Prince Tour XP String Review

Control - Score: 92 / Power - Score: 65

Although our playtesters were not in total agreement regarding the feel and response of Prince Tour XP, this string's outstanding control was never in doubt. Needless to say, Michelle, who requires a high level of control to execute her very powerful strokes, was impressed. She said, "I found Tour XP to feel a little softer (and more powerful) than some of the stiffer polys on the market, but it still let me swing big without losing any control. I liked that I could string it tightly without it playing overly harsh or dead, and it seemed to hold its tension and playability well over time. I would describe it as a 'meat-and-potatoes' string. It does everything well but doesn't have any crazy features that would make it stand out like some of the best-selling shaped polys. Also, I would be silly not to mention the price of this string. As a player who has struggled with the expensive cost of some polys and restringing, the fact that Tour XP offers good control, feel and spin while coming in under $10 makes this a string that should be suggested more often!"

"Tour XP is a very control-oriented string for me," said Chris, whose long, fast strokes benefited from this string's undeniable control. "I found I could take big cuts at the ball without fear of my shots sailing long. I liked that I had confidence to stay on the gas when the going got tough and could trust that this string would help me find my targets. The response was very consistent, and I felt it enhanced the positives of the 18x20 string pattern of my racquet. If you are looking for a co-poly with pop, I think you'd best look elsewhere."

Spin - Score: 79

With its round profile, Tour XP does not have the sharp edges and maximum bite of Prince's Vortex Triad, but it still earned an impressive score for spin. For Chris, this round poly not only had decent bite, but it also accommodated the high stroke speeds required for effective spin. He explained, "I was very happy with the spin I was getting on my shots with Tour XP. The strings seemed to help grab the ball and spit it out with ample spin. I think the controlled response enabled me to swing fast and use that racquet head speed to generate spin. When hitting a big forehand, I was happy with my ability to get the ball to loop nicely and then drop way inside the baseline with plenty of spin. My backhand slice also had lots of spin, which enabled me to knife that shot consistently."

Although not as spin-friendly as some of her favorite shaped polys, Tour XP gave Michelle adequate spin for her needs. She said, "I found enough spin for everything I need with my flatter game and longer strokes. It didn't have as much bite as some other polys, including Prince Vortex Triad, which has super sharp edges, but I would probably choose this poly over one with lots of bite. I never felt like I was missing out on spin, but if that is something you prioritize, I would lead you toward a few other options, as this smoother poly wasn't giving me 'the most' spin."

Comfort - Score: 78 / Feel - Score: 78

As a poly-based monofilament, Tour XP is not designed for players who prefer the plush comfort of a natural gut or nylon multifilament. That said, our team had no issues with comfort. In fact, Michelle found XP to be on the softer side of the spectrum. She described, "It felt like this string was a bit softer and more responsive than the stiff polys I tend to string with. On the other hand, this string is definitely not mushy and will appeal to bigger hitters who want a firm and controlled response. I felt very connected to the stringbed with Tour XP, and the pocketing was decent even at higher tensions."

Although not as crisp as his favorite polys, Chris couldn't complain about this string's firm feel and controllable response. He said, "The feel from Tour XP was firm and predictable. I wouldn't call the string overly stiff, but it's not a comfort string either. I'd say this string is on the firmer and more controlled side of all of the co-polys we offer here at TW. I'm a fan of firmer playing co-poly strings, so I liked that aspect of the response. The string is also a tad muted, and I prefer something with a crisper feel, like Luxilon ALU Power. However, considering the price difference between this and ALU Power, I could definitely let my fondness for crispness go and enjoy significant savings by using Tour XP."

Playability Duration - Score: 75

All strings lose tension over time, which not only leads to compromises in feel but also creates an unpredictable launch angle (think control problems). Although Tour XP lost its fair share of tension initially, it stabilized very nicely, and the control held up remarkably well over time. This suggests that Prince's meticulous engineering paid off. Needless to say, Chris was impressed. "One of the most impressive aspects of Tour XP was how long it felt playable in my racquets. The string started out feeling firm and controlled, and there was little change to those qualities as the hours on court stacked up. I did start to get some notching, which is expected, but I was still able to take full cuts at the ball and enjoy a very controlled response. I was able to hit this string longer than many co-polys since the control didn't drop off much even as the tension naturally decreased over time."

"The longevity of this string was definitely a standout feature," said Michelle. "It felt like it maintained its tension and features really consistently through the playtest, and there was never a noticeable drop-off that made me feel like the string needed to be cut out. I can be a bit lazy with my restringing, and I was lucky this string held tension so well because I could still appreciate it after three weeks of use!"

Overall - Score: 80