Are Prince Grip Sizes Getting Larger?

yfi

New User
Hello,

Has anyone noticed a change in prince grip sizes since around 2019?

I have a few old prince racquets:
- precision mono ( 90's )
- pog classic ( 2014 )
- phantom 100p 1st gen ( 2017/18? )

All are 4 3/8 and the grip feels consistent. I've had many other prince sticks over the year and never noticed a difference.

Until last summer when I tried a Phantom 100x.
The grip felt thicker and when measured, the L3 grip was actually 4 1/2".

I just got a Phantom 100G and it is the same: the grip measures a size larger than stated.
I had to go down to 4 1/4 for the familiar feel of my old racquets.

I also heard similar report from a Prince Beast user.

I used masking tape to measure the circumference, In order to stay as close as possible to the surface and to avoid any potential stretch.
All measured racquets had the same stock resi pro grip.

Distance measured is between the notches of the bottom of each strip:

1MbN5uWl.jpg
 

PT280 Fan

Semi-Pro
I'd concur with Dartagnan64 on this one. My recently acquired Prince Response 97 4 1/2 grip from 2013 is maybe an 8th size bigger than my Prince Beast 98 4 1/2 grip from 2020.
 

Arzivu

Semi-Pro
When compared to other brands, most seem to note that the prince grip size is the smallest. I own a phantom 100 (first generation) 4 3/8 and I find it true to its size.
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
When compared to other brands, most seem to note that the prince grip size is the smallest. I own a phantom 100 (first generation) 4 3/8 and I find it true to its size.

Yes it's the only brand I vacillate between L3 and L4. With Wilson and Babolat I'm usually bang on L3.
 

yfi

New User
I got a response about this from TW staff: "Due to the manner in which frames are produced the manufacturers set a tolerance range for their grips. This is by all means a very narrow range, as the difference between individual grip sizes is about an eighth of an inch."

In the case of my Phantom 100x (a 3/8 grip that measured 1/2) I was told that 1/8" deviation was within an acceptable margin of error.
1/8" in either direction means that the margin of error spans 3 sizes. Considering there are 5 common sizes, 3/5 doesn't seem like a narrow range :/
 

aussie

Professional
I just received a Phantom Pro 100 in 3/8 size because the 1/2 size had sold out. I need not have worried because it is the exact same size as my Tour 100 16x18 and 18x20 which are both 1/2. I haven't measured the grips, but the gap between my ring finger and my fleshy thumb base on all three racquets is precisely the same. Not saying that Prince grips are universally larger now, but certainly in this case the 3/8 grip most definitely is.

As per the comment above, if there is a 1/8 tolerance this would explain my (fortunate) racquet grip's slightly larger size. In this case it worked out well for me, but if it had gone the other way I wouldn't have been so happy!
 

yfi

New User
my hunch is they are now universally larger.
I’ve tried 3 prince racquets released in 2020 and all 3 were a size up. ( i sent the first one back and the replacement was also too large.)

I know that’s a small sample but i’ve never encountered this before, all prince grips have always felt consistently true to size. I have another one coming this week. will report.
 

tata

Hall of Fame
What I have experienced when it comes to grip size variances with Prince is that it depends on how much it has been compressed by the plastic wrap. Possibly even how tight it was wrapped when it was installed. I've purchased frames from Prince for a certain size that felt either smaller or bigger than what I expected. Over time, the bigger ones compressed down and practically matched the ones that felt smaller or 'pre-compressed' by the plastic. Once I changed the replacement grip, they all practically went up in size. The latest example I have was a beast o3 98. I purchased two of these but in separate orders and when I got the 2nd one, the grip size felt smaller to when I got the 1st one when it was new. The first one had compressed down and practically matched the 2nd one I got. For a long time the resipro grips have been the main grips on Prince frames and these grips compress fairly easily so don't be surprised if it comes out smaller. For those that feel it has gone larger, maybe they were previously getting the compressed out ones so when they get one that isn't, it gives the illusion the grips have gone bigger.

If the QC on grip size is done after the grip is applied then I understand why a variance is allowed because you need to factor in how the bottom bit was overlaid, how tightly/stretched out it was done and etc so it is hard to get it precise. Anyone that has done their own grips will know from the times we gripped it up only to ungrip and redo because we did too much/less overlapping, or we didn't like where we started the overlapping and it feels too awkward for certain fingers or it's not tight enough and can't feel the bevels.
 

PSC85

Semi-Pro
The 4 3/8 grip on Phantom 100G LB feels between 4 3/8 and 4 1/2. I've not had this issue with over 50 of prince frames in the past decade or two. They are possibly recalibrating the base grip pallet sizes now that primary basegrip is synthetic and that tend to make the grip feel smaller.
 
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Big Ed

Rookie
yep i too feel like the new prince 107g has a slightly thicker feel to it. i've been a 4.5 grip forever and my new 107g does feel thicker compared to my warriors. i haven't measured so its strictly a seat o the pants statement. but, going on feel........
Big Ed
 

yfi

New User
107G arrived today.
Lime green buttcap.
4 1/4 on buttcap, measures 4 3/8.

I should say that bought these racquets from 3 different retailers (from TW and two other retailers in Canada.)
 
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tata

Hall of Fame
Could be to do with the new replacement grips they're using now. It should compress down.
 

gooberwho

Rookie
Another 107G owner here. I had to return my L4 to TW for an L3; these grips are definitely running large. This L3 feels significantly larger than the L3 of the 2014 POG 107s (of which I have two).
 

yfi

New User
@TW Staff Perhaps its time to include a "grip fit" line on racquet pages the way you do on shoe pages. Or some kind of disclaimer about the 1/8 margin of error. The return of my phantom was international and quite costly.
 
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A_Instead

Legend
I to saw that on my phantom 107..my 4 3/8 measured 4 1/2..
My new pure drive 21 4 1/4 measures 4 3/8
My new pure strike gen 3 4 1/4 measures 4 1/4..
 
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