Babolat Pure Drive Review: How Good is This Racquet?

Babolat, a brand that the majority of the top tennis players would prefer to buy sports equipment, especially rackets. Because of its solid products, the brand has won the hearts of numerous users. 

So, if you are someone intermediate who wishes to hit the ball like a pro, or an advanced player who dreams to strike with precision, then I have picked an amazing racket for you. Presenting to you, Babolat Pure Drive 2021 Tennis Racquet.

This implement has some notable features that can entice you. Since it has got high ratings despite coming new, I felt the need to enlighten you as to the racket. 

So, here I present my Babolat Pure Drive Review with all the specs and features.


About Babolat

Babolat is a French sports equipment company. Pierre Babolat was the one who founded the company in 1875. It typically produces equipment such as squash, tennis, and badminton.

Because of the durable tennis rackets and strings, the brand has earned great popularity. You will find several top players who love to use the company’s equipment for its performance and quality.

I have found out that Babolat emerged with the making of strings when Babola produced the first-ever strings with material natural gut. 


Babolat Pure Drive Review (2021): Top Features

Babolat 2021 Pure Drive Tennis Racquet (4_3/8 Blue)

1. Design

The design of Babolat Pure Drive should be one of the reasons to get it for yourself. In the 2021 version, the brand has added a few new technologies.

And the HTR system is one of them. Short for High Torsional Rigidity, the system refers to an innovative lay-up composition in the hoop of a racket to generate explosive results for added rigidity. 

Babolat has designed the Pure Drive with SWX Pure Feel too. This technology is a vibration dampening system that comes in the lay-up to give an unparalleled feel during ball impact. 

The racket boasts Woofer Dynamic System as well. It is another technology that helps strings and frames interact to let you move the racket freely. With this, you can get a terrific shock absorbency as well as outstanding power or trampoline effect. 

A noticeable factor of the Pure Drive 2021 is the frame shape. I have found it slightly rounded. It comes with an aero feel that can make moving through the air extremely easy. 

Besides, the racket also features Frame String Interaction. It comes with a lower-density string bed to provide you with both spin and playability. 

2. Materials

When it comes to Pure Drive, the brand has designed it with graphite material. Newbies may find it more on the heavier side so it can be slightly tricky for them to control the racket. 

That said, intermediate and pro players can easily power serve while the newbies may struggle. This is the reason why I find it ideal for the formers since they are more used to using a heavy racket. 

Speaking more of the downside, since the material is a little heavy, it can drain you down quickly. Not just that, you may feel pain in your forearms and wrists too besides feeling fatigued. Thus, there are good chances that newbies may not love this racket.

Note: If you’re a beginner, I’d highly recommend getting either Babolat Pure Aero or the Babolat Pure Aero Lite tennis rackets for yourself. They both are quite popular, offer amazing support, and will suit your playing style.

But the good part is that frame of graphite can enable you to serve the ball at higher impact. So, you can enjoy its additional power. Not just that, Babolat has used high-quality graphite for its construction, so it will ensure durability too. 

When it comes to the strings, they are synthetic gut material. Albeit this nylon-based material is supposed to be of high-quality, some users found it disappointing. 

3. Weight

Babolat Pure Drive weighs around 317 with the strings. And as I have already mentioned, the racket falls on the heavier side. However, such weight has lots of benefits that you can love. 

A heavy racket means that you can enjoy great clears and smashes. Plus, it can provide you with stability too for its heaviness. Not just that, Pure Drive can benefit you with its control for the same reason. 

4. Size and Length 

Pure Drive boasts a midsized plus head measuring 100 square inches. It may not have the biggest sweet-spot like the oversized one, yet it is decent enough to please you. 

With such a head size, you can efficiently hit the ball. Not just that, it will give you more control and spin with each of the strikes. You can enjoy fewer mishits too. 

I have found many players who have improved their shots with the racket owing to the head size. Surely, they were mostly intermediate. 

When it comes to the length, the racket is 27 inches long. Such length can be a good reason to give you more power as well as reach for efficient shots. 

5. Head Balance

The brand has designed the Pure Drive with head light balance. This indicates that the weight will be more in the shaft. As the head is lighter, you can easily swing the net part of the racket to handle the shots. 

In case you play into double formats, the racket of headlight balance can be an ideal pick. 

Besides, Pure Drive 2021 can impress you with its control and stability too. If you are someone who has a terrific footing on swing speed, then I would suggest you go with it. 

6. Grip and Its Size

I really love the grip of Babolat Pure Drive. You can comfortably grip the shaft because of the robust Syntec Pro material. The best part is that even if your hands sweat, the Pure Drive will never slip through the hands.

As for the size, it comes in 4 3/8 inches for the US and 2 for the Euro. If you have small hands, then this racket can be a terrific option for you. 

However, it does not mean that the ones with bigger hands cannot have it. If you are one of them, then you can add grip tape for comfort too. 

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Who is Babolat Pure Drive 2021 Tennis Racquet Best for?

Babolat 2021 Pure Drive Tennis Racquet (4_3/8 Blue)

The Pure Drive 2021 would be best for intermediate and pro players. The racket has all the features be it a medium-sized sweet spot, or heaviness, that are ideal for such players.

Newbies may struggle to play with the racket in the beginning. However, they can get the hang of it if they practice regularly. Otherwise, Babolat Pure Aero Lite would be a better pick.

I would recommend the intermediate and pros to step out and get this terrific racket.  


Babolat Pure Drive 2021 Review: Summary

The brand has added a couple of new features and technologies to the Pure Drive 2021 racket. Not only it has improved the feel of the implement but performance too.

If you are looking for a terrific racket to change the game, then go with this one. It is solid as well as comfortable too. 

Advantages

  • String and Frame interaction can make the head effortless to move
  • Terrific trampoline effect
  • You will get to enjoy satiating shock absorbency
  • The elliptic shape provides balance, precision as well as responsiveness 
  • The smashes and clears will be powerful due to the heaviness
  • Graphite material will be robust and long-lasting
  • Perfect for intermediate to pros
  • Heaviness can give you stability and control
  • Midsized plus head means you can get control and spin with an effective strike
  • Easy to maneuver head at the net
  • You can handle the shots with ease
  • Decent string quality
  • Terrific for double formats
  • Outstanding grip quality
  • Comfortable to hold
  • Best suit the one with smaller hands

Disadvantages

  • Heaviness can cause fatigue as well as pain in your wrists and forearms
  • You may not find it easy to control for the heavyweight
  • It is not ideal for newbies
  • Sweetspot is not as big as the racket of an oversized head
  • It may not be ideal for players who have different-sized hands
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Babolat 2021 Pure Drive Tennis Racquet (4_3/8 Blue)

1. Can You Provide Detailed Specifications of The Pure Drive 2021?

Sure. Below you will find all the detailed specifications of the Pure Drive 2021 tennis racket: 

  • Size of the Head: 100 square inches
  • Length: 27 inches
  • Strung-Weight: 317g
  • Balance: Head-light
  • Swing-Weight: 320
  • Stiffness: 71
  • Width of Beam: 23 mm / 26 mm / 23 mm
  • Material: Graphite 
  • Power-Level: Low to Medium
  • Stroke Style: Medium-Full
  • Speed of Swing: Medium-Fast
  • Type of Grip: Proprietary Syntec Pro
  • The Pattern of String: 16-Mains / 19-Crosses
  • String Tension: 50lbs to 59lbs

2. What Do You Mean by 16/19 String Pattern?

Babolat Pure Drive 2021 Tennis Racquet features a 16/19 string pattern. It typically means an open pattern with lesser vertical as well as horizontal strings. 16/19 pattern can possess more space. Thus, it can help in adding more spin to the ball. 

On the other hand, if the strings are denser, they can bite into the ball. So, this may not produce a lot of spins. 

However, 16/19 pattern strings are not ideal for hard strikers since such patterns can rip apart the strings easily. 

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Final Words

If “drive” is what you are looking for in the racket, then this Pure Drive 2021 version is surely the right pick. The racket has spin-friendly targeting and explosive acceleration that make it a solid weapon.

Not just that, the racket has added lots of new features to better the implementation. So, it is surely worth buying.

Read More: Babolat Pure Aero Vs Pure Drive: Which Is Best for Me?

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