o ports

prince

The O3 Speedport Series are the latest rackets from Prince although they have been on the market for some time now. Prince has always been a major brand in squash ever since the revolutionary Extender which was a smash hit and used widely by players on the junior and senior scene. Prince have always attracted many top players to join them with sponsorship as the rackets have always used cutting edge technology which steered away from the conventional racket designs. The O3 Speed Port Series were the choice of Peter Nicol, Nicol David and James Willstrop all competing at a top level on the world circuit using these rackets.

Peter Nicol Nicol David

The O3 Speedport Series is no exception to the rule of the Prince racket technology. Prince have achieved rackets that create more power and control in an extremely aerodynamic lightweight frame. The rackets have been specially tested in a wind tunnel that proved they move through the air up to 24% faster than a standard racket. The O3 engineered rackets uses the strongest structure ever found, the arch, which create the frames O Ports. It is these O Ports that stabilize the racket and gives greater control on off centre shots on the racket strings. Laboratories have confirmed that the Speedports strengthen and stabilize for up to a 59% larger sweet spot, which now becomes a sweet zone.

Speedport

sweet zone

There are three rackets in this series the O3 Speedport Black, Tour and Silver. Two of the rackets, the Black and the Tour are much the same apart from their weight and balance so there is a choice for how the player prefers a racket to feel for maximum comfort.

Prince O3 Seedport Black

O3 Speedport Black

Specifications

Head Size – 470 cm 2
String Pattern – 16/16
Weight – 135 g
Balance – 37.5 cm
Length – 68.5 cm
String – Super Syn Gut 17
Grip – Micro Zorb Indoor

Prince O3 Speedport Tour

Specifications

Head Size – 470 cm 2
String Pattern – 16/16
Weight – 145 g
Balance – 36 cm
Length – 68.5 cm
String – Super Syn Gut 17
Grip – Micro Zorb Indoor

I was looking forward to test out these rackets as I haven’t played with a Prince racket since I was a junior, my last was the Extender Elite mark two. They were very stable and reliable rackets so my expectations were high.

It took me a while to get used to the feel of the rackets as they were more powerful than I am used to. Out of the two I preferred the weight and balance of the Tour as it felt more comfortable for me. After a game or so I felt confident with the Tour and attacked the ball using the extra power which it handled with ease. It was very maneuverable around the court and I was able to prepare for quick reaction shots which is great when your looking to dominate the T. The one thing that impressed me the most was that under severe pressure and at full stretch I felt I was still hitting the ball very true. The O Ports certainly make a difference when digging balls out of the corners at a stretch and still managing to hit a straight length. It felt to me the rackets are very forgiving if you’re slightly hitting the ball late and not quite in the centre which proved valuable to the periods where I am struggling to retrieve the ball.

The O3 Speedport Black and Tour were a enjoyable experience for me to test and met my expectations. I can see the benefits they would bring to a players game with the larger sweetzone they almost do the work for you.

5 stars

5 Star rating for the speedport range, very impressive.

The Prince O3 Speedport Silver Squash Racket is also now available although I have not tested it yet. It has a different shaped and larger headsize and a slightly less dense string pattern. Looks great finished in silver. Here’s the spec –