Prince ThunderCloud Titanium Racquet Review

If we ranked racquets according to value, the Prince ThunderCloud Titanium would rate right near the top. It features Prince's full line of technologies - Sweetspot Suspension System, Morph Beam construction, Graphite Extreme/Titanium composition and ShockEraser Insert at a price that is almost half that of other 1999 titanium introductions (MSRP). The ThunderCloud definitely gives you a lot of bang for your buck.

The ThunderCloud Titanium is positioned as a "game improvement" racquet . In other words, it's light and (supposed to be) powerful. As such, it's targeted at 3.0-4.5 players, who typically aren't big hitters. They usually have more compact swings and prefer racquets that deliver above average power. Racquet manufacturers also believe these players want racquets that are light and maneuverable - a big reason why racquet weights in this category have dropped by 2+ ounces since 1995. However, there are always tradeoffs when you reduce weight in a racquet and the "Cloud" is no exception.

Prince ThunderCloud Titanium Oversize

The ThunderCloud Titanium lives up to its name - it's as light as, well, a cloud. In fact, it feels lighter than its 9.8 ounces (strung) when hitting groundstrokes. This is due to the Cloud being evenly balanced (most sub-10 ounce racquets are balanced head-heavy). The obvious advantage to this is excellent maneuverability. The disadvantage is that some power and stability is sacrificed. This is a reality of reducing racquet weight. Most of today's superlight racquets don't provide the power of their heavier predecessors but are easier to swing. Translated, this means you can and must swing the racquet faster to generate the same power.

Drew offers, "if anything, the Cloud is underpowered. Despite looking like a widebody racquet, it takes a full swing to generate any kind of power. Although with enough racquet head speed, you can generate good pace and nice spin on groundstrokes." Mark continues, "I had trouble getting depth on my groundstrokes. I really had to swing hard every time to keep the ball deep. When I did swing hard, I miss-hit the ball a lot since the racquet head whipped through the hitting area so fast."

This tempered power, however, means that control is enhanced and angle shots are much easier to hit. Dan comments, "it has enough power to give lower intermediates more confidence, yet enough control to please larger swing types." Granville continues, "it's weighted like a 'game improvement' racquet but balanced like a 'player' racquet."

Our 4.0 players liked the Cloud's power/maneuverability combination too. Kip explains, "I really liked the lightness and felt it had adequate power. Playing with this racquet gave me a little edge, compared to my own racquet, especially on volleys."

The open 16x20 string pattern is ideal for topspin and slice shots, although string breakage may be an issue for harder hitters. In fact, selecting the right string and tension is even more important for the Cloud than some other racquets. It's stiff (70 RDC rating) and light, so we recommend using a softer string (Prince Synthetic Gut Soft, Tecnifibre NRG2, Wilson Sensation NXT, etc.) strung at mid-range or lower for most players. We also suggest using a string vibration dampener - the Cloud was much quieter and felt more solid with a dampener.

The Cloud probably performs best at the net. It's light weight, oversize head and 1/2 inch of extended length make it a natural choice for serve and volley players and doubles specialists. While not overpowering, it has enough punch for outright putaway volleys but also allows for soft, angled shots.

Mark offers, "I volleyed well with the ThunderCloud. It's very maneuverable, which is very helpful at the net, and it's power level really suited my volleys. I could be aggressive without worrying that the ball was going to fly long but there was enough power that I didn't have to swing at the ball. I did have some trouble on high volleys because the racquet head would pass through the hitting area too quickly. I kept wanting to put some lead tape on the head to slow it down.

Dan adds, "it's easy to move around and has very little torque on off-center shots. Touch and feel were above average for a racquet of this type." Drew continues, "the racquet's maneuverability made for good volleys, although they need to be struck with authority to get pace."

When the inevitable lob goes up, the Cloud is very quick on overheads, albeit less than overpowering. Says Mark, "it was easy to get the racquet back quickly and hit the ball solidly, but the power level was lower than I like."

Likewise on serves, its easy to generate good racquet head speed with the Cloud. Pace is, again, dependent on swinging fast - the racquet is too light to hit big, heavy serves otherwise. Dan offers, "I liked it best on serves since I swing fast - as soon as I picked it up, I knew this racquet would serve well." While Mark counters, "I served consistently with the Cloud but didn't get much power."

Reactions on "other shots" were mixed. Don says, "off-balance shots, reaction volleys, half-volleys and stab returns were a little unstable due to the racquet's light weight and even balance. I would probably add 10-15 grams of lead tape at 3 and 9 o'clock to increase stability and put more oomph behind the impact zone. On the other hand, off-center shots weren't jarring and the racquet was fairly quiet overall." This is likely due to the combined qualities of Morph Beam, Sweet Spot Suspension and the ShockEraser handle insert.

Drew found the Cloud's reduced power an asset on returns, "the one area where the lack of power doesn't hurt is returning fast serves. I was able to keep returns relatively low and controlled, although some still flew long."

Like all racquets, the ThunderCloud Titanium isn't for everyone, although a little customization (added weight) would certainly broaden it's appeal. Drew concludes, "the racquet's qualities on serves and volleys make it an ideal all court or serve and volley frame. If all you're going to do is stay back and hit groundies, there are other racquets you should look at. To get the most out of this frame, you need to be aggressive and attack. At any price (and this racquet is a bargain), this is a good racquet for aggressive all court or serve & volley players who find widebodies too powerful and player racquets too heavy or wimpy."

Judging by the way this racquet is selling at Tennis Warehouse, it's no secret the Cloud is a great racquet value. If you're an aggressive 3.5-4.5 all-court or serve & volley player looking for a new stick with great maneuverability and tempered power in the $100 price range, the Prince ThunderCloud Titanium is hard to beat.

Review date: May 1999. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 1999 Tennis Warehouse.