Best racquet of the year 2018!

[Crocodile]

Tomorrow will be 1st October and with three months to go we are getting closer to the end if the year. With the exception of the 2018 Babolat Pure Aero due to land shortly there shouldn't be too many new frames to be released, unless you know some.
So with what's been released is there any racquet you feel that is a standout for 2018 in terms of technology, playability, quality and cosmetics that would warrant the title as,"Racquet of the year?" Alternatively you may feel it's been a year of more if the same, or you may wish to nominate the "lemon or dissapointment of the year". You can also nominate your best brand for 2018 so something for everyone.

 

[Arzivu]

Prince phantoms

 

[lima]

Prince Phantom 100P Pro

 

[tennis1111]

Prince Phantom Pro 100

 

[hurworld]

Out of the Phatoms, only the 93P was released in 2018, no?

 

[monax]

Artengo tr 990 pro
Dunlop CV 3.0
Volkl v feel 8

 

[beltsman]

Tomorrow will be 1st October and with three months to go we are getting closer to the end if the year. With the exception of the 2018 Babolat Pure Aero due to land shortly there shouldn't be too many new frames to be released, unless you know some.
So with what's been released is there any racquet you feel that is a standout for 2018 in terms of technology, playability, quality and cosmetics that would warrant the title as,"Racquet of the year?" Alternatively you may feel it's been a year of more if the same, or you may wish to nominate the "lemon or dissapointment of the year". You can also nominate your best brand for 2018 so something for everyone.

EASY!

Head Graphene 360 Speed MP

 

[bcart1991]

Pro Staff 6.0 95, nothing else compares.

 

[Dartagnan64]

Prince Phantom 93P

 

[Dartagnan64]

Out of the Phatoms, only the 93P was released in 2018, no?

The Phantom Pros were reviewed by TW in Feb 2018 which suggests they were released stateside in December 2017 or Jan 2018. I think it's close enough to consider them 2018 models. The Phantom 100 was released in spring/summer 2017.

 

[TennisHound]

1. Prince Phamtom 93
2. Head 360 Speed MP
3. Prince Phantoms - 100 100P

 

[danbrenner]

Pure drive

 

[edelp]

Prince Phantom Pro 100

 

[TennisHound]

Pure drive

Yeah, I was gonna throw that one in there for fourth, maybe 3rdish. However a friend d of mine has a Phantom 100 that I hit with and it was sweet sweet.

 

[mhkeuns]

Prince takes it this year:
1. Phantom 93P
2. Phantom 100

 

[Shaolin]

Pro Kennex Redondo
Volkl c10 pro

 

[Slapper]

There are two more releases coming this year:

Prince Tour 95 and Prince Tour 100 both with the new Textreme 2 material (Textreme + Twaron)

Dunlop Srixon CX200 series

 

[Wilhelm]

There are two more releases coming this year:

Prince Tour 95 and Prince Tour 100 both with the new Textreme 2 material (Textreme + Twaron)

Dunlop Srixon CX200 series

Sweet! Gotta check out the 95, then.

Also interesting to see all the recommendations for the Phantom line. Haven't had a chance to try them yet. How is the control with the 100"?

 

[hurworld]

There are two more releases coming this year:

Prince Tour 95 and Prince Tour 100 both with the new Textreme 2 material (Textreme + Twaron)

Released in JP but not sure when they are going to be released in the rest of the world, though.

 

[Slapper]

Released in JP but not sure when they are going to be released in the rest of the world, though.

TW already confirmed that the CX200 Tour 18x20 is expected to be released in November, with the other models following in 2019.

Don’t know about the Prince Tour line.

 

[minorchords164]

There are two more releases coming this year:

Prince Tour 95 and Prince Tour 100 both with the new Textreme 2 material (Textreme + Twaron)

Dunlop Srixon CX200 series

First impression when I first heard this was:
"Omg omg omg..... I hope they make one that can hit a heavier ball or one that is more easily forgiving while still keeping that control and feel."

My impression when I looked up the specs on a Japanese site was:

"Damn."

It looks like they just maybe made it slightly easier to use or have a broader appeal. So far everything looks that same except.

Stock weight is now 310g down from 320g
Last beam width measurement(thinnest) is 20mm from 21mm
Swingweight appears to be 288 from 290 unstrung
And rec string tension is lower 43-53lbs from 45-55lbs

Twaron according to them will add more dampening and change the sound. Neither of which I thought was a problem or needed changing. I do prefer plush over crisp though if it's not mushy.

 

[minorchords164]

TW already confirmed that the CX200 Tour 18x20 is expected to be released in November, with the other models following in 2019.

Don’t know about the Prince Tour line.

This website is suggesting they'll be released end of November

https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/kpi/item/7tj075/

They have it for pre order(expensive for me). And TW already has this short description of Textreme 2 on their website for the 95.

https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/ractechpage.html?PCODE=T95

I guess it could be soon. Not quite a fan of the new pj yet. Looks weirdly army/camo but out of place. Think I'll stock up on this generation.

 

[minorchords164]

Umm... I haven't played with it but looking at the specs and performance objectives i would agree with the others above and back the Phantom pro 93p

 

[Crocodile]

There are two more releases coming this year:

Prince Tour 95 and Prince Tour 100 both with the new Textreme 2 material (Textreme + Twaron)

Dunlop Srixon CX200 series

Looking forward to these frames coming out shortly.

 

[hurworld]

From TW's website on Textreme2:

rince weaves Twaron directly into the graphite/textreme matrix. Twaron is an aramid, like Kevlar, designed to improve dampening along with improving the sound of impact.

-_-

 

[Crocodile]

So far, many of you seem most impressed with what Prince is doing this year. Yes the Textreme frames have a nice feel and the Phantoms particularly with the 100p and 93P have that great box beam design.
For me at present I do like what Yonex has done with the V Core 95 with its soft and comfortable feel, but also like what Head did by releasing the radical oversize and Speed Pro.
I'm hoping that maybe Dunlop might release a heavy 2.0 frame so one doesn't have to use a whole reel of lead to get it right.
At present I need more time with the Volkl V Feel 10 320 before I can say that it's an advancement in playability and feel, but some of their other new stuff is a bit mixed.
While I have only hit with the 315 XTC Tecnifibre, I'm not really a fan of it and prefer what they were making in the Samurai and all versions pre Dynacore.

 

[Crocodile]

As far as cosmetic updates the Angell V3 copper chrome paint finishes are great and remind me of some of those expensive Mercedes sports cars that have had the rose chrome paint treatments or wrap ( whichever is correct )
The Wilson RF infrared Laver Cup is great as well.

 

[Crocodile]

Perhaps best new newcomer one could nominate the Diadem range of racquets.

 

[minorchords164]

From TW's website on Textreme2:

-_-

Hhahahhahah!! I was also thinking "what the hell?"

As far as cosmetic updates the Angell V3 copper chrome paint finishes are great and remind me of some of those expensive Mercedes sports cars that have had the rose chrome paint treatments or wrap ( whichever is correct )
The Wilson RF infrared Laver Cup is great as well.

Agreed, the chrome paint accents look great on those and are a nice touch.

Haha! The Red Laver Cup RF97's really always looked like it's the devil's racquet to me! Or the Robot Devil from Futurama.

I think the Vcore pros could be a contender for best cosmetic too. Maybe if the paint was more durable.

 

[topspn]

As far as cosmetic updates the Angell V3 copper chrome paint finishes are great and remind me of some of those expensive Mercedes sports cars that have had the rose chrome paint treatments or wrap ( whichever is correct )
The Wilson RF infrared Laver Cup is great as well.

It looks very sharp indeed and my TC95s play beautifully

 

[Dartagnan64]

Pro Kennex Redondo
Volkl c10 pro

It's 2018 not 2008

 

[Shaolin]

It's 2018 not 2008

You're a quick one.

 

[Slapper]

First impression when I first heard this was:
"Omg omg omg..... I hope they make one that can hit a heavier ball or one that is more easily forgiving while still keeping that control and feel."

My impression when I looked up the specs on a Japanese site was:

"Damn."

It looks like they just maybe made it slightly easier to use or have a broader appeal. So far everything looks that same except.

Stock weight is now 310g down from 320g
Last beam width measurement(thinnest) is 20mm from 21mm
Swingweight appears to be 288 from 290 unstrung
And rec string tension is lower 43-53lbs from 45-55lbs

Twaron according to them will add more dampening and change the sound. Neither of which I thought was a problem or needed changing. I do prefer plush over crisp though if it's not mushy.

For the Tour 95, the balance has changed from 30.5 cm to 31.0 cm. So it looks like they have taken 10 grams out of the handle, with the mass in the hoop remaining the same. Beam width has changed from 22-22-19 mm to 22-22-20 mm, I believe.

If you want to hit a heavier ball and have more forgiveness, maybe lead up the Tour 100 or drop the tension on the Tour 95?

 

[Slapper]

As far as cosmetic updates the Angell V3 copper chrome paint finishes are great and remind me of some of those expensive Mercedes sports cars that have had the rose chrome paint treatments or wrap ( whichever is correct )
The Wilson RF infrared Laver Cup is great as well.

I agree, the Angell V3 is a sweet looking racket. However, I've seen second hand ones for sale where the copper paint at the top of the grip has peeled off from removing the overgrip finishing tape.

 

[flanker2000fr]

Prince Phantom line. Specifically the 93P.

I love that they went against the grain of producing stiff racquets.

 

[minorchords164]

For the Tour 95, the balance has changed from 30.5 cm to 31.0 cm. So it looks like they have taken 10 grams out of the handle, with the mass in the hoop remaining the same. Beam width has changed from 22-22-19 mm to 22-22-20 mm, I believe.

If you want to hit a heavier ball and have more forgiveness, maybe lead up the Tour 100 or drop the tension on the Tour 95?

Yeah, I checked the specs from TW and Tennis Only before. (I'm based in Australia. This was after I posted.) They're different. Tennis Only lists the thinnest measurement as 21mm. But they also list the rec string tension as 50-60lbs. I'm thinking now they may have did it on purpose cause the TT95 wasn't selling that great, still listed as a best seller, so they dropped the price after awhile and it works out actually cheaper after the exchange rate in Aus.

Right now it's $200 and before it was even some odd number like $178.55. Australian. Then it went away for a few months and they didn't restock it and I went 'cr*p'. But I wasn't sure still so I didn't wanna say anything. And we don't usually get as much product range here, so don't wanna complain too much. (We don't have the Phantom pro 93p. Which is why I haven't played with it.)

 

[pmata814]

I really loved the phantom pro 100. So my vote goes for that one. Even though i purchased the graphene touch speed mp instead because i played better with it. But i much preferred the feel of the prince.

 

[Hayward Butler]

The Prince Phantom Pro is not only a fantastic racquet but it has some very attractive qualities, like phenomenal feel and comfort. Looks are just over the top. The Phantom Pro looks as good as it plays, very stylish and classy.

 

[Nadal shall rise again]

Yonex Vcore Pro 330

 

[om panda]

Head G360 Speed MP, all around balanced racket so far. The feel, power, stiffness, and touch is just spot on.