Prince 80s, 90s

graycrait

graycrait

Legend
17 of these 80's 90's Prince rackets. OK the 2 Graphite Tour (POG 90) are from this century. How many more models of 80's Prince 90s are there?
L-R
2x1 Stripe POG 90
4x4 Stripe POG 90
2xTour Graphite POG 90
1xGraphite Pro 90
2xSpectrum Comp 90
1xGraphite Powerflex 90
2xPower Pro 90
1xCTS Approach 90
1xCTS Lightning 90
1xCTS Thunderstick 90
pb8LxpM.jpg
 
You are missing:

Precision Graphite 90 (Blk with Blue & Yellow pinstripes with nylon throat)
Graphite Comp 90 (Blk with Green and Yellow accents)
Precision Response 90 (Purple)
Magnesium Pro 90
Pro 90 (Black Aluminum)
Tricomp 90 (Spectrum Equivalent of the Approach line in '88)
Graphtech DB 90 (Graphite Comp Equivalent of the Approach line in '88.. first double bridge ever made by Prince)

There may be more.. but these are what comes to mind.
 
Prince did supply Pat Cash with a custom-made batch of 90 square inch Woodies, but he quickly abandoned them for the Series 90 Magnesium Pro. So the Woodie 90 did exist, but there were probably less than 30 made.
 
The original matte black Graphite Comp Series 90 was only available in 1986, but around 1988, there was a completely different, blue Graphite Comp Series 90, with a slightly different mold (same as the Tricomp 90, if I remember correctly).

These are all pretty fun racquets, but all are string eaters—most, if not all are very open 14 main patterns.
 
DTA Dropshots said:
The Woodie from 1980
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I've got a pair of Woodie OS but have never seen a 90 Woodie.

Thanks @retrowagen and @Ultra 2 for naming other 80s 90s I need to look for.

I am thinking I am going to stick with 19mmish straight beam rackets even though I have a few other Prince rackets that don't conform to the 19mm beam including several of the 90s pictured. I am thinking I need Tour Diablo 90 as well, even though that is a "modern" racket.
 
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retrowagen said:
Prince did supply Pat Cash with a custom-made batch of 90 square inch Woodies, but he quickly abandoned them for the Series 90 Magnesium Pro. So the Woodie 90 did exist, but there were probably less than 30 made.
Click to expand...

Interesting.. learn something everyday. Thanks

retrowagen said:
The original matte black Graphite Comp Series 90 was only available in 1986, but around 1988, there was a completely different, blue Graphite Comp Series 90, with a slightly different mold (same as the Tricomp 90, if I remember correctly).

These are all pretty fun racquets, but all are string eaters—most, if not all are very open 14 main patterns.
Click to expand...

Right, you find these on the auction site from time to time.. almost a teal blue/green metallic color. I thought these came later.. like in the early 90’s or so. Probably a special make up frame for box stores like big 5.. not sure. Certainly fits in this discussion though.
 
@teachingprotx, I saw a Finalist 90 on the auction site last nite. First time I knew of that one. Was that a big box version of something else? There seems to have been quite a few 19mm straight beam Prince rackets just in the 80s. Were they all different layups or were they mostly just renamed with more or less black dye added? I guess I'll see how many different ones I can grab onto. I am not a fan of the double bridge throat which have the plastic throat insert. If the racket hasn't stayed out of the sun the last 30+ years the insert is often times as rotten as the grommets are brittle. Due to work I missed the whole 80's tennis-wise for the most part.
 
No clue ! I’m on the hunt myself for the 19 mm thin beamed lowest tiered model
That contains the highest % of fiberglass and the lowest flex model of them all .
Most think it’s the power flex or the other name for it , can’t remember.. but I’m betting there’s one out there even softer and more flexy.
But I have no idea which one .. there were many out there below the power flex but I don’t know in which order ..
There not easy to figure out either .. for instance the graphite pro 90 is more flexy than the comp 90.
The graphite 90 with the stabilizer bar was more stiff than the boron I played with , so it’s all outta wack .whats weirder though the spectrum 90 seemed to me the stiffest out of all the prince 90,s. I too don’t much care for anything with the window . I hated all the CTS frames too stiff for my weak arm.
I’m trying to find princes equalivient to heads club pro model which is the softest of all head frames from that magical era
 
Zone 90 looks interesting and the volley 90 too I think I remember seeing these in Walmart’s and kmarts when I was young but can’t be too sure.
Would love to have all the specs to ALL THE 90 maids from prince , there isn’t much info on a lot of them like other brands
 
teachingprotx said:
No clue ! I’m on the hunt myself for the 19 mm thin beamed lowest tiered model
That contains the highest % of fiberglass and the lowest flex model of them all .
Most think it’s the power flex or the other name for it , can’t remember.. but I’m betting there’s one out there even softer and more flexy.
But I have no idea which one .. there were many out there below the power flex but I don’t know in which order ..
There not easy to figure out either .. for instance the graphite pro 90 is more flexy than the comp 90.
The graphite 90 with the stabilizer bar was more stiff than the boron I played with , so it’s all outta wack .whats weirder though the spectrum 90 seemed to me the stiffest out of all the prince 90,s. I too don’t much care for anything with the window . I hated all the CTS frames too stiff for my weak arm.
I’m trying to find princes equalivient to heads club pro model which is the softest of all head frames from that magical era
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Probably gonna be the Power Pro 90, unless you are okay (aesthetically and functionally) with the big, blocky plastic throatpiece of the Precision Graphite Series 90.
 
@teachingprotx, These are the "patented" dates of rackets. I own 1-4, 5-8 I was able to make out on the auction site

1. Graphite Powerflex 90: 1986
2. Graphite Pro Series 90: 1986
3. Power Pro 90: 1986
4. Spectrum Comp 90: 1986

5. Graphite Volley Series 90: 1986
6. Graphite Finalist 90: 1986

7. Graphite Comp Series 90: 1983 (black one)
8. Graphite Comp 90: 1989 (blue one)

Interesting that the name on some rackets incorporated the word "series" while others did not. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the Volley, Finalist and Sierra are probably not much different than #'s1-4. In the group #1-4 I found it interesting that the Power Pro did not have the prefix "Graphite" as did #1 & 2 and that Powerflex was all one word while Power Pro was two. I am pretty sure I need a Graphite Comp Series 90, #7, from 1983 to swing against my 1983 1-stripe POG 90s. At this juncture I prefer the Spectrum Comp 90 of the 1986 90's I own.

I think I am going to stick with the 1986 and earlier 90's vintages, except when I find a deal on the Tour Diablo 90. My 3 CTS 90s, Thunderstick, Lightning and Approach are 1988 or 1989 and except for novelty I don't care to hit with them much at this time.
 
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graycrait said:
@teachingprotx, These are the "patented" dates of rackets. ...
7. Graphite Comp Series 90: 1983 (black one)
8. Graphite Comp 90: 1989 (blue one)

..I am pretty sure I need a Graphite Comp Series 90, #7, from 1983 to swing against my 1983 1-stripe POG 90s. At this juncture I prefer the Spectrum Comp 90 of the 1986 90's I own.
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Although the patent date was 1983, Prince only offered the nifty matte black Graphite Comp Series 90 in 1986, so it is indeed tricky to find one - they simply did not make many of this fabulous racquet (not coincidentally, my favorite Prince frame). It's also worth noting that the mould used on this frame is slightly different than the 1987 Power Pro 90 and Graphite Pro 90, and quite a bit different than the later (blue) Graphite Comp 90.
 
retrowagen said:
nifty matte black Graphite Comp Series 90 in 1986, so it is indeed tricky to find one - they simply did not make many of this fabulous racquet (not coincidentally, my favorite Prince frame).
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I did hit the "buy it now" button on the auction site shortly after posting #16. So I should have a Graphite Comp Series 90 arriving this week.
 
@retrowagen, I received the Graphite Comp Series 90 today. It is near new condition and the grommets/bumper guard are not brittle. I replaced the leather grip with a synthetic grip. With one overgrip and a TW dampener it is 12.6oz/356g at 6HL. I really like the way it plays. I don't think it is buyers over enthusiasm as I have 18 Prince 90s and know what I like. I think the best 3 for me are Graphite Comp Series 90, Spectrum Comp 90 and POG 4 stripe Midplus (90), and maybe in that order. I need to string 3 the same and hit the courts with them for a few weeks. I have enough POG 90s and Spectrum Comp 90s to likely last the rest of my playing days. I am going to hunt for several more Graphite Comp Series 90s.
 
graycrait said:
@retrowagen, I received the Graphite Comp Series 90 today. It is near new condition and the grommets/bumper guard are not brittle. I replaced the leather grip with a synthetic grip. With one overgrip and a TW dampener it is 12.6oz/356g at 6HL. I really like the way it plays. I don't think it is buyers over enthusiasm as I have 18 Prince 90s and know what I like. I think the best 3 for me are Graphite Comp Series 90, Spectrum Comp 90 and POG 4 stripe Midplus (90), and maybe in that order. I need to string 3 the same and hit the courts with them for a few weeks. I have enough POG 90s and Spectrum Comp 90s to likely last the rest of my playing days. I am going to hunt for several more Graphite Comp Series 90s.
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Hey, wow; glad you like it! It is a special racquet. Obscure, overlooked (well, maybe until now), but something special. I prefer mine with a full bed of a good multifilament (Isospeed Professional 16, or Wilson NXT 16) at 55 pounds, with no dampener.
 
retrowagen said:
I prefer mine with a full bed of a good multifilament
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I strung mine up with Prince Venture 16, a poly, today at 55lbs just to see where the racket stands with respect to POG 90s and Spectrum Comp 90s I have strung with poly. It didn't disappoint me. I don't keep poly in a racket very long so I suspect I'll try both 16g Prince Synthetic Gut/Duraflex and some multis within the next week to 10 days. @Ultra2, now I will have to find a Response 90, but after that I need to stop.
 
I had a nice first hit today with the CTS Approach 90. Strung some Prince Silencer at 62lbs and hit indoors with a current D1 college player from Europe. Hitting with real pace is a lot different than hitting with the local alleged 4.0 league fellas. The 356g/12.5oz Approach strung with whatever kind of string that inexpensive Silencer is proved to be a good choice today. (Young fella told me that he was Euro top 5 at age 10, then Euro top 10 at age 12, then he said he doesn't know what happened after that.) Really nice and patient guy ranked UTR 13+. I had begged him earlier this school year if he would hit with me and show me a couple of small things on kick serve and return of serve. He shakes his head at my heavy old Prince rackets.
 
Ultra 2 said:
You should try the purple Response 90 as well. Good frame.
Click to expand...
I have a great friend who played with that all thru high school he was our number 1 singles player and got a full ride scholarship using that response . He couldn’t miss with it .. we also had another dude I know who was always top 10 in the tri state area and he to used the response 90 with pro blend .. his name was dusty condra.. and I have yet to see any player and atp pro player hit as smooth and flat and laser beam shots it was like watching Connors play with a one handed backhand but waaaaaay more smooth and made it look so easy .. he too got a full ride to Louisville .. his coach made him switch to back then “ new head Polaris frame “ and he couldn’t hit one shot in the court . He quit all together after switching . Sad really
 
teachingprotx said:
I saw more prince tricomp 90’s than all the other rackets combined growing up.
Click to expand...

That must be right because there seems to be plenty on the auction site in good shape and pretty inexpensive. I already hit a "buy it now!" That will be my last Prince 80's 90. I still want a couple of modern Prince 90s, like the 93P and the Diablo Tour 93, but I will wait on those.
 
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Gray!! I’m telling you son , your gonna need a response 90.. everyone I’ve ever let hit with my old one went crazy and loved it. It’s not a noodle I’d put the flex at 60 ra on it .. but hits like a Mack truck . I know Your probably thinking “ but I hate that weird throat shape , as I do too “ ,, but you really should get one to round out your collection . I’ve seen em sell for less than 10 dollars
 
teachingprotx said:
Gray!! I’m telling you son , your gonna need a response 90.
Click to expand...

Another poster on this thread took pity on me and mailed me a Response 90 (purple). I should have it tomorrow or Tuesday:)

I check most of the local college players' rackets and I swear anything over 340g/12oz is an anomaly. With regards to head size I suppose I understand most playing with a 98 or 100 because they do everything faster on the court than I do. For me now it is all about comfort and fun. Part of that fun is swinging different rackets, even during the same set sometimes. For instance last Weds nite I subbed for a guy who is 25 yrs my junior in some ladder doubles league. He asked me how it went a day or so later. I told him I am pretty sure I didn't get him knocked back a court, but he would have to ask someone else who pays attention to that sort of thing to make sure. I was too busy laughing and propping up my partners and opponents with positive reinforcement.
 
I picked up a few more here and there and now I think I am done unless I run across a yellow Special Edition Spectrum Comp 90. Thanks @Ultra 2, that Response is just like mint. I didn't spy any evidence of play. The WInn Gutex strings look new and never played and are remarkably fresh seeming, having never been played and out of the sunlight in the mint purple case. It appears these were installed by Pinery Tennis, May 11, 1988. This thread has a bit on Winn Gutex string: https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/winn-gutex-graphite-string.204863/ Also, I couldn't bring myself to replacing the the original Prince purple leather grip of the Response 90 with my typical synthetic grip, although I will put an overgrip on it later.

Anyway here is my pile of 1980s 90 (93") Princes.
gfGEr1q.jpg

ySciDJK.jpg
 
Oh nice. When I first looked at the tracking info, it appeared to have a 11/19 delivery date.. looks as though it arrived a day early.

Yeah, when I bought frame it was in great shape but the grommets were shot and I replaced it with a fresh set of grommets (not the original purple ones which are Uber brittle). Since the response has a unique throat shape, I had to use the fittex for that area. Then the racquet was strung using my stockpile of Winn Gutite (not Gutex) at 62lbs only a few months ago and never hit with.

If you ever want to try Gutex or Gutex Graphite, I still have some unopened sets left.

Enjoy the frame!
 
Ultra 2 said:
Enjoy the frame!
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Right now I am in a conundrum concerning Prince 93" from the 80's racket of choice. The current top 4 in order: Response, Graphite Pro, Spectrum Comp, Graphite Comp. I'll need to stick in a POG 90 in that rotation. I haven't given the Tricomp a good spin yet either. I really need to string them all the same to make it more "scientific." In the meantime I am going to enjoy those Winn strings until they fail. I was wondering about those grommets but I just figured, maroon frame, bluish grommets, Prince had "style" back then. Then I started looking at the auction site at those "maroon" rackets and noted maroon grommets, most of those grommets look cracked on close examination. I have one Power Pro 90 that has terminally brittle grommets, otherwise I have been pretty lucky in getting the rest of that 80's 93" pile with pretty decent grommets. I wonder if the dye used made some grommets more brittle - no matter. I have a pile of various Fittex and salvaged grommet sets from past failed racket experiments so I can cobble together something whenever the need arises.
 
Not sure what your conundrum is.. are u looking for another response 90? Stay away from those purple/maroon grommets.. all of them will fail. I had one frame with the maroon grommets in tact but the owner had the racquet stored in a case in his closet for the last 30 years.. wrong grip size though.
 
teachingprotx said:
You're probably thinking “ but I hate that weird throat shape," as I do too ...
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Naw, man, that's the selling point! That design, intended to sweeten the feel at contact by letting the throat flex more than the rest of the frame, was so successful that you still see it in Babolats, Pacifics, and probably other frames, but it all started with the original Response. Without that throat you might as well have one of the other 80s Prince graphite-fiberglass composites (not that that would be anything to complain about).

What was the percentage of graphite and fiberglass on the Reponses? 70-30? Anyone remember?
 
graycrait said:
Another poster on this thread took pity on me and mailed me a Response 90 (purple). I should have it tomorrow or Tuesday:)

I check most of the local college players' rackets and I swear anything over 340g/12oz is an anomaly. With regards to head size I suppose I understand most playing with a 98 or 100 because they do everything faster on the court than I do. For me now it is all about comfort and fun. Part of that fun is swinging different rackets, even during the same set sometimes. For instance last Weds nite I subbed for a guy who is 25 yrs my junior in some ladder doubles league. He asked me how it went a day or so later. I told him I am pretty sure I didn't get him knocked back a court, but he would have to ask someone else who pays attention to that sort of thing to make sure. I was too busy laughing and propping up my partners and opponents with positive reinforcement.
Click to expand...
I would love to have you give a speech to all my 5.0 ladies team players . They can be so damn mean and hurtful to each other’s partners that I’m embarrassed to be their coach
Don't Let It Bounce said:
Naw, man, that's the selling point! That design, intended to sweeten the feel at contact by letting the throat flex more than the rest of the frame, was so successful that you still see it in Babolats, Pacifics, and probably other frames, but it all started with the original Response. Without that throat you might as well have one of the other 80s Prince graphite-fiberglass composites (not that that would be anything to complain about).

What was the percentage of graphite and fiberglass on the Reponses? 70-30? Anyone remember?
Click to expand...
I know the RA was higher than I could have possibly imagine 62 ra to 65 Ra ish

I knew that throat provided something special didn’t know it was manufactured to produce flex in throat . Very cool
The ratio on response 90 was I think 30 % glass 70% graphite don’t quote me though
 
teachingprotx said:
@graycrait whats your softest ,most flexy , in your amass of princely princes my lad?
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"CPT Obvious" speaking now but I think the PowerFlex 90 currently feels like it has the most flex. When all I had were the POG 90s, Power Pros and Power Flex that seemed the case and now that I have swung quite a few other Prince 90s from the 80s I still think that. I think I'll have to string a half dozen of these 90s the same to give even a SWAG on which has the most flex.
 
My buddy in Philly used a Synergy. I could never beat him. Owed him a lot of Snapples.
Actually, I still have a grommet for it as I used to string his rackets.

My first Prince was a Graphite Pro.
I demo'd it and it slipped out of my hand.
Scraped it up and felt obligated to buy it.
Wish I didn't.
 
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