Babolat PDR...wow!

shake&bake

Rookie
Hey guys, just hit with my coach's Pure Drive Roddick (not the new one) strung at 54/51 with Luxilon Savage and Gamma Synthtic Gut and wow, I was blown away. I had never been a PD fan, I always thought that the ball would just fly into the fence, but I felt like I couldnt miss. The power was amazing and effortless, yet the control was outstanding. At the net this thing was a solid rock, and every overhead bounced over the fence. Serving was the best part, as I was cranking aces left and right. Coach said they were around the 130 range, and it sure felt like it. Im gonna keep hitting with this thing and I might have to pick up a few at the store for myself. I had been using a Bab Aero Storm, but this PDR blows it out of the water. Who else loves this stick?
 

The Baseline

Professional
Hey guys, just hit with my coach's Pure Drive Roddick (not the new one) strung at 54/51 with Luxilon Savage and Gamma Synthtic Gut and wow, I was blown away. I had never been a PD fan, I always thought that the ball would just fly into the fence, but I felt like I couldnt miss. The power was amazing and effortless, yet the control was outstanding. At the net this thing was a solid rock, and every overhead bounced over the fence. Serving was the best part, as I was cranking aces left and right. Coach said they were around the 130 range, and it sure felt like it. Im gonna keep hitting with this thing and I might have to pick up a few at the store for myself. I had been using a Bab Aero Storm, but this PDR blows it out of the water. Who else loves this stick?

I havent hit with it but what a nice string combination you have. I found the gamma synthetic gut to be outstanding as a hybrid option.
 

ZeroSkid

Banned
Hey guys, just hit with my coach's Pure Drive Roddick (not the new one) strung at 54/51 with Luxilon Savage and Gamma Synthtic Gut and wow, I was blown away. I had never been a PD fan, I always thought that the ball would just fly into the fence, but I felt like I couldnt miss. The power was amazing and effortless, yet the control was outstanding. At the net this thing was a solid rock, and every overhead bounced over the fence. Serving was the best part, as I was cranking aces left and right. Coach said they were around the 130 range, and it sure felt like it. Im gonna keep hitting with this thing and I might have to pick up a few at the store for myself. I had been using a Bab Aero Storm, but this PDR blows it out of the water. Who else loves this stick?

I felt exactly the same as you when I hit with the AeroPro Drive, a week later I realized the racquet seriously lacks in many departments such as control, feel, volleying, etc.. I think you will benefit only if you are a pure baseliner and not an all-court player like myself.

I also forgot to mention that it will make your arm tender like a baby's bottom :)
 
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nalvarado

Semi-Pro
I was hitting with my coaches swirlies not too long ago and you can really beat the hell out of a ball with it.
 

Dunlop300t

New User
but does it blend? :twisted:
i would like to try this out now cause i am excited but coming from a blx blade tour, there is going to be alot of difference.
 

Xizel

Professional
I also had a demo with it. Half volley winners were fun, until playing day in and out with it also came with day in and out sore wrist and a shoulder that feels like it's getting sawn off.
 

shake&bake

Rookie
I havent hit with it but what a nice string combination you have. I found the gamma synthetic gut to be outstanding as a hybrid option.

It really is, this is the first time I have tried Savage and it is marvelous. The gamma works very well with it as you said. I could start to feel it in my arm a tad bit but I dont think it should be a problem. No wonder all of the college players are hitting with PD's or APD's, they absolutely bludger the ball.
 

shake&bake

Rookie
but does it blend? :twisted:
i would like to try this out now cause i am excited but coming from a blx blade tour, there is going to be alot of difference.

I just came off of using a blx six.one 95, and the PDR beats it out IMO. Feels like it has the same control and stability, but a ton of extra power.
 

DUO

New User
Hey guys, just hit with my coach's Pure Drive Roddick (not the new one) strung at 54/51 with Luxilon Savage and Gamma Synthtic Gut and wow, I was blown away. I had never been a PD fan, I always thought that the ball would just fly into the fence, but I felt like I couldnt miss. The power was amazing and effortless, yet the control was outstanding. At the net this thing was a solid rock, and every overhead bounced over the fence. Serving was the best part, as I was cranking aces left and right. Coach said they were around the 130 range, and it sure felt like it. Im gonna keep hitting with this thing and I might have to pick up a few at the store for myself. I had been using a Bab Aero Storm, but this PDR blows it out of the water. Who else loves this stick?

I also play with an Aero Storm, but the cortex version, and I am currently looking to demo some more powerful racquets because with the AS it feels like even though I am punishing the ball it is still not enough to force my opponent back. I demoed the PD a two years back and did not think of it that highly enough to switch. How would you rate the Roddick Pure Drive volleying stability to the AS.
 

shake&bake

Rookie
Im in the exact same boat with the Aero Storm. I never felt like I could finish the point and drive my opponent back well. The Roddick PD is so much more stable than the AS, you can plow through sitting volleys and punch them deep, but still have great touch on droppers. On volleys, Id say out of ten the Roddick PD gets a 8.5 and the Aero Storm gets a 4
 
Pdr great stick but just a tad to much power.....

The extended version of the APD was my favorite .

It's somewhere in bwtween the pdr and a regular apd
 

DUO

New User
Im in the exact same boat with the Aero Storm. I never felt like I could finish the point and drive my opponent back well. The Roddick PD is so much more stable than the AS, you can plow through sitting volleys and punch them deep, but still have great touch on droppers. On volleys, Id say out of ten the Roddick PD gets a 8.5 and the Aero Storm gets a 4
thanks, have you ever played with the newer PD or PDR yet? and did you develop any elbow soreness from hitting with the PDR? I do like the solidness of the AS but it can be hassle to volley sometime.

Pdr great stick but just a tad to much power.....

The extended version of the APD was my favorite .

It's somewhere in bwtween the pdr and a regular apd
I played with the APDGT for a bit and it just feel too hollow for my liking
 

shake&bake

Rookie
thanks, have you ever played with the newer PD or PDR yet? and did you develop any elbow soreness from hitting with the PDR? I do like the solidness of the AS but it can be hassle to volley sometime.

I have not, but I have a few buddies that have demoed the new ones and they say that it doesnt feel much different, I think it is just the same racket with a new PJ and a new Cortex system. I could feel a very mild tension in my elbow, not really pain, when I was hitting with the PDR, probably becuase my elbow was used to hitting with the AS for the past year and the PDR is a much differernt racket.
 

shake&bake

Rookie
Oh, forgot to mention this, waking up this morning my elbow feels better than it normally does, after playing a good 6hours yesterday :)
 

TheBoom

Hall of Fame
Hey guys, just hit with my coach's Pure Drive Roddick (not the new one) strung at 54/51 with Luxilon Savage and Gamma Synthtic Gut and wow, I was blown away. I had never been a PD fan, I always thought that the ball would just fly into the fence, but I felt like I couldnt miss. The power was amazing and effortless, yet the control was outstanding. At the net this thing was a solid rock, and every overhead bounced over the fence. Serving was the best part, as I was cranking aces left and right. Coach said they were around the 130 range, and it sure felt like it. Im gonna keep hitting with this thing and I might have to pick up a few at the store for myself. I had been using a Bab Aero Storm, but this PDR blows it out of the water. Who else loves this stick?

I too love this racket! The feel is great I've found, it isn't a plush stick but for touch shots it is one of the best out there.i can hit redicuous drop volleys with it. I would say keep the hybrid in I use a full poly and my arm is beginning to bug me (never had elbow problems before). But you basically summed up how the racket is for me as well!
 

shake&bake

Rookie
I see you have Iso Speed Baseline Control in your PDR. How do you like that string? I used it a while back in my old EXO3 Blacks and it did wonders. Im thinking about buying another reel, $40 thats a bang for your buck!
 
thanks, have you ever played with the newer PD or PDR yet? and did you develop any elbow soreness from hitting with the PDR? I do like the solidness of the AS but it can be hassle to volley sometime.


I played with the APDGT for a bit and it just feel too hollow for my liking


Ive played with both and loved both for years . I really LOVED those sticks and I never thought anything would ever come close. Despite the hatred on these boards.....Babolats are in fact amazing.

Having said that I actually switched to another racket....and believe me it wasnt easy for another racket to beat out my babolats.l....However the racket I switched to shall remain nameless as I dont want to hijack this thread.
 

Boricua

Hall of Fame
Ive played with both and loved both for years . I really LOVED those sticks and I never thought anything would ever come close. Despite the hatred on these boards.....Babolats are in fact amazing.

Having said that I actually switched to another racket....and believe me it wasnt easy for another racket to beat out my babolats.l....However the racket I switched to shall remain nameless as I dont want to hijack this thread.

The brand starts with D.:)
 

dkent

New User
I have the 2012 version strung with vs and blast at 57 lbs. just wondering why everyone is stringing it so low and not complaining about it having too much power cuz it think it does strung at my higher tension
 

TheBoom

Hall of Fame
It is very good I had black ode in it first and this stuff is muh better. I get lots more spin and feel from this stuff and like you said for 40 bucks I'll take it :)
 

SFrazeur

Legend
I have the 2012 version strung with vs and blast at 57 lbs. just wondering why everyone is stringing it so low and not complaining about it having too much power cuz it think it does strung at my higher tension

I use BarbWire which is more of a low power poly. So it is perfect for my heavy-tight spin groundstrokes. Until about 3 months ago I was stringing at 64-66 lbs.
Which is arguably upwards of 15 lbs over tension. I do get less control but not significantly less. As well, the positive playing characteristics last longer.

-SF
 

oragne lovre

New User
Hey guys, just hit with my coach's Pure Drive Roddick (not the new one) strung at 54/51 with Luxilon Savage and Gamma Synthtic Gut and wow, I was blown away. I had never been a PD fan, I always thought that the ball would just fly into the fence, but I felt like I couldnt miss. The power was amazing and effortless, yet the control was outstanding. At the net this thing was a solid rock, and every overhead bounced over the fence. Serving was the best part, as I was cranking aces left and right. Coach said they were around the 130 range, and it sure felt like it. Im gonna keep hitting with this thing and I might have to pick up a few at the store for myself. I had been using a Bab Aero Storm, but this PDR blows it out of the water. Who else loves this stick?

It's co-incidental that you post this thread and I just ordered 2 PD Roddicks. As you see, many other players have complained about sore elbows and wrists with this racquet. If you happen to hit with the same racquet again or to get new ones with the same string setup, please post about your experiences. I may use the same string setup to avoid elbow injuries.
 

shake&bake

Rookie
Did you order the standard or the plus? I have been using the standard 27in but want to try out the plus, Ive heard you can get more power and plow through but it is harder to get around sometimes. Any advice?
 
and he also has some glaring holes in his game. Might or might not be the racquet.

Yeah like a us open , #1 in the world and he would have 4 wimbledons if not for a guy named Roger.

Shows you what a Babolat can do.....he got pretty Far for a guy with a lot of holes in his game huh?
 
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DeShaun

Banned
Ive played with both and loved both for years . I really LOVED those sticks and I never thought anything would ever come close. Despite the hatred on these boards.....Babolats are in fact amazing.

Having said that I actually switched to another racket....and believe me it wasnt easy for another racket to beat out my babolats.l....However the racket I switched to shall remain nameless as I dont want to hijack this thread.

Would you break your silence if I asked you (please?) what racket you switched to?
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
DS, Don't you know (with your post history?) that all you have to do is click on a user's name to find more posts from that person, presumably them talking about said frame... Clue: he mentions the frame approximately 437 times since he joined last week. Donnay pro one.
 
Would you break your silence if I asked you (please?) what racket you switched to?

I actually was first a Pure Drive user and then switched to the APD . I found the APD to be a more maneuverable version of the PD.

I now switched to the Donnay Pro one for the same reason. It's like a more maneuverable APD.

It's has equal power to the PD & APD but is more maneuverable with more control in my opinion.

But I don't want to hijack this thread.

The PD is an awesome stick and is the right racquet for some people for sure.

Not everyone has the talent of a Roger Federer and these sticks really help. I'm not good enough to play with a K90...... But so what? I can beat someone who uses a K90.

I think if you take two players with close to equal level and one uses a k90 and the other a Babolat.....the Babolat will win. It's just a big advantage.....

That pisses people off. Would Roddick or Nadal be as great without a Babolat? Probably not.....but who cares? It's just goes to show you how great that stick is.......I feel like Im cheating.
 

shake&bake

Rookie
I think if you take two players with close to equal level and one uses a k90 and the other a Babolat.....the Babolat will win. It's just a big advantage.....

That pisses people off. Would Roddick or Nadal be as great without a Babolat? Probably not.....but who cares? It's just goes to show you how great that stick is.......I feel like Im cheating.

Could not agree more.
 
Could not agree more.

Rumor has it that Pete Sampras switched to a babolat ( or blade with a paint job)

He has also said that he wished he had not been so stubborn and switched to a babolat or a bigger racquet while he was on tour during the French opens.

He feels he would have done much better at the FO with a more powerful stick.
 

Larrysümmers

Hall of Fame
babs help you big time in the power department, but i dont find them overpowering in any means.the best part about the pdr is that it helps you create pace on a paceless ball, it comes in handy against pushers and soft hitters.
 
Is this a Babolat ?

4637323418_554ff618c1_o.jpg
 

Deuces Wild

Rookie
Rumor has it that Pete Sampras switched to a babolat ( or blade with a paint job)

He has also said that he wished he had not been so stubborn and switched to a babolat or a bigger racquet while he was on tour during the French opens.

He feels he would have done much better at the FO with a more powerful stick.

I thought it was established that he's playing with a Pure Storm Tour now.
 

dkent

New User
Just wondering if the racket would have more control if strung at 54lbs VS say 58lbs. Trying to figure this out I have always strung about 58lbs. Just wondering if this would help my game and/or elbow.
 
Just wondering if the racket would have more control if strung at 54lbs VS say 58lbs. Trying to figure this out I have always strung about 58lbs. Just wondering if this would help my game and/or elbow.

That would result in less control and more power. If you string higher you will have more control
 

SFrazeur

Legend
Just wondering if the racket would have more control if strung at 54lbs VS say 58lbs. Trying to figure this out I have always strung about 58lbs. Just wondering if this would help my game and/or elbow.

That depends on the string and how it responds to high versus low tension as well as your game. I do not know gut. However, newer poly works well in the mains at lowish tension because it snaps back into place generating more spin. So if a player uses a lot of spin then having easier access to spin will give them more control.
-SF
 

dkent

New User
That's what I thought but everyone seems to be stringing at about 54lbs. Is there any reason why? I run rpm blast and vs @ 58 lbs
 
That's what I thought but everyone seems to be stringing at about 54lbs. Is there any reason why? I run rpm blast and vs @ 58 lbs

Doesn't matter what string you use....

Looser= more power less control

Tighter = more control less power

Finding the right balance between these two is a challenge and not easy to figure out.
 

SFrazeur

Legend
That's what I thought but everyone seems to be stringing at about 54lbs. Is there any reason why? I run rpm blast and vs @ 58 lbs

I use Solinco barbwire 17g. I string low with it because I feel I get better spin with it at lowish tensions. Which in turn gives me better control on spin shots. However, there is the trade off that while my spin shots seem to have more control, flatter shots have less control.

-SF
 
What I found really cool is copying what some of the pros bit it's really expensive.....

Try putting gut in the mains and poly in the crosses. Won't last long but really great results.

Another awesome trick I found is string savers.....here is the coolest trick I found.....really helps BIG TIME:

Put string savers in every other main from the top to bottom. In other word put string savers along one main then skip the next so it has no savers. Follow this pattern of putting in savers and then skipping the next throughout

What this creates is sort of a vice grip for more control and spin. It's mixing tight and loose. You have got to try it .....I love it.
 

dkent

New User
Ya I guess I will have to keep experimenting with the tension. I generally play a flatter power game but use the odd spin shot. I have noticed with this racquet that a few more than normal shots are going long. Just trying to figure out if I can tune down the power.
 
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