Babolat Pure Strike 16×19 3rd Gen (305g)

With this racquet, Babolat updates the popular Pure Strike 16×19 with a new dampening technology while keeping the seductive playability of the previous generation. Boasting a slightly higher swingweight than the previous generation, this racquet packs a tad more stability and power, but it’s still fast enough for aggressive all-court players, and it still offers the same mindless precision on full cuts. Like the previous generation, it has a hybrid frame construction (called Control Frame Technology), which blends the control and feel of square beam with the speed and dynamism of a modern elliptical beam. This racquet also has FSI Power technology which features wider spacing between the upper cross strings for easier access to spin and pace. New to this frame is C² Pure Feel, a material technology that combines cortex with a uniquely flexible viscoelastic rubber at 3/9 o’clock. The upshot is an even more dampened feel than the previous generation with slightly better pocketing. From the baseline the Pure Strike 16×19 feels solid and surgical. It offers the spin-friendly precision of the Pure Drive but with a softer response and better ball feedback. The higher swingweight of this 3rd Gen version comes in handy when battling against higher levels of pace or driving the ball through the court. At net the Pure Strike offers the best of both worlds. It comes around with decent speed but it also feels stable against higher levels of pace, and it’s versatile enough for finishing points with a bang or dropping the ball on a dime. With some incremental updates to the feel, the Pure Strike 16×19 remains one of the more seductive and user-friendly player’s racquets in Babolat’s line-up.