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Babolat VS NCT Drive

HOW IT TESTED:
With a huge head and extra length, it’s easy to see where the Babolat VS NCT Power lives up to its name. But it’s also what you can’t see, Carbon Nanotube (an ultrastiff material inside the frame from the throat to the bottom half of the head), that’s responsible for the extra depth and pace you’ll get with a compact stroke. You can take a slightly longer cut, but if you don’t catch the ball cleanly it’ll probably land well long. The racquet’s string bed is very lively, thanks to Dual Woofer. This grommet system enhances the trampoline effect, though it may also have been the cause of the ping on impact that playtesters found irritating. But everyone lauded the VS NCT Power’s excellent maneuverability. Even though it’s head heavy, it’s easy to swing. Doubles players will appreciate the maneuverability at net, where you not only get a lot of punch on volleys, but you should have no trouble reacting to them.

BOTTOM LINE:
Club doubles specialists will benefit from the racquet’s maneuverability and pop.

Length:

BOTTOM LINE
A game-improvement racquet that’s ideal for baseliners with medium-length strokes.

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Babolat Pure Drive

HOW IT TESTED:
At 11.5 ounces, the Pure Drive Roddick is about a half-ounce heavier than the original and almost identical in weight to what Andy Roddick uses. That gives you the first clue about this frame—it’s for advanced players who have the muscle to move it through the contact zone. Pure Drive fans will notice how the extra weight keeps the frame from buckling under pressure, particularly on volleys and returns. The Pure Drive Roddick, which also comes in an extra-long model, excels at helping players hit a heavy ball with pace and spin. Plus, because it’s stable, it delivers more control off the ground. There’s also a new vibrationfiltering technology, the Cortex System, just above the handle that’s designed to reduce bad vibes without deadening the frame’s feel. (Note: The original Pure Drive is also available with or without the Cortex System.)

BOTTOM LINE:
If you can handle the heft, the Pure Drive Roddick will give you more power, control, and stability.

PRICE:

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Babolat Pure Drive

HOW IT TESTED
The Pure Drive is the signature frame in the Babolat family of racquets. So it¹s not surprising that the company would put out various versions, each with subtle differences, to appeal to the widest audience.

The Pure Drive 107 is perhaps the definition of a Œtweener racquet. It¹s longer, lighter, and has a bigger face than the standard Pure Drive, but is shorter, heavier, and has a smaller head than the oversized. It¹s designed for players who desire a little more pop and bigger sweet spot than the standard offers, but find the oversized too light and powerful. And according to our playtesters, the Pure Drive 107 is indeed a nice compromise. The extra surface area was appreciated by those looking for more juice on their strokes, yet they didn¹t feel it was a detriment to control.

Whether at the baseline or net, most found a predictably solid and stable response from their shots. Players who favor topspin were particularly happy with the frame, while those hit a flatter ball thought the Pure Drive 107 to be a bit overly powerful and tough to control.

BOTTOM LINE
A good all-around racquet that should appeal to a wide range of playing styles and ability levels.

PRICE:

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Babolat AeroPro Drive

HOW IT TESTED
When we put the original AeroPro Drive through its paces in 2005, the reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Now the second incarnation of the racquet has arrived with the addition of Cortex, a vibration-dampening system in the shaft just above the handle. Other than that, the specs are identical and the on-court performance proves to be much the same. The aerodynamic beam and head-light balance allow baseliners to take a big cut, generating good power and spin while maintaining control. The racquet is very maneuverable at net, but most testers felt that the AeroPro Drive was more productive on ground strokes and kick serves. Cortex does make the frame a little more forgiving, which should appeal to players who found the first version to be a bit harsh when they missed the sweet spot.

BOTTOM LINE
It’s a great choice for aggressive baseliners who want to hit out on their strokes but maintain some margin for error.

Babolat Aero Blast

Babolat Drive Z-OS (pictured right)

Price: $199
Head Size: 110 sq. in.
Length: 27.5
Weight: 9.9 oz.
Flexibility: Stiff
Balance: 1/2 in. head heavy
Ideal Swing: Short to medium
NTRP: 2.5-4.0

SALES PITCH

Both the Drive Z-OS and Aero Blast have uniquely shaped ergonomic handles called Smart Grip which gives the player better power and control through a more secure hold of the racquet.

COMPARE TO

N/A

HOW IT TESTED

With very similar specs, it makes sense that playtesters found the Drive Z-OS and the Aero Blast to have comparable playing characteristics. Both are fairly light and powerful with large hitting areas providing good sized sweet spots. Being head heavy racquets, some found the weight to feel more substantial than the scale would indicate. As such there were a few issues with maneuverability, yet both frames still got high marks at the net thanks to volleys with plenty of pop. And the Cortex System located between the throat and handle on the racquets, which is designed to filter out vibrations, seemed to get the job done.
What sets the Drive Z-OS and Aero Blast apart from other racquets are their handles. The theory behind Babolat¹s Smart Grip is that the contoured design (which resembles a slimmed-down hourglass) keeps more of a player¹s hand in contact with the handle. This in turn gives the player a better grip resulting in added comfort and racquet control while requiring less effort for power. Does it deliver? Well, our playtesters were a divided lot. Some just couldn¹t get comfortable with the uneven shape, particularly when a quick change of grip was needed. Others really liked the unique feel and thought it enhanced the racquet¹s performance. A couple playtesters believed the grips ran a little big and suggested that moving down a size could be beneficial. But most of the playtesters actually didn¹t base much of their conclusions on the grip as they didn¹t think it was as important as the racquets¹ other attributes.

BOTTOM LINE

Good for a player looking for more power and surface area in a lightweight stick. But the uniqueness of the Smart Grip makes the Aero Blast and Drive Z-OS racquets you may have to spend time getting comfortable with.