Babolat Jet Mach 4 review

Considering its major revamp, we think that the Jet Mach 4 is now a better match for players who:

• prefer added cushioning and shock absorption to court feel
• enjoy agile shoes more than rigidly structured ones 
• want extra tacky outsole traction
• have narrow feet or prefer close-fitting tennis shoes

If you aren't a fan of the changes made to the Jet Mach and want the court feel back, you may instead prefer shoes like the Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 7 or the adidas Adizero Ubersonic 5.

If you generally like what the Babolat Jet Mach 4 offers but are shopping for alternatives, we highly recommend checking out the ASICS Solution Speed FF 4. At the same price, it provides greater stability, even better durability, and weighs an ounce less, all while offering the same cushioning, traction, and agility.

With a notably thicker, softer midsole, the new Jet Mach 4 iteration doubles down on cushioning, showing high shock absorption measurements in both the heel (116 SA) and the forefoot (72 SA).

For context, that's 17% more impact protection compared to the Jet Mach 3!

Claimed to be 3% faster than the previous version, we were particularly interested in this Babolat shoe's energy return.

Alas, it wasn't so impressive, with a below-average reading of 41% in the heel and a fairly average 48.9% in the forefoot. The latter showed a slightly better result thanks to the high-performance Blast Pad foam.

But does it feel like 'maximum propulsion toward the ball'? Not exactly. We've experienced notably springier options such as the Mizuno Wave Enforce Tour 2 (60% energy return).

We could feel that the shoe's new iteration grew taller, and our calliper measurements confirmed it. Going from 28.3 mm to 32.5 mm, the Jet Mach 4 landed among the best cushioned tennis shoes in our lab!

It also added a few solid millimetres of foam in the forefoot, growing from 18.2 mm to 22.2 mm.

That's a pretty generous buffer for the ball of the foot and the toe joints, but we lose some of the previous version's court sensitivity.

Despite an increase in stack heights, the shoe's heel-to-toe drop remained unchanged at 10.3 mm.

It's the safest offset for a tennis shoe, as it follows the player's slightly forward-leaning position, minimising stress on the Achilles and calves.

Like its predecessor, the Jet Mach 4 features a dual-density midsole setup, with firmer, more stable foam in the heel and softer, more responsive foam in the forefoot.

Pressing our durometer against the heel portion of the shoe's midsole, we got a below-average reading of 42.3 AC. So while the material is firm, it's not as dense-feeling as the average tennis shoe.

The forefoot foam, on the other hand, is some of the plushest in the category! Our tool measured it at only 32.8 AC.

That makes it 22% softer than the heel foam and 30% more forgiving than the average tennis shoe foam.

The narrow fit was one of the biggest complaints about the Jet Mach 3, and unfortunately, it carries over to the new iteration, as the two shoes are apparently built on the same last.

Making one-to-one casts of each shoe using custom liquid and measuring their dimensions with a calliper, we recorded nearly identical, below-average widths in the ball-of-foot areas of the two.

At only 89.3 mm, the Babolat Jet Mach 4 makes for a rather close-fitting shoe in a standard medium width. Luckily, there is a wide version available for players who need some extra room.

As expected, the toebox fit of this Babolat shoe is not particularly spacious either. But at least it's not aggressively tapered, showing a middle-range width of 68.4 mm in the big toe area.

Examining the shoe's vertical space, we also found that its upper sits pretty close to the toes.

Its toebox height is not critically shallow, but it does contribute to a snug fit at only 24.1 mm.

Using Michelin Premium formulation for its outsole, we expected nothing less than premium grip from the Jet Mach 4, and that's exactly what the shoe delivered!

In fact, it even outperformed the previous version with a record-setting friction coefficient of 1.11! That tacky bite inspires plenty of confidence for explosive, shifty, and hard-stop footwork.

However, too much grip can also backfire by putting more stress on your joints and limiting a give for sliding. A lot here depends on your individual preferences and playing style.

With only minor tweaks, this Babolat shoe's outsole design remained practically unchanged.

We still get the decoupled outsole, the deep flex grooves, and the wavy concave treads.

Despite the notable depth and length of its flex grooves, the shoe's tall stack height prevents it from feeling truly pliable.

Our stiffness test showed that the Jet Mach 4 requires a little more force to bend by 30 degrees than the average tennis shoe. But that's not necessarily a negative thing, as moderate rigidity contributes to the shoe's overall stability and energy transfer, aka snappier toe-offs.

We extensively praised the previous Babolat Jet Mach 3 for its lightweight build at only 11 oz (312g), whereas the new Jet Mach 4 has shifted toward increased cushioning, gaining an extra 2 oz.

Now at 13 oz (369g), it weighs on par with the average tennis shoe but not heavy enough to call it clunky.

Getting taller and softer than its predecessor, the Jet Mach 4 lost some of the inherent stability that the more grounded platform had offered.

This Babolat shoe still feels supportive enough to resist lateral rollovers, but it wouldn't be our immediate recommendation for people who need the ultimate surefootedness of a stability-oriented tennis shoe.

Even though it features a stiff midfoot shank and raised midsole sidewalls, we found that the Jet Mach 4 lacks the torsional rigidity of most other tennis shoes, especially the more supportive ones.

It requires significantly less torque to twist (15.2 Nm) than the average tennis shoe, which is a trade-off in stability that helps this Babolat shoe feel more agile.

Thankfully, the shoe's secure lockdown never caused any shifting or wobbling, keeping our feet firmly in place. Its structured heel counter plays a key role in this hold, earning a high stiffness score of 4 out of 5.

Babolat compensates for the Jet Mach 4's low midfoot rigidity with an extended forefoot outrigger. Our calliper measured the widest part of the shoe's midsole at 115.5 mm, which is notably wider than average.

The heel, on the other hand, showed a slimmer-than-average reading of 84.5 mm, matching the shoe's speed-minded build.

Babolat really took the new Jet Mach 4's durability to the next level in various parts of the shoe!

Its medial side received a generous PU and rubber coverage to protect the upper during slides and toe drags. The PU also extends further up to form the bottom two eyelets for extra lace protection.

Applying our Dremel to that reinforcement for 18 seconds confirmed its toughness, as surface-level abrasion earned the shoe a solid 4 out of 5 for toe guard durability.

But it's not only the shoe's reinforced areas that proved their toughness. The nylon-like textile that makes up most of the shoe's upper also resisted the abrasion of our Dremel!

A merely cosmetic scuffing put the shoe's toebox durability score at a high 4 out of 5.

Unfortunately, the shoe's internal mesh wasn't so reassuring. Easily torn within seconds, it lowered our heel padding durability score to 2 out of 5.

Last but not least, the shoe's Michelin rubber resisted the sandpaper drilling brilliantly! With a shallow 0.7 mm dent, we expect a solid lifespan from this all-court tennis shoe's outsole.

The Jet Mach 4's rubber layer is neither too thick nor too thin at 3.7 mm. There is no lack of rubber material on this Babolat shoe.

A major part of the Jet Mach 4's elevated comfort and cushioning comes from its abundantly padded insole.

With a heel thickness of 7.5 mm, it is one of the plushest inserts we've encountered in tennis shoes!

And it's not just a basic insole; it's a moulded Ortholite HybridPlus-Recycled insole that felt much more comfortable and form-fitting than a basic EVA insole.

Yet, it can be easily replaced if you are willing to trade extra underfoot padding for extra space inside the shoe.

Lace bites were never a concern thanks to the Jet Mach 4's well-padded tongue. Measuring its thickness with a caliper returned a standard 8.5 mm. 

The bottom half of the tongue is attached to the upper on both sides, forming a semi-gusseted construction. This small yet thoughtful element helps keep it in place during nonstop directional changes and explosive cuts.

There are no pull tabs or finger loops on this Babolat shoe.

Having studied both the strengths and weaknesses of the Babolat Jet Mach 4, we believe it is fairly priced relative to its closest competition, the ASICS Solution Speed FF 4 and the Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 7.