Babolat Pure Drive Strung Tennis Racquet (11th Gen) (4 1/4" Grip)

Why it's worth it

The Pure Drive has been the default club-player upgrade for years, and the 11th generation keeps the formula: a 100-square-inch head, a 16x19 pattern and 11.2 ounces strung. Swing normally and the ball comes off hot, which is exactly what you want if your strokes are still short.

Retailers and trade press have called the Pure Drive the best-selling adult racquet in the United States, and popularity like that isn't an accident. It does one thing extremely well. Babolat's FSI Power layout, with an open string pattern and diamond-shaped grommets, keeps the ball on the strings a beat longer and fires it back. Short, blocky swings still produce a ball with pace on it.

This is the frame for the player whose serve needs help. If your first serve lands short and sits up, the extra pop turns a rally ball into something your opponent has to respect. The same goes for deep returns you can only chip. You get free depth on shots you didn't hit cleanly, and depth is what wins club points.

From our review of 8 tennis racquets for intermediate players

What we like

• +Retailers and trade press have called the Pure Drive the best-selling adult racquet in the United States, and popularity like…
• +This is the frame for the player whose serve needs help
• +Power comes with a bill attached
• +Setup matters more with this one than with most

What to know

• –The stiffness is the thing to think hard about
• –Control is the other trade