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Babolat AeroPro Lite and Babolat AeroPro Team
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The AeroPro Team is a great all around racket that
has the lowest swing weight among the 2013 Babolat AeroPro models (see chart above) - this allows players to really "whip" the ball with more racket-head speed and it is easier to generate slice and hitting short angle shots in my experience. This is probably suited well for 3.0-4.0 players who want to generate more pace through a faster swing instead of simply a heavier racket.
I found from my own playtesting that it is also
easier to generate topspin with this Team model than the standard AeroPro Drive when swinging with the same amount of force.
AP Team - Rating: 4.0/5.0
The light 9.8 ounce racket (strung weight) seems best suited to younger juniors or older senior players who are looking for a light and nimble frame for beginner to intermediate level players (
2.5-3.5 NTRP). The yellow and black paint scheme makes it look nearly idential to those
rackets being used by Babolat's Top Tennis heroes.
The
AeroPro Lite is 2 point Head Heavy (which favors a baseline oriented game) and will help developing players slowly graduate toward staying in the rally longer.
Again with a relatively low swing weight compared to the AeroPro Drive, this racket has good maneuverability and
the 100 sq. inch head size suits a good range of players. It is interesting to note that
both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic use 100 sq. inch rackets.
If you're a casual player, and simply enjoy rallying with friends and want a tennis racket that looks cool - this is a fine choice, but there are also many other rackets with similar specs that cost less as well.
AP Lite - Rating: 3.5/5.0
| Name | Babolat AeroPro Lite GT | Babolat AeroPro Team GT | Babolat AeroPro Drive GT | Babolat AeroPro Drive GT Plus |
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| Head Size | 100in² / 645cm² | 100in² / 645cm² | 100in² / 645cm² | 100in² / 645cm² |
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| Length | 27.00in / 68.58cm | 27.00in / 68.58cm | 27.00in / 68.58cm | 27.50in / 69.85cm |
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| Weight | 9.80oz / 278g | 10.20oz / 289g | 11.30oz / 320g | 11.30oz / 320g |
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| Balance Point | 2pts HH | 2pts HL | 4pts HL | 5pts HL |
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| Swing Weight | 300 | 293 | 316 | 326 |
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| Frame Stiffness | 71 | 72 | 69 | 72 |
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| Beam Width | 26.0mm | 26.0mm | 26.0mm | 26.0mm |
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| Tip / Shaft | 23.0mm / 24.0mm | 23.0mm / 24.0mm | 23.0mm / 24.0mm | 23.0mm / 24.0mm |
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| Composition | Graphite / Tungsten | Graphite / Tungsten | Graphite/ Tungsten | Graphite/ Tungsten |
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| Power Level | Low-Medium | Low-Medium | Low-Medium | Low-Medium |
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| String Pattern | 16 Mains / 19 Crosses | 16 Mains / 19 Crosses | 16 Mains / 19 Crosses | 16 Mains / 19 Crosses |
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| Mains Skip | 8T 8H | 8T 8H | 8T 8H | 8T 8H |
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| Tension | 55-65 | 55-65 | 55-65 | 55-65 |
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Summary
Babolat is including a line of Babolat Rackets which are lighter than the model that Rafael Nadal uses. The 10.2 oz
AeroPro Team GT and the
9.8 oz AeroPro Lite GT are rackets designed for 2.5-4.0 players (who prefer a lighter frame).
The stiffness on all the Babolat AeroPro lines are relatively stiff when compared to other brands. But if this is not an issue for you, then these are finely-made rackets with a strong following in the tennis community.
TennisTopia: Mention us for Free Stringing with all Babolat AeroPro Rackets!
Contact TennisTopia (MD) for full details! They also have many Babolat racket demo's available - including the ones we used to playtest earlier in these videos.
1701 Rockville Pike B-10
Rockville, MD 20852
Congressional Village Shopping Center
(Behind REI)
Phone: (301)230-9195
.JPG "2013 head speed mp and head instinct - graphene")
