Babolat Pure Strike 100 16x20 Tennis Racquet Review

The Babolat Pure Strike 100 16x20 was the frame our testers kept coming back to, and the one they called the best Strike in years. It takes the control line's bigger 100 head and adds a dense 16x20 pattern and a little more weight, turning it into a precise, forgiving control frame for an aggressive player who wants help keeping the ball in.

The best-of-both Strike

Every so often a brand quietly makes something special, and for our testers the 16x20 was it. It pairs the lively response of the classic Pure Strike with the tighter, more controlled string bed of a dense pattern, and the result is a 100 that gives you real control without asking you to hit a small head. One tester called it a rare thing that a lot of players are missing out on, and it is easy to see why.

It sits a touch heavier than the standard 100 at 10.8 ounces, but it is seven points head-light, so it still swings easily. And this generation it carries the same carbon grey as the rest of the Strike family.

Why the 16x20 works

The magic is in the pattern. An open 16x19 can launch the ball too much for a big hitter, sending it long, while a dense 18x20 can be too much of a good thing, killing the power until you dump balls into the net. The 16x20 sits right between them. It tightens the response and brings big swings back inside the lines, but it still gives you enough pop and enough spin, which is why one of our testers found it easier to use than even a 16x19. Babolat has run this pattern before on classics like the Pure Control and Pure Storm, and it suits the modern Strike beautifully.

Alex, on the Pure Strike 100 16x20

NF2 and a softer flex

The 16x20 also fixes the thing players used to complain about with the Strike. Earlier generations could feel jarring and stiff, hard on the elbow, and Gen 4's NF2 flax fibres change that. You still get a solid, connected feel, the kind an advanced player wants for feedback, but it is comfortable rather than harsh. At a 64 RA it is also a fraction softer than the crisper 16x19, so it pairs the feedback of a control frame with a genuinely arm-friendly response.

Alex, on the Pure Strike 100 16x20

Playing the 16x20

The 16x20 plays like a control frame you can trust to keep the ball in. It rewards a full, aggressive swing with a controlled, confident ball and a good arc over the net.

Control you can trust

This is where the 16x20 wins people over. Where the open 100 can feel like it is doing too much of the lifting, launching balls high and long, the 16x20 lets you put the ball exactly where you want it with a controlled arc. That predictability builds confidence fast, and it is why our testers who play a loopy, aggressive game preferred it.

Sam, on the Pure Strike 100 16x20

A control frame with a big head

The 16x20 fills a genuine gap. Plenty of players want a control racquet but do not get on with a 98 square inch head, and this is the answer: the design and feel of a classic control frame in a friendlier 100. For someone coming off a Pure Aero, a Pure Drive or a tweener who wants more control without dropping to a smaller head, it is one of the easiest transitions in the category.

Suzy, on the Pure Strike 100 16x20

Help without going dead

The balance of the 16x20 strikes is the whole point. It gives you enough help to keep your shots honest, without the dead, powerless feel a denser 18x20 can have. You keep your pace and your spin; you just gain control and margin, which is a rare combination in a control frame.

Stringing the 16x20

The 16x20 is control-first and already comfortable thanks to NF2, so it takes a shaped control poly well, which plays into the pattern's spin and precision. There is no need to string tight, since the dense bed already reins the ball in, and the recommended 53 pounds in a 48 to 57 range is a sensible starting point. An arm-conscious player can drop a little lower without losing control.

16x20 or 16x19?

The 16x20 is the more controlled and forgiving of the two 100s, a fraction softer than the 16x19, and the choice for an aggressive player who wants their big swings to hold their line. If you want a crisper, more powerful frame with easy launch, the 16x19 is the one. And if you are cross-shopping control frames, the 16x20 is worth demoing against the Pure Strike 97 and 98 for a smaller head, or the Wilson Blade 98 and the other control frames we have reviewed.

Who the 16x20 is for

The Pure Strike 100 16x20 is for intermediate to advanced players who favour control but want a little help, and for players coming off a Pure Aero, Pure Drive, or a tweener who want a control frame without dropping to a 98. The dense pattern tightens the response and brings big swings back inside the lines; the 100 head keeps the sweet spot forgiving, and NF2 gives it a solid, comfortable feel, all at a weight that still swings easily.

If you want maximum easy power, the lightest possible frame, or the smallest, most precise head, this is not quite the one, and the 16x19 or the 97 and 98 will suit you better. But for an aggressive control player who wants a bigger head and the confidence to swing out and keep the ball in, the 16x20 is a genuinely special racquet, and the pick of the Strike 100s.