Prince Textreme Tour 100 (310) Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 89

As opposed to the other more control-oriented members of the Textreme Tour family, the Textreme Tour 100 (310) adds some easier depth and stability without sacrificing much in the control department. From the baseline, all of our testers welcomed this adjustment and had success with their respective playing styles. Erik, who continues to use this racquet even after the playtest, fell in love from the first hit. He said, "The Tour 100 (310) was extremely solid on my groundstrokes. I really enjoyed its stability and whippy feel. I felt like this racquet was stable enough that it didn't get pushed around that often, and there was a good blend of control and power. My slice tended to stay low and effective despite the 16x18 string pattern. I loved that I could hit my slices deep almost wherever I wanted. This racquet was very maneuverable, which made it easy to generate head speed and get it into position. It worked extremely well for my game style; I could slice and hit out on my groundstrokes without fear of the ball going long because of the spin I generated. The head felt like it had a massive sweetspot and was very forgiving even outside of the sweetspot. The Textreme Tour 100 (310) was so awesome from the baseline."

Sean appreciated how balanced the Textreme Tour 100's specs were. He said, "Although there were no standout 'wow' features during this playtest, the beauty of the Tour 310 lies in its tasteful balance of qualities. Easy power, spin and control were all there, but not in excessive amounts. I found I could really groove my baseline game without fear of overhitting, and the nice soft feel at impact rendered a very fluid and comfortable hitting experience. Although the string pattern is a more open 16x18, the spacing is very even, which created a predictable launch angle and response."

Jason's aggressive baseline style found an able partner in the Textreme Tour 100 (310), as it supplied him with all the spin and power he needed. He described, "It's such a solid racquet from the baseline. There's plenty of weight to make this racquet stable and give it enough plow through to go up against bigger hitters. But thanks to a swingweight in the 320s, I found it to be maneuverable and easy enough to swing as well. I like that this update has a more open string pattern (vs. the previous model's 18x20); it really helps with spin generation. One of my favorite shots to hit was the slice. There was enough mass in the hoop to help knife the ball and keep it low. The one downside for me was mishits toward the tip of the racquet. That area seemed to give off harsher feedback than other off-center hits on the strings."

Chris was impressed with the Textreme Tour's spin-friendly nature from the baseline. He commented, "The Tour 100 (310) was a great fit for me at the baseline. The weight, balance and swingweight all seemed to match my tastes, so this was an easy racquet for me to pick up anytime during the month-long playtest. I was able to get lots of spin off both wings thanks to the fast and maneuverable feel. My topspin shots had some nice action on them. When hitting lobs and angles, I could get the ball to dip quickly inside the lines which allowed me to hit with ample pace. I never felt like I had to hold back even when going for a more aggressive target. I liked the feel of the racquet as well; the response felt plush and I was very connected to my targets. I put that connection to good use when moving the ball around with my backhand slice, and especially so when hitting drop shots."

Volleys - Score: 85

The Prince Textreme Tour 100 (310)'s swing weight of 327 put it right between maneuverable and stable. This blend allowed our testers to get the racquet into position with time to spare, while still holding its own against big pace and spin. This allowed all of our testers to feel confident moving forward with this racquet, which was important when capitalizing on successful groundstrokes. Although the net isn't his most comfortable spot, Jason felt that this racquet served him well when he ventured forward. He commented, "The Tour 100 (310) had great feel and stability up at net. Even with volleys that were slightly off center, the racquet was still able to put really good pop on the ball. I found the combination of the weight and swingweight to be ideal for my skill level around the net."

Never shy to attack, Erik needs a racquet which allows him to play his game when he moves in. He added, "I had no problem maneuvering this racquet, as it was extremely quick up at net. The Tour 100 (310) was very responsive and comfortable. I found myself hitting the ball deep with this racquet, and I was also able to achieve effective drop shots and angles. I felt connected to the ball, and I was getting a solid response off the stringbed. The Tour 100 (310) kept me in complete control when I was volleying."

The combined maneuverability, feel and stability helped Chris get completely dialed in on his volleys. He beamed, "A blend of crispness and plushness greeted me at contact when volleying with the Tour 100 (310). I liked the amount of touch I found on my placement volleys. Hitting my spots felt natural because I was connected to what was going on, and because the racquet was so easy to get into position. I liked the balance and general feel of the racquet in my hands. There seemed to be just enough stability to prevent the racquet from getting pushed around, and that let me enjoy its maneuverability with no downsides."

Sean's expectations were exceeded when he ventured forward. He said, "This wasn't going to be a 'point-and-shoot' type of racquet up at net; the dampening technology, open pattern and beam thickness wouldn't allow it. However, I found this racquet to be very capable of putting the ball away, and the 327 swingweight held up well in the stability department without sacrificing too much maneuverability."

Serves - Score: 84

Easy power controlled by spin was a constant theme on serve for our testers, and the Textreme Tour 100 (310) proved just as capable at starting the point off as it was during it. Our testers found easy, consistent depth on their serves, and used spin to bring the ball in and achieve some nasty angles. Erik used the access to spin to rein in the natural depth he was getting on his serve. He described, "This racquet was great on serves. I could hit my spots effectively with a lot of spin. If I was missing on the serve I was mostly missing long, and I'd rather hit long than into the net. I was extremely confident on serves with this racquet; it was almost effortless. I could hit my kick serve on a dime with extreme accuracy. My favorite serves were the slider out wide on the deuce side and the kick out wide on the ad side."

"There was a nice blend of power and control from this racquet on serves," said Chris. "I was very happy with the amount of pace I got on both first and second serves. Getting enough spin to control the power was easy thanks to the racquet's fast feel through contact. I felt comfortable with my ability to brush the ball and add spin, as the racquet never felt heavy or sluggish. The response was comfortable, and I thought the racquet played great even with a stiffer co-poly string installed."

Comparing a frame to his racquet of choice is big praise for tester Jason. He said, "I really enjoyed serving with the Tour 100 (310). It reminded me a lot of serving with my Babolat Pure Strike. There was great access to spin and enough power to make my serve somewhat of a weapon, but not so much weight that it was cumbersome to swing."

Although he didn't get the type of control he wanted on his flat serves, Sean still found that he could rely on his spin serves. He recalled, "When it came to serving, the Tour 100 (310) was a tool for starting the point off right. The easy spin and power really shone on heavier slice and kick serves, though I felt that this racquet lacked the pinpoint precision I enjoy for spotting flatter offerings. Overall, I'd say that serving never felt like a weak point, although there were times when I was left wanting a tad more control."

Returns - Score: 86

The same themes of controllable power, easy spin and maneuverable stability rounded out this playtest on returns. Whether our testers wanted to block the ball back or take an aggressive cut, the Textreme Tour 100 (310) was the perfect tool for the job. Chris' positivity carried right on into returning, where he enjoyed the easy acceleration and feel that impressed him throughout the playtest. He commented, "We rarely use the term 'wheelhouse' in our review comments, but I'm going to use it here. The spec of the Tour 100 (310) was right in my wheelhouse. I found it super easy to position the racquet and loved the way I could accelerate through contact to increase pace and spin when I wanted. Impressively, comfort and stability were also top notch. The racquet had a nice feel to it. The response felt dampened enough for comfort without leaving me disconnected from my shots."

Sean discovered that the Textreme Tour 100 (310) could truly do it all on returns. He said, "The breadth of options the Tour 310 afforded me on my favorite shot really highlighted the strength of this racquet: its versatility. Whether I was looking to roll the ball in, block it back, or take an aggressive cut, my confidence was booming when returning."

Erik also found plenty of options when returning. He beamed, "I could be quite aggressive on returns with this racquet or chip them back, deep and precise. I could be quite precise with my topspin returns and get them deep in the court as well. When returning a first serve, I felt like I could absorb all of the power and redirect it right back to my opponent or chip back a high floater deep if I was in trouble. When returning a second serve, I loved attacking the ball with this racquet and felt extremely confident. I could get the racquet around my body and into position quickly and easily thanks to the great maneuverability. This racquet was extremely stable and solid on contact, and it didn't get pushed around no matter how hard my opponent hit the serve."

There was one word that just kept popping up for Jason throughout this playtest, and the returns section was no exception. He concluded, "I don't want to keep using the word 'solid,' but I'm going to. This racquet just felt really solid, whether I was simply blocking a serve back or taking a big cut at the ball. And with the great access to spin, I was able to impart lots of topspin on the ball to keep it down and in the court."

Overall - Score: 87