Let's be real we can't play with prestige's

Eravauttennis

Eravauttennis

Rookie
Head Prestige's are just too challenging to play with for 99.99999969% of us, but many of us still pick them up and try to use them for that solid 10 mins we can use them for. I want to note that even at a 5.0 level it's just too much work and after hitting with the latest Yonex Vcore's I realized that I can play much better with them. That's not my point though, I think that it's important to play for fun and sometimes for Nostalgia. I wish to keep the Prestiges alive and well, the history they bring is important and the fact that they still produce the line is just incredible. So to all of my fellow Prestigeaholics alike. Thank You I love all of you.

P.S. The scariest moment of head tennis history is when I thought they were being canceled for the Graphene 360 line and replaced with the gravity. No disrespect to the gravity but I like my cap grommets like I like my dog alive and well.
 
Ohh trust me I know I can, I've done all of the customizations and changes I even tried the mp and mp-l I just not able to play my best with them and the more I talk to my local pros who outclass me even have been talking about how they are just not usable with how tennis is changing. I completely accept that and think that people should use what they feel comfortable with but at one point this message board is going to need to realize that the racquet will eventually die sadly.
 
Head Prestige's are just too challenging to play with for 99.99999969% of us, but many of us still pick them up and try to use them for that solid 10 mins we can use them for. I want to note that even at a 5.0 level it's just too much work and after hitting with the latest Yonex Vcore's I realized that I can play much better with them. That's not my point though, I think that it's important to play for fun and sometimes for Nostalgia. I wish to keep the Prestiges alive and well, the history they bring is important and the fact that they still produce the line is just incredible. So to all of my fellow Prestigeaholics alike. Thank You I love all of you.
Eravauttennis said:
P.S. The scariest moment of head tennis history is when I thought they were being canceled for the Graphene 360 line and replaced with the gravity. No disrespect to the gravity but I like my cap grommets like I like my dog alive and well.
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BLASPHEMY!!!

Just kidding. I regretfully agree. I once picked up a PT57 from a 2nd hand store and loved it. I sold it when I realized it was worth lots of money and I tried other Prestige racquets and never felt great with any of them. I tried so many combinations.

I went back to my weighted up Prince Mono racquets for their great feel. Then I got picked to playtest the Gravity S racquet and switched to a light racquet for the last 4 years. Now I’m trying out the Gravity Pro. While I was worried it would be too heavy after the S and my age and legs injuries, etc. I LOVE THE GRAVITY PRO! It’s a solid frame that reminds me of that PT57 I had. I’ve had just a couple of string combinations but 47lbs with a round poly feels great!
 
Eravauttennis said:
Ohh trust me I know I can, I've done all of the customizations and changes I even tried the mp and mp-l I just not able to play my best with them and the more I talk to my local pros who outclass me even have been talking about how they are just not usable with how tennis is changing. I completely accept that and think that people should use what they feel comfortable with but at one point this message board is going to need to realize that the racquet will eventually die sadly.
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MP-L (weighted up) is nice ! not harder than a Wilson Blade or probably even a Radical ! I don't know for Gravity Pro but I'd like to try that and compare.
 
At the 5.0 level+ and pro level generating your own pace is only half the battle! Gotta remember you have players who hit with big spin or maybe hit equally as hard flat that you have to return. Big serves too.

Prestige esque frames will give you confidence in hitting those bigger balls but hitting the bigger balls off of a tough shot? That’s where the lighter easier to use frames come to excel
 
Problem imo with the prestige and radicals are that they no longer have the specs of the past and players are pretty weak these days. They need to go back to head light configs to bring the maneuverability back. There are barely any thin beam head light rackets w/ high swing weight anymore. All the radicals and prestiges I see being played are from 10 years ago, with the exception of the 360+ mid.

As a former 93 player I'm left looking at completely different specs.
 
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The prestige is pretty easy to play with if you have power, it actually let's you hit out more. But the latest versions are damp squibs in that regard overall it seems to me. The latest versions have been popular with some players but I agree they don't offer enough for most of the players out there across the board. The itf level players haven't been using them for a long time now. Top level pros of course are the best of the best and most cannot reference what they use and handle it anyway.
I am not sure what they have done to the line now, I would like to try the mid out but it is a small headed control frame. I guess they felt they had to change it to keep it alive but it has been badly marketed at tour level also which is never a good thing for the recreational players to ask about. I guess Andy Murray uses it but he promotes the Radical which is for most a much easier stick to use and gives more free power. I think the older radical 18/20 frames hit better like the ig radical mp. Head could do worse than release that sort of layup with a nice 18/20 String job and a 98" head. It seems hard to get that spec now from head in a good hitting frame.
 
I never liked the prestige in my Jr days. 2 years ago I tried a Microgel prestige pro and I was hooked. I now own 10 prestiges from pt57e xls, and pro stocks. They all play great and feel different but the dense string pattern is just so darn consistent and tight. I am a pretty high level, so I find them almost too powerful but the pinpoint control is a dream.
 
Eravauttennis said:
Head Prestige's are just too challenging to play with for 99.99999969% of us, but many of us still pick them up and try to use them for that solid 10 mins we can use them for. I want to note that even at a 5.0 level it's just too much work and after hitting with the latest Yonex Vcore's I realized that I can play much better with them. That's not my point though, I think that it's important to play for fun and sometimes for Nostalgia. I wish to keep the Prestiges alive and well, the history they bring is important and the fact that they still produce the line is just incredible. So to all of my fellow Prestigeaholics alike. Thank You I love all of you.

P.S. The scariest moment of head tennis history is when I thought they were being canceled for the Graphene 360 line and replaced with the gravity. No disrespect to the gravity but I like my cap grommets like I like my dog alive and well.
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You can, but you have way better choices
 
thats-bait-fury-road.gif
 
Prestige will always be a reference. Control and maneuverability are top notch. But tennis going faster nowadays and it’s more difficult to play a full match with the prestige as it requires a lot of energy. But the thin beam, laser precision is unmatched
 
I definitely can't play my best with a prestige. I wanted to like them, but I've tried multiple and they just don't feel right to me. I prefer to use a pro staff, CX 200 tour 18x20, phantom 93P, or VCore Pro. Heck, even when I got to test out the original Diadem elevate, I felt more connected to it than the prestige. Not sure it's because the prestige is too demanding or if it's just not a good fit for me personally. But I definitely feel certain players can play their best with demanding sticks similar to the prestige, they just aren't as common now since racquet and string technology has changed; most people have changed with the racquets and strings, whereas the prestige feels more like a throwback, even the modern ones.
 
Just to clarify are we talking about the prestige with the pt57a mould or the newer versions as there is a difference. If we are talking the prior release like the iprestige and the IGMP youtek then they are too tier rackets but if we are referring to the newer version then the head is now bigger and it just doesn't play the same at all. Whilst some have got on with it, it's not the prestige that has been the one and generally still used by a lot of top pros now infact. The newer one is easier to use but doesn't let you go through the gears now and feels limited in its full power when you really go for it. The pro tour 2.0 is a better racket but as discussed more demanding, but required you to bring the skills to the table
 
360+ Prestige Mid is surprisingly easy to play with. Only downside for me was somewhat small sweet-spot.
In comparison, the Asian version (320g) Pro Staff 90 is much easier to play with, because the sweet spot is massive. Only downside is far more string movement.
 
J-Wildcard said:
Just to clarify are we talking about the prestige with the pt57a mould or the newer versions as there is a difference. If we are talking the prior release like the iprestige and the IGMP youtek then they are too tier rackets but if we are referring to the newer version then the head is now bigger and it just doesn't play the same at all. Whilst some have got on with it, it's not the prestige that has been the one and generally still used by a lot of top pros now infact. The newer one is easier to use but doesn't let you go through the gears now and feels limited in its full power when you really go for it. The pro tour 2.0 is a better racket but as discussed more demanding, but required you to bring the skills to the table
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If I wanted to do no research of my own and wanted to get into older prestiges, is there a best year for the mid/93?
 
Yamin said:
If I wanted to do no research of my own and wanted to get into older prestiges, is there a best year for the mid/93?
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The mid is even harder to use than the mp but is a precision instrument. I think in my experience the best mid was the iprestige version which can be pretty hard to get, the IG youtek mid from around 10years ago is more available but can fetch higher prices sometimes. The modern mid (graphene touch prestige mid & the 360+ are good offerings giving a bit more power now but not the same feel and precision overall. The new offering are 16/19 which many have said makes it more playable against other modern offerings. It's finding what suits you and of course what you want from the racket.
 
There's some confusion here. PT10 is the real deal, THE Head Prestige Classic (Mid) w the 89 sq in head. PT57(A) everyone keeps mentioning here is Head Pro Tour 630. And yes, many still keep playing with HPC600. Can life be easier with another, more modern, more forgiving frame? Sure. Can you beat that HPC600 feeling? I don't think so.
 
Problem I think is endurance of people. I don’t think many people can handle a prestige for a long high level match, but if you’re someone who hits for only an hour at a time and the prestige can be swung competently for that time before you get tired it’s ok. The weekend warrior who smacks the ball for an hour but brings it in because of the control and can swing it confidently for the time they usually play fits the bill.
 
I've never hit with a prestige, but I am intrigued by the implied suggestion that they are more demanding than say a Phantom 93p. Spec-wise I am not sure I see it.
 
denoted said:
I've never hit with a prestige, but I am intrigued by the implied suggestion that they are more demanding than say a Phantom 93p. Spec-wise I am not sure I see it.
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93p has a bigger spin window in my option. It plays much bigger then a 93. The sw is higher then older prestiges so if you can handle the higher sw the 93p is amazing and probably more user friendly.
 
Yamin said:
If I wanted to do no research of my own and wanted to get into older prestiges, is there a best year for the mid/93?
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Believe there is a reissue of the original 90 coming out possibly this year. May want to wait for that. Or grab a prince phantom 93. That thing is incredible. Still have mine.
 
Eravauttennis said:
Head Prestige's are just too challenging to play with for 99.99999969% of us, but many of us still pick them up and try to use them for that solid 10 mins we can use them for. I want to note that even at a 5.0 level it's just too much work and after hitting with the latest Yonex Vcore's I realized that I can play much better with them. That's not my point though, I think that it's important to play for fun and sometimes for Nostalgia. I wish to keep the Prestiges alive and well, the history they bring is important and the fact that they still produce the line is just incredible. So to all of my fellow Prestigeaholics alike. Thank You I love all of you.

P.S. The scariest moment of head tennis history is when I thought they were being canceled for the Graphene 360 line and replaced with the gravity. No disrespect to the gravity but I like my cap grommets like I like my dog alive and well.
Click to expand...
Disagree completely. I play very successfully with my Prestige and like it better than the latest Vcore.
 
Yamin said:
If I wanted to do no research of my own and wanted to get into older prestiges, is there a best year for the mid/93?
Click to expand...
I did some research on this before and the consensus on these boards was that apart from the original (naturally), people seem to like the i.Prestige mid and the IG Prestige mid, among the older Prestige mids.
 
SinneGOAT said:
Problem I think is endurance of people. I don’t think many people can handle a prestige for a long high level match, but if you’re someone who hits for only an hour at a time and the prestige can be swung competently for that time before you get tired it’s ok. The weekend warrior who smacks the ball for an hour but brings it in because of the control and can swing it confidently for the time they usually play fits the bill.
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No way. I play 2 to 3 hours a day with my Prestige.
 
OP, plenty of people playing below the 5.0 level who can play anything they want against that level of competition. I could probably play with a standard wood racquet and continue to be successful at the 4.0-4.5 level. I do play with a 73 sq inch Kneissl quite regularly, and you'd be surprised how easy it is to hit the sweetspot. Those racquets are also sweet for blocking back returns, as they are frequently heavier and win the collision with the ball. TEHO...
 
I used to do coaching sessions and have hit daily with prestiges for several hours per day. It doesn't give the artifical power assist many of the modern frames give you which is a rarer thing now. It's not in anyway heavy or tough to use. The gravity pro whilst I can handle it is a more demanding stick to use to me as cannot be maneuvered easily when adjusting and has a higher swingweight. A lot of head heavy frames in comparison may be light but also much harder to play touch shots with, with the prestige you have total control over things and there's not much like it. If you are just grinding or teeing off mainly from the baseline like many players do now there are of course easier and better options for many players depending on skill level, swing length and strength and stamina.
 
J-Wildcard said:
I used to do coaching sessions and have hit daily with prestiges for several hours per day. It doesn't give the artifical power assist many of the modern frames give you which is a rarer thing now. It's not in anyway heavy or tough to use. The gravity pro whilst I can handle it is a more demanding stick to use to me as cannot be maneuvered easily when adjusting and has a higher swingweight. A lot of head heavy frames in comparison may be light but also much harder to play touch shots with, with the prestige you have total control over things and there's not much like it. If you are just grinding or teeing off mainly from the baseline like many players do now there are of course easier and better options for many players depending on skill level, swing length and strength and stamina.
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Similarly, I find the Yonex VCore Pro HD much harder to use than the 360+ Mid.
 
J-Wildcard said:
I used to do coaching sessions and have hit daily with prestiges for several hours per day. It doesn't give the artifical power assist many of the modern frames give you which is a rarer thing now. It's not in anyway heavy or tough to use. The gravity pro whilst I can handle it is a more demanding stick to use to me as cannot be maneuvered easily when adjusting and has a higher swingweight. A lot of head heavy frames in comparison may be light but also much harder to play touch shots with, with the prestige you have total control over things and there's not much like it. If you are just grinding or teeing off mainly from the baseline like many players do now there are of course easier and better options for many players depending on skill level, swing length and strength and stamina.
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Yep. I think the OP had a sudden honeymoon experience that prompted this thread.
 
vsbabolat said:
No way. I play 2 to 3 hours a day with my Prestige.
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I wish I could o_O In my best shape I could only do 3-4, and that’s when I was super serious about fitness. Now I have struggles with a blade for 2 1/2 lol, granted the balances are polar opposites(no pun intended)
 
SinneGOAT said:
I wish I could o_O In my best shape I could only do 3-4, and that’s when I was super serious about fitness. Now I have struggles with a blade for 2 1/2 lol, granted the balances are polar opposites(no pun intended)
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My frames are also 345g unstrung
 
@Eravauttennis - I presume you're only referencing or are only familiar with older-school Prestiges that are heavier, lower-powered and/or have smaller head sizes, because the current Auxetic MP-L (99" TK334 mold, 300g layup, 16x19 w/ 8 throat mains) is eminently playable, in stock form by most any intermediate, and by/against plenty of advanced enough players when customized. Further, I find the MP-L to be effortlessly whippy, able to create insane angles, and also fairly powerful yet also controlled, with a bit more string bed trampoline than one would find in any other Prestige. Just a supremely well done stick by Head.
 
I disagree with OP here. I’m a racquetaholic and I’ve tried numerous player and tweeter frames, but the racquet I keep coming back to is Auxetic Prestige Pro. I’m the worst player in a group of 4.5s, but my best games are always when I’m using the Prestige rather than any of the other racquets I’m trying. It has a lot of stability, yet swings pretty fast and has great feel. More importantly for me, I know exactly how much power I’m putting in, so I can swing out and be confident that the shot will be a heavy ball that goes pretty much right where I need it to go.
 
Okinawa Puroresu said:
I disagree with OP here. I’m a racquetaholic and I’ve tried numerous player and tweeter frames, but the racquet I keep coming back to is Auxetic Prestige Pro. I’m the worst player in a group of 4.5s, but my best games are always when I’m using the Prestige rather than any of the other racquets I’m trying. It has a lot of stability, yet swings pretty fast and has great feel. More importantly for me, I know exactly how much power I’m putting in, so I can swing out and be confident that the shot will be a heavy ball that goes pretty much right where I need it to go.
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It will make you a better player I am sure regarding the fact that it won't give free assist. It's a very truthful racket and as you say you know exactly what you have to put in by how much you get out of it. You need longer strokes really to get good power. If you are using shorter strokes then yes you will have to create more power from the arm and shoulder and will fatigue earlier. I made the mistake of using too much arm which is why I think my shoulder has issues now. I am trying to lengthen strokes but this as discussed requires earlier preperation firstly and I would also say improved footwork to set up early and correctly. It takes a lot more physically ou tif you which is why many are saying what they are saying from personal experience. Some users are easily handling the racket and can weight it up a lot too with the right handling but once again it's specific to the user.
 
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