If you are looking for something that packs a mean punch, then you found it with the 2019 Babolat Pure Aero Lite. Babolat has updated their best selling racquet line, the Pure Aeros, with new technologies like Carbon Ply Stabilizer and Cortex Pure Feel to give players less feedback on their arm as well as more stability. Much like its predecessor, this frame comes with updated FSI Spin and Aeromodular3 tech so the frame can quickly cut through the air while enabling lots of spin and power.

Groundstrokes
Behind the baseline I feel this updated version will suit a lot more players in today’s game. Forehands and backhands never felt strenuous or gave my arm any problems. Whether I was hitting offensive or defensive groundstrokes, I could easily generate the spin and power I wanted without the feedback going straight to my arm. Stability in the frame is much improved and really makes a great impact. When my opponent hit a hard flat ball to take an offensive position, I didn’t have to back down my swing and could easily continue the fast ball pace without the frame wobbling. The heavier swingweight with this model allowed me to penetrate the court a little more and not worry about the ball going long. Directional accuracy is much improved granting pinpoint shot-making abilities and an offensive advantage.

Volleys
Volleys were another great surprise with this updated frame. Thanks to the light weight it is super mobile, and the added stability made it easier to block hard hit balls back. The control level seemed to be better with this version allowing me to comfortably hit half volleys, drop volleys as well as defensive volleys. The power/control combination worked well together enabling me to be precise with my volleys and put the ball away.

Serves
One area that this racquet still struggled with was the serve. The light weight allowed me to easily generate power and spin, but even with added control I struggled to consistently find the service box. I could get the high spin levels I wanted on my kick and slice serves which were great for throwing my opponents into awkward return positions. Flat serves were tougher for me to place in the box due to the power. I felt on my flat serves I needed to add some spin just to keep it from going long.

Feel/Comfort
The feel with this new frame is way better than any of the previous models. Babolat has done an incredible job making this frame more flexible and shock absorbent. Although the flex rating says 67, you will not know it because of the Cortex technology throughout the frame. As I played more with this racquet I felt a better connection to the ball.

Overall
The 2019 Babolat Pure Aero Lite is a great improvement over its predecessors. The added comfort, control and stability will allow for players of all levels to fall in love with this racquet. Whether you are a traditional Babolat user, or trying to switch to a new frame, you should check out the new Babolat Pure Aero Lite.

Note: The playtest racquet was strung with RPM Blast 17G at 52 pounds.

About the Reviewer: Chris Virk-Brown currently works at Tennis Express on the Content Marketing team. He previously played at Neumann University and coached at the collegiate level for 3 years. He is an active USTA League and Tournament player.