Prince Official - Racquets

TBM said:
I really disagree. TN just has a realistic view on tennis rackets. These days most rackets are pretty good, so there aren't that many different things you can say about them without going over the top.

ZL gets obsessed with things that aren't relevant to playing tennis (strings moving in the O-ports, parallel drilling etc). These types of reviews are for people who fixate on the unimportant, not improving their tennis.
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Tennis Nerd was great when he was oozing with passion, I feel like he’s only continuing because he’s semi successful. He’s still a valuable resource to check out, but he can’t give his real opinion or bad mouth any of the brands in fear of risking his reputation, and no longer being in their good books.
With all reviewers, when they are trying to sell you a frame, you have to read in between the lines.
 
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I felt that these couple of last years, Jonas was "burned-out" with rackets. At some point, I remember him stating he's focusing more on ITF-tennis tournaments (switching between the Radical MP and the Pure Aero 98). His reviews back then, I didn't enjoy them.

This year, with all these new rackets coming in, he's slowly getting his mojo back, depending on the brand he's covering. For instance, his Nordicdots reviews feel more thorough (collab).
I remember last year, he and Hank "buried" the Head Extreme 2.0 and guess what followed: an extensive interview with 2 Head guys talking about the new Extreme...

I still enjoy his reviews, seeing Nikki Roen blusting his flat strokes on both sides. I honestly would enjoy more, if he decided to post some court-level groundstroke hitting sessions. No commentating or anything a la Nordicdots.
 
konstantinos kalfountzos said:
I felt that these couple of last years, Jonas was "burned-out" with rackets. At some point, I remember him stating he's focusing more on ITF-tennis tournaments (switching between the Radical MP and the Pure Aero 98). His reviews back then, I didn't enjoy them.

This year, with all these new rackets coming in, he's slowly getting his mojo back, depending on the brand he's covering. For instance, his Nordicdots reviews feel more thorough (collab).
I remember last year, he and Hank "buried" the Head Extreme 2.0 and guess what followed: an extensive interview with 2 Head guys talking about the new Extreme...

I still enjoy his reviews, seeing Nikki Roen blusting his flat strokes on both sides. I honestly would enjoy more, if he decided to post some court-level groundstroke hitting sessions. No commentating or anything a la Nordicdots.
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The Nordic dots is perfect example of how’s become a shill. He’s morphed into Harry from Tennis spin (well not that bad aahahha)
 
Guttersnipe said:
The Nordic dots is perfect example of how’s become a shill. He’s morphed into Harry from Tennis spin (well not that bad aahahha)
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That TennisSpin guy is always "pleasantly suprised" with everything! I'll only look him up once a month to see what rackets is he showing. Sometimes he'll bring up a Toalson or a Pro Kennex, the only serious reason to watch.

Still, I'd like all these smaller brands like Prince, posting some raw footage hitting clips with good quality like Nordicdots have been doing this year. It literally costs nothing to do.
 
PhantomStriker said:
Tennisnerd‘s judgement on Prince was always accurate. At least he reviews Prince like any other brand, he also does even smaller brands. Better than Beckett declaring each new stick to be the new GOAT.
ZeroLove is not objective, as he didn‘t even play the Ripstick. He rather complained about a feature that was meant to be.
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Check this short out
 
There are stacks of reviewers out there on the internet these days. I do watch many of them and enjoy the content.
However when I want to formulate my own view of a racquet I test it out first with some friends and formulate my own opinion and then watch the YouTube videos after to see how my impressions compared with there’s: I think it’s better to do it this way so your views don’t get influenced even before you try a racquet.
The other thing that’s sometimes hard to control is getting racquets to test in the string you are used to, so you could gat some type of a reference point and then the other problem is quality control. You almost need to get 3 samples of the same racquet because the specs can vary ( even for the top brands particularly with swing weight ).
As far as O Ports are concerned I actually liked the burnt orange speed port tour 97 a lot when it was around, it was so soft and comfortable.
Another interesting recollection with Prince was with the model run of the TT Warrior 97 ( Rafter paint job). I can tell you that the early run of these frames were quite firm but when TW did their final run of these frames, these racquets softened up a fair bit from their original incarnation.
I haven’t yet tried the new fire red Ripsticks, as they are not yet available here. The old ones definitely felt firm on the serve compared to an ATS frame and off course the Phantoms. Incidentally from a personal view the best feeling Prince frames in the last 5 years is the V2 Phantom 93 P and V1 Tour 95. I wait to see what Prince will do with the Phantom range moving forward.
 
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I've now had a couple of hits with the Europe only beast 98.

Added 7g in the handle to make it more head light. It really doesn't need any head weight.

It has very similar power levels to the Aero 98, but feels so much easier to hit a flatter ball.

I never really feel like I'm hitting through the ball with the Aero, but get that sensation every shot with the Prince. However, it does feel less manoeuvrable and the Aero beats it on spin for sure.

It's very difficult to decide which play style I like more / is more effective.
 
Played the Prince Tour 95 2015 three times this past 10 days, coming back from a 4-month-break from tennis. Yesterday, I felt a bit tired overall, but still had some good two hours mid-day to spend and hit the court. Had strung it with Isospeed Black Fire 1.25 on Monday (23/22kg).

It's obvious now that this racket will punish any flat forehand that is not hit at the optimal contact point. A little later than that, the ball will just shoot up and long, compared to the Pacific X-Force Pro 1 and the Wilson Blade V5 16x19 (2015) that have much denser sweetspot spacing.

The added 4 grams total at 3 and 9, have really helped with plough and stability. The problem is that while it's a quite spin friendly racket, the headsize is too small when running to my right to hit a low cross-court forehand. Also, have issues finishing some "shank-shots" from the mid-court, that I can hit easier with the Blade, mostly because of its bigger headsize and more powerful nature, I have to work less with my muscles and just use my wrist there and the Blade will finish the point for me.

 
konstantinos kalfountzos said:
Played the Prince Tour 95 2015 three times this past 10 days, coming back from a 4-month-break from tennis. Yesterday, I felt a bit tired overall, but still had some good two hours mid-day to spend and hit the court. Had strung it with Isospeed Black Fire 1.25 on Monday (23/22kg).

It's obvious now that this racket will punish any flat forehand that is not hit at the optimal contact point. A little later than that, the ball will just shoot up and long, compared to the Pacific X-Force Pro 1 and the Wilson Blade V5 16x19 (2015) that have much denser sweetspot spacing.

The added 4 grams total at 3 and 9, have really helped with plough and stability. The problem is that while it's a quite spin friendly racket, the headsize is too small when running to my right to hit a low cross-court forehand. Also, have issues finishing some "shank-shots" from the mid-court, that I can hit easier with the Blade, mostly because of its bigger headsize and more powerful nature, I have to work less with my muscles and just use my wrist there and the Blade will finish the point for me.

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You’ve gotten a lot better recently brother. One bit of unsolicited advice that helped me, was to imagine there is a needle/thumb tack under your heels. Keep those heels off the ground! Might help you increase your tempo and RHS.
 
Guttersnipe said:
One bit of unsolicited advice that helped me, was to imagine there is a needle/thumb tack under your heels. Keep those heels off the ground! Might help you increase your tempo and RHS.
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I was already tired before going to the court yesterday, but I'd rather hit some balls from one baseline to the other than sitting on a couch watching TV (bro!).

Some sporadic Padel and Pickleball last season have taught me about your advice keeping my knees bent and my heels off the ground.

The small headsize rerved me well, making me concentrate a lot in order to hit the centre of the racket after such a long break from tennis

Next time, I'll use my Blade and I feel I'll be hitting the ball much better.
 

I am praying the american versions are a bit more colorful than this. This single color trend needs to die. Particularly the blackout trend.
 
Had another outing with the Beast 98.

The directional control is up there with the best I've ever experienced. I can hit so flat and know exactly where the ball is going. That's so fun considering I normally use heavy topspin (western grip).

It does feel a bit clunky though.
 
I need a comparison between the Prince Phantom 100x 18x20 and the Prince Tour 100P 18x20.
I love the Phantom. I just did not get along with the Tour 98.

I see Prince has a sale.
 
nicksti said:
I need a comparison between the Prince Phantom 100x 18x20 and the Prince Tour 100P 18x20.
I love the Phantom. I just did not get along with the Tour 98.

I see Prince has a sale.
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Those are two different sticks. Tour is controlled with a higher launch angle, has more power and spin, is a bit more clunky but still comfortable.
Phantom has pinpoint precision, you need to generate your own power, more comfortable. You can string it very low too. As it is very maneuvarable and stable it is great for doubles. For singles I like it on non clay courts. Imo Phantom>Tour but you should decide for yourself.
 
PhantomStriker said:
Those are two different sticks. Tour is controlled with a higher launch angle, has more power and spin, is a bit more clunky but still comfortable.
Phantom has pinpoint precision, you need to generate your own power, more comfortable. You can string it very low too. As it is very maneuvarable and stable it is great for doubles. For singles I like it on non clay courts. Imo Phantom>Tour but you should decide for yourself.
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Thanks. I do not know what about the Tour just did not work for me but I much prefer the Phantom and I do not have a problem with the power level. Lets me swing out. I tried stringing it at sub 50 and I did not like it as it felt like a trampoline.

I will stick with the Phantom. Anyone know of a place I can get the lighter green enamel paint marker to touch up a paint chip?
 
My standard answer for paint chips is to go to a nail salon. Pretty easy to find an enamel color that matches up well with original color. Go with the SO/GF or on your own with the racquet.
 
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Can anyone compare power levels of the Phantom 100X 305 and O3 Phantom 100X? Or speak to the power levels of the latter in general?
 
The ported Phantoms in general get a bad rap IMO regarding power. They're not anemic; if you have full swings and can generate pace they won't hold you back. But they are not power frames; you will get exactly what you put out and nothing more. Their real selling points are spin generation and comfort. If you need to protect your arm and/or like the feel of something so soft as to approach "dead" (I know a lot don't), the extremely forgiving nature is a plus. It can also be a dealbreaker.

Definitely a big step up in power with the 305. It's not a Beast or Drive, obviously, but I would call it legitimately powerful when you swing out. It's still very soft but not in the same way as the ported frames and I could see it causing some shock issues to a sensitive arm with extended hard hitting. But if you're a reasonably big hitter this one has all the power you realistically need.

I didn't really get on with something intangible about the 305 and vastly prefer the ported. But they're a unique niche people seem to love or hate. If you're only concerned with power, the 305 is the clear choice.. out of these two. I'd go a different route entirely.
 
bigbadboaz said:
The ported Phantoms in general get a bad rap IMO regarding power. They're not anemic; if you have full swings and can generate pace they won't hold you back. But they are not power frames; you will get exactly what you put out and nothing more. Their real selling points are spin generation and comfort. If you need to protect your arm and/or like the feel of something so soft as to approach "dead" (I know a lot don't), the extremely forgiving nature is a plus. It can also be a dealbreaker.

Definitely a big step up in power with the 305. It's not a Beast or Drive, obviously, but I would call it legitimately powerful when you swing out. It's still very soft but not in the same way as the ported frames and I could see it causing some shock issues to a sensitive arm with extended hard hitting. But if you're a reasonably big hitter this one has all the power you realistically need.

I didn't really get on with something intangible about the 305 and vastly prefer the ported. But they're a unique niche people seem to love or hate. If you're only concerned with power, the 305 is the clear choice.. out of these two. I'd go a different route entirely.
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Thanks. I’ve used a number of ported and non-ported Prince frames of the Phantom lineage (including the EXO3 Tour and Tour 100 ported frames). I am intrigued by the latest O3 Phantoms but don’t want to sacrifice much in the way of power coming from my 100X 305. I thought maybe there wouldn’t be too much of a drop because of the O3’s higher stiffness rating.
 
To be clear, I have by far the most time with the OG black Phantom (and others of the lineage, like you). I can't say for sure that the tweaks to the O3 haven't closed the power gap more, but I highly, highly doubt it. The power level of this line has always hovered in about the same place and I think the ports have a lot to do with that.
 
@loosegroove ; @bigbadboaz
For what it may be worth
I have the 1st gen O3 Phantom, 2nd gen O3 Phantom {Japan} & the current 3rd gen model. Compared to the O3 Tour 100 50th anniversary euro model and the 2022 {Japan} O 3 Tour; the 2025 has a little more power than my earlier Phantoms, but less than my most recent O3 Tours.
Granted these are not the frames I use in the few league & age group tournaments and I am an senior player.
 
PBODY99 said:
@loosegroove ; @bigbadboaz
For what it may be worth
I have the 1st gen O3 Phantom, 2nd gen O3 Phantom {Japan} & the current 3rd gen model. Compared to the O3 Tour 100 50th anniversary euro model and the 2022 {Japan} O 3 Tour; the 2025 has a little more power than my earlier Phantoms, but less than my most recent O3 Tours.
Granted these are not the frames I use in the few league & age group tournaments and I am a senior player.
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Of those rackets I’ve only played with the first gen O3 Phantom, I believe it was simply called the Phantom 100. That racket wasn’t super stable and had a little bit of a flutter in the upper hoop. I would hope the 2025 would feel more solid while offering a little more oomph. Maybe I’ll just have to order a demo.
 
PhantomStriker said:
Tennisnerd‘s judgement on Prince was always accurate. At least he reviews Prince like any other brand, he also does even smaller brands. Better than Beckett declaring each new stick to be the new GOAT.
ZeroLove is not objective, as he didn‘t even play the Ripstick. He rather complained about a feature that was meant to be.
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Sometimes Beckett just jokes for purely entertainment sake, not to be taken so seriously. He's honest when he said Head Radical Pro Auxetic racquet has no feel, like you can't feel whether the ball hit the middle or near the edge, because that's what I feel when I hit with Head Radical Pro 2023. As Becket said it feels plasticky and too muted and you feel disconnected from the ball.

@dr. godmode
 
WYK said:
Even with poly, I get more motion in my strings on the actual stringbed itself than that 1mm or so ya see on those O ports on the frame there. When I used a Ripstick, I never noticed it affecting the play at all. Now if you are OCD, or the kind of person that hates non symmetrical paint jobs, I can see it annoying you.
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I dont like O port for the same reason but some like it. From the history of it, you need to string it tighter with O Port because they will move a bit.
 
loosegroove said:
Of those rackets I’ve only played with the first gen O3 Phantom, I believe it was simply called the Phantom 100. That racket wasn’t super stable and had a little bit of a flutter in the upper hoop. I would hope the 2025 would feel more solid while offering a little more oomph. Maybe I’ll just have to order a demo.
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I do also have a 1st gen Phantom 100 {non-ported} & the 2025 O3 feels stiffer to me.
A demo really is the only way to know.
As I wait for the new O 3 Tour to be released ..............:cool:
 
PhantomStriker said:
Those are two different sticks. Tour is controlled with a higher launch angle, has more power and spin, is a bit more clunky but still comfortable.
Phantom has pinpoint precision, you need to generate your own power, more comfortable. You can string it very low too. As it is very maneuvarable and stable it is great for doubles. For singles I like it on non clay courts. Imo Phantom>Tour but you should decide for yourself.
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@nicksti I did not get along with the Tour 98 either. But oddly, both the 310 and the 290 clicked for me. I had to be honest with myself and ask my coach (blind test on her part) which gave me more consistent depth and it was the 290. The fickle part of me wants to try others, but It makes no sense; it is the best all around racquet I have used.
 
Just played with the 2025 Phantom O3 100X. I’ve been using the ATS 98 and the ATS 100 310 before that. I switched to the 98 because I wanted just a bit more control, maneuverability and a whippier serve. The 98 did that, but something about my swing speed was just…off with it.

The O3 seems like the right balance. It has the stability of the ATS Tour 100 (maybe a touch more), a larger-feeling sweet spot, and is easier to serve with.

It’s also a lot softer feeling than the RA would indicate. I see why they put it in the Phantom line instead of the Tour line. To me, it definitely feels less connected to the ball than the Tour racquets do, but that sort of feel is fine with me.

I had it strung with Prince Vortex Triad Hybrid at 52/50. This provides a lot of spin. It’s an interesting set because the cross string is NOT Prince Vortex. It’s a smooth round string that I don’t think is available on its own. I can’t get Vortex Triad in a reel, either, though, so I’ll try my usual strings after a few more hits.
 
This is a bit random, but I'm sure some people in this thread might like it.

I recently bought a Prince Beast 98 Europe only version. It's got matt black paint.

I had a scratch on it so tried to buff it out with Polywatch Watch face scratch remover and quickly realised that it was leaving a gloss finish very guickly (do not try this as I have no clue if it has any negative impact). I just kept going and now my frame is completely glossy. Looks ace, and didn't add any weight.

I just applied it to a rag and rubbed in circles. It was very easy to do. Again, only try at your own risk etc.

postimg.cc

IMG 20251009 161204 — Postimages

postimg.cc postimg.cc
 
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Detriment said:
Just played with the 2025 Phantom O3 100X. I’ve been using the ATS 98 and the ATS 100 310 before that. I switched to the 98 because I wanted just a bit more control, maneuverability and a whippier serve. The 98 did that, but something about my swing speed was just…off with it.

The O3 seems like the right balance. It has the stability of the ATS Tour 100 (maybe a touch more), a larger-feeling sweet spot, and is easier to serve with.

It’s also a lot softer feeling than the RA would indicate. I see why they put it in the Phantom line instead of the Tour line. To me, it definitely feels less connected to the ball than the Tour racquets do, but that sort of feel is fine with me.

I had it strung with Prince Vortex Triad Hybrid at 52/50. This provides a lot of spin. It’s an interesting set because the cross string is NOT Prince Vortex. It’s a smooth round string that I don’t think is available on its own. I can’t get Vortex Triad in a reel, either, though, so I’ll try my usual strings after a few more hits.
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How are power levels compared to the Tours?
 
loosegroove said:
How are power levels compared to the Tours?
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I still haven’t put my usual strings in it, so I’m not comparing apples to apples yet. The Prince Vortex Triad does seem like a rather powerful string.

I think it’s close to being as powerful as the Tour 100 310, and definitely on par with the 98. I used to play with the Phantom Pro 100P, and I’ve been hitting heavier balls with the O3 100X, so I think the additional stiffness along with the O ports makes it somewhat more powerful than similar Phantoms.

Don’t get me wrong, though; it’s still a comfort and control frame. It’s not doing a lot of work in the power department, but neither do the Tours.
 
TBM said:
This is a bit random, but I'm sure some people in this thread might like it.

I recently bought a Prince Beast 98 Europe only version. It's got matt black paint.

I had a scratch on it so tried to buff it out with Polywatch Watch face scratch remover and quickly realised that it was leaving a gloss finish very guickly (do not try this as I have no clue if it has any negative impact). I just kept going and now my frame is completely glossy. Looks ace, and didn't add any weight.

I just applied it to a rag and rubbed in circles. It was very easy to do. Again, only try at your own risk etc.

postimg.cc

IMG 20251009 161204 — Postimages

postimg.cc postimg.cc
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Where did you purchase this frame? Im also located in Europe
 
Tennis1337 said:
Where did you purchase this frame? Im also located in Europe
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I purchased it from Tennis P*int, but it's currently out of stock. It's a 2 year old model so it's probably due an update or discontinued.

It was in stock about a month ago, so it's only recently become harder to find.

I played a match with mine today, and the gloss modification hasn't impacted how it plays at all. I might do this mod to other frames as well.
 
TBM said:
This is a bit random, but I'm sure some people in this thread might like it.

I recently bought a Prince Beast 98 Europe only version. It's got matt black paint.

I had a scratch on it so tried to buff it out with Polywatch Watch face scratch remover and quickly realised that it was leaving a gloss finish very guickly (do not try this as I have no clue if it has any negative impact). I just kept going and now my frame is completely glossy. Looks ace, and didn't add any weight.
Click to expand...
That came out nice. I like the glossy look better.

I've got a slight modification that some people might enjoy, too. I went to change grommets on my green Phantom 100x and found that I had a set leftover from the previous generation (dark blue/gray). I'm one of the few who is a big fan of the green paint job, but I think it might be even better with the dark grommets.

Green-Phantom-dark-grommets-1.jpg
Green-Phantom-dark-grommets-2.jpg
Green-Phantom-dark-grommets-3.jpg
 
Jasper Ruud said:
That came out nice. I like the glossy look better.

I've got a slight modification that some people might enjoy, too. I went to change grommets on my green Phantom 100x and found that I had a set leftover from the previous generation (dark blue/gray). I'm one of the few who is a big fan of the green paint job, but I think it might be even better with the dark grommets.

Green-Phantom-dark-grommets-1.jpg
Green-Phantom-dark-grommets-2.jpg
Green-Phantom-dark-grommets-3.jpg
Click to expand...
I also have a green 100x and I just happen to have spare grommets from the previous version. The dark grommets match well with the green paint job.
 
Jasper Ruud said:
That came out nice. I like the glossy look better.

I've got a slight modification that some people might enjoy, too. I went to change grommets on my green Phantom 100x and found that I had a set leftover from the previous generation (dark blue/gray). I'm one of the few who is a big fan of the green paint job, but I think it might be even better with the dark grommets.

Green-Phantom-dark-grommets-1.jpg
Green-Phantom-dark-grommets-2.jpg
Green-Phantom-dark-grommets-3.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks nice. The 100x is a racket that I'd really like to try. I almost bought one but I'm looking for more power at the moment.
 
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