I feel the same about the reg Beast 98 vs the PD. I also liked the blade v7 but choose the Beast 98 as I thought it was every bit as comfortable with a little more pop.
Prince Beast 98
- Thread starter DanS
- Start date
baowow
Rookie
The Beast 98 is a no brainer for the price. Great in stock form, even better with some lead at 12 to match up with your game. Have been my go to match racket for almost 2 yrs. It's basically a more comfortable PD (more like the soft drive) for people that likes the PD. I personally like the string pattern and head size of the Beast 98 better than PD for more stability and control.
I think people are too fixated on popular brand names that is cool at the moment. If you slap whatever name that is popular at the moment on the Beast 98, it will fly off the shelf. 80% of the weekend warriors out there just follows the crowd.
I think people are too fixated on popular brand names that is cool at the moment. If you slap whatever name that is popular at the moment on the Beast 98, it will fly off the shelf. 80% of the weekend warriors out there just follows the crowd.
tennisboy2121
Rookie
Any reason you like lead at 12 and not 10 and 2.
baowow
Rookie
I experimented with all locations when I first got it. Tried leather grip on it. 5 grams at 12 and a synthetic grip worked best for me with the Beast 98. My style is fairly old school. Modified eastern forehand, traditional 2 handed backhand (gilles simon and andy murray-ish) I don't swing that fast anymore. Play mainly dubs now, so serve and volley 99% of the time. stable on volleys against big hitters. I do practice with some D2 and D1 college players sometimes and the added swing weight help while keeping the racket weight to around 338-340. Racket holds up fine against their heavy hitting.
If you play more modern style game, 338-340 grams with an 8 ish pts HL will work better. That static weight seems to be the sweet spot for most current college players I have come across at the moment too.
If you play more modern style game, 338-340 grams with an 8 ish pts HL will work better. That static weight seems to be the sweet spot for most current college players I have come across at the moment too.
Paul Webber
New User
I didn't pull the trigger on a 3rd racket (like I should have) when they were on mega-sale a few weeks ago. I hope that if this frame is discontinued by Prince, that they'll warn those of us who use it to stock up. I have compared this racket to the ones my hitting partners use (all 4.5+) and it definitely has the best blend of control/power/feel.
How can anyone make this decision for you? I use Kevlar mains and Head lynx 17 crosses (softer poly) and I love it. But I've also used head velocity and thought it was great as well. I want to try natural gut mains at some point as well. Since I have 3 o3s and 3 standard grommets Beast 98's...I can have my normal setup, a backup, and then an alternate string setup in my bag. All for less than the price of one aeropro or RF97.
I really think it's the material. Honestly I liked the tour 100 nearly as much when I demoed...it has the same solid feel..a little more control, a little less power but not much. I felt like I could hit the ball anywhere I wanted to. The big difference with the beast with the serve. I hit a much bigger flat serve with the beast.
time_fly
Hall of Fame
I need to pull my Beast 98s back out and give them another shot. As I recall I moved to the Phantom based on the feel, but then took a 180 degree turn and moved on to the Pure Aero Plus when I realized I was working harder and winning less with the Phantom. I recently tried the TT 100 310g and found it to be very easy to play with, but didn’t hit quite as solid as I remember with the Beast.
I continue to be impressed. I hit with my practice partner yesterday. I’ve never hit that many clean winners against him. I don’t love it on serves and slices, but I rarely slice. My serve is getting better with it each time I use it, but it’s not as good as my serve with an RF97A. That said, the amount of spin that I can generate is more than any frame I have played in recent memory, and return of serve is pretty great. With its speed through the contact zone, it’s easy to catch up in a serve if you otherwise would be slightly behind.
Power is just more controllable than Pure Drive or Head Extreme.
Power is just more controllable than Pure Drive or Head Extreme.
ccmtennis
Semi-Pro
Yea I would agree with the comparisons to the TT 310. It is an all around great frame but it does lack some control . While the Beast 98 has a dense string pattern and much lower net clearance it is well suited for someone with a modern type strokes like a semi western FH grip and has already plenty of spin but could benefit from improved court penetration. I use the 03 version weighted at 12' with 2g as the ports gives me extra swing speed when I am a half step slower and the plow is fantastic. I also find the ported version more comfortable and no issues with feel in a full bed of poly
TennisHound
Legend
^^^ The Beast 98 pattern is slightly closer than the 310, but its fairly open. Man, I’m seriously tempted by this one. Dangit, Prince keeps putting out solid racquets. I’m leaning toward the XCross 100, nice 
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tennisboy2121
Rookie
First time out with the 03 98. Started with 2 grams at 10 and 2 total and over grip. It plays very well. Swings real fast. Hits a big ball with lots of spin. Short cross court shots are great. Serve is big and slice serving is real good. Some cons at the moment are control and the racket feels a little tinny. Volleys and touch are OK but nothing special. I cant fully tell comfort yet but nothing alarming yet.
Nick777
Semi-Pro
Did you find beast more comfortable than tour 100?
ccmtennis
Semi-Pro
^^^ The Beast 98 pattern is slightly closer than the 310, but its fairly open. Man, I’m seriously tempted by this one. Dangit, Prince keeps putting out solid racquets. I’m leaning toward the XCross 100, nice
It is for a 16x20 in a 98' I agree but the launch angle is quite noticeably lower compared to the 16x18 of the 310 in a good way for my game. I had had many 16x20 mostly from the Yonex v core line up that is not anywhere as playable from all areas of the court as the Beast is . Yea the Xcross is gonna be interesting. As someone with a OHBH though I am curious how it feels at the throat as that matters a lot to me when I set up for a BH. Chris did mention it briefly in the video review so I'll likely demo it for fun
ccmtennis
Semi-Pro
Yes it is with a comparable sweet spot. It's been mentioned elsewhere but I believe the ports enlarge the sweet spot as well and that's why it doesn't feel jarring or noticeable loss of power just outside of it. The comfort I think is both perceived from the dampening of the strings with the ports plus the slightly thicker beam of the Beast likely adds the plow as well . I'll be honest I didn't think I would like the Beast 03 98 coming from the TXT 310 but I gave it a go after hearing about it from the Prince tennis official here who was a user of the frame and I've made the switch ever since. Paying off for my game big time at 4.5 dubs level
Nick777
Semi-Pro
Nice to hear that, i sold the txt310 because it was not as soft as i would like and had more power for my taste and went back to my trusty dr98
ccmtennis
Semi-Pro
Good to hear . If you feel in the future that the dr 98 is bit more demanding you should also demo the new Head graphene 360+ extreme tour. Absolutely a fabulous stick. More solid feeling that the dr 98 IMHO with great feel and comfort. It has just about the same launch angle as well
n8dawg6
Legend
that frame interests me ...
ccmtennis
Semi-Pro
what's your current frame ?
n8dawg6
Legend
blade 16x19
ccmtennis
Semi-Pro
great stick but if you think the feel of the newer blades are too muted give the Head a try, it also has a lower launch angle if that suits your game. I think it plays like a more user friendly 3rd gen Pure Strike
n8dawg6
Legend
if i switch its gonna be for just a little more pop and a little less SW. also ... i like the paint
Nick777
Semi-Pro
Dont think So, its a lot stiffer than dr
ccmtennis
Semi-Pro
No not much ... RDC 62 to 65 but the feel is a lot different
Nick777
Semi-Pro
For my sensitive arm 62 to 65 makes abig difference but i demo if I get the chance
I would like to hand in my official O3 Beast 98 club membership application. I impulse bought it a few weeks ago when TW had it on Happy Hours. First hit wasn't too impressive. It was too head heavy for my liking. I added a leather grip and 3 grams of blue tac in the handle, and I think I've found my dream stick. It swings so fast yet so stable, definitely more stable than a 300g unstrung racquet deserves to be. The 69 RA is completely neutralized by the O-ports. The ball pocketing and ball connectedness was great, and I felt no harshness from mishits. It is funny how after trying to gel with the Pure Aero, then Ezone, then VCore Pro (all of them I purchased), I found my perfect match with a $60 racquet that is constantly on sale.
I put CVS version of blue tac in the handle of mine..probably about 10 grams, and another 4 of lead at 12 o'clock in the head. I have many frames in a plastic bin in my garage which I've felt no desire to pull out since I bought my first Beast 98 in April of last year after a long demo session. I've only bought more beasts since then....3 o3's and 3 standards. I sold a bunch of frames at a yard sale last summer as a result. I figure even if they discontinue these frames, I'm good for a decade or so as long as I don't smash any.
tennisboy2121
Rookie
Anyone have any trouble with a 2 handed backhand. I cant seem to dail it in yet. When I go flat down the line I have no problem. But heavy topspin balls seem to go short on me and not heavy. Also hitting crosscourt is not as easy as it should be. I am not sure if my backhand just needs more weight or its the higher ra not staying on the string bed as long or 16x20.
BillKid
Hall of Fame
I recently switched to the Beast 98, here is my review.
Background: 4.5 level, 42 years, baseliner or all-around player, OHBH, hitting with a good amount of topspin on both side. My current stick is a Beast 100.
The racquet was strung with Volkl cyclone tour 17G at 51lbs. Specs are 10.84oz balance 31cm SW 290 unstrung (thanks to TW customization service) + overgrip and dampener.
Just holding the racquet, it felt very light and I was a bit concerned it could be even too light but that feeling immediately disappeared when I started playing. The racquet felt very maneuvrable, and I rapidly noticed a couple of enjoyable things:
- comfort, touch and feel: high level of comfort, feeling soft (not noodle), very pleasant. Honestly feel and touch are galaxies away from its 100sqin counterpart, although the Beast 100 is already among the most comfortable sticks in its category. Feel and comfort were excellent, hitting from baseline or volleys. These characteristics are always difficult to describe, but combined with excellent maneuvrability and ease of use, it felt definitely like a soft Pure Drive (yes!).
- stability. Playing against a 4.5 playing hitting relatively hard, I never felt like anything was missing in this area.
- power: I would say it's powerful but not too much. It just generated the power that I expected and that was great. Since the racquet is very HL and SW not extremely high it would be still interesting for some players to weigh it up a little. Maybe a way to explore but I do not really find the need for now.
- spin : very spin friendly. The 16x20 pattern is as spinny as any 16x19 or 16x18. Slice shots were also easy to do.
- control: since power was good but not in excess, I was able to swing it fast confidently and get a lot of topspin and control. I did not notice anything special about directional control.
I had the opportunity to make a head to head comparison against the Pure Strike 16x19 2019 generation (strung with Yonex polytour pro at 46 lbs).
Just holding it the PS felt heavier, probably due to the more head heavy balance.
Feel was extremely different. While the Beast 98 plays like a very soft Pure Drive, I found the PS more reminiscent of a "classic" 90's feel. I found the PS a bit boardy but not uncomfortable. I was surprised by the extremely muted feel. You feel the ball like a nail with a hammer : not much. Overall the Beast felt softer, more comfortable and more connected to the ball. Spin level was similar. I felt like I was hitting a heavier and more powerful ball with the PS but it was very subjective and unsure. The PS owner demoed my Beast and seemed to fall in love with it. He said it was very comfortable and he thought it felt lighter to him than his PS. He said that his was vibrating more than my Beast but that is not something I noticed.
TLDR:
IMO the Beast 98 is a fantastic racquet, providing a modern feel with an excellent balance between power and control. It is also very spin friendly and maneuvrable. Comfort is high and feel is great. The best way I can describe it is a soft Pure Drive with much better feel. Highly recommend it.
Background: 4.5 level, 42 years, baseliner or all-around player, OHBH, hitting with a good amount of topspin on both side. My current stick is a Beast 100.
The racquet was strung with Volkl cyclone tour 17G at 51lbs. Specs are 10.84oz balance 31cm SW 290 unstrung (thanks to TW customization service) + overgrip and dampener.
Just holding the racquet, it felt very light and I was a bit concerned it could be even too light but that feeling immediately disappeared when I started playing. The racquet felt very maneuvrable, and I rapidly noticed a couple of enjoyable things:
- comfort, touch and feel: high level of comfort, feeling soft (not noodle), very pleasant. Honestly feel and touch are galaxies away from its 100sqin counterpart, although the Beast 100 is already among the most comfortable sticks in its category. Feel and comfort were excellent, hitting from baseline or volleys. These characteristics are always difficult to describe, but combined with excellent maneuvrability and ease of use, it felt definitely like a soft Pure Drive (yes!).
- stability. Playing against a 4.5 playing hitting relatively hard, I never felt like anything was missing in this area.
- power: I would say it's powerful but not too much. It just generated the power that I expected and that was great. Since the racquet is very HL and SW not extremely high it would be still interesting for some players to weigh it up a little. Maybe a way to explore but I do not really find the need for now.
- spin : very spin friendly. The 16x20 pattern is as spinny as any 16x19 or 16x18. Slice shots were also easy to do.
- control: since power was good but not in excess, I was able to swing it fast confidently and get a lot of topspin and control. I did not notice anything special about directional control.
I had the opportunity to make a head to head comparison against the Pure Strike 16x19 2019 generation (strung with Yonex polytour pro at 46 lbs).
Just holding it the PS felt heavier, probably due to the more head heavy balance.
Feel was extremely different. While the Beast 98 plays like a very soft Pure Drive, I found the PS more reminiscent of a "classic" 90's feel. I found the PS a bit boardy but not uncomfortable. I was surprised by the extremely muted feel. You feel the ball like a nail with a hammer : not much. Overall the Beast felt softer, more comfortable and more connected to the ball. Spin level was similar. I felt like I was hitting a heavier and more powerful ball with the PS but it was very subjective and unsure. The PS owner demoed my Beast and seemed to fall in love with it. He said it was very comfortable and he thought it felt lighter to him than his PS. He said that his was vibrating more than my Beast but that is not something I noticed.
TLDR:
IMO the Beast 98 is a fantastic racquet, providing a modern feel with an excellent balance between power and control. It is also very spin friendly and maneuvrable. Comfort is high and feel is great. The best way I can describe it is a soft Pure Drive with much better feel. Highly recommend it.
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Nice.
I've had thoughts of eliminating the top and possibly the bottom crosses on the standard grommet while stringing, and seeing how the raquet performs as a 16x19 or 16x18. Not that there's anything wrong with the standard grommet version, but why not keep on tinkering?
I love the feel of the standard but I play better with the o ports version due to the power level and bigger sweetspot. Wonder if this mod might get them a little closer.
2nd Serve Ace
Hall of Fame
Prince does have some janky spacings that push outer strings so far to the edge you wonder why they are even there.
Seen this on the B 98, o3 white, SP black (why even have the top cross?)
Also on the tour 100p (omit the outer mains, plays better as a 16x20!)
I guess Prince is so ingrained with the 16x18 that when it does anything else, its clumsy with it.
Seen this on the B 98, o3 white, SP black (why even have the top cross?)
Also on the tour 100p (omit the outer mains, plays better as a 16x20!)
I guess Prince is so ingrained with the 16x18 that when it does anything else, its clumsy with it.
BillKid
Hall of Fame
What I can say is that the 16x20 pattern works very well with the Beast 98.
In the past I was playing with Pecision Graphite II (16x18) and precision Titanium (16x20). Both were feeling great. I think Prince has a long track record of great frames with various string patterns. The 18x20 100p received a lot of positive comments too.
Nothing clumsy with these racquets design.
In the past I was playing with Pecision Graphite II (16x18) and precision Titanium (16x20). Both were feeling great. I think Prince has a long track record of great frames with various string patterns. The 18x20 100p received a lot of positive comments too.
Nothing clumsy with these racquets design.
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Update. I really love the O3 Beast 98. It does need a little bit of weight to play it’s best. I added Head Tour Leather grips to bring the weight up about 10g. It gave me a slight boost in control, stability, feel, and power. I have fewer shots that fly on me. Much fewer than when playing with a Pure Drive or Pure Aero. Adding the leather grips really improved the serve for me. I’ll be sticking with this one for a while. It’s so comfortable that I have zero aches or pains after playing 2.5 hour singles matches. I haven’t had a racquet that was this comfortable in a good while.
I am still baffled why this frame didn’t sell better.
I am still baffled why this frame didn’t sell better.
TennisHound
Legend
So true.
P
Pavlo
Guest
The two that I have were within a couple of grams of each other. It was not hard to get them to match perfectly.
My 2 o3 98's I received last month were within 2 grams of each other.
Paul Webber
New User
I've hit with the Ezone 98 2020. It is VERY similar to the beast 98. They have pretty much the same power level and comfort. The Ezone is lighter through the air and the beast 98 has more plow-through.
ccmtennis
Semi-Pro
I ve had 2 that were awesome and within a few grams of spec and the third was horrid ... was 0.2 oz off and balance was off too
Mirroring a post from above. The ezone 98 feels easier to use overall in terms of power and swing. The beast 98 has a bit more beef in it and has a bit more precision for fine targeting. Launch angle is lower on the beast 98. They are simar frames so it comes down to play style. I personally prefer a 16x20 pattern as I hit more flat.
BillKid
Hall of Fame
Didn't demo the ezone 98 2020 but compared to previous iteration, I would say the Beast 98 plays softer, more comfortable, more spinny and more maneuvrable. The Yonex felt a bit more boardy and had more plow through and maybe more power. Take this with a grain of salt since it is not a head to head comparison, didn't play with both racquets at the same time.
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Just got a pair of the non ported Beast 98 few weeks ago. Played maybe about 10 hours total in stock form. Coming from a modded DR98 (2017 - leather + OG + 4gr lead at 3&9) that ended in 12.5oz, I found the Beast in stock form need a bit more plowthrough. Plan to add leather grip and a bit of lead.
Anyone ending up with similar conclusion? Also, anyone found the frame is string sensitive? I strung it with filled poly lower than normally. 48lbs with my modded DR98 to now 44-46lbs. Any string setup recommendation?
Anyone ending up with similar conclusion? Also, anyone found the frame is string sensitive? I strung it with filled poly lower than normally. 48lbs with my modded DR98 to now 44-46lbs. Any string setup recommendation?
The mods to your DR98 are significant. Hard to compare the beast 98 in stock form I guess.
Any idea of how the spin compares between the 2?
2nd Serve Ace
Hall of Fame
Yeah, seemed dead in the lower part of the hoop for me, which effected serve returns and volleys. Maybe string the lower half crosses 2 lbs lower?
Really, the tapered beam is a Dinosaur that I wish prince would let go of. A 23 mm constant beam would work better for the B.
Uncoil
Semi-Pro
46/44 lbs Hyper G 17 works very well for me on my Beast 98's. Good depth, net clearance and spin. Control is still very good likely due to its 16x20 pattern. Could the racquet use a little more plowthrough? Maybe a little but I don't want to add any more weight to it. I really like the weight and balance in stock form. I will probably string it even lower once the weather reaches lower temps.
Agree with 23mm straight
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