Babolat Pure Control Tour Tennis Racquet Review
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Groundstrokes
The Babolat Pure Control Tour deviates from the Pure Storm series in both name and performance. The addition of Flex Carbon produces a frame that plays with a comfortable level of flex without sacrificing power. Strung with a poly/syn gut hybrid at 57lbs, I found the Pure Control Tour to be very undemanding and super easy to play with, despite its almost 12 ounces (strung) static weight. From the first stroke, I had access to good amounts of power and spin. In fact, the Pure Control Tour is one of the more powerful racquets I’ve used in the “Player’s Racquet” category. Though I occasionally overhit the ball, I was able to relax and slow down my swing speed a couple of degrees without sacrificing much power. There is a decent amount of mass concentrated at the top of the hoop, but not so much that it decreases swing speed, or makes the head come through the ball too quickly. My only knock was that the size of the beam felt a little thick, and not a scalpel-like through the air, but I like the fact that it features a box beam design throughout the entire frame.
Volleys
At the net, the Pure Control Tour offered plenty of stick to get the job done. I didn’t struggle with stability issues, thanks to the high static weight, and the stringbed had plenty of pop to put the ball away. The frame was comfortable without being mushy, and offered a nice connected feeling. While it isn’t as maneuverable as many lighter frames, I had no problem getting the racquet into position while under the pressure of a well-struck drive. Controlling the ball on touch shots was effortless.
Serves
Like on groundstrokes, the Pure Control Tour provides access to both spin and power on the serve. My favorite serve with the frame was the slice out wide on the deuce court (I’m a righty). The ball moved with good speed while sliding away from the returner and off the court. The slice up the T on the ad side also worked well, but it was not as easy to place as on the deuce court. Kick and flat serves were only slightly better than average, which surprised me based on how much spin and power I had gotten on other shots. I was expecting a more aggressive bounce on kickers, and a bit more power and precision on flats. Despite serving fairly well with the racquet, it felt a little clunky through the air, and more like a 100 square-inch than a 98 square-inch. Perhaps I just needed a little more time to adjust to the frame, but I was hoping for a little more.
Overall
The Babolat Pure Control Tour is one of the easiest to play with “player’s racquets” on the market. For me, it walks the line between “player’s frame” and “tweener.” The listed 63 RA provides the right amount stability without being too stiff or flexy, and the sweetspot is forgiving. The 16x20 string pattern provides plenty of spin potential, and/or power (depending on the string set-up). If I were to switch to a Babolat frame, this would be the one. The frame is best suited for strong intermediate to advanced players.
About the Reviewer: Mitch Case is the PTR-certified Director of Tennis at Woodridge Lake in Connecticut. He is also a USRSA certified master technician.
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