Good answer. But we'll also be looking at a bump in power since the racket is stiffer and the string bed will be more lively and the launch angle will be higher. With a softer racket some power would be absorbed. Otherwise you are going to need higher tension poly to tame it a bit. Unless its spins the ball so well that you can use topspin to maintain control like an APD.
I'm certainly interested in demoing it, but if it doesn't feel as plush as the 18x20, I'm not terrible interested. I'd probably rather look at the 18x20 Pro 100P.
I understand that the higher stiffness is there to offset the looser string pattern, to achieve a similar feel. And also the fact that this combination should result in more power than the 18x20 version. I would be really interested to see the side of the 14x18 to see how Prince themselves rate the power level. On the 18x20, they grade it at 600 on their scale (vs. 800 on the PP100P).
What I am scratching my head about, though, is why they tampered with the balance, going from 9 pt. HL to 7 pt. HL, while decreasing the swing weight. A less HL balance would normally result in a higher swing weight, all other parameters being equal. I get that the strung weight would be slightly less on the 14x18 vs. 18x20, by virtue of having less string, but can't get my head around the balance / swing weight combination. I would also be worried that the very open pattern induces a lack of predictability, taking away one of the strongest suits of the original version.
As for the 100 sq.in. frame with the 18x20 pattern, it appears to the the PP100 (rounded beam), and not the PP100P (box beam). What is interesting on this frame, though, is that they seem to have bumped up the static weight quite significantly, going from 305g to 320g, and conversely made it more HL, going from 6pt to 9pt. This brings the specs much closer to the 18x20 93P, except for the increased headsize and lower stiffness. Interesting indeed.
