Overview
The Pure Drive Plus was built for experienced players looking to overpower their opponent with power and spin. With its extended 27.5" length, this stick has more pop and plow through than the standard length Pure Drive. Like the 2018 model it replaces, this racquet is surprisingly fast, making it one of the more explosive and dangerous racquets in its class. Updated with Babolat's new HTR System, the graphite layup has been reengineered for higher torsional rigidity, resulting in more efficient energy transfer to the ball. To help soak up the harsher vibrations of this racquet's stiff construction, Babolat has devoted more real estate in the Pure Drive's shaft to SWX Pure Feel, a thin and extremely flexible viscoelastic rubber that sits between the carbon layers. Additional features include FSI Power Technology, which optimises the grommet system and string spacing for higher energy return and vicious RPMs (think heavy ball).
On groundstrokes this racquet not only feels crisp and powerful, it also feels stable against big hitters while delivering the required speed for hitting winners on the run. As with the previous version, this racquet rewards full swings with big power, and it has the kind of spin-potential that brings the ball down on a dime. At net the Pure Drive Plus isn't quite as speedy as its standard length counterpart, but it still manages to offer quick handling for an extended length racquet, and it packs enough pop to finish points with a bang. Thanks to its extended length and powerful delivery, the Pure Drive Plus is also one of the most dangerous serving racquets on the market. Ultimately, with subtle updates to the feel for 2021, the Pure Drive Plus remains one of the most impressive options for big hitters looking to play aggressive tennis.
Specifications
| Head Size: 100 in / 645.16 cm | ||||
| Length: 27.5in / 69.85cm | ||||
| Strung Weight:11.2oz / 318g | ||||
| Balance: 12.99in / 32.99cm / 6 pts HL | ||||
| Swingweight: 324 | ||||
| Stiffness: 69 | ||||
| Beam Width: 23mm / 26mm / 23mm | ||||
| Composition: Graphite | ||||
| Power Level: Low-Medium | ||||
| Stroke Style: Medium-Full | ||||
| Swing Speed: Medium-Fast | ||||
| Racquet Colour: Blue | ||||
| Grip Type: Babolat Syntec Pro | ||||
String Pattern:
| ||||
| String Tension: 50-59 pounds |
Previous Feedback
Comments: Huge improvement from my previous Babolat Pure Aero 2013. Lot's of control and power.
From: Eduardo, Boca Raton, 16/11/21
Comments: Playing like my 20's again. This stick is amazing!
From: Anonymous, 12/11/21
Comments: I am a 64 year old tennis player. I have tried virtually every racquet out there. Former 5.0 player in my 30's. This stick takes about ten years off my game. Demo process was great. This Pure Drive Plus doesn't hurt my elbow or shoulder like some of the prior versions of the Pure Strike. I added some lead tape at 12, 3 & 9 o'clock and it bombs serves with pace and makes my forehand more of a weapon. Really fun stick to hit with and I still get enough touch for drop shots and drop volleys. Volleys are a breeze and my overheads are dangerous. Really enjoying the stick! I sized down to 4 1/4 because the Babolat grips run large, so I got a 4 1/4 (2) instead of my usual 4 3/8th's.
From: Jim, 23/8/21
Comments: I am truly glad I watched the video that Tennis Warehouse did on the Babolat Pure Drive Plus 2021. What I heard was just the information I needed to make my decision. The slightly longer reach has brought me back into the game of tennis. This racquet has brought me back to a much better performance place in my game. The feel in this racquet when I make my shot is inspiring. It makes me anxious to hit the ball again. At age 73, I am in love this racquet
From: Stephenn, 6/8/21
Comments: I needed to replace my 2010 Roddick Plus racquets that are about dead, so I demoed this racquet earlier this year when they announced there would be no Pure Drive Tour Plus. I really like the Pure Aero Plus, but found this one difficult to control and the feel was really off from prior versions of this racquet. I also couldn't tap into that raw power on the serve that I get from my Roddick frames. I tried a few different string set ups, but control on my ground strokes just wasn't there for me. Too bad they discontinued the Pure Drive Tour Plus, guess I will wait for the Pure Aero Plus refresh next year.
From: Ron, Chicago, 26/7/21
Comments: This is my first big boy racquet, and overall I'm very happy to be playing a Pure Drive!
From: Michael, 17/6/21
Comments: Loved the demo process. Easy, quick, fast. Really liked this racquet out of the other 2 I tried. It is very balanced regarding weight, grip, and swing. I have a long reach and opted for the longer racquet as I am used to playing with more length. My ground game is much better as well.
From: Ryley, 5/6/21
Comments: Just bought this after a demo. Length is 27.5", but it feels fairly quick and maneuverable. After a match, I don't get the tired sense in the arm (I'm 55+). I assume I'm in the minority to be stringing it with a multifilament, but it's working for me at 57 lbs; at this point in life I'm not blasting the ball anymore anyway. The best surprise to me are volleys. Balls just seems to dwell into the strings and, if not swinging much, feels like I can usually bunt the ball accurately some 5 feet over the net -- seems like a case of great power on full swings, yet stable and minus the weighty power of a heavy racquet at net. Forehands are powerful while spin brings the ball down; to me a flatter faster arc than my old aeropro drive. 2HBHs are strong as long as not moving laterally or somewhat backwards, where a heavy racquet would give better returns; trying to throw up a backhand lob now requires a good amount more effort, as I'm giving up perfect overheads for opponents. Serves aren't overly powerful or as advantageous as I'd hoped, but the spin is often problematic for opponents. Again, this is based on a multifilament vs. polyester string, where with the latter I presume there's less comfort and that volleys might be less controlled. I'd easily recommend this to someone getting up there in age and who wants free power and an easy swinging racquet -- but maybe with a multifilament.
From: Trent, 4/6/21
Comments: I was happy with my purchase of the Babolat Pure Drive Plus from Tennis Warehouse. The racquet has a longer head that is great for serves. The buying experience with TO was flawless.
From: Michael, 23/4/21
Comments: I am continuously satisfied with my purchase of the Babolat Pure Drive Plus 2021. Having transitioned from the regular 2021 Pure Drive, the Pure Drive Plus offers slightly more reach and power than the standard length racquet for a noticeable improvement in serve performance. While groundstrokes are for the most part extremely smooth and comfortable, off-center hits, especially towards the head of the racquet, and shanks are very jarring to the arm and elbow, and may exacerbate issues caused by poor form and contact. I am working on adding a left-handed forehand to my repertoire, as a right-handed player, and after a hitting session, I could feel tennis elbow flare up in my left arm due from the volume of mishits, contrasted to playing right-handed normally being a comfortable experience. Restringing from polyester to natural gut and multifilament did help alleviate some of this though. Overall, a great racquet that rewards clean hitting with effortless power and comfort, but is very punishing on the arm with poor contact.
From: Youngbin, 13/4/21
Comments: I have owned a few different versions of the Pure Drive Plus as well as the 2013 AeroPro Drive Plus, and I must say that this latest version of the Pure Drive Plus 2021 is the most comfortable in terms of vibration dampening. However, I have the slowest serve with it compared to all the other versions! My groundstrokes are fine with a higher launch trajectory and with more spin creation capability than any of the others racquets to which I just referred. I took strings and tension into consideration before making this critique. I will add some weight to the tip of the head and inside the handle; I suspect I will serve well with the additional weight. Perhaps I'll give an update here at another date. For now I'll just say that the 2021 Babolat Pure Drive Plus is comfortable, creates great spin, and hits solidly on groundstrokes, but falls short in generating speed on serves in stock form. I added 14 strips of 1/4" wide lead tape, each strip being 6" long, to the 12 o'clock position of the racquet head and 1.25 ounces inside the handle. With the addition of the weight, my serve speed improved dramatically over the same racquet without customization. It's the first time I ever needed to add weight to a Pure Drive Plus racquet in order to serve fast. However, it's the first time I ever played with a Pure Drive Plus that was comfortable.
From: Michael, 4/4/21