If you need help choosing the best Babolat tennis racquet, you’re in the right place.
Here we’re going to discuss:
- The most popular Babolat racquets (and why they’re so popular)
- How to choose the best racquet for your needs & preferences
- FAQ (such as: What’s the best racquet for tennis elbow?)
So if you're ready...
Popular Babolat tennis racquets (And why they’re so popular)
Babolat Pure Drive – Explosive power racquet
Not only is the Pure Drive Babolat’s most popular tennis racquet, but it might just be the most popular racquet on the planet.
Babolat tweaked the swing weight, string tension, frame stiffness, and a few other factors to give this racquet explosive power.
And even though this racquet’s most popular benefit is its ridiculous power, that’s not the only thing that makes it a fan favorite. The Pure Drive falls right in the goldilocks zone of tennis racquets, with all the best features that players of all skill levels can appreciate.
It’s technically an intermediate racquet, so it’s not as light as a beginner racquet. This just means your arm could get worn out after playing with the Pure Drive for a while.
What you'll notice
- Effortless power
As soon as you smack the first ball across the court with this racquet, you’ll see what all the hype is about. No matter your skill level, or physical strength, you’ll have powerful serves and returns with the Pure Drive.
One caveat: as you become more advanced, and you want a little more control over where you land the ball, this racquet’s power might make that challenging to do.
- Stiffer frame
Babolat is known for their frame stiffness, and this racquet is no different. This is largely where its power comes from, and you’ll definitely notice the stiff feeling in your arms when you play with the Pure Drive.
Babolat Pure Aero – Best for putting spin on the ball
As the name implies, this tennis racquet is designed to be aerodynamic.
It’s very similar to the Pure Drive, the main difference being that it sacrifices a hint of power for a little more control and ability to spin the ball. The Aero’s frame is a little more flexible than the Drive, which is what gives you better control over your shots.
And it has a slightly higher swing weight, which means you’ll need to put in a tad more effort to generate the same amount of power. This is ideal for players who like using various types of shots – not just full-power in every shot.
What you'll notice
- Heavier swing weight
If you were to swing the Pure Aero right after swinging the Pure Drive, you’ll immediately notice the difference in swing weight. They both weigh the exact same, but Babolat adjusted how the Aero’s weight is distributed so that it requires more effort to swing.
And because you won’t just automatically blast your shots across the net, you’ve got a little more control of where you put the ball.
- More flexible frame
The Pure Aero is less stiff than the Pure Drive, which means it absorbs some of the energy of every shot. This makes it a tad more “arm-friendly” which just means you won’t feel the vibrations of each shot as much. Some players appreciate this, though it’s just a personal preference.
Babolat Pure Strike – Control & Feel racquet
The Pure Strike is all about having control over your shots, typically for a slightly more experienced player.
The Pure Strike’s frame is more flexible (i.e. less stiff) than the Drive and Aero, which means you’ll have to exert a little more effort into each shot. The benefit of this is that you have even more control over where you put the ball.
And not only is the Pure Strike a little heavier than the other models, but it’s also got a higher swing weight, which you’ll notice the longer you play. For newer players, this feature might wear their arm muscles out, but for a more experienced player, this feature is excellent for ball control. In other words, you won’t just blast the ball over the net regardless of how you hit it.
What you'll notice
- Thinner beam
You’ll immediately recognize that the Pure Strike has a thinner beam compared to the Aero and Drive models. And though it may seem counterintuitive, it’s actually designed to be heavier. You’ll have a greater feel of each shot, which, as you gain experience, allows you to intuit how to hit the ball in order to get the result you want.
What you'll notice
- Smaller sweet spot
The head of the Pure Strike is smaller than the Drive and Aero. This means you won’t automatically zing the ball with max power. With a smaller head, and therefore sweet spot (i.e. the most powerful hitting spot), you can dictate how you hit each shot.
How to choose the best Babolat tennis racquet for you
When you’re choosing a new tennis racquet, there are a ton of factors to consider.
There are the fundamentals like weight, length, and head size. And then you’ve got your preferences like power versus control, string pattern, and your playing style.
Thankfully tennis racquets are broken down into three basic categories:
- Power racquets for beginners
- Player racquets for advanced players
- Tweener racquets for those with improved skills, but still not at an advanced level yet
Now let’s break down the best racquets for you based on your experience level.
How to choose the best racquet for Beginners
If you’re new to tennis, or if you only play recreationally every now and then, there are a number of things you’ll need a racquet to help you with.
For one, if you haven’t developed your arm muscles, even if you’re a naturally strong person, you’ll still need a lighter racquet as you build those up.
You’ll also want a larger head size and a stiffer frame for power. This is so you can hit the ball over the net with less effort. Without this, you could risk getting a newbie injury like tennis elbow.
- Best beginner racquet for power: Babolat Pure Drive 110
If you don’t currently have a ton of arm strength, or if you’re just interested in hitting power shots, the Pure Drive 110 is an ideal beginner racquet for you.
- Best beginner racquet for speed and spin: Babolat Pure Aero Lite
If power is less of a concern, and you’re more interested in technique, especially putting spin on your shots, the Pure Aero Lite is probably what you’re looking for.
Intermediate players
If you’re an intermediate player you’ve got some tennis experience and you’re looking to hone your skills. For this, you’ll want a racquet with some features to help you develop into a more advanced player.
You’ll want a slightly heavier frame to help condition your strength and power. As you become more advanced you need to be able to generate power on your own, and not rely on your racquet.
You’ll want a more flexible frame to absorb some of the shock every time you hit the ball. This gives you more control over how and where you place your shots. Likewise, you’ll also want a slightly smaller head size so that not every shot is automatically a power shot.
- Best intermediate racquet for power: Babolat Pure Drive
As your skills progress, and you still want a racquet that produces much of the power for you, the Pure Drive is likely what you’re looking for. As mentioned before, The Pure Drive is Babolat’s most popular tennis racquet.
- Best intermediate racquet for speed and spin: Babolat Pure Aero
If you’re more focused on putting spin on your shots, and your muscles are getting better at producing their own power, the Pure Aero might be a better fit for you.
- Best intermediate racquet for control: Babolat Pure Strike
As you improve your game and want to focus more on controlling how you hit the ball and where it lands, you’ll probably want a more flexible racquet like the Pure Strike.
Advanced players
If you’re an advanced player, or an intermediate whose skills are progressing rapidly, it may be time for a “Players” racquet (a.k.a. “Control” racquet). These racquets are specifically designed to give you more control over the ball.
You’ll want a model that’s not so head-heavy, even though these racquets are heavier overall (the weight is shifted to the handle). This means you do more of the work, which allows you to use finesse on your shots.
You’ll want even more flexibility (a less stiff frame) and a smaller head size so that you can’t accidentally blast the ball too hard.
An advanced player leans more on their skills to get the job done. This means they need a racquet that’s engineered to highlight those skills, not hinder them.
- Best advanced racquet for speed and spin: Babolat Pure Aero Tour
If you’re interested in a light (for advanced racquets), easier-to-swing racquet, that’s great for spinning your shots, you’ll love the Aero Tour.
- Best advanced racquet for control: Babolat Pure Strike VS Tour
For advanced players who are ready for a heavier racquet, the Pure Strike VS Tour is the heaviest of the Strike family, and an elite control racquet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best Babolat tennis racquet for tennis elbow?
If you’ve got tennis elbow, or you’d just like a racquet that’ll help you avoid it altogether, you’ll want a model with vibration dampening technology.
Babolat isn’t exactly known for having the most arm-friendly racquets.
But if you love the Babolat brand, and you just want the best option to combat tennis elbow, the Pure Aero Lite would probably be your best bet. It’s one of their lightest racquets, and it has vibration dampening technology to absorb shock.
I need help deciding: Which would be the best Babolat tennis racquet to start with?
- Babolat Pure Aero Lite: Best unstrung option
If you’re looking to take your game seriously, and you want an excellent baseline racquet to help you improve your skills before moving up, this is your racquet.
- Babolat Boost Aero: Best pre-strung, under $100
Ideal for people who aren’t necessarily “into” tennis. For example, if you’re just playing casually with friends from time-to-time, then a pre-strung racquet like the Boost Aero is a great option for you.
Back To Top