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Babolat Pure Drive Tour Racket Review

I played with the Babolat Pure Drive recently and got on with it reasonably well.

My only criticism was a lack of stability on impact and a pingy feel.

In theory, the Pure Drive Tour should be the perfect upgrade for me, as it has a little bit more weight at 315g as opposed to the 300g of the regular Pure Drive.

The extra weight results in a slightly bigger swingweight of 327, which should allow players to swing through the ball with lots of power.

Like it’s slightly lighter brother, this racket is very much the power racket of the Babolat range, and its newest technological advancements should make it an excellent racket for hitting with bags of spin and power.

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This version of the Pure Drive Tour includes Babolat’s FSI Power Technology and Cortex, which should come together to add a little bit more comfort and spin compared to previous iterations of this racket.

FSI Power Technology  has changed the grommets to a more diamond shape and increased the gaps between the strings.

This should allow for a little bit more power and spin as the strings have more space to move and create friction against the ball.

Cortex  is Babolat’s new dampening system which uses a viscoelastic rubber to reduce shocks and absorb more vibrations.

This special rubber is used in the space industry no less, so we will be sure to find out whether it’s actually useful, or just another gimmick!

The Pure Drive Tour comes in its traditional blue, black, and white colour scheme that is so recognizable.

I don’t know if this racket is especially good-looking, or just so iconic, that it’s what we expect a racket to look like.

Either way, it does the job for me looks wise.

Although the regular Pure Drive’s specs aren’t really what I’d look for, I actually played pretty well with it.

So, the Pure Drive Tour, which has a little bit more weight lead to good expectations for the playtest!

I was hitting some big serves with the 300g racket, so with an extra 15g behind the ball with the Pure Drive Tour, I was excited to see what kind of mph I could clock up.

Conditions were far from perfect for this playtest, as the wind, rain, and cold that epitomise virtually every day in the UK made it particularly unpleasant to play tennis in.

When you’re playing in miserable weather though, it can be quite handy to have something with a bit of extra power, just to get the ball moving a bit through the cold air.

Luckily for me, the Babolat Pure Drive Tour is just that.

Groundstrokes

8 out of 10

The Babolat  Pure Drive Tour  weighs 15g more than the regular Pure Drive, so those who love the easy manoeuvrability of the Pure Drive might be worried that would be lost with the extra weight.

Babolat have put most of that weight low down near the handle though, which has changed the balance from 4 PTS HL in the regular Pure Drive to 6 PTS HL in the Pure Drive Tour.

This means that the two rackets feel remarkably similar in terms of manoeuvrability.

This means that you get tremendously fast and whippy strokes with the Pure Drive Tour, but you also get the added advantage of a little bit more stability on the hit.

Off the backhand side, I noticed this difference immediately.

With the regular Pure Drive, I struggled to hit a heavy ball on the backhand side, often dropping the ball shot, and putting myself under pressure.

The racket just lacked a little weight to make the most of the swing speed and it really showed on my weaker shot.

As expected, the extra weight of the Tour version made a positive impact on this shot, as I was able to hit through the ball much better.

This resulted in a better depth and more power on the ball.

On the forehand side, everything worked pretty well with the  Pure Drive Tour .

The one negative for me was the new string system, which seemed to launch the ball at an extremely high angle.

I naturally get a good flightpath on the forehand side, so the high trajectory of the ball just meant that I had to add spin and reduce power to keep the ball in.

When I’m playing with a racket that’s geared towards power, I’d like to be able to use it, so in many ways, it becomes a bit redundant.

The fast swing speed of this racket, and easy spin and power make me think it would suit a mid-level player, who’s swings aren’t super-fast, and would benefit from the power of the racket without it being too much.

The 16 x 19 string pattern and trajectory with which it hits the ball just didn’t suit my swing style, particularly on the forehand side.

I think the Pure Drive Tour would suit someone with slightly less whippy strokes.

Playing style wise, I said the regular Pure Drive would suit an aggressive baseliner, because you must put a lot of energy into controlling the power.

The Pure Drive Tour is a little easier to play with, and you can sit back a bit more and use your opponent’s power.

This would make it a little better suited to a counter-attacker, and I do think the Pure Drive Tour appeals to a greater variety of styles.

Overall, I think the Babolat Pure Drive Tour does a reasonable job on the groundstrokes.

If you like a pingier, more powerful feel from your racket, then you will enjoy the Pure Drive Tour.

However, if you value control and a more deadened feel, it’s not going to be the one for you.

If you’re ready to move up in weight and are already playing with the regular Pure Drive, then I don’t think you lose anything by moving up, but you do gain a little bit more stability and power.

Like its baby brother, I gave the  Pure Drive Tour  an 8 out of 10 from the back of the court.

7.5 out of 10

I didn’t have a great experience with the 300g Pure Drive at the net.

I felt it had poor stability and the angle it hits the ball at being a big problem.

The Pure Drive Tour solves the stability problem slightly, but the problems with angles still persist.

Stability wise, I don’t think the Pure Drive is ever going to be quite what you want at the net.

It’s set up for power and spin, so it’s not also going to be amazing at this aspect.

However, control and feel, which is what I look for at the net.

Being 315g though, the Pure Drive Tour does improve on the performance of the regular Pure Drive at the net.

It is much more solid, and fewer balls flew long, over the baseline.

I was still struggling with the angle the Pure Drive Tour hits the ball at though, as it tends to pop the ball up.

Eventually, I overcame this by keeping a very closed racket face, but I’d still pop the ball up from time to time.

This makes the Pure Drive Tour especially difficult to use in doubles.

In match play, I want to be keeping my volleys as low as possible over the net, so they don’t get cut out.

But, with the  Pure Drive Tour  the ball tends to float over to the other side, making me a big target when my opponents intercept at the net.

I gave the regular Pure Drive a 7 out of 10 at the net, but I do think there is a slight improvement with the Pure Drive Tour.

I’ve given the Tour a 7.5 out of 10; the stability of the racket is now adequate, but it still pops a lot of volleys up.

8.5 out of 10

really enjoyed serving with the Pure Drive, and the Pure Drive Tour was no different.

Although Babolat have added a little bit more weight in the Tour, the balance of the racket means it still has the same manoeuvrability, and you can generate great racket head speed on the serve.

If anything, the extra weight just helps you get a little bit more power and spin, allowing you to control the ball that little bit more.

I was hitting some huge serves with the Pure Drive Tour, hitting my targets and getting a lot of free points of the serve.

The racket also felt solid on the second serve and I had complete confidence that I could generate the kind of spin to make my second serve hard to attack whilst keeping good consistency.

The  Pure Drive Tour  still doesn’t have the kind of feel I’d usually go for.

For me, it is a bit too responsive and pingy, but that didn’t stop me playing some excellent tennis with it.

If you enjoy a very involved kind of feel from your racket, then you will love serving with the Babolat Pure Drive Tour.

I gave it an 8.5 out of 10 on the serve and was really impressed with the results.

It’s got power, spin, and control and will do a good job for a variety of players.

Having already tried the 300g Pure Drive, I was confident that the Pure Drive Tour would be an excellent racket, and I wasn’t wrong.

Babolat have done a very good job of adding weight to the Pure Drive without changing its characteristics too much.

Despite the added weight, you still get an extremely manoeuvrable racket and bags of power and spin.

The Tour is more of an all-round racket than the lighter Pure Drive and is even better when it comes to serving time.

My problem with the racket was that you can’t utilize all the power if you already have fast strokes.

If your natural ball flightpath is a little higher than average, then you may find the Pure Drive tour to launch the ball at much too high of an angle, which means you’ve got to put a lot of effort into making even more spin to bring the ball down.

However, I think for more intermediate players, whose strokes aren’t quite as fast, this would be an excellent racket, with much to offer.

The 315g weight is about perfect in my opinion and I’m sure there are a lot of people who would benefit from using this racket.

Overall, I have given the Babolat Pure Drive Tour an 8 out of 10.

It’s got great power and spin, is wonderful to serve with and has few weaknesses.

The one area where we didn’t get on was the open string pattern which launches the ball at quite an extreme angle.

Is this the right racket for your game? Find out with a personalised fitting!

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Babolat Pure Drive Tour (2021) review

This French brand are steeped in tennis history but renowned for modern racket design and technology. The updated Babolat Pure Drive Tour is unashamedly targeted at decent players and we couldn’t wait to get the racket onto the testing court.

It’s great to see a manufacturer openly communicating when their rackets are specifically designed for a certain level of player, rather than saying “anyone can use this racket”.

And that’s definitely the case with the Pure Drive Tour. Weighing 315 grams this frame should suit a quality player looking for ‘extreme power and stability’ if you are to believe the marketing blurb, so we decided to see if a racket used by Fabio Fognini and Garbine Muguruza could ‘walk the walk’.

“This racket is a good combination of power and control and even if I hit a slight shank it still felt under control”

This racket has been updated in 2021 to incorporate a ‘cutting-edge vibration filtration system integrated in the lay-up composition that provides an unrivalled feel at ball impact and a unique sound on every shot.’

Babolat also (rather boldly) state that the racket features a ‘High Torsional Rigidity (HTR) system. A new lay-up composition in the hoop of the racquet for increased rigidity to produce explosive winners at will.’ That would be something special!

Watch as our experienced testers try out the Babolat Pure Drive Tour

Buy this racket…

To help you feel confident when purchasing this racket we’ve teamed up with a trusted retail partner, AllThingsTennis.co.uk , to make sure you get the best price combined with free premium tennis balls, next day delivery (UK only) and fantastic advice from tennis equipment experts.

To take advantage of all these benefits simply follow this link to purchase the Babolat Pure Drive Tour (2021) with an exclusive 5% Tennishead discount.

The play test

Testing rackets can be down to personal opinion so it’s important to remember that not every racket is right for every player and one person’s discomfort can equally be another’s joy. This is why we try to test rackets with a variety of players and for the Babolat Pure Drive Tour we have three accomplished testers with very differing game styles.

Our Tennishead play testers for this review are:

Julian – Who is an out and out hacker (in other words he never misses!), has been playing for 45 years and currently plays with the Babolat Pure Drive (an older version).

Sue – A player who sees herself as a ‘baseline grinder with volleying aspirations’, has been playing tennis for 30 years and currently uses a Mantis 300 racket.

Austin – Who ‘likes to win the point at the net’, has been playing for 15 years and currently plays with the Babolat Pure Drive 2020.

Sue: “I found this Pure Drive added a lot of spin to the ball. I was trying hard to work the ball and this racket seemed to create a weighty, spinning groundstroke.”

Austin: “The extra weight in this racket combined with the bigger sweet-spot helped me create even more easy power which was really nice, even when I was on the move out wide or not quite perfecting the shot.”

Julian: “I currently play with an older version of the Pure Drive and this is a better version because it’s more stable. The older version is more flexible whereas the added stability in this new version enables you to hit it firmer.”

Volleys and smashes

Sue: “My volleys with this Pure Drive were fine. Solid and clean. Initially on smashes it was an effort to get the racket in the right position but the ball came off the strings quite fast on the hit.”

Austin: “This racket is a good combination of power and control and even if I hit a slight shank it still felt under control which was nice. On my smashes I found the power so easy to create and I was booming it down thanks to the extra weight in the racket.”

Julian: “It compensates the sweet spot allowing you to hit a volley slightly off centre and still get a good shot. On smashes there is a tendency to think you can get away with bad technique with this racket because you can still hit a good smash without the correct technique.”

Sue: “I found it quite an effort to get the ball over the net on serve with this Pure Drive and it took my a bit of time to work it out. Maybe the extra weight forced me to adjust my technique to get the ball over the net.”

Austin: “My shoulder felt a little sore with this racket maybe due to the extra weight. Hitting spin was slightly harder but hitting power on my flat serve was easy.”

Julian: “I can feel a little more power than the earlier versions of this racket when hitting my serves out of the middle. As with most Babolat’s this frame naturally helps you generate slice and topspin on serve.”

Would this Babolat suit similar styles of player as yourself?

Sue who is a baseline grinder with volleying aspirations: “Yes it would suit my style because you can easily manoeuvre the ball around the court and it feels quite lively.”

Austin, who likes to win the point at the net: “This racket suits my style of play down to the ground because you can hit big groundstrokes and nice volleys, so it’s perfect.”

Julian is a hacker and never misses: “Yes because I feel this racket lets you control the ball well but still gain power so you can hit it heavy and still keep the ball in.”

What are your thoughts on the design and style of this racket?

Sue: “It’s a typical Babolat design which is what you would expect.”

Austin: “I like how Babolat have changed the white to black but it still looks like a classic Pure Drive.”

Julian: “This new version is much more turquoise blue than the old version so it’s quite cool.”

Is $229/£210 a fair price for this Babolat?

Sue: “It’s a comparable price to all the top rackets so if it’s the one for you then you’d pay that price.”

Austin: “It’s a fair price which is in line with the other top of the range rackets”

Julian: “I particularly like Babolat so I’d be happy paying that for this racket.”

The specifications

For a detailed explanation of each racket measurement criteria below have a read of our guide.

Babolat Pure Drive Tour

R.R.P. = $229/£210 (Purchase for £171 at AllThingsTennis.co.uk)

Head size = 100 sq in

Weight = 315g

String pattern = 16/19

Length = 27 inches

In conclusion then…

Often readers ask if we feed answers to the testers but we can 100% guarantee that’s not the case, otherwise it wouldn’t be a fair review and Tennishead would lose the trust we’ve built up over the years, which is why it was encouraging to hear our testers comments which pretty much matched the claims of the manufacturer for this updated Babolat Pure Drive Tour.

Power and stability came through in bucket loads and it’s obviously a racket that can suit all types of player no matter the style. However it’s important to note that all three of our testers are experienced and advanced competitive players and the racket is designed for their ability.

Anyway, well done Babolat as you’ve created a racket that can definitely ‘walk the walk’, but don’t be under the illusion this is an ‘easy’ racket to play with as it requires strength and expertise to get the best out of it.

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About the Author / Tim Farthing

Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.

Babolat Pure Drive Tour Racquet Review

Formerly known as the Pure Drive Roddick, named after retired ATP player Andy Roddick, then the Pure Drive Tour from 2015 on, the new Pure Drive Tour continues to provide players with a beefier version of the venerable Pure Drive. The trademark Pure Drive power and spin gets mixed with some added plow through thanks to the extra weight. As with the other Pure Drives, Babolat updates the Tour version with FSI technology in the stringbed, resulting in easy power and depth as well as increased comfort. Additionally, the Cortex dampening system got a revamp with the addition of a thin rubber material that absorbs impact vibrations and provides a direct feel. From the beginning of the playtest our TW playtesters were rewarded with the easy power and crisp feel the Pure Drive Tour is known for. Our playtesters could easily hit deep in the court and play aggressively from the baseline. All of that firepower made for a simple transition to the net to punch volleys away. Our playtesters all raved about the easy, free power they were able to generate on their serves, which resulted in additional free points. However, the free power proved to be a bit of a hinderance when it came to returns. If they weren't careful some playtesters would overhit their returns, and they needed to add extra spin to get their shots dropping inside the lines. Overall, the Babolat Pure Drive Tour proved perfect for players seeking a little extra stability and plow through to go with the exceptional power and spin of the standard Pure Drive.

• Loaded with power
• More plow through than regular Pure Drive
• Might be too powerful for some

Bottom Line

The Pure Drive Tour is power packed and built for aggressive hitting rather than precision play.

Intermediate to advanced

Groundstrokes - Score: 84

The Babolat Pure Drive Tour provided the TW playtesters with plenty of power and enough spin to help keep their shots in the court. Brittany has always been a fan of the standard Pure Drive. She stated, "In the past I thought the Pure Drive Tour was too much racquet for me. I was pleasantly surprised that the specs of this iteration fit in line with what I like. When I picked up the Pure Drive Tour I immediately felt at home. There was no adjustment period and I was instantly rewarded with easy power, depth and spin. To be honest, I found it to play very similarly to the standard Pure Drive. I loved how aggressive I could be, but I was impressed with the racquet when I was on the defensive. When I was out of position and reaching for a ball I was easily able to get the ball back deep in the court and get myself back into the point."

"Combine the extreme amounts of power and spin of the updated standard Pure Drive with some added control and you get a modern player's weapon in the form of this Pure Drive Tour," continued Hannah . "Attempting to reel in the power from the baseline with the standard updated Pure Drive was a massive task. Points consisted of two extremes. I would either dominate from the first strike or make unnecessary errors, usually past the baseline. When I picked up the Tour I felt confident in my ability to stay within the limits of my game while navigating the balance of power and control needed to successfully string points together and force opponents onto their heels. The increased weight, plow through and precision, compared to the standard version, lent a more productive use of the tremendous spin potential and heightened trajectory offered by the widened string pattern. Besides being easy to pick up and use, this racquet had the tools my game calls for in point situations. It felt great when I was looking to take time away from my opponent and control the middle of the court from a step or two inside of the baseline. Despite the added weight, I never felt the Pure Drive Tour was dragging through the air or too difficult to get in position. Considering the offensive ammunition this racquet offered I thought the maneuverability was above average. Even with a bit more control, this Pure Drive Tour is still one of the more powerful options on the market, and during points I was reminded that my game doesn't call for levels of power this high."

Jason noticed how easy it was to get pace from the baseline. He commented, "Hello, power! It was almost too easy to get power and depth on my groundstrokes with this racquet. The power was great when I was on the defensive because I could just stick my racquet out without any follow through and get the ball deep into the court. When I had time to set up and really connect on a shot I was hitting winners at a much more rapid pace. But it wasn't all positive. I found myself needing to dial back my forehand to get it in the court on a consistent basis. The power and the desire to see how hard I could hit a shot were almost addicting, which was not good for my game style. If I didn't put enough spin on my shot this racquet turned into a rocket launcher. I also noticed that I was hitting the ball late more often with this racquet."

Calling this racquet powerful would be an understatement for Sean . He offered, "With the 16x19 string pattern, thick beam and extra mass, the Pure Drive Tour is probably the most power-loaded racquet I've ever hit. This power worked like a double-edged-sword. On the one hand I had endless amounts of offensive potential and bailout shot-making capabilities. The power could also be really dangerous and tempting. It was difficult to slice the ball to get back in the court because there was nothing to bring the slice down. I had a really difficult time using my touch and working the ball accurately around the court. Overall, I had to completely change the way I approached the game to play with the Pure Drive Tour. If I didn't load the ball with spin it tended to fly on me. At times I had to go only about 80 percent on my normal stroke speed, otherwise I had no chance to keep the ball in."

Volleys - Score: 85

The extra weight of the Pure Drive Tour provided excellent stability, which allowed the playtesters to feel confident coming to the net to end the point. Sean was pleasantly surprised at how well the Pure Drive Tour performed at net. He praised, "As long as I softened my hands up the racquet did almost all of the work for me. Obviously, I was going to get enough punch through the court with this racquet, but the touch was actually better than I expected. The Pure Drive Tour was strangely able to deaden the ball on drop shots, which I really didn't expect but really enjoyed."

"The Pure Drive Tour was a breeze to use at net," raved Brittany . "I could get it into position and punch volleys back deep in the court. It was stable yet maneuverable, and I liked playing doubles with it. I wouldn't say this racquet had a ton of feel for soft touch shots, but that isn't a big part of my game so it didn't bother me."

Hannah found the stability and pop needed to end points at net, saying, "As with the regular version, the stability of this Pure Drive Tour was excellent at net. The racquet never wavered in my hands, and I was easily volleying past the service line and into the deep corners. I would also stick with my comments on the standard length version that it wasn't the most forgiving racquet in terms of touch. Nonetheless, I noticed I was extremely confident when hitting the transitional approach shots anywhere near the service line, and I was never worried about closing out points at net. I also really enjoyed the crisp feeling and pop I got on overheads."

Jason found the Pure Drive Tour to be very solid and stable at net. He said, "The high 11 oz weight was great in helping bleed pace off harder hit shots. What was not so great with this racquet were the quick volley exchanges and touch. I thought the racquet felt a little sluggish, and I was having an especially tough time getting it around to hit those shots coming right at my body."

Serves - Score: 86

The Pure Drive line is well known for its ability to bring the heat on serves. The Babolat Pure Drive Tour is no exception. Hannah compared the Tour version with the Pure Drive. She said, "My results on serves were true to the Pure Drive reputation. This was a great serving racquet, and when I got used to accelerating the extra weight of the Tour version up and over my head my flat, powerful serves felt effortless. Kick serves into the body resulted in free points and my go-to slice serve had dependable consistency under pressure. I'd say that acceleration and spin were easier to access on the standard version because of the slight change in specs, but the difference wasn't groundbreaking."

"I struggled a bit with consistency, but when I did get my serves in there was definitely some added pace to my shots," added Jason . "It was just tougher to get the racquet up and through contact for me. Still, access to spin was really good on both slice and kick serves."

Brittany had high expectations when it came to serving with the Pure Drive Tour. She said, "There is nothing like serving with a Pure Drive, and the Tour is no exception. It was just too much fun to blast flat first serves, and I was impressed when most of them went in. This gave me plenty of free points right off the bat. The spin potential was there on my second serve, which allowed me to kick the ball up and out of my opponent's strike zone."

Sean found his serve had more power and spin. He noted, "Big serves resulted in more free points and weak replies. This did come with a lower percentage of serves in, and I occasionally struggled to rein in the trajectory. I think that with more practice this racquet could prove to be a real weapon on serve."

Returns - Score: 80

While the extra power was welcome on serves, the TW playtesters were craving more control when it came time to return serves. Jason had to hold back on his returns to keep them in the court. He remarked, "When I was hitting groundstrokes I found that swinging at 80 percent of my max was the sweetspot between power and control. On returns, I felt like I had to dial it back to about 60 to 70 percent. Otherwise, I was tagging the back fence. I really had to focus on getting lots of topspin on my shots when I was going for a more aggressive return. If I was just blocking or chipping a return back I didn't have to worry about overhitting and just let the racquet do the work."

"My returns felt great when I happened to connect right, but since I had less time to take a full swing and generate topspin I often had a very difficult time getting the ball to do what I intended," explained Sean . "That being said, when the stars did align I had a lot of success pushing my opponent around with big and powerful returns thanks to the great stability and maneuverability."

Returning with this racquet was a little bit hot and cold for Hannah . She detailed, "If the ball was in my strike zone I could crank my return and get that first strike with no problems. Shots closer to my body were a little bit more difficult to place, and reaching for serves usually resulted in some overhitting. Making clean contact with the serve was crucial to start the point off either offensively or from a neutral position."

Brittany agreed with the other playtesters. She concluded, "This is probably the only time that I prefer a little less power. There were definitely a couple of times at the beginning when I was overhitting my returns deep past the baseline. I had to reel in my return and consciously add a little more spin than normal to keep my return in the court. Once that adjustment was made I was enjoying returning any serve that was hit at me."

Overall - Score: 84

Brittany - "I liked the power, spin and Pure Drive feel. I also was a fan of the cosmetics."

Jason - "The power, the power, the power. Access to spin was actually pretty good too considering I couldn't/wouldn't use as much racquet head speed."

Sean - "I liked how easy the Pure Drive Tour can be to play with. When I had more energy I could hit the ball with more spin and power than I ever had before. When I felt lazy I could hit the same amount of spin and power as I normally do with much less effort."

Hannah - "The added weight of this Tour version gives it a much needed boost in precision to counter the massive amount of power."

Brittany - "None!"

Jason - "Too much power, to where I felt the need to hold back. Felt a little sluggish to me. The stiff response wasn't the best on my arm and shoulder."

Sean - "As fun as this playtest was, I would have to redesign my game to play with the Pure Drive Tour . I worry that there is just too much power for me to be able to rely on this racquet in pressure situations."

Hannah - "Even with some added control, it is still too much power for my game."

Comparing the racquet to others they've tried, our testers said:

Brittany - "For the most part the Pure Drive Tour played very similarly to a standard Pure Drive — great power and spin. Even though it is slightly heavier, I didn't notice it at all. Other racquets that played similarly include the Volkl V-Sense 8 (315g), the Prince Textreme Tour 100P and the Babolat Pure Aero."

Jason - "Very similar to the old Pure Drive Roddick racquets in terms of playability, but it does feel just slightly more muted than those Roddick models."

Sean - "The Pure Drive Tour felt like a Pure Drive in pretty much every way. The power, spin, and lack of feel are the three characteristics I'd expect from a member of the Pure Drive family. To compare it to some other racquets out there right now, I'd say it plays a lot like the Wilson Burn 100 CV and the Head Graphene Touch Radical Pro."

Hannah - "For long time Pure Drive Tour users, the feel of the Pure Drive Tour is slightly more muted than previous iterations, but I'd say it also boasts a more lively and comfortable response at contact. In line with the standard version, this Pure Drive Tour's wider spaced strings offer heavy hitters more spin, more height and massive amounts of power. The difference of a little bit of added weight gave me the ability to control some of this power with more ease than the standard version. Compared to another popular Babolat racquet, the Pure Strike 16x19 (my racquet of choice), the Pure Drive Tour delivered higher levels of power. I don't necessarily need all of that extra power as my game is better suited to the control and whippiness of the Pure Strike."

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester Profiles

Brittany: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex EZONE 100 (300g).

Hannah: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Babolat Pure Strike 16x19 (Project One7).

Jason: 4.0 baseliner with a semi-western forehand and two-handed backhand. Currently using a Babolat Pure Strike 16x19 (Project One7).

Sean: Open level counterpuncher with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. He currently plays with the Wilson Blade 98 18x20.

Review date: January 2018. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us. All content copyright 2018 Tennis Warehouse.

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Reviewing the Babolat Pure Drive Tour 2021

The 2021 Babolat Pure Drive. Photo: Nikki Zabihi.

The Babolat Pure Drive Tour returns in 2021 with the intention of bringing forth more feel and comfort to its advanced clientele.

The Pure Drive Tour 2021:

Sponsoring the likes of Fabio Fognini, Garbine Muguruza, Sofia Kenin and Lucas Pouille, the world’s best selling racquet continues to aid competitors of the highest caliber. Not only will advanced players benefit from the frames latest make over, but intermediate players looking for a heftier racquet will also be surprised with its easy playing nature.

If you play tennis, you know that Babolat has a primary focus of producing quality frames and not introducing a vast variety of different models like other manufacturers.

Where the stock version of the Pure Drive 2021 appeals to every level of play and pretty much any age category, the Pure Drive Tour will definitely have more of a “niche” following. Coming in at 11.8 oz strung weight, this fully loaded Pure Drive Tour provides ample flow-through on ground-strokes and returns, while allowing more than enough spin to be generated on a consistent basis.

The Lowdown

Like with most Babolat racquets, the ability to create the control can become an issue from time-to-time, but with the enhanced sweet-spot and the development of the SWX Pure Feel  system, the Pure Drive Tour produced a very consistent and steady feel throughout numerous baseline exchanges.

Perhaps the most enhanced shot in any players game when using the Pure Drive series is the return of serve. Being able to generate power and depth when stretched out wide or returning a body serve, can’t be taken for granted. The high stiffness rating of 70 does go hand-in-hand with the returning prowess of this frame, but I’m sure many players won’t be complaining when they are breaking serve on a regular basis.

Spin and placement on serves was also made easy with the Pure Drive Tour , thanks to the latest update in the frames  HTR System. According to Babolat, the “racquet’s graphite layup has been re-engineered for higher torsional rigidity, resulting in more efficient energy transfer to the ball.” Simply put, smashing serves into desired corners won’t be too hard to come by.

Don’t Shy Away from Heavier Racquets

I’ve always stood by the notion that a heavier racquet will provide players with more racquet head speed if they can handle the weight of the racquet. Heavier racquets are better for arm soreness as the vibration of the shot will be minimized. Being a longtime Pure Aero Tour user, I’ve always been drawn to the similarities between these two frames. The Pure Aero Tour has even more power than the Pure Aero Tour , but what the Pure Drive does better is provide more control from the baseline.

Net Returns

With the modern game gravitating more away from the net to baseline at the pro level, club players and even promising juniors still have enough time to get into the net and finish points. The Pure Drive Tour provided the level of balance required to make consistent volleys and overheads to a variety of different positions. Again, the SWX Pure Feel  system aided with volleys as it significantly dampened vibrations from the previous Pure Drive models.

All in all, if you have high swing speeds and are in search of a frame that doesn’t require any lead tape to keep the feel and stability of your shots in check, the Babolat Pure Drive Tour 2021 could very well be the racquet for you.

The Babolat Dure Drive 2021 retails for $229 USD and can be purchased at the following retailers.

Babolat (world)

TennisWarehouse (USA)

TennisWarehouse-Europe

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Babolat Pure Drive Tour Racket Review

• Maneuverability
• Access to spin
• Lacking in touch/feel

Babolat introduces a new Pure Drive Tour that's fully loaded with power and spin. Perfect for any aggressive player looking to dictate points, this update replaces the Pure Drive Roddick. Babolat has added Frame String Interaction (FSI) technology to differentiate this update by moving the sweetspot higher in the stringbed and tightening the 16x19 string pattern. The modern player will love the updated control and feel from this powerful racket. Our playtesters were quick to access that controlled power and maneuverability as they ripped balls deep into the court from the baseline and off returns. At net, the offensive play continued as this racket helped our playtesters close out points in a powerful fashion. Our testers were missing some touch and feel on their craftier shots, but considering how much power they were hitting, it was something they didn't mind sacrificing. Players who like to dictate points and have enjoyed the Pure Drive Roddick will love this update and find just as much controllable power in a maneuverable, stable, modern-looking package.

Overall - Score: 86/100

Groundstrokes - score: 88/100.

Continuing the tradition of a heavier racket, the Pure Drive Tour packs a powerful punch. With a responsive sweetspot that has been strategically placed higher in the stringbed, the racket piqued the interest of our playtesters. This racket may not provide a silky smooth, plush feel, but there is copious amounts of power, spin and control. Players can win the point in a quick and decisive manner. Players like Michelle who use the previous version, the Pure Drive Roddick, will find this racket to perform much the same. Michelle loved how aggressively she could play and how much power she found when attacking balls from the baseline.

Volleys - Score: 80/100

While the Pure Drive rackets aren't known to have the best touch at the net, offensive tennis was the name of the game when moving forward and taking control of the point with the Pure Drive Tour . Our team felt confident finishing off pints at the net with the stability and power of the racket. For Chris the mass of this racket allowed him to hit his offensive and defensive volleys. However, if there were one complaint, several of the testers wanted a bit more touch from the racket.

Serves - Score: 88/100

Our playtesters really used the power the Pure Drive Tour offered when it came to serving. They also were satisfied with the spin they could access when changing things up and getting their opponents off the court. Karly had no issues accessing power on her serves and found the combination of that with the access to spin to make her kick serves lethal.

Returns - Score: 88/100

Stability, maneuverability and controlled power all came together perfectly for our team when returning with the Pure Drive Tour . Attacking players beware, this racket shines when given the chance to attack a sitting serve and begin the point on the offensive! For Troy the balance of stability and maneuverability and were effective when hitting offensive or defensive returns.

Chris - "I loved the power, spin, control, stability, maneuverability and effortless playability. This racket checks all but one of the right boxes for me."

Michelle - "Considering it replaces my current racket of choice, I liked almost everything about this update. I appreciate that it hasn't changed drastically from the version it replaces and still provides plenty of pop and plow through!"

Troy - "Easy power and spin. Good maneuverability and stability. A slight improvement in control compared to the Pure Drive Roddick of the past."

Karly - "The power behind it is exceptional; like the plow through and rock solid feel."

Chris - "I was missing some touch, but it was a small price to pay considering all of the positives."

Michelle - "Maybe I'm chasing after something that doesn't exist, but I was hoping for this update to have more control with the FSI technology and the tighter stringbed. A girl can dream about the perfect blend of power and controlÖit must be out there somewhere?!"

Troy - "The overall lack of response and feel."

Karly - "The overwhelming amount of power for serves made it tough to control my shots, and lack of touch made it feel almost impossible to hit a drop shot or short volley."

Comparing it to other racquets they've used, our testers said:

Chris - "I could switch between this racket and any of the previous Roddick versions without missing a beat. I can't imagine anyone not finding this to be an easy and worthwhile update. Head's various incarnations of the Extreme Pro come close, but they've never offered as much stability and plow through. The ProKennex Ki Q5 is also another racket to consider as it offers a similar blend of power, control, spin and comfort."

Michelle - "If you enjoyed the Pure Drive Roddick, you will love the Pure Drive Tour! I think Pure Drive Roddick players will seamlessly transition into this offering from Babolat. Very similar levels of power, maneuverability, stability and plow through. This one may even feel more comfortable -- although comfort is always subjective."

Troy - "It definitely feels like a Pure Drive Roddick; Babolat doesn't change much between different generations of the same model racket. Other rackets that compare to this Pure Drive Tour are the Head Graphene Extreme Pro, Tecnifibre TFlash 315 ATP and ProKennex Kinetic Q5 (315g)."

Karly - "I thought the Babolat Pure Drive Tour played extremely similarly to the Head Graphene Extreme Pro because of their solid feel and powerful response. Both rackets are very lively and have a stiff feel, but for me the biggest difference was the feel. The Head Graphene Extreme Pro offered a slightly more dampened feel than the Babolat Pure Drive Tour in my opinion."

Playtester Profiles:

Chris: 4.5 all-court player currently using the Wilson Six.One 95S. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.

Karly: 4.0 baseline player currently playing with the Volkl Organix 10 Mid. She hits with a semi-western forehand grip and uses a two handed backhand.

Michelle: Open level baseline player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. She currently plays with the Babolat Pure Drive Roddick.

Troy: 5.0 lefty all-court player with a full Western Forehand and a two-handed backhand. Troy currently plays with a Wilson BLX Six.One 95.

Review date: December 2014. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us: [email protected] .

All content copyright 2014 Tennis Warehouse Europe.