Babolat Pure Drive 2021 Review - my thoughts on the new Pure Drive 

Have you lost power and control with the Team version?

But did you change strings or anything? I am considering this Pure Drive right now and I am using an Aeropro Drive GT.

a pure drive strung at 60. My man, why didn't you play with a rock instead? Glad you found your way! what racquet do you play with now?

@@elblopex Haha! yeah pretty clueless... I use Prince Textreme Tour 95, full bed of Hyper G at 47... Way better! and can use my arm again.

super late reply, glad i didn't get injured but i did the same i strung my pure drive roddick the 1st one with cortex back in the day with initially alu rough (which was all the rage back then) at 62kg thinking i'm hot stuff and a big hitter (especially with the added power of the pdr . so much regret. it was so stiff, i literally tried everything to loose it. from standing on the string bed to smacking balls against the wall. because i didn't want to cut out a fresh string job. still in the end i cut it out after a few weeks of crappy play. i then strung it up with rpm blast at a more modest 57lb. (much better, (*insert joke*). and cut it out after a month. now much wiser and more realistic (i'm not even close to a big hitter) using pure drive 2012 with syn gut at 57lb, to help deal with the stiffness of a pd

@Bhandi Gamchod I’m ok with a Pure Drive being a stiff frame that only certain people can use. With the exception of the first generation it’s always been an arm killer. I would really like to see a Pure Storm or Pure Control line make a return. Mid 60s flex with a solid feel. Kinda like what Head is doing with 360+.

Yes, stretching is quiet helpful. With regards to equipment, I find low tensions to be my favorite way of mitigating the stiffness ness. I play with a stiff frame (AeroPro Drive 2013), but I string at a tension similar to that of Jack Sock ~30+lbs for all string types.

Just bought the 2015 model today!

@@bokaichao3722 what other string types do you use besides poly/copoly?

@@slimsim22 Synthetic gut, natural gut, and hybrids. Haven't tried Kevlar yet.

I do stretching and strength work and I am far from alone in being bothered by racquet stiffness. It’s also not only a Babolat issue, it’s just the case with this type of frame. Some love it, some don’t. I am just not sure it’s great that stiff frames are as popular as they are, but it’s difficult to say no to free power.

Yes, started doing that and will create a video

Thanks, I am always working on my technique, but there are pros with a similar swing path, which is what feels natural to me. Will keep working on it tho

I am 64 and playing with pure drive, strings and tension are the key go for 45/48 no arm issues 🤞

i agree bro, its like theyre for women or people who dont put much effort into the swing not trying to be harsh. i swing fast and hard so prefer a raquet thatll just give me spin

it's just you. Frames like this one are the easiest to use

@@jpg6113 theyre more effortless i agree, but i think what he means is you know how you can overhit or hit past the lines

Some people just can't mesh with these kind of frames. I have the same problem when I tested Pure Drive and Ezone 100, which is why my current rackets are a pair of Vcore 95 and Six.One 95.

Tweeners like the Pure Drive are easier to use when you're a beginner or an intermediate, but perhaps harder to use when you're an advanced player and upwards. Beginners need power to assist their strokes, which probably aren't full yet. More advanced players with bigger, more complete swings might find such power difficult to control while swinging big. Simply put, it takes skill to swing big and yet still control the power of the Pure Drive. Think it also has to match your swing style too, where you like to take the ball, and so on. Depends on the style though. Pretty sure Nadal wouldn't benefit from a Prestige racket. And pretty sure Federer wouldn't play better with an extended length Pure Drive.

Best to demo. Depends on how strong you are.

What, this Pure Drive is suppose to be more powerful or it is just you that you strung it higher than the previous one.

@@whatsup23922 u need to string it wid some good quality atleast ti work like luxilon alu power strings

Yeah, the stiffness of this racquet is absolute absurd.

Not really, I sometimes play with a wilson profile 3.6 SI which has a stiffness rating of 80, it's definitely possible

Its high on paper but it doesnt feel that stiff when you use it

Yes, it is forgiving

Thanks!

Hello. This comes a bit late, but I think I should share my experience. I have 2 PD2015: one strung with black code at 23 kg and the other with Dunlop s-gut at 25 kg. The latter is way more forgiving and comfortable, although the ball grab and spin are lower and the balls go long occasionally. The one strung with polyester has better control and spin but it’s very harsh, especially outside the sweet spot. Cheers.

Good question. The previous one was released Dec 2017 and called PD 2018. Babolat do 3-year cycles for their racquet lines. I agree that 2020 would make more sense.

To a point at least

Tecnifibre Triax

Thanks!

Tough one - 2021 feels more comfortable to me, but not a fan of either one tbh

No, the Original is softer on the arm

@@Tennisnerd Jonas, i acquired an used pure drive original xl but im not sure its a fake or not because it does not have the Babolat hologram, and the weight is 298g strung (without cushion grip and overgrip) ,do you think its a fake? Do you remember the specs of yours? It is normal being that Light?

I had been using the pure aero for about a year and it was great racket but as I improved I started to seek out a more power-based racquet and luckily enough the new pure drive had came out. I switched about about a month and a half ago and have been loving it. I haven't had any arm problems though however. not sure why people are calling it an arm destroyer. so anyways, I would definitely suggest you try out the Pure Drive 2021 and see how it suits you.

I think the pure aero might be better for you, since the pure drive is better for players who play flatter balls like me for example.

The plus is longer making it harder to swing but with more power and slightly more reach.

Solinco Hyper-G Soft at 51 lbs

I don’t think it would play EXACTLY the same because the weight distribution would be different. May be similar though.

I took up tennis at age 47 and started with a PD. It was fine. There are easier rackets to use as a beginner, but I wanted to sink my money into something that would last me for years.

I don't think its a case of who or where the frames are made but more a situation that some companies are making thier high end frames really stiff to build in racquet power at the expense of the users elbow and arm. The companies that are contracted to make the raw frames are simply following the specs as required by the parent company.

@@peterslater2742 the stiffness is a matter of preference, and a deliberate and viable feature by design for a number of players out there. There are plenty of more flexible frames out there for those thst don't like these, but Babolat are right to dial in on what they do well. The quality control issue, at least partly down to where they are made, is a problem. If you spend 200 dollars on a racket, or say 400 on two, you should expect both of those to be similar. But outside of Yonex, you're lucky if thst happens. I've found Babolat and Wilson to be particularly terrible in this regard. Almost every Wilson and Babolat I've gotten has been quite a bit off spec. For those that don't customise frames, thsts a problem. Even for those that do customise in situations where frames come in way over spec. Happened to me more than once.

@@peterslater2742 I wasn't talking about stiffness. I don't have an RDC machine so can't measure RA but I do have SW machine and I have measured racquets that are off-spec 5g heavier in the head equating to 10-15 unit increase in SW ... For many, that would be an Unacceptable increase in SW. Literally, some manufacturers are releasing what can only be termed as REJECTS onto the market !!

@@a2casius Yeah noted. I havent seen that but no doubt frames that are out of acceptable spec range do slip through.

@@sjjapp Good comment. Totally agree that if a players preference is for a very stiff frame then go for it. Its OK for those who understand what they are are getting but a lot of players (Beginner-Intermediate) simply buy a racquet without the seller considering what is the right frame for them. I would have thought that companies like Wilson & Babolat would weigh each frame as they come to them from the manafacturer to ensure that the frames come in with acceptable specification tolerances?

I’ve played with both and the Pure Strike is much softer and less powerful. Easier on the arm, much more flexible and all control

You get more control and a slightly softer feel from the Pure Strike, but it’s still pretty powerful

If you’re used to the power of the PD you will notice the drop in power for the PS. I demoed a PS after using a PD for years and it was hard to get it over the net unless my swing was perfect. I’m Sure you get used to it though.

Yeah, he did get some after a while.

Nope. Way less control on the PD.

I reviewed that quite a while ago :)

@@Tennisnerd sorry I meant the pure strike. I mix them up sometimes

Is Wikson the Chinese ripoff of Wilson

Nadal should listen to you maybe?

If you want more power, yes it’s worth a try. The Ezone 100 or VCORE 100 is perhaps the most logical option.

@@Tennisnerd what would be the best string for this racquet