Babolat Pure Strike VS Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 79

Brittany was surprised by her first impression of the Pure Strike VS. She explained, "The first thing I noticed with the Pure Strike VS is that it is low powered and more of a control-oriented racquet. When I was rallying from the baseline I had to work extra hard to get the pace and depth that I'm used to, especially compared to other Babolat racquets like the Pure Drive or Pure Aero. I found myself enjoying it more when I was hitting with big hitters like Michelle, so I could take the ball early and redirect the power. The sweetspot was on the smaller side, and when I hit directly in the sweetspot the ball would launch, but when I hit outside the sweetspot I got the opposite response. Overall, the stringbed response was very uneven."

Staying true to its name, the Pure Strike VS granted Mark solid and stable strikes. He noted, "I really liked, and played well with, the predecessors to the Babolat Pure Strike VS (the Pure Storm and Pure Control), so I was pretty excited to give this racquet a test drive. This new offering exhibited a very solid feel, and I had to guess that its swing weight was somewhere around 320. I found that 'just right' feel from the baseline with the new VS Strike. With the 16x20 string pattern providing easy access to spin, I was nailing my targets in a short amount of time. Overall, the new Pure Strike VS was an effective weapon from the baseline for me, making this my favorite portion of this playtest."

Hannah had trouble adjusting to this racquet, and she experienced a drop in consistency and comfort from the baseline. She said, "My first impression was the pingy vibration sound that came when I hit groundstrokes. This sound was only one factor that contributed to an uncomfortable feel and experience with this racquet. It is a stark contrast to the Pure Strike 16x19, which has the exact same cosmetics. The Pure Strike 16x19, 18x20 and 100 racquets are extremely comfortable from the first swing and serve as weapons from the baseline. I found the VS to be underpowered and unpredictable. It was too easy to either underswing or overhit. When I had more time, which was usually when I was hitting higher balls, I had the most control and could return with good depth and a clean swing. But against a flatter, harder hitter this racquet didn't absorb or defend power very well, and I struggled with control."

Tiffani, like Brittany, wasn't impressed with the underpowered feel she first experienced with this racquet, although she had some positive results from the baseline. She said, "When I first started playing with the Pure Strike VS I noticed that it had less power than the Pure Strike 16x19 racquet, so I was unsure of how well I would play with it. Once I warmed up I felt more comfortable with the power level, and I found that I could get the depth that I needed to play my counterpunching style. The Pure Strike VS swung pretty quickly, and I could easily add spin to my shots. I found myself slicing my backhand more because I liked how low the ball would stay. However, the sweetspot felt small, and the racquet's response was completely different when I made contact outside of the sweetspot. The uneven stringbed made my play somewhat erratic. I also felt vulnerable if I got pushed back deep off the baseline or had to hit off my back foot. In those instances, the racquet didn't feel like it had enough 'oomph' to keep me in the point."

Volleys - Score: 80

The TW playtesters were able to tap into the Pure Strike VS' maneuverability at net. The stability and accuracy at the net were a pleasant surprise for Hannah, but she was still left wanting. She offered, "This racquet was more accurate at the net than it was from the baseline. Although I was expecting some fluttering at the net, my volleys actually felt pretty stable. The stringbed outside of the sweetspot wasn't very generous when I was reaching for volleys. Overall, it was difficult to get in a rhythm with this racquet, and under pressure I struggled with my confidence when I was going for my volleys."

Tiffani was pleased with her results at net, and she capitalized on the maneuverable specs this frame offered. She said, "I enjoyed volleying with this racquet. It maneuvered well, and the accuracy issues I had at the baseline didn't affect me as much at the net. When I hit the ball inside the sweetspot I had enough feel -- and confidence -- to attempt a drop volley or two."

Brittany commented on how quick the Pure Strike VS felt in her hands when she was at the net, saying, "The Pure Strike VS felt quick and maneuverable up at net. I could get the racquet into position whether I was doing a quick volley exchange or having to short hop a volley. However, I was left wanting a little more pop for put-away volleys. I wasn't the biggest fan of the feel, and the net was where that came into play the most."

This racquet's spec was right up Mark's alley, and he used that to his advantage at the net. He said, "I was very effective with the Pure Strike VS from anywhere inside the service court lines. Again, its blend of weight, balance, beam firmness and string pattern made it easy for me to end points at net. I felt very connected to the ball, even on the stretch."

Serves - Score: 80

More control and less power continued to be the trend when it came to serves. Although Mark was expecting an average result on the serve portion of the Babolat Pure Strike VS playtest, he was surprised to find good power and accuracy on his serve. He said, "I generally prefer to serve with heavier racquets (over 11.5 oz), so I did not have the highest expectations for this part of the test. That said, sometimes it feels pretty good to be wrong, as I was very effective serving with Babolat's VS Pure Strike. I also noticed that when I contacted the ball toward the tip of the hoop the frame still delivered power without any excessive vibration on both serves and groundstrokes."

Brittany was left craving more free power on her first serve. She noted, "While I could generate good racquet head speed, it wasn't translating into power. I found myself hitting mostly slice serves to start off the point. I struggled a tad with my second serve. When I was at all tentative and wasn't taking a full swing my second serves were dumping in the net. I had to make the extra effort to really hit out on my second serve."

Hannah didn't find power on her serve, but like Mark, she she found good accuracy. She explained, "Serving with this racquet was probably the best feature of this playtest. Still, I wasn't impressed with the overall feel on serves, and when I caught the ball toward the tip of the strings my serves ended up extremely underpowered. I also experienced some arm soreness from this racquet. I think I was swinging harder to make up for the lack of power."

Once again impressed with the maneuverability potential of this racquet, Tiffani felt confident going up and after her serve. She explained, "The speedy feel through the air was a big help for me on serves. I just liked the way the Pure Strike VS felt through the air. I wasn't hitting bigger serves than usual, but I got enough power and spin to start off the point. Because of the easy maneuverability, I felt good about moving the ball around the box."

Returns - Score: 79

Tiffani had the same problems returning serve that she had hitting groundstrokes. She said, "I had some ups and downs on returns, similar to my issues with groundstrokes. This racquet felt great when I made contact in the sweetspot. It came around quickly, handled incoming pace well and felt accurate. But when I missed the sweetspot I lost all of that. The drop-off in performance outside the sweetspot was drastic."

Hannah thought maneuverability would be the star on returns, but it didn't quite turn out that way. She explained, "My returns was pretty average. The stability through the handle was a plus, but this frame was not as maneuverable as I would have hoped for such a light racquet."

One of Brittany's favorite qualities of this racquet was its ability to redirect her opponent's power, so the return of serve was a perfect opportunity to capitalize. She offered, "I preferred returning with this racquet over serving. I loved taking the serve and redirecting the power back to my opponent. I was very efficient returning first serves deep in the court and starting the point off in an offensive position. The maneuverability was an added bonus, and I never felt late on my returns."

Satisfied with the Pure Strike VS overall, Mark felt it was also a good option for returning. He noted, "It wasn't until serve speeds were excessive that the VS Pure Strike felt unstable. I have to say that its stability on the return was stellar considering its overall weight of 11 oz."

Overall - Score: 80