Prince CTS Synergy DB26 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 85

When it came to hitting groundstrokes, the playtest team agreed that the weight of this CTS Synergy DB26 and its classic construction created a very solid, stable response. Michelle grew up wielding Prince racquets as a junior player, so this review was definitely a walk down memory lane. She reflected on the past and present, saying, "I loved everything about this racquet. The second I got it in my hands I was transported back to the courts of Southern California in the 1990s, and I felt like I was in my junior training days again. Everything lined up for my baseline game. The racquet was stable, yet explosive, so I could hug the baseline, swing big and apply as much pressure on my opponents as I wanted. Even against big hitters, I never felt the racquet flutter in my hands. The string pattern is 16x18, but it felt tighter in the sweetspot and more open near the outside of the stringbed, which aligned perfectly for my flatter groundstrokes. Even though the specs on this racquet are slightly lower than I am used to, I still felt like I had a good amount of mass behind my shots. I even customized the racquet a bit to try it with specs closer to my Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph, thinking I might like it even more. I was wrong, and I found that the stock specs worked best for my game. I was also surprised to find that I liked the feel of this racquet best with the Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex that it comes pre-strung with. I think the extra power from the synthetic gut paired with the tighter string spacing in the sweetspot very well. I felt like I was channeling my inner Capriati by attacking and going after every shot with force!"

Troy was also surprised that the CTS Synergy DB26 managed to simultaneously feel both swift and solid. He explained, "At 12.2 ounces strung, this racquet felt rather maneuverable. Due to a swingweight in the mid-320s, I could easily generate racquet head speed and whip the racquet on the forehand side. I think part of this maneuverable sensation had to do with me hitting this racquet side by side with the Prince Original Graphite 107. The Original 107 swings like a club, making this Prince CTS Synergy DB26 feel fast and 'whippy,' as we like to say. The 16x18 pattern, which would typically be a very open pattern, actually played more dense due to the spacing of the center main strings. This gave the racquet a slightly lower launch angle, and the spin potential on my groundstrokes seemed more like what I get from a 16x20 or 18x19 pattern. I really enjoyed the feel on contact; it felt relatively solid, and the stiffness was right where I like it. If I had to knock this racquet, the feel when I made contact slightly outside the sweetspot was somewhat dead. When I used a poly, I found that it helped to go with a thin gauge and drop tension, which for me is in the lower 40-pound range."

Chris continued the praise for this solid, comfortable racquet. He said, "I was impressed by how solid the CTS Synergy DB26 felt. I found a very comfortable feel, although I preferred it strung low. When I strung it over 52 pounds with a modern co-poly the upper portion of the stringbed dropped off too quickly in power. A tension of around 48 pounds solved that issue. I also found it easy enough to generate lots of spin, and I especially liked it on slice shots. I typically prefer slicing with 18x20 string patterns, but this racquet's string pattern offered lots of grip on the ball. The mass of this racquet was also there to help me drive through my slice shots."

Mark loved the CTS Synergy DB26's feel when strung with Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex, but in the end, he found that it worked best for his game with a thin-gauge shaped poly to maximize spin potential. He said, "My initial session with this Prince CTS Synergy DB26 was with the Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex string in it, and I concede that it felt and played great. This string seemed to help create a very plush ride, and it opened up the sweetspot quite well. For the rest of this playtest I alternated between a full bed of poly and the synthetic gut. With the 16x18 pattern of this racquet being tightly spaced in the sweetspot, the ball's launch angle on my groundstrokes was lower than I prefer. I really started to appreciate using a thinner gauge co-poly with a shaped profile, as it somewhat modernized this classic racquet and helped me generate the heavy topspin I’m accustomed to on my forehand shots. From the baseline, the Synergy DB26's weight, balance and swingweight made it feel very stable, and it was maneuverable enough to make it easy for me to redirect shots with heavy pace and spin."

Volleys - Score: 86

Most of our playtesters were hard-pressed to find any faults with the CTS Synergy DB26's volleying performance. Michelle was just as successful on her volleys as she was on her groundstrokes. She said, "As I mentioned in my groundstrokes comments, this racquet felt rock solid and stable. This remained true when I came to the net. The CTS Synergy DB26 moved quickly and easily into position, and it had the mass to block any ball back with ease. It never felt unstable or fluttered in my hand, nor was it too hefty or demanding for me. I felt as though I could carve out any volley I wanted. Most surprisingly, there was a nice feel on impact, which actually made me confident hitting drop volleys and short angles even though that isn't necessarily my strong suit."

When coming to the net, Mark expressed his appreciation for the easy pace he could generate. He said, "My game style is often more 'keep it in play’, rather than 'put it away.' That said, once inside the service line with this stick, I actually became more of a point-ender, which made me feel very confident while playing doubles. Over the course of this playtest I marveled at how easy it was for me to get all 12.2 ounces of this racquet into place, and how unflinching that weight was at contact.”

Troy was pretty impressed overall, but he thought the sweetspot was slightly smaller than some more modern racquets. He described, "I felt dialed in and precise on my volleys. As I mentioned on groundstrokes, I could tell when I missed the sweetspot because the response was a bit dead, but this also gave me a lot of feedback. I could execute my drop volleys well because I had a good connection to the ball and enough mass to take pace off the ball with ease. I found the maneuverability to be good, which worked out well when I was playing doubles and having to react quickly. With the 97-square-inch head size, I felt very precise and confident putting the ball where I wanted it. This is something that was very appreciated and very noticeable compared to the Prince Original Graphite 107. That racquet offered great feel for the ball, but my targets sometimes got a bit lost due to the larger head size. If I were to change this racquet, I might add a little weight at 3 and 9 o'clock of the hoop to help stabilize the frame a bit and open up the sweetspot."

This racquet provided Chris just about all he could ask for. He said, "The Prince CTS Synergy DB26 had a lot going for it at net. The racquet felt super solid, yet I never had any issues getting it into position. I was able to relax my grip and maximize touch thanks to the stability built into the frame. I found good power when looking to punch volleys away, as well as accuracy."

Serves - Score: 84

Although it's on the heavier side, the Prince CTS Synergy DB26 was plenty manageable when our team was serving. Mark was already convinced that this was a very solid racquet, but serving sealed the deal. He said, "This was my favorite shot to hit with the Prince CTS Synergy DB26. Its 12.2-ounce weight helped provide easy plow through power on serves. In addition, the head-light balance and wind-resistant 97-square-inch head size made it easier for me to generate racquet head speed, which resulted in plenty of spin for consistency."

The love continued for Michelle on serves, where she found this racquet to be well rounded. She said, "I've been working on getting my serve to be a bit more efficient, and serving with this racquet helped with that. I loved serving with the CTS Synergy DB26. It plowed through the ball well on first serves, and I could really find my rhythm and hit my spots. T-serves felt awesome, but carving in some slice and spin was working too. The racquet came through the ball explosively. I felt confident serving with this racquet in hand, which led to higher serve percentages and fewer double faults in pressure situations."

Due to an injury partway through this playtest, Chris had to serve with his non-dominant hand, so he needed something that would be versatile enough for him to handle. He explained, "Due to an injury, I was forced to serve lefty for part of the playtest, including the video review portion. I liked the racquet both when serving with my stronger right arm and with my weaker left. With my right, I found good pace and spin. With my left, I was just able to handle the mass and was rewarded with good power and a comfortable response. I think this racquet will surprise many with its wide appeal; it was definitely versatile for me."

Maneuverability stood out for Troy when serving, although he was hoping for a bit more spin and bite on the ball. He said, "I enjoyed how easily this Prince CTS Synergy DB26 maneuvered on serve. It is not a lightweight racquet by any means, but the head-light balance and sub-330 swingweight made for a relatively fast feel, especially compared to the beefy Original Graphite 107 that I was also testing. I found good precision whether I was going for the flat serve up the T or the kicker out wide. I wish that the 16x18 pattern was more evenly spaced. It is very dense in the middle and didn't give me as much bite as I was hoping for, but that isn't a major knock. I found decent pop and power, but it wasn't necessarily this racquet's strong suit. Then again, I usually play with the Yonex EZONE 98+, which provides easy power from the extended length."

Returns - Score: 84

Our playtesters put the weight of the CTS Synergy DB26 to good use on returns. This racquet's versatility gave Troy a lot of confidence in his returns. He said, "I found a good blend of maneuverability and stability. The CTS Synergy DB26 was fast enough to catch up to big serves, but at the same time, if I needed to block the ball back there was enough mass to do so without the racquet fluttering in my hands. I had great control side to side and depth-wise, so I felt very confident placing my returns in doubles. When I saw the serve coming in nice and juicy to my forehand side and felt like taking a risk, I could let it rip without fear of overhitting. I think the dense spacing of the strings in the sweetspot allowed a bit of added control, which felt great on hard-hit flatter strokes such as my forehand returns. If I needed to chip a slice backhand, I found good precision and enough mass to help keep the return deep."

Chris appreciated the mass and plow through this racquet brought to his returns. He said, "I liked taking returns early and using the racquet's mass to drive returns deep. I felt like I was able to use the incoming pace well. My slice returns felt especially solid, and I had success following chip returns to net. I didn't find that instant click when looking to roll angles like I would from a lighter, more modern racquet. However, those returns fell into place the more I practiced with the CTS Synergy DB26."

Mark's favorite shot to hit with the CTS Synergy DB26 was the serve, but returning serves was almost as enjoyable. He described, "I almost listed the serve return as my favorite shot to hit with the Synergy DB26 since I was able to take a topspin swing on my forehand side more often than I do with other racquets. Besides that, I also loosened up and felt confident enough on my backhand return to alternate between a topspin and slice return of serve."

Whether going big or being very precise, Michelle found success hitting all of her returns. She said, "I always love teeing off on returns, and that was a fun part of this playtest. Again, the stability of the racquet was evident, and it held up well against fast serves. I could take a big swing or shorten up the backswing and redirect pace well. The racquet cut through the air fast enough that I could generate easy speed and whip the racquet around for those sharp-angle returns. I always felt connected to my shot and could trust where the ball was going. I was able to disguise my returns well when playing doubles, whether I wanted to blast one back or caress the ball for a sharp angle."

Overall - Score: 84