Babolat Pure Drive 98 vs Pure Aero 98

In this article, I will look at the racket specs of Babolat’s Pure Aero 98 (or “PA 98”) and Pure Drive 98 (or “PD 98”) tennis rackets to see how they compare to each other.

Babolat Pure Drive 98 vs Pure Aero 98

General Info

Below is some general information on these rackets including their brand, version, composition, and colors.

General infoPD 98PA 98
Brand:BabolatBabolat
Version:V2 (2023)2023
Composition:HTR / GraphiteGraphite
Color(s):Blue and BlackYellow and Black

Racket Specs

Below is a comparison of the technical specifications of the Pure Drive 98 and Pure Aero 98 tennis rackets.

Main Differences: The Pure Drive 98 has a less head light balance (4pts HL vs 6pts HL), a lower swing weight (315g vs 327g), a higher frame stiffness rating (67 vs 65), a slightly thinner beam width (21mm / 23mm / 21mm vs 21mm / 23mm / 22mm), and a different string pattern (16×19 vs 16×20).

Similarities: Both rackets have the same head size (98in), racket length (27in), and Strung weight (323g).

Racket Specs:PD 98PA 98% Difference
Head Size (sq cm)6326320.00%
Head Size (sq in)98980.00%
Length (cm)68.5868.580.00%
Length (in)27270.00%
String Pattern16 x 1916 x 20
HL or HH1HLHL
Strung Balance (cm)33.0232.491.61%
Strung Balance (pts)4650.00%
Strung Weight (grams)3233230.00%
Strung Weight (ounces)11.411.40.00%
Swing Weight3153273.81%
Unstrung Weight (grams)3053050.00%
Unstrung Weight (ounces)10.810.80.00%
Frame Stiffness67652.99%
Beam Width (mm)21 / 23 / 2121 / 23 / 225.00%

1 Head Light or Head Heavy

Pros and Cons

Below are what I think are the main pros and cons of these two tennis rackets.

Racket:PD 98PA 98
Pros:More control orientated than the standard pure drive.More control orientated than the standard pure aero while still providing good levels of spin
Cons:You need to have a fast long swing to get the most out of this frameA relatively heavy frame that is not suitable for beginners

Head to Head

Below are my recommendations in terms of which racket is better in terms of Power, Control, Spin, and Arm Friendliness.

H2HPD 98PA 98
PowerWinner Grey
ControlWinner
SpinWinner Grey
Arm FriendlinessWinner

Player Recommendations

Below are our recommendations for recreational players at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Player LevelPD 98PA 98
BeginnerNoNo
IntermediateNoNo
AdvancedYesYes

Pro Player Endorsements

The Pure Aero 98 is endorsed by Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Holger Rune, while the Pure Drive 98 is not currently endorsed by any pro tennis player.

Where can you buy these rackets?

The rackets are for sale in most good online tennis shops and through Babolat.com.