Babolat Pure Aero Tour
The heaviest member of the Pure Aero family, this stick is designed for strong intermediates and advanced level players. Although it is a tad more challenging to swing than the standard Pure Aero, the Tour has a big upside. For starters, it does a better job absorbing and redirecting higher levels of pace. It also puts more mass (energy) into your shot, making it easier for you to overpower your opponent.
For this version Babolat retools their Cortex technology with a more advanced dampening compound along with a more optimal location higher in the racquet. The upshot is a slightly softer feel at impact.
This stick also features FSI Spin technology, which utilizes wider string spacing for extra bite along with oblong grommets at 6 and 12 o’clock to maximize string movement and snapback (think spin).
From the baseline, the Pure Aero Tour feels crisp, solid and accurate. Although it doesn’t accelerate as easily the standard Pure Aero, experienced players will find it fast enough for whipping up massive spin, and the higher weight gives aggressive players an impressive level of power.
Finally, in addition to the solid feel on block volleys, the head light balance gives this stick enough speed on reaction shots to make this an all-court weapon. Ultimately, with some incremental tweaks to the feel, the Pure Aero Tour remains one of the better options for the player who wants a stable and spin-friendly weapon that hits a heavy ball on full swings.