Ode to the Prince Spectrum Comp 90
You were my stick from 1994 to 2006
Prince manufactured you in 1986
So happy you made me with beams so narrow
You directed my shots like a speeding arrow....
OK, that's enough of my feeble attempt at tennis racquet poetry--just be thankful I don't start transcribing my high school poetry journal (you never know, there could be a market for twisted, poetic, emo racquet stringers).
The Prince spectrum comp was my stick of choice for many years. It was somewhat of a random occurance that I ended up using it at all. Through most of my high school days I played with a mizuno "reactor" I believe--too bad mizuno stopped making racquets; they were actually pretty nice sticks. I happened to be browsing around a sporting goods store on Oracle Road in Tucson, AZ when I came across a brand new Spectrum Comp 90 (with grey leather grip and all) on clearance for about $30. I needed an extra frame to keep as backup--I broke a frame or two on occasion back then; poor anger management skills (in fact, I need to check with an old buddy of mine who had saved a mutilated mizuno frame of mine from a memorable outburst at practice for posterities sake).
I strung it up with Gosen OG Micro most likely (my string of choice for many years) and took it for a test hit. Let me tell you, it was night and day from any frame I had ever used. Even though it was 1986 technology and this was 1994, it felt and played better than any stick I had ever used. It was small; 90 sq. in. It was heavy; close to 13 oz. strung; but it was frickin' awesome. Having a 14x18 pattern, I generated a ton of spin. It was somewhat forgiving on shots toward the frame; but if you could get the sweetspot, then goodnight Mr. Penn.
I put an ad in the USRSA magazine classified section looking to buy more of my new love. I got a response fairly quickly from a gentleman who had three of them in pretty nice condition. I believe I paid about a hundred bucks for all three--not a bad deal, but slightly more than what I paid (per racquet) for a brand new one. These frames would last me the next 12 years or so. Through College tennis, teaching and other competitive play. Eventually, the grommets just got too worn out to continue to string. Believe me, I tried numerous times to find new bumper sets for my beloved racquets, but it just was not to be. The frames never showed the slightest hint of cracking, chipping, etc... They were built like frickin' tanks--other than the plastic bumper guards/grommets of course.
It's just as well I suppose. As I've aged and grown--horizontally--I found my current Dunlop Vision 102s to be a little easier on the arm and a little more forgiving on mis-hits. I'm not even sure I could consistently hit the sweetspot anymore on a 90 in. frame as I'm so used to the extra 10 in. now. But I look back in fondness to my beloved Prince Spectrum Comp 90. They simply do not make them like that anymore.
I understand completely. I've been playing win the same Yonex R-23 since my high school days. For whatever reason I just never upgraded to a new racquet until now. Perhaps it's nostalgia. The odd thing is, I had the racquet restrung 15 years ago and they are still intact. Odd right?
ReplyDeleteThat's very odd if you've actually hit with it more than once a year in those fifteen years--the tension must have been like a racquetball racquet by then.
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