Babolat PURE DRIVE VS 2019

[avocadoz]

Please whoever Deimos this. Try to make comparisons to the reg Pd and ps. Thanks

Power: PD > PS > PDVS
Control: PDVS > PS > PD
Maneuverability: PDVS > PD > PS
Stability: PS > PDVS > PD
Comfort: PDVS > PS > PD
Touch/Feel: PS > PDVS > PD
Serves: PS > PDVS > PD
Groundstrokes: PDVS > PD > PS
Returns: PDVS > PD > PS
Slice: PS > PDVS > PD
Topspin: PDVS > PS > PD
Volleys: PS > PDVS > PD
Overall: PDVS > PS > PD

Basically, regular PD only excels at one thing, and that's power. PDVS & PS are see-saw in terms of other categories but what it comes down for me is that the PDVS has better control and it's easier to swing than the PS.

 

[topspn]

Power: PD > PS > PDVS
Control: PDVS > PS > PD
Maneuverability: PDVS > PD > PS
Stability: PS > PDVS > PD
Comfort: PDVS > PS > PD
Touch/Feel: PS > PDVS > PD
Serves: PS > PDVS > PD
Groundstrokes: PDVS > PD > PS
Returns: PDVS > PD > PS
Slice: PS > PDVS > PD
Topspin: PDVS > PS > PD
Volleys: PS > PDVS > PD
Overall: PDVS > PS > PD

Basically, regular PD only excels at one thing, and that's power. PDVS & PS are see-saw in terms of other categories but what it comes down for me is that the PDVS has better control and it's easier to swing than the PS.

The P17 with 8 mains in the throat actually pretty nice control and precision. Also damned easy maneuverability a child can swing it easily. If you’re rating PDVS better in those two and more comfortable then wow

 

[kblades]

I got my pair today, had them strung with Hyper G 16L @ 52lbs. Both of mine weighed 317g strung.

Unfortunately, it's in the teens here in Indiana, and my next league night isn't until Wed so I probably won't get a chance to take them out until then.

I will share my thoughts once I've had a chance to get them on the court. I turned into a bit of a racketaholic this past year in search of 'the one'. After owning and playing with many racquets this past year, my favorites ended up being the PS Project One7, 2015 Blade 16x19, and 2015 PD. I'm hoping this VS will share the best characteristics I liked from each of those, and my search can finally be over!

 

[mpournaras]

Id love a mix of all of those too haha. If you add lead let us know how it responds to a smidge of lead in the head.

 

[avocadoz]

This is why I don't want to buy a pair if all they're matching is the static weight. HL balance & SW is just as important if not more.

 

[downs_chris]

so what are your thoughts?? compared to ps

So I only hit briefly with it a few days ago. I strung the Pure Drive VS with Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25mm at 48/46 lbs. Strung up the racquet was 320g, so I decided to add a leather grip which got it up to 330g - with the dampener and OG it came in at an even 335g...

The frame feels firm / brassy -- even at a low tension. I actually enjoy the Pure Drive and the Pure Strike, but my first impressions with the Pure Drive VS were that it kind of lacked feel and lacked some oomph / power too. I think I need to play with adding some weight in the hoop and I might take off the leather grip and just add weight in the handled instead (the leather grip makes it a little too small too). My first impression wasn't that great, but I'll give it another shot before I say more...I'm hitting again on Sunday with @McLovin so he can add his thoughts as well...

 

[McLovin]

So I only hit briefly with it a few days ago. I strung the Pure Drive VS with Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25mm at 48/46 lbs. Strung up the racquet was 320g, so I decided to add a leather grip which got it up to 330g - with the dampener and OG it came in at an even 335g...

The frame feels firm / brassy -- even at a low tension. I actually enjoy the Pure Drive and the Pure Strike, but my first impressions with the Pure Drive VS were that it kind of lacked feel and lacked some oomph / power too. I think I need to play with adding some weight in the hoop and I might take off the leather grip and just add weight in the handled instead (the leather grip makes it a little too small too). My first impression wasn't that great, but I'll give it another shot before I say more...I'm hitting again on Sunday with @McLovin so he can add his thoughts as well...

Woohoo! I’ll bring the tripod & maybe post some video of us hitting w/ it.

You can be the 3rd 5.0 I take down in a week

 

[danbrenner]

thats what i thought folks,. a little light and brassy. lacks oomph. sounds alot like the pavs.
talk about hype. lol and two at a time to boot. sounds like the ps will remain king of the babolat 98 sq inch dept

 

[flipflap]

I love my pavs, low on power, great control.

Curious to see how the pdvs compares to it. I think the ps vs is quite similar to the pa vs...storm vs aerostorm...very similar.

 

[Karma Tennis]

I just ordered one and made an agreement that they keep the second one for me for a day. Testing it tonight

@danbrenner, there is the solutions to all of your problems

(Babolat may "force" the Distributors or Retailers to buy them in pairs. But the Retailers can probably sell them any way they see fit.)

 

[jacob22]

Just received these beauties today. Weighed 321g and 322g with plastic still on the grip. Unfortunately, I won't get to play with them until Monday, working all weekend. Then, I'll be able to give Pure Strike comparison.

 

[Karma Tennis]

Can someone comment on the true quality of the paint on these sticks.

And anyone who scrapes or chips a frame, please tell us what the colour of the undercoat is. (It better be a dark colour!)

Thanks.

 

[topspn]

Can anyone provide a bit of insight into stringed spacing? The PD is pretty open and P17 has 8 mains in the throat so not to open in the center then opens up. PS certainly superior in precision and control with a lot of power and spin. Terrific racquet really when you factor in the high twist weight/stability but comfort sucks. Once you've played with the PD VS, can you please provide some insight on those factors?

 

[musicsoul]

Played 3 sets with it last night on a very fast indoor hard court. It’s a very easy racquet to play with. Addicting power and definitely some good control. I would still call this more of a power racquet than a control racquet. I had more balls going long then normal. It’s very fun to play with and feels great in your hand, but its not as solid as my vcore 95. I always felt this way about Babolat racquets, they feel more hollow. I do really like playing with it, the free power is really nice to have. But feels a little bit too light to handle big serves coming at you. Maybe this is fixable with some lead tape. I’m still in doubt about getting the second matched one. I think I can learn to play with this one, it will definitely help on off days to have some more free power.

 

[avocadoz]

Played 7 sets with it so far and winning 6 of them. I tried lead tape at 9&3 o'clock and didn't like it as much as at 10&2. The one knock is that it's still too light, which translates to hitting a fast ball but not a heavy ball. Still loving it though.

 

[topspn]

Played 7 sets with it so far and winning 6 of them. I tried lead tape at 9&3 o'clock and didn't like it as much as at 10&2. The one knock is that it's still too light, which translates to hitting a fast ball but not a heavy ball. Still loving it though.

What is your main stick for context? Is the PD VS comfortable on the arm vs PD and PS?

 

[danbrenner]

Can someone comment on the true quality of the paint on these sticks.

And anyone who scrapes or chips a frame, please tell us what the colour of the undercoat is. (It better be a dark colour!)

Thanks.

Yeah. These sticks were made in a separate factory than all the other Babolats. The quality is 54% higher than the others. And the undercoat is slightly on the pink side. They changed up the whole formula on this line. Crazy huh.

 

[glenWs]

Saw the review and specs on TW. First reaction is too light. $500 bucks for two rackets that will need a lot of customization. Didn't get the feeling any of the playtesters liked it too much. Sounded like they were just repeating marketing speak. Specs are definitely a let down.

 

[jacob22]

Saw the review and specs on TW. First reaction is too light. $500 bucks for two rackets that will need a lot of customization. Didn't get the feeling any of the playtesters liked it too much. Sounded like they were just repeating marketing speak. Specs are definitely a let down.

What did people say about the $250 Ultra Tour?

 

[Karma Tennis]

The quality is 54% higher than the others..

The Production Testing sheets I've seen confirm that the average quality of the PDVS is actually 84% higher compared to a sample size of 10,000 racquets from the other lines when averaged over the time of day, and speed and direction of the prevailing wind during the Lunch Break.

 

[downs_chris]

So I was able to get more time with this frame with @McLovin today - he's like a human backboard (rarely misses), so it helped me get into a good groove!

My Background / Frame Background:
I messed around a little more with the grip sizing - I have a 1/4 to play with, but I think I need a 3/8 (Babolat's seem to run a tad big, but that could be due to their thicker base grips). I took off the leather I originally added, and put back on a synthetic - then added two overgrips which seemed to be more comfortable...it's right at 333g with everything and has a very similar weight / balance to my customized Yonex EZONE 100 (my racquet of choice)...the Pure Drive VS I had was strung with Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25mm at 48/46 lbs...I'm mainly a doubles player (USTA 5.0) and I tend to lean towards to the tweener type frames...

General Thoughts:
The racquet seems to have a lot of mass in the throat - which makes it feel like a pretty solid racquet, even though it's relatively light. I agree with the reviews that say this sits in between a Pure Drive and a Pure Strike. It's not quite as stiff as a Pure Drive, and not as "muted" as the Pure Strike (which is probably only knock with that stick). The power level seems to be more on par with the Pure Drive - again, not quite as much as the PD, but a little more than the PS....one thing I did notice with the VS, if you hit outside the sweet spot, there seems to be a drop in power. Maybe I can help this out with different string / tension setups...

I do like the slightly "thinner" beam than most tweeners - even if it's just in my head, I like that it's not quite so thick around the hoop....

Volleys (A+):
In one word, awesome! The frame is sooo stable and I felt like I could do almost anything at the net. It plays like a heavier racquet - due to where the mass is in this stick (throat area). Since it doesn't have quite as thick of a beam as my regular EZONE 100, it did feel slightly more dialed in...I prefer a slightly more solid/stiffer feeling racquet for net play and I prefer being at net -- this frame did not disappoint!

Serves (A):
Serving with this frame is a big upgrade from my EZONE 100. It's probably one of the better serving frames I've used in a while. It's less jarring than the regular Pure Drive, yet has similar pop in my opinion. Whether it's kick serves or flat serves, this frame can hit bombs!

Groundstrokes (B+):
After I adjusted to the frame, I really got into a great groove with this racquet. Especially off the backhand side - I think the added weight (in the throat) just made it feel effortless on the backhand side. My forehand - which is a bigger swinging motion than my backhand - felt a tad sluggish. That could've been due to my opponent (@McLovin ) and the court was lightning quick. The frame has good (to great) spin potential - as the crosses seemed to be spaced out fairly wide. The stability of the frame also helped with slicing...

Final Thoughts:
So after being totally underwhelmed after the first hitting session, I really grew to liking (/borderline loving) the frame after the second session. I think this is a good stick for people who like tweener type frames (aeros, pure drives, ezones, vcore, etc etc), but might want something that's slightly more controlled. I felt like the frame was on the firmer side, but it's still comfortable relative to the regular pure drive (you can feel the "lower" RA). I still haven't played any sets with this racquet and I would like to play with more string setups (go low...under 50 for full poly), but it's definitely a racquet I could see myself switching to in the future...

 

[chizzle]

Thx for the review.

I played 6 games with it yesterday. Tournament, 2nd rd of the day. *Won my first match, scratchy, ugly but a W. My second match in a year, still coming back. So expectations are low ish.

Demoing as the holicking has been bad over the past 10yrs. Trying out the VCP 310. Head hawk touch at 54lbs but settled in (felt like it dropped a bit).

In my second rd match I was saving the VS for a moment when I could try it. So vs the 3seed, I finally got broke at 5-6: up until then the VCP 310 served me well in the day.

So now I had a reason to switch. Running out of gas and struggling with timing... the VS demo was strung with a multi at 54lbs - bummer. It’s prob not fair to judge (review) given the racquet switch mid match, tennis rust, fast indoor courts, a struggle in the first match, a much tougher opponent, the VS setup etc.

I just want to dig this stick. I feel I need a poly at 55 ish, and more reps. The maneuverability was crazy good. Groundies were great incl 2hbh and slice, serve started to come around but the weight threw off timing I believe. I feel I can’t give much feedback on anything else yet.

So yea, lost the 2nd set bagel style. Probably not much help. I’ve heard a few times from folks who were “meh” on the first hit and “wow” from the second on... maybe I’ll be one of those.

 

[Gemini]

I just saw this stick on the TW homepage and this might finally be a Babolat racquet I could completely gel with. The primary thing I didn't/don't like about the standard Pure Drive line is the disconnected feeling. I may have to pick up a pair of these as an experiment.

 

[avocadoz]

What is your main stick for context? Is the PD VS comfortable on the arm vs PD and PS?

I switch back and forth between the new PA and Head GTSP depending on how much effort I feel like putting in that day. PDVS is noticeably more comfortable than the PD for sure. I didn’t gel very well with the PS particularly on groundstrokes due to the stiffness of the hoop so to my perception, PDVS felt a tad bit more comfortable because it was easier to swing. That’s not to say PDVS isn’t a stiff racquet. It still is but more comfortable than the PD in particular.

 

[avocadoz]

My local shop does sell this separately instead of a pair but it’ll cost ya $280. It’s ridiculous that racquets nowadays are approaching $300. That’s just absurd!

 

[McLovin]

I only hit w/ it for about 5 minutes, but, as I told my wife about a dinner she once made: "Its not terrible..."

But seriously, I hit with it in the first configuration, which was leather + 2 overwraps. From the start I could feel the stiffness in the throat, but also the mass distribution felt...odd. We estimated it was close to 312-313g unstrung as we had it (leather adds ~ 8g, SuperGrap another 5g), but unfortunately, I forgot to bring my balance board to see how many points HL it was.

From the ground it did feel a little sluggish, but when you got it there, very good power & spin. Definitely more than my Fischers (the frame seen in his photo). For the few volleys I hit with it, it was extremely stable at the net. You really didn't have to do much, which is a bonus. Just get it in position for the volley, and the frame does everything else.

@downs_chris hit a few serves with it, and he was definitely getting good pace. He normally has a big 1st serve, but I was catching my forehand return extremely late, especially on the ad side.

Bottom line for me: If they release a 'Pure Drive VS +', I will give it a serious trial. It would definitely be a 'must demo' frame, although the stiffness does concern me a bit. I'd have to see how it does in an extended trial.

Oh, and on the string spacing...yeah, the top & bottom cross strings seem unusually close the top & bottom of the hoop. Its as if they kept the exact same string spacing from the 100 sq in Pure Drive and put it in the VS.

 

[musicsoul]

My local shop does sell this separately instead of a pair but it’ll cost ya $280. It’s ridiculous that racquets nowadays are approaching $300. That’s just absurd!

Wow! I got one for 187,50 euro here in Amsterdam. So 375 euro for the set.

 

[michael valek]

Never been a pure drive fan mys

 

[michael valek]

Oops. Never been a pure drive fan myself. Anyone prefer this vs to pure aero or any previous aeropro?

 

[downs_chris]

Oops. Never been a pure drive fan myself. Anyone prefer this vs to pure aero or any previous aeropro?

i have both frames in my house now...PDVS feels more "dialed in" than the pure aero....it has similar levels of power (not quite as much), but I feel like I can hit my spots better with the PDVS...

 

[tennisdad20]

Any opinions for those who had hit with this, if this would be a good fit for a young junior tournament player? My son (11) currently uses a PD lite, but I weight it up to 316 Grams strung. Thinking this could be a great racquet to change into as he can handle more weight. He's a bigger hitter, and smaller head size would be nice as well.

 

[musicsoul]

Any opinions for those who had hit with this, if this would be a good fit for a young junior tournament player? My son (11) currently uses a PD lite, but I weight it up to 316 Grams strung. Thinking this could be a great racquet to change into as he can handle more weight. He's a bigger hitter, and smaller head size would be nice as well.

Yes, I think this is a very good racquet for that situation.

 

[dsp9753]

I played a match with this over the weekend. I normally use a Prostaff 97LS weighted up with a leather grip and over grip. Weight comes up to be similar to the PDVS but more headlight. USTA 4.0.

Serve - It is much much easier to serve with the PDVS. The extra free power lets me hit my serve effortlessly. I am typically a conservative server (valuing 1st percentage for doubles) and I probably only missed like 4 first serves the entire match. (My first serve is a kick serve in the low 90s/high 80s.) In the practice after, I felt like I could be more aggressive with pace and spin and still get my serve in.

Ground strokes - So the PDVS has a lot more free power and I hit some balls really long. Like hitting the back fence long. This was kind of surprising to me and my partner as I am typically more of a consistent baseliner type player. I swing fast and with alot of topspin on both sides but sometimes if wasn't focused or didnt move my feet, I would wail the ball really long. But on the same note, when I took big swings at really easy balls, I hit the ball much harder and deeper then I usually ever do. It also required me to take big fast swings in order to hit good shots.

Volleys - Felt good, was quick and maneuverable and packed a punch. I didnt play against big hitters so I didnt really have any problems with stability but that might change when I play other men.

Overall, it felt pretty good with the only complaint being that my ground strokes weren't completely dialed in. But that may change once I get more practice with it. I was looking for a slightly heavier/stable racquet then the 97LS. I also wanted a little extra power on my strokes. The biggest thing is that I like really fast maneuverable racquets and the PDVS felt about as maneuverable as my 97LS.

 

[jacob22]

I played a match with this over the weekend. I normally use a Prostaff 97LS weighted up with a leather grip and over grip. Weight comes up to be similar to the PDVS but more headlight. USTA 4.0.

Serve - It is much much easier to serve with the PDVS. The extra free power lets me hit my serve effortlessly. I am typically a conservative server (valuing 1st percentage for doubles) and I probably only missed like 4 first serves the entire match. (My first serve is a kick serve in the low 90s/high 80s.) In the practice after, I felt like I could be more aggressive with pace and spin and still get my serve in.

Ground strokes - So the PDVS has a lot more free power and I hit some balls really long. Like hitting the back fence long. This was kind of surprising to me and my partner as I am typically more of a consistent baseliner type player. I swing fast and with alot of topspin on both sides but sometimes if wasn't focused or didnt move my feet, I would wail the ball really long. But on the same note, when I took big swings at really easy balls, I hit the ball much harder and deeper then I usually ever do. It also required me to take big fast swings in order to hit good shots.

Volleys - Felt good, was quick and maneuverable and packed a punch. I didnt play against big hitters so I didnt really have any problems with stability but that might change when I play other men.

Overall, it felt pretty good with the only complaint being that my ground strokes weren't completely dialed in. But that may change once I get more practice with it. I was looking for a slightly heavier/stable racquet then the 97LS. I also wanted a little extra power on my strokes. The biggest thing is that I like really fast maneuverable racquets and the PDVS felt about as maneuverable as my 97LS.

Why not the regular Pro Staff 97?

 

[dsp9753]

Why not the regular Pro Staff 97?

Instead of the PDVS? Or instead of the 97LS?

I always used the 97LS and when I wanted to get a little bit heavier, it was easier to add a little weight to it then changing racquets. Also, the 97 feels completely different from the 97LS. Much heavier (even with a leather grip) and much less maneuverable. I don't think I will personally ever get comfortable swinging a heavy racquet. Around 300 grams unstrung seems to be my max. Anything heavier and everything starts to feel slow/late.

 

[jacob22]

Instead of the PDVS? Or instead of the 97LS?

I always used the 97LS and when I wanted to get a little bit heavier, it was easier to add a little weight to it then changing racquets. Also, the 97 feels completely different from the 97LS. Much heavier (even with a leather grip) and much less maneuverable. I don't think I will personally ever get comfortable swinging a heavy racquet. Around 300 grams unstrung seems to be my max. Anything heavier and everything starts to feel slow/late.

Instead of the 97LS. I can't use anything lighter than an RF97, j/k.

 

[tennisdad20]

Yes, I think this is a very good racquet for that situation.

Thanks. Been looking for his next racquet, and seems to favor the PD.

 

[netlets]

Any opinions for those who had hit with this, if this would be a good fit for a young junior tournament player? My son (11) currently uses a PD lite, but I weight it up to 316 Grams strung. Thinking this could be a great racquet to change into as he can handle more weight. He's a bigger hitter, and smaller head size would be nice as well.

I have my demo and am going to hit with it tomorrow. I will let you know what I think, but as a parent of two tournament players, I would not put my 14 year old in a racquet with this swing weight. I'm a PTR Certified pro and 5.0 player myself that has been using the Pure Drive since 2003. It is definitely heavier to swing than the Pure Drive. You are going from the lightest Pure Drive to the heaviest. I would go with the Pure Drive Team first - it is significantly heavier than the Pure Drive Light. I would also make sure he isn't using a full bed of poly until 13 or 14 - hybrid is fine. He's too young IMO. Better safe than sorry. Will tell you more after I hit some balls.

 

[topspn]

I have my demo and am going to hit with it tomorrow. I will let you know what I think, but as a parent of two tournament players, I would not put my 14 year old in a racquet with this swing weight. I'm a PTR Certified pro and 5.0 player myself that has been using the Pure Drive since 2003. It is definitely heavier to swing than the Pure Drive. You are going from the lightest Pure Drive to the heaviest. I would go with the Pure Drive Team first - it is significantly heavier than the Pure Drive Light. I would also make sure he isn't using a full bed of poly until 13 or 14 - hybrid is fine. He's too young IMO. Better safe than sorry. Will tell you more after I hit some balls.

Your comment is puzzling. They should be extremely similar. The new PD actually has a bit heavier SW then the VS. Are you still playing a PD 2003 version? You recall what the SW was back then?

Edit: sorry, just realized you’re talking about light PD vs the new VS

 

[tennisdad20]

I have my demo and am going to hit with it tomorrow. I will let you know what I think, but as a parent of two tournament players, I would not put my 14 year old in a racquet with this swing weight. I'm a PTR Certified pro and 5.0 player myself that has been using the Pure Drive since 2003. It is definitely heavier to swing than the Pure Drive. You are going from the lightest Pure Drive to the heaviest. I would go with the Pure Drive Team first - it is significantly heavier than the Pure Drive Light. I would also make sure he isn't using a full bed of poly until 13 or 14 - hybrid is fine. He's too young IMO. Better safe than sorry. Will tell you more after I hit some balls.

Thanks, appreciate the feedback. Let me know how it hits. He actually been using full poly since he started playing at 6. He's tried all kinds of different strings, hybrids, etc..but favors the full bed of RPM Blast at 52 lbs.

 

[Karma Tennis]

I would also make sure he isn't using a full bed of poly until 13 or 14 - hybrid is fine. He's too young IMO. Better safe than sorry. .

Under MOST circumstances I would agree with this comment.

However, if the young player has decent stroke technique and can realise the benefits of a full bed of Poly string, there is little wrong with using it ... AS LONG AS IT IS FRESH. For a player in their early teens who just HAS TO HAVE poly string, I would restring every 3 to 4 hours regardless of the poly string used. (Yes, it is more expensive but if one wants to provide the "best of the best" and minimise the chance of injury then one has to be prepared to pay for it.)

The racquet configuration is also very important. A stick with the ideal customised static weight, balance, and grip size goes a long way to providing great protection to a young player's arm regardless of the string used - Just make sure to restring frequently.

 

[Karma Tennis]

Thanks, appreciate the feedback. Let me know how it hits. He actually been using full poly since he started playing at 6. He's tried all kinds of different strings, hybrids, etc..but favors the full bed of RPM Blast at 52 lbs.

I know one fellow who started using RPM Blast from about 10 years of age in an APD. He was a decent player with great stroke technique for his age. But even so he started to get a sore arm after a few months. I advised his father to make sure he had the racquets restrung after every 3 hours of play. So he tried that. The lad is now in his mid teens and no more sore arms. Just a very sore arm for the father who has to keep reaching into his pocket for his Credit Card. lol.

 

[musicsoul]

I now played with it for a second time. My shoulder doesn't like this frame This really sucks because I love how it plays. I just talked to shop and they are willing to take it back and use it as a demo racket. I think I'm going to do this and trade it for a second Vcore 95. Too bad

 

[avocadoz]

I heard that you can buy this racquet individually starting March 1st. The pairs were just a promotional roll-out period.

 

[netlets]

Under MOST circumstances I would agree with this comment.

However, if the young player has decent stroke technique and can realise the benefits of a full bed of Poly string, there is little wrong with using it ... AS LONG AS IT IS FRESH. For a player in their early teens who just HAS TO HAVE poly string, I would restring every 3 to 4 hours regardless of the poly string used. (Yes, it is more expensive but if one wants to provide the "best of the best" and minimise the chance of injury then one has to be prepared to pay for it.)

The racquet configuration is also very important. A stick with the ideal customised static weight, balance, and grip size goes a long way to providing great protection to a young player's arm regardless of the string used - Just make sure to restring frequently.

There are always exceptions - just telling you my thoughts. Also, a full bed of poly has little feel and that hurts the development of slices, volleys and all the feel shots most kids are not comfortable hitting today. You can use a hybrid and hit them well. If you're only looking for power and spin that's one thing, but developing a game at that age is more important than winning every match at 11. You want to peak in a few years. It's a whole new game when all the kids start hitting the ball hard - then you stand out if you have variety.

 

[netlets]

So I just finished playing with the Pure Drive VS tonight. I strung it up with Solinco Tour Bite 16L at 48lbs. I am a 5.0 tournament player that has a semi-western forehand and two handed backhand. I have been playing with the Pure Drive and all of it's iterations since 2003. The VS is a bit heavier than the regular PD but it feels softer and not as stiff. My PD has an RA of 72 and this one has an RA of 68, so it felt more comfortable. You can feel the ball better on groundstrokes. There is a touch less power but more control and feel than the PD. At the net I found it easier to maneuver. I was always out in front on my volleys - and when you are playing with your 17 year old son that will be playing in college - you want your racquet out in front of you. The feel at net was much better than the PD as well. I felt I could generate more racquet head speed on my forehand and power was not an issue. I haven't served much with it yet - but on the few I did take I felt I could get the head around quicker as it is less bulky than the PD. All in all, I really liked it my first time out. I played pretty well with it from the start and I think most people that have been using the Pure Drive will adapt more quickly. Next time I am going to play some more points and see how I feel in the midst of battle. One item to note: the demo was initially strung at the tennis shop with multi and I didn't like it at all - it felt dead. I assume a poly hybrid or all poly would be much better in this type of racquet.

 

[netlets]

thats what i thought folks,. a little light and brassy. lacks oomph. sounds alot like the pavs.
talk about hype. lol and two at a time to boot. sounds like the ps will remain king of the babolat 98 sq inch dept

Disagree - the PDVS was superior from the ground and on volleys - really impressed with how I was quickly able to maneuver the head. Pure Strike was better on the serve, but it is a more powerful racquet and a bit heavier. You have to adjust the tension on the PDVS to a little less than you would normally use IMO and it's really good on groundies.

 

[Karma Tennis]

There are always exceptions - just telling you my thoughts. Also, a full bed of poly has little feel and that hurts the development of slices, volleys and all the feel shots most kids are not comfortable hitting today. You can use a hybrid and hit them well. If you're only looking for power and spin that's one thing, but developing a game at that age is more important than winning every match at 11. You want to peak in a few years. It's a whole new game when all the kids start hitting the ball hard - then you stand out if you have variety.

I used to think the same way. I don't any more.

For Singles play, young kids need to develop "weapons" as soon as possible. That means a Big Serve, and a Big Forehand, and great court movement. The "variety" shots can be developed later on as an addition to the weapons as required

Without weapons, the player's ceiling is limited. That is fine if the player doesn't aspire to play at really high levels. But for any player that does, weapons are the key. If the player doesn't have a huge serve and a huge forehand by the time they are 18yo, they are unlikely to get to Professional Level. (And don't get me started with the Mental side of the game!)

And for players who aspire to very high levels, winning every match is important? Why? The more successful the player is early on, the more attention they will attract from organisations and people that can smooth their path to the higher levels of the sport. The only caveat here is that player's appreciate the value of the odd loss in that a loss is not a failure but a learning experience. Junior players that "get that" will go a long way.

And ... the smartest players understand that they never "Peak". Even Roger Federer continues to work on improving his game. That is a great lesson for all of us.

Back OT, full beds of poly string will enhance the potency of the weapons.

 

[Gemini]

It seems the opinions on this new Pure Drive are as polarized as any other iteration of the Pure Drive. I personally have never bonded well with the regular Pure Drive frames. They simply lacked any sort of feel for me and while the flex wasn't a problem for me the overall stiffness of the frames were/are evident. I currently play with the SV 98+ which has a similar RA as the Pure Drive VS so I'm definitely curious about this new Babolat. The specs, on paper, seems like it would be a great platform racquet for me to tinker with.

 

[musicsoul]

It seems the opinions on this new Pure Drive are as polarized as any other iteration of the Pure Drive. I personally have never bonded well with the regular Pure Drive frames. They simply lacked any sort of feel for me and while the flex wasn't a problem for me the overall stiffness of the frames were/are evident. I currently play with the SV 98+ which has a similar RA as the Pure Drive VS so I'm definitely curious about this new Babolat. The specs, on paper, seems like it would be a great platform racquet for me to tinker with.

I think it's platform racquet. I had the same feeling when I played with the Ultra Tour in stock, it feels too light and flimsy.