You think it's worth it ? I'm in Canadaz cold winters. I do play indoors but at 3a week average it adds up quickly $$ and in the summer I like to play every day if possible. So always looking for a tennis fix. That could be it. I guess you can do footwork drills. Plus I have three young kids. Thanks for quick review
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Sneaky German. Must've read PP's posts too. Don't blame him, the racquet is sweet!Dustin Brown now playing the Ezone
The youtek one with just the clear coat over the graphite for like half the inner hoop was pretty good by me. Liked it better than the microgel, and it definitely looked better.
Regarding the PT2.0, some of the discussion about the sweet spot being too small and the racquet being too demanding is overblown. It's a 95 sq in 18x20 racquet. So yes, it's very control oriented, but within the range of that sort of racquet, it's remarkably powerful. Most people who have compared it with the older PT280 have said that the 2.0 has a crisper and more powerful feel, with a lower swingweight (and some people like that, some are disappointed with it), but the main point is that it's easier to use than the older version. If you are after a pinpoint control stick with a dense string pattern that nonetheless is not lacking in power, the PT2.0 could be for you.
Very nice review. Have you played with PD 18 and if yes, how do they compare ?I've been playing the Graphene 360 Extreme MP for the last few months and lately kind of switched to the new Extreme Tour, but I've always liked Pure Drives – my favourite so far being the black 2012 one – and always give their latest versions a try. There's something inherently beautiful about a racket that you can just grab off the shelf and play, and to me the Pure Drive is the very definition of a pick up and go racket. No mods needed, at least for a certain style of play. Plus its got heritage. So of course I had to buy the new one.
I used the TWE matching service when I ordered and of the 12 frames they specced, 9 frames were measured at 68 RA, 2 had 67 RA and 1 had 69 RA. Curious, as the official Babolat spec lists the frame at 72 RA unstrung. I've asked TWE if their RA is an estimate for the strung frame or if the frames indeed measured that low and will hopefully receive an answer on Monday. Or maybe it's just their RDC that's off.
Anyway, the new paint job is cool and all, alright, but what's more interesting to me are the new, longer bumpers that are slightly widened at 3 & 9, a tiny bit similar to the original Pure Drive.
I got it strung with Hyper G 1.25 (due to @JGads vouching for it and from reading @Power Player's glowing posts about the PD/HG combo – thank you both, as I never played HG before) at 23kg.
First impressions, straight from the honeymoon: this is seriously one of the best and most enjoyable rackets I've played in quite a while. Better feel and touch than any Pure Drive in recent history, easy power and spin as you'd expect from a PD and surprisingly comfortable.
As with all Babolats, especially the power frames, you have to commit to your shots. A half hearted stroke will more than likely result in a flyer. Been there, done that. What really surprised me is the stability of this new Pure Drive. It lets you take the ball super early, half volleys are a dream. It just doesn't wobble or twist. It packs quite a bit more power than my Extreme Tour, 80% balls can be 50% balls with the PD, saving energy. Control is as expected – not pinpoint, sure, but more than sufficient for my game on clay courts. Touch is very good, but I can not say how much of that is due to the frame or the strings, as I've never played Hyper G before. Anyway, PP nailed it – HG 1.25 is an excellent fit for the new PD.
Woofer grommets – always a hot topic if not a bit overblown IMO on these boards – never bothered me much, to be honest. So the new one does not have woofers and that's ok, I guess. The response of the new PD is more traditional, yes, resulting in maybe a few less fliers, but I need more time with it to really gauge it.
The sweetspot is generous. Whats really interesting is that even on balls outside the sweetspot, like say a mistimed overhead I hit way high in the stringbed, there is basically zero bad vibration in the frame. It's really very well muted in this regard. Serves are not on the level of my Extreme Tour just yet, but that's to be expected on the first few outings. Nevertheless I can see great potential, especially for slice serves. Kickers worked well right away and flat serves clicked towards the end of the first session. Very pleased with that.
To sum it up I think both the Extreme Tour and this new PD will stay in my bag in the foreseeable future. The ET is just so versatile while the PD is just so much fun and easy to play with. Thing is legit.
Good points. In fact just swapping PT 2.0 CAP grommets with MG Radical ones (same mold n they fit) you can drop static and swing weight and make it more easier to use too. It has PT57E layup (iPrestiges) so plays crisp but very comfy and with typical Prestige goodness. I mean it is an advanced user frame at true 95 head size and 18x20 pattern at the end of the day, but if one likes those kinds of frames you should atleast try it. Best part is its $159 and nicely priced brand new. Can score it for much cheaper second hand.
quoted for truth. dont handicap yourself with an unforgiving racquet. well, if you want to win ...
Yes. I did like the 18 PD much more then the 15 PD with the more closed pattern (and exceptionally crude paintjob). It's been a while, but in comparison the 2021 PD feels like a more refined racket in just about every way. It's more stable (higher twistweight), more comfortable and muted. Still a very fast racket. I'd recommend you demo it if you have the chance.
Thanks and what about control and feel? My current racket is Pure Drive 18 and before I had the original Pure Drive which I found much much better than PD 18 except power.
Unfortunately I've never tried the original Pure Drive. From what I recall of the PD 18, the new version provides a better, more direct feel. Part of that may be the new, woofer-less grommets. Control is what I expected from a Pure Drive, on par with my Extreme MP but not as good as the Extreme Tour. I'm happy with it, but it's been too long since I hit the PD 18 to make a more direct comparison and I do not have one anymore, sorry. Hasn't the string pattern on Pure Drives, apart from the closer 2015 version, always been more or less the same?
You are brave making changes like that mid match, lol.
Yeah makes sense. Did you buy brand new from Wilson? Must have been over 250 with tax. That is a good chunk of change.
I think I'm gonna try leaving it on for a minute and see what happens, without needing to time things more closely on really acute brushes I wasn't having the timing issues I thought I would have. This might be the only way in which the last decade of weightlifting hasn't made my tennis worse!
I wouldn't have done it if it was closer, but I was winning by quite a bit and wanted to do something to make it more interesting. He was a really athletic guy, but he said he'd only picked up tennis in the last couple of years. He was actually willing to get out and hit in the snow with me today though, unlike everyone else I know!
I haven’t made specific decisions yet. I am experimenting with BP and the new Dunlop FX 500 to see. i still need to keep playing with both more and trying different strings in them. I think i’ll be tinkering for the next month practicing and playing matches with both. I have 3 BPs but two still have plastic on the handle so just playing the one for now with leather grip.
Oh gotchya. Smart move keeping plastic still on so you can return in case you decide against the H22s
I know what you mean. Decisions, decisions!
Wow, hitting in the snow? You somewhere up north? Regardless major props for commitment and playing in such weather.
Haha yeah but you can still hit in brutal muggy heat (lived in swampy area near GA-FL border), but in below freezing temp it is damn near impossible really to play.
It was just a little bit, it didn't stick to the courts but the grass got dusted. I'm not even in the north, it just came outta nowhere today!
The last version (5th gen) Ezone 100 was pretty average (and I'm being polite). Coming from 4th gen DR line in general, the 5th gen Ezones had big shoes to fill as it is. They felt stiff, flexing weird, wobbled more than they should (didn't feel very stable), and just didn't feel good overall. Compare that to the 6th gen (current 2020 Ezone) and the new one is much closer in feel and feedback to DR line. Feels way smoother and hits much sweeter. I mean it is day and night. So no, unfortunately not the same.
Basically exactly what haqq said above, like 100% lol
