Video Review |
Racquet Specs |
|
When I first began playing tennis, I purchased a Babolat which was a favorite of mine, so picking up this stick brought back some good memories of just starting out. At first sight of the Pure Storm Tour GT, I thought it was a great looking stick. The paint makes the racket look ‘fast’. Holding the racket in my hand, I noticed how light it was in the head (7 points head light). This made it apparent that I would have to work a little more to get the power I am used to out of my strokes.
The head lightness was obvious when I was hitting some warm up ground strokes I had to swing a little more to get the depth and power I’m used to playing. Once I got the hang of the way the racquet played, I was able to really use it to my advantage! Hitting some big forehands came extremely easily, especially when I had the time to set up correctly. With my one-handed backhand, I was able to easily flick the ball cross court or flatten it out down the line. Carving slice shots was extremely easy and fun, the ball bit into the court and pretty much stopped on a dime when extra backspin was added. On serves, hitting a flat serve down the “T” was at times a little more challenging than I had hoped for. Getting the ball to turn towards the “T” was kind of a struggle; putting power and spin together was challenging, but I eventually figured out the perfect balance of the two. Due to the open string pattern, kick and slice serves were easy. I was really impressed with the action I would get on the ball with the kick serve; the ball would jump up and out aggressively. My hitting partner mentioned that my kick serves were more difficult for him to time since it was bouncing in the opposite direction that he thought it would. On the volleys, this racket is perfect for penetrating and drop volleys. The racket is a little stiffer than most, so getting the ball down to the base line was a breeze. The only problem I faced at the net was the low passing shot, you know, the ones at the shoelaces, getting the ball up and land softly proved to be a little bit of a concern. The ball tended to sit up which allowed my opponent to put it away easily. Overall, this racket is engineered for the more seasoned player. The weight and balance is ideal for a player who can generate their own power and has the ability to put the ball where they want.
|
