by: Nima Naderi
Back with some more punch for 2015, the new Babolat Pure Drive is sure to be another big hit in this ever-popular line. Being a Babolat sponsored pro for more than 10 years, I’ve had the pleasure of using every generation of the Pure Drive, along with the Babolat AeroPro Drive. For Pure Drive users, you know exacting what to expect from this frame: A racket that is there for you everyday, bringing power and stability to your ground game, serve and volley, while being generous on mishits and shanks. The latest member of the Pure Drive family certainly provides much of the same.
Before getting into the playability of the 2015 Pure Drive, let me provide you with my current set up and racket choice. I’ve been using the in-line AeroPro Drive with a 4 and 1/4 grip for two years now (the three other generations prior to that). I have lead tape and 3 and 9 o’clock as well as under the grip. I string my AeroPro Drive with Babolat Origin at 45LBS and even though I break my fair share of strings, it’s well worth it. My grip preference varies between Babolat VS and Pro Tour.
Not using lead tape for my first hit with the 2015 Pure Drive, I was surprised by how much more of a sweet spot was provided on the string bed, and how I was able to hold the ball on my strings (disguise my shots if you will) compared with its predecessor. Depth of shot and power were sustained easily throughout my two to three hour hit, while spin and slice where not compromised in the latest line.
For players that are over the 5.0 range, I would suggest adding some lead-tape to the desired locations and I wouldn’t string this racket tighter than 55LBs, unless of course you use natural gut on a regular basis.
Other noticeable improvements on the 2015 Babolat Pure Drive (apart from its new dominant white and blue cosmetic) are the redefined sweetspot, frame string interaction technology (FSI) and finally the elliptic geometry feature, which helps to prevent the racket from twisting in your hand during off-center hits.
According to Babolat “the FSI technology works with the new tighter stringing pattern in the sweetspot and optimized Woofer System to allow for better control and feel of the ball.” I certainly did feel as though my shots were just as deep if not more so with this frame and a bigger “redefined” sweetspot was definitely more evident as well.
All in all, I see no draw-backs to the latest member in the Babolat Pure Drive series. Beginners to Touring Pros will enjoy this racket and continue to make it the best selling racket in the world.
For more information on the 2015 Babolat Pure Drive and the newest Babolat products that are on the horizon, make sure to follow them @Babolat or visit them at their homepage.
Retailing for $199, you can purchase the 2015 Pure Drive at the following links in the following countries:
United States: TennisWarehouse.com.
Europe: TennisWarehouse-Europe.com.
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Nima Naderi is the Editor in Chief of TennisConnected.com. He is also the Head Teaching Professional at Bayview Golf & Country Club. Nima is a PTR Professional rated coach in all categories and has over 17 years of coaching experience.
