Babolat Pure Strike 18x20 (3rd gen) Racquet Review

[@eduardinodecielo]

Best racquet ever. I'm State Senior Champion in Spain (National Champion in Doubles) and after 4 years playing with Pure Strike 16/19 I realized I was wasting my time. Customized with silicone at handle and lead at 3 and 9. You get more spin and speed without sacrificing control. Playing tennis takes on a new dimension with RPM POWER. It's the greatest evolution in tennis strings after the appearance of the gut and copolyester. It's a type C copolyester that does not require pre-stretching (it is stretched at the factory) and whose maximum recommended tension is 23kg (25 has Thiem, but he's a professional). It has a high playability and maintains tension excellently. It allows for very high effects, facilitating topspin and under spin. The contact and connection with the ball is maximum. The gut and nylon strings also needed to be repositioned with the fingers, and it wasn't a problem; what's more, in some cases, it's a great way to stay focused during points. Dominic Thiem really uses it, and we are talking about a tennis player who has the best Babolat technology at his disposal. He switched from gut with RPM Blast, then colored versions of the same string, and finally opted to use experimental HEAD string to get his victory at Indian Wells (defeating Federer). After that, he gave the step to RPM POWER and has not taken a step back, obtaining the best sporting successes from him and his first Grand Slam. That string does not need to be edged to produce the highest Revolutions Per Minute, as can be seen in Thiem's ​​beastly way of powering the ball now, who actually uses that string (The fans should be grateful for that). I have visited the Babolat string factory and had the string used by Nadal in my hand. When it was yellow, he used Babolat Duralast (Moyá also in another color). On the yellow string, it was printed in black PRO HURRICANE NADAL. That yellow string had no edges and produced a beastly effect, thanks to the fact that the polyester grabs the ball on contact and makes it rise very easily. The problem is that it loses tension and playability in a very few minutes, with the aggravation that it is very hard and causes shoulder injuries in the long run (Nadal and Moyá were affected). Later another black string was created for Nadal, but that is not RPM Blast. That string of Rafa, has RPM NADAL 1.35 written in white and has no edges (it is cylindrical and does'nt have eight faces). That black string is no longer made of polyester, but of copolyester, which is a material that reaches more speed, and arm friendly. According to the technicians who make Babolat strings, using 8 faces on textured strings is the best option. Profiles with fewer edges (4-sided or 5-sided), facilitates the topspin effect for amateurs, but sacrificing precision. It is because those geometries (4 or 5 faces) at the time of stringing can be more or less twisted. This greater or lesser twist can make the edges more alive or less in some areas of the string bed. Those textured strings are only valid for amateurs, but the professional cannot depend on these random variables.

[@Tennisrally_]

Wow, a pleasure to read!

[@eduardinodecielo]

@@Tennisrally_ THANKS!!!

[@harshvardhan-xy3by]

Test Head Prestige mid size 93 sq inches

[@FHslicefan]

Hi Hampus, how you're doing? Would love to know how you compare it with the blade v8 16x19 in power, spin and control? Love the stability and how predictable 18x20 are but if im going to change I need something powerfull in theses specs. What would be the most powerfull 18x20 in you opinion, can be 98 or 100. Thank you!

[@Tennisrally_]

Hey! The Pure Strike 18x20 and Blade 16x19 are similar in control and spin, very different in feel and pocketing. Pure Strike has more plow to it and can therefore feel more explosive. Maybe not as spin friendly due to the string pattern but definitely more spin friendly compared to other 18x20 racquets. The most powerful 18x20's i've testes are the Pure Strike or Head Speed Pro

[@FHslicefan]

@@Tennisrally_ thanks!!

[@haydenwebb3515]

Dude we need a serve tutorial. Yours is beautiful.

[@Tennisrally_]

Thank you, I’m sure there are plenty of other videos you can watch :)

[@nathanmiller6051]

Thank You for this review! I have a bunch of the frist gen Pure Strikes mostly the 18x20 I think I was one of the very few that liked them haha

[@Tennisrally_]

Haha yeah, many disliked the first generation

[@TheodorosKolokotronis799]

I owned 16x19 and it didn’t give me control and placement so i am curious to test 18x20 now. I also couldn’t gel on volleys. Can you make a brief comparison in terms of feel and power ? Does the 18x20 has better feedback ?

[@Tennisrally_]

The 18x20 has a lower launch angle over the net, a bit less power and better precision. It's a denser string pattern so it should feel a bit stiffer but otherwise the same.

[@TheodorosKolokotronis799]

@@Tennisrally_ why did you switched from cx 200 tour ? It’s an amazing stick with way better feel.

[@Tennisrally_]

I wanted a bit more power and forgiveness which the CX 200 Tour didn’t give me without adding way to much weight

[@TheodorosKolokotronis799]

@@Tennisrally_ i ve heard that strikes SW is very high and with the thicker beam it can become more cumbersome. Don’t you miss the consistent and the better feel of Dunlop ?

[@Tennisrally_]

I miss the feeling and the SW of the Pure Strike is above 330+. I would like something with better feel but the Strike plays the best for me

[@jjj_kkk7354]

Good review! So is this pure strike better than tecnifibre t-fight 305 rs?

[@Tennisrally_]

Thanks! To be honest I could play with either one of them, only downside on the Tecnifibre for me is the shape of the grip/handle

[@jjj_kkk7354]

@@Tennisrally_ how do you compare this babolat to wilson blade and dunlop cx 200 tour?

[@Tennisrally_]

The Babolat have much more power and is a bit stiffer, those are the differences. The Babolat can be slightly less maneuverable because of the high SW. CX 200 Tour can definitely feel underpowered in comparison

[@jjj_kkk7354]

@@Tennisrally_ thanks!

[@rajvishy007]

have you tried the tour ?and if so can you say which you prefer ?

[@Tennisrally_]

I have not :/ I have tried the 16x19 version which is a lighter variant of the Tour. I prefer the 18x20 over the 16x19 since it’s more controlled and more precise

[@buneya3207]

Is pure strike 18×20 better than head radical? What do you think?

[@Tennisrally_]

For me, yes. I like how the Pure Strike plays more over the Radical, I would like a bit softer feel but when it comes to playability it wins. This is very personal but it works great for my game and I have tested a lot of racquets. I do think the Radical feels better but that is all

[@buneya3207]

@@Tennisrally_ thank you 🤗

[@masonwhitman792]

at 1:09 you stepped over the line on your serve

[@Tennisrally_]

Yes, bad habit