Babolat Pure Drive Review
The Babolat Pure Drive is one of the, if not the, best and most popular racket models sold across the world over the last 10 years and it is easy to see why. Made popular by tennis legend Andy Roddick this racket is an industry mainstay. There is a reason why so many racket manufacturing companies have looked to copy and emulate this racket – it is the racket to beat!
The Pure Drive range has several different racket models available. Our favorite racket to use for the most part is the 2018 Pure Drive Tennis Racket and we explain why below…
Babolat Pure Drive 2018 racket
This is a great racket to play with for a large variety of different people including beginners and more advanced players. As the name suggests the Pure Drive is a joy to “drive” through the ball with playing great ground-strokes from the back of the tennis court, providing a solid amount of spin and power. It is really fun to play baseline shots and ground shots with this particular racket. We explore the racket’s strengths in greater detail below.
Specs
Balance: 320 mm, 4 points head light
Head Size: 100 inches
Weight: 11.2 oz strung
Stiffness: 71 points
String Pattern: 16 x 19
Swing Weight 321
Feel
When I play tennis, the most important part of the racket is how it feels to use and strike the tennis ball and with the Babolat Pure Drive 2018 you will not be disappointed.
The Babolat Cortex Dampening System really helps masking those pesky vibrations so you can play with the utmost comfort. The technology also really helps transmit information from the head of the racket to the handle really bringing vital information back towards the player providing a great feel and control to you as you progress through your game.
Spin
This racket is really easy to generate topspin and backspin with as you would expect from a Babolat Racket. This is great for all types of players and playing styles. The FSI Power Strings and technology really help with generating extra topspin with every shot for additional power and are great for generating extra spin for every backhand or forehand cut shot.
Power
Babolat have put a lot of graft and hard-work into making their signature FSI Power Strings helping you develop serious power in every shot. The power strings have tighter stringing patterns around the sweet spot helping provide that extra bit of umph as you strike the ball.
For the 2018 model, Babolat have used special diamond shaped grommets to their design which means that the strings have a bigger range of motion adding even more power to your shots.
The head size is also 100 inches meaning that you have an ample sweet spot size for such an advanced racket,
The racket weighs 11.2 oz meaning you will be able to generate some momentum and play with a decent degree of power.
With this racket you definitely will not be pushed around the back of the court, you are in a prime position to control your rallies and easily pick up shots off the baseline.
You definitely will be able to see the benefits of this particular racket on your serve. Your pace serves will have plenty of kick to it and your spin serves will have plenty of whip in them as well.
Maneuverability
The racket weighs 11.2 oz strung making it relatively light-weight and maneuverable to use making sure you will be able to move the racket with lightning-fast speed. The racket is 4 points head-light making it have a more light and maneuverable feel while making it easier to use.
This along with the aerodynamic nature of the frame means that you will be able to generate plenty of whip on your strokes and move the racket fast enough for important interceptions during hard-fought rallies.
Style
The racket comes in a modern sleek looking design. The mainly blue colored frame is offset by the black and white in a pretty cool manner. The design is also unusually asymmetrical giving the racket a bold modern look which will definitely be the envy of all other players on the tennis court.
The Babolat Pure Drive Tour Racket
The Babolat Pure Drive Tour Model was initially made popular by tennis legend Andy Roddick. It is very similar to the regular Pure Drive in terms of general characteristics with some slight tweaks.
Specs
Balance: 324 mm, 6 points head light
Head Size: 100 inches
Weight: 11.7 oz strung
Stiffness: 71 points
String Pattern: 16 x 19
Swing Weight 324
Who is it for?
The feel of the racket is similar to the regular Pure Drive 2018 tennis racket. The Cortex Dampening System is great as masking vibrations help you play with the utmost comfort and the racket has exactly the same beam.
However, this racket is slightly heavier than the regular Pure Drive tennis racket and is slightly more head light to compensate. This gives it that more heavy duty feel for a more advanced player looking to have a bit more plow in their shots.
Babolat Pure Drive Team
The Babolat Pure Drive Team is a more light-weight version of the regular Pure Drive 2018 Model.
Specs
Balance: 330 mm, 4 points head light
Head Size: 100 inches
Weight: 10.7 oz strung
Stiffness: 72 points
String Pattern: 16 x 19
Swing Weight 316
Who is it for?
The Pure Drive Team racket is a great purchase for a serious tennis player looking to advance their game to the next level. It weighs 10.7 oz and is therefore more maneuverable meaning you will be able to move the racket with lightning fast speed. It is therefore suited to players looking for a more light-weight racket and junior players aged around 14 looking to progress their game!
Babolat Pure Drive Lite
The Babolat Pure Drive Lite is the lightest model available in the Pure Drive Range.
Specs
Balance: 340 mm, 1 point head light
Head Size: 100 inches
Weight: 10.1 oz strung
Stiffness: 69 points
String Pattern: 16 x 19
Swing Weight 300
Who is it For?
This is a super light and maneuverable great quality racket. It is perfect for junior players aged 10-12 or someone looking for a very light racket to use. It is also great for a player that spends a lot of time at the net – it will help you intercept and control shots perfectly at the front of the court.
AVAILABLE ON AMAZONBabolat Pure Drive 110
The Babolat Pure Drive 110 is a bigger and light-ish racket made for easy use – great for a more casual player.
Specs
Balance: 340 mm, 6 points head light
Head Size: 110 inches
Weight: 9.5 oz strung
Stiffness: 69 points
String Pattern: 16 x 19
Swing Weight 305
Who is it for?
The racket is over-sized making it really easy to use. There is a larger racket face for more shots and the sweet spot is huge making it very easy to time worldies! The racket is also ½ an inch longer for additional reach and the beam is thicker for more stability and power.
This is a great quality racket for a more casual player and someone looking for a solid racket that is easy to use!
Conclusion
The Babolat Pure Drive are a great range of tennis rackets. As as industry mainstay, Babolat have clearly demonstrated their skill and expertise in crafting and designing tennis rackets. If you liked this review, check out another amazing range of rackets made by Babolat – the Babolat Pure Aero racket model.
