A few weeks ago I decided to replace my old Dunlop racket for a new one. I stopped by the shop and picked up a couple of Babolat rackets to test during two hours of play. The three I brought with me to the court were the Pure Storm Team, the Pure Control Team and the Pure Drive Team.

Out of the three the one that suited my gamestyle best was the Pure Drive Team. I would rank myself at 5.0 on the NTRP scale. Relying heavily on my powerful serve to pick up easy points, I reckoned that the Pure Drive would fit my style, but I was surprised by the amount of control I got when hitting slice/kick serves. It also feels in tune with my agressive hitting and powerful swing.

Both the racket I tried and the one I later purchased are strung with custom hybrid, with Pro Hurricane on the mains (strung at 58) and Tour Twin Gut Tournament on the crosses (strung at 53). Having played roughly twenty hours with my new racket it is my opinion that this setup gives excellent power matched with good control. The Woofer system really delivers a lot of extra drive to the ball, as well as cushioning giving almost no vibrations.

With this racket I have taken my game to a higher level, using both power and spin I can hit winners from all over the court. But the greatest improvement has been to my serve, now I can hit those "supersonic" serves that seem to fly past my opponent - rewarding me with a lot of free points. But there is also a good deal of control to be utilized for those slice/twist/kick serves, giving a mean bounce on the other side of the net.

I believe that if you want to try this racket, you should make sure you get to try it with a hybrid string job. This really brings out the best in the racket.

Recommended: Yes