Prince Pickleball Paddle Review
Tennis players will no doubt be familiar with Prince because they’ve been manufacturing tennis racquets for a long time.
In fact, some pickleball players believe that Prince makes some of the best pickleball paddles available in the market.
The Prince Response Pro is one of the most popular paddles on the market and is definitely a top seller.
Simone Jardim, a pickleball pro played with a Prince Response Pro when earning top honors at the 2018 US Open. She won four gold medals and was a triple crown winner with the Open Pro Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and Women’s singles titles.
Here’s our Prince Pickleball Paddle Review, summarized to make it simple to decide which Prince pickleball paddle you want.
Prince Pickleball Paddle Review – Summary
| Paddle | Detail | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | |
| Amazon | |
| Amazon |
Prince Response Pro Pickleball Paddle
Specs:
- Weight Ranges: Light 7.2 – 7.6 oz and standard 7.7 – 8.3 oz
- Core: Polypropylene Honeycomb
- Paddle face: Fiberglass with Textured UV Coating
- Handle length: 5 ½”
- Standard grip: 4 ⅜” or thin grip: 4 ⅛”
- Total length: 15 ¾”
- Width: 8 ¼”
Pros
- Extremely well-balanced paddle
- Excellent spin characteristics
- Large sweet spot
- Very accurate
Cons
- Price
- Lacks a little power
Paddle At A Glance
The somewhat unique shape and slim edge guard make for the largest possible usable space on the face of the Prince Response Pro, giving players extra reach for difficult shots.
You don’t have to hit the face dead-center for an effective shot when hitting with the broad face of the Response Pro paddle.
What stands out is the paddle’s balance, neither biased toward the head nor the handle, making control of direction simpler to manage.
Players like the soft touch that makes it easier to hit with a lot of power and control.
Paddle Surface & Core
The slightly thick polymer core gives the Response Pro a great balance between power and control.
Players are impressed by its accuracy as well as its ability to impart plenty of spin when required.
Being made of composite material, the paddle has a rough face which allows for plenty of spin control.
If you prefer a slightly smoother face with slightly better control characteristics, then the graphite paddle is probably a better option.
Hitting
The Response Pro has a great feel and balance, making it fairly easy to get used to quickly.
The heavy core provides plenty of power but this is not compromised by a lack of control when more finesse is required.
The paddle comes into its own around the kitchen with its easy maneuverability and perfect feel for cross-court dinks.
Fit & Look
The extended reach handle makes this paddle perfect for two-handed shots and for those players with larger hands, the extra ½” makes all the difference, especially on backhand shots.
The two weight options help to match this paddle to your preferred style of play.
And having two grip circumference options makes adjusting to the paddle a breeze.
The Response Pro line-up has 5 color choices including 3 Simone Jardim colors: Simone Jardim Pink, black and blue with the letter P over a zigzag pattern.
Prince Response
Specs
- Weight ranges: lightweight: 7.1 – 7.7 oz, standard: 7.8 – 8.3 oz
- Core: Polymer Honeycomb
- Paddle face: Textured UV fiberglass
- Grip length: 5.5″
- Grip size: 4″
- Total length: 15-3/4″
- Width: 7-7/8″
Paddle At A Glance
The Prince Response Pro is well known because it’s the paddle that Simone Jardin played with when she won four gold medals at the 2018 US Open.
The Prince Response is similar to the Response Pro but it has a slimmer core, only one weight option with an average weight of 7.3 oz, and a lower price.
The Response is a great choice because you get the quality of the Response Pro but at a lower price.
Prince Spectrum Pro Pickleball Paddle
Specs
- Weight Ranges: Light 7.1-7.6oz and standard 7.7-8.1oz
- Core: Polymer Honeycomb
- Paddle face: Composite
- Handle length: 5”
- Standard grip: 4 ⅜” or thin grip: 4 ⅛”
- Total length: 15 ¾”
- Width: 8 ¼”
Pros
- One of the largest sweet spots
- Well-balanced
- Excellent power
- Good spin characteristics
Cons
- Price
- Not suitable for novices
Paddle At A Glance
The Spectrum Pro is a great paddle that comes in different weights and has a small grip size and a slightly larger size, which makes it easy to come up with a combination that suits just about any player.
The ball comes off the face relatively quickly and it is suitable for both indoor and outdoor play.
Paddle Surface & Core
The Spectrum Pro paddle shape provides a really large sweet spot that allows players to make more shots than they may expect.
The feel is excellent while still providing enough power to put away baseline shots.
The thicker core is responsible for the paddle’s exceptional control and power characteristics that you wouldn’t normally expect from a composite paddle.
Hitting
This paddle really gives you the best of both worlds.
There’s plenty of power when you need it, but it is also an excellent control paddle.
Cross-court dinks are easy to control and there’s enough spin off the face to play and make the ball move. It has the feel of a graphite paddle.
Fit & Look
The Spectrum Pro paddle is relatively wide, allowing for great volley control.
The long handle and combination of grip size and paddle weight make it easy to accommodate just about all sizes and strengths of players.
The paddle’s ability to absorb power on defensive volleys yet still impart plenty of power to put away shots makes this an awesome tool in the intermediate to experienced player’s hands.
Prince Quantum Pro Pickleball Paddle
Specs
- Weight: 7.6 oz
- Core: Polypropylene Honeycomb
- Paddle face: Fiberglass with Textured UV Coating
- Handle length: 6.0″
- Standard grip 4 ⅜” or thin grip 4 ⅛”
- Total length: 16 ⅜”
- Width: 7 ⅜“
Pros
- Well-balanced paddle
- Very flexible
- Large playing area
- Price
Cons
- Not as good as the more expensive paddles
- The longer handle takes a little getting used to
Paddle At A Glance
The dominant characteristic of the Quantum Pro paddle is its ability to impart plenty of power.
And if you have larger hands or prefer playing double-handed, you can’t beat the 6″ handle for the extended reach which also helps give the paddle extra length at a total of 16 ⅜”.
Despite the smooth surface feel, the paddle provides adequate spin, especially on backhand shots.
Paddle Surface & Core
The Quantum Pro is one of the longest on the market with a total length of 16 ⅜”.
This gives players an advantage when stretching for balls that are further away.
The progressive core technology built into this Prince paddle provides plenty of feel towards the edge of the paddle giving players the confidence to pull off marginal shots.
Hitting
This paddle is extremely forgiving, providing a large playable area on the face.
Players will find that the face imparts plenty of spin as well as absorbs defensive volleys with confidence.
And the isometric shape gives players a consistent feel while enhancing maneuverability.
Fit & Look
With the wide range of weights and sizes available, players of every shape and size will be able to find a paddle that is perfectly suited to their liking.
The “P” logo on a colored gradient gives the paddle a professional, high-quality look.
Prince Spectrum Graphite Pickleball Paddle
Specs
- Weight: 8.0 oz
- Core: Polymer Honeycomb core
- Paddle face: Graphite
- Handle length: 5”
- Standard grip: 4 3/8″ or thin grip: 4 1/8”
- Total length: 15 ¾”
- Width: 8¼”
Pros
- Good all-around paddle
- Great control
- Provides plenty of spin
- Highly maneuverable
Cons
- Beginners may struggle with the power characteristics
- Price
Paddle At A Glance
The Prince Spectrum is is a beautifully designed, fast, and responsive paddle.
It’s ideal for players new to the game as well as intermediate players and its large sweet spot allows plenty of room to make shots that less experienced players may miss with a narrower paddle.
Despite its width, the paddle handles well and players can get it into action quickly when required without sacrificing feel.
Paddle Surface & Core
The paddle’s graphite face provides plenty of spin, although this is not classified as a spin paddle.
The graphite is durable and rigid, which will provide players with lots of game time and not wear out too quickly.
The core gives the paddle lots of feel while at the same time giving players the power they need when making baseline shots.
Hitting
The Prince Spectrum comes into its own at the non-volley line, where it is highly maneuverable.
Power shot returns are made easier by the paddle’s ability to absorb powerful shots and the graphite surface allows for great spin, especially when playing backhands.
Fit & Look
Smaller players will appreciate the small grip sizes as well as the grip material.
It wicks away sweat and moisture very efficiently, making this an excellent choice when playing in hotter climates.
The handle is quite long and players with smaller hands will be able to find very comfortable two-handed grips on both forehand and backhand shots.
Prince Pickleball Paddle Review – FAQ
What’s the difference between the Prince Response Pro Pickleball Paddle and the Prince Response Paddle?
The main difference between the Response Pro and the Prince Response is that the Response is lighter with an average weight of 7.3 oz and the Response Pro has two weight ranges with an average weight of 8.0 oz. The Response Pro also has a UV coating on the paddle face.
What’s the difference between the Spectrum and the Spectrum Pro pickleball paddle?
The difference between the Spectrum Pro and the Spectrum is that the Spectrum is lighter with an average weight of 7.5 oz and the Spectrum Pro has two weight ranges with an average weight of 8.0 oz. The Spectrum Pro also has a UV coating the paddle face.
What’s the difference between the Prince Response Pro and the Prince Spectrum?
The difference between the Response Pro and the Spectrum Pro is handle length. The Response Pro has a 5½” handle and the Spectrum Pro’s handle is 5”. Another difference is that the Response Pro has five color choices including the Simone Jardim colors and the Spectrum Pro has four colors.