Prince More Response

The Response name has served Prince well over the years. First there was the Precision Response 660; a true player's racquet originally made popular by the never-say-die, serve & volleying (and '97/'98 U.S. Open Champion) Pat Rafter. Prince then introduced the Precision Response Titanium, taking a proven winner and adding the advantages of titanium technology. The addition coming in the form of titanium braided with graphite at the 2 and 10 o'clock areas of the frame, providing extra stability while effectively raising the sweetspot. Carried over from the Precision Response 660 was Prince's unique Double Bridge to reduce vibration. Both Response models were exceptional sellers for Prince (as was the Triple Threat Warrior, successor to the Response Titanium and Pat Rafter's last racquet before retiring).

Fast-forward to Fall, 2002 and a new addition to the Response line, the More Response - a member of Prince's new More Performance racquet line. Gone is the Double Bridge throat of the original Responses. Added is Prince's More Technology combined with Triple Braid weighting (at 10 o'clock & 2 o'clock). While the More Response racquets (100 and 110 head sizes) do deliver player's racquet feel (the head light balance being a contributing factor), they're slightly more powerful (stiffer) and mobile (lighter) than a traditional player's racquet, defining them more as 'tweeners. We playtested the More Response Midplus and Oversize for three weeks. Prince More Technologies

MORE RESPONSE MIDSIZE

The More Response Midplus doesn't fall into just one racquet category. It features some attributes of both 'tweener and player's racquet models. Our playtesters found the More Response Midplus to possess player's racquet heft (it does swing heavier than its 11 ounces would suggest) but with a little more power, while still retaining 'tweener mobility. It plays fairly stiff, whether hitting groundstrokes or volleying up at net, but is still comfortable, thanks to Prince's Air+ Comfort handle. Players with longer, faster swings will benefit most from the baseline, and volleyers can be aggressive without fear of balls hitting the back fence. Regardless of the stroke, most of our playtesters enjoyed the overall comfort, stability and forgiveness of the More Response Midplus.

Granville

Groundstrokes: It seems that the More technology has improved considerably since the initial intros (Dominant, Game, Thunder). In particular, the More Response is considerably more flexible - in line with "normal" or "average" stiffness indexes. There is good vibration reduction, perhaps due to the Air+ Comfort Handle. The down side was a varying response - I could hit two forehands and they sometimes felt very different. Control was good, as was the size of the sweetspot. Overall comfort on groundstrokes is high. There seems to be a "speed limit" to this racquet though. When really smacking the ball you will reach a point of diminishing return. Balls were landing short in the court and depth came only with a concerted effort.

Volleys: The More Response is maneuverable and comfortable at the net. I was able to hit the ball with control and confidence. It has adequate weight to offer the kind of punch and pop I like on volleys. The Direct Contact String Channels seem to provide a bit more feedback on the volleys than on any other stroke.

Serves: The More Response offers good control and comfort while serving. The speed limit kicks in as the racquet does "top out" for whatever reason. The extra length (1/4 inch) and added head size (100) were not a factor when compared to the "traditional" frames.

Serve Return: On returns, the Air+ Comfort handle bothered me for two reasons. First, the handle compresses (due to its construction of 4 "channels"). This seems to offer varying feedback on varying shots. Secondly, as the grip compresses I could feel the movement between the butt cap and the grip. I remember returning a forehand and feeling the butt cap moving as I prepared to hit the ball. I found this very distracting.

Chad

Groundstrokes: I felt like the More Response Midplus had a real dampened feel, and I gave comfort a relatively high score. However, this comfortable feel made it seem like I had to put in extra effort to produce the shot I was looking for, especially when hitting with spin. My flat groundstrokes felt solid with good placement, but my topspin shots felt like they needed an extra amount of effort to be effective.

Volleys: My volleys were solid with this frame. Each one felt like I only needed to place the racquet in the right spot and the shot would take care of itself. The feel of this racquet enabled me to hit effective drop volleys too.

Serves: My first serve was not as effective as I would have liked it to be. I felt like my serve was more effective when I put spin on it instead of trying to hit it flat. The flat serve did not seem to phase my opponent, but my kick serves were effective. They felt like they had some good movement.

Serve Return: Most of my returns felt solid, except when I got pulled wide to my forehand side, where I couldn't hit an effective return back. Aside from that, every other return was hit with good control and depth.

Dan

Groundstrokes: I've played extensively with past Response models and simply put, the More Response Midplus doesn't fit in the same "player" category as its predecessors. The Midplus does swing heavier from the baseline than its 11 ounces would suggest so that heft-ier feel is there. The power level is in a different category though. While not as stiff as the first generation More racquets, the More Response still has a fairly stiff feel when hitting groundstrokes. Medium-fast swings sent the ball deep. Overall spin control was OK. I couldn't impart major topspin but there's enough weight here to hit penetrating slice shots and keep the ball from floating. Bottom line: a 'tweener type engine.

Volleys: The More Response Midplus was powerful enough for me to send volleys deep with limited effort and compact form. The racquet's lighter weight and head-light balance allowed for good mobility too, something I really appreciate, particularly when playing doubles. My only complaint was the stiffness level. It's not quite flexible enough to allow great touch and ultimate angle volleys.

Serves: I had no problem cranking up the power on flat serves or when applying minimal spin. However, my slice and kick serves didn't have as much action as I like, even when applying maximum effort. If you like a big flat first serve, the More Response Midplus is powerful enough to deliver big pop. If you rely on good kick and like hitting twisters to stir things up, this may not be the best racquet choice.

Serve Return: Like groundstrokes, medium-swing returns delivered good depth on serve returns. The More Response Midplus is especially useful against big servers where a limited backswing produced solid results. Finally, it was heavy enough to keep sliced backhand returns low and in a straight line, while the head-light balance provided good quickness.

John

Groundstrokes: My first impression was how stiff this racquet felt. The 100-square inch head and Triple Braiding provides for an ample sweetspot and stable head. On off-center hits the head did not torque uncontrollably, yet I found the feel to be somewhat harsh. From the forehand and backhand side I was able to hit crosscourt or down the line with accuracy and pace while hitting flatter shots. The ball seemed to fly off the strings very quickly (possibly due to the stiffness of the frame). As a result, I wasn't able to impart as much topspin on the ball as I would like.

Volleys: At just over 11 ounces and balanced head-light, I found the More Response Midplus to be quite maneuverable at net. Expectedly, the stiffness of the frame aided in hitting sharp, crisp volleys. Off-center hits were not comfortable but the racquet head did remain relatively stable.

Serves: I was able to control my serve well with the Midplus. The racquet is a bit shorter and the head size a bit smaller than the racquet I play, so I didn't feel that I got the power I normally would. If I were to play with the More Response Midplus I would string it down a bit from our playtest sample which was strung at the mid-range tension of 58 lbs.

Serve Return: The More Response Midplus served me well on blocked returns. The stiffness and stability of the frame enabled me to block the ball with depth. When I had a chance to hit an offensive return I found myself ahead of the ball, possibly due to the head-light balance.

More Response Oversize

The More Response Oversize is similar to the More Response Midplus with the usual differences. It's bigger, slightly lighter and is balanced a little more head-light. The slightly longer length (27.5 inches) is almost unnoticeable. Although a bit more powerful than the Midplus, the 110 Oversize sports a more open string pattern, which enhances spin control. On groundstrokes, most of our playtesters found enough power to send the ball deep with a compact swing, but the racquet had enough control for longer, faster swinging players if they applied enough spin. Like the Midplus, however, it does have a stiff feel. At net, as on groundstrokes, mobility for an oversize racquet is excellent. It will respond best to players with compact volley form, who like an oversize sweetspot and cushioned feel. On serves, there's enough power for slow to moderate swinging players to generate decent pace, while the open string pattern and lightweight mobility helped our faster swinging players produce pronounced spin and kick.

Granville

Groundstrokes: After switching back and forth between the Midplus and Oversize I finally decided I prefer the Oversize version. It just seems that all the specs of this racquet fall in line for overall playability. It's very maneuverable (at 10.8 ounces), and a big sweetspot in the 110 hoop seems to deliver a bit more pop when hitting groundstrokes. The open string pattern (16 main strings) offered very good bite on the ball. With some practice, I was getting good depth and good topspin. Playing with a lighter racquet like this does conserve some energy in the matches when compared to my heavier racquet. The down side was that power still seemed to be lacking. As Scottie said on Star Trek "I cannot change the laws of physics!"

Volleys: Coming from a regular racquet of considerably more weight, I found the More Response Oversize to be much too light to be effective at the net. But after becoming accustomed to it, I was punching solid volleys with confidence. I think the 110 head size goes a long way in making up for the lack of punch due to the lower mass. As with any longer racquet, preparation is key to getting the head in the right position.

Serves: The More Response Oversize is capable of delivering just about anything you are looking for except the big heater. The open string pattern offers excellent control and good kick.

Serve Return: The More Response Oversize is a good choice for those who look at the serve return as a break opportunity. The Oversize frame offers a good sweetspot and good "rebound" when struck properly. Off center shots are predictably unstable, so keep that racquet out in front. Ordinarily the longer racquet length can be an issue on service returns but at a mere 1/2 inch longer than standard it's no hindrance at all. It is easy to move this racquet from side to side, allowing good coverage on the return.

Chad

Groundstrokes: This racquet was a little too powerful for my liking. Topspin shots felt good and seemed to be effective, but the minute I got aggressive most shots would fly long. For an oversize racquet, the More Response felt maneuverable with good comfort, but it had too much power for a big hitter like myself.

Volleys: Volleys felt good for a player who just likes to "block" the ball back. However, for the serve and volleyer it seemed to be a little too much racquet. I had no trouble with put away volleys, but volleys that were at my feet or into my body posed quite a problem.

Serves: My flat serve worked well for me with this racquet. Most serves were near the service line providing great depth and trouble for my opponent. I struggled a little bit with my second serves, though, as I wasn't able to generate enough spin for the serve to be effective. I did like my slice serves on both the first and second serves.

Serve Return: My returns were effective when my opponent stayed back and not so effective when he came to the net. The majority of my returns were hit high and deep into the court which worked out well, except for the times he came to the net. These returns were usually handled with relative ease and usually produced a winner or forced error on my part. I also like the way this racquet handled hard flat serves. With what seemed like no effort at all I was able to hit a return twice as hard back at my opponent.

Dan

Groundstrokes: I'm not a regular oversize user, but interestingly enough, I preferred the 110 version of the More Response. Even though it's lighter and has a lower swingweight (than the Midplus), it maintained that heft-ier feel that I liked with the Midplus. This may be due to it's slightly longer (.25 inches) length. The open string pattern allowed for solid rotation and bite when hitting with topspin and slice. From the baseline, it really felt like I was hitting with a smaller sized racquet - it didn't feel like an oversize. Overall mobility was very good for a head light, oversize racquet. Finally, there's enough power here to send the ball deep with a compact swing, but there's also enough control for longer, faster swinging players if they apply enough spin.

Volleys: I'm a little "wristy" when it comes to volleying, and I play by feel up at net. The More Response Oversize is a little too powerful for players who add that little extra punch to their volleys - like me. The Oversize will respond better to players with compact form, who live simply up at net. It's a bit too stiff for touch or angled volleys that require good "feel", but it's a very solid feeling racquet on the attack, with limited torque. There's no guessing game here with aim either. The stiffness of the Oversize affords a straight line to the target.

Serves: Here again, spin control was an improvement over the Midplus. I was able to swing the More Response Oversize with just as much racquet head speed but get better slice, kick, jump - whatever it was I was hitting. I relished the open stringbed here. Cranking up the speed dial was not a problem, although balls hit toward the top of the string bed definitely lost some velocity - the downside to serving with an oversize racquet. I loved playing doubles with this racquet, though. It's easily handled when serving, produces nice spin, and the overall mobility is a plus on the way to net!

Serve Return: A compact to moderate swing was enough to send medium paced serves back with depth. The swingweight and balance are enough to keep sliced returns from floating. It's also mobile enough to chip and charge with, whether playing singles or doubles. Good versatility here.

John

Groundstrokes: Expectedly, the More Response Oversize has a larger sweetspot than the Response Midplus, resulting in a more powerful, though equally maneuverable, racquet. As an oversize racquet user, I was comfortable with this racquet from the first stroke. On the forehand side I was able to move the ball around with adequate pace and decent control. Like the Response Midplus, the Oversize is somewhat stiff. Consequently, I had trouble generating topspin as the ball seemed to fly off the strings. However, the weight and head-light balance of the frame suited my medium-fast swing speed. Even though both of the frames are stiffer than what I am used to playing with, I did not experience any arm problems when playtesting. In other words, there seemed to be little or no shock.

Volleys: The Oversize head did not affect the maneuverability of the frame at net. I felt very comfortable getting to passing shots and balls hit directly at me. Volleys felt solid. On off-center hits there was little twisting or torque. I was extremely pleased at the depth and accuracy with which I was able to execute volleys.

Serves: At 27.5 inches long the Response Oversize is similar to my everyday frame. I felt comfortable and confident hitting serves with the Oversize. I was able to get a bit more zing with it (compared to the Midplus) while maintaining control. I was able to move the ball around. Kick serves were not as pronounced as with my usual racket, perhaps due to the stiffness of the frame.

Serve Return: The one shot I executed better with the Midplus version was serve returns. I found the Oversize a bit slower through the air on returns and not as stable when blocking returns or directing mis-hit returns. The maneuverability of the frame made it easy to "cut" returns, imparting good spin that resulted in a deep, low shot.

Review date: October, 2002. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2002 Tennis Warehouse.