Prince Vortex Triad Hybrid String Review

Control - Score: 82 / Power - Score: 63

Unlike a traditional hybrid, which gets power from the inclusion of an elastic natural gut or multifilament string, Vortex Triad Hybrid is made from two firm and relatively low-powered monofilaments. This helps explain why it received an excellent score for control. However, according to Chris, this unique hybrid is not dead, especially after it settles in. He explained, "I enjoyed some solid control from Vortex Triad Hybrid. I liked the way the string pocketed the ball, and I got a solid sense for the direction of my shots. There was a tad more power than expected, but it was easy to control when the string still felt fresh. After a couple of weeks in my racquet (three hour-long hitting sessions per week), the strings started to become too powerful, and I struggled with control. Those players seeking a little more pop than the firmest co-poly should find this hybrid a great fit."

Troy also reported good control, but he too discovered this hybrid's powerful side. He said, "I wouldn't necessarily call this a powerful string since it is a poly/poly hybrid. When comparing Vortex Triad Hybrid to other co-poly strings I have tried, I found it to be slightly more on the power side of the spectrum. I didn't think it felt as powerful as the Prince Vortex I playtested earlier this year, but it still felt livelier than some of the poly strings that I usually play with. I had assumed this hybrid would be somewhat soft based on my experience with Prince Vortex, so I increased the tension by a few pounds. I tend to like a slightly more control-oriented poly, but with that in mind, I never felt like the ball was flying or spraying on me."

Spin - Score: 95

From its ultra-sharp bite to its vicious snapback and outstanding control at high stroke speeds, nearly every aspect of Vortex Triad Hybrid was designed to create juicier levels of spin. According to Chris, the design was definitely a success. He said, "By far, the most impressive attribute of this string was spin. I loved the way the ball exited my racquet with tons of spin on a fast swing. I was able to get my groundstrokes to jump off the court nicely. I sometimes like to sneak in added spin on the second or third ball and hit to the same target to see if I can get my opponent to cough up a short ball, or even better, to force a mistake. This tactic was easier to execute with Vortex Triad Hybrid because I felt like I could tap into added spin at will. I got the sense the main string was digging nicely into the ball, giving me that connected feel, but it was still able to slide on the cross string and snap back for some added kick. Great stuff!"

"Spin was phenomenal," said Troy, who ranked this setup among the best he has tested as far as spin is concerned. "With the triangle-shaped string in the mains, this hybrid was grabbing the felt of the ball aggressively on my topspin groundstrokes. It also seemed to me that the main strings were able to move and slide easily. I haven't tried many poly/poly hybrids, but I felt that the spin potential was right up there with some of the most spin-friendly strings that I have tried."

Comfort - Score: 70 / Feel - Score: 83

Made of two firm polyester monofilaments, Vortex Triad Hybrid isn't designed to provide the deep comfort of a natural gut or multifilament string. That said, Prince added softening agents to help counter the stiffness of the polyester base material. The upshot, for Troy, was a smooth ride. He described, "Comparing it to the co-poly strings that I frequently use as a full bed, this all-poly hybrid has low vibration and good comfort. It might not be as soft and springy as the original Prince Vortex, but it was very close. I found it to be slightly dampened and muted, and it definitely offered higher comfort than most other co-polys I've tried."

According to Chris, this all-poly hybrid not only had impressive comfort and pocketing, but it also managed to deliver the connected feel and predictable shot trajectory that are so crucial to control. He said, "I'd put Vortex Triad Hybrid on the more forgiving end of the spectrum of polys I've hit this year. I could feel some good ball pocketing, and the string felt like it had more give than the co-polys I usually use, like Volkl Cyclone, Tecnifibre Ice Code and Solinco Hyper-G. I was connected to my shots, and I loved the feel and response when the string was fresh."

Playability Duration - Score: 62

There is a reason why so many of the world's top players change racquets several times during the course of a single match. It's because tennis strings lose tension over time, resulting in compromises to shot trajectory and feel. According to Chris, Vortex Triad Hybrid is not immune to the ravages of time. He explained, "Like all poly-based strings, Vortex Triad Hybrid suffered from tension loss. I like to get two to three weeks out of a set of string if possible, but I was ready to cut the Vortex Triad Hybrid out and put in a fresh set after about two weeks. If I went into a third week with the string the ball would be flying on me too much. I'm going to try pre-stretching to see if that helps the string last longer, and hopefully it doesn't deaden the feel and response too much."

"The playability was on par with what I have come to expect with softer feeling co-poly strings," said Troy. "I find that soft co-polys drop tension quicker than most of the stiffer options. The performance and tension of softer co-poly strings drop significantly after about a week and a half, or roughly eight to 10 hours of use. This Vortex Triad Hybrid worked well for me for about seven hours before the tension dropped off and the stringbed started to feel springy. I cut out the string after about 10 hours of play."

Overall - Score: 84