What is so different about the new Babolat 2018 Pure Drive?

New 2018 models have

arrived!

Kristianne Bontempo | Towpath Tennis Contributor

The newly updated Babolat 2018 Pure Drive has officially made its arrival and trust me, it's worth the wait! While many are probably wondering if they slapped on a new paint job and called it 'new', there was a little more involved than just giving it a face lift. For the past 20 years, Babolat has been known as THE racquet for players who want more power and are continually looking at innovative ways to further improve on this racquet. So for the 2018 Pure Drive, what's so different about it?

To give you a little refresher, when the 2015 Babolat Pure Drive was introduced it's main feature was more power and finesse with a newly designed string pattern/sweet spot. The feedback was generally positive as it was an easy racquet to use with plenty of control, though some people didn't feel it was as flexible as the older models (flexible as in the feel of getting used to ground-strokes, serves & volleys all in the same manner). So what did Babolat do? They went back to the 'Babolab' and created a new model that provides a better feel, and if you can believe it, even more power with a new concept: Cortex Pure Feel.

Babolat has partnered with SMAC, a company that specializes in high tech custom parts for harsh environments (harsh as in the ocean and space), to create Cortex Pure Feel. That's right, a company that works with technology for space, planes and the military is designing for racquets! Together, they integrated SMACWRAP technology (a thin rubber they use in the aerospace industry) into the 2018 Babolat Pure Drive to optimize vibration absorption. The feel and comfort are unrivaled with other racquets.

On top of better vibration dampening, there is a new string pattern and new diamond grommets with updated FSI technology that provide an improved sweet spot. So even if you are close to rimming it, you should be able to maximize power on every shot. No more accidental winners!

Players endorsing the 2018 Babolat Pure Drive are David Ferrer, Karolina Pliskova, Garbine Muguruza, and Fabio Fognini, to name a few.

Overall, the 2018 Babolat Pure Drive is a powerfully smart update to the Pure Drive series, featuring a more comfortable and controllable feel. You can demo them here at Towpath Tennis Center in the Tour/+/Team/Lite/100/107. Just make sure when you're on court to subtly brag to your opponents that your racquet features technology used in space...just saying.