Racquet Playtest Comparison:
| About the play tester | About the racquets |
Name: Bcaz
Playing Level: 4.0 serve, 4.0 forehand, 3.5 everything else, 3.5 overall
Regular racquet, string & tension:Estusa Power Beam Braided, (2), currently strung with: (1) Unique natural gut 17g, and (2) Babolat Tonic + Ball Feel 16g, 59 lbs. 4 5/8 grip, Wilson Pro overgrip, Unique Sampras "O" dampener, a little lead at 12 o'clock, 12.8 oz. overall.
Tell us about your game: All-court player, like to serve & volley, long, medium-fast strokes, topspin FH, two-hand BH, semi-western FH, continental BH, volleys and first serve, eastern BH second serve. Lots of topspin, not much slice. 50 years old, 5'11", 175, playing for 6 years, mostly singles, a little more doubles lately. Good mid-court game, need more consistency and power on the backhand to advance.
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Power
Dunlop 200G XL:
Each racquet I tested was an extended-length, head-light frame, weighing less than my current standard-length, heavy, head-light game frames. The Dunlop 200 XL felt closest to a standard-length racquet of the three and was the lightest - 11.3 oz. - with a dampener and a Wilson Pro overgrip over a size 4 handle. In spite of the added inch length, the 200 XL was the easiest to whip fast through the hitting zone. Unlike the standard 200g, it has an open 16x18 stringbed, and it is very flexible through the throat. The Wilson 17g Sensation allowed for lots of spin off both wings and on serves. Unfortunately, due to its combination of light weight and light balance, it was difficult to generate power on groundstrokes. My forehand produced barely adequate pop with this frame, and I struggled to produce backhand shots that barely crossed the service line. The added length helped on serves, through, which had some life but not a lot of weight. Volleys were sure but I needed solid footwork to produce depth.
Babolat Pure Control Team Plus MP:
This racquet had a nice, solid feel to it, and being a Babolat, I expected it would produce plenty of power. I thought I was hitting with good pace, but my hitting partner reported that my ball was lighter than usual. I countered by swinging with a faster, more compact swing, and it helped, but he said it looked like I was working pretty hard to get results. This surprised me, since I figured the racquet - 11.9 oz. with a Wilson Pro and a dampener - would be plenty powerful. It did offer nice speed on forehands and backhands had much more depth than the 200G XL. Like most Babolats, the Pure Control Team Plus MP produced solid, big first serves and good kick on second serves. Volleys were surprisingly sound; it was easy to punch the ball deep into the court and let the racquet do the work.
Prince Graphite Longbody:
This frame weighed in at 12.1 oz. with two Wilson Pros (the demo was only a 4 3/8, and I use a 4 5/8 grip) and a dampener. It appeared to be beautifully made, and I could still feel the bevels pretty well under the leather grip in spite of the two overgrips. This stick felt like a very, very long racquet, and at 28", felt much longer than the two other 27.5 inch frames. Regardless of what the TW-posted ratings might say about the Prince LB and the other two racquets I tested, the Prince was the most powerful of the three by a long shot, at least on groundstrokes and serves. Here is where the added weight and leverage pays off. It seemed like FOREVER to get this thing around, like waiting for a bus, but when I did, it smacked the ball with authority. I hit backhands very well - it's a two-hander's dream! Lots of pace, depth, and weight on the ball, without unusual effort. I spoke with a Spanish accent for an hour after putting this stick back in the bag. The Prince LB produced monster serves, too, verifying for me that the primary purpose of the stretch frames is to goose power on the serve. With lots of extension, reach, and leverage, it was easy to launch bombs with this baby, just a pleasure to snap up and through the ball.
Control
Dunlop 200G XL:
The Dunlop 200G XL had the best directional control of the three, especially on groundstrokes and serves. It spite of the low static weight and very light head, it had the most classic feel of the racquets tested. I would serve into any part of the box I wanted with relative ease. The lack of power, though, eventually pushed me into going for too much in groundstroke rallies, since it tended to produce too many short balls.
Babolat Pure Control Team Plus MP:
In spite of the name, this racquet, and many others in the Babolat line, is not a true control racquet. Even the PC 97 is a big banger racquet as far as I'm concerned. The PC Plus 100 I tested was reasonably tame for its specs, and its flexibility allowed for more feel than some of the other Babolats. The added length, though, didn't help in this category, and like many other Babs it tends to spray the ball a little and forces you to really spin the ball. This led to a bit of an uppercut and less penetration than I get with my current frame. Serves had plenty of pace and pretty good control, though less than the Dunlop. The hidden surprise of this racquet continued to be volleys, where it produced a consistent, square response.
Prince Graphite Longbody:
For its length, the LB had very good control. Since it took much less effort to strike and spin the ball, with good preparation it was easy to get the head on the ball and let it drive the ball where it needed to go. This stick also has a lot of flex and feel, so touch shots were easy to produce, especially short-angled groundstrokes. Along with power, the LB had finesse on serves, but it was an absolute necessity to choke up big-time to have any hope of delivering decent volleys. Once I got the strings on the ball, it produced nice, predictable results.
Maneuverability
Dunlop 200G XL:
The Dunlop was very light, quite head-light, and felt like less of a stretch frame than the other two. It was easy to get this bat in position for any stroke and was its single best asset. It was very quick at the net on reflex volleys and its accuracy on groundstrokes must have been due in part to its light weight and balance. Although it's not quite a "point and shoot" weapon like the standard 200G, it is a bit more nimble than the 300G and both of the other racquets playtested.
Babolat Pure Control Team Plus MP:
Extra length really does detract from maneuverability, but this racquet did an adequate job compared to my expectations. It is somewhat more head light than some of its Babolat cousins, so this may have helped. It also feels lighter than its static weight in spite of its weight. In any event, the PC-TP-MP was not remarkable in this area.
Prince Graphite Longbody:
This is the Achilles heel of this racquet. Net rushers, do not apply! This is a LONG, heavy, cumbersome, unwieldy racquet. It is marvelous for playing behind the baseline and on serves. Against heavy heat at the net, you may be better off bringing a baseball bat with you instead. I felt I had to choke up on all three sticks at the net, and this one absolutely requires it.
Stability
Dunlop 200G XL:
This frame is not meant to be played against heavy pace. It is just too light. It would be just fine against a finesse player, or a pusher, or a slicer. Someone with heavy strokes and lots of pace and topspin will knock it out of your hands, especially at the net and on service returns. The head is thin and very light, feeling almost brittle, and the flexibility of the frame contributes to this response.
Babolat Pure Control Team Plus MP:
The Babolat was the most stable of the three, with a large head, denser string pattern, more heft than the Dunlop, more stiffness than the both of the others. It was a little more stable than the others against heavy artillery at the net, but I was disappointed in its performance on returns - lots of shock on heavy, high serves.
Prince Graphite Longbody:
Super solid on groundstrokes, very unstable at the net, but with an important distinction: I was using a 4 3/8" handle rather than my usual 4 5/8", which probably accounted for much of the twisting on volleys; the length and flex probably accounted for the rest.
Comfort
Dunlop 200G XL:
Time will tell for most racquets, and a short playtest won't always do it. The demo felt a little brittle in spite of its flex. I believe this racquet - which was nicely strung with Wilson Sensation 17g - would be rather comfortable and more powerful with natural gut strung at low tension, say 55 lbs.
Babolat Pure Control Team Plus MP:
This stick is more comfortable than some other Babolats, and with the demo string, more comfortable than the Dunlop. It had a more muted feel than both others and would benefit from a quality multi-filament strung at the maximum of the range in which the "woofers" are effective, like 57 lbs. or so. Any users out there, correct me if I'm wrong.
Prince Graphite Longbody:
This racquet had a surprisingly comfortable feel, maybe due to its weight and flexibility. This was countered by the length, and it also sports a leather grip, which is firm but - in my view - comfortable. I did not dig the twisting at all, and I would be concerned about the long-term effects of playing with extra-long sticks. I started playing long racquets, and this was one reason I migrated away from them.
Spin
Dunlop 200G XL:
It was very easy to produce lots of spin with the Dunlop, but it yielded a light ball. Topspin was pretty good, but I wasn't able to get much bite or penetration on the backhand slice. Spin on serves was very good and easy to control. Good backspin on volleys added to the control factor.
Babolat Pure Control Team Plus MP:
I relished spinning groundies with this racquet but my hitting partner referred to them derisively as "puffy." Maybe I'm too old to swing this racquet fast enough. Anyway, the verdict was, plenty of spin on all strokes, but less power than I wanted or expected was part of the trade-off built into this frame.
Prince Graphite Longbody:
Yow! This racquet tears the felt off the ball. When I had time to set up and rip, I could hit screaming topspin forehands, either deep or short angles, which would jump off the court, and these balls had weight. My backhand is my weak link, but I hit better, deeper, spinnier backhands than with my game frames or any other racquet I've hit with. Backhand slice approach shots had bite and stayed down. First serves were heavy, fast and deep, and it was possible to generate egg-shaped kickers on second serves.
| Comfort |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 75 |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 75 |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 70 |
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| Control |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 80 |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 76 |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 75 |
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| Groundstrokes |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 85 |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 75 |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 70 |
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| Maneuverability |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 78 |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 72 |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 60 |
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| Power |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 73 |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 68 |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 60 |
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| Serve Returns |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 65 |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 65 |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 60 |
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| Serves and Overheads |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 82 |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 78 |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 78 |
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| Slice |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 78 |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 73 |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 72 |
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| Stability |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 76 |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 67 |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 65 |
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| Topspin |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 90 |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 78 |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 78 |
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| Touch/Feel |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 80 |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 78 |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 72 |
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| Volleys |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 76 |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 75 |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 70 |
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| Overall |
| Prince Graphite Longbody | 78 |
| Pure ControlTeam+ MP | 74 |
| Dunlop 200G XL | 73 |
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| Playtest date: November, 2004. |
| All content copyright 2007 Tennis Warehouse. |