Babolat Pure Drive 2018

Babolat Pure Drive 2018 is without a shred of hyperbole one of the most popular racquets ever made and for a good reason or a few. This racquet’s outstanding playability and easy acceleration has allowed a widespread appeal across all ability levels from beginners to top circuit players.

Innovations:

For the 2018 version of the Pure Drive, Babolat readjusts the string bed with FSI Power Technology. This includes diamond shaped grommet holes and wider string spacing. The result is a noticeable boost in power and spin potential. Babolat also updates its Cortex dampening system with a viscoelastic rubber used in the space industry. The upshot is better dampening, more comfort. Also a decidedly more muted feel than past versions of the Pure Drive.

How it Plays

On groundstrokes this version of the Pure Drive hits a powerful shot. Aggressive players who love to hit winners will love this racquet. The wider string spacing not only provides more spin to the ball, but it launches it at a higher trajectory, resulting in unpredictable  curvy shots. At net the Pure Drive is potent. It offers quick handling and big put-away power, but it also feels quite solid for its weight class. Aggressive servers will find  power and spin to enforce feeble returns.