Babolat Pure Drive Plus Racquet Review

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Babolat Pure Drive Plus Scores
Power	89
Comfort	76
Touch/Feel	76
Serves	88
Groundstrokes	84
Returns	82
Slice	81
Topspin	85
Volleys	79
Overall	82

Upsides

• Lots of power
• Stability
• Access to spin

Downsides

• Nothing we could agree on

Summary

We were eager to get our hands on the 2015 version of the Pure Drive Plus to see what this latest update from Babolat would offer. For this edition of the racquet Babolat analyzed where most modern players contact the ball in the stringbed. Based on those findings Babolat moved the sweetspot higher in the hoop of the racquet. According to our playtesters, this is an extremely impressive update to an already popular racquet. Most of our team was finding even easier access to power in an already explosive racquet, making it easy to go on the offensive. Serves were far and away the favorite shot to hit during the playtest, and everyone was utilizing the extra half-inch of length to bombard their opponents with hard hit first serves to all the corners. The playtesters who usually play with slightly lighter racquets had trouble at times getting the Pure Drive Plus around their bodies and into position due to the longer length. The playtesters who use heavier racquets welcomed the additional swingweight the Plus length brought to the courts. Overall, the new Pure Drive Plus is a very impressive update to an already exceptional offering.

Groundstrokes - Score: 84

Our playtesters really enjoyed the extra power they were getting with the Pure Drive Plus from the baseline, and they were simply mashing the ball off both sides. Always a fan of this line of racquets, Chris thought this version had even more control to go along with the excellent power and spin potential. He raved, "I really liked this racquet off the ground. I have always liked the easy power of the various versions of the Pure Drive Plus. This one adds some additional control to the mix and for me; it was perfect. I could hang at the baseline and hit with depth and spin with ease. With the racquet doing all the work I could focus on placement and tactics. When I wanted to attack I had more confidence in controlling an aggressive swing. I also felt like I was getting more spin on the ball with this update since I had the confidence to take a bigger cut. I was driving my slice backhand well, and I loved the power I could find to hit that shot deep when pushed wide. When coming over the ball the racquet felt nice and maneuverable so I was able to brush up easily and get lots of spin."

Jason was blown away with how easy it was to generate pace with this racquet. "Someone test this racquet for PEDs, because this much power isn't legal!" he exclaimed. "It's even more powerful than the last version, and I didn't think squeezing more power out of it was possible because the specs are almost identical. That FSI technology brings the sweetspot up toward the tip, right where I tend to hit my shots. The open string pattern gave my shots plenty of spin, too. It is slightly sluggish for me, but if I had time to set up, it was amazing."

Having been a fan of the Pure Drive for a long time, Brittany appreciated the extra power she was getting with this Plus version, but she struggled at times with the maneuverability. She explained, "Having been a Pure Drive user for a good portion of my tennis career, picking up a Pure Drive Plus and playing well right off the bat was very easy for me. This version had the classic Pure Drive feel right from the first groundstroke. It did take some time to get used to it since it's an extended length racquet, especially on the backhand side. I started feeling comfortable after about two hitting sessions. Additionally, the raised sweetspot also took a little bit of time to get used to as I was getting even more power than I got from previous versions. There was plenty of power from this racquet, but also enough control and spin to keep my groundstrokes in the court. I was definitely able to generate more power off both wings than I could with the standard length 2015 Pure Drive, but I did have to use extra effort and energy to do so on a consistent basis. Additionally, I was having trouble whipping the racquet around and couldn't hit one of my favorite shots, the short angled groundstroke that pull my opponents off the court."

Having a similar experience was Tiffani, who said, "As is almost always the case with extended racquets, I loved when a short ball came to my backhand and I could step in and take a good crack at it. The extra length just allowed me to put a little more pace and angle on the ball. With the Pure Drive Plus I could consistently hit with more power than with the standard length version. I did struggle with my forehand when I was on the run, however. I couldn't always get the racquet to whip around when I was forced into a defensive position. Overall, I could play a more aggressive game with the Plus, but at the same time I sacrificed a bit of consistency when compared with the standard version because all that added power egged me on to go for more."

Volleys - Score: 79

While our playtesters enjoyed the easy power that they got from the Pure Drive Plus, the lack of feel and maneuverability really hampered their effectiveness around the net. Brittany liked the extra length for covering more of the net, but she felt it hurt her when she needed to get the racquet into position quickly. She explained, "First things first, I definitely appreciated the extra half-inch length when reaching for volleys because I could cover just a little bit more of the court. I just felt a tad late hitting the ball at times. This was most noticeable during quick reflex volley exchanges when I was playing doubles."

Jason liked the stability the extra heft had to offer, but he had a similar experience to Brittany when it came to the maneuverability and feel. He said, "I'd say this extended version is slightly more stable than the standard length model up at net, but I need my racquet to be quick and maneuverable up at net, and this just wasn't quite maneuverable enough for me. There was also just a little too much juice when I wanted to hit a drop volley."

Echoing their sentiments was Tiffani, who critiqued, "I'm not the strongest volleyer, so I felt the extra length the most at the net. I could feel the lag and I hit a few too many volleys late. Thankfully, the Pure Drive Plus is pretty forgiving so a lot of those late volleys went in."

On the other hand, Chris was really enjoying the put-away power and stability of the 2015 Pure Drive Plus around the net, although he did wish for a little more feel on finesse shots. He said, "While this racquet does not have a lot of feel at net, I found it easy to punch volleys away. The power delivery felt very solid and very predictable. I had no maneuverability issues despite the longer length. Adding spin was very easy, and I felt confident hitting aggressive volleys and cutting under them to add some slice. By adding some spin to my volleys I was able to get them to skid away from my opponent. Although I prefer racquets with more touch at net, this one had a clean and crisp feel, so I felt pretty connected to the ball with it."

Serves - Score: 88

The serve were by far the favorite shot for all of our playtesters to hit with with the Pure Drive Plus. Everyone was finding more power and spin than usual with no extra effort required, and without any loss of control. "This was hands down my favorite shot to hit with the extended length Pure Drive," said Tiffani. "I got extra power on both my first and second serves. If I could find a racquet that gave me the power of the Plus on my serve and the consistency and mobility off the ground of the Standard, I would have my ultimate racquet."

Jason hit the hardest recorded serve of his career during this playtest, and he raved, "To date, I've hit my biggest serve recorded on PlaySight with this racquet. A whopping 96 MPH! It really is effortless to generate power on serves. The sluggishness wasn't nearly as big a deal, and I was still able to get lots of spin on my serves. I actually preferred serving with this frame over the Standard version."

Chris was hitting all of his spots consistently and effectively. He praised, "I served very well with this racquet. I found a lot of inherent power and that allowed me to relax and enjoy the pace I was getting. I was also very happy with the amount of spin I was getting. The added spin worked well to help me control the pace of my serves. I had a lot of success going wide and swinging the ball away from the returner as well as jamming it into his/her body to force a weak return. Tracking my serve speed on our PlaySight smart court, I found I was serving consistently 4-5 mph quicker on both first and second serves with this racquet. I was impressed considering I didn't have to put in any added effort to enjoy those improved results."

Brittany was finding a near perfect blend of power, control and spin when serving. She raved, "This is easily one of the best serving racquets I have ever hit with. I was winning so many free points off my serve. I was able to create tons of pace on my first serve and the ball was landing deep in the service box. Not only did I receive power, but I could also slice the serve out wide or kick the second serve up out of my opponent's strike zone. I was able to place my serves on a dime with this racquet. Lastly, I was finding a consistent response off the stringbed, which allowed me to go for riskier serves on crucial points."

Serve Returns - Score: 82

The Pure Drive Plus provided plenty of power, reach and stability to attack or defend with confidence. If Jason connected on a return, watch out! He explained, "If I could get the timing right, meeting a hard first serve with a full swinging return was like a miniature explosion. What a weapon this was for returns! But the key word is timing -- I also hit late on my returns more often than I usually do. The power also worked well for blocking returns back. I could get them deep enough to recover and get ready for the next shot."

Chris was surprised by how easy it was to wield the Pure Drive Plus when returning serve, especially against bigger servers. He offered, "I have run into issues in the past when returning with longer racquets since they tend to be tougher to maneuver. However, this racquet was light and fast enough that I had no issues. I found it easy to set up and take a good cut at the ball. Even when the server was hitting over 100 mph I was able to step inside the court and hit my returns early. Again, I was finding lots of spin, and that helped me control an aggressive swing. There was also ample power to help me block back those tougher serves. I think the longer length helped it stay solid through the stroke thanks to the added swingweight and leverage."

Tiffani was also surprised at how fast she was able to swing the Pure Drive Plus. She explained, "I was surprised that I wasn't late on my returns, and the extra length didn't affect me enough for me to think it was an issue. With the inherent power of the Pure Drive Plus I could start off the point on the offensive when returning a weaker serve or block back a well-struck serve and stay in the point."

The easy power and stability worked well for Brittany's returns, but once again she wanted to get the racquet around her body quicker. She said, "I had mostly positive results when it came to returning with this racquet, but I did have some of the same issues I had when volleying. I will first start by saying the racquet was very stable, which was extremely helpful when returning big first serves. I never once felt the racquet fluttering or twisting in my hand. Whether I was creating my own pace returning a second serve or simply using the pace of a first serve, I could aim wherever I wanted. My only small complaint was the maneuverability. Like I mentioned with volleys, sometimes I was a tad slow getting the racquet around, especially on the forehand side. I had to make a conscious effort to get my racquet back early."

Overall - Score: 82

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester Profiles

Chris: 4.5 all-court player currently using the Wilson Six.One 95S. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.

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 semiwestern grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Donnay Formula 100.

Brittany: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex EZONE Ai 100.

Review date: December 2014. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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