Fighting phoenix
Professional
2025 Pure Drive 98 Review
String and tension used for test: First strung with RPM Blast 1.25 @ 49lbs mains / 47lbs crosses; after four sessions, restrung with RPM Blast Rough (red) 1.25 @ 49/47lbs. I think both strings paired with this racquet well, but like the rough version better as it's slightly more comfortable. Racquet swingweight was about 323 strung, static (unstrung) slightly underspec at 302g, balance strung with two overgrips (I usually played L3, grip I received was L2) was 32.9cm. Other than the overgrips, I didn't make any modifications.
Tennis experience/background: Played juniors and college tennis, life happened and played sporadically for 20 years or so, and in the last three years have been playing 4-5x/week, USTA leagues, tournaments, drills, etc.. 4.5 NTRP / 7.1 UTR, but of course I'm now in my early 50s and am cognizant that I need more help from my racquet than typical players sticks I've used in the past.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Lefty all court player, two-handed backhand except for my more common slice backhand, big kick serve and crafty game (not a "and-one" style of player lol)
Current racquet/string setups: recently switched to the Vcore 98 (2023) after a long racquet journey, mostly with either Lynx Tour or Confidential, great fit for my game. I tend to enjoy 98s that provide a little extra help, as I find 100s to be slightly more cumbersome than I prefer (ie 98s allow me more creativity/whippiness...I know, could be mental), so this PD98 would be in my wheelhouse of frames to consider. I also spent 4 months maining the PA98, so in a good position to make comparisons to that one as well as other 98s.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? ~15 hours of doubles, singles, and drills
-Groundstrokes: forehands are where this racquet really shines - medium launch angle, good access to spin, tons of power and was able to hit a number of "wow" forehands (the kind you blissfully remember the rest of the day). Slice backhands were great, low and penetrating, and defensive shots were okay (easy power helped me keep defensive balls deep, but isn't as maneuverable as my Vcore or the PA98). Two-handed topspin backhands however I had trouble controlling - this shot is flatter for me, and I would occasionally struggle with keeping these in the court. Likely an adjustment issue, but it wasn't as good of a fit for my two-hander as other racquets I've been using.
-Serves: Unbelievable serving stick - tons of power, decent accuracy, great kick and slice serves. Best serving 98 I've tried.
-Volleys: great putaway power, also surprisingly good on touch/angled volleys. Slightly cumbersome to maneuver however, and occasionally had trouble keeping balls in the court given the power level.
-Serve returns: great at returns - super stable and solid, off center returns seemed to find a way to make it back into the court. Did need to adjust to the lower launch angle than the Vcore or PA98 as at the beginning I seemed to be finding the net cord too often, but adjusted fairly quickly.
Power/Control- this is definitely the most powerful 98 I've played with, and the change to the 16x20 string pattern definitely helped with directional control (I briefly demo-ed the PDVS, and feel like the 16x20 pattern was a good change for them to have made). Very similar control levels to the Vcore 98 and PA98 - any shots I missed were definitely on me, and my only complaints were sometimes sailing flatter two-handed backhands and keeping low volleys in the court given the power level of the racquet. More of an adjustment thing than a complaint about the racquet itself.
Top Spin/Slice- top spin was just fine, and I did find myself trying to hit with more topspin than I regularly do in order to tame the power. Spin was particularly strong on serves - great slice and kick serves, and the extra power just made my serve all that more dangerous. Backhand slices felt great.
Comfort- not its strong suit, and definitely stiffer than the PA98 (and for sure than the Vcore). I think the Flax/NF2 technology does help, as it feels slightly more comfortable than the previous version, and I didn't get any arm pain during this playtest with a full bed of poly, but it would be something I'd worry about if I considered switching to this.
Feel- fairly muted but not overly so; a good thumpish/solid feel when striking the ball, and I had no issues hitting drop shots or touch volleys.
Maneuverability- going forward, I would likely customize by adding some tail-weight to make the balance more head light as maneuverability wasn't its strongest suit. Less maneuverable than most 98s I've tried, but that's offset by the great stability and easy power the racquet helps with.
Stability- rock solid, one of the more stable 98s I've played with.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: when looking for the right racquet, I try to find one that accentuates my strengths, and this one mostly fits the bill - more free service points, killer forehand, strong slice backhands. However, not being an "and-one" type of first strike player, and valuing touch, finesse, all court, craftiness, spin, angles, etc., as a full package the Vcore might be a better fit for my game. This falls in the category of a killer first strike players stick - and it is an Excalibur-like option for the right player. In that regard, I liked it better than the PA98 which to me has a less satisfying feel and isn't as strong of a serving frame as this one. Unlike the previous PDVS, I think there is a definite niche this racquet will play in the market place given that it has slightly better feel and directional control. Great racquet overall - thank you TW and Babalot for the opportunity! I plan to keep it and customize it a bit, and will consider switching to it sometime in 2025 if I feel like it does more for me than the Vcore 98.
String and tension used for test: First strung with RPM Blast 1.25 @ 49lbs mains / 47lbs crosses; after four sessions, restrung with RPM Blast Rough (red) 1.25 @ 49/47lbs. I think both strings paired with this racquet well, but like the rough version better as it's slightly more comfortable. Racquet swingweight was about 323 strung, static (unstrung) slightly underspec at 302g, balance strung with two overgrips (I usually played L3, grip I received was L2) was 32.9cm. Other than the overgrips, I didn't make any modifications.
Tennis experience/background: Played juniors and college tennis, life happened and played sporadically for 20 years or so, and in the last three years have been playing 4-5x/week, USTA leagues, tournaments, drills, etc.. 4.5 NTRP / 7.1 UTR, but of course I'm now in my early 50s and am cognizant that I need more help from my racquet than typical players sticks I've used in the past.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Lefty all court player, two-handed backhand except for my more common slice backhand, big kick serve and crafty game (not a "and-one" style of player lol)
Current racquet/string setups: recently switched to the Vcore 98 (2023) after a long racquet journey, mostly with either Lynx Tour or Confidential, great fit for my game. I tend to enjoy 98s that provide a little extra help, as I find 100s to be slightly more cumbersome than I prefer (ie 98s allow me more creativity/whippiness...I know, could be mental), so this PD98 would be in my wheelhouse of frames to consider. I also spent 4 months maining the PA98, so in a good position to make comparisons to that one as well as other 98s.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? ~15 hours of doubles, singles, and drills
-Groundstrokes: forehands are where this racquet really shines - medium launch angle, good access to spin, tons of power and was able to hit a number of "wow" forehands (the kind you blissfully remember the rest of the day). Slice backhands were great, low and penetrating, and defensive shots were okay (easy power helped me keep defensive balls deep, but isn't as maneuverable as my Vcore or the PA98). Two-handed topspin backhands however I had trouble controlling - this shot is flatter for me, and I would occasionally struggle with keeping these in the court. Likely an adjustment issue, but it wasn't as good of a fit for my two-hander as other racquets I've been using.
-Serves: Unbelievable serving stick - tons of power, decent accuracy, great kick and slice serves. Best serving 98 I've tried.
-Volleys: great putaway power, also surprisingly good on touch/angled volleys. Slightly cumbersome to maneuver however, and occasionally had trouble keeping balls in the court given the power level.
-Serve returns: great at returns - super stable and solid, off center returns seemed to find a way to make it back into the court. Did need to adjust to the lower launch angle than the Vcore or PA98 as at the beginning I seemed to be finding the net cord too often, but adjusted fairly quickly.
Power/Control- this is definitely the most powerful 98 I've played with, and the change to the 16x20 string pattern definitely helped with directional control (I briefly demo-ed the PDVS, and feel like the 16x20 pattern was a good change for them to have made). Very similar control levels to the Vcore 98 and PA98 - any shots I missed were definitely on me, and my only complaints were sometimes sailing flatter two-handed backhands and keeping low volleys in the court given the power level of the racquet. More of an adjustment thing than a complaint about the racquet itself.
Top Spin/Slice- top spin was just fine, and I did find myself trying to hit with more topspin than I regularly do in order to tame the power. Spin was particularly strong on serves - great slice and kick serves, and the extra power just made my serve all that more dangerous. Backhand slices felt great.
Comfort- not its strong suit, and definitely stiffer than the PA98 (and for sure than the Vcore). I think the Flax/NF2 technology does help, as it feels slightly more comfortable than the previous version, and I didn't get any arm pain during this playtest with a full bed of poly, but it would be something I'd worry about if I considered switching to this.
Feel- fairly muted but not overly so; a good thumpish/solid feel when striking the ball, and I had no issues hitting drop shots or touch volleys.
Maneuverability- going forward, I would likely customize by adding some tail-weight to make the balance more head light as maneuverability wasn't its strongest suit. Less maneuverable than most 98s I've tried, but that's offset by the great stability and easy power the racquet helps with.
Stability- rock solid, one of the more stable 98s I've played with.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: when looking for the right racquet, I try to find one that accentuates my strengths, and this one mostly fits the bill - more free service points, killer forehand, strong slice backhands. However, not being an "and-one" type of first strike player, and valuing touch, finesse, all court, craftiness, spin, angles, etc., as a full package the Vcore might be a better fit for my game. This falls in the category of a killer first strike players stick - and it is an Excalibur-like option for the right player. In that regard, I liked it better than the PA98 which to me has a less satisfying feel and isn't as strong of a serving frame as this one. Unlike the previous PDVS, I think there is a definite niche this racquet will play in the market place given that it has slightly better feel and directional control. Great racquet overall - thank you TW and Babalot for the opportunity! I plan to keep it and customize it a bit, and will consider switching to it sometime in 2025 if I feel like it does more for me than the Vcore 98.