Category Archives: String Patterns
Prince Vortex 300
The new Prince Vortex design is a new offering of an older string pattern with 14 main strings and 21 cross strings in a variable taper beam…whew! You can see by the throat design that the main strings are longer that a conventional throat design. The longer the main strings the more energy they can return…sort of, and in some cases!
Vortex 300
The beam starts at the grip with a strong 25mm then tapers into a 23mm at the throat and then back to 25mm at the tip. Do not let the beam dimensions fool you! The RDC flex of 59 after stringing is quite acceptable for most every player style.
We have been taking coefficient of friction (COF) data for years but have not included it this review format, until now. The 14×21 string pattern is unique enough that it is worth including. You will see the numbers on the review specs so we won’t go into them now, however the numbers are interesting.
The 14 main strings contribute to a very “open” area right about where most extreme “spin” shots are hit according to our data of string failure positions.
The frame geometry is sort of “Aero” like. The shaft is trapezoidal that transitions into a “reverse” trapezoid around the head. It makes the racquet look stiffer than it is!
Take a look at the specs then pick up a demo to see what the numbers mean to you!
| Manufacturer | Prince |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Prince Vortex 300 |
| Reference Tension | 56 lbs - 25.4kg |
| String | Victrex 7718 |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| ASPS, RDC | 45 |
| ASPS, FlexFour | 58.5 |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 59 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 40.0 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 526.3 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 322 |
| Weight, Ounces | 11.36 |
| Balance, mm | 320 |
| Balance, Inch | 12.60 |
| Length, Cm | 68.6 |
| Length, Inch | 27.008 |
| Head Width | 9.94 |
| Head Length | 12.94 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 652 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 101.1 |
| Number of Main Strings | 14 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 21 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .512 |
| Main String Grid | 7.30 |
| Cross String Grid | 9.50 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .686 |
| Average Cross String Space | .452 |
| Average Main String Space | .521 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 32 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 176.98 |
| First Moment, Nm | .790 |
| Polar Moment | 336 |
| Torsional Stability | 17 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 319 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.25 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 329.7 |
| Power, RDC | 47 |
| Control, RDC | 52 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 74 |
| Power, Calculated | 1921.1 |
| Head Points | 7.24 |
| Head Weight, % | 46.6 |
| Center of Percussion | 21.7 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 9.48 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 30.2 |
| K, Lb/In | 144.23 |
| Recoil Weight | 165.41 |
| Twist Weight | 237.56 |
| End Weight | 134.5 |
| Tip Weight | 189.0 |
| 9 O'Clock | 96.2 |
| 3 O'Clock | 96.1 |
| Butt Cap | 131.4 |
| Coefficient of Friction: M | .400 |
| Coefficient of Friction: X | .262 |
Prince RipStick 300
I am not saying the is not a serious tennis racquet but the first descriptor that come to mind is “fun”! And who does not want to have a little fun while playing tennis, huh?
RipStick 300
This is one of the remaining racquets with the “O” Port technology which is very large string openings instead of small grommet holes. The design allows for much more string movement and the 16×18 string bed helps! The “O” Ports create an effective head size of 105 in a racquet that measures 100 square inches.
But, just look at those colors! I think they are awesome!
This is a constant taper beam starting at 22.5mm going up to 27mm so if you are “thin beam” person you may hesitate to hit with this racquet, but we think you may be missing out!
If you just look at the racquet you may think it to be quite stiff. That is not the case! With an RDC stiffness of 62 after stringing we arrive at an effective stiffness of 30.2 with this string setup. Not bad!
Take a look at the specs then come get the demo and see what all these numbers mean to you!
| Manufacturer | Prince |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Prince RipStick 300 |
| Reference Tension | 60 lbs - 27.2kg |
| String | Prince Premier 16 |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| ASPS, RDC | 59 |
| ASPS, FlexFour | 64.5 |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 62 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 46.6 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 504.2 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 328 |
| Weight, Ounces | 11.57 |
| Balance, mm | 323 |
| Balance, Inch | 12.72 |
| Length, Cm | 68.6 |
| Length, Inch | 27.008 |
| Head Width | 10.00 |
| Head Length | 12.87 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 645 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 100.1 |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 18 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .694 |
| Main String Grid | 7.56 |
| Cross String Grid | 9.12 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .679 |
| Average Cross String Space | .531 |
| Average Main String Space | .469 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 36 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 201.35 |
| First Moment, Nm | .814 |
| Polar Moment | 337 |
| Torsional Stability | 17 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 320 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.29 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 342.2 |
| Power, RDC | 43 |
| Control, RDC | 58 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 73 |
| Power, Calculated | 2095.5 |
| Head Points | 6.14 |
| Head Weight, % | 47.2 |
| Center of Percussion | 21.2 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 8.28 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 30.2 |
| K, Lb/In | 189.10 |
| Recoil Weight | 159.2 |
| Twist Weight | 256.05 |
| End Weight | 134.9 |
| Tip Weight | 194.5 |
| 9 O'Clock | 100.8 |
| 3 O'Clock | 97.3 |
| Butt Cap | 130.2 |
Head Speed Pro Black
As you probably know by now Novak Djokovic plays with a version of the Head Speed but in black, not black and white! So it was only a matter of time until the all-black Speed Pro became available.
Until now we only had the black and white Speed Pro demo but now we have the black one!
This review will include the white and black version of the Speed and we will include a comparison to the Wilson Blade Pro!
| Manufacturer | Head |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Head Graphene 360 + Speed Pro Black |
| Reference Tension | 54 lbs - 24.5 kg |
| String | Head Reflex MLT |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| ASPS, RDC | 56 |
| ASPS, FlexFour | 66.5 |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 57 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 50.5 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 325.2 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 334 |
| Weight, Ounces | 11.78 |
| Balance, mm | 325 |
| Balance, Inch | 12.80 |
| Length, Cm | 68.6 |
| Length, Inch | 27.008 |
| Head Width | 9.618 |
| Head Length | 13.10 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 636.1 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 98.6 |
| Number of Main Strings | 18 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 20 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .662 |
| Main String Grid | 7.565 |
| Cross String Grid | 10.30 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .7735 |
| Average Cross String Space | .513 |
| Average Main String Space | .413 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 35 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 195.7 |
| First Moment, Nm | .836 |
| Polar Moment | 341 |
| Torsional Stability | 15 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 326 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.50 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 352.8 |
| Power, RDC | 42 |
| Control, RDC | 59 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 69 |
| Power, Calculated | 1832.1 |
| Head Points | 5.51 |
| Head Weight, % | 47.0% |
| Center of Percussion | 21.016 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 8.502 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 28.25 |
| K, Lb/In | 179.49 |
| Recoil Weight | 159.3 |
| Twist Weight | 231.4 |
| End Weight | 134.5 |
| Tip Weight | 198.0 |
| 9 O'Clock | 99.0 |
| 3 O'Clock | 99.6 |
| Butt Cap | 134.0 |
And now for the white and black version:
| Manufacturer | Head |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Head Graphene 360+ Speed Pro |
| Reference Tension | 56 lbs - 25.4 kg |
| String | Victrex PEEK fiber Experimental 7718 |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| ASPS, RDC | 55 |
| ASPS, FlexFour | 66.5 |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 60 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 43 |
| Weight, Grams | 327 |
| Weight, Ounces | 11.53 |
| Balance, mm | 323 |
| Balance, Inch | 12.72 |
| Length, Cm | 68.5 |
| Length, Inch | 26.97 |
| Head Width | 9.69 |
| Head Length | 13.06 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 641.2 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 99.4 |
| Beam Width, mm, Shaft, Center, Tip | 23, 23, 23 |
| In Plane Stiffness, Pounds/In | 335.2 Lbs/In. |
| In Plane Stiffness, Kg/cm | 152.0 Kg/cm |
| Number of Main Strings | 18 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 20 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .668 |
| Main String Grid | 7.62 |
| Cross String Grid | 10.37 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .768 |
| Average Cross String Space | .513 |
| Average Main String Space | .414 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 37 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 206.94 |
| First Moment, Nm | .812 |
| Polar Moment | 336 |
| Torsional Stability | 16 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 320 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.29 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 341.2 |
| Power, RDC | 45 |
| Control, RDC | 57 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 73 |
| Power, Calculated | 1908.2 |
| Head Points | 6.14 (negative = head heavy |
| Head Weight, % | 47.2% |
| Center of Percussion | 21.2 |
| Dwell Time, ms, No Swing | 8.58 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 28.7 |
| K, Lb/In (SBS) RDC | 176.28 |
| Recoil Weight | 159.71 |
| Twist Weight | 229.85 |
| End Weight | 133.4 |
| Tip Weight | 192.8 |
| 9 O'Clock | 97.1 |
| 3 O'Clock | 97.5 |
| Butt Cap | 131.0 |
And now for the Wilson Blade Pro:
| Manufacturer | Wilson |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Wilson Blade Pro |
| Reference Tension | 54 lbs - 23.6 k2 |
| String | ALU Power Rough |
| Machine Used | Unknown |
| ASPS, RDC | 35 |
| ASPS, FlexFour | 53 |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 62 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 48 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 387.1 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 337 |
| Weight, Ounces | 11.89 |
| Balance, mm | 327 |
| Balance, Inch | 12.87 |
| Length, Cm | 68.6 |
| Length, Inch | 27.008 |
| Head Width | 9.6 |
| Head Length | 12.80 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 623.3 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 96.6 |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 19 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .634 |
| Main String Grid | 7.37 |
| Cross String Grid | 10.40 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .7934 |
| Average Cross String Space | .547 |
| Average Main String Space | .461 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 27 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 151.0 |
| First Moment, Nm | .850 |
| Polar Moment | 358 |
| Torsional Stability | 16 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 342 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 12.06 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 360.35 |
| Power, RDC | 55 |
| Control, RDC | 42 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 59 |
| Power, Calculated | 2069.0 |
| Head Points | 5.04 |
| Head Weight, % | 47.07 |
| Center of Percussion | 21.535 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 10.755 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 22.37 |
| K, Lb/In | 112.18 |
| Recoil Weight | 170.8 |
| Twist Weight | 234.0 |
| End Weight | 135.0 |
| Tip Weight | 202.9 |
| 9 O'Clock | 100.8 |
| 3 O'Clock | 103.7 |
| Butt Cap | 132.2 |
Friction v Tension…what wins?
We all know what friction is. It keeps our cars from sliding around, it keeps us from slipping and in general makes movement possible!
Friction also plays an important part in the string bed of your tennis racquet. Friction between the strings and the ball create friction which in turn creates rotation.
What are, however, some of the downsides of friction in the string bed during, and after, the stringing process?
Friction v Tension
For more detailed information and a graph showing the forces involved go to our membership site, GASP.network, but in the meantime this image will show the frictional forces at work!
This machine tension head will pull the string (blue) in the direction of the center of the racquet support structure instead of directly out the middle of the grommet.
It is obvious that this will create considerable friction and result in lower tension inside the grommet than outside the grommet.
Head Graphene 360+ Radical S v21
From our perspective the Radical S should be one of the most used of the Radical Series!
Head Graphene 360+ Radical S
Why? The 102 square inch head size is optimum for players looking for additional power,( and who isn’t) in a legitimate players racquet. We say “legitimate” because this racquet can be turned into any thing you want, now or in the future!
As you will see in the specifications this is not a really stiff racquet so it will be easy for many players to customize the string bed to suit current playing style with an eye toward becoming a more aggressive player, or not!
The Radical S continues with the “control pattern” and “sound grommets”. We are not totally certain what the “sound grommets” do but sound is frequency and frequency can be felt so maybe the grommets are damping out some of the higher frequencies?
Anyway, this Radical S model is a great step into the “performance” racquet arena with plenty of room to grow!
| Head Graphene 360+ Radical S v21 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Head |
| Racquet Model | Head Graphene 360+ Radical S v21 |
| Reference Tension | 55 lbs - 24.9 k |
| String: Main/Cross | Victrex 7718 |
| Machine Used | TT Professional |
| ASPS, RDC | 55 |
| ASPS, FlexFour | 61.5 |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 61 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 50 |
| Weight, Grams | 296 |
| Weight, Ounces | 10.44 |
| Balance, mm | 333 |
| Balance, Inch | 13.11 |
| Length, Cm | 68.5 |
| Length, Inch | 26.968 |
| Head Width | 9.860 |
| Head Length | 13.09 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 653.9 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 101.3 |
| Beam Width, mm, Shaft, Center, Tip | 22, 25, 23 |
| In Plane Stiffness, Pounds/In | 370.4 Lbs/In |
| In Plane Stiffness, Kg/cm | 66.2 Kg/cm |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 19 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .634 |
| Main String Grid | 7.30 |
| Cross String Grid | 9.75 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .703 |
| Average Cross String Space | .513 |
| Average Main String Space | .449 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 35 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 195.8 |
| First Moment, Nm | .764 |
| Polar Moment | 320 |
| Torsional Stability | 17 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 303 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 10.69 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 328 |
| Power, RDC | 42 |
| Control, RDC | 60 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 85 |
| Power, Calculated | 1873.1 |
| Head Points | 2.99 (negative = head heavy) |
| Head Weight, % | 48.6% |
| Center of Percussion | 21.2 |
| Dwell Time, ms, No Swing | 8.58 |
| Effective Stiffness - lbs | 28.9 |
| K, Lb/In (SBS) RDC | 176.28 |
| Recoil Weight | 144.50 |
| Twist Weight | 214.65 |
| End Weight | 113.1 |
| Tip Weight | 183.4 |
| Total Weight | 296.5 |
| 9 O'Clock | 92.1 |
| 3 O'Clock | 91.8 |
| Butt Cap | 112.2 |
| Total Weight | 296.1 |
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