Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Babolat Pure Drive 2021

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Got to hit with mine today and I did not feel the frame was too muted or too loud either. Sounded pretty normal to me. Plays great. I am really enjoying it so far.

Is the swing weight really 320 though? I suspect its a little higher than that.
 

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
I'll lose a few aces but the easier maneuverability will hopefully allow quicker swings on return of serve and better volleys and drop shots and overall more control?
For some reason I feel like the 2021 PD would be better in singles and the PD+ better in doubles but I hope to decide which one is better for me overall during this playtest.
I was thinking the opposite. Quicker racquet would be better for doubles for reflex volleys and the ability to get around on a return faster so you aren't late and setting up the net opponent. I didn't like the Blade for doubles because although it hits a nice low ball, its slow to get around.
 

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
I tested swingweight on 5 frames today. 300 to 307 strung.. !! Played great..
That cannot be accurate. SW was definitely higher than my 2015, which is listed as 317. I trust the 320sw that most sites are reporting.
 
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sanister

Professional
I have started seeing a few of them around on the courts amongst my tennis community here. Will grab on for the day, check specs & post here hopefully this evening.
 

morten

Hall of Fame
I
That cannot be accurate. SW was definitely higher than my 2015, which is listed as 317. I trust the 320sw that most sites are posting.
I know it is accurate. Had the machine for 4 years, it has shown the same as my mrt service rackets from TW always. What this shows is that quality control sucks, and/or that the different batches can differ. I am in norhern Europe by the way.. and also quality control is all over the place regarding swingweight on almost all frames. It is crazy. It is almost never even close to TW specs on the site.
 

Chezbeeno

Professional
Finally got mine back from the stringer today- can't hit until tomorrow, but I did as much comparison with my existing frames as possible. I have 4 Blades (3 CV's and a v7) and a Clash 100. I don't have an RDC machine, but the PD swingweight *seems* comparable to that of my Clash (surprising), and is definitely lower than the Blades (not surprising). Without an RDC it's impossible to know whether this is because I got a PD with a low sw or a Clash with a higher sw, but it is what it is. IF my Clash were on spec with a 312 sw (unlikely, I know) I would estimate the PD around 315?
Stringbed on the PD is definitely denser than the Clash, it's comparable to the Blades, which I was not expecting. It seems ever so slightly denser than the 2015 PD (I have a broken one lying around from college for sentimental reasons lol).
I'm dying to hit ASAP - the most I could do for now is bounce a ball up and down and compare feel and sounds - of all my racquets I found the sound and feel of the PD most comparable to that of the CV Blades, which tracks with it being pretty muted.

Will post more tomorrow when I have something more substantial to contribute.
 

morten

Hall of Fame
That cannot be accurate. SW was definitely higher than my 2015, which is listed as 317. I trust the 320sw that most sites are reporting.
Your racket was higher, i believe that. That only proves my point. The worst was RF97. 7 rackets, 40 swingweight points difference between them...
 

datsveryinterestin

Professional
I was thinking the opposite. Quicker racquet would be better for doubles for reflex volleys and the ability to get around on a return faster so you aren't late and setting up the net opponent. I didn't like the Blade for doubles because although it hits a nice low ball, its slow to get around.

Yes, i totally see that. And the quicker reactions for volleys and returns are something I'm looking for in my doubles game..as long as I don't lose too much power on serve!
Which is why I've been demoing 27" racquets and I'm hoping to be able to keep playing great with the 2021 PD!

I've gone back and forth from 27 to 27.5 for years where people have told me to just use the Plus for serve and the standard on returns. It's so crazy... It might be genius! :unsure::p
 

sanister

Professional
I have started seeing a few of them around on the courts amongst my tennis community here. Will grab on for the day, check specs & post here hopefully this evening.
Strung specs (with worn out Tournagrip & Sampras O dampener): 324g, 33cm balance, 318 swingweight, 70 RA stiffness.String was Velocity crosses & for main it was some silver grey polyester string but I couldn't tell which one. Both looked to be 16 gauge.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Strung specs (with worn out Tournagrip & Sampras O dampener): 324g, 33cm balance, 318 swingweight, 70 RA stiffness.String was Velocity crosses & for main it was some silver grey polyester string but I couldn't tell which one. Both looked to be 16 gauge.

That one sounds almost dead on spec. With full poly its probably 320 SW.

Mine is a touch heavy and head heavy. I suspect my SW is closer to 325ish. Pure guess though.
 

pyrokid

Hall of Fame
Got another match in yesterday and today in against a pretty good baseline-grindy D3 player, and I'm really starting to like this thing. I could totally use this, actually. I'm pretty much adjusted to the mutedness of it and it doesn't feel as weird now.

The serves got dialed in at some point during the match yesterday and I haven't even been close to getting broken since, this thing is awesome. I know I'm not really saying anything groundbreaking here, everyone knows PDs serve great... But it really does bear repeating, so I'll repeat it. This racquet serves bombs!! High-percentage bombs, too!

New thoughts :

- Very stable. Feels like it takes longer than my APDs to turn the racquetface over midstroke to generate spin. I think this might be where the comments about decreased spin are coming from, it feels like there's more mass at 3 and 9ish? This usually means less spin for me for the same reason. Haven't tried the 2018 PD, but based on the changes to stability people who have are mentioning I wouldn't be surprised if this was what kicked the spin down a smidge for this gen. In retrospect this might have been my issue with the PAVS too.

- Slower racquet turnover is probably responsible for the decreased launch angle some people have noted too

- The shape of my forehands is completely different. Much lower launch angle than the APDs, the loopers have turned into these kind of spinny drivers. Better for taking time away, but worse for running people off the court and wearing them out. Kinda interesting how much of a change you can see switching between two extremely similar racquets.

- The kid I was playing let me use one of his 2015 blades to finish the match out when my strings broke. I liked that thing a lot more than I thought I would, but immediately realized the PD felt extremely more stable to me, and was way better on serve. FH shape on the Blade resembled my APD more than the PD, surprisingly. I actually played a more familiar game with the blade because of it.

- Slice really drives through the court with the PD. This is cool, because it doesn't have the floatiness a lot of tweeners do on slices, but I have to be a lot more careful about the angle of my racquetface to make sure I don't launch it. This was actually a general trend overall - net clearance was lower margin than my APDs, and even the blade.

- When my strings went dead in this, it was so much worse than when it goes dead in my APDs. Borderline unplayable, mega trampoline-mode, things just flying off at completely random directions. I'm gonna restring with S7T at around the same tension. This thing chewed through my strings faster than I expected given the decreased spin I was getting vs my APDs (and even the 18x20 blade). I think the pattern is probably more open than I'm used to, but I haven't really sat down and compared it yet.

- Racquet plays forgiving, but does not feel forgiving - shots outside the sweet spot still come off the racquet pretty good (better than I deserved, at least), but it DEFINITELY lets you know you're not in the sweet spot. I think the mishits also seem more jarring than they would otherwise, not because the racquet is ungodly harsh, but because the contrast between sweetspot and non-sweetspot is higher on this racquet than most. When you barely feel sweetspot shots at all, mishits are a big wakeup call by comparison.

Unrelated thoughts : I need to go post in the holic thread about blades, I played way better with that than I expected to.
 
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pyrokid

Hall of Fame
S7T is good in the PD. Feedback felt more conventional, a lot of the rubberiness I felt with isospeed baseline was eliminated.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
S7T is good in the PD. Feedback felt more conventional, a lot of the rubberiness I felt with isospeed baseline was eliminated.

Yeah its been working well for me so far. Tons of spin and control. It’s a pretty firm string so that makes me a little wary of the long term effects of it on my arm, but so far I really love how it plays in the racquet. It also holds tension incredibly well.
 

topspn

G.O.A.T.
Yeah its been working well for me so far. Tons of spin and control. It’s a pretty firm string so that makes me a little wary of the long term effects of it on my arm, but so far I really love how it plays in the racquet. It also holds tension incredibly well.

At what tension?
 

Chezbeeno

Professional
Had a chance to hit for about an hour and a half today. My first impressions of the PD were...mixed. I had it strung with Xcel/RPM @ 48lbs (Xcel in mains, per earlier suggestions), since I opted to prioritize comfort over everything else. I hit with a lot of spin, so control generally isn't an issue.

First (and this is super minor), all of my Wilsons have 4 1/2 size grips, but I found the Babolat 4 3/8 to be almost indistinguishable when I wrapped my OG with more overlap than usual. The difference in grip sizes between manufacturers is probably documented somewhere, but I still found it interesting. Also, after actually hitting with it, I would say it's more than 3 points higher than the Clash in the SW department.

During warm-up the PD felt promising - easy power on slow warmup shots, and it felt really solid and comfortable. Shots in the sweetspot felt really muted - like, *really* muted. I was using a rubber band as a dampener and it felt similar to when I initially used my CV Blades with dampeners. I took the rubber band off because it felt too muted, and after that it felt better - still more muted than the CV Blade, but not an uncomfortable level of muted (but I love the CV Blades, so obviously my tolerance for "mutedness" is higher than most).

After warming up and hitting out a little more, I was pleasantly surprised with the PD in all of the areas I expected to be disappointed. That is to say - I experienced what others have in enjoying hitting the slice, and finding it very solid and pleasant at net. My one-handed backhand also felt surprisingly crisp, but I was hitting it flatter today than I generally do because my wrist was a little sore going into the day (off-center hits with the PD were less than comfortable, but as long as I wasn't mis-hitting things then it was fine).

Where I've been disappointed so far is on the forehand side. I didn't feel like I was getting much spin, and I didn't feel like I was getting much free power either. Bear in mind that I have it strung at 48 with a poly/multi hybrid. By all accounts I expected to be struggling to rein in the power, not struggling to get the ball over the net and past the service line. The end result was a launch angle that was a LOT lower than either my Clash or my Blades, and I felt like I had to take *massive* cuts at the ball with insane racquet-head speed in order to get much out of the shot. I felt like I had more free power and spin even with my v7 Blade that's strung 8 lbs higher with a full bed of incredibly dead poly. I did feel like I got more power with slower, flatter swings, so blocking back returns felt nice, but otherwise my forehand felt not great. I'm sure some of this is a problem of familiarity, so we'll see how things go next time.

I didn't do a ton of serving, but what little I did felt good - spin was much easier to produce on serve than on the forehand.

I'm hoping to hit a little more tomorrow, Tuesday at the latest, and I'm hoping to get more dialed in on the forehand side, then.
 

kvan

Semi-Pro
Finally got the racquet (thanks TW and Babolat!) and strung it up yesterday with full RPM 17 at 53lbs. Decided to go with the size 2 since most Babolat frames I’ve hit in the past run about a half size/full size larger than most other brands due to the flare at the buttcap and I usually use a size 2 or 3. The package from TW was wrapped, but had no promo packaging/sleeve that I’ve seen with some other demo frames.

Sets of RPM 17 and Excel 16 came wrapped alongside the new PD


The frame came in at 325g with string, rubber band dampener, and Wilson Pro Overgrip. Maybe slightly above spec, but in the right wheelhouse.


I took some macro shots of the unique styling on the frame before stringing, which I thought would be a nice change from the photos of the full racquet. The PD is definitely a looker and other than the “Drive” text mirrored on the throat, I think this is one of my favorite Babolat paint jobs in a while.

Elliptical frame and Pure Feel wording around 3 and 9 on the outer edge of the frame


FSI and HTR System tech wording on the other side of the Pure Drive


The grommets on the new Pure Drive surround the wording around 3 and 9 and the additional (albeit small) mass in those areas increases the twistweight of the racquet, being so far from the axis of rotation.

Zoomed out shot and interesting grommet design


I always think it’s interesting how/where racquet designers decide to put specs, “made in” information, and other tech information along the frame. On the PD, they left most of the information off of the throat and decided to put it on the upper hoop. You can also see the hexagonal grommets pretty clearly here.





Couldn’t wait to take the frame for some singles this morning. I’ve been using the RF97 for the last few years and just recently started experimenting with the 18x20 Blade v7–so the open 16x19 took a bit to get used to. The elliptical throat on the PD with the matte paint was more slippery in my left hand when changing grips compared to the boxier beams on my Wilson frames, but didn’t cause any issues and I forgot about it pretty quickly.

Overall I think I still need more time with the frame to get the most out of it, but I’m pleasantly surprised. The sweetspot was lower in the stringbed than what I’m used to and as others have mentioned, you’ll know when you hit outside of it. The upper hoop especially felt a bit brassy, but the bottom half of the upper hoop was surprisingly dampened. I was expecting more spin, but I’m a flatter hitter and generally found that the new PD handled flat shots pretty well. The OHBH felt a bit clunkier than usual, but performed well. I slice quite a bit as a one-hander, and can echo others who found backhand slices to be their favorite shots with the frame thus far.

My serve is one of my biggest weapons, and found that I was misfiring deep a bit due to the balance of the frame, but started to get dialed in by the end of the session. Nothing crazy in terms of spin, but could pick my spots easily and pop was simple to get. Also sounded like a cannon off flatter deliveries. More to come!

Oh, and just another fun observation—Babolat prints the “DEMO NOT FOR SALE” wherever no other branding exists (this makes sense). However, on the Pure Strike 100 demo frame it’s printed on the opposite side of the upper hoop. Looks like they use the same stamp/decal, though.

“DEMO NOT FOR SALE” text on the new Pure Drive alongside the Pure Strike 100 demo frame
 
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Power Player

Bionic Poster
Curious if anyone thinks the Base grip compresses a bit over time? 3 hours (and lots of sweat) in, and I already notice a bit of that.
 

pyrokid

Hall of Fame
I strung up a 2016 PA someone gave me today to compare it to the PD in tonight's matches, and it was pretty disappointing - I have a game tailor-made and built on the aero line, and the pure drive was still winning me more points while feeling much better. PA felt like a random number generator in racquet form.

I actually pulled out my APDs for a set tonight too and it was the only time I've ever done so without experiencing an immediate "oh God, it's good to be back"

I really like this PD. I hope Babolat sticks with this muted feel going forward. It was kind of wacky at first, but it's really growing on me - especially now that I've directly compared it to older babolats. It just feels so much better! And it actually makes sense on the pure drive - like, a muted blade doesn't really make sense to me, because blades feel good. The idea of making a flexy frame that sacrifices power to feel good, only to mute the feel you worked for just seems weird to me. But taking a stiff and less-pleasant feeling frame and muting it makes tons of sense.
 
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JOSHL

Hall of Fame
I strung up a 2016 PA someone gave me today to compare it to the PD in tonight's matches, and it was pretty disappointing - I have a game tailor-made and built on the aero line, and the pure drive was still winning me more points while feeling much better. PA felt like a random number generator in racquet form.

I actually pulled out my APDs for a set tonight too and it was the only time I've ever done so without experiencing an immediate "oh God, it's good to be back"

I really like this PD. I hope Babolat sticks with this muted feel going forward. It was kind of wacky at first, but it's really growing on me - especially now that I've directly compared it to older babolats. It just feels so much better! And it actually makes sense on the pure drive - like, a muted blade doesn't really make sense to me, because blades feel good. The idea of making a flexy frame that sacrifices power to feel good, only to mute the feel you worked for just seems weird to me. But taking a stiff and less-pleasant feeling frame and muting it makes tons of sense.
I’d be interested to see what you think of the 2019 PA. So far I’m really digging it.
 

pyrokid

Hall of Fame
I’d be interested to see what you think of the 2019 PA. So far I’m really digging it.
I really wanna try one but nobody around me has one. I might have to trade some of my old stuff for one during the playtest, it's the most relevant comparison to me if I were keeping up with this thread
 

Chezbeeno

Professional
Is it just me or would the paint job have been better if instead of putting "drive" on the throat 4 times, they had put "pure" and "drive" opposite each other? And then not had the tiny asymmetrical "pure" text on only one side of the throat?
I know this is dumb, but the fact that the chunky "drive" text is there not once but 4 times kinda bothers me.
 

kvan

Semi-Pro
Is it just me or would the paint job have been better if instead of putting "drive" on the throat 4 times, they had put "pure" and "drive" opposite each other? And then not had the tiny asymmetrical "pure" text on only one side of the throat?
I know this is dumb, but the fact that the chunky "drive" text is there not once but 4 times kinda bothers me.

Definitely agree here. That opposite “pure” on the throat was pretty unexpected. I get the symmetry they were going for, but this almost looks like a manufacturing defect.
 

pyrokid

Hall of Fame
The feel is the main difference for me between the ‘16 vs the ‘19. ‘19 feels more solid/muted.
If feel if the main difference I'll get out again today for some more time with the 2016 PA and see if yesterday was just not the groove for it. It was pretty windy.
Definitely agree here. That opposite “pure” on the throat was pretty unexpected. I get the symmetry they were going for, but this almost looks like a manufacturing defect.
The text is the one thing everyone seems to dislike, I show them the racquet and they're like woah that looks nice!
Then eventually they notice the text, and they're like "oh I thought that was just a random pattern, it's not as cool now that I know it's text"
 

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
Here's my thoughts on the text. The word Pure in all of these Babolat racquets is filler and means nothing. The racquets are really Drive, Aero, Strike, and previously Control, Storm, etc. So the Drive piece is really the differentiator. I like the mirror effect. I just got my racquet last night. I'll see in a bit if the asymmetric Pure on one side bothers me, but I dont think ill care. I play with it at 5. Unstrung and wrapping removed, it came in at 300g even, so right on spec. Ill see what it weighs with a set of cyclone 17, OG and dampener and report back after my session.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Seriously debating if mine even needs any lead. The balance is a little more hh than my blades and it comes through rather nicely. Not much effort required to hit a heavy ball.
 

kvan

Semi-Pro
Here's my thoughts on the text. The word Pure in all of these Babolat racquets is filler and means nothing. The racquets are really Drive, Aero, Strike, and previously Control, Storm, etc. So the Drive piece is really the differentiator. I like the mirror effect. I just got my racquet last night. I'll see in a bit if the asymmetric Pure on one side bothers me, but I dont think ill care. I play with it at 5. Unstrung and wrapping removed, it came in at 300g even, so right on spec. Ill see what it weighs with a set of cyclone 17, OG and dampener and report back after my session.

To clarify, I agree, and think the frame looks great and the stylized text is a creative differentiator. The reversed “Pure” doesn’t really bother me per say, just a bit perplexed by it.

Looking forward to hear your thoughts on how it plays.
 

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
To clarify, I agree, and think the frame looks great and the stylized text is a creative differentiator. The reversed “Pure” doesn’t really bother me per say, just a bit perplexed by it.

Looking forward to hear your thoughts on how it plays.
I split sets with a guy I usually split sets with. First set was shaky. I am late on the ball sometimes. More than normal. Miss low or long for no apparent reason. Touch shots are great. Serves are great. Definitely a higher sw than my 2015. Low 320s I estimate. I settled down in the second set. Sometimes getting tired gives me more control and I keep the ball in. It has more control and touch than 2018 but i wish they used a different drill pattern. I just dont like the open spacing of 2018 or 2021. You get more power and spin but at the expense of consistency. I feel more secure with a more controlled racket. However, ill stick with it for a while and try against other opponents.
 

datsveryinterestin

Professional
I took the new Pure Drive out along with my trusty 2018 Pure Drive Plus racquets.
I never lost serve in 3 sets of doubles and played great with both.
Right now, my toss and technique seems more dialed in with the standard length Pure Drive.
I hit more aces and have a higher percentage with the 27" racquet. I'm hitting long with the PD+
but I could probably correct that with a bucket of balls.
Backhands have more depth and easy power with the PLUS but other than that I would be about ready to switch... EXCEPT
that I hit the most amazing volley with the PLUS when a slow 2nd serve got drilled right at me at the net but I reflexed a forehand volley
that was so PURE. the feeling was incredible as a 100mph forehand got put away easily. maybe I just found the sweetspot on a volley for the first time! :-D
but i've never felt a crisper.. more solid volley in my life. I won the set with the PLUS 6-1 too so I will need to keep playing with both more before deciding which
one I want to use full time.
the new Pure Drive plays so good though! Crushes serves and has a comfortably firm muted feel. I hit a few drives right at the doubles guys who were charging the net
and with the standard length I was able to confidently pull of several topspin lobs that left them standing flat footed and speechless.
 

RafaBabolat

Rookie
This racquet is great, had a nice first hit yesterday. I have Tour Bite in my 2018 and strung up the RPM Blast included in the box for the new 2021, and I have to say I prefer the latter. It allows me to take fuller strokes, maneuverability is great. The racquet at the net is much better too. Gonna try hitting more, but an amazing first impression!
 

Chezbeeno

Professional
Got another hit in today and my experience was largely the same. Flat and slice backhands felt good, as did volleys. Touch shots were unsuccessful, but they felt nice to hit, so I think that's just a matter of getting more dialed in with the frame. Flat serves felt crisp, spin is easier to produce on serves than on forehands - placement wasn't as pin-point as with my Blades, but I'm sure it'll get there with more use.
I still was totally unable to gel with it on top spin groundstrokes, though. I can't seem to generate much for topspin or power unless I overhit a LOT. I feel like the strings could account for the difficulty in spin production (I'm used to a full bed of Cyclone), but I still feel like the multi setup should make power easy enough to come by. I can still get so much more easy power from my Blade strung at 56 with gross dead poly.
So far my hitting partner hasn't given me a lot pace to work with, so I have to generate everything myself, and it's been tough to get into a really good rhythm. I have plans to hit with a heavier hitter coming up soon, so I'm hoping I'll be able to dial in my forehand then, and I'm guessing the PD will redirect pace well. So hopefully my next round of feedback will be more positive. I really want to like the PD.
 

rrortiz5

Rookie
Weirdly specific question, but I absolutely love the 2009 version of the stock pure drive and have been using the 2015 version lately due to availability. Is there a version that’s closest to the 2009? 2015 feels a lot different and I’m told the version before the 2021 is even more different from the 2009. I’m not very technical when it comes to racquets so I’m not really sure what attributes the change of feel between the versions.
 

Chezbeeno

Professional
I think the 2012 would be your best bet? It could be hard to track down, though. My Pure Drive experience is spotty, so someone else who's familiar with more of the generations might very well disagree. This would definitely be the place to ask haha
 

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
Weirdly specific question, but I absolutely love the 2009 version of the stock pure drive and have been using the 2015 version lately due to availability. Is there a version that’s closest to the 2009? 2015 feels a lot different and I’m told the version before the 2021 is even more different from the 2009. I’m not very technical when it comes to racquets so I’m not really sure what attributes the change of feel between the versions.
wow i see the 2009 sw was 327. 2018 was closest to that with 324. You can see that in the TW review. They changed it to 321 later, but 324 always seemed right to me.

However, the 2018 is more open than 2009-2015. You mentioning the 2009 almost makes me want to try to find one and try it. Thanks a lot, lol. I do not prefer the FSI string spacing.
 

JonnyAbs

Semi-Pro
I think the 2012 would be your best bet? It could be hard to track down, though. My Pure Drive experience is spotty, so someone else who's familiar with more of the generations might very well disagree. This would definitely be the place to ask haha
I bought a 2012 a couple years back and even with weight, I just couldn't get it to replicate the shots I was getting with the 2015. It has a low SW out of the box. I think it was listed as 308. Even with weight at 12, I just liked the 2015 more.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Got another hit in today and my experience was largely the same. Flat and slice backhands felt good, as did volleys. Touch shots were unsuccessful, but they felt nice to hit, so I think that's just a matter of getting more dialed in with the frame. Flat serves felt crisp, spin is easier to produce on serves than on forehands - placement wasn't as pin-point as with my Blades, but I'm sure it'll get there with more use.
I still was totally unable to gel with it on top spin groundstrokes, though. I can't seem to generate much for topspin or power unless I overhit a LOT. I feel like the strings could account for the difficulty in spin production (I'm used to a full bed of Cyclone), but I still feel like the multi setup should make power easy enough to come by. I can still get so much more easy power from my Blade strung at 56 with gross dead poly.
So far my hitting partner hasn't given me a lot pace to work with, so I have to generate everything myself, and it's been tough to get into a really good rhythm. I have plans to hit with a heavier hitter coming up soon, so I'm hoping I'll be able to dial in my forehand then, and I'm guessing the PD will redirect pace well. So hopefully my next round of feedback will be more positive. I really want to like the PD.

I think its a frame that takes a lot of time to gel with. 6 hours in and I am still not 100% confident with it in match play, coming from the control oriented Ultra Tour. I overhit sometimes as well. I also have hit some of my best touch shots/lobs and droppers in a very long time.

The strings dont last that long either so you have to take that into account. Its a fairly open pattern so it helps to string it in the mid 50s and I think I went a little low with my S7T at 53#s.

I have hyper G 1.25 showing up and I am going to try it at 56#s and see how that works out.
 

haqq777

Legend
Weirdly specific question, but I absolutely love the 2009 version of the stock pure drive and have been using the 2015 version lately due to availability. Is there a version that’s closest to the 2009? 2015 feels a lot different and I’m told the version before the 2021 is even more different from the 2009. I’m not very technical when it comes to racquets so I’m not really sure what attributes the change of feel between the versions.
I agree with @Chezbeeno above. The 2012 would be the closest in feel and feedback followed by the one you already have, the 2015. I have multiple and I also played with 2009 PD as well. Both the 2018 and 2021 have a very different muted/dampened feel and very different string pattern as well and would feel very different than 2009.

Also, I would not recommend you go only by listed swing weight, or some other spec only and try for yourself. For example, the listed swing weight on TW for 2012 PD is 308 and that seems a little off. All three of mine are the same swing weight as stock 2013 APD (317-320 range). And the 2009 versions I had were low 320s, not high 320s like TW page says.

Top it off, there is also a lot of variance in specs or tolerances that can make similar line frames play very different. In the end you need to give it a go to see for yourself really.
 

haqq777

Legend
I think its a frame that takes a lot of time to gel with. 6 hours in and I am still not 100% confident with it in match play, coming from the control oriented Ultra Tour. I overhit sometimes as well. I also have hit some of my best touch shots/lobs and droppers in a very long time.

The strings dont last that long either so you have to take that into account. Its a fairly open pattern so it helps to string it in the mid 50s and I think I went a little low with my S7T at 53#s.

I have hyper G 1.25 showing up and I am going to try it at 56#s and see how that works out.
Oof! 56 lbs is a little out there for me. Looking forward to how it works for you.
 
Got another hit in today and my experience was largely the same. Flat and slice backhands felt good, as did volleys. Touch shots were unsuccessful, but they felt nice to hit, so I think that's just a matter of getting more dialed in with the frame. Flat serves felt crisp, spin is easier to produce on serves than on forehands - placement wasn't as pin-point as with my Blades, but I'm sure it'll get there with more use.
I still was totally unable to gel with it on top spin groundstrokes, though. I can't seem to generate much for topspin or power unless I overhit a LOT. I feel like the strings could account for the difficulty in spin production (I'm used to a full bed of Cyclone), but I still feel like the multi setup should make power easy enough to come by. I can still get so much more easy power from my Blade strung at 56 with gross dead poly.
So far my hitting partner hasn't given me a lot pace to work with, so I have to generate everything myself, and it's been tough to get into a really good rhythm. I have plans to hit with a heavier hitter coming up soon, so I'm hoping I'll be able to dial in my forehand then, and I'm guessing the PD will redirect pace well. So hopefully my next round of feedback will be more positive. I really want to like the PD.
To compare with your other racket, you should put same string (full cyclone), not multi or multi/poly. This the only way to judge spin.
 

Chezbeeno

Professional
To compare with your other racket, you should put same string (full cyclone), not multi or multi/poly. This the only way to judge spin.
I absolutely agree, and I would have done full Cyclone, I just ran out a while ago and haven't had a good chance to order more yet, so I opted to use the strings that came with the demo. I did the xcel/rpm hybrid with xcel in the mains, per the rec of someone earlier on the thread.
 

haqq777

Legend
Its high for me as well, but your APD has a more closed pattern. I think the open pattern of the newer ones makes the tension drop faster. I could be wrong.
Not sure but I have tried the latest PD with TB at 52 lbs and will be hitting with it again in the evening. I thought 52 lbs in it was on the high end anyway. 56 lbs would be considerably high for me. I string at 50 lbs in my APDs for reference. But who knows, maybe HG at 56 lbs works out really well in it. Look fwd to your feedback!
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Not sure but I have tried the latest PD with TB at 52 lbs and will be hitting with it again in the evening. I thought 52 lbs in it was on the high end anyway. 56 lbs would be considerably high for me. I string at 50 lbs in my APDs for reference. But who knows, maybe HG at 56 lbs works out really well in it. Look fwd to your feedback!

Whats your thoughts on the stock SW? I may be adding some lead at 12 at some point, maybe 2-3 grams.
 

haqq777

Legend
Whats your thoughts on the stock SW? I may be adding some lead at 12 at some point, maybe 2-3 grams.
The one I am trying is at 324 out the door measured on Accusswing by the owner. I haven't felt a huge need but honestly I've only put maybe an hour worth of hitting under the belt with it and just for fun too (plus I return it after the hit anyway when we are done). Definitely try a couple of grams and I think it will bring you in familiar territory.
 
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