Babolat AeroPro Drive GT 2013 Racket Review
Upsides
- Spin
- Power
- Maneuverability
- Solid feel
Downsides
- Racket was too stiff for some players.
Summary
The new and improved Babolat AeroPro Drive has arrived, and it's everything we hoped for and more. Power, spin, control and maneuverability were all rated highly by our playtesters, who were able to play aggressively from all areas of the court. With Active Cortex technology in the handle, the AeroPro Drive's feel and response are cleaner and more dampened. Active Cortex also increased comfort, and the stiff response that players experienced with the previous version has been reduced, although the stiffness was still noticeable by some playtesters. Control was paramount, and the placement abilities of the racquet had our testers hitting with pinpoint accuracy. With no genuine complaints, our playtesters enjoyed every moment of this playtest.
Overall - Score: 88/100
Groundstrokes - Score: 88/100
Powerful, spin friendly and maneuverable, with improved comfort and feel, the Babolat AeroPro Drive 2013 reaped many compliments from our team. They liked their ability to hit heavy groundstrokes with lots of spin, as well as both big forehands and backhands from the baseline. The clean, responsive feel made this racket a favorite, particularly when paired with a poly.
Volleys - Score: 85/100
This racket was also enjoyable at net particularly due to the stability and maneuverability. The crisp, clean and solid response combined with the feel had the playtesting team comfortable hitting volleys with this frame.
Serves - Score: 87/100
The AeroPro Drive continued to shine on serves as pace and spin were consistent while still allowing pinpoint accuracy. The combination of power and control was noticed due to the players not only being able to find their huge first serves, but also kick and slice.
Serve Returns – Score: 82/100
Returning as aggressively as they were serving, most of the playtesters found enough power, control and spin to put their opponents under pressure. Like groundstrokes, big returns were common for all of the playtesters with this racket although some wished for a little more accuracy.
Likes:
Chris - "I liked the spin, maneuverability, crisp and clean feel, power, and just how easy it made it to hit the ball with depth and pace. It was a very forgiving racquet."
Brittany - "I loved the maneuverability and spin this racquet offered. A big plus for me was the excellent feel and touch I got up at net."
Siobhan - "Complete combination of everything: power, control, spin, maneuverability."
Andy - "I loved the forgiveness, power and spin potential, and super solid feel from all areas of the court."
Dislikes:
Chris - "None really."
Brittany - "Unfortunately, this racquet was too stiff for me."
Siobhan - "Stiffness, but, we all know these racquets are stiff, so it shouldn't come as a surprise."
Andy - "Other than a slight loss in control on my returns, there wasn't much I didn't like about this racquet!"
Playtester Profiles:
Chris: 5.0 all-court player currently using the Volkl C10 Pro 2012. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swinging style and hits a one-handed backhand.
Brittany: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex V-Core 100S.
Siobhan: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays the Wilson KBlade Team.
Andy: Open level all court player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. Andy is currently using a Yonex RDiS 100 Mid.
Review date: November 2012. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us: information.en@tenniswarehouse-europe.com.
All content copyright 2012 Tennis Warehouse Europe.
