Prince Graphite Pro 90

[nfor304]

On the weekend I was in an opp shop and picked up a Prince Graphite Pro 90 ($5 inc original racket cover. Bargain!)

On the side it says it was manufactured in 1986, which makes it the same age as I am.

I had a hit with it today, intending to just mess around with it, and ended up playing a 2 practice sets with it. I usually use an iPrestige but I just could not put this down. It felt awesome, even with the strings that look like they havent been changed since 1986.

Anyone else had any experience with this racket?

[MichaelChang]

yes, it is as if the lighter version of the POG 90. Same drilling pattern and identical frame except the stablizer crossbar on POG 90.

If you like this racket you might as well try the POG 90.

[Keifers]

Yep, very nice frame. Don't know the percentage of fiberglass in there, but it does provide a very nice feel. I suspect that the Pro 90 is a little stiffer than your iPrestige -- what do you think?

And yes, I've bought older Prince racquets with the original strings still in them -- almost always Prince Synthetic Gut 16 -- and they play great.

[gocard]

Great! I have one too and have played with it occasionally. Although the frame feels heavier than my other racquets, it's got such a solid feel to it and is very comfortable. I also have the original strings still on it. I stopped playing with it due to a small hairline crack that I noticed at the part where the mead meets the throat Great find though, I haven't tried the POG but prefer this one appearance-wise because it doesn't have that stabilizer bar.

[nfor304]

Yeah its a bit more stiff and a little more stable than the iprestige I thought. It has great feel, really nice to volley with.

I might have to check out the POG 90...

[Keifers]

I suspect you'll find the POG 90 (100% graphite) noticeably stiffer.

[Keifers]

It's interesting... I've been reading more comments about the POG 90's stiffness/harshness in the main Racquets forum.

This reminds me that a very-Prince-knowledgeable friend told me a few years back that Prince originally thought the Graphite Pro would be their big seller and that the 100% graphite POG would be too stiff for most people.

As we all know, the POG became one of their all-time biggest sellers -- and I suspect this is due to the POG OS being a great frame, better than the Graphite Pro OS, and not nearly as stiff as you would expect a 100 graphite frame to be.

Maybe the POG would not have been as popular or as long-lasting if there were only a POG 90 and no OS?

[kalic]

Does anybody knows flex rating of graphite pro90 ?
One forum member mesured 49 for oversize version. I guess midsize should be around 54...

[pshulam]

Prince Graphite Pro 90 is very flexible compared to the rest of the series 90 rackets.

Prince Flex Patterns (stiff to flexible):
boron
graphite
magnesium pro
graphite comp (80% graphite/20% fiberglass)
pro
woodie

[kalic]

Originally Posted by pshulam

Prince Graphite Pro 90 is very flexible compared to the rest of the series 90 rackets.

Prince Flex Patterns (stiff to flexible):
boron
graphite
magnesium pro
graphite comp (80% graphite/20% fiberglass)
pro
woodie

Thank you. I just found pro90, and I need to put right strings in it...
It's hard to believe to me that any graphite racquet can be flexier than "graphite comp". My Yonex RD7 feels like pure drive compared to graphite comp

[tennis005]

Just found one the other day. Going to take it to the court and hit with it.

[kalic]

Originally Posted by tennis005

Just found one the other day. Going to take it to the court and hit with it.

Write your review. I will write too, as soon as I strung my pro90

[joe sch]

Originally Posted by pshulam

Prince Graphite Pro 90 is very flexible compared to the rest of the series 90 rackets.

Prince Flex Patterns (stiff to flexible):
boron
graphite
magnesium pro
graphite comp (80% graphite/20% fiberglass)
pro
woodie

Prince Boron Longbody 338/11.92/58/338
Prince CTS Lightning 110 355/12.52/63/333
Prince Graphite Pro 110 351/12.38/49/335
Prince Graphite Tour 321/11.32/72/341
Prince Mono 349/12.31/62/326
Prince Precision Graphite 640 360/12.70/61/332
Prince Spectrum Comp 90 368/12.98/67/345
Prince Woodie 376/13.26/35/335

Wish I had more of the prince racket rdc's

[tennis005]

Just played with it today and it is awesome. Great plow through on forehands and backhands, excellent for approach shots, pretty good for volleys.Awesome racket

[pshulam]

Prince Spectrum Comp 90 368/12.98/67/345

RA 67? I have two of these and do not really feel the stiffness.

[gloumar]

I had a shock trying this stick, the very first vintage racquet I ever plaied with, and also the best so far (beginners luck), as I'm brand new to the game (2-3 years).
I stringed a lowtensioned copoly (48lbs, jauge 1.25).
The mid head stays comfortable any time, the flexibility of the frame gives a butterly feel at any hit, even not perfectly centered.
The open pattern gives a huge lively feel on every shot, and produces huge spin if wanted, actually the most I ever hit with a racquet . Crosscourt forehands and kicked serves at their best.
And u can also crush the ball with precise flat strokes, as it gives lot of control.

I also tried a Spectrum Comp, and it really felt alot stiffer, and as it is heavier also, I could not control the ball with this last stick. Immediatly resold, despite the perfect cosmetics of this frame

I'd like to have a try with the POG too

[Don't Let It Bounce]

Originally Posted by gloumar

I also tried a Spectrum Comp, and it really felt alot stiffer, and as it is heavier also, I could not control the ball with this last stick. Immediatly resold, despite the perfect cosmetics of this frame

I'd like to have a try with the POG too

If you can try without buying, do it. It's a great frame. However, it has more of what you didn't like about the Spectrum than the Spectrum has! If you liked the Graphite Pro, its predecessor was the Precision Graphite 90 (the first one, with blue and gold pinstripe and with the plastic throat piece that is no fun to thread string through), and you'd probably like it too.

There was also a blue racquet that was not released in North America that I think was really flexible. Someone posted pictures of it in the Prince Classics thread.

[gloumar]

Originally Posted by Don't Let It Bounce

If you can try without buying, do it. It's a great frame. However, it has more of what you didn't like about the Spectrum than the Spectrum has! If you liked the Graphite Pro, its predecessor was the Precision Graphite 90 (the first one, with blue and gold pinstripe and with the plastic throat piece that is no fun to thread string through), and you'd probably like it too.

There was also a blue racquet that was not released in North America that I think was really flexible. Someone posted pictures of it in the Prince Classics thread.

thanks DLIB
Argh... that's too bad !
Sure of it ? POG mid seemed more flexible than spectrum, and more HL. SpectrumComp 90 is almost evenly balanced, as I can remember.
But I would really like to have a backup for this Graphite Pro 90 but it's very hard to find in Europe...
What about the Diablo Mid or Precision Retro ? (same frame as i could read on the board) Any other suggestion ?

Thanks in advance

[gloumar]

Originally Posted by joe sch

Prince Boron Longbody 338/11.92/58/338
Prince CTS Lightning 110 355/12.52/63/333
Prince Graphite Pro 110 351/12.38/49/335
Prince Graphite Tour 321/11.32/72/341
Prince Mono 349/12.31/62/326
Prince Precision Graphite 640 360/12.70/61/332
Prince Spectrum Comp 90 368/12.98/67/345
Prince Woodie 376/13.26/35/335
Wish I had more of the prince racket rdc's

As I could compare both, The Graphite Pro 110 must be a bit and anyway feels alot heavier than the 90 : it is much more even balanced.
I would place the Pro90 at maybe +10 or 12 HL and about 310/320 in swingweight rating.
It seems to be more flexible also... Due to larger headsize ? the smallest, the stiffest ?? (for the same material properties)

Anyway the Pro90 feels really lighter than it is while moving... extra top spin ability,and still very solid in rough contacts (returns, volleys).
Perfect weapon for me too, Tennis005

[Don't Let It Bounce]

Originally Posted by gloumar

thanks DLIB
Argh... that's too bad !
Sure of it ? POG mid seemed more flexible than spectrum, and more HL. SpectrumComp 90 is almost evenly balanced, as I can remember.
But I would really like to have a backup for this Graphite Pro 90 but it's very hard to find in Europe...
What about the Diablo Mid or Precision Retro ? (same frame as i could read on the board) Any other suggestion ?

I always played with the bigger ones, so anything I know about the 90's is hearsay, but Prince always listed the Graphite as being stiffer than the Spectrum, which was in turn stiffer than the Graphite Pro, etc. My Spectrum 110's felt harsher to me than my Graphite 110's, and that subjective feeling of harshness could come across as stiffness. Of course, this was all before Babolat RDC's; maybe the Spectrums really were stiffer than the Graphs.

The two you mention seem likely to have similar specs, and you could add the EXO3 Graphite 93 and the Tour NXG Mid to the list, maybe. But they'll feel different due to construction, if nothing else. The 80's Princes were Taiwan-made, foam-filled critters.

But if I were in your place and looking to back up (as opposed to replace) my Graphite Pro's, I'd hold out for a second one, even if it meant I had to wait until I could find one on auction or on the TT boards.