In addition to being a great collectible, this is a must buy for those who want to see what it feels like to swing a tour level racquet
Introducing the Pure Aero Rafa Origin, the racquet with the closest specifications to Rafa's customized racquet. Unlike the standard Pure Aero, the Rafa Origin doesn't put any dampening technology between player and ball, giving it the kind of direct ball feedback that advanced players crave. Additional features include Babolat's iconic Aeromodular beam and Woofer grommet system. This racquet also comes with a firm 69+RA, providing a crisp, powerful and stable response that has attracted generations of players. What defines the Rafa Origin, however, is its 365+ RDC swingweight, making it very challenging to swing but giving it the needed heft to absorb and redirect the highest levels of pace. The high swingweight offers massive plow through power which is perfect for hitting punishing groundstrokes and serves. The flip side is that ripping heavy spin-loaded angles like Rafa takes additional care with both timing and technique. Those who can leverage this racquet's mass will find dangerous levels of pace from the baseline and rock solid stability at net. In addition to being a great collectible, this is a must buy for those who want to see what it feels like to swing a tour level racquet. Get this rare collectible while supplies last. Specs below based on two samples.
Specifications
| Head Size: 100 in2 / 645.16 cm2 | ||||
| Length: 27in / 68.58cm | ||||
| Strung Weight: 11.9oz / 337g | ||||
| Balance: 13.38in / 33.99cm / 1 pts HL | ||||
| Swingweight: 371 | ||||
| Stiffness: 70 | ||||
| Beam Width: 23mm / 26mm / 23mm | ||||
| Composition: Graphite | ||||
| Power Level: Low-Medium | ||||
| Stroke Style: Medium-Full | ||||
| Swing Speed: Medium-Fast | ||||
| Racquet Colors: Pink/Yellow/Black | ||||
| Grip Type: Babolat Syntec Pro | ||||
String Pattern:
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| String Tension: 50-59 pounds | ||||
| Specs based on two samples |
Videos
Other Items to Consider
Customer Reviews
Wonderful RacquetFor context, I’m in my mid-40s, a solid 4.0 rec player who plays mostly from the baseline. I’d consider myself physically strong, and this racquet really suits that style. It offers excellent plough-through and makes it easy to push opponents back behind the baseline.
I love attacking on serve, and with this racquet, I was consistently hitting big, plenty of pop without having to over-swing. That said, if your technique isn’t clean or you don’t generate much spin, it’s easy to lose control and send balls long. I’m a relatively flat hitter, and I actually prefer this over the regular Aero, more control and a lot more substance behind each shot.
One nice surprise was how well it handled my one-handed backhand, something that doesn’t always pair well with more powerful aero frames.
The main drawback is fatigue. As others have mentioned, the longer the match goes, the more the weight catches up with you. For a quick set or two, it’s great, but in longer matches, it can become a grind.
I usually play with denser-pattern racquets like the 97D or Speed Pro, but this one really impressed me. Definitely a keeper in the rotation.
Rafa Origin racquetI love this racquet! This one is great on volleys and for hitting effortlessly from the baseline. I only had to adjust my serve because I usually use headlight racquets, but when you adjust the power is awesome.
Lets be honest, we're not him!Ok, lets dig in. For all the people considering buying this, especially now that it has decreased in price, get ready for the harsh truth. I bought this during the Black Friday sale, because yeah... $330 for a racquet, no thank you! I'm an honest 3.0 though I feel like i could be a 3.5 on great day. I do however like playing with heaver racquets (I'm 6'0, 240 lbs., can curl 40lbs dumbbell - 3 sets of 10 easy). So after thinking my strength was a match for this racquet I finally decided to demo the Rafa Origin, thinking maybe I could upgrade to the god level of Rafa. Though it was a fun racquet to play with the arm fatigue is real (Rafa must be curling 60 lbs. minimum)! Then later on in the year, the black Friday sale happened and I finally purchased it. I played a couple friendly matches with this thing, and yeah; felt like my arm was about to fall off due to the new muscles I was having to use to serve with this Thor Hammer of a racquet. For context I'm a flat hitter; and I came accustomed as to why this is called the "Aero". I have historically used Head racquets, my favs being the Gravity and Speed Pro models. This racquet however, makes you swing with topspin even if you don't want too, like I can't explain it but you literally have to hit like Rafa (whip around the world) because if you hit flat there is a resistance the racquet has to hitting flat shots (I'm guessing the enlarged throat is to blame for that). So, I call this racquet "The Sensei", it is a very humbling racquet that forces you to hit properly and have impeccable mechanics. If you want it to work, you have to work for it. Where as my gravity can forgive my errors easily, this racquet will let you know every little mistake you make. But it is nice to practice with, as stated it teaches me how to hit more efficiently, kind of like like the Pro Staff v13 RF. So if you're thinking of getting this racquet, yes it's a cool piece to have in the collection, but no you will not gain the magic of Rafa. You'll end up looking like a doofus who spent and arm and a leg on a racquet you can't even tame. You'll just look out of place like a rural monster pick-up truck in downtown Seattle... or a Tesla in rural country area. So buy at your own discretion!
Love itThis racquet is epic. I've been using it for about a month or two and it hits an epic heavy ball that will blast through the court if you have time to take it in front of you. It's also fairly easy to defend with a loopy ball if you're out of position. I'm getting used to the swingweight on serve and starting to hit nice wide slices and powerful flat serves (you have to generate some good racquet head speed for the slice and flat serves to be effective). I find the swingweight pretty manageable but it would be tough for anyone who isn't on the more athletic side. Shots take a little more time to set up but I was expecting it to feel way more drastic. Still getting used to the frame and my consistency has gone down a little bit but I see it raising my game in the long term. I play 4-4.5 level.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
Stable, not too powerful and well roundedI bought this for fun and it turned out to be a great competition racquet, has good power (not by being powerful, but by being stable and able to brush and plow through at the same time) and also is good with string durability so far. Also I wanted to make sure I was getting the real deal so I compared the specs with Rafa's actual racquet and it was very, very close just coming in one point less on the RA scale, so basically it's the same thing but as if Rafa has already used it once. However this is now my favorite racquet to use and is definitely worth it ON SALE. Now being a racquet connoisseur and knowing the production pricing of these racquets there's no way it's actually worth $330 bucks, so use coupon codes on this one. But if you got a good coupon, go for it!
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
Good FrameGood Frame
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
Best racquet I've ever owned.Without a doubt the most balanced and consistent racquet I have ever had. Easy to swing. Feels great in hands and allows for excellent control through the match
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
Rafa racquetSolid, excellent for net and flat shots too. If you go on Babolat's site I think you can purchase smaller grip sizes not offered here though. I had it strung with RPM Blast and it felt great to play with but the strings broke in less than a month and we are recreational players at best... Twice a week for a couple hours and the same thing happened to my husband’s racquet. So I had a local stringer restring both racquets and so far so good. Racquet itself has great power, control and like the way it feels. Didn’t need to do anything to it yet, plays great the way it is! Highly recommend. We did demo a lot of racquets from here and other places before finding the one! Love the colors, just put neon pink RPM Blast strings and it looks amazing as well as plays amazing!
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
Very fun, but tough for match playThis is a fun racquet to play around with, but too much for me to win points with. As background, I'm 6'2", a solid 4.0 player, and gravitate towards heavier specs. My sweet spot is strung weight from 330-340 grams and swingweight from 327-329 kg-cm2. The swingweight of this hammer is way above that. Snapping over ball tosses on serves and reflex volleys are tricky. Why is it fun:
- It absolutely liquefies the ball on ground strokes... you and your hitting partners will chuckle
- It exaggerates spin... similar to a Yonex VCore
- Well-timed volleys are effortless
- Flat and slice serves get gobs of free power
- You will get attention as the racquet is anything but subtle
I have fond memories of Rafa playing, so I partially rationalized the purchase as a usable keep-sake. So if you're a tennis nerd and like messing around with different sticks from time to time, this will offer a unique experience.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
Great All Around RacquetThe Babolat Pure Aero Rafa Origin racquet is a game-changer! It delivers incredible power and heavy spin, making every shot feel explosive. The racquet's design perfectly complements my aggressive playing style, allowing me to generate massive topspin with ease. My serves have never been more powerful, and I can consistently hit deep, controlled shots from the baseline. If you're looking for a racquet that offers unmatched spin, power, and precision, the Pure Aero Rafa Origin is the one to beat!
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
