In this racket review we look at the Babolat Pure Drive GT & GT Plus. These two sticks are very similar to the Baboluat Pure Drive Roddick GT & Roddick GT Plus, which we reviewed HERE.
These two sticks use several technologies. The first is called “GT,” which stands for Graphite Tungsten. Interwoven throughout the frame, this material increases the power of the racket. The second technology, called “woofer,” also increases the power of the racket. This technology allows the strings to move more easily through the frame, increasing the sweet spot and the trampoline effect of the strings. The final technology is called “cortex.” Placed at the top of the handle and bottom of the throat, this technology reducing the vibration of the racket, making it more comfortable to hit with.
If you like a powerful player’s racket — and a stick that lets you easily generate spin — you should consider demoing one of them.
Own one of these rackets? Please let us know what you think about them in the comments! Thanks.
{ 11 comments }
I have had this stick for 6 weeks now. I have been playing tennis for a year amongst 3.0 & 3.5 players and have been looking for a racket that is good on serve & up at the net.
The overall weight and stiffness give me a solid feel and power, yet it is quite head light, which helps you maneuver at the net.
I have also had great access to spin helping me keep aggressive forehands in play and produce a big slice with my backhand.
This is a must demo for guys at all levels as I don't know what is not to like about this stick. (I say guys b/c the overall weight is heavy.)
I picked the Puredrive+ up last summer as an upgrade to my previous racquet, which was a beginner's racquet made by Head, and strung it at the highest tension with a really grippy string (Prince TopSpin, I think).
It took me a while to get used to the racquet (I started the summer as a 2.5-3.0 player, largely due to my lack of conditioning and having gone a year without playing at all), as the sweet spot is much smaller than most racquets aimed at beginners, but once I re-gained the ability to hit the ball well, it went exactly where I wanted it to, with plenty of spin (both topspin and slice) and pace. Serving with this racquet is an absolute pleasure, as is volleying.
Also, I've struggled for years with elbow injuries (mostly from wrestling and rowing, though football did not help… there've been two periods of me being unable to play for 3-6 months); the PureDrive+ is easier on my elbows than almost every other racquet I've used… I still get sore if I play more than 3 times per week, but it's nice to no longer need to limit myself to playing three times over two weeks (under pain of injury). The racquet does not vibrate and takes shots well, except on the most severe of mishits, which makes it a real pleasure to use.
I demoed and purchased the GT plus last year, have played with it extensively. I am not very tall (5.8), the plus helps with the angles when serving. But I feel I am slightly late on my shots due to the extra length. With a non plus racket the shot timing is better. So, I think relatively quicker movement and footwork is needed with the plus.
After 2 months of hitting with it, I found the GT to be too light and unstable. I was sorry I bought it. I ended up having it customized to match my old racket, the babolat control. When I buy another racket, I'll get the Roddick pure drive because I like the stiffer feel and it is more stable. I think the increased weight helps me to drive through the ball so I can hit with more pace and depth.
I just purchased 2 of the Babolat Pure Drive racquets. My initial impression is that the very positive reviews of this racquet are true. The racquet has excellent controlled power with a solid feel. The feel is much more solid than the old Pure Drive without the GT technology.
This is a great stick for the 4.0-5.0 player. I will recommend this racquet to my students and fellow players.
Ouch, after only a couple of hits with this raquet I developed the dreaded Tennis elbow. I have played with the original Pure Drive pre cortex for about 5 years with no problems, but this one hurt my arm big time. I contacted Babolat who advise stringing the raquet at 48lbs to help. Ive just sold it on E Bay and lost a bit of money, plus about 400 pounds on physio, acupuncture and cortisone injections. Wish Id never bought it, Be Careful.
I bought the Pure Drive 107 in november 2009 after trying multiple types of rackets. I am a 3.0-3.5 player who plays a lot of doubles matches. The racket turnout the be an excellent choice. Great for serving, excellent at the net, good power and very good topspin. It is also great on my hand, elbow and shoulder. I usually play 4 games on Saturdays and 4 games on Sundays and no arms or elbow problems at all. I used the Babolat sync gut string at 58 pounds.
I've got the Pure Drive GT.
Good points: Powerful, comfortable, good for spin, and excellent on serves. It's a smooth feeling racquet that does some of the work for you (compared to pure control racquets such as the Babolat PureStorm GT where you really have to concentrate on your shots).
Bad points: Minor points really. Feels slightly hollow and not quite as solid feeling as the Babolat AeroPro Drive Cortex (APDC). Its also not quite as stable as the APDC if you're returning heavy shots from a good player (say 4.5 and above) probably due to its relative low weight (300g). However that could be resolved with some lead tape.
I've played with this Racquet for good while now and I like it for ground strokes, but not so much for serve. It's probably just me and the way I serve, but do demo it first before you buy. It’s not quite everyman’s racquet. I'm still not 100% happy with it, however I do like the power it gives me on ground strokes versus my old Dunlop 300G, but again it does come at the expense of some manoeuvrability. I don’t think I’ll stick with it. The quest for my perfect racquet continues…
I've played with this Racquet for good while now and I like it for ground strokes, but not so much for serve. It's probably just me and the way I serve, but do demo it first before you buy. It’s not quite everyman’s racquet. I'm still not 100% happy with it, however I do like the power it gives me on ground strokes versus my old Dunlop 300G, but again it does come at the expense of some manoeuvrability. I don’t think I’ll stick with it. The quest for my perfect racquet continues…
My dad just surprised me with a new Babolat Pure Drive GT. Yet, my coach, some months ago, made me switch from my old pd cortex to a pd cortex plus. He says that I should sell my BRAND NEW GT RACKET because the plus version makes all of my strokes better, gives me more reach and it has no downsides. So, please help, what should I do?
P.s. I actually don’t feel differences in the reach. Serve is still good. Only problem is that my grounstrokes sail long often because I find it to be much more powerful than my old pd.
Comments on this entry are closed.