So, I got into a funny deal with a former ATP top 50 from Portugal
He was sponsored by Prince for many years, and this guy has an impressive collection of retail and pro stock Prince racquets, among other brands
I traded one of my racquets with him, and I have to choose between two retail models, one is a professionally modified Prince 100 Tour 18x20 http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Reviews/PT1H18/PT1H18Review.html and the other an weighted up (lead applied on the handle, lots of it) Prince Tour 98 http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/REVIEWS/PTR98/PTR98Review.html
I had a couple of testing sessions, the firs one was last Friday, and on that day I liked the 100 better on everything except serves.
I'm a Pro Staff 6.0 95 guy, and this 100 is completely different from what I usually like - and I never got that click with a Prince racquet. The racquet is very, very soft (sometimes, to much), and forgiving. I felt I just couldn't miss anything, even when I was really late. But I was practising with a lame semi-injured player, and he didn't pose me any kind of big problems to deal with.
I felt this could be a nice racquet to feed balls if I was a coach (I dot it from time to time with friends and my niece) since is soooo nice on the joints, but as a racquet to play regularly, I have my doubts
The 98 felt better last Monday, and closer to what I look on a racket: control, lots of it, but lacking on the feeling department. And, strangely, the racquet felt too stiff from what I expected on rated 59 RA stick
I usually play with high tensions, this ones are strung with Solinco Tour Bite on really high tension, specially the 98
I'll take another test today, I was very uncomfortable with the 98's handle, the guy had 4 large lead strips there (the racquet weighs around 343 grams, so it should be 30 grams of lead) and two very thin overgrips. I thought it was a leather grip underneath the blue tourna on the outside, that's how stiff it felt. I have to put a new softer overgrip
A funny detail: the 100 was professionally customized with lead and silicone, and I would not call it a pro stock, but the racquet has some tags from the player and the customizer, his signature and a Portuguese flag, that would increase the value of the racquet if I was all about business only, and take it for a future sell.
So, I don't know. The 98 is closer to what I like, but not my cup of tea. The 100 is very different, and it could be a good thing as feeder, and future deal.
What do you think?
He was sponsored by Prince for many years, and this guy has an impressive collection of retail and pro stock Prince racquets, among other brands
I traded one of my racquets with him, and I have to choose between two retail models, one is a professionally modified Prince 100 Tour 18x20 http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Reviews/PT1H18/PT1H18Review.html and the other an weighted up (lead applied on the handle, lots of it) Prince Tour 98 http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/REVIEWS/PTR98/PTR98Review.html
I had a couple of testing sessions, the firs one was last Friday, and on that day I liked the 100 better on everything except serves.
I'm a Pro Staff 6.0 95 guy, and this 100 is completely different from what I usually like - and I never got that click with a Prince racquet. The racquet is very, very soft (sometimes, to much), and forgiving. I felt I just couldn't miss anything, even when I was really late. But I was practising with a lame semi-injured player, and he didn't pose me any kind of big problems to deal with.
I felt this could be a nice racquet to feed balls if I was a coach (I dot it from time to time with friends and my niece) since is soooo nice on the joints, but as a racquet to play regularly, I have my doubts
The 98 felt better last Monday, and closer to what I look on a racket: control, lots of it, but lacking on the feeling department. And, strangely, the racquet felt too stiff from what I expected on rated 59 RA stick
I usually play with high tensions, this ones are strung with Solinco Tour Bite on really high tension, specially the 98
I'll take another test today, I was very uncomfortable with the 98's handle, the guy had 4 large lead strips there (the racquet weighs around 343 grams, so it should be 30 grams of lead) and two very thin overgrips. I thought it was a leather grip underneath the blue tourna on the outside, that's how stiff it felt. I have to put a new softer overgrip
A funny detail: the 100 was professionally customized with lead and silicone, and I would not call it a pro stock, but the racquet has some tags from the player and the customizer, his signature and a Portuguese flag, that would increase the value of the racquet if I was all about business only, and take it for a future sell.
So, I don't know. The 98 is closer to what I like, but not my cup of tea. The 100 is very different, and it could be a good thing as feeder, and future deal.
What do you think?
