Prince Vortex String Review

As far as power goes, polyester strings tend to come up short in this department. This is because their construction keeps them on the firmer side and there is less elasticity in the string.

Whilst this is great for control and spin potential, it does mean that polyester strings have a tendency to be low powered and not offer much in the way of help when you want to ramp up shot speed.

However, as far as polyester strings go, Prince Vortex is above average when it comes to power. It is a slightly softer poly that reminds me of Babolat RPM Power in the way it plays. You get a great blend of spin and comfort from this string, which is also cut with a decent amount of pop.

This is a surprisingly soft string that would definitely suit a counter puncher or an aggressive baseliner that wants to rip the ball from the baseline with authority.

The level of power is not comparable to a multifilament or natural gut string, but it is definitely one of the most powerful and forgiven polyester strings out there, whilst being one of the most spin friendly.

Control and touch are both pretty subjective elements when it comes to tennis strings. To me, control means how easily I can change from one pattern of play to another, how easy it is for me to change the pace of the rally or how much sense of connection I have with the ball.

In this respect, polyester strings tend to do quite well, as their consistent response makes them predictable. This means you can modulate your inputs pretty easily, given you know how much racket work is needed to hit different types of shots.

With this in mind, Prince Vortex performs pretty well in the control department.

It is not as dialled in as some of the stiffer and more unforgiving polyester strings out there. Things like Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour or Luxilon ALU Power Rough will give you less power and comfort, but will deliver that ‘dead’ feeling that players looking for ultimate precision love.

Vortex is a pretty lively polyester string that is a bit less predictable than some of the stiffer monofilaments out there. This makes it a little less control oriented but also makes it a good all rounder. Whilst it may not offer the last word in precision, it is definitely supple enough to be used throughout an entire string bed and not cause arm issues.

Touch again is something that will feel different to different players. To my eye, a string that has great touch is one that helps you feel connected to the ball and communicates exactly what is going on when the ball hits the stringbed.

Too many vibrations can lead to a string that is too lively and that actually ends up upsetting the equilibrium of the racket. However, a string that feels completely dead and void of feel isn’t great for touch either, as it feels numb.

As far as Prince Vortex is concerned, it is a pretty feelsome string, especially for a polyester. The slight bit more give in the string compared to its rivals make it a little bit more communicative, which enhances the sense of connection with the ball.

This makes it more appealing to volley and hit slices with, so would definitely suit someone that likes to play an all court game.

The combination of spin and touch made this string pretty unique and this was actually a great blend of qualities.

Spin is the name of the game with Prince Vortex. The hexagonally shaped string is specifically designed to add RPMs to your shots and this is something it does with ease. The softness and comfort of Prince Vortex can lull you into thinking this is a power focussed string, however its main aim is to add as much spin to your strokes as possible!

From the baseline the string catches the ball really nicely. You don’t have to hit with too much of a windscreen wiper motion to generate a lot of topspin on either wing.

For players that struggle to generate enough slice or topspin on their backhand, Prince Vortex is well worth a try.

The softness of the string means it can pocket the ball really nicely. This is something that is generally associated with softer multifilaments or natural gut strings, as their flexibility helps them to have more of a trampoline effect as the ball enters and exits the string bed.

However, this is a trait that was apparent with Prince Vortex, making it more accessible and user friendly than a lot of other polyester strings on the market today.

Again, it doesn’t have quite as much spin as some of the stiffer strings out there. But, the added softness that the string possesses means you can string it up a few pounds in tension and gather more spin and control as a result.

Durability is something that definitely won’t be an issue with Prince Vortex. The string, being a shaped polyester, will last for a long time without breaking.

Softer polyesters do have a tendency to lose their playing performance quite quickly due to how easy they are to bed in.

However, Prince Vortex did not suffer as fast of a drop off in performance as I was expecting, which was a pleasant surprise.

In fact, when the string does lose some of its initial bite, it actually becomes more lively and powerful rather than dead and stiff. This can actually enhance the performance of the string in some player’s eyes, especially if they were looking for a little more pop out of the string originally.

Comfort was an area in which Prince Vortex did a surprisingly good job. Softer polyester strings are edging closer and closer towards the performance of multifilaments these days, and Prince Vortex definitely fits that bill.

Of course, it is a spin friendly string so it is geared towards control and generating RPMs on the ball above all else. But, the comfort and softness in the string came as a welcome addition, as it was pretty arm friendly for a poly.

This also added to the power levels and made it more of a well rounded and enjoyable string to play with overall, compared to some of the harsher and stiffer strings on the market today.

As far as poly strings go, this is one of the most comfortable ones you’ll find!

This is definitely a string that you could use for your whole string bed and at pretty high tensions and not suffer too much discomfort whatsoever.

Overall, Prince Vortex is a spin machine that also has an element of comfort about it.

The softer polyester construction makes this a great all rounder that suits an aggressive baseliner, counter puncher or even all court game style.

It is a very versatile string that can be used as an entire string bed or with a softer multifilament or natural gut.

Prince Vortex also comes in at a very attractive price point too. This, combined with the spin generation, comfort and feel, makes it one of the best entry level polyester strings out there today. You also get a decent amount of pop from this string, which is something that is not often said of polyester strings in general.