Tennis Warehouse: Babolat Pure Drive VS Playtest

TW Staff

Administrator
Attention Talk Tennis Members:

We have a VERY, VERY Limited number of Pure Drive VS racquets for a playtest. This playtest is open to USA Talk Tennis members only.

VERY IMPORTANT: Playtesters will be required to get their one test racquet strung. Your test sample will come with a RPM Blast Rough 16 and Xcel 16.

The available grip sizes are 4 ¼ and 4 ⅜ ONLY.

Application period now closed. Playtesters will be selected and emailed by the end of the week.

We have a very limited quantity of racquets to playtest. We select playtesters based on a number of factors, including message board participation and performance on past playtests.

In order to participate you must post your findings in this thread by May 3rd 2019. Posting a review by the deadline is necessary to remain in good standing for future playtests.

Include the following in your review:

String and tension used for test:
Tennis experience/background:
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
Current racquet/string setups:
How many hours did you play with the racquet?

Comments on racquet performance:

-Groundstrokes:
-Serves:
-Volleys:
-Serve returns:

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

We will delete “request sent” emails, but encourage a lively “pre-game” discussion on Babolat’s Pure Drive VS racquet.

TW Staff
 
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Rally

Professional
I've wanted to take part in a racquet playtest for a while now but I'll wait for something that's closer to my playing spec before I apply. Have fun, you lucky few who get chosen.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

McLovin

Legend
Ooooh, oooh pick me, pick me!
Lol.

giphy.gif


I’ve been shut out of the last few. Hopefully I’ll get in on this one. Older guy needing a tad more power, but feels the regular Pure Drive has too much. I think this one fits the bill.
 
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El_Yotamo

Hall of Fame
Should be an interesting comparison to my Pure Control 2014 and APD Original, I wonder where it sits between these two frames that I really like. Not sure what string setup will suit it best, I guess I could try a couple of different ones and see what best compliments the frame for me. Should be an interesting frame regardless.
 

tennisfan17

Professional
excited to see a sponsored playtest about this racquet! my interest is very high to hear even more thoughts!!
 

A_Instead

Legend
I had chance to fit with one for aprox 5 mins..it was my buddies.. what stood out to me was the spin.. the ball really hopped on the other side of the court..
 
Hopefully some Volkl V1 Pro folks make it on. Consensus for that racquet was a pure drive with a bit better control, curious how a pure drive with better control compares!
 

topspn

G.O.A.T.
It’s a nice racquet but posters seem very negative and seem to want another pure drive. I’d want to put in my own string and have some extended time with it to assess it properly
 

mogo

Semi-Pro
I am curious to see how the swingweight feels, TW has it at 317 so I think it should be nice to customize. I added lead tape to 3 and 9 on a couple pure drive tours and I like the stability.
 

topspn

G.O.A.T.
I am curious to see how the swingweight feels, TW has it at 317 so I think it should be nice to customize. I added lead tape to 3 and 9 on a couple pure drive tours and I like the stability.
SW is not an issue at all and there is room to add weight should you feel the need.
 

haqq777

Legend
Does anyone think that the PDVS is to similar to the Pure Strike?
I haven't played with PDVS but I have seen it up close. The 16x19 in PDVS seems to be more open than the PS 16x19 (Project One Seven). Also 6 mains in throat for PDVS versus 8 mains for PS. Pretty sure they will play very different.
 

Faris

Professional
Does anyone think that the PDVS is to similar to the Pure Strike?
I have played with both and thought they played very differently. Pure Drive VS felt like just a Pure Drive with lower power, smaller head and bit more control whereas Pure Strike is proper control oriented frame comparatively.

I much prefered the Pure Strike because to me it seemed the PDVS lost all attributes that make a PD awesome and instead it ended up becoming a mediocre frame without own identity. I mean it doesn't have great control and doesn't have tweener power. Mediocre spin too so basically no redeeming quality that make it stand out except that it has Pure Drive in its name (if that makes any sense).

Although I must say, the PJ for PDVS was gorgeous!
 

topspn

G.O.A.T.
Does anyone think that the PDVS is to similar to the Pure Strike?
No, it doesn’t have the extra precision of those 8 mains in the throat. It plays more like pure drive with a bit more control and surprisingly not brassy which was a pleasant surprise
 

TW Staff

Administrator
We have selected our playtesters for this playtest. For those who were selected, please make sure you read the email and confirm. For those of you who weren't selected, thank you for applying. As always, we have a ton more opportunities this year for playtests (we are getting more and more each year).

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
 

mpournaras

Hall of Fame
I am excited as I have Clash Tour in my possession at the moment too. So it should be an interesting comparison from opposite sides of the RA spectrum

I briefly hit with a PD VS a little bit ago but it was customized to the moon (and poorly at that) so I don't feel like I got a good shake.

We will see!

Thanks TW!
 

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
My USTA 4.5 level son currently uses the last version of the Pure Drive Roddick Plus, and I used the Overdrive 110 for six years before switching to the SW104 earlier this year. We've been selected and am looking forward to stringing it up and testing the PDVS.
 
Can't wait to hear back on this one! I probably won't ever buy them new ($500 lol), but have been eyeing them in the sale/trade section. Very interested
 

mrtrinh

Professional
Don't think they've shipped it yet but I'll post pics when I receive it, I live within one shipping day from TW. I've been wanting to do a comparison between the PDVS and Pure Strike
 

topspn

G.O.A.T.
I think they’ll be shipping sometime this week. Perhaps will be in time for the first decent weather in a while to try outdoors
 

Doubles

Legend
I was not selected (didn't even know this thread existed until now) but I have playtested the PDVS at my club. While it had a nice feel to it (compared to other Bab offerings I've used) it is entirely too light in stock form. I only used it for baseline play, so I cannot comment on how it feels serving/volleying, but I could feel the racquet twisting in my hand with every shot I hit. If I were to play around with it more it would need a ton of weight added to it. My Blade's aren't even that heavy and they felt like solid logs in comparison to the VS.
 

Phantasm

Semi-Pro
got my shipping email too. looking forward to trying a Pure Drive model in a while...last one i tried was the pure drive GT roddick
 

mrtrinh

Professional
Received my PDVS L2 yesterday. This has to be the best looking pj from babolat yet. In your hands it definitely feels less like a club compared to the 100".

10zsplf.png
 

topspn

G.O.A.T.
Hmm..the shipping email does not tell you how it is shipped or tracking number. So I have no idea when I’m getting it. I assume UPS but UPS usually sends me an email telllng me I have an expected delivery but nothing.
 
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