Prince 03 Speedport White

Prince O3 Speedport White

In 2005, Prince Sports manufactured racquets with a revolutionary technology that caught the eyes of many. The O3 technology was a shock and an innovation to the tennis world that changed how players played. Since the birth of the “funny-shaped” holes, Prince expanded their idea even further with the development of the O3 Speedport technology. The newly shaped O-ports are more aerodynamic, said to be 24% faster through the air with a sweet spot that is up to 59% larger than a traditional racquet.

From the Speedport line of racquets, the O3 Speedport White is a real contender. With a 100 square inch headsize, 10.6 oz. unstrung weight, and a 16×19 string pattern, the O3 Speedport White is a great racquet for players looking for added spin on their groundstrokes and a solid weapon at the net.

Groundstrokes

From the baseline, the Speedport White was capable of a wide range of shots. The open string pattern made hitting topspin shots easy, while the midplus headsize provided power when I needed to rip through shots. With the addition of the Speedport technology, swinging the racquet through the air was easy, which really helped out when I need to add more spin on my shots. The lively stringbed with the open string pattern really gave me a solid feel on my shots. Although the Speedport White definitely added spin and power to my shots, my consistency at first was a bit disappointing. I had a hard time producing the desired control on my shots during a long rally, usually ending with my shot going out. Despite the initial inconsistency I had at the baseline, I was pleased with the versatility of the Speedport White. As a whole, the Speedport White is a great racquet for producing spin shots from the baseline, although the additional power needs some getting used to.

Volleys

The maneuverability and lightweight of the Speedport White makes the racquet a weapon at the net. The lively stringbed provided a comfortable response on volleys and the midplus headsize was forgiving on mis-hits. It was easy to move the racket around at the net and return just about any shots that my opponent threw at me. With the excellent maneuverability I was also able to hit angle shots and deep volleys with ease. With such a forgiving headsize, I could deflect shots that were aimed at my body with good directional control and the light weight helped in getting back to my ready position quicker. The Speedport White was stable at the net, giving me a solid response that was easy on the arm. It was clear that the Speedport White was a monster at the net and will especially suit doubles players or players who enjoy playing at the net.

Serves

The maneuverability and response of the Speedport White was a winning combination that made my serving game quite consistent. With the easy mobility I could swing up on my serves, giving it the added spin for a great kick serve. I also found a decent amount of pop on my serves, while providing a very comfortable feel. Again, the amount of spin that I could generate with the Speedport White was truly amazing. I could place my spin serves at the edge of my opponent’s reach, setting myself up for an easy put-away at the net. Although the spin serves were great, I did have to work harder to produce power.

Serve Returns

With its light weight and maneuverability, the Speedport White allowed me to hit through my returns with confidence. On slow to moderate serves, I was able to take a full swing and return with both great angle and depth that put me on the offensive. The lively stringbed provided a comfortable response and really helped on returning serves hit with spin. However, inconsistency came back to haunt my game. Hard, fast serves left me with the only option of deflecting them back. The Speedport White was comfortable on returns, but inconsistent with control on the big serves for me.

Overview

The O3 Speedport White proved to be a worthy successor to the original O3 White. The light weight and aerodynamic technology really made for a faster swing, producing faster racquet head speed to generate either power or spin on my shots. The maneuverability and solid response at the net makes this racquet great for serve-and-volley players or doubles players. With its light weight, forgiving headsize, easy maneuverability, and responsive feel, the O3 Speedport White is ideal for intermediate players looking for a comfortable racquet that can deliver on a wide range of shots.

Reviewed by: Michael Tan