Racquet Playtest Comparison:
| About the play tester | About the racquets |
Name: TripleB
Playing Level: 4.5
Regular racquet, string & tension: Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.1, Kirschbaum Super Smash Honey 17g string @ 63lbs
Tell us about your game:
All court player; full western forehand grip; two-handed backhand; heavy topspin and slice from both sides; medium length strokes; fast swing speed.
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Power
Prince Graphite Longbody: With the added length and the 100 square inch head, this racquet offers a slight power boost from the baseline compared to what I typically get with my Prince Original Graphite mid. I was able to take short balls hit to my backhand and really give them a nice rip without sacrificing much control. I think I could even string it a bit tighter compared to the demo and still get enough pace to hit clean winners from midcourt and add even more control in the process. However, this is a racquet that requires at least a medium-fast to fast paced swing in order to get lethal groundstrokes. I found out that once I ventured to the net, the power is rather low if you do not add a little extra punch to your volleys. Just having the racquet in the proper volleying position did not offer me enough power. Whether it was the racquet length or the flex of the racquet (which seemed to be even lower than the 62 rating would indicate), I just couldn't find enough power to put the ball consistently deep on volleys. Power on my return of serve was average. I had my best return of serves when I used some type of topspin or slice to land the ball deep in the corner of the court. When going for a flat out winner I was much more confident off the backhand side than the forehand. My forehand return has always been a little slow and I found that the length of the Prince just made it that much slower. I found a fair amount of pace on my first serves but they were not nearly as effective as the ones I get with my Prince Original Graphite Mid and nowhere close to some of the bombs I can hit with my Hyper ProStaff. I had trouble getting the 28 inch frame up to speed in my delivery so power was low for me on the serve. My toss is rather low but I think players with a higher toss would probably get more power on his/her serve with the Prince than I did. I feel that the power of this racquet would be close to perfect from all areas of the court if the racquet were slightly stiffer. Maybe around 66 or so like the Prince Original Graphite.
Babolat Pure Control Plus: I found the power on the Babolat to be very inconsistent throughout my demo sessions. It seemed like when I went for heavy spin, I would find the ball ending up in the net. If I went for a flat ball winner, I found the ball sailing quite a bit long. There didn't seem to be an area (that I could find) where I was able hit with heavy spin and get deep penetrating shots, nor was there any consistency when I tried to hit outright winners from mid-court. I really had problems when I tried to take the ball on the rise, finding that a majority of these shots would fly long. Stringing this racquet tighter or using a polyester sting might help in controlling these types of shots. Luckily this racquet did a much better job at net when it came to getting the response that I was hoping to find. Volleys had fantastic pace, giving me the ability to make solid volleys whether I was in the proper position or I was pulled wide. This racquet really shined in the areas of power and control when it came to serving. I was getting great pace and pinpoint control on my serves up the T as well as wide serves in both boxes. As far as return of serve, I typically could use my opponent's power to block the ball back with decent pace. However, if I try to be really aggressive with my returns, I tended to over hit and have the ball fly long by a foot or two.
Comparison: I ended up giving the Babolat a slightly higher mark than the Prince in terms of power, but the Prince does a much better job of providing a consistent power off the face of the racquet. If I were to choose one of these two racquets based on power I would definitely go with the Prince because I know how much pop (and therefore depth) the ball is going to have when it leaves the racquet face.
Control
Prince Graphite Longbody: If there were any doubt that a 100 square inch racquet can offer as much control as a mid size racquet, this is the racquet that lets you know it is possible. I had fantastic control with this racquet from all over the court and when hitting any type of shot. With the ability to spin the ball as much as I wanted, I was able to hit absolutely beautiful cross court angles that allowed my opponent no chance of getting the ball back in play. Down the line shots were a breeze with the consistent power and spin I was getting. I just found a spot, aimed, and pulled the trigger. Time after time after time I went down the line on my opponent for a clean winner or a sitter of a return. The only groundstroke that gave me any type of problem was the deep crosscourt forehand. I found that when I was at the baseline and tried to hit an offensive forehand crosscourt, the ball ended up around the service line. I don't think that this is necessarily the fault of the racquet but I would need to have some extra time with the Prince in order to get used to bringing the Longbody around in time to get the ball crosscourt. Control on serves, especially first serves, was only average. Again, the 28 inch frame made serving seem awkward and more of a chore than it should be. I was able to direct most second serves where I wanted them to go but I just had so little pace on them that they came back at me a lot faster than they went. As far as my returns go, I had fantastic control, especially when I used topspin or slice to help guide the ball exactly where I wanted it to go. Flatly struck forehands occasionally flew on me but only when I was trying to pull off shots that I'm not capable of hitting.
Babolat Pure Control Plus: I would say that the control on groundstrokes with the Babolat was slightly below average. Again, the inconsistent pace off the racquet face made me wonder if I was hitting the correct shot for each situation. If I tried to go crosscourt, was I going to get a lot of power and have the ball sail on me or was I going to find that the ball was going to fall short because of a lack of power. The only shots from the baseline that I felt I could really control well were the simple high floater with good spin back to the middle of my opponent's court or the slice backhand up the line. I could usually keep the topspin floater deep enough so my opponent couldn't take the offense in the point. I believe that the net is where this Babolat belongs. The control was well above average at the net with my typical volleying woes taking some time off. A very solid feel at net gave me the confidence to go for any type of volley I wanted whether it was a drop volley, angle volley at the service line, deep cross-court volley, etc. It seems to me like this stick was made for someone who serves and volleys. The control, combined with the good power level (at least on the serve), make this a great serving stick. I could hit some pretty big bombs into any corner because of the pinpoint control this racquet offered on the serve. I was probably more accurate with this racquet than any other racquet I've tried in quiet a while. A fantastic combination of power and control on the serve but it's puzzling to me why this power/control combo didn't carry over to groundstrokes.
Comparison: The control of these racquets is an area where there is no contest unless you are a serve and volley type of player. I however, am predominately a baseliner who ventures into net only on short balls when I know I can take a good rip at the ball. I have to give a huge nod to the Prince in the area of control due to the fact that it seemed like I could just think of where I wanted the ball to go on groundstrokes and it found it's mark. I didn't have to consciously think about how to hit the ball each time to get superior control, it just seemed to come naturally.
Maneuverability
Prince Graphite Longbody: Aside from my typical slow forehand, I was shocked at how good the maneuverability was with this 28 inch racquet from the baseline. Obviously, the balance of the racquet being 12 points headlight helped quite a bit. It seemed slightly slower than my Prince Original Graphite Mid but not nearly as much as I had expected when I first looked at the specs of the Longbody. I couldn't seem to hold my shot and make a change of direction as well as I can with my Original Prince, but I could still get the racquet around pretty quickly. At net the Prince Graphite Longbody seemed to feel a little slow, especially in doubles when I went from hitting a ball at shoulder height to trying to pick one off my shoes laces. If my opponent hit a hard shot wide to my forehand, and I was lucky enough to get it back, he typically went to the opposite side and I couldn't get the racquet to the backhand side quick enough. Other than that, the only places that I really couldn't get this frame moving quickly enough was on the serve and on my forehand returns on a well struck serve. Trying to get the frame moving up and out on my serve just didn't seem to be a smooth process. I consciously had to think about tossing the ball higher, getting the racquet head moving sooner, and speeding up my service motion just to try and get some pace on the ball.
Babolat Pure Control Plus: Maneuverability was a big minus for this "Plus" racquet. It was slow from the baseline, it was slower at the net, it was lethargic on returns, and even though I served great with it, it was a little slow when serving. I cannot believe that this racquet is only 11.9 ounces. To me it seems to weigh at least a couple tenths of an ounce more than my Hyper ProStaff (which is 12.4 ounces). When at the baseline I had to decide what shot I wanted to play pretty early or I ended up way late on my groundstrokes. The maneuverability wasn't as big of problem on the backhand side where I use two hands, but when it came to the forehand I was late a majority of the time. I don't think I was ever able to hit an effective forehand crosscourt. Quick exchanges at the net were in fact quickÉ.quickly over. On forehand service returns, I was forced to try and hit a slice forehand or else block the ball back over the net.
Comparison: As you can tell by the ratings in this category, the Prince is by far the more maneuverable of the two racquets. If the Babolat were more headlight (I know the specs say it's 10 points but it seems more like 5 or 6) I think it would be a much better racquet as far as maneuverability is concerned. On groundstrokes, when comparing the two side-by-side, it seemed like the Prince weighed about 11.6 ounces and the Babolat weighed closer to 12.6 ounces.
Stability
Prince Graphite Longbody: If there is one area where I really felt the length and low flex of this racquet is noticeable, it is in the area of stability. The extra inch combined with the 62 flex created a feeling of instability, especially on balls hit towards the top of the racquet. I didn't feel a whole lot of twisting on balls hit left or right of center but I did feel like the racquet was pushed around on those balls that found the upper part of the racquet face. This was most noticeable when I was stretched wide hitting a volley against powerfully struck groundstrokes. It was seldom that I found the upper part (where the lack of stability was most noticeable) of the racquet face on groundstrokes because I'm used to a 27 inch frame. Shots that missed the sweetspot were typically struck below the center of the racquet face therefore the stability at the baseline, as well as on returns of serve, seemed pretty good.
Babolat Pure Control Plus: Stability from all over the court was one of the strengths of the Babolat Pure Control Plus. I have a feeling that the stiffer frame helped create a more stable racquet on serves, returns, volleys, and groundstrokes. I very seldom felt any twisting of the racquet and I didn't find the problems I experienced with the Prince when missing the sweetspot on the upper side. The two shots that allowed the stability of this racquet to stand out were on the return of serve, when I could block the ball back with authority using my opponents pace, and at the net where every volley felt rock solid.
Comparison: This is one of the few areas where the Babolat really outperforms the Prince Longbody. I believe because the frame of the Babolat is stiffer, it gives a much more solid feel from all areas of the court than the Prince does with it's more flexible frame. I just have the feeling that if Prince would have made this racquet as stiff as the Prince Original Graphite Mid, it would have helped the stability of the racquet a great deal.
Comfort
Prince Graphite Longbody: The lack of stiffness that caused me stability problems above really allowed the comfort of this racquet to shine. I really enjoyed the comfort level of this racquet because, unlike some racquets I've tried recently, it didn't have a "plush" feel to it. I could still feel the ball on the strings (my complaint about "plush" racquets) but the comfort level was very high due to the flexibility of the frame itself. It wasn't some new technology giving this racquet a comfortable feel, it was done by simply lowering the stiffness to give the feeling of comfort. The comfort level at the net was the sole reason that I gave the Prince a score higher than 70 on volleys. Even though it didn't have enough power for my game at net, the comfort level was so high that it made hitting touch volleys with incredible angles a joy.
Babolat Pure Control Plus: While the comfort of the Prince comes from the low flex rating, the comfort level of the Babolat (which is above average) comes from the Woofer technology. It was a very comfortable feel but at times, typically with balls hit left or right of center, it seemed like the comfort level would drop more than other racquets I've been trying. It seems like a strange way to put it, but it was almost as if the stiffness of the racquet and the Woofer system were fighting each other causing a less comfortable ride than what the racquet should have.
Comparison: I would rate the Prince a few points higher in the area of comfort. It is probably a matter of taste as to whether you would prefer your comfort coming from technology (Woofer) or from the flexibility of the racquet. I preferred the comfort coming from a more flexible racquet because it seemed to be more consistent from all areas of the racquet face. With the Babolat it seemed that hitting the sweetspot offered a much more comfortable feeling than what you got from hitting the ball even slightly off center.
Spin
Prince Graphite Longbody: Let's say it all together now, "The Prince Graphite Longbody is a Spin Doctor." This racquet comes as close to matching the spin potential of my Prince Original Graphite Mid as any other racquet I've ever tried (including the Yonex RD-7). Topspin groundstrokes were just astonishing! After every game I had to take a minute or two to remove the ball fuzz from the strings of this racquet. If I were to use this racquet on a daily basis I would have to use polyester strings to help reduce string movement. There was so much string movement that I can't believe the strings actually made it through my entire demo session without breaking. I honestly had to straighten the Wilson Sensation 17g strings after every point. Slice from this racquet was almost as equally amazing. I would have to rate the slice slightly lower than that of my Prince Original Graphite because I couldn't quite get the 28 inch frame moving as quickly as my Original Graphite therefore the slice didn't have as much bite. Still, I could slice and dice with this thing all day long. Returning serves with this stick was enjoyable because I would use so much topspin that it would kick up to my opponent's shoulder or else I would have so much slice that it seemed like the ball didn't come up off the court at all. I lost count of how many times I heard my opponents say, "stop using all that junk." My favorite tactic with this racquet was to hit a heavy topspin backhand to my opponent and then use the slicing ability of this racquet to hit a dropshot to his forehand. The kick I was getting on my serves was only average. Again I think this is because I struggled to get my toss high enough to where I could allow the frame to do more of the work.
Babolat Pure Control Plus: The slice I was getting with the Babolat Pure Control Plus was about equal to what I currently get with my Wilson Hyper ProStaff 6.1. It's well above average but when compared to the Prince racquets there is a huge difference. Topspin off both the forehand and backhand sides was only mediocre. I couldn't get that heavy driving topspin that allowed me to take charge of each point. The lack of heavy topspin was really noticeable in doubles when I was simply trying to get the ball to dip quickly over the net. The ball tended to sit up a bit thereby leaving a pretty easy volley for my opponent. The one area that really stood out to me as far as spin potential with the Babolat was on my serve. I could really see the ball dipping as it went over the net on my second serve. It was almost the way it looks when pros serve and the ball looks as though it should go long but dips in the service box at the last second with impressive kick.
Comparison: As you can tell by the ratings it was no contest when it comes to the spin you are able to get with these two racquets. The Prince just excels in the spin department whether you're talking about topspin or slice. The wide open string pattern of the Prince allows you to hit much more effective slices and more penetrating topspin groundstrokes than the Babolat. When demoed by itself the Babolat is average as far as topspin is concerned and well above average in the slice department, but when compared to the Prince Graphite Longbody, it feels like it has a much tighter string pattern than 16x20.
* On a side note: I let a buddy of mine (Andy P.), who is a 4.0 baseliner, try out the Babolat Pure Control Plus and he liked it so well that he retired his Michael Chang Longbodies and ordered two of the Babolat Pure Control Plus racquets from Tennis-Warehouse.
| Comfort |
| POG Longbody | 77 |
| PC Team Plus | 74 |
| POG Mid | 73 |
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| Control |
| POG Mid | 86 |
| POG Longbody | 82 |
| PC Team Plus | 73 |
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| Groundstrokes |
| POG Mid | 85 |
| POG Longbody | 81 |
| PC Team Plus | 73 |
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| Maneuverability |
| POG Mid | 83 |
| POG Longbody | 76 |
| PC Team Plus | 68 |
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| Power |
| PC Team Plus | 74 |
| POG Longbody | 72 |
| POG Mid | 69 |
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| ServeReturns |
| POG Mid | 84 |
| POG Longbody | 78 |
| PC Team Plus | 74 |
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| ServesandOverheads |
| POG Mid | 81 |
| PC Team Plus | 79 |
| POG Longbody | 73 |
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| Slice |
| POG Mid | 84 |
| POG Longbody | 83 |
| PC Team Plus | 78 |
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| Stability |
| PC Team Plus | 79 |
| POG Mid | 75 |
| POG Longbody | 74 |
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| Topspin |
| POG Mid | 87 |
| POG Longbody | 86 |
| PC Team Plus | 74 |
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| Touch/Feel |
| POG Longbody | 77 |
| PC Team Plus | 75 |
| POG Mid | 72 |
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| Volleys |
| PC Team Plus | 75 |
| POG Longbody | 73 |
| POG Mid | 70 |
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| Overall |
| POG Mid | 85 |
| POG Longbody | 81 |
| PC Team Plus | 73 |
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| Playtest date: October, 2004. |
| All content copyright 2007 Tennis Warehouse. |