Racquet setup guide · Pure Aero Gen9 100
Babolat Pure Aero Gen9: Choose Your Strings and Tension
Short answer: For the standard 100 sq in, 16×19 Pure Aero Gen9, Babolat publishes 46–55 lbs (21–25 kg) and names RPM Blast and RPM Team as recommended strings. That does not mean every owner needs polyester. If you already play well with poly, a controlled trial around 50 lbs (22.7 kg) is a practical starting point; if comfort and easy depth matter more than breakage resistance, consider a multifilament first. Keep a successful existing setup as your baseline.
Identify the frame first
This guide covers the standard 100 sq in Gen9
The model covered is Pure Aero Gen9, product 101569, with a nominal 100 sq in head and 16×19 pattern. Babolat publishes a 46–55 lbs (21–25 kg) recommendation on its official specification page. The manufacturer’s paired units are reproduced as published.
Check the model printed on your frame before using these numbers. Pure Aero 98, Team, Lite, S Lite, extended-length models and older generations are separate entries. An identical family name does not establish the same specification or response. Use the racquet tension range lookup for your exact version.
A tour player’s Pure Aero endorsement is not evidence that they use your retail frame or string job. Build around the shots and maintenance you need in club tennis.
A shortlist by job
Choose the construction before chasing a model name
Babolat names RPM Blast and RPM Team for this racquet. The third option below is an editorial alternative for a different need. These are candidates, not a ranked product test.
| Candidate | Why consider it? | What to check on court |
|---|---|---|
| RPM Blast · full polyester | A co-polyester monofilament explicitly named by Babolat for this frame; a candidate for a player who already benefits from poly. | Can you keep a normal swing on neutral balls and still create useful depth? Recheck response later in the string job. |
| RPM Team · full polyester | Babolat describes a softer-feeling co-polyester design. This remains polyester; the description does not establish equivalence to a multifilament. | Does the perceived response improve over your current poly at a comparable setup, without sacrificing the shots you rely on? |
| Xcel · full multifilament | A polyamide multifilament alternative when easy depth and response are higher priorities than resisting frequent breakage. | Depth on defensive shots, control on your usual rally ball and how quickly wear progresses in your own use. |
Read the polyester decision guide if you are choosing poly only because this is marketed as a spin racquet. If a full multifilament works, there is no requirement to replace it with a hybrid. If you do test a hybrid, specify both products and orientations using the hybrid setup guide.
A repeatable first job
Use a known baseline, or choose a clearly labeled trial
These are editorial trial settings, not manufacturer-prescribed optima. A setup you already like is a better starting reference than a generic number. If you have no usable history, and the chosen string’s instructions permit it, discuss:
- Full poly: 50 lbs (22.7 kg), for a player whose needs justify polyester.
- Full multifilament: 53 lbs (24.0 kg), as a separate material trial.
These are requested stringing-machine settings, not the reading a phone or other device must show after installation. Do not apply a second automatic percentage reduction: the poly suggestion is already a separate trial. A hybrid also needs its own main and cross request rather than an assumed offset.
On the next job, change one input. For example, keep the same poly and diameter and compare 50 with 52 lbs (22.7 with 23.6 kg) if repeatable long balls are the issue; compare 50 with 48 lbs (22.7 with 21.8 kg) if the setup requires too much effort for depth. Both remain inside the published range. First rule out a worn job, different balls or a changed swing.
A lower setting is not a promise of comfort, and more tension is not a substitute for spin technique. If the setup hurts, stop using it and address the cause rather than continuing a tension experiment through pain.
Test what this racquet is for
Check height, depth and the shot after the big forehand
It is easy to judge a spin-oriented setup by a few aggressive forehands. Include the neutral rally ball, a stretched defensive ball and the second serve. A useful setup lets you shape those shots at the effort you can sustain through a match.
- Neutral crosscourt rally: choose a net-clearance window and a deep target. Note long misses, short balls and the effort required.
- Defensive depth: repeat a manageable feed from a wide position. Check whether you can recover without forcing a faster swing.
- Second serve and return: compare confidence in your normal patterns, not the best single serve.
- Later-life repeat: repeat those tasks after more play. Record wear and response alongside hours and readings.
TWU’s controlled-impact work links string movement and spin under specified conditions. It does not show that buying an octagonal string guarantees more spin for your stroke. Use the playtest scorecard to judge your own outcome.
Make the next job reproducible
What to tell your stringer
Bring the exact frame, string product, diameter in millimetres, main/cross settings and one priority. An example request is: “Pure Aero Gen9 100, full RPM Blast in my current diameter, 50 lbs (22.7 kg), no change to the previous installation method unless the manufacturer requires it. I want to compare neutral-rally depth with my last job.”
Use the fillable stringer briefing card for the full request. If strings keep breaking unusually early, inspect the failure with the breakage guide before assuming that a thicker or stiffer string is the answer.
Quick answers
Pure Aero Gen9 String Setup: FAQ
What tension does Babolat recommend for the Pure Aero Gen9?
For the standard 100 sq in Pure Aero Gen9, model 101569, Babolat publishes 46–55 lbs (21–25 kg). Check the exact frame: other Pure Aero variants and generations have their own specifications. This is a recommended range, not an individual player’s ideal tension.
Is RPM Blast the best string for every Pure Aero owner?
No. Babolat lists RPM Blast and RPM Team for this frame, but that is manufacturer guidance rather than a comparative test for every player. Consider whether you need polyester’s characteristics and can maintain it. A multifilament is a reasonable alternative to test when easy depth and a softer response matter more than frequent breakage.
Can I use multifilament strings in a Pure Aero?
Yes, subject to the frame and string instructions. The racquet does not require polyester. Compare the multifilament with your current setup for depth, response, wear and useful playing time; do not assume that choosing a spin-oriented racquet obliges you to use a particular material.
What tension should I try if I have no baseline?
Within the official 46–55 lbs range, this guide proposes 50 lbs (22.7 kg) for an appropriate full-poly trial or 53 lbs (24.0 kg) for a multifilament trial. These are editorial starting points, not measured optima. Follow the product instructions and your stringer’s assessment; retain a setup that already works instead of changing just to match these numbers.
Sources and method
What the evidence supports
Manufacturer specifications establish the frame identity, range and named string recommendations. The comparisons below do not come from a head-to-head Pure Aero playtest. Our numerical starting points and court tasks are practical proposals to test, supported by general stringbed principles rather than a claim that one product wins in this frame.
- Babolat — Pure Aero Gen9, model 101569 — head size, pattern, frame range and manufacturer string recommendations.
- Babolat — RPM Blast — co-polyester monofilament construction and the maker’s stated positioning.
- Babolat — RPM Team — co-polyester construction and manufacturer softer-feel claim.
- Babolat — Xcel — polyamide multifilament construction; an alternative construction to test.
- ITF — Rackets and Strings: Strings — general effects of stringbed geometry, tension and gauge.
- Crawford Lindsey — String Movement and Spin — original controlled-impact experiments, not a test of these products in the Pure Aero Gen9.
Sources checked October 27, 2026. See our editorial standards. A source access date is not a new experiment or an independent product test.
Keep a useful Pure Aero setup history
Record your string job and track its readings and playing hours, so a promising first session becomes a repeatable setup.
Download String Tension AI Free