Babolat Pure Storm LTD GT Tennis Racquet Review 

First Impressions:

This is a beautiful player’s frame.  Right away I noticed the thin 19 mm beam, egg-shaped small head size (95 sq inches), supple leather grip and overall appealing paint job.  It felt somewhat heavy yet swinging it felt quick and responsive.

Ground Strokes:

Upon hitting with the Pure Storm Ltd, I noticed the precision it displayed on forehand shots.  Easy access to spin yet could really perform flat shots without a hiccup.  The maneuverability  of this racquet shined on the backhand as well.  It weighs in at 11.9 oz and has a relatively quick swing weight (rated at 305) and is rated at 12 pts head-light which gives the neck of the frame a real meaty feel to it.  This racquet had exceptional plow-through characteristics and although the stiffness is rated low (59) the stability of the GT Ltd was awesome.  I could rip forehands as hard as I could and the ball seemed to dip in the court deep, created a nice ability to mix in slices, toppers and flat finishing shots.  The backhand felt similar to a Head Prestige or Wilson BLX Six.One tour in that its weighted mid-frame gave me good confidence to juice up backhand topspin shots with ease.   Thanks to Babolat’s patented “Woofer” technology and the Tungsten graphite it’s composed of, hitting hard was easy with limited vibration in the frame even without Babolat’s Cortex system which isn’t incorporated into the Pure Storm Ltd GT.

Volleys:

Due to the weighty neck of the Pure Storm Ltd GT, and the low swing weight volleys were just as I expected; precise and crisp.   No blow-back from hard passing shots and put-always were predictable and accurate.  This racquet shined in volleying and I had zero issues with it whatsoever.  With the small head size you do need to make clean contact with volleys but if you do the racquet will do the rest of the work.

Serves/Retuens of Serves:

Serving was a weapon with the Babolat.  It feels a little heavy upon first hitting serves but once adjusted, the dampening characteristics really excelled.  After a while I did experience some fatigue with the Pure Storm Ltd.  It took its toll after about 10 minutes of constant serving but I could adjust my effort level and still place the ball with enough pace and depth to stay out of trouble.  Great access to spin for second serves as well, a definite strength for the Ltd.

Returns were exceptional.  I could whip the head around and make clean contact even against fast serves.  And the response combined with the dampening make cleanly hit returns scream past the server like it never happened.  The Pure Storm Ltd GT is lights-out for returns.  It proved consistent and thrilling, a true player's racquet.

Overall Impressions:

If you are looking for a player’s stick slightly less than 12 oz with a small head size for maximized control then take a look at the Babolat Pure Storm Ltd GT.  It can execute great top spin but is very versatile when it comes to flat shots and it’s slices were low and biting.  It returns like a beast, volleys with confidence and is exceptional to hit with on either side.  Serving will take a little getting used to but when dialed in can prove very worthy.  If you are looking for a racquet around these specs and performing characteristics, DEFINITELY give the Pure Storm Ltd GT a try asap.