Pure Drive (Moya) or Aero Pro (Nadal)?

[xwall]

As the title says - what are the differences and advantages between the two raquets?

I bought 2 new PD´s this summer after hearing just great things about them, but I feel that my game don´t really love them. Many of my aggresive shots and winners sail long even though I hit with much topspin. Sometimes I believe that there is a little bit too much trampoline-effect in this frame for my game!? I might just be in my head though.

Do you think that the Aero Pro is a better stick for the aggresive topspin-player who likes to kill the ball with big spinny hits? What I mean by that, is that I imagine the AP is a bit more solid in the hit, and with even more spin than the PD?

I sometimes wonder if I should change brand - to Wilson again - and try the K Pro Open or maybe the K Six 95 (16/18).

The thing is just that I LOVE the soft feeling when I hit with the Cortex-system in the Babolats!

Thanks in advance!

[Consigliere]

Many of my aggresive shots and winners sail long even though I hit with much topspin. Sometimes I believe that there is a little bit too much trampoline-effect in this frame for my game!? I might just be in my head though.

That's less to do with the racquet and more to do with the strings.

What strings are you using, what tensions were they strung at, and when were they strung?

[xwall]

Consigliere

Are you 100 on that? In my mind, the Pure Drive offers an extra strange trampoline-effect. The funny thing is that I play with stiff polys, at "medium" tension, and also only "medium" gauge.

I could better see your point if the polys would have been "soft", at low tension and in thin gauges.

Since I just LOVE the feeling of hitting with this stick, I would like to control it a bit better with the same - or even better - pace.

I play with huge topspin and bounce - for my level of play - but if I just add a little extra power and hit with a little less spin for a hard winner, the ball tend to sail long. Semi-Western is the grip that I am using.

Maybe it is all up to me, but I was hoping that the Aero Pro maybe would fit me better.

[xwall]

Hmm, doesn´t anyone have a good idea about the two sticks?:(

[TennezSport]

The thing is just that I LOVE the soft feeling when I hit with the Cortex-system in the Babolats!

Have to agree with what Consigliere stated as it's more a matter of string at this point. Your statement above says it all about the racquet, now it's the search for the right string and tension to tune your stick to your liking. You say you are using a poly string but do not mention which, so try to up the tension by 2-3lbs next stringing for more control, and see if that helps.

Cheers, TennezSport :cool:

[xwall]

@TennezSport

Okey, it seems like you are right and I am wrong on this one, and that it has more to do with the strings than the frame itself;)

After reading a lot about the two sticks, and after looking at which players who uses them, I was almost certain that the Aero Pro Drive would provide more spin and swingspeed, but I guess it is not true:confused:

I have tried Topspin Cyber Blue 1.25 at 57 pounds, SPPP 1.23 at 52 pounds, Pro Hurricane Tour 1.25 at 52 pounds and now Black Code 1.24 at 51 pounds. All stringsjobs are done with same machine from Babolat that the pro´s were using in the shop at Stockholm Open.

With this stiff frame, the TCB at 57 gave me some pain in the shoulder for the first time in my life (only serving, not groundstrokes). When they softended up a bit I think I did like them, but short after that they went dead and did hurt my arm even more.

SPPP was the best string for me I think with okey spin and control, but I will try the more flexible 1.18 next time for more spin and control! The string broke after only 3-4 hours, so my opinion about it might have been even better otherwise.

PHT felt a bit boring compared to the other ones. Still on one stick, but I have been sick for almost 2 weeks and haven´t been able to play as much as I wanted.

TBC was the most lively string for me with good power and spin, but a lot of my hard strokes sailed long. With this string I can really feel how the stringbed trampolines, and I don´t think I like that a lot. Still on one stick, but not as much playing time as I wanted.

Maybe the Focus Hex will fit my aggresive spingame much better?

I will also try Head Rip Control 17" at medium+ tension as a reference to all the polys since I always played Synt. Gut when I was younger.

Cheers!

[Gerwalk]

I've used both the PD and APDC and found the APDC to feel more solid and just a bit softer even though the RA is about the same on both racquets. The PD was strung with Tecnifibre NRG 17 at 62 lbs and I found great control and it was very comfortable as well. The APDC was strung with Luxilon BB (tension unknown) and the APDC still felt softer and more solid. SUPPOSEDLY if you use a western grip (I do) the APDC's shape is supposed to cut through the air faster for more spin. Who knows but it did feel better to me with a poly than a PD with a soft multi. And I did get more spin than with the PD.

Even though I like a more traditional looking frame I feel that being a heavy spin baseliner I could transition to an APDC with little problem. If they made a softer version I probably would have pulled the trigger.

[xwall]

@Gerwalk

Today I was talking to a guy in the shop who seemed pretty sure about his knowledge in sticks. He was on the same track as you, and he said that the APD (C or GT) was a better stick for the more advanced player with more controll and spin.

I have to try them as soon as possible and compare!:)

The APD GT is a bit firmer though right?:mad:

[cougarnation]

The APD-GT is slightly stiffer than the APDC, but same flex as the PD. But it does not feel that stiff. I recently bought the APD-GT to ease some TE issues, and it has helped, I think because of the vibration absorbtion and HH swingweight (also much much lower tensions and softer strings)

I am still trying to get use to the HH balance as opposed to what I have gotten used to, but I do believe that once i get the APD-GT going its got a suprisingly nice plow through considering its weight, and it seems to accelerate through the hitting zone and with its open string pattern, IMHO, it is easier to generate spin than the PDGT (which I also tried). My net game is softer than a monkey's butt, and this racket I don't think helps it, but I am working on it and I am okay with that.

I thought there was a little more effort needed to generate spin with the PDGT, but the balance on that was something I was more use to and it was easier to muscle through for flat shots

Mains: VS 1.25 (45lbs) Crosses: TiMo 1.22 (47lbs)

I do think however that I was able to generate much better spin with the Topspin MAX ROTation 1.31, I might go back to a shaped poly/co-poly setup and sacrifice the feel and power of the gut.

[TennezSport]

Okay, it seems like you are right and I am wrong on this one, and that it has more to do with the strings than the frame itself;)

It's not about wrong or right, but about what works for you. The spec on these two racquets are almost identical in head size(100sq in), length(27in), weight strung(11.3oz AD; 11.2oz PD), balance (4pt HL), SW (331 AD; 327 PD), Stiffness (70 RA), Pattern (16x19), so where is the difference? As Gewalk stated it's in the feel and the swingspeed due to the aero throat design. Whichever racquet feels best to you is the right racquet. Now you have to fine tune the racquet with the strings.

After reading a lot about the two sticks, and after looking at which players who uses them, I was almost certain that the Aero Pro Drive would provide more spin and swing speed, but I guess it is not true:confused:

The Aero will give you a little faster swing speed as we said due to the throat design, but we are not talking about a great difference here. Again, which racquet feels better to swing?

I have tried Topspin Cyber Blue 1.25 at 57 pounds, SPPP 1.23 at 52 pounds, Pro Hurricane Tour 1.25 at 52 pounds and now Black Code 1.24 at 51 pounds. With this stiff frame, the TBC at 57 gave me some pain in the shoulder for the first time in my life (only serving, not groundstrokes). When they softended up a bit I think I did like them, but short after that they went dead and did hurt my arm even more.

SPPP was the best string for me I think with okey spin and control, but I will try the more flexible 1.18 next time for more spin and control! The string broke after only 3-4 hours, so my opinion about it might have been even better otherwise. PHT felt a bit boring compared to the other ones.
TBC was the most lively string for me with good power and spin, but a lot of my hard strokes sailed long. With this string I can really feel how the stringbed trampolines, and I don´t think I like that a lot. Still on one stick, but not as much playing time as I wanted. Maybe the Focus Hex will fit my aggresive spingame much better? I will also try Head Rip Control 17" at medium+ tension as a reference to all the polys since I always played Synt. Gut when I was younger. Cheers!

This is the most difficult part when trying to tune your racquet. The adage we use is string as low as you can control, especially with poly string. The problem is finding the right string (stiffness index) and tension to work with your playing style.

Cheers, TennezSport :cool:

[xwall]

I have been thinking a bit, reading even more and this is my conclusion:

Since most people say that the differences between the two sticks are only minor, and that Babolat as a brand is much more known for power and spin - not control - I think I will keep them for now and try to tune them to my liking instead.

Maybe the combined power from the frames, full poly-setups and low weight is a bit to much for me to handle? The two factors that the stick is pretty light (300 g) and that it is HL (it says 7 pts on the frame) I think contributes to my crazy swinging and topspin?!;) I did not play this way before with my old Wilsons. I also use overgrips that are 5-6 grams. This must also make the stick even more HL, right?:D

I will try to have more CONTROL and FEEL by testing multis and synths next (even though I HATE when the strings move around a lot).

Do you believe that adding a little bit of lead-tape (at 12 - or 9 and 3 - or 10and 2) will make the frames a bit "nicer" but more effective for me? I tend to hit my shots in the upper part of the stringbed and maybe the added weight and changed balance will help me to create more control and less slugging? I also read that some people complained about the torsional stability in the PD. Lead will help a bit here to if understand it right?

Yes, I am a tec-freak with everything in life...:p

Any help, thoughts or analyses of my writing is highly welcome! Fire away all tec-freaks in here!:D

Love & Tennis

[Gerwalk]

If I would have stuck with the APDC I would have placed equal amounts of lead under the grip and at the 10 and 2 position and hopefully bump up the weight to 11.7 - 11.9 oz or so. I bet that would hit the #$%^ out of the ball.

Sadly I never got the chance to experiment so who knows.

[cougarnation]

Both APDGT and my VO2 MAX say 7pts HL, but the APD doesn't feel HL compared to the MAX

[Nadal46]

i've used both and aeropro drive gave me more control and tops spin,now i play with it :)