Prince More Game Review

Prince's new More Performance racquets have a number of new features designed to enhance their performance. PowerLock construction is designed to create more power, the Direct Contact string channels are designed to provide more feel, and the Air+ Comfort handle should offer more comfort. Prince hopes that more power plus more feel plus more comfort will equal More Performance.

Prince's Powerlock technology is based on the premise that two halves are better than one whole. Instead of using a single mold for the entire frame, Prince splits the racquet from the tip of the head to the bottom of the shaft and molds the two halves of the racquet separately. Because the two halves are created separately Prince is able to mold the string channels into the frame instead of drilling the holes after the frame is molded. By not drilling through the frame Prince is able to maintain the torsional strength of the racquet and increase the frame stiffness.

The Direct Contact string channels are another feature made possible by building the racquets in halves. Molding the string channels into the racquet instead of drilling the holes eliminates the need for grommets. By eliminating grommets, Prince claims the feel of the racquet is increased by keeping the strings in direct contact with the frame. This is a throwback to wooden racquets which had no grommets but plenty of feel.

The Air+ Comfort handle splits the racquet handle into four air filled quadrants separated by elastomer gaskets. The four quadrants are designed to move independently to absorb more shock. Slits cut into the racquet shaft just above the grip allow air to ventilate the grip from the inside for added comfort.

The initial More Performance line includes two game improvement models - the More Dominant and More Thunder, and a 'tweener - the More Game. We playtested the More Game Midplus and Oversize for two weeks, more or less, and have these comments.

Note: Despite TENNIS magazine's review of the More Game (April, 2002), which rates stiffness as being flexible , both the Midplus and Oversize are very stiff. In fact, the More Game Midplus is the stiffest racquet we've measured, with a strung RDC rating of 80. Obviously, this characteristic plays a key role in our playtesters' responses, both positive and negative.

More Game Midplus

Groundstrokes

The More Game MP swings easily but is balanced head-heavy to retain mass and stability at the "business end" of the racquet. John offers, "from the first groundstroke it was apparent that the More Game MP was the stiffest racquet I'd ever hit with. I was able to generate power with a smooth, easy swing and I was impressed with the control I had, even when hitting with my usual, medium-fast swing. The racquet's stiffness seemed to enable me to hit extreme angle shots. When returning hard shots, though, I wasn't able to generate much spin, as the ball really flew off the strings. The racquet was a little 'pingy' and I seemed to feel some vibration, but the insertion of a good string vibration dampener quieted it down nicely (now a prerequisite for me when using this racquet). The Air Plus grip/handle system must have worked, though, as I had no arm problems during or after playtesting. Dan adds, "the stiff feel of this racquet made a quick impression. No question, there's not much flex here. However, I still needed to swing pretty fast in order to generate enough power due to the racquet's light 10-ounce weight. Not surprisingly, this led to my mis-hit percentage increasing, and I noticed some twisting of the racquet in my hand and some discomfort due to the racquet's high stiffness level. On the positive side, the More Game MP offered pure precision - where I aimed is where the ball went. I also enjoyed good spin on both sides whether hitting topspin or slice, and I was confident whether hitting heavy topspin shots or slice approach shots."

Chad says, "I had a lot of fun hitting groundstrokes with the More Game MP while warming up. It was perfect for hitting relaxed, easy groundies, and the ball had good pace and depth. Under match conditions, though, I found the racquet too powerful for my game. I needed to slow down my swing and apply more topspin to keep the ball inside the lines, which is not my style. Fortunately, topspin was easy to generate and aided control. Unfortunately, slice wasn't as effective for me, as many backhand slices floated and/or ended up going long." Granville comments, "the stiffness level of the More Game MP was surprising. For me, the combination of stiffness and the racquet's light weight made for a less than enjoyable experience. It's so light that I had to take bigger swings at the ball in order to achieve sufficient depth. The harder I swung, the better this racquet felt. It's so stiff though, that there is little offered in the way of feel. Not a good fit for my game." Don offers, "this is a racquet that required several playtest sessions for me to develop an accurate impression of its overall performance. At first, the racquet felt rock hard - it's stiffer than any racquet I've used in quite awhile. This seemed to overshadow everything else during the first outing. After awhile though, I got used to this (sort of) and enjoyed the benefits the stiffness provided in terms of power and stability. A medium swing was sufficient to send the ball back with impressive power and depth. I could pick up deep shots from my opponent with a half-volley at the baseline and still get the ball back with decent pace. The racquet was pretty stable in most situations despite its light weight. However, the most impressive feature of the racquet for me was its precision. Whether threading a passing shot up the line or cross court, the ball went where I aimed it. Spin was adequate, although slice backhands would float unless I concentrated on hitting through the ball."

Volleys

The More Game MP's combination of maneuverability, stiffness and 27.5-inch length make it a formidable weapon at net. Mark offers, "I really liked the maneuverability and stiffness of the More Game MP on volleys. The light weight made it easy to get the racquet into position, and I've always preferred volleying with a stiffer racquet. The More Game MP is plenty stiff. The faster the ball came at me the better I was able to volley. I had some trouble with softer hit balls because there was no give to the racquet." Chad adds, "volleys felt crisp and solid, and I was able to hit both offensive and defensive volleys well. As long as I was in the same neighborhood as the ball I felt no shot could get past me. Against those hard to reach shots I was able to turn an amazing passing shot into an even more spectacular volley. Easy volleys, however, turned out to be more challenging. If I added a little swing to my volleys against slower balls my error rate increased noticeably. With a little concentration, though, I was able keep these shots within the lines." Dan says, "my compact volley form fit the More Game MP nicely. Thanks to a very firm flex its aim is true. I was able to 'stick' volleys with speed and bite. This racquet isn't too powerful for advanced net players to take a close look. In fact, this is a serious doubles specialist's racquet, in my opinion." John comments, "as with most head-heavy, stiff racquets, I was able to hit penetrating, offensive volleys with the More Game MP. If I could get to a passing shot, even when stretched wide, my volley was deeper and more effective than with other, more flexible racquets. I liked the maneuverability but found a bit of twisting during off-center shots." Don continues, "I volleyed well with the More Game MP but would prefer a little more handle weight. Obviously, its maneuverability is a real asset and the stiff frame allowed me to hit effective volleys even when jammed or just blocking the ball back. I really enjoyed picking up shoelace volleys and watching the ball return with pace and depth. It was the easier volleys that were more challenging - if I got too aggressive the ball sailed. Once I tempered my stroke on these shots I could drive the ball deep and with precision."

Serves

Serving with the More Game MP was a generally pleasant experience for our playtesters. Granville comments, "the serve is really the best shot to highlight the strengths of More Performance technology. Stiffness provides good power and the serve was the most comfortable shot in the More Game's arsenal. I could get good pop on the ball and good action on my kickers to both sides. The bigger I tried to serve, the better the racquet felt." Mark adds, "I was able to move the ball around well with the More Game MP. I had decent power, but nothing spectacular. My kick serves were effective because I could generate a lot of racquet head speed and create a lot of spin." John says, "after adjusting to the lighter weight I was pleased with the pace and accuracy of my serves. I could generate a few extra mphs on my flat serves. However, I wasn't able to get the level of spin or kick on my second serves that I'm used to. Although the racquet is stiff, I was able to move the ball around the service box with relative ease. When hitting overheads I liked the power and accuracy, but I had to be careful not to get ahead of the ball." Chad offers, "I didn't serve particularly well with the More Game MP. The racquet's stiffness didn't seem to match with my fast serving swing. I did hit slice serves effectively, with the mixture of power and slice throwing my opponent off balance more than a few times. I felt in control when hitting overheads as long as I concentrated on setting up and staying relaxed. I tend to get a little wild on overheads, but I was able to slow the racquet down a little and keep the ball in the court." Dan continues, "I need more flex in a racquet to serve at my best and fastest. However, I found slice and kick serves an attractive alternative to trying to blast flat serves. Good control and precision are the strengths of the More Game MP." Don says, "I was more successful hitting slice and kick serves than big, flat serves, perhaps due to the lighter weight. I had decent power but placement was the real benefit on first serves. I could pick a target and hit it fairly consistently."

Returns

Our playtesters had mixed results when returning serves with the More Game MP. Dan begins, "I loved returning with this racquet. I slice a lot of backhand returns and found great stability and bite. Where you set this racquet (on block returns) it stays - no residual flex. This bodes well against hard, fast serves." Granville adds, "with proper preparation and stroke production I found good response on serve returns. I found it best against big servers, as I wasn't required to provide the power." Don says, "I returned serves pretty well with the More Game MP. Blocking back big, first serves was simple and the racquet's stiffness compensated for its lighter weight, providing sufficient stability. Against slower serves, I could (and had to) take a good swing at the ball, confident that it would land in the court. Precision was an asset here and I was able to guide the ball up the line or cross-court at will. The only negative was that off-center shots (common for me on returns) were jarring."

Chad counters, "I didn't return well with this racquet. I hit many balls long when I took a swing and blocking back returns put me in a defensive position immediately." Mark adds, "I had pretty good success if I could get my weight into the return, and it was easy to catch up to hard hit serves because the racquet was so maneuverable. However, any serve hit wide to my backhand side was a winner because I couldn't generate enough power to get the ball back over the net."

Summary

The More Game Midplus will appeal to players who value maneuverability, stability and control, and who like a very firm flex. Suffice to say this is the stiffest racquet we've playtested. Fortunately, the More Game Midplus has good shock dampening, likely due to the elastomer insert between the PowerLock 2-piece construction, and the Air+ Comfort Handle System. However, off-center shots can still be a bit jarring. The More Game Midplus is best suited for intermediate and advanced players (singles or doubles) who have medium-fast swings.

More Game Oversize

As you would expect, the More Game Oversize racquet is similar to the More Game Midplus with some subtle but significant differences. It's bigger (110 square inches), slightly lighter (9.7 ounces) and has less weight in the head. The More Game Oversize is also more flexible than the Midplus despite receiving an extremely high stiffness rating of 75 on the RDC machine(compared to an 80 rating for the Midplus).

Groundstrokes

The More Game OS swings even easier from the baseline than its little brother. The combination of lighter static weight and lower swingweight requires a moderate to fast swing speed for adequate power. Mark explains, "the More Game OS felt a lot like the old Prince UltraLite on groundstrokes. It was very stiff and very light, with less power than I expected. I was able to generate a lot of topspin and slice when I could take a full swing at the ball. If I was off-balance or running along the baseline I had a tough time generating power. Also, the racquet twisted in my hand some on mis-hits - against hard shots. The ball seemed to overpower the racquet." John adds, "I found the More Game OS to have a somewhat 'hollow' feel. Like the MP, a string vibration dampener was imperative to quiet the racquet and reduce vibration. I'm used to playing with an oversize racquet but found myself preferring the More Game MP because it felt more solid. Expectedly, the OS has a bit more punch than the MP, despite being less stiff (although it's still a stiff frame for a 'tweener'). After an initial adjustment period I was able to direct the ball well, hitting down the line or cross court shots with pace but not as much spin as I'm used to. As with the MP, I was able to hit effective angle shots." Granville comments, "the More Game OS has a slightly larger sweetspot and is a bit softer than the MP. However, to really get a 'feel' for this racquet and generate enough power I had to swing it fast and hard." Don says, "the More Game OS is a little more comfortable than the MP but I didn't find much difference in power. I still had to take a pretty full swing to generate power and get the ball deep in the court. Fortunately, the racquet is easy to swing fast. The larger hitting area is more forgiving and I felt I could impart more spin on the ball thanks to a fairly open string pattern. Similar to the MP, directional control was superb, allowing me to hit swooping cross court angles or thread the needle up the line. Still, I'd add some lead tape in the head to improve stability and power, and increase swingweight." Dan offers, "the More Game OS feels very similar to the MP in many ways, with the exceptions being its slightly less stiff and 5-10 percent more powerful. Although it's still a pretty stiff racquet the OS is more comfortable than the MP, providing a more forgiving feel on groundstrokes. I found nice spin control from the baseline and moderate swings sent the ball back deep."

Volleys

The More Game OS has all the elements to make it a good racquet at net - it's maneuverable, it's 27.5 inches long and it has a 110 square-inch head. John offers, "I found the More Game OS to be an effective weapon when it came to hitting volleys. It was very maneuverable, and the 110 headsize provided an ample sweetspot, while the frame stiffness allowed me to hit sharp, well directed volleys." Dan adds, "the More Game OS had good pop on volleys and the open string pattern allowed me to manipulate shots with spin. I had my best results using a simple, compact volley stroke. When I did add any extra swing many balls flew long." Mark says, "the More Game OS is stiff, very light and not that powerful, which is ideal for my net game. I could get the racquet on any ball within my reach and drive the ball with good control. The only thing I didn't like was the racquet twisting in my hand on off-center hits." Don comments, "getting the racquet on the ball was easy. However, the very light weight reduced stability and tempted me to swing more than was necessary. My best volleys were short angles and drop volleys. I was less successful when I tried to drive the ball deep; either hitting the ball long or dumping it into the net." Granville says, "the More Game OS is solid at net. I hit a few very crisp and precise volleys. The racquet took some getting used to, though, due to its stiffness."

Serves

Generating racquet head speed on serves with the More Game OS is easy, which our playtesters generally enjoyed. Granville comments, "this is the shot that the More Game is best suited for. If you have a big serve you'll enjoy this racquet. The harder I hit the ball the better it felt. I was getting good pop with the 'heaters' and enjoyed what seemed like effortless spin and kick." Dan adds, "I enjoyed serving with this racquet. I was able to step on the gas and increase my serve speed without much effort. The open string pattern allowed me to get a little more slice and kick too." John offers, "at under 10 ounces the More Game OS is light enough to generate quite a bit of head speed. Consequently, I was able to get some good 'oomph' on flat first serves. With the larger head and open string patern spin serves had good action." Don says, "I have a more rhythmic serve and don't (can't) really crank big serves anymore. Consequently, I served well but not great with the More Game OS. It requires a pretty fast swing to generate the same pace as with a slightly heavier racquet. My best serves were slices out wide in the deuce court and kickers to the backhand in the ad court thanks to the open string pattern."

Returns

Our playtesters had mixed reviews of the More Game OS on returns. Don offers, "there's not as much power as I expected on returns for an oversize racquet. However, this ended up being a benefit. Against net rushers I could block or chip the ball back low and at their feet. My shots didn't have that much pace but placement was excellent. Against second serves I enjoyed winding up and cracking returns hard and deep without sacrificing control. The serve return was probably my favorite shot during this playtest." John continues, "I thought the racquet was effective when blocking returns against big serves. The frame stiffness helped here. However, if the racquet face was a bit open the ball tended to fly. When given time I could hit offensive returns with good directional control. The open stringbed allowed me to hit good slice returns and/or approach shots." Mark says, "I was able to hit good returns, except when I was pulled wide. I couldn't 'throw' the racquet head at the ball because the racquet was too light. On the other hand, maneuverability made it easy to return serves hit into my body." Granville comments, "being so light, the racquet didn't deliver much power or feedback on returns. It's light enough so I could get to wide serves and serves into my body, but generating any significant power was dependant on my opponent's pace."

Summary

The More Game Oversize is somewhat of an anomaly. It's specs would point to it being a power, or game improvement racquet. However, it's really a 110 square-inch 'tweener. The More Game Oversize is best suited for players who like to swing fast with a stiff, lightweight, oversize racquet.

Review date: April, 2002. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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