most effective part of my game, it was my favorite shot to hit with this racquet."

The Pure Aero Plus 2019 was a dangerous weapon in the hands of Michelle on returns. She concluded, "I loved returning with this racquet, probably because it just felt awesome on contact and allowed me to swing big and be aggressive at first strike. I don't think it was always the smartest racquet for me to return with, because I tended to start slapping and trying to hit as hard as I could, but when I connected just right, the ball wasn't coming back. Plus, when I was pulled wide or was off balance the stability of the Pure Aero Plus 2019 helped me get back into the point."

Overall - Score: 86