Length: 27.5
Weight: 11.2
Ideal Swing – Short: No
Ideal Swing – Medium: No
Ideal Swing – Long: YesThe original Prince Graphite, for advanced players with full swings, was a classic, so trying to improve it wasn’t easy. Prince’s new Triple Threat Graphite is the third direct descendant of the original, and by far the most stable. You still have to generate your own power with this frame but a forgiving sweet spot makes it more comfortable. For players who want to max out on control, the mid-plus delivers all over the court. If you prefer to grind it out along the baseline, the oversize has a bit more pop. If you’ve got some game, this frame is a sure-fire confidence-builder.

BOTTOM LINE
If you liked the original Graphite, this new-and-improved version is definitely worth trying.

PRICE: $190
HEAD SIZE: 100 sq. in. (MP); 110 sq. in. (OS)
LENGTH: 27 in. (MP); 27.5 in. (OS)
WEIGHT: 11.1 oz. (MP); 10.2 oz. (OS)
BALANCE: 3/10 in. head light (MP); 1/5 in. head light (OS)
FLEXIBILITY: Firm
IDEAL SWING: Long (MP);medium to long (OS)
NTRP: 4.0–7.0 (MP); 3.0–5.0 (OS)FIRST TAKE:
In 1997, Prince had the year’s best-selling racquet, the ThunderBolt. What made the (now discontinued) stick a hit? It had a solid feel and appealed to a broad range of players, from intermediate to advanced. With its latest frame, Prince is once again courting the masses.COMPARE TO:
Prince ThunderBolt

HOW IT TESTED:
The Shark has an extraordinarily solid feel, which is a result of the merging of old and new technologies. The old: the Sweet Spot Expansion System, also found in the ThunderBolt. These bigger grommet holes at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock positions allow the strings to move freely and produce a forgiving feel. The new: a thermoplastic rubber pallet inside the handle that stops vibrations from reaching your arm, and braided carbon fibers in the throat for a softer feel. The mid-plus is heavy yet maneuverable, with a terrific combination of power and control for long-swinging advanced players. The Shark’s only weakness was that it didn’t produce enough spin, players said. Almost an ounce lighter, the oversize received its best reviews from intermediates, particularly doubles specialists, who liked the power it delivered on the staple shots: serves, returns, and volleys.

BOTTOM LINE:
This racquet will win you over with its exceptionally solid feel and good control.

PRICE $220
HEAD SIZE 100 sq. in. (MP); 110 sq. in. (OS)
LENGTH 27 in. (MP); 27.5 in. (OS)
WEIGHT 10.7 oz. (MP); 10.3 oz. (OS)
FLEXIBILITY Firm
BALANCE 3/10 in. HL (MP); 1/2 in. HL (OS)
BEAM WIDTH 24-28-24 mm (MP); 26-30-26 mm (OS)
IDEAL SWING Long (MP); medium to long (OS)
NTRP 4.0–5.5 (MP); 3.5–5.0 (OS)FIRST TAKE:
You tried out Maria Sharapova’s frame, the Shark, but realized that it wasn’t suited for your mid-level game. Now you can be a Maria wannabe with this user-friendly version.

COMPARE TO:
Prince Shark

HOW IT TESTED:
The first Shark was an excellent racquet, and this one is too. The big difference: Prince has incorporated its popular Double Bridge (DB) technology. Some of the main (up and down) strings are threaded through a shock-absorbing polymer located at the bottom of the head that reduces vibration without deadening feedback. The result is a solid-feeling, comfortable racquet that will be especially appealing to players who have had arm problems. The mid-plus and oversize are also slightly lighter and easier to swing than the originals—slightly. You still have to take a healthy rip to generate pop. This is a good thing if you’re an improving intermediate who wants a stick that will encourage you to develop better strokes. You also may find, as our playtesters did, that you can’t generate as much spin as you might like. But for driving through the ball this Prince will turn any minnow into a Shark.

BOTTOM LINE:
The comfort and solid feel should win you over.

PRICE $220
HEAD SIZE 100 sq. in.
LENGTH 27 in.
WEIGHT 11.1 oz.
FLEXIBILITY Firm
BALANCE 3/10 in. head light
IDEAL SWING Long
NTRP 3.5–5.0FIRST TAKE:
Aggressive players who use the whole string bed—not just the sweet spot—could use a racquet like this one, which is designed to be more forgiving on mishits.

COMPARE TO:
Prince More Control DB

HOW IT TESTED:
You’re a good player, but you don’t always hit a clean ball, right? The O3 White can help. Large, grommetless holes in the head allow the strings to move more on impact; as a result, the string bed has more “give” and a bigger sweet spot. When you hit off-center, you can still get some zip on your shots. At impact, the strings also rub against the frame, which, along with a vibration dampener, greatly reduces chatter. Is this a good thing? It depends on what you want. The muted feel will turn off players who disdain vibration dampeners. But if you can’t live without those rubber doohickeys, you’ll love the White’s damp feedback. Prince designed the racquet to fall between last year’s O3 Red and O3 Tour: The White has less power than the former and more than the latter. It received high marks for control and power from longswinging testers—with a caveat. They found it difficult to generate heavy topspin.

BOTTOM LINE:
With a bigger sweet spot, this Prince is a smart pick for aggressive all-courters who need a forgiving frame.

PRICE $200
HEAD SIZE 100 sq. in.
LENGTH 27 in.
WEIGHT 11.5 oz.
FLEXIBILITY Firm
BALANCE 9/10 in. head light
BEAM WIDTH 18-20-18 mm
IDEAL SWING Long
NTRP 4.0–7.0FIRST TAKE:
You were intrigued by the O3 Red and O3 Silver racquets that came out earlier this year but disappointed that they weren’t for advanced players. Here’s your version.

COMPARE TO:
Prince Triple Threat Rebel

HOW IT TESTED:
Played by Guillermo Coria, the O3 Tour has large, grommet-less string holes, dubbed O-Ports, in the head that create a forgiving string bed with a larger-than-average sweet spot. But the racquet’s best quality is its phenomenal maneuverability, thanks to the head-light balance and the O-Ports, which improve the frame’s aerodynamics. You’ll appreciate the ease of handling at the baseline, where you can whip the racquet through the contact point to generate heavy topspin and sharp angles. Indeed, net-chargers won’t stand a chance against you. Some playtesters said that the O3 Tour was actually too head light, costing them power—particularly on the serve—but that’s nothing a few grams of lead tape won’t fix. And while the racquet lacks the precise control that serve-and-volleyers demand, it won’t slow you down when you’re trying to react to hard-hit passing shots.

BOTTOM LINE:
This racquet might be too head light for power baseliners, but it’s just right for aggressive all-courters.

Price: $199
Head Size: 97 sq. in.
Length: 27 in.
Weight: 11.8 oz. (port); 12 oz. (string-hole inserts)
Flexibility: StiffBalance: 1 in. head lightIdeal
Swing: Long
NTRP: 4.0–7.0SALES PITCH:
A frame for competitive players that has more feedback and classic feel than the original O3 racquets.

COMPARE TO:
N/A

HOW IT TESTED:
It’s not exactly two racquets in one, but by developing the Speedport Tuning System for the Tour (and the Black), Prince has given users a chance to have two distinct playing experiences. If you enjoy a spongy, forgiving string bed and whoosh sound that are characteristic of O3 racquets, you can leave the grommetless Speedport holes as they are. But if you want a slightly more substantial frame with a classic response (more in line with the Wilson 6.1 and Head Prestige families, according to Prince), you can use the string-hole inserts that come with the Tour. Playtesters found that the port version felt particularly comfortable, while the string-hole insert model had more feel on volleys and an extra bit of weight to pack more punch on serves. Both versions are head light, however, so you need to generate a good swing to get some sting on the ball. No matter which style you prefer, the Tour is stable, very maneuverable, and performs well from all over the court.

BOTTOM LINE:
Thanks to the customization option in the string-hole inserts, advanced players looking for either a comfortable feel or traditional, crisp feedback will fi nd both in this Prince.

PRICE: $290
HEAD SIZE: 118 sq. in.
LENGTH: 27.5 in.
WEIGHT: 9.4 oz.
FLEXIBILITY: Very stiff
BALANCE: 4/5 in. head heavy
IDEAL SWING: Short
NTRP: 2.5–3.5SALES PITCH
A lightweight and very powerful racquet for players with short, slow strokes.

COMPARE TO
Prince O3 Silver

HOW IT TESTED
The O3 Speedport Silver has a rather limited base of appeal, but those playtesters who liked the way it handled couldn’t get enough of it. It’s one of the more powerful frames available and good for players who want their racquets to do the heavy lifting for them. A short stroke will result in a comfortable ride; take too big a swing with the Silver and you might lose some control and stability. The sweet spot is hard to miss, and even though the Silver is head heavy, it’s easy to swing because it’s just under 9.5 ounces and has minimal wind drag thanks to its large grommetless string holes, called Speedports. Reviews were most favorable from the baseline, where the extra power proved most benefi cial. Volleys packed plenty of punch, too, but they weren’t exactly radar-guided.

BOTTOM LINE
A smart choice for seniors on the country-club doubles circuit.

PRICE: $250
HEAD SIZE: 105 sq. in.
LENGTH: 27.25 in.
WEIGHT: 10.5 oz.
FLEXIBILITY: Very stiff
BALANCE: 1/10 in. head light
IDEAL SWING: Medium to long
NTRP: 3.5–5.0SALES PITCH
A solid, slightly large mid-plus with controllable power, this Prince will appeal to a wide spectrum of players.

COMPARE TO
Prince O3 Red

HOW IT TESTED
Whether you’re a young hotshot looking to improve or a grizzled tournament vet on the down slope of your competitive career, the O3 Speedport Red has something for you. “So reliable” is how one 3.5 tester described the racquet’s performance from all parts of the court. It’s got pop, but you need to swing to make things happen. You can also customize the amount of feedback you get by sliding the string dampener up to the lowest cross string (for less noise) or down to the throat (for more feel). It’s a feature on all Speedport racquets, but it received the most notice from fans of this model due to its smaller face and appeal to more discriminating players. The only major knock was that, even though it has the new Speedport technology, some didn’t see marked improvement between this racquet and its predecessor, the well-received O3 Red.

BOTTOM LINE
The playability of the O3 Speedport Red makes it compatible with a variety of styles.

PRICE: $270
HEAD SIZE: 110 sq. in.
LENGTH: 27.5 in.
WEIGHT: 10.3 oz.
FLEXIBILITY: Very stiff
BALANCE: 1/10 in. head heavy
IDEAL SWING: Medium
NTRP: 3.0–4.0SALES PITCH
This Prince has a combination of effortless power and control for intermediates looking for more consistency.COMPARE TO
Prince O3 Blue

HOW IT TESTED
With the large grommetless string holes (called Speedports) in the head reducing wind drag, it’s easy to take a big cut at the ball with the O3 Speedport Blue. It’s not a must—a medium-pace swing can produce plenty of pace—but what’s nice here is that you’re not heavily penalized if you do. You can swing reasonably quickly and still control the ball. It’s a step up the food chain from the Silver in this regard, so it should appeal to adult league players who still crave that classic oversized racquet face. The Blue is well-balanced and handles well on both serves and volleys, where smooth swings are rewarded with some nice pop. But keep in mind that it’s a blend of power and control—not a perfect union. The frame is still quite lightweight and favors punch over precision, so it’s not a great transition frame for juniors looking to develop longer strokes.

BOTTOM LINE
The light weight and oversized face should discourage rising juniors, but experienced club players looking for a bump up the ladder will fi nd a lot to like.