Babolat Pure Control Zylon 360 Tennis Racquet Review

Babolat has enjoyed a successful maiden voyage during their first year as a racquet company in the US. Led by the popular Pure Drive, which is used by Andy Roddick, Babolat's racquet line focused on only four models through 2001 - the Pure Drive, Pure Drive Plus, Pure Control and Pure Control Plus. In December of 2001 Babolat introduced their Zylon 360 line, which includes the Pure Control Zylon 360 and the Pure Control Zylon 360+.

Zylon is a fiber with broad application (aerospace, sail cloth, ski poles, tennis racquets) that was developed by Toyobo Company in Japan. According to Babolat, Zylon is lightweight and has a higher tensile strength and modulus than Graphite, providing improved frame strength and stability while retaining maneuverability.

We playtested the Pure Control Zylon 360 and Pure Control Zylon 360 Plus racquets for two weeks and have these comments. Note: Grips size runs about 1/2 size large, i.e. our playtest racquets were labeled 4-1/2 but measured 4-9/16.

Babolat Pure Control Zylon 360

Groundstrokes

The Pure Control Zylon 360 is easy to maneuver from the baseline but still provides a solid, dampened feel. Mark offers, "the Pure Control Zylon 360 felt great on groundstrokes. It has excellent stability and I was able to hit topspin and slice off both sides. My slice backhand was particularly effective. The weight, stability and string pattern combine to make this a great racquet for slicing the ball". John adds, "the Pure Control Zylon 360 is among the most stable and dampened racquets I've playtested. Its weight suited my medium to medium-fast stroke just right. On the forehand side I was able to flatten my stroke and spank the ball down the line or cross-court. When hitting with my normal grip I was able to generate good spin. Predictably, I lost some power and direction on off-centered hits, but the racquet didn't torque or twist significantly, giving my errant shots a chance of finding the court. I especially enjoyed hitting backhands with this racquet. I could come over or under the ball, generating decent pace and spin, especially when hitting a slice backhand. I found the hoop very stable, even with a bit of flex in the head." Don says, "I liked the racquet's overall weight, balance and feel. It's light enough, yet still has a very solid feel. It's also dampened, but without losing feel of the ball, and it has a flexible upper hoop. Control and comfort were the high points of this racquet for me. I could take a medium swing and direct the ball with impressive results. It was easy to impart topspin and slice thanks to the medium-open string pattern. The only area that was slightly lacking for me was power. I had a tough time putting the ball away. Perhaps either a bit more upper hoop stiffness or weight would give me the added oomph I need. Nonetheless, the Pure Control Zylon 360 was one of those racquets that just felt good."

Granville comments, "this racquet felt good from every corner of the court! Groundstrokes were solid, confirming in my mind that an 11-ounce racquet can deliver performance. I suspect the balance point had something to do with this (3 points head-light). I found the racquet very comfortable at impact and it delivered surprising pop. At times, my net-playing opponent was surprised by the lack of time to prepare for some of the bombs I was hitting. Suffice to say, I was able to hit out with good depth." Dan continues, "the Pure Control Zylon 360 plays heftier than its 11 ounce static weight. Throughout the playtest it felt closer to 12 ounces, and it certainly played at a level of stability that reflected this weight. The racquet's flexibility fit well with my fast swing. No question, this is a control-oriented racquet. Perhaps the PCZ 360's best trait, though, is its somewhat dampened feel, which was apparent during on and off-center shots. The result is a very comfortable hit that delivers good topspin or slice. I also liked the standard, 27-inch length and 97 square-inch headsize. This is a traditional player's racquet that is deceptively maneuverable."

Volleys

The Pure Control Zylon 360 will reward accomplished volleyers with its maveuverability and control. Granville says, "I felt confident with this racquet in my hand after just warming up and really started playing well with it almost immediately. The PCZ 360 provides an ample sweetspot for good feel and control on volleys. At times the playing surface seemed larger than 97 square inches. I found impressive control and response even when stretching wide for volleys." Don adds, "I volleyed well with the PCZ 360, being able to get to most shots from my opponent. I liked the unique combination of maneuverability and stability, which is tough to find in most racquets. They're usually either maneuverable or stable, but not both. Similar to groundstrokes, my best volleys were hit with accuracy, not power. I also had success hitting sharp angle or drop volleys. The dampened feel was welcome when blocking back those occasional missiles."

Mark comments, "the PCZ 360 wasn't as maneuverable as some of the racquets we've playtested recently but it was a lot more stable. It had enough power to put away easy volleys and enough control to handle the hard ones. I never felt like the ball was overpowering the racquet." Dan comments, "the PCZ 360 is stable enough to pop volleys with good pace, using little effort or manipulation. It has a weight-ier feel, which will reward sound volley mechanics (compact form, racquet head up), and superb control." John says, "I found the PCZ 360 a real weapon at net. I was able to hit a decent volley whether the ball came at my upper body or at my feet. On off-centered shots (common on volleys) I lost some pace and directional control, but the racquet head remained fairly stable, keeping the ball in play. I found the racquet maneuverable enough to reach a variety of shots, including high backhand volleys."

Serves

The Pure Control Zylon 360 was a popular serving racquet with our playtesters. Dan offers, "the PCZ 360 is hefty enough to produce solid power for players with fast swing speeds. I had no trouble cranking up the speedometer at will, yet I could still throw in the off-speed deliveries with good slice and kick. In particular, kick serves surprised both me and my opponent with how high the ball jumped. Last but not least, the dampened feel of the racquet was forgiving on my arm and shoulder over the course of 2 or 3 set matches." Mark continues, "I was able to move the ball around with power and I could generate good spin on my slice and kick serves. I felt very little vibration or shock to my arm while serving, but the rcquet's weight wore me down a little after a few sets." Don says, "I was confident serving with the PCZ 360. Despite not having quite as much power as I'm used to, it still delivered good pace because it was easy to swing fast. Also, I picked up a lot of points slicing the ball out wide or guiding it up the middle. Overall, a very good (but not great) serving racquet for me." Granville comments, "one benefit to a slightly lighter racquet is the racquet head speed that can be generated on serves. The PCZ 360 seemed to just zip through the air with an impact that was cushioned, yet crisp. There was a high degree of control, providing me with the confidence that I could use this racquet without sacrificing any of the benefits of my heavier racquet."

Returns

Returns proved to be a real strength of the Pure Control Zylon 360. Don explains, "the PCZ 360 strikes a nice balance between maneuverabilty and stability on serve returns. I could block back big serves with good results and the racquet remained stable. Against second serves, or slower first serves, I was confident taking a full swing and keeping the ball in the court. Another benefit was the racquet's comfort, even on the common mis-hit returns. My only complaint was that my block returns didn't have a lot of juice." Granville says, "once again, this racquet proved it belongs in the performance category. It had excellent maneuverability with on-command power. When I was blocking back returns or caught in a defensive position the PCZ 360 delivered good response and excellent control." Dan comments, "my return style is to swing for the fences, and I need three primary racquet characteristics for success - sufficient weight, stability and good frame flex. The PCZ 360 seems to strike a nice balance between the three and compliments my free-flowing swing style. As with groundstrokes and volleys, hard-hit balls met with a nicely dampened and muted feel."

Summary

The Pure Control Zylon 360 is a nice addition to the Babolat racquet line and one of the highest scoring review racquets to date. (It was so popular with one of our playtesters (Dan) that he has switched to the PCZ 360.) It falls into the growing category of borderline 'tweener-player racquets, favoring players who generate their own power but prefer a slightly lighter swinging frame. The Pure Control Zylon 360 also has a distinctly dampened feel for players seeking comfort in a control-oriented racquet. If you fit this profile, we encourage you to test drive one through our mail-order demo program.

Babolat Pure Control Zylon 360 Plus

Groundstrokes

The Pure Control Zylon 360 Plus offers the same solid, dampened feel of its standard length brother, but with just a little more power. John offers, "as a fan of longer racquets I preferred the PCZ Plus to the standard length. On groundies I found the added length enabled me to get a bit more pop on the ball than with the standard length PCZ without losing maneuverability. I also found the PCZ Plus even more stable and dampened. I was pleased to find the racquet head remained stable on mis-hits." Dan says, "I found the same dampened, somewhat muted feel as with the PCZ standard, but with a 5-10% power increase. I didn't need as much racquet head speed on groundstrokes to generate the same depth I got with the PCZ standard. The added length afforded me a little extra leverage, while slice and topspin had a little extra rotation. For me, this is a traditional player's racquet, with some bonus power and length, that's still deceptively maneuverable." Don adds, "I prefer 27-1/2 inch racquets anyway, so I really looked forward to playtesting the PCZ Plus. It didn't disappoint, providing the same comfort and control of the PCZ standard, but with a little more power and reach. Maneuverability wasn't hampered either, with essentially the same dynamic swingweight as the PCZ standard. In fact, it feels a little more head-light than the PCZ standard and I would probably add a little weight to the upper hoop for a bit more heft." Granville comments, "this racquet was very solid on groundstrokes, providing a generous sweetspot and crisp response. The added length wasn't an issue, although the enhanced power level was likely a result of this. Maneuverability didn't suffer either, as I could move the racquet from side to side without conscious thought. Once again, I was struck by the power and depth of my groundstrokes. Topspin and slice were easily accessible and increased my confidence by providing the necessary control."

Volleys

The Pure Control Zylon 360 Plus' extra half inch of length was most beneficial at net according to our playtesters. Granville explains, "I sensed the added length of this racquet on volleys, but easily adjusted after just a few minutes. Crisp, solid volleys were the norm, with excellent pop, whether punching a ball down the line or hitting a defensive backhand 'grab' over my head. I found power on command for high volleys and overheads. It seemed I could do just about anything I wanted to with the ball." Dan adds, "similar to the PCZ standard, this racquet will perform best at net in the hands of more accomplished players who have clean form and can generate depth and angles themselves. I found power about the same as the PCZ standard, but the additional length allowed me to reach otherwise unhittable angle passing shots from my opponent when closing the net. The only downside was some minor difficulty getting the racquet in position against balls hit right at my body." Don says, "I enjoyed volleying with this racquet. I could reach a lot of balls and still maneuver it quickly. Good combination of power, comfort and control." John offers, "I found the PCZ Plus a little less maneuverable at net than its shorter brother. It was stable on off-center shots, though, and this stability enabled me to control my volleys well. Balls hit in the sweetspot were crisp and clean."

Serves

Our playtesters were unanimous in their praise of the Pure Control Zylon 360 Plus on serves. Dan begins, "as much as I enjoyed serving with the PCZ standard, I enjoyed the PCZ Plus more. I found the same dampened, comfortable feel on serves as with the PCZ standard, but got even more on-demand power and action on my kick and slice serves. John continues, "I certainly achieved more power on my serves with the PCZ Plus. I especially enjoyed hitting flat, hard serves. On spin serves, I could generate more action but had to concentrate a little more on hitting up to avoid sending the ball into the net." Granville says, "serving is where the added length really comes into play. My first serves seemed more powerful - the big, fat serves down the middle were very clean and crisp. Kickers seemed equally effective, as they were jumping high (shoulder level), producing easy returns for follow-up volleys. This was a real asset when trying to hold serve." Don comments, "great serving racquet. I loved the power and extra spin control. There was a good combination of mobility and still a solid feel. My arm didn't get tired, even after serving a lot."

Returns

The Pure Control Zylon 360 Plus offers diverse benefits on serve returns. Don offers, "whether blocking back a hard, first serve or being aggressive against second serves, the PCZ Plus was ideal for me on returns. It was stable and comfortable but I could still take a swing at all but the hardest serves." Granville comments, "the PCZ Plus provided a very stable platform for returning serves. The hoop and throat are stiff enough to provide good power, even when late or a little out of position. If I was early or out in front of the ball the racquet gave as much power as I needed. The length issue, on serves into the body, was a non-issue. I didn't find this to be a factor at all." Dan says, "there were no critical differences between the PCZ standard and Plus for me on returns. This racquet brought a nice mix of weight, stability and flex for my longer swing. The extra length helped me reach those hard, wide serves. I was able to hit effective slice backhand returns with minimal effort thanks to the additional leverage." John adds, "the racquet's stability enabled me to block returns deep into my opponent's court. When given time to hit an offensive return I found the racquet maneuverable enough to go down the line or cross court with pace. I could also slice the ball effectively, keeping the ball low, although I wasn't hitting the ball as deep as I would have liked when chipping and charging. However, with a little more time, I'm sure I could find the stroke to achieve adequate depth."

Summary

The Pure Control Zylon 360 Plus offers all the benefits of the Pure Control Zylon 360 standard, but with 1/2 inch of extra length. Players who prefer 27-1/2 inch racquets, and who are seeking a combination of power, control, maneuverability and stability, with a dampened feel, will find a lot to like about this racquet.

Review date: May, 2002. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2002 Tennis Warehouse.