Babolat Pure Aero Team 2023 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 80

Versatility reigned supreme from the baseline with the Pure Aero Team 2023. Chris used the lighter frame to maximize spin and angles. He explained, "The Pure Aero Team 2023 was super fast and easy to swing on groundstrokes. I could whip it around the ball and get creative with angled shots. Getting spin was super easy thanks to the open string pattern and fast feel. I had fun rolling the ball high and deep with topspin, and I liked how much margin for error I had with this racquet since I could go high over the net and get the ball to dip way inside the lines. The Pure Aero Team 2023 definitely responded better on fast swings since it helped keep the hoop stable. On slower swings, this racquet is light enough that it can get pushed around at times by a heavy incoming ball. I found that using a multifilament string helped, and it also made the sweetspot feel even bigger."

With a naturally flat swing path, Tiffani appreciated how a spin-oriented racquet like this responded to her shots. She said, "I typically lean toward the Pure Drive over the Pure Aero series since I'm more of a flat ball striker than someone who goes for loads of topspin. With that in mind, I did find this Pure Aero Team to be quite spin-friendly. It offered easy net clearance and depth. However, what I liked most was that I didn't find it difficult to control my flatter shots. Sometimes spin-oriented racquets can be tough for me to control, but I felt in command with this Pure Aero Team 2023, and I didn't notice more shots flying on me unexpectedly. It was easy to whip around, so I didn't feel like I was caught making contact late very often. The one area I did struggle with was slice. I found some of these shots sitting up a bit on me rather than skidding through the court. Since it's nearly a full ounce lighter than my own racquet, that was expected, as were the hints of instability I would feel when returning heavier shots. Because of that, I preferred hitting this racquet with a full bed of multifilament over a full bed of poly or a multi/poly hybrid."

Brittany echoed the other playtesters, noting the effortless net clearance. She said, "I was able to playtest the Babolat Pure Aero Team 2023 side by side with the standard version. Right off the bat, the first thing I noticed was how easy the racquet was to swing. On my groundstrokes, I noticed free power and plenty of spin potential. I found that the Team version offered a higher launch angle, and that translated to deeper shots. I was able to rotate my wrist and create some fun, shorter angled groundstrokes to pull my opponents off the baseline. My slices were decent when I had to play defense. The racquet doesn't have a ton of mass behind the ball, but I was able to keep the ball low enough to keep myself in the point."

Volleys - Score: 79

Sometimes the best advice is to keep things simple, and our team couldn't preach that enough with the Pure Aero Team 2023 at net. Tiffani described, "There was some degree of instability due to the weight, but overall this Pure Aero Team suited my net game well. My top priority at net is maneuverability, and this racquet was super easy to get into position. I could also transition easily to hitting overheads. I liked to keep it simple and found good power when punching through my volleys. I could get the ball deep and felt like it would go where I expected it to."

"As I transitioned up to net, my goal with my volleys was to keep it simple," added Brittany. "Most of the time I got my racquet prepped early and hit high-percentage volleys when punching them deep into the open court. In regards to the feel, I found it to be similar to the previous generation and stiffer than the standard Pure Aero 2023."

Similar to his groundstrokes, Chris could cue up an array of different shots at the net, with a preference for speed and depth. He said, "The most impressive aspect of volleying with the Pure Aero Team 2023 was the maneuverability. I felt quick to react with this racquet in my hands and was attacking the net in doubles with confidence. I liked punching volleys away the most since this racquet felt more stable that way, and it was also easy to add a little swing to my shot for some added zip. On drop volleys, I was able to get good spin since I could cut under the ball quickly, and I liked to carry some racquet head speed to help with stability."

Serves - Score: 81

Staying true to the Pure Aero heritage, the Pure Aero Team 2023 brought huge spin to the service line. Brittany was more than happy with that spin, but there were times when she missed the added mass of the standard Pure Aero. She said, "I ended up playing around with my serves. The Pure Aero Team 2023 was extremely easy to get up and over my head, and I was able to maintain racquet head speed over the course of a long singles match. There was decent power, but what I really loved was all the spin potential. One of my favorite serves with this Pure Aero Team was an out-wide slice on the deuce side. I could really carve around the outside of the ball, which caused it to bounce away from my opponent, effectively pulling them off the court. I could get some good kick on my second serve as well. Again, my serves weren't the heaviest due to the lighter weight of the racquet, but that was expected."

Chris experimented with different string types to find the best results. He said, "I served pretty well with this racquet. I liked that I could generate lots of spin, as it helped me to get serves to dip inside the lines. Power was ample, and I liked the pace I was getting the most when I had a multifilament string installed in the racquet. The Pure Aero Team 2023 felt comfortable during long matches since it was so easy to swing. Overall, I liked the response of the Pure Aero Team 2023 despite usually preferring heavier racquets on serve."

While the lighter weight made it easy for Tiffani to generate racquet head speed, it lacked a key characteristic for her game. She explained, "As I said earlier, my racquet of choice is a bit heavier, and on serve is where I missed the extra mass the most. The Pure Aero Team 2023 was quite easy to swing overhead, but it didn't come through the hitting zone with a lot of plow through. I felt like my serves sat up a bit with it. However, I could swing it comfortably, and I didn't tire out when I took it out for some serving practice, which is always a bonus. I also thought it was easy to wrap around the ball to get some better-than-average movement on my slice serves."

Returns - Score: 79

Timing was the most important part of returning with the Pure Aero Team 2023 for our team. Chris got the most out of his return when he stayed aggressive. He said, "Taking returns early was fun with the Pure Aero Team 2023. I was confidently driving through the ball, looking to get as much spin and pace as possible. I was hitting my cross-court angle returns well since I could get this racquet quickly around the ball and brush it with spin. My slice return on the backhand side worked best when I knifed it because I could make the most of the racquet's maneuverability and spin potential."

"The strength of this racquet on returns was its easy swing," added Tiffani. "I didn't feel late on my returns and was confident taking bigger, fuller swings. For its weight, I think the Pure Aero Team 2023 was stable enough, but those used to heavier racquets will notice a bit of instability on this shot. Like my groundstrokes, I found better control than I had expected with my flat hitting style, so I could mix up my targets on returns."

Like Chris, Brittany's return game with the Pure Aero Team 2023 relied on committing to a big swing. She described, "I was looking to find a groove on my return of serve. If I kept my racquet head speed up I was able to make good contact and really swing out. However, I had to work on the timing; sometimes I was a little early, and if I contacted the ball late the racquet could twist in my hands against heavy first serves. I had more success on second serve returns, and I really dialed in on taking a riskier swing up the line to put pressure on my opponent."

Overall - Score: 80