Prince Vortex Triad String Review

Control - Score: 90 / Power - Score: 67

As a low-powered string, Vortex Triad places the burden of power squarely on the player's ability to generate high stroke speeds. Although this doesn't bode well for beginners or those with compact strokes, it proved perfect for Michelle, whose extremely powerful strokes require exactly the kind of control provided by this co-poly. She said, "This was a string I didn't know I needed in my life! The power was on the low end, just how I like my poly strings. The high level of control allowed me to swing big with confidence. I never had to worry about overhitting, which gave me the ability to strike when the time was right."

Chris had no problem keeping the ball on target with this string. He said, "I found Vortex Triad to be a very control-oriented string. I could take big cuts at the ball and be confident my shots would stay inside the lines. I was able to drop to lower tensions with this string and still find loads of control. My shots were finding their targets, and I generally felt dialed in with this string in my racquets. When it came to generating power, I liked that I was left to my own devices and could swing away. Even when strung at 48 pounds, I still found this a lower powered string; it just offered a slightly loopier launch angle."

Spin - Score: 96

Although the majority of poly-based monofilaments are very spin-friendly, Vortex Triad, with its sharp bite and vicious snapback, is exceptional in this area, and it earned one of the best spin scores ever awarded by our playtest program. Needless to say, Chris was impressed. "My favorite quality of this string was the amount of spin I could get on my shots," he said. "Compared to the polys I've recently been hitting, such as Solinco Hyper-G, Tecnifibre Ice Code and Head Lynx Tour, I felt this string edged them all in spin, even if it didn't in other areas. I was able to give my topspin shots lots of net clearance and pace without fear of hitting long. My drive slices were skidding low, and I was able to get my drop shots to stop nice and short with lots of underspin."

Michelle, our resident flat ball hitter, couldn't help but notice how effectively this string gripped and rotated the ball. She said, "So much bite! The first thing I noticed from this string was how sharp the edges were. While I am not known for hitting loads of topspin, I rely on spin to help keep balls within the baseline and add some movement to off-pace shots, kick serves, slices and angles. This string understood the assignment, and it was clear how much access to spin I had. The string really grabbed the ball and added RPMs without me having to change my stroke style or speed."

Comfort - Score: 78 / Feel - Score: 74

With its stiff monofilament construction, Vortex Triad is not built to offer the plush comfort of a natural gut or multifilament. In fact, the higher stiffness level is exactly what gives it the control advanced players crave. That said, neither of our playtesters reported any issues with discomfort. For Michelle, the feel was just right. She said, "I didn't have any issues with this string feeling too firm nor too soft and mushy. Pairing it in the Prince ATS Tour 98 was great since that racquet is on the softer side. This string felt great above 55 pounds, giving me a firmer stringbed paired with a nice and plush racquet response. Even in the Wilson Pro Staff RF7, which is a bit of a stiffer racquet, this string felt just right in terms of firmness. It never felt uncomfortable."

Despite not having the crisp and connected feel that he typically prefers, Chris reported no discomfort, and he appreciated this string's pocketing. He explained, "Vortex Triad was a tad on the muted side for me. I prefer more connectivity with the ball, so this is an area where I was left wanting. The string was adequately comfortable compared to other co-polys, and I never found it to feel too harsh. I liked the way the string pocketed the ball, and I felt like I could carry the ball through my swing for some added control."

Playability Duration - Score: 70

As with nearly every co-poly our team has playtested, Vortex Triad eventually became unplayable due to tension loss. This is why many professional players change out racquets several times during the course of a single match. For Chris, Vortex Triad lasted about seven sessions before succumbing to the typical control problems. He said, "I was able to keep this string in my racquets for about seven hours of play before I felt tension and playability drop off too much. When the tension did drop out, I found the feel to get too soggy, and I started to struggle to gauge the depth of my shots. I did find I could ride the drop-off longer here than with the Vortex Triad Hybrid. Maybe it was because the mains and the crosses are the same in this Vortex Triad and the drop-off was more uniform compared to the hybrid?"

"This string did its job and felt solid for the first week," said Michelle. "I would say the tension maintenance was on par for what I was expecting; it's not the best tension retention on the market, but it didn't have a noticeable drop for me either. If a string really gets mushy and soft once it starts to bag out, that can be a deal breaker for me. As a 'lazy stringer,' I appreciated that even when the tension dropped, Vortex Triad maintained its playability and still felt decent in my racquets."

Overall - Score: 84