Prince Ripstick 100 Review: Tested & Rated

Deep Dive: Groundstrokes & Spin

Let’s start with what this racquet actually does best, because the Ripstick 100 is built to do two things: launch the ball high and heavy, and do it without making you work like a laborer.

The power is real. I mean, it’s real real. The O-port technology removes chunks of material from around the grommet holes — the hoop has these elongated slots where solid string holes would normally be — which lets the hoop flex more freely on impact. That flex equals energy return, which equals free ball speed. On my first rally session, I hit my usual heavy topspin forehand and watched it land a solid two feet deeper than normal. My first thought wasn’t joy. It was “great, now I have to recalibrate everything.” That’s the deal with this frame: the launch angle is high, the ball jumps off the stringbed, and if your stroke shape is a little sloppy, you’re suddenly finding the back fence (or the net cord, in my case, twice — embarrassing).

The spin, though, is where it earns its money. Combine the open 16×18 pattern with that lively stringbed and you get extreme topspin without much extra effort. My topspin forehands dipped hard into the back third of the court — the kind of ball that pushes a 3.5 opponent into panic mode behind the baseline. One of my test hits was a guy at my club, a 3.5 who struggles badly with depth. I handed him the Ripstick at the end of a lesson and told him to just hit. Within ten minutes, his rally ball — usually a short floater my 12-year-old students would feast on — was consistently landing past the service line. He ordered one that night. I’m not making that up. That’s the free-depth story in one human being.

Here’s the flip side, and this is where I’m blunt: on flat shots, this racquet can get away from you. Drive a low, flat ball down the line and the same liveliness that helps your topspin rally ball turns into a trampoline. Two of my harder-hitting testers said the exact same thing: “I can’t trust it on flatties.” You learn to add a bit more shape or take a little pace off, but if you’re a flat hitter by nature, this isn’t your racquet. Don’t buy it because it’s cheap and pretty. (It’s not pretty. We’ll get there.)

Deep Dive: Serves & Returns

Serving with the Ripstick 100 is a bit like driving a powerful car with slightly vague steering.

Flat first serves are fast — faster than they have any right to be from a 300g frame. My flat serve speed was up noticeably versus my control racquet, and I hit a few in that sweet spot where the toss is decent and the ball just explodes off the bed. But precision took a hit. The high launch angle that loves your kick serve punishes your low toss laser. When I aimed tight to the T on deuce side, I had a couple sail long and wide that I’d normally make. On kick serves, though, it’s excellent. The open pattern bites the ball hard, and my second serve — the one that has to kick up over a returner’s shoulder — jumped higher off the court than usual. If you’re a spin serve player, you’ll love this. If your second serve is a flat “just get it in” push, this frame won’t fix that. (No racquet will. Take a lesson.)

Returns were the surprise of the test. I expected a 300g frame with O-ports to fold against big serving, but the moderate swingweight keeps the whip-through fast, and the free power means blocking back a 100+ mph first serve actually gets the ball deep with almost no effort. My 4.5 friend hit rockets at me during return practice, and I could redirect pace standing near the baseline without arm strain. What you give up is plow-through on heavier balls — against a big, heavy topspin ball, the frame can get pushed around a touch. Slice backhand returns also felt a little inconsistent; the lively bed can turn a defensive chip into a sail job. It’s a tradeoff, not a flaw.

Comfort & The “O-Port” Experience

Now let’s talk about the technology, in plain English, because this is the part Prince markets hardest.

The O-ports are essentially holes in the racquet’s hoop where you’d normally have solid string holes and grommets. By removing that material, the frame gets lighter and more aerodynamic in exactly the right places, and — this is the key bit — the hoop itself becomes slightly more flexible. A more flexible hoop absorbs some of the shock that would otherwise travel down your arm. So you get the power benefits of a stiffer frame with some of the vibration damping of a softer one. It’s like putting suspension on a truck: the frame stays rigid enough to hit hard but absorbs the rattle before it hits your elbow.

Does it work? For the most part, yes. My elbow felt fine through the whole test. My tennis-elbow student used it for two hours and reported no flare-up — and this is a guy who can’t get through a session with most modern stiff racquets. For anyone hunting an arm-friendly power racquet, this is one of the better ones I’ve tested at this price. I still wouldn’t call it plush — it’s muted rather than soft. Which brings me to the feel.

And the feel is where advanced players will walk away. The O-ports change the sound and the feedback of the frame in a way that takes real getting used to. When you swing, there’s this distinct airy “whoosh” from air rushing through the open ports — honestly, it sounds a little like the racquet is whistling at you. On impact, the response is dampened, almost hollow. You don’t get the crisp, connected “I know exactly where the ball is” feel of a solid-hoop frame. My 4.5 testers called it “dead” and “muffled.” I don’t fully agree — I’d say it’s quiet rather than dead — but if feel is your religion, this is a serious dealbreaker and I’d rather tell you now than have you find out from a return box.

Who Should Buy It vs. Who Should Avoid It

Buy the Prince Ripstick 100 if:

• You’re an intermediate club player (roughly 3.0–4.0) who wants more depth and spin without swinging harder
• You’re an older player or someone returning from injury who needs an arm-friendly power racquet that won’t wreck your elbow
• You struggle with depth and want free power that does the work for you
• You hit with heavy topspin and want your rally ball to jump and dip
• You’re on a budget and want big-brand tech without paying $250+

Avoid it if:

• You’re a strong 4.5+ flat hitter who needs pinpoint control — the trampoline effect will drive you nuts
• You’re a feel player who wants crisp, connected feedback on every shot
• You have a fast, compact swing and already generate plenty of your own pace (you’ll overspin and overshoot)
• You plan to add weight and customize heavily — this isn’t the platform for that project
• You have good taste in racquet graphics (more on that below)

Alternative Recommendations

If the Ripstick 100 doesn’t sound like your racquet, here’s where I’d send you instead.

Babolat Pure Aero 100 — If you liked the idea of extreme topspin but want more control and a stiffer, more connected feel, the Aero is the classic answer. It’s more expensive, stiffer on the arm, and demands a faster swing, but it rewards you with spin and precision the Ripstick can’t match. Better for solid intermediate-to-advanced players.

Wilson Clash 100 — If arm comfort was the thing pulling you toward the Ripstick, the Clash 100 is the other name in that conversation. It’s softer, more flexible, more controlled, and less powerful. You trade free power for control and plush feel. Older players and elbow-sensitive players should demo both before buying — they solve the same problem in opposite ways.

For a fuller breakdown of how these stack up against each other, check out my guide to the best tennis racquets for power and spin — I’ve hit with every frame on that list.