Prince Boron Graphite

sapient007 · Jun 19, 2007

has anyone played with this thing??

2 cross bars seems like over kill but would be interesting to hit

Ronaldo · Jun 19, 2007

Used the Precision Boron 780, 28" long, a beast

sapient007 · Jun 19, 2007

how does it compare to the POG?? the additional cross should provide a bit more stability so it shouldn't twist as much on mis hits???

Ronaldo · Jun 19, 2007

sapient007 said:
how does it compare to the POG?? the additional cross should provide a bit more stability so it shouldn't twist as much on mis hits???

May be right but back in the day the POG IMHO was a stiff string-eater. Every racquet with Boron was stiffer than Graphite so the Prince Boron must be a real mother for you and your strings.

atatu · Jun 19, 2007

Heavier and stiffer than the POG, I have one in my closet, it's a beast to get around, but it's rock solid.

vsbabolat · Jun 19, 2007

When the Prince Boron originally came out it was the most expensive racquet on the market retailing for $500.00 and came with a real leather cover.

LttlElvis · Jun 19, 2007

vsbabolat said:
When the Prince Boron originally came out it was the most expensive racquet on the market retailing for $500.00 and came with a real leather cover.

Yes, I was about to say the same thing. I think the marketing ad went something like: The world's most expensive racquet.... and worth it.

I have never seen this racquet in stores or on the courts.

vsbabolat · Jun 19, 2007

LttlElvis said:
Yes, I was about to say the same thing. I think the marketing ad went something like: The world's most expensive racquet.... and worth it.

I have never seen this racquet in stores or on the courts.

I knew some people that used it. The most famous person to use the Prince Boron was Kent Carlsson of Sweden.

sapient007 · Jun 19, 2007

well it's on the fleabay for ~$99 if anyone wants to own this piece

Bent · Jun 19, 2007

A store in Copenhagen had it on sale for years. The latest price was 175 USD for 3 rackets incl. some balls, a t-shirt an a set of strings.

I am a POG mid user and when I tried to swing it, it felt very BIG

javier sergio · Jun 19, 2007

vsbabolat said:
I knew some people that used it. The most famous person to use the Prince Boron was Kent Carlsson of Sweden.

from Argentina Horacio De Lapena (Career High ATP Ranking - Singles: 31 ) y Eduardo Bengoechea (Career High ATP Ranking - Singles: 21) .

PBODY99 · Jun 19, 2007

When this frame came out, one player "had" to have it. He used it for a coupe of seasons before going back to his POG. About 5 years after its first release, they were going for about 250$<us> but never really caught on. The extra stiffness just wasn't appreciated by the players I know who could afford it. The weight was the same as a POG if not a 1/4 oz lighterm if I remember my measurements I made way back when.

Ronaldo · Jun 19, 2007

atatu said:
Heavier and stiffer than the POG, I have one in my closet, it's a beast to get around, but it's rock solid.

Curious if anyone noticed the older (80s) POG os are heavier than the current ones? Believe the Boron was just the typical 13 oz of its day. Used the Max 200G (13.3 oz) and Wilson Ultra/Galaxy (13.7 oz) back then.

brandx · Jun 19, 2007

I vaguely remember that racket. I should buy it and put it with my Yamaha Secret 4. Can you say stiff.

FedUp · Jun 19, 2007

Yeah, it is a beast of a frame. It weighs 12.9 ounces strung with an overgrip. I just restrung mine this past weekend after several years. Great frame though.

tandayu · Jun 19, 2007

javier sergio said:
from Argentina Horacio De Lapena (Career High ATP Ranking - Singles: 31 ) y Eduardo Bengoechea (Career High ATP Ranking - Singles: 21) .[/QUOTE

Luke Jensen, Sherwood Stewart, Pam Shriver, Eric korita

retrowagen · Jun 20, 2007

vsbabolat said:
I knew some people that used it. The most famous person to use the Prince Boron was Kent Carlsson of Sweden.

...And let's not forget about Slobodan "Bobo" Zivojinovic, circa 1985/6-ish...

As a junior in the mid-80's, I remember it as the rich tennis club brat's dream frame (or, his mom, the doctor's wife's frame). There was one kid in my area who actually matched that demographic (and stereotype) perfectly, and who played with that racket. It always gave me great pleasure to beat him with superior skill and fitness and cheaper equipment!

I later tried a Boron and thought it was a good, stiff oversized frame, probably quite good for an advanced serve and volleyer or doubles player. Not worth the exhorbitant retail back then, though, as it wasn't that much nicer than a Prince Graphite or Wilson Ultra 2 (which was another very expensive frame at the time).

theace21 · Jun 20, 2007

A true sign that you had money in the 80's, multiple Prince Boron rackets. You may not have much game, you can afford to buy the most expensive racket even if it didn't help your game...

Ronaldo · Jun 20, 2007

theace21 said:
A true sign that you had money in the 80's, multiple Prince Boron rackets. You may not have much game, you can afford to buy the most expensive racket even if it didn't help your game...

IMHO Prince Pro and Magnesium blew that stick away. Still have a pr. of Magnesium 110.

Kirko · Jun 20, 2007

Ronaldo said:
IMHO Prince Pro and Magnesium blew that stick away. Still have a pr. of Magnesium 110.

Did it ever !!!! I picked up two mag pros oversize a few months ago and I'm going to play them until they shred to bits.

theace21 · Jun 20, 2007

Kirko said:
Did it ever !!!! I picked up two mag pros oversize a few months ago and I'm going to play them until they shred to bits.

Those were my favorite rackets (ok I was much younger), I loved them. Only problem is then tended to bend/spoon and get out of shape. I have a brand new 90 I bought years ago...

Ronaldo · Jun 20, 2007

theace21 said:
Those were my favorite rackets (ok I was much younger), I loved them. Only problem is then tended to bend/spoon and get out of shape. I have a brand new 90 I bought years ago...

Just strung one for a friend last week, racquet spooned so badly could barely get the string through the throat.

goosala · Jun 20, 2007

Didn't the Magnesium have that cheap ass plastic throat? I know what people are going to say: Pat Cash used it to win Wimbledon. It still looks like a K-Mart racquet though.

buysofia · Oct 31, 2008

Yes, thought I was delirious

javier sergio said:
from Argentina Horacio De Lapena (Career High ATP Ranking - Singles: 31 ) y Eduardo Bengoechea (Career High ATP Ranking - Singles: 21) .

I remember Horacio de la Peña and Eduardo Bengoechea playing with a Prince Boron for a while, now I confirm this.

Great post. Great racquet.

Regards.

buysofia · Oct 31, 2008

Most famous Prince frames

Check this out:

For some graet Prince frames watch (included Boron) 80s-tennis.com

Enjoy.

buysofia · Oct 31, 2008

Boron promotional pieces (pics)

Check this, very rare & vintage material, jeje:

De la Peña using a PB???, or at least a clone of him!!!

This one with some extra information and an flexibility index for Prince Racquets of those years.

Hope you like them.

Regards.-

P.D.: All images taken from www.80s-tennis.com/ and it's just for illustrate the concepts of this post. Jeje beware with the copyright.

vsbabolat · Oct 31, 2008

buysofia said:
Check this, very rare & vintage material, jeje:

De la Peña using a PB???, or at least a clone of him!!!

That is Eric Korita.....

buysofia · Oct 31, 2008

Yes

vsbabolat said:
That is Eric Korita.....

Yes he is a de la Peña clone, or de la Peña is a clon of Eric Korita, jejejejejeje.

:roll::mrgreen:

Thanxs for the info vsbabolat

Regards.-

mental midget · Oct 31, 2008

i was in a junior program where eric korita taught in the late 80s/early 90s. huge, out of shape guy, but could pound the ball for sure. i think prince did a series of ads with him as 'the 140 mph prince' back in the day.

Il Mostro · Oct 31, 2008

Very timely thread. I have what appears to be a clone of the Prince Boron coming in -- the Wimbledon Boron Pro. Anyone have information regarding this one?

kalic · Nov 3, 2008

Ronaldo said:
Used the Precision Boron 780, 28" long, a beast

I also have precision boron longbody (not anymore longbody, because I cut it down to 27"). It is stiff, but not too much, maybe around 67RA. Very unique feel, but I dont like it too much because I like flexy throat. And sweetspot is small for a 107 head. Anyway, sometimes I play with it, just for fun.

phoenicks · Nov 3, 2008

sounds more like Prince moron graphite to me, LOL, just joking

Ronaldo · Nov 3, 2008

phoenicks said:
sounds more like Prince moron graphite to me, LOL, just joking

Prefer the Prince TT Graphite

Mdubb23 · Nov 4, 2008

mental midget said:
i was in a junior program where eric korita taught in the late 80s/early 90s. huge, out of shape guy, but could pound the ball for sure. i think prince did a series of ads with him as 'the 140 mph prince' back in the day.

Yeah, interestingly enough, in Brad Gilbert's second book, I've Got Your Back, (after Winning Ugly) he talks about how Korita was supposed to be huge on tour and flopped because of his nonexistant mental game.

Capt. Willie · Nov 4, 2008

Mdubb23 said:
Yeah, interestingly enough, in Brad Gilbert's second book, I've Got Your Back, (after Winning Ugly) he talks about how Korita was supposed to be huge on tour and flopped because of his nonexistant mental game.

No mental game? From what I remember of him he had NO GAME...just a huge serve. It worked against college and junior players back in the 80s but not against the big boys.

Capt. Willie · Nov 4, 2008

Does anyone know the stiffness ratting on the Boron? I would guess it must have been in the high 60s given that the POG Oversize is 63.

mental midget · Nov 4, 2008

Capt. Willie said:
No mental game? From what I remember of him he had NO GAME...just a huge serve. It worked against college and junior players back in the 80s but not against the big boys.

i think he got to the qf of the uso one year, i remember we were watching the match on tape in the clubhouse. he was playing noah, maybe? not sure. what i distinctly remember is him bombing a serve, the guy returning it, and him volleying it INTO THE STANDS.

Capt. Willie · Nov 4, 2008

mental midget said:
i think he got to the qf of the uso one year, i remember we were watching the match on tape in the clubhouse. he was playing noah, maybe? not sure. what i distinctly remember is him bombing a serve, the guy returning it, and him volleying it INTO THE STANDS.

He lost to Noah in the 3rd round of both the 1982 and 1983 US Opens.

Dino Lagaffe · Nov 5, 2008

When I put my Prince Boron Longbody in the RDC-machine a few months ago I got these specs:

338 g/11.92 oz
58 flex
338 sw

I really thought it would be a lot stiffer.

mental midget · Nov 5, 2008

Capt. Willie said:
He lost to Noah in the 3rd round of both the 1982 and 1983 US Opens.

there you go, thought it was noah.

kalic · Nov 5, 2008

Dino Lagaffe said:
When I put my Prince Boron Longbody in the RDC-machine a few months ago I got these specs:

338 g/11.92 oz
58 flex
338 sw

I really thought it would be a lot stiffer.

Wow, only 58 flex !!!
Is this racquet strung ?
Is this RDC work properly ?
Anyway, thanks for this post...

Dino Lagaffe · Nov 5, 2008

kalic said:
Wow, only 58 flex !!!
Is this racquet strung ?
Is this RDC work properly ?
Anyway, thanks for this post...

1) Yes, it is strung.
2) Yes, it works properly.
3) No problem.

jtms · Nov 5, 2008

My old coach played on tour for a while with the Wimbledon Boron and I use to hit with it from time to time for fun. Great feel, but it is a very unique feeling racquet. You could rally all day, but it had kind of a spongy feel to it. You could generate a good loopy heavy ball, but is was tough to really pound it with any consistency in my opinion. All in all a very fun old school racquet to play with. I can't imagine using one now b/c technology has come so far but it is fun to hit with.

Capt. Willie · Nov 6, 2008

I have to believe the Boron and the Boron Longbody have different specs. According to the original circa 1983 ad the Boron was stiffer than the POG. This would certainly make it more than a 58 flex. Also, FedUp says his weighs in at 12.9 oz. strung...this would be in line with the typical racquet weight of that era.

Dino Lagaffe · Nov 6, 2008

Capt. Willie said:
I have to believe the Boron and the Boron Longbody have different specs. According to the original circa 1983 ad the Boron was stiffer than the POG. This would certainly make it more than a 58 flex. Also, FedUp says his weighs in at 12.9 oz. strung...this would be in line with the typical racquet weight of that era.

That certainly seems to make a lot of sense. I was surprised about the flex too. It does, however, feel a little bit stiffer than the specs indicate. Now I just have to get the older version so I can compare them myself...

audidoc2 · Dec 22, 2010

prince boron

i want to buy a prince boron racket....and does anyone have an idea ,where i can find string inserts for the prince boron racket...one without the bumper guard series.:

PrinceMoron · Dec 22, 2010

My twin brother was sponsored to use these frames.

I can't believe I ever thought any Princes before the POG were half decent. Even the Woodys are a pile of junk, despite what Fleming says about them.

audidoc2 · Dec 22, 2010

prince boron

yes..i have and still am...nice racket....i am looking for another one

SanJoseState1975 · May 5, 2016

I played with this racquet from the day it came out around 1982? until 2000, great racquet, lots of power and feel, I used a GUT hybrid, no problems with my arm.

Luke Jensen and John Newcombe played with this racquet.Rob Weiss used in 1987 to win NCAA Singles.

I also sold them in my Pro Shop $500 Retail and I sold about 10 of them !!!

TinTin 1 · May 6, 2016

sapient007 said:
has anyone played with this thing??

2 cross bars seems like over kill but would be interesting to hit

One of the best frames ever made

Prince Boron Graphite

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