Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Babolat Pure Drive 2021

Hmm! Personally, the blue/black of the 2021 PD and the other cosmetic changes are aesthetically more pleasing than the 2018 version.

Not sure if the SWX Pure Feel viscoelastic rubber is a different material than the C2 Pure Feel viscoelastic rubber (with Cortex) in the PS 3rd Gen sticks except perhaps for any placement location differences to absorb shock. It would be really interesting to investigate exactly how much of any of these materials is in these racquets.
 
Devil_dog said:
Same here! I was fortunate to playtest the 2015 and 2018 racquets. Had a great experience with those racquets and currently use the 2018 PD plus sticks.
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do you like the 2018 a lot better than 2015? I have stuck with 2015 because they seem to have more control to me. Less spin though.
 
JonnyAbs said:
do you like the 2018 a lot better than 2015? I have stuck with 2015 because they seem to have more control to me. Less spin though.
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Oh, yeah, the 2018 was a better racquet for me. The 2018 had more dampening qualities, better stability and less brassy feel, imho. The 2015 had the modified stringbed that did offer a bit more control but I prefer the 2018 string pattern. 2018 PD definitely feels more powerful, too, but that's purely subjective. With the right strings - I use Volkl Cyclone Tour 17g - the 2018 PDs offer plenty of punch whether you're a counter puncher or aggressive baseliner. I felt like the 2015s I had to be more aggressive to get the most out of the racquet.
 
I’ve not heard anything, but I’ve also not seen anyone post that they’re in, so in my mind...

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usually people get noticed in the afternoon I think. or thats at least when they post about it.havent been in a racket playtest yet, so im hoping i could be part of this one.
 
Yeah I've never been selected for a racquet playtest either - I'm always curious about new versions of the Pure Drive, but if I don't get in this one I'm really hoping they'll do a round of playtests for the new Pro Staffs.
 
Wooo! Was selected for the play test. This will be my second. Playtested the pure strike 100 last year and had a good time with that.

Additionally I have a thread in the tournament section where I blabber about some of my matches. Will be fun to add more ramblings there.

Thanks TW
 
OMG thank you Tennis Warehouse for the opportunity to playtest this racquet! I was on the 2018 Pure Drive playtest and had a great experience, hope to have another great one with the new Pure Drive!
 
Was selected as well! Excited to share my insight.

I’ve always gravitated toward heavier frames and I’ve only ever played the Pure Strike line of racquets from Babolat for extended periods of time (the 2014 version heavily modded was my racquet of choice for a couple years).

Here’s my racquet history to give you a sense of my background while we wait in agony for the next week or so. I’ve only included frames that I stuck with for over a year.

Prince Spectrum Comp 90
Volkl C10 Pro
Babolat Pure Strike 16x19 (2014, heavily modded)
Wilson RF97

Currently experimenting with a Blade v7 18x20, but not seeing much of a difference in match results compared to my RF97, so I’m not completely sold on it, yet.

I’ve never used a tweener for an extended playtest, so it’ll be interesting to see how my 4.5 game reacts. I’ve been playing a lot more doubles recently and think this new Pure Drive will compliment my game pretty well, although I’m a bit skeptical in the feel (and swingweight department). Glad to hear slices sound sublime on this year’s model, though!
 
Doesn't look like I got in either, unless they're still sending e-mails. Probably too new around here. Welp, best of luck to the playtesters who got selected, and looking forward to the reviews!
 
Apparently string playtests are easier to get on. Less expensive playtest and they let in more people. A way to prove your review and writing abilities.
 
JonnyAbs said:
Apparently string playtests are easier to get on. Less expensive playtest and they let in more people. A way to prove your review and writing abilities.
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yeah ive been in a bunch of string tests and one shoe playtest. havent seen a string test in a while though.
 
I got in, pretty hyped. Let my old coach know I'd be getting a chance to play around with the new PD and he told me I'm gonna have a blast and should probably switch to it if it gives me enough spin to keep full-stroke groundies in without changing my form much.

Then he sent a really long rant about the pure aero...
 
pyrokid said:
I got in, pretty hyped. Let my old coach know I'd be getting a chance to play around with the new PD and he told me I'm gonna have a blast and should probably switch to it if it gives me enough spin to keep full-stroke groundies in without changing my form much.

Then he sent a really long rant about the pure aero...
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Looking fwd to your comprehensive review and hopefully an in-depth comparison with your APDs (y)
 
I didn’t get this one either. I enjoyed the 2018 version and am hearing that it is very consistent. Looking forward to reading the reviews!
 
Here's my unofficial prediction for the playtests :)

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):

-Groundstrokes: Racquet felt good from the baseline. Plenty of power on defensive shots, but slightly lacking in pinpoint control. I could get the racquet in position quickly but it could use a little weight at 12.
-Serves: Racquet felt good on serves. I was able to hit bomb flat serves and slice kick serves were bouncing off the court. I wasn't quite able to pinpoint where my serves were going, but it usually hit the spot I was aiming
-Volleys: Racquet felt good on volleys. I was able to get the racquet in position with no problem, and didn't notice a lot of twisting on hard shots. Volleys generally went where I was aiming, but not as precise as a Prince Phantom 93P or 360+ PMP.
-Serve returns: Racquet felt good on returns. I was able to get the racquet in position with no problems, and didn't notice a lot of twisting on hard serves. Sometimes returns would fly from the power, but generally I was able to control my returns and block back hard serves with ease.

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)

Power/Control- Racquet was very powerful and had decent control, but not pinpoint control like a Prince Phantom 93p or 360+ PMP
Top Spin/Slice- Topspin and slice was very easy, but had some difficult with backhand slice court penetration. Not as good as a Prince Phantom 93p or 360+PMP on slices but generally easy to hit slice with. Comfort- Slightly less comfort than the 2018 but no arm or wrist problems.
Feel- Feel was a little livelier than the 2018, but not jarring.
Maneuverability- Very maneuverable and easy to get in position, due to the HL balance and lighter SW.
Stability - Racquet felt stable for its light weight, and I didn't much twisting on hard shots. Off center this weren't quite as jarring as the Pure Aero and the racquet had a large sweetspot.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Racquet performed well and felt close to the 2018 but a little livelier response. It was maneuverable and played just like what you would expect from a PD. Its a nice update and I'll be making the switch.
 
I'm curious to get some input from long-time PD users on strings/tension. Given the strings that it'll come with my immediate thought would be a hybrid with the RPM and XCel, but given that the RPM is a 17g and XCel is fairly lively, I don't know if that combo would be tough to control?
This is the PD, so I'm sure there are some strong opinions out there for best string setups.
 
Chezbeeno said:
I'm curious to get some input from long-time PD users on strings/tension. Given the strings that it'll come with my immediate thought would be a hybrid with the RPM and XCel, but given that the RPM is a 17g and XCel is fairly lively, I don't know if that combo would be tough to control?
This is the PD, so I'm sure there are some strong opinions out there for best string setups.
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If you use the strings provided, I would suggest using Excel on the mains and RPM on the cross around 56-58lbs. I prefer a full bed of poly .16ga around 58. If I use 17ga I string it around 56.
 
TennisHound said:
If you use the strings provided, I would suggest using Excel on the mains and RPM on the cross around 56-58lbs. I prefer a full bed of poly .16ga around 58. If I use 17ga I string it around 56.
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I was leaning toward 56lbs, I feel like it's a sweet spot for a lot of racquets. Why do you say to use the XCel in the mains? I've always done poly in the mains of hybrids to maximize spin production.
 
I am planning to just go to Tour Bite 1.20 @ 56lb, which is my favorite setup in my 2018 Pure Drive. I may try full RPM Blast, but I think I'll just prefer the TB
 
Chezbeeno said:
I was leaning toward 56lbs, I feel like it's a sweet spot for a lot of racquets. Why do you say to use the XCel in the mains? I've always done poly in the mains of hybrids to maximize spin production.
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I feel like the smooth(ish) poly on the crosses will allow the Excel to move and snap back. The theory is that the mains will move and when they snap back, they will create spin on the ball. Again, that may or may not be true, so use what you feel works. I've used syn gut, and some multifilament on crosses and it roughened up and hindered the poly from moving. The problem is that poly also roughens up, but not as fast IMO as syn gut or multi.
 
I should string up my old swirly for comparison too.

Full disclaimer though, I actually liked the newer PDs more than the swirlies, for a lot of the sale reasons I like the 2013 apd more than the APDO.

I've been stringing my PAVS' with isospeed baseline at like 44/42, that was where I was gonna start with the PD. Does that sound like a problem?
 
Chezbeeno said:
I'm curious to get some input from long-time PD users on strings/tension. Given the strings that it'll come with my immediate thought would be a hybrid with the RPM and XCel, but given that the RPM is a 17g and XCel is fairly lively, I don't know if that combo would be tough to control?
This is the PD, so I'm sure there are some strong opinions out there for best string setups.
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With the 2018 Pure Drive, I wasn't a fan of a hybrid. Felt like I needed to go full poly to get the best out of the stick. With the hybrid, I was having an issue with depth control and consistent launch angle.
 
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pyrokid said:
I should string up my old swirly for comparison too.

Full disclaimer though, I actually liked the newer PDs more than the swirlies, for a lot of the sale reasons I like the 2013 apd more than the APDO.

I've been stringing my PAVS' with isospeed baseline at like 44/42, that was where I was gonna start with the PD. Does that sound like a problem?
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It can't hurt to string up your Swirly and find out, since it has a tighter string pattern than the later version PD.
 
These threads being open only to US residents reminds me of that time I opened a Philadelphia Cream Cheese box and found a $1M jackpot ticket that only US citizens were eligible for.
 
TennisHound said:
It can't hurt to string up your Swirly and find out, since it has a tighter string pattern than the later version PD.
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That's what I like to hear. Open patterns are all I can deal with!

I know these won't have as much spin as the pure aero, but if they're around the same level as the aeropros were... Hoo boy. I have a feeling that's wishful thinking though
 
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Chezbeeno said:
I'm guessing that you mean that the ball was sailing deep/high on you? That's kind of what I'm afraid of with a hybrid in a PD.
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It was weird. When just trying to hit relaxed and smoothly (like say during warmup and mini tennis), I was dumping the ball into the net a fair amount more than usual. Then I'd try to adjust and I'd be sailing the ball long.
 
loosegroove said:
It was weird. When just trying to hit relaxed and smoothly (like say during warmup and mini tennis), I was dumping the ball into the net a fair amount more than usual. Then I'd try to adjust and I'd be sailing the ball long.
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Well. Neither of those things sound appealing. What hybrid did you use? I'm still curious about trying the multi in the mains, as TennisHound recommended.
 
Chezbeeno said:
Well. Neither of those things sound appealing. What hybrid did you use? I'm still curious about trying the multi in the mains, as TennisHound recommended.
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I was using some Pro Pros string I had on hand, but was a setup I had tried in multiple rackets without such issues. I did poly mains, maybe multi mains would have worked better. But I never do multi mains in a hybrid because durability is such an issue.
 
loosegroove said:
I was using some Pro Pros string I had on hand, but was a setup I had tried in multiple rackets without such issues. I did poly mains, maybe multi mains would have worked better. But I never do multi mains in a hybrid because durability is such an issue.
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I've similarly only ever done poly in mains for hybrids because of durability, I'm interested to try multi mains...I'm leaning against doing that for this playtest, though. Since the whole point is testing out the racquet, I don't want to have a string setup that's super different than what I'm used to and be unable to tell what elements of the frame/string setup are more responsible for the hitting experience. At the moment I'm leaning toward full RPM at about 56.
 
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