BABOLAT PURE DRIVE 2015 RACKET REVIEW
Upsides
- Even more power
- Access to spin
- User friendly
Downsides
- Nothing we could agree on
Summary
When it was time for Babolat to update the Pure Drive -- one of the most popular rackets in the world that has helped transform the modern game of tennis -- Babolat analyzed where players typically make contact with the ball. This analysis resulted in the FSI technology, which raises the sweetspot in the hoop of the newest Pure Drive. The update was a success in the eyes of our playtesters. While still remaining one of the easiest rackets to use, the Pure Drive provided our playtesters with even more power and control in this update, depending on where they usually make contact in the stringbed; players who hit higher in the stringbed found easier access to power while others who hit lower on the strings found more control. We had a hard time finding things we didn't like about this iteration of the Pure Drive, so fans of this iconic racket line can demo with confidence.
| Babolat Pure Drive 2015 Scores | |
|---|---|
| Power | 86/100 |
| Comfort | 76/100 |
| Touch/Feel | 76/100 |
| Serves | 84/100 |
| Groundstrokes | 85/100 |
| Returns | 85/100 |
| Slice | 79/100 |
| Topspin | 83/100 |
| Volleys | 81/100 |
| Overall | 84/100 |
Overall - Score: 84/100
Groundstrokes - Score: 85/100
Keeping with tradition, the Pure Drive was super easy to use from the baseline. Offering the same seemingly perfect blend of power, control and spin, the biggest difference our testers noticed between this new one and previous version was the sweetspot being raised in the hoop, which affected each playtester differently. Players who usually make contact higher in the stringbed, which was the majority of our team, found there to be more power than past versions and preferred the update. Players who make contact lower in the stringbed found their to be more control. While the perception of the moved sweetspot was different, the consensus was an improved feel at impact and overall an improvement over previous versions.
Volleys - Score: 81/100
The Pure Drive proved to be just as effective around the net as it was from the baseline, providing a crisp, solid feel and making deep volleys as simple as point-and-shoot. The racket's maneuverability was apparent as well, and the team found it very easy to get the racket into position, even in quick net exchanges or when defending against hard hit shots from an opponent. The ease of use had the playtesters rushing the net full of confidence -- even the ones who would normally consider themselves baseliners. The one downside we found was a slight lack of feel for shots that required more finesse, but all in all, the racket was simple to wield around the net and can appeal to virtually any style of player.
Serves - Score: 84/100
Typically a favorite shot to hit with past iterations, the updated Pure Drive was no exception. All of the testers noticed a boost in power and effectiveness in their serves over their own rackets of choice. They were hitting their spots consistently and with good spin, too. One of the testers even felt that the new sweetspot technology actually enhanced her serves EVEN MORE since most of the time she contacts the ball higher in the hoop when serving. While maybe not possessing the same amount of power as the Plus, this standard length iteration offered a great blend of power, control, spin and maneuverability for serving.
Serve Returns – Score: 85/100
The Pure Drive continued to impress when returning serve, once again proving to be easy to use and instilling confidence in our playtesters. It felt fast and maneuverable when needing to get the racket around the body quickly for returning hard hit first serves. At the same time, there was more than enough heft and stability for blocking back returns deep into the court. The boost in power over previous versions also encouraged our testers to be offensive-minded, especially against second serves. There was little to complain about here!
Likes:
Chris - "I liked the power, spin and improved control. A great update to an already impressive racket."
Jason - "The power, access to spin and solid/stabile feel."
Tiffani - "I always enjoy the Pure Drive for its pick-up-and-play aspect. It is simply easy to use. With this update, I liked the extra power I was getting on serve."
Brittany - "I love the power, feel, stability and maneuverability."
Dislikes:
Chris - "I would add some weight to get the spec in line with my personal preferences."
Jason - "Still too stiff for my taste."
Tiffani - "Nothing really to complain about. I have long been a Pure Drive fan and still am."
Brittany - "The raised sweetspot took some getting used to for me. Also, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this paintjob."
Comparing it to other racquets they've used, our testers said:
Chris - "I found this to be a more controlled and confidence-inspiring update to the Pure Drive lineage. Compared to the AeroPro Drive I felt this racket was slightly more forgiving but not quite as crisp feeling. The Volkl Super G 8 is a definite alternative. It plays with more comfort for me and lots of control to help tame the power. This new Pure Drive is a step in that direction for me. The Wilson Juice should also be in the same conversation as the Pure Drive. I find the Juice 100 to be livelier than this Pure Drive, but access to spin, maneuverability and the crisp feel are all similar."
Jason - "An even more powerful version of the Pure Drive."
Tiffani - "Even with the relocated sweetspot, I could switch in and out between this updated Pure Drive and older ones without much notice. I was getting a little extra power on all my shots on average, although my top end speed was about the same with this Pure Drive and my Pure Drive PLAY. However, on the flipside, I was slightly more consistent with the older Pure Drive. It really is negligible, however, and I feel that any Pure Drive user could step into the update without any issues."
Brittany - "This update plays pretty similarly to the previous version including feel, stability and access to spin. The biggest difference would be the raised sweetspot, which gave me more power. Compared to the extended length version, I found better maneuverability in this standard length."
Playtester Profiles:
Chris: 5.0 all-court player currently using the Volkl C10 Pro 2012. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swinging style and hits a one-handed backhand.
Brittany: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex V-Core 100S.
Jason: 4.0 baseliner with a semi-western forehand and two-handed backhand. Currently using a Yonex EZONE Ai 100.
Tiffani: 4.0 level baseliner with a semi-western grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Donnay Formula 100.
Review date: December 2014. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us: information.en@tenniswarehouse-europe.com.
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