Anybody ever played with a babolat pure drive plus 2012...

[goonieboy]

Hi
Im 6'2" i pretty much play from the baseline i have a good serve and hard forehand and i have a slice backhand.Some guy is selling me is pure drive plus 2012 that he bought last summer for only 70$ its like new he only played 10 games with it.So i just wanted to know if any of you guys ever tried this racquet and do you think it would be good for my style of play? thanks

[A_Instead]

You should buy it for $70, you wont be disapointed.
Keep fresh strings in it to tame the power.

[Overdrive]

Similar to the other frames: unforgiving/stiff.

I had to string it with a very low co-poly to keep my arm from getting sore. But why play with it when there are other brands of racquets that simply don't need to be like this?

[ChicagoJack]

Hi GoonieBoy -

(1)There are three things which can contribute to arm discomfort. Light weight, stiffness, and extra length. That frame has all three. (2) You'd never know it from hanging around here, but frame stiffness does not contribute significantly to racquet power. The single greatest predictor of inherent racquet power is swingweight. The additional boost in MPHs you are likely to get with very stiff frame vs a flexible frame (at an equal sw) is 1-2 MPHs, and that is only for impacts close to the very to the tip of the racquet. Everywhere else, it's pretty much a wash. (3) So what you should ask yourself, is that reduced comfort, and increased risk of injury, worth another 1-2 MPH tops? For me, that answer is very resounding and emphatic no. (4) As for the awesome $70.00 Price tag, playing with that racquet has cost me $2,500 in physical therapy bills. It brought about my first case of TE in my entire life on the court, and I was rocking a fluid one handed backhand at age 10 with a 14 oz frame. TE is no laughing matter. It's not some little ache or pain, it can hang around for years once you have it. I'm almost fully recovered now, but at one point the pain was bad I had trouble operating a pair a salad tongs after a match. Not a big fan here.

-Jack

[goonieboy]

Originally Posted by ChicagoJack

Hi GoonieBoy -

(1)There are three things which can contribute to arm discomfort. Light weight, stiffness, and extra length. That frame has all three. (2) You'd never know it from hanging around here, but frame stiffness does not contribute significantly to racquet power. The single greatest predictor of inherent racquet power is swingweight. The additional boost in MPHs you are likely to get with very stiff frame vs a flexible frame (at an equal sw) is 1-2 MPHs, and that is only for impacts close to the very to the tip of the racquet. Everywhere else, it's pretty much a wash. (3) So what you should ask yourself, is that reduced comfort and increased risk of injury worth another 1-2 MPH tops? For me, that answer is very resounding and emphatic no.

-Jack

But is it automatic that if someone uses a babolat PD+ you they get arm problems??? because the person i bought it from played a full summer with no problems.

[keithfival]

Originally Posted by ChicagoJack

Hi GoonieBoy -

(1)There are three things which can contribute to arm discomfort. Light weight, stiffness, and extra length. That frame has all three. (2) You'd never know it from hanging around here, but frame stiffness does not contribute significantly to racquet power. The single greatest predictor of inherent racquet power is swingweight. The additional boost in MPHs you are likely to get with very stiff frame vs a flexible frame (at an equal sw) is 1-2 MPHs, and that is only for impacts close to the very to the tip of the racquet. Everywhere else, it's pretty much a wash. (3) So what you should ask yourself, is that reduced comfort and increased risk of injury worth another 1-2 MPH tops? For me, that answer is very resounding and emphatic no.

-Jack

Hi Jack!

I agree that it's not worth injury to play with a PD but surely there are other factors that contribute to everyone feeling like a frame like the PD "has a lot of power" that go beyond the 1-2 mph measurement you are referring to. There is some combo of spin, RHS, forgiveness, and just ease-of-use that the stiff PD-types offer which enable us non-pros to hit very hard with control, especially from defensive positions, in a way that would be much harder with more traditional frames. Thus, the experience of more power that one can actually use. Is there really a low-flex frame that weighs the same as the PD that offers the same easily controlled power and all around ease of use?

[Overdrive]

I really hate the marketing technique Babolat and other companies use...

But that's already in another thread so...

[DustinW]

Originally Posted by goonieboy

But is it automatic that if someone uses a babolat PD+ you they get arm problems??? because the person i bought it from played a full summer with no problems.

Of course it's not automatic that you will get arm problems. I play with the PDR+, and I find it to be a very comfortable frame and I have no problems whatsoever.

IMO, the higher your level and the longer your swing motion is, the less chance you'll have arm problems with the Pure Drive series. The Pure Drive will feel a lot stiffer to those players that have a short swing. And quite often, people with shorter swings don't follow through like they should, which can contribute to elbow pain. I personally know many (including myself) 4.5-5.0 players that love the Pure Drive and play great with it... and I've never heard one of them complain about arm problems.

[ChicagoJack]

Originally Posted by keithfival

Hi Jack!

I agree that it's not worth injury to play with a PD but surely there are other factors that contribute to everyone feeling like a frame like the PD "has a lot of power" that go beyond the 1-2 mph measurement you are referring to. There is some combo of spin, RHS, forgiveness, and just ease-of-use that the stiff PD-types offer which enable us non-pros to hit very hard with control, especially from defensive positions, in a way that would be much harder with more traditional frames. Thus, the experience of more power that one can actually use. Is there really a low-flex frame that weighs the same as the PD that offers the same easily controlled power and all around ease of use?

Hello again Keith, we seem to be in all the same threads lately (smiley face) Racquet power isn't about stiffness, it's about swing weight. I really don't want to exceed the scope of this thread, but if you have a genuine interest, I've posted few tidbits here.

Depth Vs. Power
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...th#post7223260

Compare Power Levels
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...te#post7223271

Compare Power levels
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...rs#post7223703

The Really Short Version, Fundamentals of Racquet Power: With 16 Links
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...on#post7230321

Also, Corners has an excellent post here:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...DC#post7229322

Jack

[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by ChicagoJack

Hi Keith, Racquet power isn't about stiffness, it's about swing weight. I really don't want to exceed the scope of this thread, but I've posted e few tidbits here:

Depth Vs. Power
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...th#post7223260

Compare Power Levels
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...te#post7223271

Compare Power levels
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...rs#post7223703

The Really Short Version, Fundamentals of Racquet Power: With 16 Links
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...on#post7230321

Jack

Very informative posts SamuraiJack.

[morandi]

I play with an Aeropro drive plus. Light, stiff, long. No arm pain ever, strung with 17g poly. I'm 38 and a 4.5. So not young.
Played with a softer/more flexible racquet for a while, my arm and elbow were always sore.
My point is that to each there own, one mans pain is another mans medicine.

[gavna]

Originally Posted by goonieboy

Hi
Im 6'2" i pretty much play from the baseline i have a good serve and hard forehand and i have a slice backhand.Some guy is selling me is pure drive plus 2012 that he bought last summer for only 70$ its like new he only played 10 games with it.So i just wanted to know if any of you guys ever tried this racquet and do you think it would be good for my style of play? thanks

Very good deal......baseline player with a big serve fits the PD+ to a T. have you at least played with it? As long as he didn't toss it or bounce it off the court you got yourself a nice stick cheap.

[Power Player]

Originally Posted by keithfival

Hi Jack!

I agree that it's not worth injury to play with a PD but surely there are other factors that contribute to everyone feeling like a frame like the PD "has a lot of power" that go beyond the 1-2 mph measurement you are referring to. There is some combo of spin, RHS, forgiveness, and just ease-of-use that the stiff PD-types offer which enable us non-pros to hit very hard with control, especially from defensive positions, in a way that would be much harder with more traditional frames. Thus, the experience of more power that one can actually use. Is there really a low-flex frame that weighs the same as the PD that offers the same easily controlled power and all around ease of use?

I agree. Jack is basing these numbers off the only real scientific data we have so far. By these #s he is indeed correct. But out there on the court you will get in situations that no testing device has been in. Mainly balls that pull you wide and are tougher to get back with depth until your footwork is more developed.

I used the PD+ and really liked it. It is stiff though and mishits can be painful. I would agree that a softer racquet is the way to go at least for me. I have a pretty long and fast swing, which is nice, but if I get a bad bounce or mishit, I pay the price with the stiff racquets.

For me the closest thing that offers the same ease of use is the Blade Team. It is also not as long, and feels less cumbersome.