Prince Twistpower X100 Tour Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 88

Our playtesters thought the Prince Twistpower X100 Tour generated heavy spin and easy power from the baseline. In a prior review of the standard X100, its lack of stability and mass left playtesters hungry for more weight. The new X100 Tour satisfied that hunger by beefing up the racquet from 10.8 ounces to 11.2 ounces. Already a fan of the Twistpower line, Jason immediately loved the X100 Tour. He said, "Was it love at first hit? I like to think so. The weight, balance and swingweight all worked together to make this racquet such a joy to hit off the ground. There's enough mass to absorb pace, and combined with that unique twisted throat, this racquet felt nice and stable. I thought it was easy enough to generate racquet head speed for power and spin."

With years of modern racquet experience, Brittany found a familiar feel from this racquet, with a slight bump in swingweight. She said, "When I playtested the standard X100, I loved almost everything about it but felt it was too light for me. When I found out there was a heavier version and we received a sample about a year ago, I fell instantly in love. Cue the playtest many months later, and I am still happy to report this racquet lived up to my expectations. I got easy power and depth from the baseline. There was enough mass in the racquet that it felt stable against heavy hitters, and when on the defensive, I could really knife my slices. I thought it complemented my game well, and I could play aggressively without overhitting. A small knock was that the swingweight was a couple points too high for me. I wasn't consistently hitting my super spinny short angles that I love to use."

Chris thought the X100 Tour provided versatility for the advanced game, including power, depth and touch. He held the racquet in high regard, saying, "This Tour version of the Twistpower X100 was a much better spec match-up for me than the regular X100, which was a tad light. The plush feel of the regular X100 gets a nice boost from the additional weight of this Tour racquet; the added mass helped absorb the impact forces and provide a very comfortable response. The extra weight also gave me more plow-through power, so I was hitting a bigger ball. I was very impressed with the spin I was able to generate. My topspin shots had some nice arc to them, and I liked how I could drive my slices with this racquet. There was enough power to help me put shots away, while the racquet offered plenty of touch for drop shots."

"Since I was on the review of the Twistpower X100, I had a bit of an idea of what to expect going into this playtest," Tiffani continued. "I really enjoyed the lighter X100 but felt that it wasn't quite stable enough. As soon as I started hitting, I knew that the Twistpower X100 Tour solved that issue for me. It felt much more solid and more stable than other racquets at the same weight. It also offered a good amount of free power, which was pretty easily controlled with topspin. Although I typically prefer to hit my slice shots with tighter string patterns, I liked how this racquet drove through the ball and kept slices low. The added stability came from the extra mass, as well as a higher swingweight. I didn't mind the bump in swingweight in most instances. I only wanted it to be whippier when I was trying to hit dipping cross-court shots. My shots would go in, but they didn't dive quite as quickly as I would like."

Volleys - Score: 85

Many modern racquets in this weight category lack stability at net, but our team thought the Twistpower X100 Tour created a solid experience on volleys. Brittany was a fan of the racquet's stability. She described, "The Twistpower X100 Tour was solid in my hands. While it wasn't the most maneuverable racquet, it was plenty maneuverable for me. In doubles, I just kept my hands out in front and let the racquet do the work. I could punch volleys back deep and never felt like I was getting pushed around. I even hit a couple of drop volleys for fun. I loved the feel and felt really connected to the stringbed, which translated into the confidence to hit a variety of volleys in both singles and doubles."

Chris felt that he had plenty of options at net with this racquet. He said, "I liked the amount of control I had on my volleys with the Twistpower X100 Tour. I was able to hit the corners at the baseline and cut some nice, short angle volleys. The racquet was very maneuverable, and I felt like I was reacting well with it. All in all, I'd say this racquet had a nice blend of mobility and stability. I think I could even beef this one up a bit and still find it to feel fast in hand."

Building on her experience in the previous X100 review, Tiffani found the new X100 Tour greatly improved in this category. She explained, "At net is where I really appreciated that boost in stability. I liked how the racquet was standing up to incoming pace, and the comfort was also a bonus here. I didn't feel excessive vibrations in my hand when I missed the sweetspot. I really don't have any complaints with this racquet on volleys."

Impressed by such a stable feel from a 11.2-ounce racquet, Jason said, "I thought the X100 Tour was really solid up at net. I think that the mid-320s swingweight definitely helped in that department. I also felt well connected to my shots, so it was easier to hit with touch and successfully pull off drop volleys."

Serves - Score: 91

Let's be honest — everyone loves serving with a powerful racquet. Seeing the ball rip off the strings is always satisfying. Thankfully, the Twistpower X100 Tour provided that fun, powerful response while still granting spin and control for all serve types. Brittany felt that the X100 Tour might be among the best power serving racquets on the market. She said, "I don't often compare racquets to the Babolat Pure Drive when it comes to serves, but this Twistpower X100 Tour may be up there as one of my favorite racquets to serve with. My first serves were some of the biggest I have hit in a long time. Not only were they some of my fastest serves, but they felt heavy and landed deep in the service box. On top of that, I was able to be really precise with my serves and accurately hit my targets over and over again. I was winning multiple free points a game on my serve and was able to play offensively. With my second serve, the higher swingweight made me a little nervous that I might drop the ball into the net when I got a little tight. I am happy to report that I haven't had any issues after a month-plus playtest. Can you tell I loved this racquet on serves?"

The X100 Tour's ease of use on serve provided an extra level of confidence for Tiffani during the playtest. She said, "This racquet had the free power and easy spin potential that I need on my serves. I'm not always confident stepping up to serve, but this Twistpower X100 Tour gave me a boost on this shot. I didn't need to swing any harder or quicker than normal to get good depth and pace. I was also hitting slice serves on the deuce side in the box more often than usual. I'll take it!"

Jason and Chris both felt that this version of the X100 Tour amplified spin to create offensive situations during serves. Jason said, "I loved serving with this racquet. It offered plenty of pop, so I was able to get some quick, cheap points. I also had great access to spin for my slice serves. I'd say this racquet kind of sits between the X100 and the X97 Tour. It has more power than the X100 and it's more forgiving than the X97 Tour."

Chris added, "I agree with Jason; serving with the Twistpower X100 Tour was one of the highlights of the test for me. I also got plenty of spin out of this racquet, and that helped me get fast serves to drop inside the box. I was definitely enjoying the power of the racquet and had fun going after bigger serves. I felt confident being very aggressive with my second serves as well. I was able to get the shape I needed to consistently clear the net and find my targets while still hitting with ample pace."

Returns - Score: 86

The Twistpower X100 Tour's dependable stability and controllable power were a recipe for success on serve returns. Chris explained, "The Twistpower X100 Tour felt great when I was taking a good rip at the ball. The power level was very controllable, so I could drive shots to the corners without much fear of hitting long or wide. I also enjoyed the level of comfort, which was especially nice when I was up against a tougher serve that I couldn't time perfectly."

Brittany also finished the review on a positive note, adding, "Even though I loved the racquet on serves, I had plenty of success on returns as well. The racquet was stable against big first serves, and on second serves, I could swing through and be aggressive. I will say the couple of extra swingweight points here affected me slightly. I had to shorten my swing to save time and really focus on following through. Once I had made those small adjustments my confidence increased, and that translated into more aggressive returns landing in the court."

Tiffani also made a few adjustments. She said, "Since I hit returns so flatly, it did take a bit of time to find my range with this racquet. It was easy to hit with depth, and because I didn't find quite the same targeting I would from my tighter-patterned Prince Textreme Tour 100P, I found a good tactic was to aim deep toward the middle of the court. The easy depth and pace let me occasionally catch the server off guard."

Lastly, Jason noted the racquet's well-rounded performance on both his attacking and defending returns. He said, "The X100 Tour felt stable and offered really good power when I was trying to be aggressive, and the access to spin helped keep the ball in the court. When I was countering and blocking a return back, I felt like the Twistpower X100 Tour absorbed pace well, remained stable and allowed me to get the ball back somewhat deep."

Overall - Score: 88