Prince Official - Racquets

GSlam2025 said:
Jan for the 03 phantom ?

How does this compare to the Japan spec beast 100 max which is also ported ?

princetennis.jp

BEAST MAX 100（300g） - Prince プリンステニス公式サイト

数多くの世界のトップテニスプレイヤーの勝利に貢献してきたPrince(プリンス)の公式サイトです。テニスラケットからシューズ、ウェアまで豊富な商品ラインナップをご紹介いたします。
princetennis.jp princetennis.jp
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they should be completely different racquets. the beast max is a repackaged ripstick I think.
 
mixtape said:
It looks like the studio lighting is giving it more of a semi-gloss shine to it.
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Yes, I think it's just the lighting. I demo'd the 2024 Phantom last week and the paint sometimes looked like it did in that TW video. At any rate, even if the O3 paint is different, I don't think it's much of a difference.
 
Guttersnipe said:
Who’s used both phantom generations? Does the previous 2020 play softer and better?
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I am hoping for a comparison review, too. I use the 2020 Phantom 100x 305 and really like it, but I decided to demo the 2024 version just to get a basic sense of how they play differently. I played for a total of about 6-7 hours, which is not enough time to do a real review, especially since the demo strings are not my normal setup.

Guttersnipe, to answer your question, I think the 2020 version is softer. "Better" depends on the player. The 2024 Phantom had more pop and also more stability. I suppose "crisp" would be the word to describe the feel. Of course it's still a soft line of rackets, but the 2024 version has a slightly stiffer feel to me.

I think it's a nice update because it still plays like a Phantom but it's not the exact same racket. Mainly, it's got more power. I have never felt that my 2020 rackets lack power, but I did feel that they were a little weak when I first switched back following the demo with the 2024. That went away pretty quickly, but it did make me realize that the power difference is real.

The stability is also improved. I use 1-2 grams of weight at 10 and 2 on my 2020 racket (about 3 grams total), and the 2024 version in stock form had the same stability.

I also tried the 18x20 320g version for fun, and while it feels incredible and I could hit some great slices and volleys, it was just too much weight for me. I could tell that it would wear me down over the course of a match. If I played only doubles, though, I might give it a shot!

As for the paint job, I've always thought the green camo looked cool, and in person I liked it even better. For what it's worth, the other people who checked out my demo racket thought it looked good, too. But taste is personal. Just like you can't convince someone they like onions if they say they don't (unless you sneak it into the sauce, ha), you can't get someone to like a paint job they find unappealing.

Would love to hear from someone who made the switch from the 2020 to 2024 Phantom and can offer more detailed comparisons.
 
mistapooh said:
There's a Japanese phantom with crossbar, 97" 16x19. I want it, but it won't make me play better lol. Anyone tried it?
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I had one. It felt good (to me), and I thought the string pattern, power level, and stiffness were great. However, the beam is pretty thick at the tip, making it feel kind of awkward through the air IMO. I currently have an ats 98, but if I had it to do over again, I think I would probably choose the graphite 97 over the 98 because it has a bit less power/more control while still being pretty forgiving.
 
Jasper Ruud said:
I am hoping for a comparison review, too. I use the 2020 Phantom 100x 305 and really like it, but I decided to demo the 2024 version just to get a basic sense of how they play differently. I played for a total of about 6-7 hours, which is not enough time to do a real review, especially since the demo strings are not my normal setup.

Guttersnipe, to answer your question, I think the 2020 version is softer. "Better" depends on the player. The 2024 Phantom had more pop and also more stability. I suppose "crisp" would be the word to describe the feel. Of course it's still a soft line of rackets, but the 2024 version has a slightly stiffer feel to me.

I think it's a nice update because it still plays like a Phantom but it's not the exact same racket. Mainly, it's got more power. I have never felt that my 2020 rackets lack power, but I did feel that they were a little weak when I first switched back following the demo with the 2024. That went away pretty quickly, but it did make me realize that the power difference is real.

The stability is also improved. I use 1-2 grams of weight at 10 and 2 on my 2020 racket (about 3 grams total), and the 2024 version in stock form had the same stability.

I also tried the 18x20 320g version for fun, and while it feels incredible and I could hit some great slices and volleys, it was just too much weight for me. I could tell that it would wear me down over the course of a match. If I played only doubles, though, I might give it a shot!

As for the paint job, I've always thought the green camo looked cool, and in person I liked it even better. For what it's worth, the other people who checked out my demo racket thought it looked good, too. But taste is personal. Just like you can't convince someone they like onions if they say they don't (unless you sneak it into the sauce, ha), you can't get someone to like a paint job they find unappealing.

Would love to hear from someone who made the switch from the 2020 to 2024 Phantom and can offer more detailed comparisons.
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Thank you for your detailed response Jasper!

I love a soft frame, and don’t mind added weight for stability and plough, nice to know that I don’t even have to contemplate an upgrade.
If I’m looking for more crispness or pop...I’ll just pick up the synergy 98
 
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Guttersnipe said:
Thank you for your detailed response Jasper!

I love a soft frame, and don’t mind added weight for stability and plough, nice to know that I don’t even have to contemplate an upgrade.
If I’m looking for more crispness or pop...I’ll just pick up the synergy 98
Click to expand...
Glad to help!

If you add weight to your 2020 Phantom, you'll get all the power and stability you need while keeping the soft feel, in my opinion. I used the Phantom Pro 100 before the 2020 Phantom came out, and that was even softer. I love the feel of it, but I needed to add too much weight to get the stability I was after.
 
tele said:
I had one. It felt good (to me), and I thought the string pattern, power level, and stiffness were great. However, the beam is pretty thick at the tip, making it feel kind of awkward through the air IMO. I currently have an ats 98, but if I had it to do over again, I think I would probably choose the graphite 97 over the 98 because it has a bit less power/more control while still being pretty forgiving.
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Thanks for the feedback! I can't find the flex rating anywhere. Do you have an idea? If it's 60+, might give it a try. I'll compare thickness in a bit, have a 100p right now.
 
Does anyone have a good page or video on what the prince o-ports do to a racquet compared to a racquet without? Does it radically change the racquet performance or is it mostly cosmetic like the stabilizer bar in some phantom racquets?
 
good_jello said:
Does anyone have a good page or video on what the prince o-ports do to a racquet compared to a racquet without? Does it radically change the racquet performance or is it mostly cosmetic like the stabilizer bar in some phantom racquets?
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they definitely have a unique feel, but different oport racquets are not all alike. string movement and comfort are boosted. here is a review of the racquet chros compared the new o-ported phantom to

 
GSlam2025 said:
Jan for the 03 phantom ?

How does this compare to the Japan spec beast 100 max which is also ported ?

princetennis.jp

BEAST MAX 100（300g） - Prince プリンステニス公式サイト

数多くの世界のトップテニスプレイヤーの勝利に貢献してきたPrince(プリンス)の公式サイトです。テニスラケットからシューズ、ウェアまで豊富な商品ラインナップをご紹介いたします。
princetennis.jp princetennis.jp
Click to expand...
The Beast is a different frame, with a thicker cross section . If you go to the Prince japan site you can compare the specs. The Chrome browser has a auto translate function.
 
I demoed the old oport phantom before I switched to the phantom line. I couldn't wrap my head around the string movement: it felt like I was spraying balls and had no control over placement, even on volleys.

Now that I'm stringing at super low tension and have tried playing w just half the crosses, I think I'd really enjoy the string movement from oports.

Does it alter the launch angle significantly?
 
I recently acquired a 2022 Phantom 100x Oport on sale out of Europe, really a great racquet. It's crazy the number of Prince racquets available in Japan that we still haven't seen here or never will. They have an Oport 100 Tour in Japan, the new 2024 Twistpower line and they already have the new Phantom Oport as well. Not to mention, all with a much better cosmetic than we get in the U.S
 
Random musing: looking at new cosmetics/color hues from other brands coming out this year, I think the teal and orange Tour cosmetics were a bit prophetic. I don’t really know what to call this style or type of shades, but I see similarities between the Tours and new Percepts, Ezones, SX 300s, Radicals, maybe others I’m missing
 
My friend has been travelling in Japan and picked up my surprise Christmas present Beast Max 100 :love: , will get it strung in the New Year with restring sync 1.20 @50lbs same as my current Beast 100

Will post back with a comparison in the New Year :)

QR1AUWL.jpeg
D9JcCxF.jpeg

OlQKNE7.jpeg

FdLTXZt.jpeg
 
GSlam2025 said:
My friend has been travelling in Japan and picked up my surprise Christmas present Beast Max 100 :love: , will get it strung in the New Year with restring sync 1.20 @50lbs same as my current Beast 100

Will post back with a comparison in the New Year :)

QR1AUWL.jpeg
D9JcCxF.jpeg

OlQKNE7.jpeg

FdLTXZt.jpeg
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That's a great looking racquet! But honestly I think it's a rebranded Ripstick. They did the same thing with the Synergy 98. In Japan it's a Phantom F1, with a different cosmetic.
 
PBODY99 said:
I ordered a Prince Japan 2024 O3 Phantom 100 as a treatment for my SAD, or so I told my doctor. :cool:
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Are you in the U.S.? I’m curious how you ordered it if so. There’s a cool O-Port ATS Tour on their Japan site that I’m interested in, but I can’t input a U.S. address when trying to purchase.
 
Sometimes there is some deviation in the posted specs of the Japan vs NA versions of the racket. For instance the Max is listed with unstrung swing weight of 285 and balance 32cm while the Ripstick is listed with an unstrung 295 / 31.5. I haven't strung up my Max to see if there is a noticeable difference between the two. The 285/32 comes up a lot with several of the Japanese Princes I have.
 
Ronin74 said:
I recently acquired a 2022 Phantom 100x Oport on sale out of Europe, really a great racquet. It's crazy the number of Prince racquets available in Japan that we still haven't seen here or never will. They have an Oport 100 Tour in Japan, the new 2024 Twistpower line and they already have the new Phantom Oport as well. Not to mention, all with a much better cosmetic than we get in the U.S
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It's also worth remembering that the Japanese market doesn't have a lot of rackets we have in the U.S. and elsewhere. Looking at the Prince Japan website, for example, they show only two regular Phantom rackets; both are 100in with 16x18 strings. One has the CTS beam (20 to 16.5mm) and O-ports (310g). The other is 20mm thick at the tip and throat, 22mm in the middle of the hoop (305g). For the Phantom Graphite, there is a single 100in and a 107in model. A buyer in Japan wouldn't have the lighter or heavier options, and no 18x20 option, for example.

I think it's been mentioned on this forum already, or perhaps on the interview with Tim Puttock, but Prince Japan develops their lineups based on domestic needs. There is overlap with international offerings, and I seem to recall that the engineering team is the same, but they are separate entities when it comes to who they are targeting.

Also, Prince Japan rackets are more expensive. They are all listed at 38,000 to 42,000 JPY, which is about 250 USD thanks to a very weak yen.
 
I can't believe they discontinued the Phantom 100G. It for mine was the best racquet I have used for sometime now. With a leather grip, strung with 4G it was absolutely great. Just allowed me to hit real heavy with great confidence. Very underrated stick. I know they have Japanese versions but they are hard to get (or at least it seems this way).
 
Jasper Ruud said:
For the Phantom Graphite, there is a single 100in and a 107in model
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There are also two different phantom graphite 97 models (300g and 315g).

Regardless, I agree that the options not available in Japan tend to get overlooked when people compare Prince (worldwide) to Prince Japan.
 
jimdontcare said:
So what are we expecting from Prince in 2025? Last public updates we got were from Tim’s interview with Jonas in the summer and his associated brief appearance here.

At some point we should expect new Ripsticks and Ripcords. I recall the Ripsticks will still have O-Ports but Tim made it sound like there were some new exciting updates with the next version. If TT does a playtest I’m going to try to get on it.
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Just speed-listened to this podcast again and Tim said Spring 2025 is the launch of the new Rip line
 
tele said:
There are also two different phantom graphite 97 models (300g and 315g).

Regardless, I agree that the options not available in Japan tend to get overlooked when people compare Prince (worldwide) to Prince Japan.
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Thanks for the correction.

There are some specific aspects that differ between the Japan-only and worldwide options, but the technology and basic racket structures are similar. I would imagine playability is similar, too.
 
A-Style said:
I can't believe they discontinued the Phantom 100G. It for mine was the best racquet I have used for sometime now. With a leather grip, strung with 4G it was absolutely great. Just allowed me to hit real heavy with great confidence. Very underrated stick. I know they have Japanese versions but they are hard to get (or at least it seems this way).
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The Japanese 97 are on the rain forest site, new and at a good price for the 315 g from Prince storefront. The other auction sites have them also. I just grabbed a 315 g. The 300 g seems not readily available except for a premium.
 
Anyone still using the speedport tour 97? Mine has a nice solid feel, very headlight, and whippy as well. Would prefer a thicker beam though...a ripstick 98 would be amazing!
 
tennispro492 said:
Anyone still using the speedport tour 97? Mine has a nice solid feel, very headlight, and whippy as well. Would prefer a thicker beam though...a ripstick 98 would be amazing!
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I have one, it’s pretty cool and actually great at net but I don’t know how well it’s aged with the low powered thin beam. I’m curious about the O3 Phantom/03 Tour refresh.
 
mistapooh said:
The Japanese 97 are on the rain forest site, new and at a good price for the 315 g from Prince storefront. The other auction sites have them also. I just grabbed a 315 g. The 300 g seems not readily available except for a premium.
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Can someone tell me how the Japanese Graphite 97 plays relative to the Phantom 100G? I saw it for a great price on the ZON so I am thinking of grabbing 1 or 2.
 
stephenclown said:
Hmm the new o3 100 looks very promising, updated 19/20/20mm beam and 65 RA…. Interested to see how it plays
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Which one is that? the Japanese Phantom 100 o3 is 20/20/16.5, and I can't find the RA but I would guess it's smaller than 65 based on youtube and auto-translate :)
Edit: 2022 Japan Phantom 100 non ported is 61 RA (I have one), 2025 Japan Phantom 100 non ported is 58 RA and ported 55 RA.
It's so comfy that I would gladly take an extra 3-4 RA to feel more connected and get a bit more penetration on flat drives.
 
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I'm demoing the 100X 290g; I've had one session with it so far. I didn't take the 305g version since it has the same specs but with extra handle weight, which is the easiest place where to compensate weight for. A few months prior I had tried the previous 100X 18x20, and didn't care much for it: it was pretty heavy but at the same time unforgiving and lacking swingweight. News flash: the newer 100X 290g also basically has the same specs but without an extra 30 grams in the handle (and fewer strings). And it makes it a lot, LOT more pleasant to use. It was balls cold outside so I cannot really judge the launch angle, but it felt pretty fine and consistent even though I'd prefer a denser pattern. Since there's enough room in terms of weight to customize it, I'll try adding leather and weight at 3&9 and see what happens. So far it's pretty good; perhaps not 200€+ good, but it did play better than expected stock.

Prince Phantom 100X 18x20 (no OG) : 332.04g, 31.4cm, 320SW, 12.96TW ;
Prince Phantom 100X 290g (w/ OG): 311.91g, 33.1cm, 326SW, 13.02TW
 
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