Babolat EVO Drive 115 Tennis Racquet (Prestrung)

This review is based on only a half dozen hits so far with the EVO Drive 115. It is a very good oversized frame. Although its playability won't be mistaken for a sub-100 sq inch frame due to both its light weight and 115 sq inch head, for those players who will significantly benefit from or just enjoy the larger hitting area, the EVO Drive 115 seems to be an excellent choice. One thing that stands out for me with the frame is that it it takes customization well. What I mean by that is that you can get the frame to play differently to fit your preferred feel by experimenting with string tension, string type, and lead tape amount and placement. Of course all rackets will be play differently by varying those combinations, but some rackets are so "set in their ways" that their range of playability customization is more limited. Example, an 89 sq inch head that starts at 12 ounces can be customized to a pro's feel but it wont take much lead tape or other substantial customization to make that frame nearly unplayable to a lesser skilled player. The same applies to a 125 sq inch head that has such a unique response and feel due to its head size and innate power level that its playability customization is a little more limited. I did not find this to be true with the EVO Drive 115. Position and amount of lead tape can be adapted to fit the feel you are looking for, within reason. (No matter what it wont feel like a 95 sq inch head size frame but if that is what you are looking then you wont be picking up a 115) Also the racket will respond well to different string tensions to fit your preference. The extra length of the frame was not difficult to adapt to and I think the benefits of that could increase as I play with the frame a lot more. Because I hit with "old school" strokes, I cannot speak to its overall fit to big topspin groundstrokes although my sense is that it would be adaptable. Although the super sized frames are generally said to a better fit for shorter, compact groundstrokes and volleys, I found that if aligned right, even long, flat or slice strokes produced consistent results, especially with some lead tape to solidify the sweet spot. Shot penetration and heaviness was definitely improved with lead tape if you can handle it although at certain playing levels, (perhaps 3.5 and below) that factor is not as important as the racket's natural maneuverability . The response of the racket when serving is also customizable by lead tape and string tension. I give it high marks for serving potential. If you aren't sure of how customizations can fit your hitting style, check in with your local tennis pro. All in all, a good looking racket that plays well and has sufficient control and power with the benefits of the larger hitting zone and only minor drawbacks related to that size a frame.

I've been wanting to get a Babolat racquet for a long time and I finally found one I liked. This Babolat Evo 115 racquet feels solid while hitting a ball. It's incredibly powerful at the baseline and maneuverable at the net. It's easy to take a full swing and still have control of my shot. It's light and easy to swing to serve faster. I recommend this racquet to beginner and intermediate players who need a little help with their groundstrokes, volleys, and overall game.

Likes: large size, sturdy feel, soft grip. Dislikes: grip sizing - I had to order size4 after returning 4 1/8 because it measured 4 3/8 with a tape measure. Even size 4 seems large.