Adidas Drive (2026)

Modest rather than strong: you supply most of the pace yourself, so deep lobs and finishing volleys come off tame. Reviews differ a little here, with some finding the soft foam core gives more drive than expected for an entry-level frame.

Decent rather than sharp. The round head keeps placement simple from the baseline, but the soft response means overheads and bandejas need clean mechanics, and aiming takes more effort than on a teardrop.

Quick and easy to move. The low balance toward the handle and a 360 to 375 gram weight let the racket change direction fast at the net, which helps with reaction volleys.

Centred and fairly forgiving, though not large. The round head keeps the best hitting area in the middle of the face and off-centre contact stays stable, but a miss still loses some pace.

Gentle on the arm. A fiberglass face over a soft EVA core gives a medium-soft feel at impact, and the weight is easy to live with over a long session.