Introducing the new Babolat pure drive 2012 so I'm gonna do a review of it! Might as well since I haven't really bought anything for myself lately to write reviews about.
Had a swing with it this morning, with a higher tension than I normally play with (I did so because of the increase in strength and size since I last played at a competitive level) and hybrid strings. Had to get it restrung so the tension of my liking and playing style to optimize the racquet. Ended up with the black and white strings, looking very very striking indeed!
Switch in tech from a light racquet designed by Head, a tech which has kept me playing for the last 9 year at least, made me realize how old school I was! My old racquet was the best of the best during it's first release back in 2003, costing $800AUD, but today's competitive pricing between the racquet brands made the Babolat Pure Drive 2012 very affordable. Everything has a shelf-life but if taken good care of it, this racquet is going to last you easily between 5-10 years (strings restrung every 6-12months if possible)
The "virgin" shot I made with the racquet was none other than my favorite forehand down the line. Surprise surprise!!! A perfect centered shot which created such an orgasmic sound that echoed throughout the whole court!!! The control of the new racquet was excellent!!! Took many more shots and realized with maturity and experience in the game, I didn't need to take much time before I was used to the new racquet, despite the increase in weight of the racquet! (Honestly, after about 45mins, the difference of 25grams did play a slight difference but nothing I can't handle so far :P)
Although the racquet is about 25 grams heavier than my previous racquet, groundstrokes were so well controlled! The stability on the racquet is superb! Feels like I'm hitting the sweet spot every time despite me hitting off centre with some shots! Probably one of the key features of this racquet is the balance it gives the player every time a shot is fired off! A very satisfying feel indeed!
Serves and volleys too! Consistent power and accuracy! My serve speed actually went up 5-10km/hr... But that is probably due to the heavier weight of the racquet.
So this is it, just a quick introduction on my feel of the new toy. The specs of my racquet is as below...
String tension - 58/53
Frame size - 100
Length - standard
Grip - 4 3/8
Strings - hybrid polyester
I also add my traditional rubber band to absorb the string shocks
My overall rating for this racquet is as below
Balance - 4/5
Design - 4.5/5
Weight and Dimension - 4/5
Player's level - Mid - High (NTRP 3-7) not really suitable for beginners as they do not know or can feel the effect of the racquet.
Comfort - 4.5/5
My childhood idol Andy Roddick uses the same racquet btw... lol...
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