**The PURE DRIVE 2012 Forum (club)**

[levy1]

I like full gut at 59 and 61. Tried every setup possible for me, went down to 45 on some of them.

[LanEvo]

Originally Posted by smirker

Ross, either full BHBR or gut/poly as Gary suggested work well in the PD imo. I don't intend to waver too much from these in the Ki5 either as they are pretty similar spec wise. Take care of my baby!

I don't like BHBR on my PDRs personally, I couldn't hit as flat as I wanted. And it just felt as bit too much power for me, I had it at around 50/52.

[gameboy]

I just started playing PD2012 with a full bed of natural gut and... OMG... I am never playing another combo ever again!!!

When I got the racquet, I had it strung with a full bed of Hurrican Feel at 52lbs and I thought that was pretty comfortable (especially for a poly), but my goodness, this racquet feels sweet with a full bed of gut. The feel with this racquet is just unbelievable. I feel like I can't miss with this set up. I can just blast away and the balls are going where I want them to go. I don't see much, if any, difference in spin production.

I have played with full gut on other frames before, but this racquet just rocks with it. I don't know why anyone bothers with anything else. I was going to go hybrid next, but I won't be experimenting anymore with this racquet.

Man, I LOVE this thing.

[Ross K]

Thanks gents for your string set ups feedback.

I'd normally go in at low 50s with either a full poly or a poly hybrid.

The only concern for me is this very high RA, and as an example I played a similar 70+ RA frame the TF SF 315 strung around 50 lbs, and found it like a rocket launcher. I also have the same considerations re the Juice 100 which I'm also (finally) about to be investigating.

RE the PD though, the other thing is I definitely want to soften up the feel some, so, yes... decisions.

[GarryClarke]

Originally Posted by Ross K

Thanks gents for your string set ups feedback.

I'd normally go in at low 50s with either a full poly or a poly hybrid.

The only concern for me is this very high RA, and as an example I played a similar 70+ RA frame the TF SF 315 strung around 50 lbs, and found it like a rocket launcher. I also have the same considerations re the Juice 100 which I'm also (finally) about to be investigating.

RE the PD though, the other thing is I definitely want to soften up the feel some, so, yes... decisions.

Ross dont be scared to go low with poly as it plays very very well
as ive said if its a very low powered poly try out 44/42 and i like how it plays but wouldnt go any higher than 52/50 if you want you arm to stay intact lol.

cheers garry

[Ross K]

Originally Posted by GarryClarke

Ross dont be scared to go low with poly as it plays very very well
as ive said if its a very low powered poly try out 44/42 and i like how it plays but wouldnt go any higher than 52/50 if you want you arm to stay intact lol.

cheers garry

You know what, Garry? I actually have a set of Poly Pro Tour (yellow, non-spin version). A new string for me. Hmmm...

I've never actually played full poly at different tensions. Remind me: what exactly does this provide? Is it really necessary?

[GarryClarke]

Originally Posted by Ross K

You know what, Garry? I actually have a set of Poly Pro Tour (yellow, non-spin version). A new string for me. Hmmm...

I've never actually played full poly at different tensions. Remind me: what exactly does this provide? Is it really necessary?

hi Ross

im not that well into all the sayings but i have just taken other peoples advice and gone with it!!!
the yellow yonex plays very very well @ 52/50 and i did a hybrid with syngut in the crosses,it did play well but not as good as in a full bed but the syngut crosses moved all over the place which really annoyed me so i cut it out.

you dont have to go with just a poly as there are plenty of strings to choose from but i liked poly in the PD and have stuck with that in 1 of my rackets.
ive just strung natgut/sppp poly @ 56/52 and god it plays so well,better than poly will ever play but as many say you cant beat natgut which is very true,the only downside of that is the price and our British weather lol.

strings of any sort is a mine field but be careful not to string to high in the PD as your on course for elbow/shoulder problems as i found out.
ive found what works for me but it might not work for you but the only way you will find out is to string and play.

hope this helps

cheers garry

[smirker]

Originally Posted by LanEvo

I don't like BHBR on my PDRs personally, I couldn't hit as flat as I wanted. And it just felt as bit too much power for me, I had it at around 50/52.

I thought it worked well in a stiff frame like the PD but it did have plenty of power as you suggest.

[NE1for10is?]

Originally Posted by Ross K

Okay, (slightly against my better judgement) I finally caved in and bought a PD standard.

Now I've read about half of this thread with a keen eye on strings set ups, but life is short , and I'm simply wondering what string set ups ppl eventually settled on. What did the likes of drewrafter ultimately settle on? What are ppls 'money' set ups and why - what has this provided performance-wise?

TIA

Natural gut (without BT-7) and Tourna Co-Focus at 57/52 lbs. Plenty of power, gobs of spin and great control. Doesn't get any better and believe me I've tried everything with this racquet. The other best option is a full bed of non-BT-7 gut at 57 to 60 lbs.

[tennisnut09]

I have been playing with this PDR for more than 6 months and still can't control the power sometime. It doesn't give the feedback/doesn't have the right feel when the ball contact the string bed. Have anyone experienced the same thing?

[LanEvo]

Ok guys, I need a new switch, my frames with Hollow Core Syn. Gut (As others say... Hollow Crap) is not working at all!! I lost 3 matches, in 3 weeks, and threw myself out of contention for playoffs with it. With the Syn. Gut, I got good power, but no control on my serves and hit long on a lot of my shots.

I have:

Lux Savage Green
Lux Adrenaline
Kirsh. Pro Line X
Klip K-Boom
Genesis Heptonic
NRG2
NXT
Donnay Multi.

Which one of these? And what tension, recommendations please...??

[Nevals]

Why two PD 2012 are not the same weight. Shuld I ask seller in tennis shop that he put racket on the weight scales? I have one PD 302g and now I need one more and I don't know shuld I ask seller to measure weight.

[Francis27]

Woo! just ordered my babolat pure drive gt 2012

[KarmaKorps]

Originally Posted by tennisnut09

I have been playing with this PDR for more than 6 months and still can't control the power sometime. It doesn't give the feedback/doesn't have the right feel when the ball contact the string bed. Have anyone experienced the same thing?

Yes, I have definitely experienced it. I put a lot of time on the 2012 Roddick + . When using this stick (12.0 oz w/overgrip), I had bizarre breakdowns with my forehand - I lost a lot of matches because of it. The weight, extra length, and power was just too chaotic and I felt inhibited. It had to stop.
I went back to my Dunlops for a bit, but then started hitting with a regular (cortex, pre-GT) Pure Drive, and found my game again. I have two of them, thankfully.

With the Roddick +, I served huge, had a decent back hand and slice, and enjoyed the stability of it for serve blocks and volleys, but the vast majority of the time, I'm in a position just inside the baseline with plenty of time to rip a forehand and I need to feel the freedom to rip. The Roddick + always seemed to warn me to be careful in those moments.

Look, it's frustrating, but the fact is that my confidence comes from a complete lack of hesitation to whip my frame around. Starting with lighter weight, and carefully adding lead -- that saved me. My PDs are weighted to 11.6 oz (lead at 3 & 9). Guess my sig needs an update...
The regular PD is not as stiff, has a lower swingweight, and it's light enough to whip. I instantly started winning, and I felt completely different on the court. I took a lot of matches 6-2, 7-6 (or 7-5) just because I got over confident in the 2nd set and started to muscle.
For me, what worked is to fix the mental issue, somewhat created by using such a demanding frame (again, not just weight related, but stiff, extra length).
I have to maintain a fast and free-swinging/topspin swing to put short balls away and play with more angles. It wound up being more important than obsessing about plow/mass/heaviness. I can add lead or upgrade gradually as I get better, if needed.

[ryydman]

Hi fellas, I have 2 questions...

Is there a consensus here that the new black PD is definitely more comfortable to one's arm/shoulder than the previous blue GT version?

Doesn't the huge drop in swing weight make the new version too light, lack stability/plow? Isn't it a tad flimsy compared to previous PD iterations?

Thanks

[NE1for10is?]

I never had arm problems till I started playing with the PDR about a year ago and now I have a chronic golfer's elbow problem. Great racquet until you can't play anymore from the pain. I've been playing with gut, but even that doesn't stop the shock from the stiffness of the frame when serving.

So, to anyone who has gone through the same issue: Can you recommend a racquet that plays with similar power and control, but would be a lot friendlier on the arm?

I'm probably going to demo a Volkl V1 Midplus, based on other threads I've read. Anything else I should look at? (I'm 4.0 all-court player over 50 yo.)

[Francis27]

Whats a good soft durable string for this besides gut?

[Tennisspieler]

Originally Posted by NE1for10is?

I never had arm problems till I started playing with the PDR about a year ago and now I have a chronic golfer's elbow problem. Great racquet until you can't play anymore from the pain. I've been playing with gut, but even that doesn't stop the shock from the stiffness of the frame when serving.

So, to anyone who has gone through the same issue: Can you recommend a racquet that plays with similar power and control, but would be a lot friendlier on the arm?

I'm probably going to demo a Volkl V1 Midplus, based on other threads I've read. Anything else I should look at? (I'm 4.0 all-court player over 50 yo.)

I would recommend trying the Pacific X Feel Tour. It has similar specs to the PD, i.e. 100 sq. inch head size, 16/19 string pattern, around 300 gramms weight (unstrung). However, the Pacific is much more flexible, yet still very powerful. So you don’t end up sacrificing power for a better feel.

When I demoed the racquet, I liked the huge sweetspot, the easy access to spin, the surprising level of power, and the excellent control. What impressed me most, was the plush, buttery feeling on ball impact. The Pacific felt like a natural extension of the arm. I could literally “feel” the ball on the stringbed, which was sweet and almost addictive. Directional control was outstanding, which gave me a lot of confidence, since I could easily place the ball where I wanted to.

As far as power is concerned, you may expect this racquet to generate only moderate pace due to its flex. Nevertheless, the TW racquet universe shows that this stick is even faster than the standard PD. (Just check out the TW comparison tool). With a full swing, the Pacific hits a very nice flat shot that bullets across the court. Best thing is I felt that I couldn’t hit long no matter how hard I hit. The ball just got faster, not longer.

The PD is a fantastic racquet, no doubt about that. Fast, spin-friendly, great for serves. It really is a winner. But if you are looking for a racquet that is softer on the arm and has more flex than a PD, you will probably like the Pacific X Feel Tour, as it provides you with a plush feel, excellent directional control and lots of power.

(P.S: There will be a new 2013 version with improved Basalt materials called "Pacific BX 2 X Feel Tour". In Europe this model is already available and I guess it will soon be released in the United States as well.)

[TheVuMan]

Has anyone tried to put a leather grip on their pure drive roddick? Are there any pros in doing so?

[NE1for10is?]

Originally Posted by TheVuMan

Has anyone tried to put a leather grip on their pure drive roddick? Are there any pros in doing so?

I have leather on mine as an undergrip. Tried it as an overgrip and it was waaaay too slippery, however it you can feel the bevels better if you use as an undergrip.