History of the Babolat Pure Strike
In 1875, Babolat became the first company to specialize in racket games, inventing the first natural gut strings. Since then, the French company have dominated the tennis market with the release of the Pure Drive in 1994, and more recently with the Pure Strike in 2014. The Pure Strike offers an innovative design, responsiveness, power, control and more accuracy for attack-minded players. It quickly established itself as the brands third line of rackets in the 'Pure' range along with the Pure Drive and the Pure Aero.
Back in early 2014, The Pure Strike was endorsed by French tennis player Jo Wilfred Tsonga, who is known for his offensive baseline style and aggressive groundstrokes. But in 2015, Austrian tennis player Dominic Thiem switched from the Head Prestige to the Pure Strike, becoming the main ambassador for the line. Thiem won three ATP titles in 2015, and he is also known for his aggressive baseline play, which the racket caters to.
In 2017, The Pure Strike received an update and it was a huge hit with professional players. Compared to the 2014 version, the X-Sider technology enlarged the sweet spot by 10%, and the Response Woofer grommet system included PEBAX material that was injected into the grommets and bumper, adding additional power. Stability was also aided by Stabilizer Technology, which utilizes hybrid frame construction and stiff carbon fiber for improved torsional stability. Previous versions of the Pure Strike also incorporated Hybrid Frame Technology, a blend of square and elliptical beam shapes, giving users a powerful, but precise feel at contact.
The different versions of the Pure Strike are highlighted in the third generation update. The Pure Strike Tour caters towards more physical players that create their own pace, and depth, while relying on timing. The 18x20 version offers increased directional control with the more dense string pattern, and players can expect a precision focused racket that is more maneuverable than the Strike Tour. The 16x19 version offers the same specifications as the 18×20, but with a more powerful and spin-friendly string pattern. Choosing between the two will depend on your game, whether it's spin or control orientated. The Pure Strike Team is the easiest racket to play with, ideal for a intermediate player who wants a fast swinging racket with control, precision, power and spin.
Since its introduction, The Pure Strike racket family has utilized control frame technology which blends the stability of a square beam shape with the responsiveness of elliptical one to give players sharp control and better precision. The rackets use a slightly thinner beam than the Drive and Aero series, arguably making them more maneuverable in the process. The latest edition of the Pure Strike has control frame technology, developed to ensure maximum control, this technology combines the stability of a square beam frame with the dynamism of an elliptic beam structure. Along with this, c2 pure feel is the latest generation of the pure feel technology, providing a crisp response with every shot. For more information on the latest edition of the Pure Strike, check out the main review of the 16x19 version.
