The Babolat Pure drive racket 2023 from the prestigious Babolat brand has had a strong impact on the tennis industry, especially in the technology implemented. Find out more with our detailed buying and feedback guide. Read on to find out all about this racket.
Introduction
The new Babolat Pure Drive racket 2023 is the racket I use today. This racket was a surprise to everyone with its modern but simple design making it look like a “low quality” racket but the truth is the opposite, this racket will allow you to generate an out of this world spin and, best of all, you will have incredible hitting power thanks to the many revolutionary technologies used in the racket. All in all, the new Pure Drive has strengthened the reputation of the Pure Drive racket line … we tell you why. This range is more associated with the great American Andy Roddick, but today, it is more commonly seen in the hands of the Italian Fabio Fognini, Garbine Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova and Julia Georges. This racket is well known for its high levels of speed, spin and of course power, as its name suggests. Even if you feel it in your hands, you can tell it is ready for easy power and that is why it is the most purchased Babolat brand tennis racket.
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Babolat Pure Drive Rackets - Specifications
- Made of graphite to extend its durability and have a finer stroke.
- Uses FSI Technology to increase the sweet spot and sensitize the impact zone
- It implements the “Woofer” system to increase the time of impact with the ball to give more power and maneuverability.
- The GT Technology allows not to lose control of the racket at impact with the tennis ball.
- Cortex is a system created by Babolat that reduces the vibrations generated when hitting the ball, improving the “feel”.
- Light weight of 300 grams
- 22-27 kilos of string tension are recommended
Pure Drive specifications
Specifications | Data |
|---|---|
Head Size | 645 cm2 |
Length | 68,58 cm |
String pattern | 16 x 19 |
Frame profile | 23/26 mm |
Balance | 315 mm |
Weight | 300 grams |
Composition | Graphite |
Appearance
The Babolat Pure Drive racket maintains its cool blue color and this time it’s a little lighter. Two of my teammates commented on how good it looked while another friend thought it looked and felt like a plastic toy. Personally, I am a little confused. The design is quite original, but when you hold the racket in your hand it feels a bit like a child’s racket to me.
3/5 - Looks good, but feels a little cheap.
Control and feeling
What’s new in the 2023 edition of the Babolat Pure Drive? They still have the GT , the FSI string pattern from the previous year’s model, but now they have also introduced something called Cortex Pure Feel , which is supposed to dampen the response and I guess decrease the impact of the rigid frame. This results in a very weak reaction and sometimes you have difficulty measuring the depth of the hits and you have to end up increasing the spin to compensate for the lack of response that the frame gives on hits. The new Babolat Pure Drive racket is not a very inspiring racket and if you like drop shots and ball maneuvers, there are better rackets like the Wilson Blade 98.
2/5 - Too much power to know where the shots are going.
Power
As I said before, it is clear that the new Pure Drive is ALL about power. It’s almost ridiculous how easy it is to get power with this racket. This is definitely the most fun aspect of playing with the Pure Drive. I felt like I could hit with my right hand at rocket speeds. I just have to make sure I add a lot of topspin and the ball will drop in the end, if not, then byebye tennis ball. I was surprised at how much fun it was to play with this in a non-competitive environment. However, if I were to take this racket to a tournament I would be scared that in pressure situations this would lead me to overdo it and lose control and that is exactly what happened. But if you can manage to harness and control the enormous power, the Pure Drive could be your best friend without a doubt. In my case I don’t have a quality string on the Drive but I’ve tried the same racket with other strings and it’s a luxury to play like this. I would recommend the Hyper G string for the Pure Drive.
5/5 - Crazy power. However, you have to be able to master it.
Spin
Pure Drive’s sister, Pure Aero, is often called the spin machine, thanks in large part to Rafael Nadal’s lashes that destroy his opponents on clay. I don’t think a player and his playing style can be more connected to the success of a racket than Nadal’s with the Pure Aero/Aero Pro Drive. But back to the Pure Drive where one of the most improved factors in the latest version is improved spin performance. I really felt like I could hit any angle with this stick as long as I played at high speed and that contributed to the fact that I didn’t want to stop playing at the end of the workout just bacause of how good I felt with the racket.
5/5 - Massive effect to help control power
Comfort
Comfort has always been my main concern when playing with relatively stiff and large Babolat rackets, so players with sore wrists and elbows should look elsewhere. If, however, you have no problem with stiffness and want to maximize spin and power, there are few better options than the Pure Drive. Now, it’s not the hardest racket I’ve played with and didn’t hurt after a couple of hours but I wouldn’t say it’s a comfortable racket.
2/5 - Reasonably comfortable, but still quite rigid.
Conclusion
The Babolat Pure Drive is a legendary racket with a large fan base, and it’s no wonder, as it offers addictive power and spin to anyone without a past of arm problems. However, you have to be able to master that power and adding a high tension polyester string will not help your arm, so it’s all about the speed of the racket and the technique you use on your shots. If you like high power tennis rackets and have a lot of spin on your shots, this could be your next racket – at least I’ve had a lot of fun with it!
Total Score: 17/25
