Prince O3 Speedport Red Review

What the reviewers like:

• Easily adjustable
• Intermediate power and control
• Works for a variety of playing styles

What the reviewers don't like:

• Too light for stronger players

Prince O3 Speedport Red review highlights

We found the best reviews of the Prince 03 Speedport Red at Tennis-Warehouse.com, where experienced players rate rackets and customers offer comments. Tennis Magazine has balanced reviews based on hands-on testing, although they are much less detailed than Tennis-Warehouse.com. We found a review in Best Life magazine that corroborated praise for the Speedport Red, but there's no indication that any testing was involved.

The Prince 03 Speedport Red is an intermediate tennis racket, which means it offers less power and more control than a beginner racket and more power and less control than an advanced (or "player") racket. This racket features a string dampener that allows you to quickly customize its "feel" at any point in a match; this makes it suitable for a variety of playing styles within the 3.0 to 5.5 USTA skill level, with a good combination of power and control. You'll still need a bit of muscle to wield this 10.5-ouncer, reviewers say, and as with any middle-range product, it's not suitable for folks on the far ends (for example, stronger players say they found this racket a bit light). If you're strong and highly skilled, you'll get better control from a heavier "player racket," such as the Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize (*est. $110) for all-court players and the Babolat AeroPro Drive (*est. $180) for baseliners. The best beginner tennis racket is the Head Liquidmetal 8 (*est. $80), which weighs 1.2 ounces less than the Speedport Red.

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*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. Tennis Warehouse
Prince O3 Speedport Red Racquets Customer Feedback
Staff and contributors to Tennis-Warehouse.com
Apr. 2007

The reviews here are critical: Numerical ratings are based on hands-on use by several staffers, and there are highly informed customer comments. The four testers (USTA levels 4.5 and above) like the Prince O3 racket, though some say it's too light.

2. Tennis Magazine
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Prince O3 Speedport Red
Editors of Tennis Magazine

Tennis Magazine's reviews are brief but based on thorough testing. This article portrays the Speedport Red as a "reliable" performer for intermediates with some "pop" if your swing has some power.

3. Best Life magazine
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Fine, Finer, Finest: How to Navigate the Slew of New Tennis Sticks at Your Local Racket Club
Ben Court

Best Life, an offshoot of Men's Health magazine, picks three tennis rackets in three price ranges but doesn't identify losing entries or testing methods. The "finest" is the Speedport Red, which reviewer Ben Court recommends for "slightly advanced players seeking control."

Also see full report: Tennis Racquets

Prince O3 Speedport Red Review