Prince Beast XP string review

In 2010, Prince began distributing this string to playtesters with no information accompanying the string samples. They even set up a website (beastxp.com) but no one knew for sure who the company was or anything about the string. Upon inspection, it was apparent that it was a poly and it was green, but nothing else. What they did was brilliant because it allowed Prince to find out what playtesters actually thought of the string with no pre-conceived notions.

I received my sample after all the hoopla was over (for the most part) and decided it was time to string it up and see if it lives up to the hype Prince generated. Prince claims that their string is the world’s first thermo-poly string, featuring a secret alloy additive, that delivers improved trajectory control and feel for extreme precision. Ok, every company claims their string is either the first or the best at this or that but the proof is on court, not in the ad campaigns.

Prince claims 5 basic points - trajectory control, spin, tension maintenance, power and feel. Aren't these the same claims as every string, or racquet or anything else related to tennis makes? As a stringer, I get tons of string samples wanting me to test drive their "new" technology but rarely do they deliver on their claims. Let's take it on the court to see how the Beast xp stacks up to their hype.

The test racquet setup is as follows: Volkl Powerbridge 10 Mid; Prince Beast xp 16ga (mains) at 57# and Gaucho natural gut 16ga (crosses) at 60#. Natural gut in the crosses is my favorite setup because it's simply the best at nearly everything. But, it's expensive so I keep it in the crosses only. I realize that this may be cheating a bit on the overall playability of the string by hybriding it, but that's the way I usually play, so it's a fair test as a comparison.

The playtest: I started the test by playing a total of 4 sets of singles. The first thing I noticed is that my groundstrokes felt very comfortable and reliable. By reliable, I mean that the length of stroke was very predictible. I felt I could take full strokes and the ball would stay in. Now, I have played with other strings that would do this too but they were generally very stiff and harsh and potentially hard on your arm. The Beast xp strings had the predictiblity and they felt firm but not harsh. I would say that they leaned toward the soft side without being "mushy".

I finished the test with 5 sets of doubles and I must say that the Beast xp performed as good or better as a doubles setup. Again, the serve, volley and returns were outstanding and I felt in complete control. In doubles, you need to be precise with returns and this was fitting the bill.

While at the net, the strings controlled the ball beautifully. I was shocked how consistently I was hitting the ball deep into the court and with good punch. It is probably some of the best volleying I have done in quite some time. Feel at the net was the most outstanding characteristic of the string. Not something that you usually find in a poly. I was placing the ball with amazing precision. I was checking to make sure I was the one hitting those volleys!!

I felt completely confident at the baseline as my full strokes felt wonderful. The spin potential is very good but it's not outstanding. I have found that usually the best spinning strings are the stiffest but they're also the hardest on your arm. The Beast xp is a good feeling string with good spin.

My serve and overhead had lots of pop, spin and control and I was putting the serve in the spot I was aiming with excellent consistency. The ball just felt good coming off the stringbed.

What I was most surprised about this string is that I didn't find any real weaknesses. I forgot to measure the stringbed stiffness with my meter before hitting but it felt like there was very little tension loss.

The 1 downside (or maybe 2). This string is a bit pricey. It's up there with some Luxilon strings on price. The other possible downside to some might be the green color. Actually, I quite liked it and it didn't clash with the color of my racquet. ;) No one pointed or laughed (at least not to my face!). One thing I was initially disapointed about was that it's currently only available in a 16ga. I always play with a 17ga string as I feel it provides more "bite" However, this playtest dispelled any issues I had with it only being a 16ga.

Ok, let's sum this up. Prince claims 5 things - trajectory control, spin, tension maintenance, power and feel. Does the Beast xp deliver on any of these claims? My answer is yes on all 5 counts. Unlike most of the other string demos I get, this string actually delivered on their ad campaign. Refreshing! I think this string will be a great addition to the better player who wants to add better feel, power and control to their game vs the ordinary poly they currently use. Personally, I may have found a new string to go in my racquet!

Thanks,
Dan

Keep hittin'!!