Review
| Groundstrokes | 86 |
|---|---|
| Volleys | 84 |
| Serves | 90 |
| Returns | 80 |
| Power | 88 |
| Control | 78 |
| Maneuverability | 81 |
| Stability | 83 |
| Comfort | 79 |
| Touch/Feel | 75 |
| Topspin | 87 |
| Slice | 82 |
Born in 1994, the Babolat Pure Drive is no ordinary piece of graphite. In addition to being exhaustively imitated by other brands, the Pure Drive epitomizes the speed, spin and power of the modern tennis game. Although the target specs have remained virtually unchanged over the years, the Pure Drive has seen a steady diet of technological tweaks, resulting in changes to the feel and response. For the 2018 version, Babolat has not only widened the string spacing, but it's also redesigned the grommet holes and updated the Cortex dampening system. According to our playtest team, these updates were not made in vain. Compared to the previous version, we found a noticeable bump in power and spin, along with a decidedly more muted and dampened feel. We also detected a higher shot trajectory, which not only resulted in easier depth but translated seamlessly into high arching balls that dropped hard and exploded off the court. Having said that, the Pure Drive is not without its faults. Our team had occasional issues harnessing the power and managing the robust trajectory. There were also some isolated complaints about the muted response, which for one playtester, didn't quite measure up to the crisp and connected feel of past versions. Ultimately, though, for the fearless player looking to dominate the opposition with big serves, piercing volleys and heavy, spin-loaded groundstrokes, the 2018 Pure Drive is as good as it gets.
Upsides
- Loaded with power
- Increased spin potential
- User friendly
Downsides
- Muted feel not for everyone
- Power can be hard to control
Groundstrokes – Score 86/100
From the backcourt, there was no shortage of praise for the Pure Drive's power and spin potential. Granted, we had some minor issues with the control and feel, but this racket's raw speed, explosive delivery and ease of use won the day. The review squad noted increases in both power and spin over previous iterations. As an aggressive baseline player, Hannah capitalized on the added power and spin. She said, “My initial impression is that this update allows for more depth, power and spin to penetrate through the court while compromising aspects of control. My shots were that much more effective in this sense. I had to adjust my aim and focus more on spin, however, to allow for the extra generated force on my shots and the more muted feel. Overall, as an aggressive baseline player this racket played to my strengths, and I think with some adjustment time I would adapt to the feel and consistently access even more spin."
Volleys – Score 84/100
Despite some minor complaints about the feel, our team definitely appreciated the speed, power and overall responsiveness of the Pure Drive at net. This racket let our testers be aggressive at net and close out points easily. Chris, who plays an all court game, summed it up by saying, "As with previous versions of the Pure Drive, this racket felt light enough, fast enough and also solid enough for most volley situations."
Serve – Score 90/100
If our team has it right, the 2018 Pure Drive is one of the more dangerous serving rackets that you are likely to find. In addition to its near perfect blend of power, spin and precision, this racket's explosive acceleration makes it lethal when effectively deployed. Michelle likes to start off on the offensive, and the Pure Drive made that easy. She described, "I was getting the best kick serves out of this racket compared to any other racket I've hit with recently. Then, when I flattened out my first serve, I was rewarded with power. I was winning a lot of points with a flat first serve that wasn't coming back."
Returns – Score 80/100
Despite some control issues, our team ultimately appreciated the Pure Drive's offensive prowess on service returns. Our testers found spin was one way to keep the Pure Drive's power level in check so they could find their targets on returns. Depth was easy to come by, and when making good contact with the ball, our testers were able to start the point off from an offensive positions.
Overall - Score: 85
Playtester Profiles
Hannah: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Babolat Pure Strike 16x19.
Chris: 4.5 all-court player currently using the Yonex EZONE DR 98+. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.
Michelle: Open level baseline player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. She currently plays with the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph.
Tiffani: 4.0 level baseliner with a semi-western grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Prince Textreme Tour 100P.
Likes
Hannah- "The updated feel from the previous version granted a noticeable increase in depth, spin and overall force on my groundstrokes. It also granted a consistent mix of good control and easy power on my serve."
Chris- "More power and more spin!"
Michelle- "Love that Pure Drive feel. Power and a muted sweetspot! Loved it when serving both big, flat serves and big kickers."
Tiffani- "It's an easy racket to pick up and use. It helps me, who can get too defensive in my game, take more of an offensive position on the court. As always, I get a boost on serves from the Pure Drive."
Kristen - "I like the maneuverability, easy power and comfort."
Dislikes
Hannah- "There isn't much to dislike about this racket, and the only reason I have never considered it for me is mostly due to the feel. My results are positive, but even with the updated, muted feel, I personally opt for alternative Babolat frames."
Chris- "Not as much feel and control as the old Pure Drive."
Michelle- "Not a whole lot. Really didn't love it when slicing though. Just wasn't getting any feel or plow."
Tiffani- "Since I have been struggling with wrist issues in the past few months, the more muted feel didn't mean a softer response overall. Stiff string setups in this racket were too much for me. I missed some control, too."
Comparing it to other racquets they've used, our testers said:
Hannah- "This update varies in overall performance, and the sweetspot feels different from the previous iteration. From the baseline I was experiencing increased depth, potential for spin and was able to produce a bigger ball overall. The difference in feel was a slight loss in connection from the ball, which was a bit disappointing. What felt like less control in the sweetspot sometimes tended to affect my ability to aim accurately. With time I think my initial reaction to the feel would subside because the performance, especially the ability to generate loads of spin from this update, is true to the easy-to-use reputation the Pure Drive has always boasted."
Chris- "The differences between this and the previous version are improved spin, comfort and power with the trade-off being less control and feel. The Pure Drive has always been a great option for a big serve followed by a big groundstroke and this version was even better at that one-two play for me."
Michelle- "Compared to the previous version, I felt this one to hit a heavier ball and the strings felt more open. The feel was slightly more muted at contact and I could access spin a bit easier. However, all in all, it's still a Pure Drive and you will know you have a Pure Drive in hand when hitting with this update."
Tiffani- "Although initially I thought I was struggling to find the Pure Drive magic with this update, I ended up finding a good groove. I also didn't think I was getting any extra pace compared to the older model, but my PlaySight data show that I did see some increase in both pace and spin. The family continues to evolve, but I think Pure Drive users will find that it's not too distant of a stretch to get comfortable with the latest iteration."