Hi All,
There's been a few questions about the power difs between the PD and P1 :
1. The 2012 PD was my last frame, and tho it was only a three month fling, I'm comfy comparing. I tend to think about power, control, and swing speed as all related to each other, so forgive me for stomping all over those nice neat distinctions!
2. The PD is swingweight 308, the P1 is swingweight 327. Huuuuge dif right there. If you can swing the same speed, the P1 is more powerful for sure.
3. I'm getting waaaay more control outta my P1's and since I don't need to swing wild to get decent depth on a normal rally ball, I'm actually framing the ball less than I did with the 100. I feel like I can place the ball in spots, not areas with the P1. I'd initially ruled out the P1 because I'd been playing 100-102 frames. But the payoff in placement confidence is a good trade.
4. When I get the chance to hit deep corner, the P1 understands what I'm trying to do. With the PD I'd have to swing a bit too fast for my personal timing golden zone, and then just control the ball with spin.
5. I couldn't play the PD stock at all. The ball just beats that thing up in stock form. I have no idea where all this "rocket launcher" verbiage associated with the Babolat line comes from. I had mine leaded to ~345 sw, with 6 grams at 3:00 and 9:00, a whole gob in the palette, and about 9 points HL. That's about where I felt I was able to beat up on the ball, not vice versa. With the P1 I don't use lead at all. Quite a shocker for me because I order lead by the roll, I'm a complete tweak freak when it comes to my sticks. I have two sets of the weight slides, and don't use them. The P1 is freakishly and inexplicably stable in stock form. I have a layer and a half of grip, one overgrip, a dampener, and that's it. Done. Good to go. Ready to rock.
6. Impact feel. Oh man, just no comparison. Hollow, harsh, buzzy for the PD. Firm, damp, sweet on the P1.
7. Regarding the swingweight issue, I think a big part of this is perception. I played at sw 365 all of childhood and much of my college years, then few months with my PD leaded to 345. The P1 (at 327 stock) felt like a feather when I played my first few sets with it. While it certainly doesn't feel sluggish, that "feather" like sensation has since vanished, leaving me pondering stuff like trimming the bumpers etc.. as an effort to get that "wow this feels like a feather" feeling back. I know this is a fools errand, because I will only end up chasing my tail for another perception which will also be fleeting!
Last thought: The PD is a tweener for sure, but with the 327 swingweight, I don't think the P1 belongs in that category. If you are shopping for something in the low 300 sw range, the P1 isnt a good fit. There is a huge dead spot in the market right now. Go looking for an arm friendly frame with an open pattern, something that gives you some pop, but is still very control oriented... you will find a pretty small menu to choose from. Pd is too stiff, good spin, but not enough control. IG MP Prestige is a really sweet hit but closed pattern, and lacks pop. IG Prestige Pro is open pattern but is a harsh hit. Lots of frames have either control, power, comfort, or spin potential, but frames that have all of those qualities are pretty special. That's what has me so enamored with the P1.
Also, might have a look at the TW power potential & sweet zone map below:
-Jack