Prince Ripstick 100 300g Racket Review

One thing we can definitely say about the new Prince Ripstick is that it stands out from the crowd! The bright yellow, red and white colours contrast against the black and really pop, a very different design to today’s subtle trend.

Like the name and colour scheme would suggest, the Ripstick is aimed at bold players that like to show their personality on the court.

If you love stamping your authority on the point and playing hard hitting tennis, the Ripstick could well be worth a try.

The specs are right in the ideal midplus range at 300g and 100sq in head size, making this easy to compare to popular rackets like the Babolat Pure Strike, Wilson Clash and Head Boom MP.

However, the Prince is unique in the fact that it has a high swing weight compared to its static weight but moves through the air incredibly easily thanks to its O Port technology.

These are those iconic large grommet holes on the side of the frame that soften off the racket and make it so aerodynamic.

This gives the racket a weighty feel so you get a great deal of easy power and plough through. This makes hitting the ball deep very attainable, even if you are off balance and far back in the court.

The combination of the high swing weight and manoeuvrability is something that feels quite different to a lot of other rackets in the Ripstick’s class, so it is worth taking out for a spin just to experience this alone!

One of the real strengths of the Ripstick is how easy it is to swing. The weight of the racket moving through the ball makes a satisfying thud sound that lets you know you’ve really clubbed the ball!

The manoeuvrability of the racket combined with the extremely open 16×18 string pattern means that despite the power you can generate, there is an equal amount of spin to get the ball dipping back into the court.

This gives you a lot of confidence from the baseline and allows you to swing the racket freely without worrying about the ball flying long.

This is the type of racket that gives you a lot of confidence and lets you rip the ball from the baseline with ease.

It is also a very comfortable racket to strike balls with, so if you have previously suffered from tennis elbow this is definitely worth a try.

The 100 sq in head offers a large sweet spot so you don’t have to worry if you miss time a ball lightly as the racket will forgive you and still produce a high quality shot.

Pretty much the only thing I can mark it down for is the slight lack of precision. This isn’t necessarily in the design brief of the Ripstick, so it’s not a major issue, but at times you can feel the racket is lacking in precision slightly as it is overwhelmed by the power and spin.

The supple feeling of the Prince Ripstick 100 makes it a pretty good performer up at net. It is not the most precise racket in its class so doesn’t deliver the best crispness when punching through volleys. However, it is a well measured racket that has a lot of margin for error.

So, if you are a natural baseliner that wants a forgiving racket to come in and swat volleys away with, this could be right up your street.

Whilst the O Port technology gives the racket its plushness and makes it very easy to manoeuvre, it also gives the racket a slightly muted feel.

This means the racket is not as responsive as I would like. So, when I’m looking to caress the ball and use my hand skills to pull off difficult volleys, it can sometimes be difficult to modulate my inputs with the Ripstick.

Again, this isn’t a huge problem if you are the sort of player that just wants to put volleys away and have the point over and done with quickly, but if you like to play doubles and want a bit more of a precise instrument, you may be better off with a Wilson Pro Staff or Head Prestige for example.

On serve the Prince Ripstick 100 is a great all rounder. It is powerful and the open string pattern offers a lot of spin, making it the ideal companion for big servers that want an easy to swing racket.

It is a very well damped racket so you can serve with it for hours on end. This comfort level also dials out some of the feel, so hitting your spots accurately is not as easy as it is with a more control focussed racket.

That said, the plush nature of the racket means you can go for big first serves time after time and your arm won’t ache at the end of a session.

You get a lot of easy power from the Prince Ripstick, so if you are someone that needs a little help on serve but still wants a nice comfortable racket, this is well worth giving a go.

The Ripstick from Prince is a very stable racket that gives you a great level of comfort at the same time. This makes it ideal for returning serve, as you can go after your shots and the racket will forgive you even if you don’t middle it.

There were a few times when I blocked the ball back deep and expected it to fly long, but the spin that the racket offered brought the ball back down inside the court.

This is a reassuring feeling when you are returning big serves, as you can play with only small inputs and still neutralise the point straight away.

The high swing weight makes the racket feel very solid, but the unique construction means it is still easy to swing.

This is a great asset for hitting returns as you want a racket that you can move quickly when reacting to fast serves, but that doesn’t feel flimsy or like it will be overwhelmed.

One area that the Ripstick could be better in is control and feel. Whilst it is a solid racket that is great for blocking the ball back, when I wanted to play with a bit more touch and perhaps chip and charge, I found the ball would sit up a bit too much due to the high launch angle.

This isn’t so much a problem if you like to grip and rip your returns, but for those that like to mix things up by using soft balls and angles, the Risptick may fall a little short.

Overall the Prince Ripstick is a great choice for strong baseliner who are looking for an all round racket to make their mark on the court.

It is great for players looking to maximise the spin and power in their game, but could be a little too muted for players that like to use their hands and want a pure connection with the ball.

The great damping in the Ripstick 100 is therefore a bit of a double edged sword. Some players will love the comfort it offers and others will be wanting more feel.

One thing that we can all agree on is the unique design. Love it or hate it, it definitely stands out!

So, if you are in the market for a well rounded racket that will give you all the power and spin you need in a forgiving, user friendly package, look no further than the Prince Ripstick 100!

We wish you good luck with your search! If you are still on the hunt for a new racket, give our custom fitting service a go, we take all the stress out of finding your next racket!